Communication devices, communication systems, and communication methods

Abstract

To secure a communication band for information collection even in communication where dynamic slot allocation is difficult.SOLUTION: Included are: a first transmission data generation unit 10-N that generates transmission data for information collection; a second transmission data generation unit that generates transmission data for priority communication which is allocated to the same time slot as the transmission data for information collection and which is normally transmitted with priority over the transmission data for information collection; a time slot setting unit 50 that notifies a time slot capable of data transmission to a communication unit; an information collection priority determination unit 60 that, on the basis of information obtained from an external device and an own device, determines whether or not to prioritize the transmission data of the information collection for priority communication; and a transmission timing determination unit 70 that, when the information collection is to be prioritized, stops transmission of the transmission data for priority communication and determines that the transmission data for the information collection is to be transmitted in the same time slot.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device, a communication system, and a communication method.

Background Art

[0002] In a configuration where a plurality of devices such as factories and water facilities communicate regularly, there is a desire to collect high-definition information from sensors when an abnormality occurs. Since laying dedicated cables increases costs, it is desired to use existing technologies such as the time division function of TSN (Time-sensitive networking) to communicate over the same transmission line as others. TSN is time division communication and is an example of communication by static slot allocation.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses "a communication system that communicates by time division using a communication frame including one or more synchronization time slots in which a parent node transmits a synchronization signal and a plurality of data slots in which a plurality of child nodes transmit data between a parent node and a plurality of child nodes." Further, Patent Document 1 discloses that "the parent node identifies data that should be preferentially transmitted among the data transmitted by the child nodes, and determines the allocation of time slots in the data slots so that the identified data is transmitted using time slots near the synchronization time slots, and notifies the determined allocation to the child nodes, and the child nodes transmit data to the parent node according to the notified allocation."

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Incidentally, the technology described in Patent Document 1 identifies the data that should be transmitted with priority and then allocates a time slot (in this case, a time slot near the synchronization time slot) for transmitting that data. In other words, the technology described in Patent Document 1 is based on dynamic slot allocation.

[0006] In dynamic slot allocation, the time slot for sending the target data is assigned for each data transmission or periodically. On the other hand, in static slot allocation, the time slot to be used is predetermined for each target data. In other words, the relationship between the transmitted data and the time slot is set in advance, and that relationship does not change.

[0007] For example, in TSN, the settings for which data can be transmitted are configured as needed for each time slot, but it is desirable to avoid preparing time slots (backup slots) in advance for abnormal situations as this would strain bandwidth. Furthermore, it is desirable to achieve simultaneous communication during normal times and abnormal (emergency) situations without requiring application modifications (without the application being aware of the issue).

[0008] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to ensure bandwidth for information gathering communications in communications where dynamic slot allocation is difficult. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention is a communication device that performs data communication with an external device using a static slot method. This communication device includes: a first transmission data generation unit that generates transmission data for information collection; a second transmission data generation unit that generates transmission data for priority communication which is assigned to the same time slot as the transmission data for information collection and is normally transmitted with higher priority than the transmission data for information collection; a communication unit that receives data from an external device and transmits the transmission data to the external device; a time slot setting unit that notifies the communication unit of time slots in which the transmission data can be transmitted; an information collection priority determination unit that determines the priority of the transmission data for information collection based on the data received from the external device and information obtained from the device itself; and a transmission timing determination unit that, when the information collection priority determination unit determines that the transmission data for information collection should be prioritized, decides to stop transmitting the transmission data for priority communication and transmit the transmission data for information collection which was assigned to the same time slot as the transmission data for priority communication. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to at least one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to secure bandwidth for information gathering communications in communications where dynamic slot allocation is difficult. Other issues, configurations, and effects not mentioned above will be clarified by the following description of the embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This figure shows an overview of a communication system according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and an example of the configuration of the control system of the communication control device constituting the communication system. [Figure 2] This is a time chart showing examples of communication types and traffic schedules for a communication control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of setting transmission data and time slots by the time slot setting unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the information collection priority determination unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of a priority table referenced by the priority determination unit included in the information collection priority determination unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of determining the transmission timing for each transmission data using the presence or absence of information collection priority, by the transmission timing determination unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the transmission data generation unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of a high-resolution policy table referenced by the high-resolution policy determination unit included in the transmission data generation unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of a data detail level table referenced by the data detail level determination unit 12 included in the transmission data generation unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of generated data according to the data resolution level by the data generation unit included in the transmission data generation unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the information collection priority determination unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] This figure shows an example of a priority table referenced by the priority determination unit included in the information collection priority determination unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This figure shows an example of a more detailed priority table referenced by the priority determination unit included in the information collection priority determination unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] This figure shows an example of determining the transmission timing for each transmission data using information collection priority by the transmission timing determination unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] This is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the transmission data generation unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] This figure shows an example of a data detail level table referenced by the data detail level determination unit included in the transmission data generation unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. is a diagram showing an outline of a communication system according to a third embodiment of the present invention and a configuration example of a control system of a communication control device constituting the communication system. [Figure 18] FIG. is a time chart showing an example of a traffic schedule using communication types and identification numbers of a communication control device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] FIG. is a diagram showing a setting example of transmission data and time slots using identification numbers by a time slot setting unit according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] FIG. is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration example of a control system included in a communication control device according to each embodiment of the present invention. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, examples of embodiments for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same components or components having substantially the same functions, and redundant descriptions are omitted. In addition, when there are a plurality of components having the same or similar functions, they may be described with different subscripts attached to the same reference numeral. In addition, when it is not necessary to distinguish these plurality of components, the subscript may be omitted in the description.

[0013] <First Embodiment> [Outline of Communication System and Configuration of Communication Control Device] First, a communication system according to a first embodiment of the present invention and a communication control device constituting the communication system will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a communication system according to a first embodiment of the present invention and a configuration example of a control system of a communication control device constituting the communication system. FIG. 1 shows an example of a communication system 100 in which communication control devices 1 to 3 are connected to be mutually communicable. The communication control devices 1 to 3 are examples of communication devices, and are, for example, sensors, robots, controllers, and the like.

