Transmission method and transmission system

Abstract

To provide an effective transmission method while suppressing a communication delay.SOLUTION: A transmission method for transmitting control data to a mobile body 107 from a communication terminal 101, contains: a step of transmitting the control data to a transmitter 103 (a terminal side relay device) by USB communication from the communication terminal 101; a step of dividing the control data transmitted to the transmitter 103 into a plurality of pieces of division data with a predetermined size which can be received by the mobile body 107; a step of transmitting each piece of division data to a receiver 105 (a mobile body side relay device) by BLE communication; and a step of transmitting each piece of division data transmitted to the receiver 105 to the mobile body 107 by serial communication.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a transmission method and its transmission system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is a communication system that communicates wirelessly rather than by wire between, for example, a plurality of moving bodies that freely move inside a facility for transportation and a communication terminal used to control these moving bodies (such as Patent Document 1). In such a communication system, infrared communication has been used as a communication means when controlling a moving body (for example, issuing a command of a command command). However, in, for example, a factory where a plurality of industrial machines are installed, when there are many obstacles and visibility is poor, it may significantly interfere with communication. Therefore, in recent years, communication using Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy (hereinafter referred to as BLE) has come to be used. When controlling a moving body by communication using BLE (BLE communication), control data generated by a program operating on the OS (Operating System) provided in the communication terminal is transmitted from the communication terminal (equipped with a transmitter) that performs BLE communication to the moving body (equipped with a receiver), and the receiver that has received the control data relays communication to the moving body. When the communication terminal controls the moving body, it is necessary to suppress the communication delay in the communication between the communication terminal and the moving body to a short time (in milliseconds). In addition, in order not to affect the control communication provided separately from the BLE communication for controlling the autonomous driving of the moving body, an upper limit is set for the size of the control data that the moving body can receive at one time. Also, compared to wireless communication using the Bluetooth standard, BLE communication has a smaller data size that can be transmitted at one time in order to reduce the power consumption related to wireless communication. Therefore, when transmitting control data to the moving body using BLE communication, multiple communications are required.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-150135 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] Incidentally, in the aforementioned communication systems, since control of mobile objects requires immediate action (for example, emergency stopping), it is necessary to minimize the delay in communication between the communication terminal and the mobile object as much as possible (for example, in milliseconds). Furthermore, depending on the communication system, it may be necessary to communicate with a higher-level system to control the movement of the mobile object, and in such cases, the size of communication data that the mobile object can receive at one time is limited so as not to affect that communication. Therefore, when the communication terminal transmits control data to the mobile object, it is necessary to transmit it as quickly and efficiently as possible while taking the size limitations into consideration.

[0005] Furthermore, in a communication system, for example, it is envisioned that a transmitter (equipped with a BLE communication module) connected to the communication terminal via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable will communicate with a receiver (equipped with a BLE communication module) connected to the mobile device using BLE communication to transmit control data from the communication terminal to the mobile device.

[0006] However, due to the specifications of the OS (e.g., Windows®), it may not be possible to satisfy the specifications of the communication system (e.g., in milliseconds) when controlling the above-mentioned BLE communication (e.g., communication delay may occur). In addition, the size of the control data that a mobile device can receive and the timing of communication change depending on the communication status with the higher-level system. Therefore, in conventional control using BLE communication, the number of communications increases or decreases in response to changes in the communication status of the mobile device, which has resulted in inefficient communication.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its main objective is to provide a transmission system, etc., that can efficiently perform communications related to the control of a mobile object while suppressing communication delays in communications between a communication terminal and a mobile object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A transmission method according to one aspect of the present invention is a transmission method for transmitting control data from a communication terminal to a mobile device, comprising the steps of: transmitting control data from the communication terminal to a terminal-side relay device via USB communication; dividing the control data transmitted to the terminal-side relay device into a plurality of divided data of a predetermined size that can be received by the mobile device; transmitting the divided data to a mobile device-side relay device via BLE communication; and transmitting the divided data transmitted to the mobile device-side relay device to the mobile device via serial communication.

[0009] According to this, the communication terminal can transfer the control data to be transmitted to the mobile object to the terminal-side relay device in a single USB transmission, thereby eliminating one of the causes of increased communication delay in the communication system due to the specifications of the communication terminal's OS, etc. On the other hand, even if there is a limit to the size of communication data that the mobile object can receive at one time, the control data to be transmitted from the communication terminal to the mobile object is appropriately divided and transmitted by the terminal-side relay device according to the specifications of the mobile object, so that the number of BLE communications between the communication terminal and the terminal-side relay device can be optimized and communication can be performed efficiently. Thus, the transmission method according to one aspect of the present invention can efficiently perform communication related to the control of a mobile object while suppressing communication delay between the communication terminal and the mobile object.

[0010] A transmission system according to one aspect of the present invention is a transmission system for transmitting control data from a communication terminal to a mobile device, comprising a terminal-side relay device and a mobile device-side relay device, wherein the terminal-side relay device comprises a first communication unit that receives control data from the communication terminal via USB communication, a division unit that divides the control data into divided data of a predetermined size that can be received by the mobile device, and a second communication unit that transmits the divided data to the mobile device-side relay device via BLE communication, and the mobile device-side relay device comprises a third communication unit that receives the divided data transmitted from the terminal-side relay device via BLE communication, and a fourth communication unit that transmits the divided data to the mobile device via serial communication.

[0011] According to this, the transmission system according to one aspect of the present invention has the same effects as the transmission method described above.

[0012] Furthermore, the mobile unit included in the above-mentioned transmission system may be configured to send an abnormal response addressed to the communication terminal if it receives abnormal segmented data from the mobile unit-side relay device, or if it does not receive segmented data from the mobile unit-side relay device within a predetermined time.

[0013] According to this, the mobile device equipped with the above-mentioned transmission system can notify the communication terminal that it has failed to receive the control data transmitted from the terminal-side relay device.

[0014] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a transmission method for transmitting control data from a communication terminal to a mobile device, comprising the steps of: transmitting the control data from the communication terminal to a relay device via BLE communication; dividing the control data received by the relay device into a plurality of divided data of a predetermined size that can be received by the mobile device; and transmitting the divided data to the mobile device via serial communication.

