Acquired-information output terminal, acquired-information output system, and communication method for acquired-information output terminal

Abstract

This acquired-information output terminal acquires only information output by a specific device and comprises: a first acquisition means for acquiring an identifier corresponding to the specific device; and a second acquisition means that is different from the first acquisition means, uses the identifier acquired by the first acquisition means to establish external communication through which the information output by the specific device can be acquired, and acquires said information.

Description

Acquired information output terminal, acquired information output system, and communication method for acquired information output terminal

[0001] The present invention relates to an acquired information output terminal, an acquired information output system, and a communication method for an acquired information output terminal that communicates with a specific device among a plurality of devices, acquires information, and outputs the acquired information.

[0002] In recent years, with the remarkable spread of information and communication devices, the number of devices capable of communication has increased. In particular, the uses and number of mobile devices and so-called IoT devices are expanding day by day. While these devices have established communication networks with each other, there have been cases where it is impossible to establish communication between unpaired devices, especially between a specific or unspecified number of devices. For example, this occurs when multiple devices are difficult to distinguish by appearance and are located within a certain distance, but are capable of communication but are not paired. In such cases, a list of multiple IDs may be displayed as pairable device candidates, but the ID of the specified device cannot be obtained in physical space, making it impossible to pair with the specified device. Therefore, there have been situations where it is impossible to establish one-to-one communication between a specified device in physical space and the device that specifies it.

[0003] In addition, a monitoring system has been known in the past in which multiple sensors are installed on a structure, measurement information is acquired by a reader via the wireless tag of each sensor, the identification information of the wireless tag and the measurement information are transmitted from the reader to a user's terminal, and the user's terminal detects the sensor or building that is the target of an alert based on the measurement information (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] JP 2015-050739 A

[0005] However, the monitoring system described in the aforementioned Patent Document 1 has a problem in that, although the reader acquires measurement information from each wireless tag, the contents cannot be confirmed without the user's terminal. Furthermore, even if the reader can confirm the measurement information and the identification information of the wireless tag, when multiple or many wireless tags with which the reader can communicate are simultaneously present, it can be difficult to distinguish specific individual sensors at the site. Furthermore, when multiple users simultaneously operate or perform tasks on the same group of sensors, it becomes difficult to determine which reader is receiving and displaying the measurement information of which individual. Furthermore, when a large number of unpaired communication sensor devices exist in a single area, it is extremely difficult to identify the individual sensor that is transmitting specific information, such as detecting one or more abnormalities, among the various communication sensor devices that are transmitting information.

[0006] The present invention was developed through intensive research by the inventor in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and provides a means for identifying a specific communication sensor device and obtaining only the information output from that communication sensor device, even when there are multiple communication sensor devices in an area.

[0007] The acquired information output terminal of the present invention is an acquired information output terminal that acquires only information output by a specific device, and is characterized by having a first acquisition means that acquires an identifier corresponding to the specific device, and a second acquisition means, different from the first acquisition means, that establishes external communication that can acquire the information output by the specific device using the identifier acquired by the first acquisition means, and acquires the information.

[0008] In the acquired information output terminal of the present invention, the first acquisition means acquires the identifier directly from the specific device and / or accepts direct input of the identifier.

[0009] In addition, in the acquired information output terminal of the present invention, the first acquisition means acquires an identifier by directly communicating with the specific device that the device has approached via short-range wireless communication, and the second acquisition means acquires the information output by the specific device directly or indirectly via a communication means having a different communication distance from that of the first acquisition means.

[0010] In addition, in the acquired information output terminal of the present invention, the first acquisition means has a wireless communication reader that receives an identifier from a wireless tag of the device, and the second acquisition means has wireless communication means that establishes communication with the device using the identifier.

[0011] In addition, in the acquired information output terminal of the present invention, the second acquisition means is characterized in that it establishes communication with a management server that manages the information output from the device, and continuously acquires information about the device corresponding to the identifier acquired by the first acquisition means from the management server.

[0012] The acquired information output terminal of the present invention is characterized by having a display means for displaying the information output from the device.

[0013] In addition, the acquired information output system of the present invention is an acquired information output system having a device that outputs information and an acquired information output terminal that acquires the information output by the device, wherein the acquired information output terminal has a first acquisition means that acquires an identifier corresponding to a specific device, a second acquisition means that establishes communication and acquires the information output by the specific device, and a display means that displays the information acquired by the second acquisition means.