[0015] The configuration of the control system of the communication control device will be explained using communication control device 1 as an example, but communication control devices 2 and 3 have a similar configuration. Communication control device 1 includes a transmission data generation unit 10-1, 10-2, ..., 10-N (where N is a natural number), a buffer memory 20, a communication unit 30, a time synchronization unit 40, a time slot setting unit 50, an information collection priority determination unit 60, and a transmission timing determination unit 70.

[0016] The transmission data generation units 10-1, 10-2, ..., 10-N generate transmission data to be sent from the communication control device 1 to an external device with communication capabilities (also called an external device) based on the priority determination result of the information collection priority determination unit 60 and the determination content of the transmission timing determination unit 70. The generated transmission data is stored in the buffer memory 20. When there is no need to distinguish between the transmission data generation units 10-1, 10-2, ..., 10-N, they are referred to as the transmission data generation unit 10. The transmission data generation unit 10 is not limited to three units; it may be two or four or more. A sensor is one example of a transmission data generation unit 10, but it is not limited to this example.

[0017] The transmission data generation unit 10 is broadly classified into a first transmission data generation unit that generates transmission data for information collection, such as sensor data, and a second transmission data generation unit that generates transmission data for priority communication, which is assigned to the same time slot as the transmission data for information collection and is normally transmitted with higher priority than the transmission data for information collection.

[0018] Each of the transmission data generation units 10-1, 10-2, ..., 10-N has either a first transmission data generation unit or one or more second transmission data generation units. In this embodiment, each of the communication control devices 1 to 3 is equipped with at least one transmission data generation unit that generates transmission data for high-priority communication, medium-priority communication, or information gathering communication (see Figure 2, described later). For example, the entire communication system may include a communication control device having a transmission data generation unit 10-1 that generates transmission data for high-priority communication, a communication control device having a transmission data generation unit 10-2 that generates transmission data for medium-priority communication, and a communication control device having a transmission data generation unit 10-N that generates transmission data for information gathering.

[0019] The buffer memory 20 temporarily holds the transmission data generated by the transmission data generation unit 10 and sends the specified transmission data to the communication unit 30.

[0020] The communication unit 30 receives data from external devices (e.g., communication control devices 2 and 3) and transmits the generated transmission data to the external devices. For example, the communication unit 30 reads the transmission data from the buffer memory 20 and transmits it to the communication control devices 2 and 3 based on the time slot setting by the time slot setting unit 50 and the transmission timing determined by the transmission timing determination unit 70.

[0021] The time synchronization unit 40 synchronizes the time of its own device with the time of an external device via the communication unit 30. For example, one communication control device within the communication system 100 may be used as the main device and other communication control devices as sub-devices to correct the time.

[0022] The time slot setting unit 50 notifies the communication unit 30 and the transmission timing determination unit 70 of the time slots to which the transmission data can be sent.

[0023] The information collection priority determination unit 60 determines the priority of the data to be transmitted for information collection based on the data received from external devices and information obtained from its own device, and notifies the transmission timing determination unit 70 and each transmission data generation unit 10 of the determination result.

[0024] The transmission timing determination unit 70 determines the transmission timing of the transmission data based on the determination result of the information collection priority determination unit 60 and the time slot setting of the time slot setting unit 50. For example, if the information collection priority determination unit 60 determines that information collection transmission data should be prioritized, the transmission timing determination unit 70 decides to stop transmitting the transmission data for priority communication and transmit the information collection transmission data that was assigned to the same time slot as the transmission data for priority communication. The information on the transmission timing of the transmission data determined by the transmission timing determination unit 70 is sent to the communication unit 30.

[0025] [Types of communications and traffic schedules] Figure 2 is a time chart showing an example of the communication types and traffic schedule of the communication control device according to this embodiment. In Figure 2, the vertical axis represents the communication type, and the horizontal axis represents the traffic schedule (time slot). In this example, the traffic schedule is shown separately for normal communication and abnormal communication.

[0026] In this embodiment, communication content is classified into three categories: "high-priority communication necessary even in abnormal situations," "medium-priority communication that can be abandoned in abnormal situations," and "information gathering communication." Information gathering communication has a dedicated slot, while medium-priority communication shares a time slot with information gathering communication and passes its time slot to information gathering communication in the event of an abnormal situation. Hereafter, the time slot will also be simply referred to as a "slot."

[0027] In Figure 2, under normal circumstances, high-priority communication is assigned to time slot t1, information gathering communication to time slot t2, and medium-priority communication to time slots t3 to t5. In the event of an anomaly, high-priority communication is assigned to time slot t1, and information gathering communication to time slots t2 to t5. By stopping data transmission for medium-priority communication and increasing the number of slots allocated to information gathering communication, high-resolution information gathering becomes possible.

[0028] [Settings for transmitted data and time slots] Figure 3 shows an example of transmission data and time slot settings by the time slot setting unit 50. The time slot setting unit 50 has a setting table like the time slot setting table 300 shown in Figure 3, and notifies the transmission timing determination unit 70 and the communication unit 30 of the information in this time slot setting table 300.

[0029] The time slot setting table 300 sets which time slots are permitted for transmission of data 1 to data N. For example, data 1 corresponds to the transmission data generated by the transmission data generation unit 10-1, and similarly, data 2 is the transmission data generated by the transmission data generation unit 10-2, data N This corresponds to the transmission data generated by the transmission data generation unit 10-N. For example, one time slot corresponds to one of the ten segments obtained by dividing the time from 0ms to 100ms, and the length of this segment is 10ms.

[0030] In Figure 3, for Data 1 (high priority communication), OK (transmission executed) occurs when the data slots are "10ms" and "70ms". OK indicates transmission execution, and NG indicates transmission stoppage. For Data 2 (medium priority communication), OK occurs in three time slots between "30ms" and "50ms" and three time slots between "80ms" and "100ms". Similarly, for Data N (information gathering), OK occurs in four time slots between "20ms" and "50ms" and four time slots between "70ms" and "100ms".

[0031] [Configuration of the Information Gathering Priority Decision Unit] Next, the configuration of the information gathering priority determination unit 60 will be explained with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the information gathering priority determination unit 60. The information gathering priority determination unit 60 comprises an external data acquisition unit 61, an internal data acquisition unit 62, and a priority determination unit 63.