[0015] According to this, the communication terminal can reduce the number of BLE communications between the communication terminal and the relay device by transferring the control data to be transmitted to the mobile object in a single BLE transmission, thereby eliminating one of the causes of increased communication delay in the communication system due to the specifications of the communication terminal's OS, etc. Furthermore, since the control data is temporarily stored in the relay device close to the mobile object, segmented data can be transmitted to the mobile object without going through BLE communication, further suppressing delays. On the other hand, even if there is a limit to the size of communication data that the mobile object can receive at once, the control data to be transmitted from the communication terminal to the mobile object is appropriately divided and transmitted in the relay device according to the specifications of the mobile object, so the number of communications between the communication terminal and the relay device can be optimized and efficient communication can be performed. Thus, the transmission method according to another aspect of the present invention can efficiently perform communication related to the control of a mobile object while suppressing communication delays between the communication terminal and the mobile object. Note that the relay device in the transmission method according to another aspect of the present invention corresponds to the receiver, or in other words, the mobile object-side relay device, when describing the second embodiment.

[0016] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a transmission system comprising a mobile-side relay device for transmitting control data from a communication terminal to a mobile device, wherein the mobile-side relay device comprises a third communication unit for receiving control data from the communication terminal, a division unit for dividing the control data into divided data of a predetermined size that can be received by the mobile device, and a fourth communication unit for transmitting the divided data to the mobile device via serial communication.

[0017] According to this, a transmission system according to another aspect of the present invention will have the same effects as a transmission method according to the other aspect.

[0018] Furthermore, the mobile unit of the transmission system according to the other embodiment described above may be configured to send an abnormal response addressed to the communication terminal if it receives abnormal segmented data from the mobile unit-side relay device, or if it does not receive segmented data from the mobile unit-side relay device within a predetermined time.

[0019] According to this, the mobile body included in the transmission system according to the above other aspect can notify the communication terminal that the reception of the control data has failed.

[0020] Also, the terminal-side relay device included in the transmission system according to the above other aspect includes a first communication unit that receives control data from the communication terminal by USB communication, and a second communication unit that transmits the control data to the mobile-body-side relay device by BLE communication. The third communication unit may be configured to receive the control data transmitted from the terminal-side relay device by BLE communication.

[0021] According to this, the transmission system according to the above other aspect can transmit control data to the mobile body using the USB interface included in the communication terminal, and can reduce the number of BLE communications between the communication terminal and the mobile-body-side relay device.

Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a transmission system or the like that can efficiently perform communication related to the control of the mobile body while suppressing communication delay between the communication terminal and the mobile body.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of a communication system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a transmitter according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a receiver according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of a transmitter according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of a receiver according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6]Figure 6 is a sequence diagram showing the processing flow when control data is successfully exchanged in the communication system of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a sequence diagram showing the processing flow when an abnormality occurs in the exchange of control data in the communication system of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a transmitter according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a receiver according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of a transmitter according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of a receiver according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a sequence diagram showing the processing flow when control data is successfully exchanged in a communication system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a sequence diagram showing the processing flow when an abnormality occurs in the exchange of control data in the communication system of the second embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0024] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below all represent preferred specific examples of the present invention. The numerical values, shapes, components, arrangement and connection configurations of components, steps, and the order of steps shown in the following embodiments are examples only and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, those not described in the independent claims representing the highest-level concept of the present invention will be described as any component constituting a more preferred form. Note that identical components may be denoted by the same reference numeral and their descriptions may be omitted.

[0025] [First Embodiment] An overview of the communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described using Figure 1.

[0026] As illustrated in Figure 1, the communication system 100 comprises a communication terminal 101, a communication link 102, a transmitter 103, a wireless link 104, a receiver 105, a communication link 106, and a mobile device 107. The communication system 100 is, for example, a mobile device control system that controls the mobile device 107 based on control data transmitted by the communication terminal 101.

[0027] The communication terminal 101 is, for example, a tablet device or a PC (Personal Computer). The communication terminal 101 transmits control data for controlling the mobile device 107 and receives response data, including responses that may be transmitted from the mobile device 107. The communication terminal 101 is also used by the administrator who manages the communication system 100, and uses its own display unit to display various information regarding communications in the communication system 100 and the operating status of the mobile device 107, and receives instructions from the administrator for controlling the mobile device 107. The transmitter 103 and receiver 105 are assumed to be functioning transparently, that is, the communication terminal 101 and the mobile device 107 are assumed to be communicating directly.

[0028] Communication link 102 connects the communication terminal 101 and the transmitter 103. Communication link 102 is implemented using a bus communication standard such as USB.

[0029] The transmitter 103 is a relay device attached to the communication terminal 101 and functions as a wireless relay device between the communication terminal 101 and the mobile unit 107, and corresponds to the terminal-side relay device. The transmitter 103 communicates with the communication terminal 101 via the communication link 102 and also communicates with the receiver 105 via the wireless link 104, thereby relaying communication between the communication terminal 101 and the receiver 105. The transmitter 103 transmits control data transmitted by the communication terminal 101 to the receiver 105 and response data transmitted by the receiver 105 to the communication terminal 101.

[0030] The wireless link 104 connects the transmitter 103 and the receiver 105. The wireless link 104 is implemented using a short-range wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (specifically BLE).

[0031] Receiver 105 is a relay device attached to the mobile unit 107 and functions as a wireless relay device between the communication terminal 101 and the mobile unit 107, and corresponds to the mobile unit-side relay device. Receiver 105 communicates with transmitter 103 via wireless link 104 and with mobile unit 107 via communication link 106, thereby relaying communication between transmitter 103 and mobile unit 107. Receiver 105 transmits control data sent by transmitter 103 to mobile unit 107 and also transmits response data, including responses sent by mobile unit 107, to transmitter 103.

[0032] Communication link 106 connects the receiver 105 and the mobile unit 107. Communication link 106 is implemented using a bus communication standard such as RS-422 or USB.

[0033] The mobile unit 107 is, for example, a transport cart used by industrial machinery to transport materials for producing products, or to transport products produced by industrial machinery. The mobile unit 107 operates based on control data transmitted by the communication terminal 101 and transmits responses (for example, status information related to the execution of a specific task) to the communication terminal 101 according to the reception status of the control data and the status of the unit itself.

[0034] In addition, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described after the first embodiment. In the first embodiment of the present invention, the transmitter 103 and the receiver 105 will be referred to as 103a and 105a, respectively, and in the second embodiment of the present invention, they will be referred to as 103b and 105b, respectively, to distinguish them.