[0014] In the acquired information output system of the present invention, the first acquisition means acquires the identifier directly from the specific device and / or accepts a direct input of the identifier.

[0015] In addition, in the acquired information output system of the present invention, the first acquisition means communicates directly with the device that the acquired information output terminal is approaching via short-range wireless communication to acquire an identifier, and the second acquisition means directly or indirectly acquires the information output by the device via a communication means having a different communication distance from that of the first acquisition means.

[0016] In addition, in the acquired information output system of the present invention, the device has a wireless tag in which an identifier is stored, the first acquisition means has a wireless communication reader that receives the identifier from the wireless tag of the device, and the second acquisition means has wireless communication means that establishes communication with the device using the identifier.

[0017] In addition, the acquired information output system of the present invention is characterized in that it has a management server that manages information output from the device in association with an identifier for each device, and the second acquisition means establishes communication with the management server and continuously acquires information about the device corresponding to the identifier acquired by the first acquisition means from the management server.

[0018] In addition, in the acquired information output system of the present invention, the device is characterized in having a sensor unit that is arranged on a structure and measures sensing information related to the structure, a memory unit that stores the sensing information measured by the sensor unit, and a transmission unit that transmits the sensing information stored in the memory unit.

[0019] Furthermore, the communication method of the present invention is a communication method for an information acquisition output terminal that directly or indirectly acquires information output by a device, and is characterized by having the steps of: the information acquisition output terminal acquiring an identifier corresponding only to a specific device; establishing communication to acquire information output by the device corresponding to the identifier; and continuously acquiring the information output from the device while communication is established.

[0020] In the communication method of the present invention, the step of acquiring the identifier includes a step of accepting a direct input of the identifier.

[0021] Furthermore, the communication method of the present invention is characterized in that the step of acquiring the identifier includes a step of receiving the identifier from a wireless tag of a device that has approached via short-range wireless communication, and the step of acquiring information output from the device includes a step of establishing one-to-one wireless communication with the device corresponding to the identifier.

[0022] In addition, the communication method of the present invention is characterized in that the step of acquiring information output from the device includes a step of establishing communication with a management server that manages the information output by the device, and a step of acquiring information about the device corresponding to the identifier from the management server.

[0023] According to the present invention, even when there are multiple communication sensor devices in one area, a simple structure makes it possible to identify a specific communication sensor device and obtain only the information output from that communication sensor device.

[0024] 1 is a block diagram showing an acquired information output system of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a sensor device. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an acquired information output terminal. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of sensing information display processing by the acquired information output system. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing another example of the acquired information output system. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a relay. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management server. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of connection processing between a sensor device and a relay. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of sensing information display processing by the acquired information output system. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of information display processing in a monitoring state. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a deformation detection bolt. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a structure. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing display processing of axial force and the like in tightening work of a deformation detection bolt. FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing a processing terminal having a switch mechanism according to the present embodiment. FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing control processing associated with power-on.

[0025] An embodiment of an acquired information output system of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an acquired information output system 1 of this embodiment. The acquired information output system 1 is composed of at least a plurality of sensor devices 10 and an acquired information output terminal 20.

[0026] The sensor device 10 is a device corresponding to an IoT device, a communication device, or other related nodes, and transmits information measured by a sensor function to an acquired information output terminal 20. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the sensor device 10. As shown in FIG. 2(a), the sensor device 10 has a processor 12 that controls each unit in an integrated manner, and a memory 14, a first communication unit 15, a second communication unit 16, a sensor unit 18, etc. are connected to the processor 12. However, as shown in FIG. 2(b), the first communication unit 15 may be provided independently of the processor 12 and other units. The processor 12 may also have a timing function for measuring time and measuring duration.

[0027] The memory 14 functions as a ROM, RAM, or NVM, and stores an individual identifier set for each sensor device 10, a control program, etc. The memory 14 also stores processing results by the processor 12, etc. The processing results may include time information from a clock function (not shown). The memory 14 may also store data necessary for executing programs such as firmware, execution results of programs such as firmware, etc.