[0032] The external data acquisition unit 61 acquires data (external data) from external devices other than its own device (in this case, the communication control device 1) via communication and sends this external data to the priority determination unit 63.

[0033] The internal data acquisition unit 62 acquires data obtained from within the device (internal data) and sends this internal data to the priority determination unit 63. For example, internal data may include sensor data output by sensors installed in the device, and recognition processing results obtained by processing sensor data from external devices in the device.

[0034] For example, data (information) before processing or modification may include camera images, radar information, Lidar point cloud information, infrared sensor information, pressure sensor information (for robots, etc.), motor angle sensor information (for robots, etc.), gyro sensor information (for robots, etc.), temperature sensor information, velocity information (for moving objects), acceleration information (for moving objects), heartbeat signals (equipment survival information), and voltage information.

[0035] Furthermore, the processed and modified data (information) includes recognition processing results obtained from cameras, radar, etc. (location information of people, etc.), process / thread / function information running on the device itself, and abnormal location / function information (details of the abnormality).

[0036] The priority determination unit 63 determines whether the data to be transmitted for information collection has priority based on the external data, the internal data, and the priority table 500 shown in Figure 5, which will be described later.

[0037] The information collection priority determination unit 60 sends the determination result of the priority determination unit 63 (information collection priority determination result S1) to the transmission timing determination unit 70 and each transmission data generation unit 10. The information collection priority determination unit 60 also sends the external data and internal data together as status information S2 to each transmission data generation unit 10. The status information S2, which includes information on external and internal data, can be said to be information that indicates the state of the controlled system, including the communication system. The controlled system is, for example, a factory manufacturing system including a communication system, water facilities, and various plants.

[0038] [Priority Table] Figure 5 shows an example of a priority table referenced by the priority determination unit 63 of the information collection priority determination unit 60. Based on each item in the priority table 500 and the status information S2 (external data and internal data), the priority determination unit 63 refers to the priority information in the priority table 500 to determine whether or not to prioritize information collection.

[0039] The priority table 500 has the following fields: "Item", "Status", and "Priority". Examples of "items" include "communication anomaly," "system anomaly," and "human collaboration status." "Communication error" refers to an abnormality in communication between your device and an external device. For example, if there is no response from the other device for a certain period of time, this is considered a "communication error."

[0040] "System malfunction" refers to an abnormality in the controlled system, including communication systems (such as system (function) malfunctions or equipment malfunctions). For example, abnormally high temperatures in temperature sensor data would also be considered a "system malfunction."

[0041] "Human-robot collaboration" refers to a state in which robots and humans work together to perform actions and tasks. During robot operation, it is desirable to enhance information gathering to prevent humans from approaching the robot.

[0042] As shown in Figure 5, for each item, priority is set for both the "no abnormality" and "abnormality occurred" states. For example, if the "item" is "communication abnormality" and the "state" is "no abnormality", then "priority" is set to "NO". On the other hand, if the "item" is "communication abnormality" and the "state" is "abnormality occurred", then "priority" is set to "YES". "NO" means there is no priority for information collection, and "YES" means there is priority for information collection.

[0043] A priority table 500 like this is prepared in advance and implemented so that the priority determination unit 63 can refer to it. The priority table 500 may be created using an AI (artificial intelligence) algorithm or it may be created by a human. Creating it by a human allows for more detailed settings that are in line with the actual system.

[0044] As described above, the information collection priority determination unit 60 determines that the data to be transmitted for information collection should be prioritized when an abnormality occurs in the communication status between its own device and an external device. Furthermore, the information collection priority determination unit 60 determines that data to be transmitted for information collection should be prioritized when an abnormality occurs in the system, including its own device and external devices.

[0045] Furthermore, the information gathering priority determination unit 60 determines whether to prioritize information gathering based on the following: the human-collaboration mode of the robot or other machine (determined by whether or not it has entered a collaborative mode regardless of the presence or absence of a person), the surrounding congestion situation (due to people / other moving objects / obstacles) in the robot / autonomous vehicle / autonomous driving, and the operating speed of the robot / autonomous vehicle / autonomous driving (if the speed is high, information gathering will be performed at a high frequency). In other words, the information collection priority determination unit 60 determines that it should prioritize the transmission of information collection data if there is a possibility that a person is present near the device. Furthermore, the information collection priority determination unit 60 determines whether to prioritize the transmission of information collection data according to the distance to the person or moving object that is an obstacle and the number of obstacles. Furthermore, the information collection priority determination unit 60 determines whether or not to prioritize the transmission data for information collection according to the operating speed of the controlled object.

[0046] [Transmission timing for each data item] Figure 6 shows an example 600 of the determination of the transmission timing for each transmission data using the presence or absence of information collection priority by the transmission timing determination unit 70. Figure 6 shows an example of a combination of transmission data, transmission execution / stop for each time slot, and transmission timing (information collection not prioritized / information collection prioritized).

[0047] In high-priority communication, "Data 1" will transmit information regardless of whether it is a non-priority or priority item, as long as the time slot is "OK".

[0048] In "Data 2" of medium-priority communication, if the time slot is "OK", transmission is performed if information gathering is "non-priority", and transmission is stopped and the corresponding time slot is freed up for information gathering communication if information gathering is "priority".

[0049] In the data collection process, for "Data N," even if the time slot is "OK," if the data collection is "non-priority" (i.e., normal communication), transmission is stopped, and the corresponding time slot is left free for medium-priority communication (3 out of 4 slots in Figure 6). However, if the time slot is "OK" and the data collection is "priority" (i.e., abnormal (emergency) communication), transmission is executed to collect the data.

[0050] [Configuration of the transmission data generation unit] Next, the configuration of the transmission data generation unit 10 will be explained with reference to Figure 7. Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the transmission data generation unit 10. The transmission data generation unit 10 comprises a high-resolution policy determination unit 11, a data resolution level determination unit 12, and a data generation unit 13.

[0051] The high-resolution policy determination unit 11 determines the current state of the controlled system, including the communication system, based on the state information S2 input from the information collection priority determination unit 60, determines a policy on which collected information to high-resolution, and notifies the data resolution level determination unit 12 of the high-resolution policy.