[0035] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the transmitter 103a according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] As shown in Figure 2, the transmitter 103a comprises a first communication unit 201, a splitting unit 202, a buffer 203, a second communication unit 204, and a storage unit 205. Each of the above functions in the transmitter 103a is realized by hardware such as the CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), storage device (for example, ROM (Read Only Memory), eMMC (Embedded Multimedia Card), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and SSD (Solid State Drive) non-volatile storage device), and communication module. Specifically, this is realized by the CPU reading a program stored in the storage device and executing it in cooperation with this hardware. Furthermore, the exchange of control data and split data between the first communication unit 201 and the second communication unit 204 is performed by appropriately converting the communication packet type and structure according to the communication protocol that each communication unit can process.

[0037] In this embodiment, the transmitter 103a is based on the premise of a data splitting function and is implemented as a separate device located outside the communication terminal 101 in order to avoid limitations imposed by the OS or other systems running on the communication terminal 101 (for example, when transmitting multiple frames related to BLE communication takes a considerable amount of time).

[0038] The first communication unit 201 is implemented by, for example, a USB communication module and a control program (for example, driver software that controls the hardware of the communication module and a program that supports communication). The transmitter 103a receives the control data transmitted by the communication terminal 101 via the first communication unit 201 and forwards it to the splitting unit 202. The first communication unit 201 also receives the response data that the second communication unit 204 receives from the receiver 105a and transmits the response data to the communication terminal 101.

[0039] The splitting unit 202 generates multiple divided data sets by dividing the control data based on a predetermined size value stored in the storage unit 205. The splitting unit 202 generates divided data sets by dividing the control data based on a predetermined size for dividing the control data, for example, using a program (application layer in the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) reference model) such as application software (hereinafter also referred to as "application") pre-stored in the storage unit 205 of the transmitter 103a. The predetermined size value that determines the size of the divided data sets is optimized based on the size of data that the mobile unit 107 can receive, so as to minimize the number of wireless (e.g., BLE) communications, and is stored in the storage unit 205. Once the splitting unit 202 has finished generating multiple divided data sets from the control data, it transfers each of the generated multiple divided data sets to the buffer 203.

[0040] Buffer 203 temporarily stores multiple partitioned data generated by partitioning unit 202. It also transfers partitioned data to second communication unit 204 based on a request from second communication unit 204. Buffer 203 can be implemented, for example, by providing a specific area for temporary storage on RAM or a non-volatile memory device.

[0041] The second communication unit 204 is implemented, for example, by a wireless communication module and a control program. Based on a request transmitted by the receiver 105a, the second communication unit 204 sequentially transmits the segmented data temporarily stored in the buffer 203 to the receiver 105a via the wireless link 104. The second communication unit 204 also receives response data transmitted by the receiver 105a and forwards the received response data to the first communication unit 201. Here, the response data may include, for example, data including a reception completion notification indicating that the second communication unit 204 has finished receiving all segmented data from the receiver 105a, or data indicating an abnormality due to a timeout occurring if the response data including the reception completion notification could not be received from the receiver 105a (described later) for some reason. The communication between the second communication unit 204 and the receiver 105a can be bidirectional wireless LAN communication such as Wi-Fi, but short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (specifically BLE) is particularly desirable.

[0042] The storage unit 205 stores in advance an application for dividing control data in the division unit 202 and generating divided data, and a predetermined size value for the application to generate the divided data. This predetermined size value may be set in advance by the administrator to the transmitter 103a, or it may be notified in advance by the mobile unit 107 to the transmitter 103a as an initial setting when the mobile unit 107 becomes capable of communicating with the transmitter 103a.

[0043] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the receiver 105a according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] As shown in Figure 3, the receiver 105a comprises a third communication unit 301, a fourth communication unit 302, and a response unit 303. Each of the above functions in the receiver 105a is realized by the hardware of the receiver 105a, including the CPU, RAM, storage device, and communication module. Specifically, this is realized by the CPU reading a program stored in the storage device, etc., and executing it in cooperation with this hardware. Furthermore, the exchange of control data and segmented data between the third communication unit 301 and the fourth communication unit 302 is performed by converting the communication packets according to the type and structure of the communication packets using the communication protocol that each communication unit can communicate with.

[0045] The third communication unit 301 is implemented, for example, by a wireless communication module and a control program. The third communication unit 301 receives segmented data from the transmitter 103a via the wireless link 104 and forwards it to the fourth communication unit. The third communication unit 301 also transmits the response data generated by the response unit 303 to the transmitter 103a via the wireless link 104. Furthermore, if the third communication unit 301 receives abnormal segmented data, it discards the received abnormal segmented data.

[0046] The fourth communication unit 302 is implemented, for example, by a serial communication module and a control program. The fourth communication unit 302 transmits the segmented data received by the third communication unit to the mobile unit 107, and also receives a reception confirmation notification transmitted by the mobile unit 107 in response to the reception of the segmented data (for example, an ack (acknowledgement) signal notification that is given when data is successfully received in communication via the RS-422 interface), or a reception completion notification which is a notification that the mobile unit 107 has received the last segmented data among multiple segmented data transmitted from the transmitter 103a that it is supposed to receive, and notifies the response unit 303. Furthermore, if the mobile unit 107 makes an abnormal response (for example, a response signal indicating that reception has failed in communication via the RS-422 interface), the fourth communication unit 302 notifies the response unit 303 of the abnormal response it has received.

[0047] The response unit 303 generates response data corresponding to the response content transmitted by the mobile device 107 (reception confirmation notice, reception completion notice, or abnormal response). The response data generated by the response unit 303 is transmitted to the transmitter 103a via the third communication unit 301. When the fourth communication unit 302 receives a reception confirmation notice, the response unit 303 generates response data including a request to transmit segmented data to the transmitter 103a to request the transmission of the next segmented data, and transmits it to the transmitter 103a via the third communication unit 301. Also, when the fourth communication unit 302 receives an abnormal response from the mobile device 107, the response unit 303 generates response data including the abnormal response, and transmits it to the transmitter 103a via the third communication unit 301.

[0048] [Description of the flow chart related to the first embodiment] Next, using Figure 4, a series of processes from when the transmitter 103a according to the first embodiment receives control data from the communication terminal 101 in the communication system until it completes the transmission of control data to the receiver 105a will be described.

[0049] Step S401 is the step in which the first communication unit 201 receives control data from the communication terminal 101. The control data processing process by the transmitter 103a starts the processing related to the transmission of control data upon receiving the control data.

[0050] Step S402 is a step in which the division unit 202 generates divided data based on a size value (predetermined size value) that can be received by the mobile body 107 and stored in the storage unit 205, using the control data received in step S401.