[0028] The first communication unit 15 includes an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, such as a near field communication (NFC) tag, having a control circuit, an antenna, a memory, etc., and is activated by radio waves or a magnetic field irradiated from the acquired information output terminal 20. The first communication unit 15 can transmit, for example, the individual identifier of the sensor device 10. That is, by receiving radio waves or a magnetic field from the acquired information output terminal 20 and generating power in the antenna, the individual identifier (which is the same as the individual identifier stored in the memory 14) can be transmitted via radio waves or a magnetic field and sent back from the antenna. The first communication unit 15 is set to have a relatively short communication distance, such as a close-contact type with a communication distance of 3 mm or less, or a proximity type with a communication distance of 10 cm or less, or a close or relatively short distance.

[0029] The second communication unit 16 transmits and receives various information to and from the acquired information output terminal 20 using a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) connection, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) connection, a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) connection, or a so-called LPWA connection. The second communication unit 16 may have a communication means such as the Internet, an intranet, mobile phone carrier communication, a dedicated line, or a VPN, and may also be a wireless LAN, a wide area network (WAN), ISDNs (Integrated Service Digital Networks), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-Advanced, CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), a fifth generation mobile communication system (5G), or LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), and may of course be a public switched telephone network, an optical fiber line, or ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line). The communication system may be one that can utilize a line, a satellite communication network, or a combination of these.

[0030] The sensor 18 is a sensor that measures sensing information of a physical state (one or more of various sensors such as a strain measurement sensor, stress sensor, axial force sensor, pressure sensor, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, barometric pressure sensor, acceleration sensor, image sensor, ultraviolet sensor, radiation sensor, direction sensor, flow rate sensor, gas concentration sensor, etc.) and outputs the sensing information to the processor 12.

[0031] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the acquired information output terminal 20. Here, the acquired information output terminal 20 has a control unit 22 that performs overall control of each unit, and the control unit 22 is connected to a storage unit 24, a display unit 26, an identifier acquisition unit 30, a first device communication unit 32, a second device communication unit 33, a positioning information acquisition unit 34, a time information acquisition unit 36, etc.

[0032] The acquired information output terminal 20 may be any type of portable computing device, such as a smartphone, tablet, ultrabook, e-book, laptop computer, tablet / laptop hybrid, wearable device (head-mounted display, eyeglasses-type device, etc.), smart watch, media player, or gaming device, but may also be configured so that some of its components are provided by external connections, for example, so that the identifier acquisition unit obtains its functions by external connection. Of course, it may also be a desktop PC or any other device having various computers, arithmetic circuits, monitors, etc.

[0033] The memory unit 24 stores the control program for the acquired information output terminal 20 and also stores the processing results, etc., of the control unit 22. The display unit 26 displays information in accordance with the instructions of the control unit 22. The information displayed by the display unit 26 is information linked to at least the measurement values ​​of the sensor devices 10, and may display the individual identifiers (simply referred to as IDs) of the sensor devices 10 present within a range where the acquired information output terminal 20 can communicate with the sensor devices 10.

[0034] The identifier acquisition unit 30 includes a reader conforming to the wireless communication standard of the first communication unit 15 of the sensor device 10. For example, if the first communication unit 15 has an RFID tag, the identifier acquisition unit 30 includes an RFID reader. The identifier acquisition unit 30 acquires individual identifier (ID) information from the first communication unit 15 of the sensor device 10.

[0035] The first device communication unit 32 has the function of communicating with at least the second communication unit 16 of the sensor device 10, and communication by the first device communication unit 32 may be established via communication means such as the Internet, carrier communication, dedicated lines, VPN, etc. For example, the communication may be via a wireless network or a wired network, specifically a wireless LAN, a wide area network (WAN), ISDNs (Integrated Service Digital Networks), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-Advanced, CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), a fifth generation mobile communication system (5G), LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), etc. Of course, the network may be Wi-Fi, a public switched telephone network, Bluetooth, BLE, an optical fiber line, ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line), etc. The communication may be performed by using a line, a satellite communication network, or a combination of these.