[0052] The data detail level determination unit 12 determines the data detail level of the transmitted data based on the high-definition policy determined by the high-definition policy determination unit 11 and the information collection priority judgment result S1 input from the information collection priority judgment unit 60, and notifies the data detail level to the data generation unit 13.

[0053] The data generation unit 13 generates transmission data based on the data detail level input from the data detail level determination unit 12.

[0054] [High-Definition Policy Table] Figure 8 shows an example of a high-resolution policy table referenced by the high-resolution policy determination unit 11 of the transmission data generation unit 10.

[0055] The high-definition policy table 800 has fields for "Status" and "High-definition policy". This high-definition policy table 800 is prepared in advance and implemented so that the high-definition policy determination unit 11 can refer to it. The high-definition policy table 800 may be created using an AI (artificial intelligence) algorithm or by a human.

[0056] Examples of "states" include "communication anomaly," "system anomaly," and "human collaboration state."

[0057] The "High-Resolution Policy" stores information such as "Information Type," "Information Type + Resolution," and "Number of Data Points," corresponding to the content of the "Status." "Information type" indicates the number of different types of information included in the transmitted data. For example, information types include different sensor data (voltage, temperature, acceleration, etc.), camera images, equipment survival information, abnormal location information, abnormal function information, and recognition processing results (data processing results). Here, for example, even if the sensor data is the same (temperature, etc.), if the measurement location is different, it will be treated as a different type of information. "Resolution" refers to things like the pixel resolution and color resolution of a camera image. It also includes the temporal and frequency resolution of an acoustic signal. Furthermore, for example, information with a voltage range, such as 0-5V, rather than just binary information of 0 or 5V, also contributes to higher resolution. Resolution can be thought of as being reflected in the amount of data transmitted when transmitting the target information. "Number of data points" corresponds to the number of transmissions required to send the target information, and indicates the frequency level of transmissions.

[0058] [Data Detail Level] Figure 9 shows an example of a data detail level table referenced by the data detail level determination unit 12 of the transmission data generation unit 10. The data detail level table 900 shown in Figure 9 has the following fields: "High-Definition Policy", "Information Collection Priority Judgment Result", and "Data Details Level".

[0059] The "High-Definition Policy" section stores information indicating the policy for high-definition, similar to the "High-Definition Policy" shown in Figure 8. The "Information Gathering Priority Decision Result" section stores information (YES / NO) indicating the Information Gathering Priority Decision Result S1. The "Data Detail Level" section stores information indicating the data detail level for each item of the high-resolution policy, depending on the combination of information from the "High-Detail Policy" and the "Information Collection Priority Decision Result." Here, examples of items in the high-resolution policy are shown as "Information Type," "Resolution Level," and "Frequency Level." This frequency level corresponds to the "Number of Data Points" in Figure 8.

[0060] In Figure 9, for example, if the "High-Resolution Policy" is "Information Type" and the "Information Collection Priority Decision Result" is "YES," the number of "Information Types" in the "Data Resolution Level" is set to "4." If the "Information Collection Priority Decision Result" is "NO" (normal communication), the number of "Information Types" is "1," so the number of information types becomes four times greater. The data resolution level for information (items) not included in the "High-Resolution Policy" remains unchanged.

[0061] Furthermore, if the "High-Resolution Policy" is set to "Information Type" and "Resolution," and the "Information Collection Priority Judgment Result" is "YES," then the number of "Information Types" in "Data Resolution Level" will be "2," and the value of "Resolution Level" will be "2." If there are two items in the "High-Resolution Policy," the level values ​​for the two corresponding items in "Data Resolution Level" will be increased.

[0062] Thus, when the information collection priority judgment result is "YES", the data detail level determination unit 12 refers to the data detail level table 900 in accordance with the "high-definition policy" shown in Figure 8 and determines the data detail level value for each item.

[0063] A data detail level table 900 like this is prepared in advance and implemented so that the data detail level determination unit 12 can refer to it. The data detail level table 900 may be created using an AI (artificial intelligence) algorithm or it may be created by a human.

[0064] [Generated data according to the data resolution level] Figure 10 shows an example of data generated by the data generation unit 13 of the transmission data generation unit 10 according to the data detail level. In the figure, hatching is added to indicate the values ​​where the data detail level is set to a higher value than that used during normal communication.

[0065] In Figure 10, when the data detail level value for each item (information type, resolution level, frequency level) is "1", the data generation unit 13 generates "transmission data A(8B)(t)" with the minimum unit data detail level. "B" represents a byte, which is the unit of data quantity. The horizontal direction in the "Generated Data" column in Figure 10 corresponds to the time slot length, and in this example, it is the length of time required to generate up to four transmission data with the minimum unit data detail level.

[0066] When the data detail level value for "Information Type" is "2", the data generation unit 13 generates "Transmission Data A(8B)(t)" and "Transmission Data B(8B)(t)". ​​As the number of information types increases, the amount of information increases and the amount of data increases (in this case, doubles). In this case, each transmission data is sent using two time slots. When the data detail level value for "Information Type" is "4", four transmission data with different information types are created at the same time.

[0067] When the data detail level value of "Resolution Level" is "2", the data generation unit 13 generates "Transmission Data A(16B)(t)". ​​As the resolution level increases, the amount of information increases and the amount of data increases (in this case, doubles). When the data detail level value of "Resolution Level" is "4", it simply creates transmission data with four times the amount of data of the same type of transmission data.

[0068] When the data detail level value of "Frequency Level" is "2", the data generation unit 13 generates "Transmission Data A(8B)(t)" and "Transmission Data A(8B)(t+1)". In this way, two transmission data sets with different generation times are created for the same type of information. As the frequency level increases, the amount of information increases and the amount of data increases (in this case, doubles). When the data detail level value of "Frequency Level" is "4", four transmission data sets with different generation times are created for the same type of information.

[0069] Furthermore, if the data detail level value for "Information Type" is "2" and the data detail level value for "Resolution Level" is "2", the data generation unit 13 generates "Transmission Data A(16B)(t)" and "Transmission Data B(16B)(t)". ​​In this way, if the data detail level values ​​for two or more items are greater than "1", high-resolution transmission data is created according to the data detail level of each item.