[0051] Step S403 is the step in which the buffer 203 stores each of the divided data generated in step S402.

[0052] Step S404 is the step in which the second communication unit 204 sequentially transmits divided data to the receiver 105a.

[0053] Step S405 is a step in which the second communication unit 204 determines whether or not it has received response data containing an abnormal response from the receiver 105a. If the second communication unit 204 has received response data containing an abnormal response (Yes in step S405), step S409 is executed; if the second communication unit 204 has not received response data containing an abnormal response, step S406 is executed (No in step S405).

[0054] Step S406 is a step to determine whether or not all of the divided data stored in buffer 203 has been transmitted. If all of the divided data has been transmitted (Yes in step S406), step S408 is executed; if there is still divided data to be transmitted (divided data remains in buffer 203) (No in step S406), step S407 is executed. Specifically, for example, the determination of whether or not there is divided data to be transmitted may be made by assigning a sequence number to each of the multiple divided data obtained when the size of the control data is divided into predetermined size values, and then transmitting the divided data that includes the sequence number which is the total number of divided data. Alternatively, this determination may be made by comparing the size of the control data received by transmitter 103a from communication terminal 101 (i.e., the data that transmitter 103a should transmit to mobile body 107) with the size of the data obtained by accumulating the sizes of the divided data actually transmitted by transmitter 103a, and determining that the last divided data has been transmitted when both sizes match.

[0055] Step S407 is the step in which the second communication unit 204 receives a request to transmit segmented data from the receiver 105a. When the second communication unit 204 receives response data including the request to transmit segmented data, it executes step S404 again. In this way, the transmitter 103a sequentially transmits multiple segmented data temporarily stored in the buffer 203 to the receiver 105a. Note that in step S407, the second communication unit 204 may provide a timeout process or the like in case it is unable to receive response data including the request to transmit segmented data from the receiver 105a for any reason, and if a timeout occurs, it may send a notification to the communication terminal 101 indicating an abnormality (not shown).

[0056] Step S408 is a step in which the second communication unit 204 waits for the receiver 105a to receive response data including a reception completion notification. When the second communication unit 204 receives the response data including the reception completion notification, it executes step S409. In step S408, the second communication unit 204 may also provide a timeout process in case it is unable to receive the response data including the reception completion notification from the receiver 105a for any reason, and if a timeout occurs, it may send a notification to the communication terminal 101 indicating an abnormality (not shown).

[0057] Step S409 is the step in which the second communication unit 204 transmits, via the first communication unit 201, response data including the error notification (abnormal response) received in S405, such as the notification that an abnormality was reported in steps S407 and S408, or response data including the reception completion notification received in step S408, to the communication terminal 101.

[0058] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the receiver 105a according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Step S501 is the step in which the third communication unit 301 receives the segmented data transmitted by the transmitter 103a. Note that the reception process shown in Figure 5 is performed when the third communication unit 301 receives the first segmented data.

[0059] Step S502 is the step in which the fourth communication unit 302 transmits the segmented data received by the third communication unit 301 to the mobile unit 107. Once the fourth communication unit 302 has finished transmitting the segmented data to the mobile unit 107, step S503 is executed.

[0060] Step S503 is a step in which the fourth communication unit 302 determines whether or not it has received a reception completion notification indicating that it has finished receiving all the segmented data from the mobile unit 107. If the fourth communication unit 302 determines that it has received a reception completion notification (Yes in step S503), it executes step S504. If the fourth communication unit 302 determines that it has not received a reception completion notification, that is, that there is still segmented data to be received (No in step S503), it executes step S505.

[0061] Step S504 is the step in which the response unit 303 generates response data including a reception completion notification and transmits the generated response data to the transmitter 103a via the third communication unit 301. When the fourth communication unit 302 receives a reception completion notification from the mobile body 107, it notifies the response unit 303 of the reception completion notification. Upon receiving this notification, the response unit 303 generates response data including a reception completion notification and transmits the generated response data (response data including a reception completion notification) to the transmitter 103a via the third communication unit 301.

[0062] Step S505 is a step to determine whether the fourth communication unit 302 has received an abnormal response from the mobile unit 107. If the fourth communication unit 302 has received an abnormal response (Yes in step S505), step S506 is executed. If the fourth communication unit 302 has not received an abnormal response (for example, it has received an ack signal indicating completion of reception in communication via the RS-422 interface) (No in step S505), step S507 is executed.

[0063] Step S506 is the step in which the response unit 303 generates response data including an abnormal response and transmits the generated response data to the transmitter 103a via the third communication unit 301. When the fourth communication unit 302 receives an abnormal response from the mobile body 107, it notifies the response unit 303 of the abnormal response. Upon receiving this notification, the response unit 303 generates response data including the abnormal response and transmits the generated response data to the transmitter 103a via the third communication unit 301.

[0064] Step S507 is the step in which the response unit 303 generates response data including a request to transmit segmented data and transmits the generated response data to the transmitter 103a via the third communication unit 301. When the fourth communication unit 302 receives a response from the mobile body 107 indicating that it has successfully received the segmented data, it notifies the response unit 303 of the received response. Upon receiving this notification, the response unit 303 generates response data including a request to transmit segmented data to request the transmission of subsequent segmented data and transmits the generated response data to the transmitter 103a via the third communication unit 301. After completing step S507, step S501 is executed again, and the system waits for the reception of subsequent segmented data transmitted from the transmitter 103a.

[0065] [Description of the sequence according to the first embodiment] Next, using the sequence diagram in Figure 6, a series of processes in the communication system according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described, from the time that control data transmitted by the communication terminal 101 is successfully received by the mobile body 107 via the transmitter 103a and the receiver 105a.

[0066] First, the communication terminal 101 starts transmitting control data to the transmitter 103a (step S601). The control data transmitted from the communication terminal 101 is received by the transmitter 103a via the communication link 102.

[0067] Next, when the transmitter 103a receives control data from the communication terminal 101, the splitting unit 202 divides the received control data based on a predetermined size value that the mobile body 107 can receive, and generates multiple divided data (step S602). The generated multiple divided data are then temporarily stored in the buffer 203 provided by the transmitter 103a.

[0068] Next, the transmitter 103a uses the second communication unit 204 to transmit the first of the multiple divided data to the receiver 105a (step S603a).

[0069] Next, when the receiver 105a receives the segmented data transmitted by the transmitter 103a using the third communication unit 301, it transmits the received segmented data to the mobile unit 107 using the fourth communication unit 302.