[0070] As described above, the communication device (communication control device 2) according to this embodiment is a communication device that performs data communication with external devices (communication control devices 1, 3) using a static slot method, and comprises a first transmission data generation unit (transmission data generation unit 10-N) that generates transmission data for information collection, and a second transmission data generation unit (transmission data generation units 10-1, 10-2) that generates transmission data for priority communication (high priority communication, medium priority communication) which is assigned to the same time slot as the transmission data for information collection and is normally transmitted with higher priority than the transmission data for information collection. Furthermore, this communication device includes a communication unit that receives data from an external device and transmits data to the external device; a time slot setting unit that notifies the communication unit of time slots in which data can be transmitted; an information collection priority determination unit that determines whether or not to prioritize the transmission data for information collection based on the data received from the external device and information obtained from the device itself; and a transmission timing determination unit that, if the information collection priority determination unit determines that the transmission data for information collection should be prioritized, stops the transmission of the transmission data for priority communication and decides to transmit the transmission data for information collection that was assigned to the same time slot as the transmission data for priority communication.

[0071] Furthermore, the communication device (communication control device 2) according to this embodiment has a shared slot, which is a time slot on which both priority communication transmission data and information collection transmission data can be transmitted. The transmission timing determination unit is configured to determine which transmission data to transmit in the shared slot according to the determination result of the information collection priority determination unit.

[0072] According to this embodiment, in a communication method where dynamic slot allocation is not possible (for example, TSN), communication that swaps the priority of transmitted data statically shares time slots, and by switching the communication content according to the state of the controlled system, it is possible to secure the communication bandwidth necessary for information gathering. In other words, this embodiment makes it possible to achieve both securing communication bandwidth under normal conditions and securing high-resolution communication bandwidth (information gathering) when an abnormality occurs.

[0073] <Second Embodiment> Next, a communication system and a communication control device constituting the communication system according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the priority of information collection communication is determined according to the state of the controlled system including the communication system, and the amount of data to be transmitted for information collection (number of time slots to be allocated) is determined according to the priority.

[0074] [Configuration of the Information Gathering Priority Decision Unit] Figure 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the information collection priority determination unit according to this embodiment. In the second embodiment, the basic configuration of the communication system and communication device is the same as in the first embodiment (Figure 1). However, in this embodiment, instead of the information collection priority determination unit 60 (Figure 4) in the first embodiment, an information collection priority determination unit 60A is provided. The difference between the information collection priority determination unit 60A and the information collection priority determination unit 60 in the first embodiment is that the priority determination unit 63 (Figure 4) is replaced by a priority determination unit 63A.

[0075] The priority determination unit 63A determines the priority of the data to be transmitted for information collection based on the external data, the internal data, and the priority table 1200 shown in Figure 12, which will be described later. The information collection priority determination unit 60A sends the determination result of the priority determination unit 63A (information collection priority determination result S1a) to the transmission timing determination unit 70 and each transmission data generation unit 10.

[0076] [Example 1 of a priority table] Figure 12 shows an example of a priority table referenced by the priority determination unit 63A of the information collection priority determination unit 60A. The priority determination unit 63A determines the information collection priority based on each item in the priority table 1200 and the status information S2 (external data and internal data), by referring to the information collection priority in the priority table 1200.

[0077] Priority table 1200 has the following fields: "Item," "Status," and "Information Gathering Priority." The information stored in "Item" and "Status" is the same as in Figure 5.

[0078] The "information gathering priority" is assigned according to the state (degree of abnormality) of the controlled system, with higher priority assigned to each task. In Figure 12, a higher priority number indicates a higher priority. The higher the priority, the greater the amount of information that needs to be gathered.

[0079] In Figure 6, for example, if the "Item" is "Communication Anomaly" and the "Status" is "No Anomaly," the priority for information gathering is "1." Similarly, if the "Status" is "No Communication with a Single Device," the priority for information gathering is "3," and if the "Status" is "No Communication with Multiple Devices," the priority for information gathering is "5."

[0080] Furthermore, when the "Item" is "Human Collaboration State" and the "State" is "No Human Collaboration", the information gathering priority is set to "1", and when the "State" is "Human Collaboration Present", the information gathering priority is set to "5". In the human collaboration state, it is assumed that there are people around the robot (mobile object), and in order to avoid collisions between the robot and people, the information gathering priority is set to a high value (the maximum value in this example).

[0081] In this way, the priority determination unit 63A of the information collection priority determination unit 60A can adjust the amount of information collected according to the state (degree of abnormality) of the controlled system by referring to the priority table 1200.

[0082] A priority table 1200 like this is prepared in advance and implemented so that the priority determination unit 63A can refer to it. The priority table 1200 may be created using an AI (artificial intelligence) algorithm or it may be created by a human.

[0083] [Second example of a priority table] Figure 13 shows an example of a more detailed priority table referenced by the priority determination unit 63A, which is part of the information gathering priority determination unit 60A.

[0084] Priority table 1300, compared to priority table 1200 in Figure 12, has the fields "Item," "Status," and "Information Gathering Priority," as well as a field called "Detailed Status." The "Detailed Status" field stores information indicating a more detailed status, which is a subdivision of the information shown in "Status."

[0085] For example, if the "item" is "system abnormality" and the "status" is "single function abnormality," then two items are set as "detailed information": "normal function abnormality" and "safety-related function abnormality." "Normal function abnormality" indicates an abnormality in a function that has little impact on safety. "Safety-related function abnormality" indicates that an abnormality has occurred in a function that has a significant impact on safety. Examples of safety-related functions include the interlock function of a robot (mobile body) (which stops the robot's operation if there are people nearby), the braking mechanism, and the automatic braking system. For this reason, the information collection priority is set to "3" for "normal function abnormality" and to "5" for "safety-related function abnormality."

[0086] [Transmission timing for each data item] Figure 14 shows an example 1400 of the determination of the transmission timing for each transmission data using the information collection priority by the transmission timing determination unit 70. Similar to the example in Figure 6, Figure 14 shows an example of a combination of transmission data, transmission execution / stop for each time slot, and transmission timing (by information collection priority). More specifically, the transmission timing is divided into "information collection priority 1", "information collection priority 2-3", and "information collection priority 4-5".

[0087] In high-priority communication, "Data 1," if the time slot is "OK," transmission is performed regardless of the priority of information gathering.

[0088] In "Data 2" of medium-priority communication, if a time slot is "OK", the higher the priority of information gathering (higher priority), the more time slots transmissions are stopped to free up the corresponding time slot for information gathering communication.

[0089] In the "Data N" information gathering process, even if a time slot is "OK," if the information gathering priority is low, transmission is stopped, and the time slot is left free for medium-priority communication. However, the higher the information gathering priority is when a time slot is "OK," the more time slots are used to transmit and gather information.

[0090] [Configuration of the transmission data generation unit] Next, the configuration of the transmission data generation unit according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 15. Figure 15 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the transmission data generation unit according to this embodiment. The transmission data generation unit 10A comprises a high-resolution policy determination unit 11, a data resolution level determination unit 12A, and a data generation unit 13. The difference between the transmission data generation unit 10A according to this embodiment and the transmission data generation unit 10 in the first embodiment (Figure 7) is that the data resolution level determination unit 12 has been replaced by the data resolution level determination unit 12A.

[0091] The data detail level determination unit 12A determines the data detail level of the transmitted data based on the high-definition policy determined by the high-definition policy determination unit 11 and the information collection priority judgment result S1a input from the information collection priority judgment unit 60A, and notifies the data detail level to the data generation unit 13.

[0092] The data generation unit 13 generates transmission data based on the data detail level input from the data detail level determination unit 12A. The data generation unit 13 can also generate transmission data based on data detail levels that are further subdivided based on the information collection priority judgment result S1a.

[0093] [Data refinement level using information gathering priority] Figure 16 shows an example of a data detail level table referenced by the data detail level determination unit 12A of the transmission data generation unit 10A. The data detail level table 1600 shown in Figure 16 has the following fields: "High-Definition Policy", "Information Collection Priority Judgment Result", and "Data Details Level".

[0094] The "High-Resolution Policy" contains the same information (items) as the example in Figure 9. The "Information Gathering Priority Judgment Result" section stores information indicating the information gathering priority judgment result S1a (priorities "1", "2-3", "4-5"). The "Data Detail Level" field stores information indicating the value of the data detail level for each combination of information from the "High-Detail Policy" and the "Information Collection Priority Judgment Result."

[0095] In Figure 16, for example, if the "High-Resolution Policy" is "Information Type" and the "Information Collection Priority Judgment Result" is "1", the number of "Information Types" in the "Data Resolution Level" is set to "1". Similarly, if the "Information Collection Priority Judgment Result" is "2-3", the number of "Information Types" in the "Data Resolution Level" is set to "2", and if the "Information Collection Priority Judgment Result" is "4-5", the number of "Information Types" in the "Data Resolution Level" is set to "4".

[0096] <Third Embodiment> Next, a communication system and a communication control device constituting the communication system according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the third embodiment, identification numbers are assigned to information gathering communication and medium-priority communication, respectively, for normal operation (more frequent transmission of medium-priority communication) and for abnormal operation (more frequent transmission of information gathering communication), and in the event of an abnormality, the identification numbers are switched to communicate.

[0097] [Outline of the communication system and configuration of the communication control device] Figure 17 shows an overview of the communication system according to this embodiment and an example of the configuration of the control system of the communication control devices that constitute the communication system. Figure 17 shows an example of a communication system 100B in which communication control devices 1B to 3B are connected to each other in a manner that enables communication. Communication control devices 1B to 3B are examples of communication devices, such as sensors, robots, and controllers.

[0098] The configuration of the control system of the communication control device will be explained using communication control device 1B as an example, but communication control devices 2B and 3B have similar configurations. The basic configuration of communication control device 1B is the same as that of communication control device 1 in the first embodiment (Figure 1). However, the difference between communication control device 1B and communication control device 1 in the first embodiment is that it is equipped with an identification number determination unit 1700 instead of a transmission timing determination unit 70 (Figure 1). ru.

[0099] The identification number determination unit 1700 switches the identification number (ID) as shown in Figure 18, which will be described later, according to the content of the information collection priority judgment result S1 (Figure 4) (priority given / no priority). Furthermore, the identification number determination unit 1700 may set three or more identification numbers and switch the identification number according to the priority of information collection. The identification number is information (ID, etc.) that identifies the relationship between the transmission / stopping of transmission data and the time slot in which the transmission is performed.

[0100] In this embodiment, an identification number table (not shown) is prepared in advance, which registers combinations of identification numbers, the transmission / stop of transmission data, and the time slot in which the transmission is performed. This table is implemented in the communication control device 1B so that the identification number determination unit 1700 can refer to it. The identification number determination unit 1700 refers to this identification number table when determining the transmission timing of the transmission data.

[0101] [Traffic scheduling using communication type and identification number] Figure 18 is a time chart showing an example of a traffic schedule using the communication type and identification number of the communication control device according to this embodiment. By switching the identification number (ID), the transmission execution / stop for each time slot within each communication (e.g., medium-priority communication, information gathering communication) is switched.

[0102] In other words, the transmission / stop function for each time slot is switched based on the identification number determined by the identification number determination unit 1700. This is because it is desirable to perform this identification number switching when it is not possible or specified by the device to stop the designated time slot when prioritizing information gathering. In short, by switching the identification number, it is possible to switch the communication (the data transmitted in each time slot) semi-forcibly.

[0103] [Setting transmission data and time slots using identification numbers] Figure 19 shows an example of transmission data and time slot settings using an identification number provided by the time slot setting unit 50. The combinations of identification numbers, transmission data, and time slot settings (transmit / stop) shown in Figure 19 correspond to the contents of Figure 18.

[0104] The time slot setting unit 50 has a setting table in advance, such as the time slot setting table 1900 shown in Figure 19, and notifies the identification number determination unit 1700 and the communication unit 30 of the information in this time slot setting table 1900.