[0070] Next, when the mobile unit 107 receives the segmented data transmitted by the receiver 105a, it sends a reception confirmation notification to the receiver 105a (step S604a).

[0071] Next, when receiver 105a receives the reception confirmation notice transmitted by mobile unit 107, response unit 303 generates response data including a request for transmission of segmented data, and transmits the generated response data to transmitter 103a using third communication unit 301.

[0072] Next, when transmitter 103a receives response data from receiver 105a including a request to transmit segmented data, it transmits the next segmented data stored in buffer 203 (the data following the segmented data transmitted to receiver 105a in step S603a) to receiver 105a (step S603b).

[0073] Subsequently, by repeatedly executing steps S603b to S603c and steps S604b to S604c as described above, all the segmented data stored in the buffer 203 of the transmitter 103a is sequentially transmitted using the receiver 105a, and the mobile unit 107 receives the transmitted segmented data.

[0074] In step S604c, once the mobile unit 107 has finished receiving the last segmented data (the last data among the segmented data temporarily stored in buffer 203), it sends a reception completion notification to the receiver 105a (step S605).

[0075] Next, when receiver 105a receives a reception completion notification, it generates response data including the reception completion notification using its own response unit 303, and transmits the generated response data to transmitter 103a via third communication unit 301.

[0076] Next, when transmitter 103a receives response data including a reception completion notification in the second communication unit 204, it transmits the received response data to communication terminal 101 via the first communication unit 201 provided in itself.

[0077] Finally, when the communication terminal 101 receives the response data transmitted by the transmitter 103a, it concludes the series of processes, indicating that it has successfully completed the transmission of all control data to the mobile unit 107 (step S606).

[0078] [Description of the sequence diagram when an abnormal response occurs according to the first embodiment] Next, using the sequence diagram in Figure 7, a series of processes will be described in the case where some abnormality occurs in communication when control data transmitted by the communication terminal 101 is transmitted to the mobile body 107 via the transmitter 103a and receiver 105a in the communication system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0079] First, the communication terminal 101 starts transmitting control data to the transmitter 103a (step S701). The control data transmitted from the communication terminal 101 is received by the transmitter 103a via the communication link 102.

[0080] Next, when the transmitter 103a receives control data from the communication terminal 101, the splitting unit 202 divides the received control data based on a predetermined size value that the mobile unit 107 can receive, and generates multiple divided data (step S702). The generated multiple divided data are then temporarily stored in the buffer 203 provided by the unit.

[0081] Next, the transmitter 103a uses the second communication unit 204 to transmit the first of the multiple divided data to the receiver 105a (step S703a).

[0082] Next, when the receiver 105a receives the segmented data transmitted by the transmitter 103a using the third communication unit 301, it transmits the received segmented data to the mobile unit 107 using the fourth communication unit 302.

[0083] Next, when the mobile unit 107 receives the segmented data transmitted by the receiver 105a, it sends a reception confirmation notification to the receiver 105a (step S704).

[0084] Next, when receiver 105a receives the reception confirmation notice transmitted by mobile unit 107, response unit 303 generates response data including a request for transmission of segmented data, and transmits the generated response data to transmitter 103a using third communication unit 301.

[0085] Next, when transmitter 103a receives a request to transmit segmented data from receiver 105a, it transmits the next segmented data stored in buffer 203 to receiver 105a (step S703b).

[0086] At this point, while the divided data stored in buffer 203 is being transmitted to receiver 105a, an abnormality occurs in the divided data (for example, the data becomes corrupted) due to reasons such as radio interference. (Step S705).

[0087] Next, receiver 105a receives abnormal segmented data and discards the data in the third communication unit (step S706). Receiver 105a may also notify mobile unit 107 that an abnormality has occurred in the segmented data.

[0088] Next, if the mobile unit 107 fails to receive the segmented data that it is waiting to receive from the receiver 105a within a predetermined time, it transitions to a reception error state indicating that it failed to receive the control data (step S707). The mobile unit 107 may also transition to a reception error state if it receives a notification indicating that the receiver 105a has discarded the segmented data that it should have transmitted.

[0089] Next, the mobile unit 107 sends an abnormal response addressed to the communication terminal 101 in order to notify the communication terminal 101 that it is in a reception error state. Specifically, it sends an abnormal response to the receiver 105a indicating that it failed to receive the segmented data (step S708).

[0090] Next, when receiver 105a receives an abnormal response from mobile body 107, response unit 303 generates response data including the received abnormal response. Third communication unit 301 transmits the generated response data to transmitter 103a.

[0091] Next, the transmitter 103a receives response data from the receiver 105a using the second communication unit 204. Upon receiving the response data, the transmitter 103a transmits it to the communication terminal 101 using the first communication unit 201.

[0092] Finally, when the communication terminal 101 receives the response data transmitted by the transmitter 103a, it detects that an abnormality has occurred in the transmission of control data to the mobile unit 107. Subsequently, it displays the detected information on its own display unit (not shown) and informs the administrator (step S709).

[0093] In dealing with such abnormal occurrences, the transmitter 103a and receiver 105a function transparently to the communication terminal 101, and the communication terminal 101 always receives notification of abnormal responses from the mobile device in units of control data before division, rather than in the form of divided data.

[0094] According to the first embodiment of the present invention, the communication terminal 101 can reduce the number of BLE communications between the communication terminal 101 and the transmitter 103a by transferring the control data to be transmitted to the mobile body 107 to the transmitter 103a in a single transmission, thereby eliminating one of the causes of increased communication delay in the communication system 100 due to the specifications of the OS of the communication terminal 101, etc. On the other hand, even if there is a limit to the size of communication data that the mobile body 107 can receive at once, the control data to be transmitted from the communication terminal 101 to the mobile body 107 is appropriately divided and transmitted by the transmitter 103a according to the specifications of the mobile body 107, so that the number of BLE communications between the communication terminal 101 and the transmitter 103a is optimized and efficient communication can be performed. In this way, the communication system of the present invention enables efficient communication related to the control of a mobile body while suppressing communication delay between the communication terminal and the mobile body.

[0095] [Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 13. Components similar to those in the first embodiment will be described using the reference numerals in Figures 1 to 3 as appropriate.