[0105] In the time slot setting table 1900, ID "1" is assigned to data 1 (high priority communication), IDs "2" and "3" are assigned to data 2 (medium priority communication), and IDs "4" and "5" are assigned to data N (information gathering communication).

[0106] By switching the ID for medium-priority communication from "2" to "3," as shown in Figure 18, the number of time slots used to transmit data in medium-priority communication during an abnormality is reduced from four to one. In other words, by switching the ID, it is possible to reduce the frequency or stop data transmission during medium-priority communication.

[0107] On the other hand, by switching the information collection ID from "4" to "5," the number of time slots used to transmit data during information collection in the event of an anomaly is increased from one to four, as shown in Figure 18. In other words, switching the ID enables high-resolution information collection during information collection communication.

[0108] According to this embodiment with the above configuration, even if the communication system includes devices whose transmission timing cannot be controlled, it is possible to ensure sufficient communication bandwidth under normal circumstances and to collect high-resolution information in the event of an anomaly.

[0109] [Hardware configuration of the communication control unit] Next, the configuration (hardware configuration) of the control systems of the communication control devices 1 to 3 and 1B to 3B according to each embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 20.

[0110] Figure 20 is a block diagram showing examples of the hardware configuration of the control systems included in the communication control devices 1 to 3, 1B to 3B according to each embodiment. The computer 2000 shown in Figure 20 is hardware used as a so-called computer.

[0111] Computer 2000 comprises a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 2001, ROM (Read Only Memory) 2002, RAM (Random Access Memory) 2003, non-volatile storage 2004, and a communication interface 2005, all connected to a bus.

[0112] The CPU 2001 reads the program code of the software that implements each function according to this embodiment from the ROM 2002, loads it into the RAM 2003, and executes it. Alternatively, the CPU 2001 may directly read the program code from the ROM 2002 and execute it as is. Note that the computer 2000 may be equipped with a processing unit such as an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit) instead of the CPU 2001. The CPU 2001 and the RAM 2003 and / or ROM 2002 constitute the control unit.

[0113] RAM2003 temporarily stores variables and parameters generated during calculations performed by CPU2001. If RAM2003 is composed of a non-volatile medium, various information such as reference tables may also be stored in RAM2003.

[0114] The communication control functions of communication control devices 1-3 and 1B-3B are implemented by the CPU 2001 reading and executing a program for implementing this function from ROM 2002 in each respective communication control device.

[0115] Non-volatile storage 2004 can include, for example, HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), SSDs (Solid State Drives), flexible disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, and non-volatile memory cards. This non-volatile storage 2004 stores the OS (Operating System), various parameters, and programs necessary for the operation of Computer 2000. In addition, various information such as reference tables and parameters used by communication control devices 1-3 and 1B-3B is stored in the non-volatile storage 2004.

[0116] The program is stored in the form of computer-readable program code, and the CPU 2001 sequentially executes operations according to that program code. In other words, ROM 2002 or non-volatile storage 2004 is used as an example of a computer-readable, non-transient recording medium that stores a program executed by the computer.

[0117] The communication interface 2005 is comprised of communication devices and the like that control communication between it and other communication control devices.

[0118] Networks controlled by Communication Interface 2005 include, for example, multidrop serial communication such as RS-485, and communication paths that offer multiple topologies, such as Ethernet®. Communication paths that offer multiple topologies include wired communication paths such as LAN (Local Area Network) and WAN (Wide Area Network), and wireless communication paths such as RAN (Radio Area Network). In addition, networks controlled by Communication Interface 2005 include wireless networks such as Wi-Fi® and wireless networks in wireless communication infrastructure.

[0119] <Variation> In the embodiments described above, the communication control devices 1-3 and 1B-3B constituting the communication systems 100 and 100B controlled the transmission / stopping of data from their own devices using a static slot method, but this is not the only example. For example, a communication control device may have not only a function to control data transmitted from its own device, but also a function to relay data transmitted from other devices. For example, in Figure 1, communication control device 1 controls the transmission of data from communication control device 2 to communication control device 3.

[0120] Two methods can be considered to achieve this. The first method is for communication control device 1 to switch the ID of the data to be transmitted in communication control device 2. The second method is for communication control device 2 to first send all the data to communication control device 1 and record it in buffer memory 20, and then for communication control device 2 to filter the data to be sent to communication control device 3 based on whether or not there is an information collection priority or the information collection priority. The type of data to be received from communication control device 3 will be verifiable in communication control device 2.

[0121] When the communication system is configured in this way, the entire communication system may include a first transmission data generation unit (e.g., transmission data generation unit 10-N) that generates transmission data for information collection, and a second transmission data generation unit (e.g., transmission data generation units 10-1, 10-2) that generates transmission data for priority communication, which is assigned to the same time slot as the transmission data for information collection and is normally transmitted with higher priority than the transmission data for information collection. The communication control device shall include one or both of the first and second transmission data generation units.

[0122] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and of course, various other applications and modifications can be taken as long as they do not depart from the gist of the invention as described in the claims. For example, the embodiments described above are detailed and specific in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and are not necessarily limited to those comprising all the components described. Also, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with a component of another embodiment. It is also possible to add a component of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, replace, or delete other components for a part of the configuration of each embodiment.

[0123] Furthermore, some or all of the above configurations, functions, and processing units may be implemented in hardware, for example, by designing them as integrated circuits. Broadly defined processor devices such as FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) and ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) may be used as hardware.