[0096] A communication system 100A according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described using Figure 8. The configuration of the communication system 100A according to the second embodiment of the present invention is the same as that of the communication system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, except that the transmitter 103a is replaced with a transmitter 103b (corresponding to a terminal-side relay device), and the receiver 105a is replaced with a receiver 105b (corresponding to a mobile-side relay device). The transmitter 103b and the receiver 105b will be described in detail below, but the other components are the same as those of the communication system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0097] First, the transmitter 103b according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described using Figure 8.

[0098] As shown in Figure 8, the transmitter 103b according to this embodiment includes a first communication unit 801 and a second communication unit 802. Each of the above functions in the transmitter 103b is realized by hardware such as the CPU, RAM, storage device, and communication module provided in the transmitter 103b. Specifically, this is realized by the CPU reading a program stored in the storage device, etc., and executing it in cooperation with this hardware. Furthermore, the exchange of control data and response data between the first communication unit 801 and the second communication unit 802 is performed by converting the data according to the type and structure of the communication packet using a communication protocol that each communication unit can communicate with. In addition, in this embodiment, the functions of the transmitter 103b may be built into the communication terminal 101.

[0099] The first communication unit 801 is implemented, for example, by a USB communication module and a control program. The transmitter 103b receives the control data transmitted by the communication terminal 101 via the first communication unit 801 and forwards it to the second communication unit 802. The first communication unit 801 also receives notification of the response data received by the second communication unit 802 from the receiver 105b and transmits the received response data to the communication terminal 101.

[0100] The second communication unit 802 is implemented, for example, by a wireless communication module and a control program. The second communication unit 802 transmits control data to the receiver 105b via the wireless link 104. The second communication unit 802 also receives response data transmitted by the receiver 105b and forwards the received response data to the first communication unit 801. The communication used by the second communication unit 802 may be any type of two-way wireless LAN communication such as Wi-Fi, but short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (specifically BLE) is particularly desirable.

[0101] Next, a receiver 105b according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described using Figure 9.

[0102] As shown in Figure 9, the receiver 105b according to this embodiment includes a third communication unit 901, a splitting unit 902, a buffer 903, a fourth communication unit 904, a storage unit 905, and a response unit 906. Each of the above functions in the receiver 105b is realized by the hardware of the receiver 105b, such as the CPU, RAM, storage device, and communication module. Specifically, this is realized by the CPU reading a program stored in the storage device, etc., and executing it in cooperation with this hardware. Furthermore, the exchange of control data and split data between the third communication unit 901 and the fourth communication unit 904 is performed by appropriately converting the data according to the type and structure of the communication packets using the communication protocol that each communication unit can process.

[0103] The third communication unit 901 is implemented, for example, by a wireless communication module and a control program. The third communication unit 901 receives control data transmitted from the transmitter 103b via the wireless link 104 and forwards it to the splitting unit 902. The third communication unit 901 also receives response data from the response unit 906, including notifications from the mobile body 107 received by the fourth communication unit 904, and transmits the response data to the transmitter 103b.

[0104] The splitting unit 902 generates multiple divided data from the control data transferred from the third communication unit 901, based on a predetermined size value stored in the storage unit 905. The splitting unit 902 generates the divided data by dividing the control data based on a predetermined size for dividing the control data, for example, using a program such as an application (application layer in the OSI reference model) that is pre-stored in the storage unit 905 of the receiver 105b. The predetermined size value that determines the size of the divided data is optimized based on the size of data that the mobile unit 107 can receive, so as to minimize the number of wireless (e.g., BLE) communications, and is stored in the storage unit 905. Once the splitting unit 902 has finished generating multiple divided data from the control data, it transfers each of the generated multiple divided data to the buffer 903.

[0105] Buffer 903 temporarily stores multiple divided data generated by the division unit 902. It also transfers the divided data to the fourth communication unit 904 based on a reception confirmation notice transmitted from the mobile unit 107 and notified by the fourth communication unit 904. Buffer 903 can be implemented, for example, by providing a specific area for temporary storage on RAM or a non-volatile memory device.

[0106] The fourth communication unit 904 is implemented, for example, by a serial communication module and a control program. The fourth communication unit 904 sequentially transmits the divided data temporarily stored in the buffer 903 to the mobile unit 107, and also receives a reception confirmation notice transmitted by the mobile unit 107 in response to the reception of the divided data and notifies the buffer 903. Furthermore, the fourth communication unit 904 receives a reception completion notice and notifies the response unit 906, and also notifies the response unit 906 of the abnormal response if the mobile unit 107 makes an abnormal response.

[0107] The storage unit 905 stores in advance an application for generating divided data when the division unit 902 performs the processing of dividing control data, and a predetermined size value for the application to generate the divided data. This predetermined size value may be set in advance by the administrator in the receiver 105b, or it may be set by the mobile unit 107 notifying the receiver 105b in advance as an initial setting when the mobile unit 107 becomes able to communicate with the receiver 105b.

[0108] The response unit 906 generates response data corresponding to the response content transmitted by the mobile device 107 (reception confirmation notice, reception completion notice, or abnormal response). The response data generated by the response unit 906 is transmitted to the transmitter 103b via the third communication unit 901. Furthermore, when the fourth communication unit 904 receives an abnormal response from the mobile device 107, the response unit 906 generates response data including the abnormal response and transmits it to the transmitter 103b via the third communication unit 901.

[0109] [Description of the flow chart related to the second embodiment] Next, using Figure 10, a series of processes in the communication system according to the second embodiment will be described, from when the transmitter 103b receives control data from the communication terminal 101 and transmits the control data to the mobile unit 107 until the transmission of the control data to be transmitted is completed.

[0110] Step S1001 is the step in which the first communication unit 801 receives control data from the communication terminal 101. The transmitter 103b starts processing related to the transmission of control data upon receiving the control data.

[0111] Step S1002 is the step in which the second communication unit 802 transmits the control data received in step S1001 to the receiver 105b.

[0112] Step S1003 is a step in which the second communication unit 802 waits for the reception of response data. When the second communication unit 802 receives response data from the receiver 105b, it notifies the first communication unit 801 of the received response data and executes step S1004.

[0113] Step S1004 is the step in which the first communication unit 801 transmits response data to the communication terminal 101.

[0114] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the receiver 105b according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0115] Step S1101 is the step in which the third communication unit 901 receives the control data transmitted by the transmitter 103b. Note that the reception process shown in Figure 11 is performed when the third communication unit 901 receives the control data.

[0116] Step S1102 is a step in which the division unit 902 divides the control data received in step S1101 based on a size value (predetermined size value) that can be received by the mobile body 107 stored in the storage unit 905, thereby generating divided data.

[0117] Step S1103 is the step in which the buffer 903 stores each of the divided data generated in step S1102.

[0118] Step S1104 is the step in which the fourth communication unit 904 sequentially transmits the divided data to the mobile unit 107.

[0119] Step S1105 is a step to determine whether the fourth communication unit 904 has received a response containing an abnormal response. If the fourth communication unit 904 has received response data containing an abnormal response (Yes in step S1105), step S1108 is executed; if the fourth communication unit 904 has not received response data containing an abnormal response (No in step S1105), step S1106 is executed.

[0120] Step S1106 is a step to determine whether or not all of the divided data stored in buffer 903 has been sent. If all of the divided data has been sent (Yes in step S1106), step S1107 is executed; if the divided data that should have been sent has not been sent (divided data remains in buffer 903) (No in step S1106), step S1109 is executed.

[0121] Step S1107 is the step of transmitting response data including a reception completion notification. Specifically, the fourth communication unit 904 waits for reception completion notification from the mobile body 107, and upon receiving the reception completion notification, notifies the response unit 906 of the reception completion notification, and the response unit 906 generates response data including the reception completion notification. After generating the response data, the response unit 906 transfers the generated response data to the third communication unit 901, and the third communication unit 901 transmits the response data to the transmitter 103b. Note that in step S1107, a timeout process may be provided in case reception completion notification cannot be received from the mobile body 107 for any reason, and if a timeout occurs, a notification of the abnormality may be sent to the communication terminal 101 via the transmitter 103b (not shown).

[0122] Step S1108 is the step in which the third communication unit 901 transmits response data including an abnormal response to the transmitter 103b. When the fourth communication unit 904 receives an abnormal response from the mobile body 107 in step S1105, it notifies the response unit 906 of the abnormal response, and the response unit 906 generates response data including the abnormal response. After the response unit 906 generates the response data, it transfers the generated response data to the third communication unit 901, and the third communication unit 901 transmits the response data to the transmitter 103b.

[0123] Step S1109 is a step in which the fourth communication unit 904 waits for a reception confirmation notice to be received from the mobile unit 107. When the fourth communication unit 904 receives the reception confirmation notice, it executes step S1104 again. In this way, the receiver 105b sequentially transmits multiple divided data temporarily stored in the buffer 903 to the mobile unit 107. Note that in step S1109, a timeout process may be provided in case the reception confirmation notice cannot be received from the mobile unit 107 for any reason, and if a timeout occurs, a notification to inform the communication terminal 101 of the abnormality may be sent (not shown).

[0124] [Description of the sequence according to the second embodiment] Next, using the sequence diagram in Figure 12, a series of processes in the communication system 100A according to the second embodiment of the present invention, from the transmission of control data by the communication terminal 101 to its reception by the mobile device via the transmitter 103b and receiver 105b, will be described.

[0125] First, the communication terminal 101 transmits control data to the transmitter 103b and begins transmitting the control data (step S1201). The control data transmitted from the communication terminal 101 is transferred to the transmitter 103b via the communication link 102. The transmitter 103b uses the second communication unit 802 to transmit the received control data to the receiver 105b via the wireless link 104, and the receiver 105b receives the transmitted control data.

[0126] Next, when the receiver 105b receives control data from the transmitter 103b, the splitting unit 902 divides the received control data based on a predetermined size value that can be received by the mobile body 107 stored in the storage unit 905, and generates multiple divided data (step S1202). The generated multiple divided data are then temporarily stored in the buffer 903 provided in the receiver 105b.

[0127] Next, the receiver 105b uses the fourth communication unit 904 to transmit one of the aforementioned divided data to the mobile unit 107 (step S1203a).

[0128] Next, when the mobile unit 107 receives the segmented data transmitted by the receiver 105b, it sends a reception confirmation notice to the receiver 105b (step S1204a).

[0129] Next, when receiver 105b receives the reception acknowledgment notification transmitted by mobile unit 107, it transmits the next of the segmented data stored in buffer 903 to mobile unit 107 (step S1203b).

[0130] Thereafter, by repeatedly executing steps S1203b to S1203c and steps S1204b to S1204c as described above, the receiver 105b sequentially transmits all the segmented data stored in the buffer 903, and the mobile unit 107 receives the sequentially transmitted segmented data.

[0131] In step S1204c, once the mobile unit 107 has finished receiving the last segmented data, it sends a reception completion notification to the receiver 105b (step S1205).

[0132] Next, when the receiver 105b receives a reception completion notification, the response unit 902 generates response data including the reception completion notification, and the third communication unit 901 transmits the response data to the transmitter 103b.

[0133] Next, when the transmitter 103b receives response data including a reception completion notification in the second communication unit 804, it transmits the received response data to the communication terminal 101 via the first communication unit 801.

[0134] Finally, when the communication terminal 101 receives the response data transmitted by the transmitter 103b, it completes the transmission of the control data (step S1206).

[0135] [Explanation of the sequence diagram when an abnormal response occurs according to the second embodiment] Next, using the sequence diagram in Figure 13, a series of processes will be described in the case where an abnormality occurs in the communication of control data transmitted by the communication terminal 101 in the communication system 100A according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0136] First, the communication terminal 101 transmits control data to the transmitter 103b and begins transmitting the control data (step S1201). The control data transmitted from the communication terminal 101 is transferred to the transmitter 103b via the communication link 102. The transmitter 103b uses the second communication unit 802 to transmit the received control data to the receiver 105b via the wireless link 104, and the receiver 105b receives the transmitted control data.

[0137] Next, when the receiver 105b receives control data from the transmitter 103b, the splitting unit 902 divides the received control data based on a predetermined size value that the mobile body 107 can receive, and generates multiple divided data (step S1202). The generated multiple divided data are then temporarily stored in the buffer 903 provided in the receiver 105b.

[0138] Next, the receiver 105b uses the fourth communication unit 904 to transmit one of the aforementioned divided data to the mobile unit 107 (step S1203a).

[0139] Next, when the mobile unit 107 receives the segmented data transmitted by the receiver 105b, it sends a reception confirmation notice to the receiver 105b (step S1204a).

[0140] Next, when receiver 105b receives the reception acknowledgment notification transmitted by mobile unit 107, it transmits the next of the segmented data stored in buffer 903 to mobile unit 107 (step S1203b).

[0141] At this point, while the segmented data stored in buffer 903 is being transmitted to the mobile unit 107, an abnormality occurs in the segmented data (data corruption, etc.) due to noise generated outside the RS-422 interface used by the communication link 106, for example. (Step S1305).