[0124] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the control lines and information lines shown are those deemed necessary for explanatory purposes, and not all control lines and information lines are necessarily shown in the actual product. In practice, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected. [Explanation of symbols]

[0125] 1~3,1B~3B…Communication control device, 10-1~10-N,10A…Transmission data generation unit, 20…Buffer memory, 30…Communication unit, 40…Time synchronization unit, 50…Time slot setting unit, 60…Information collection priority determination unit, 60A…Information collection priority determination unit, 70…Transmission timing determination unit, 100…Communication system, 100B…Communication system, S1…Information collection priority determination result, S1a…Information collection priority determination result, S2…Status information, t1~t6…Time slot

Claims

1. A communication device that performs data communication with external devices using a static slot method, A first transmission data generation unit that generates transmission data for information collection in information collection communication, A second transmission data generation unit generates transmission data for priority communications, which are normally transmitted with higher priority than the information collection transmission data, and transmission data for medium-priority communications, which are given the next priority after the high-priority communications. A communication unit that receives sensor data from the external device and transmits the transmission data to the external device, A time slot setting unit that notifies the communication unit of the time slots on which the aforementioned transmission data can be transmitted, An information collection priority determination unit determines the priority of the data to be transmitted for information collection, based on the state of the system including the device and the external device, using the sensor data of the external device and the sensor data output by the sensor of the device itself. The system includes a transmission timing determination unit that determines the transmission timing of the transmission data and notifies the communication unit based on the time slot setting of the time slot setting unit and the determination result of the information collection priority determination unit, A shared time slot is set up that allows the transmission of both the transmission data for the medium-priority communication and the transmission data for the information collection communication. The transmission timing determination unit determines, when the information collection priority determination unit determines that the information collection transmission data should be prioritized, to allocate the information collection transmission data to the shared time slot in place of the transmission data for the medium-priority communication and transmit the information collection transmission data. Communication device.

2. The information collection priority determination unit, triggered by an abnormality in the communication status between its own device and the external device, determines that the data to be transmitted for information collection should be prioritized. The communication device according to claim 1.

3. The information collection priority determination unit, triggered by an abnormality occurring in the system including its own device and the external device, determines that the data to be transmitted for information collection should be prioritized. The communication device according to claim 1.

4. The information collection priority determination unit determines that it will prioritize the transmission of the information collection data if there is a possibility that a person is present near the device. The communication device according to claim 1.

5. The information collection priority determination unit determines whether to prioritize the transmission data for information collection based on the distance to the person or moving object that constitutes an obstacle and the number of such obstacles. The communication device according to claim 1.

6. The information collection priority determination unit determines whether to prioritize the transmission data for information collection according to the operating speed of the controlled object. The communication device according to claim 1.

7. In the aforementioned information gathering communication, when it is determined that the transmission data for the information gathering should be prioritized, the transmission frequency of the transmission data of the same type of collected information is increased. The communication device according to claim 1.

8. In the aforementioned information gathering communication, when it is determined that the transmitted data for information gathering should be prioritized, the amount of data of the transmitted data of the same type of collected information is increased. The communication device according to claim 1.

9. In the aforementioned information gathering communication, when it is determined that the transmitted data for the information gathering should be prioritized, two or more transmission data of different types of collected information are transmitted. The communication device according to claim 1.

10. The information collection priority determination unit determines the degree to which the information collection transmission data should be prioritized, and determines the number of time slots to be allocated to the information collection transmission data according to the degree of priority of the information collection. The communication device according to claim 1.

11. Two different identification numbers are assigned to the transmission data for the priority communication and the transmission data for the information collection, respectively, each with a different time slot assignment. The transmission timing determination unit switches the identification number used for the transmission data of the priority communication and the transmission data of the information collection, respectively, according to the determination result of the information collection priority determination unit. The communication device according to claim 1.

12. In the aforementioned information collection communication, the transmitted data includes information generated by the sensor. The communication device according to claim 1.

13. In the aforementioned information gathering communication, the transmitted data includes information including the operating status of the device. The communication device according to claim 1.

14. The aforementioned information gathering communication includes information about the location or function where an abnormality occurred in the transmitted data. The communication device according to claim 1.

15. The aforementioned information collection communication includes the results of processing using information generated by the sensor in the transmitted data. The communication device according to claim 1.

16. A communication system comprising multiple communication devices that communicate data with external devices using a static slot method, The aforementioned communication device is A first transmission data generation unit that generates transmission data for information collection in information collection communication, and a second transmission data generation unit that generates transmission data for priority communication which is normally transmitted with higher priority than the information collection transmission data, namely high-priority communication transmission data and medium-priority communication transmission data which is prioritized after the high-priority communication, either one or both of these, A communication unit that receives sensor data from the external device and transmits the transmission data to the external device, A time slot setting unit that notifies the communication unit of the time slots on which the aforementioned transmission data can be transmitted, An information collection priority determination unit determines the priority of the data to be transmitted for information collection, based on the state of the system including the device and the external device, which is determined based on the sensor data of the external device and the sensor data output by the sensor of the device itself. The system includes a transmission timing determination unit that determines the transmission timing of the transmission data and notifies the communication unit based on the time slot setting of the time slot setting unit and the determination result of the information collection priority determination unit, A shared time slot is set up that allows the transmission of both the transmission data for the medium-priority communication and the transmission data for the information collection communication. The transmission timing determination unit determines, when the information collection priority determination unit determines that the information collection transmission data should be prioritized, to allocate the information collection transmission data to the shared time slot in place of the transmission data for the medium-priority communication and transmit the information collection transmission data. Communication system.

17. A communication method using a communication device that communicates data with an external device using a static slot method, The communication device comprises: a first transmission data generation unit that generates transmission data for information collection in information collection communication; a second transmission data generation unit that generates transmission data for priority communication which is normally transmitted with higher priority than the information collection transmission data, namely high-priority communication transmission data and medium-priority communication transmission data which is given the next priority after the high-priority communication; and a communication unit that receives sensor data from the external device and transmits the transmission data to the external device. The time slot setting unit performs a process of notifying the communication unit of the time slots to which the transmission data can be sent, The information collection priority determination unit performs a process to determine the priority of the data to be transmitted for information collection, based on the state of the system including the device and the external device, using the sensor data of the external device and the sensor data output by the sensors of the device itself. The transmission timing determination unit performs a process of determining the transmission timing of the transmission data and notifying the communication unit based on the time slot setting of the time slot setting unit and the determination result of the information collection priority determination unit, A shared time slot is set, which is a time slot on which both the transmission data for the medium-priority communication and the transmission data for information collection of the information collection communication can be transmitted, and the transmission timing determination unit, when the information collection priority determination unit determines that the information collection transmission data should be prioritized, determines to assign the information collection transmission data to the shared time slot in place of the transmission data for the medium-priority communication and transmit the information collection transmission data for the information collection communication. Communication method.

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