[0142] Next, the mobile unit 107 transitions to a reception error state, indicating that it failed to receive control data, due to receiving abnormal segmented data (step S1306).

[0143] Next, the mobile unit 107 transmits an abnormal response addressed to the communication terminal 101. Specifically, it transmits an abnormal response to the receiver 105b indicating that it failed to receive the control data, as follows (step S1307).

[0144] Next, the receiver 105b receives an abnormal response from the mobile body 107, generates response data including the abnormal response using the response unit 902, and transmits the generated response data to the transmitter 103b using the third communication unit 901.

[0145] Next, transmitter 103b receives response data in the second communication unit 802. Transmitter 103b then transmits the received response data to communication terminal 101 using the first communication unit 801 provided in the unit.

[0146] Finally, when the communication terminal 101 receives the response data transmitted by the transmitter 103b, it detects that an abnormality has occurred in the transmission of control data to the mobile unit 107. Subsequently, it displays the detected information on its own display unit (not shown) and informs the administrator (step S1308). In handling such abnormalities, the transmitter 103b and receiver 105b function transparently to the communication terminal, and the communication terminal 101 always receives notification of the abnormal response from the mobile unit in units of control data before division, rather than in the divided data.

[0147] According to the second embodiment of the present invention, the communication terminal 101 can reduce the number of BLE communications between the communication terminal 101 and the receiver 105b by transferring the control data to be transmitted to the mobile body 107 to the receiver 105b in a single transmission, thereby eliminating one of the causes of increased communication delay in the communication system 100A due to the specifications of the OS of the communication terminal 101, etc. Furthermore, since the control data is temporarily stored in the receiver 105b, which is close to the mobile body 107, unlike the first embodiment of the present invention, divided data can be transmitted to the mobile body 107 without going through BLE communication, thereby suppressing further delays. On the other hand, even if there is a limit to the size of communication data that the mobile body 107 can receive at once, the control data to be transmitted from the communication terminal 101 to the mobile body 107 is appropriately divided and transmitted in the receiver 105b according to the specifications of the mobile body 107, so that the number of communications between the communication terminal 101 and the receiver 105b is optimized and efficient communication can be performed. Thus, the communication system of the present invention enables efficient communication related to the control of a mobile object between a communication terminal and a mobile object while suppressing communication delays.

[0148] The present invention has been described through the two embodiments described above. Here, the data division according to the receivable size of the mobile body, which is a feature of the present invention, is preferably performed at the application layer, unlike wireless aggregation or drivers for wireless communication. By doing so, when changing the division size to match the specifications of a mobile cart or the like, it is possible to have more flexibility in the software design than when data division is performed by a program at a layer closer to the physical layer, such as a wireless driver.Therefore, even if the size of serial data communication changes for each individual mobile body, it is possible to flexibly change the division size of the control data.

[0149] Furthermore, the present invention can be implemented not only as a device, but also as a method in which the processing means constituting the device are steps, as a program that causes a computer to execute those steps, as a storage medium such as a computer-readable CD-ROM on which the program is recorded, or as information, data, or signals that represent the program. These programs, information, data, and signals may be distributed via a communication network such as the Internet. [Industrial applicability]

[0150] The present invention can be applied to transmitters and receivers that want to reduce communication delays in communication between a communication terminal and a mobile device. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0151] 100, 100A communication system 101 Communication terminal 102, 106 Communication Links 103a, 103b Transmitters 104 Wireless Link 105a, 105b receivers 107 Mobile Unit 201, 801 1st Communications Department 202, 902 division part 203, 903 buffers 204, 802 Second Communications Department 205, 905 Storage section 301, 901 Third Communications Department 302, 904 4th Communications Department 303, 906 Response section

Claims

1. A transmission method for transmitting control data from a communication terminal to a mobile device, The steps include transmitting the control data from the communication terminal to the terminal-side relay device via USB communication, The terminal-side relay device includes the step of dividing the control data into multiple divided data based on a predetermined size that the mobile body can receive at once, The steps include sequentially transmitting the divided data via BLE communication in response to a transmission request from the mobile relay device, The mobile relay device includes the step of transmitting the divided data to the mobile body via serial communication, A transmission method that includes [this].

2. A transmission system for transmitting control data from a communication terminal to a mobile device, comprising a terminal-side relay device and a mobile device-side relay device, The aforementioned terminal-side relay device A first communication unit that receives the control data from the aforementioned communication terminal via USB communication, A division unit divides the control data into multiple divided data based on a predetermined size that the moving body can receive at once, A second communication unit sequentially transmits the divided data via BLE communication in response to a transmission request from the mobile relay device, Equipped with, The aforementioned mobile relay device A third communication unit that receives the segmented data transmitted by BLE communication from the terminal-side relay device, A fourth communication unit transmits the divided data to the mobile device via serial communication, Equipped with, Transmission system.

3. If the mobile device receives abnormal segmented data containing corrupted data from the mobile device-side relay device, or if it does not receive the segmented data from the mobile device-side relay device within a predetermined time, it will transmit an abnormal response addressed to the communication terminal. The transmission system according to claim 2.

4. A transmission method for transmitting control data from a communication terminal to a mobile device, The steps include transmitting the control data from the communication terminal to the mobile relay device via BLE communication, The mobile relay device includes the steps of dividing the control data into multiple divided data based on a predetermined size that the mobile body can receive at once, In response to a reception confirmation notification from the mobile device, the divided data is sequentially transmitted to the mobile device via serial communication. A transmission method that includes this.

5. A transmission system comprising a mobile-side relay device for transmitting control data from a communication terminal to a mobile device via a terminal-side relay device, The aforementioned mobile relay device A third communication unit receives the control data from the terminal-side relay device via BLE communication, A division unit divides the control data into a plurality of divided data based on a predetermined size that the moving body can receive, A fourth communication unit that, in response to a reception confirmation notification from the mobile device, sequentially transmits the divided data to the mobile device via serial communication, Equipped with, Transmission system.

6. If the mobile device receives abnormal segmented data containing corrupted data from the mobile device-side relay device, or if it does not receive the segmented data from the mobile device-side relay device within a predetermined time, it will transmit an abnormal response addressed to the communication terminal. The transmission system according to claim 5.

7. The predetermined size is set such that the number of transmissions in the BLE communication section is minimized. The transmission method according to claim 1 or 4.

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