[0036] The second device communication unit 33 is a communication means capable of performing communication using a different standard from that of the first device communication unit 32, and is established via communication means such as the Internet, carrier communication, a dedicated line, or a VPN. For example, the communication may be via a wireless network or a wired network, specifically a wireless LAN, a wide area network (WAN), ISDNs (Integrated Service Digital Networks), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-Advanced, CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), a fifth generation mobile communication system (5G), LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), etc. Of course, the network may be Wi-Fi, a public switched telephone network, Bluetooth, BLE, an optical fiber line, ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line), etc. The communication may be performed using a line, a satellite communication network, or a combination of these.

[0037] The positioning information acquisition unit 34 acquires positioning information indicating the current position of the device. Means for acquiring the positioning information include positioning systems such as GPS (Global Positioning System), LPS (Local Positioning System), and IMES (Indoor Positioning System), as well as a mechanism for determining position information from image information, a mechanism for generating distance spatial information using radar or laser, or a mechanism combining any two or more of these.

[0038] The time information acquisition unit 36 ​​has a means for acquiring the latest time. For example, the latest time may be acquired from a GPS, or from a radio-controlled clock, or from the latest time included in mobile phone carrier communications, or from a time information service via the Internet (Network Time Protocol (NTP)). Of course, the latest time may also be acquired using a timekeeping function.

[0039] An example of a process for having the acquired information output terminal 20 receive and display sensing information from a specific sensor device 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4 , which illustrates an example of a sensing information display process performed by the acquired information output system 1. Here, the acquired information output terminal 20 is brought close to the specific sensor device 10 within a distance that allows a short-range or close-range wireless communication connection such as an RFID connection, i.e., within a relative position where the identifier acquisition unit 30 can acquire an ID from the specific sensor device 10. Furthermore, the sensor device 10 is powered on when it is installed and when communicating with the acquired information output terminal 20, and continues to transmit a communication connection request to search for a connection destination via the second communication unit 16. The power may be turned on manually by the user of the acquired information output terminal 20, or may be turned on when radio waves or electromagnetic waves are received via short-range wireless communication such as an RFID connection, as described below.

[0040] The control unit 22 of the acquired information output terminal 20 performs an ID reading process with a sensor device 10 that can be connected via short-range wireless communication, i.e., a sensor device 10 that is within the range of short-range wireless communication by the identifier acquisition unit 30 (step S1). The sensor device 10 receives radio waves from the wireless communication via the short-range wireless communication connection, activates the first communication unit 15, and transmits the ID to the acquired information output terminal 20 that is within a predetermined distance range (step S2). As a result, the control unit 22 receives and acquires the ID of the sensor device 10 (step S3).

[0041] Furthermore, the processor 12 of the sensor device 10 transmits a communication connection request as described above (step S4), and the control unit 22 responds to the communication connection request and establishes one-to-one communication with the sensor device 10 corresponding to the acquired ID. Specifically, the control unit 22 transmits a response message including the ID acquired in step S3 to the sensor device 10, and establishes one-to-one communication with the sensor device 10 having the ID (step S5). The control unit 22 acquires the latest time (approximately the current time) using the time information acquisition unit 36 ​​and transmits it to the sensor device 10 as updated time information (step S6).

[0042] When the processor 12 receives the update time information, it measures the sensing information using the sensor unit 18, creates first linking information linking the sensing information, the approximate current time, its own ID, etc., and stores it in the memory 14 (step S7). Note that it is not essential to store the first linking information in the memory 14, but it is preferable to store it at least until it is transmitted to the obtained information output terminal 20.

[0043] The processor 12 transmits the first linking information to the acquired information output terminal 20 at a preset timing (step S8). The preset timing may be set so that the information is transmitted continuously, or may be a timing based on a time (for example, every second), or a timing when a predetermined or greater change occurs in the sensing information, but is not particularly limited thereto and may be any other timing that can be set as appropriate.

[0044] The control unit 22 outputs the received first linking information (step S9). The output method is not particularly limited, but for example, a status display screen based on the sensing information can be displayed on the display unit 26. The control unit 22 acquires positioning information using the positioning information acquisition unit 34 (step S10), creates second linking information by linking the received first linking information to the positioning information, and stores the second linking information in the storage unit 24 (step S11). While communication between the acquired information output terminal 20 and the sensor device 10 is maintained, the acquired information output terminal 20 and the sensor device 10 repeatedly perform the processes of transmitting the first linking information, displaying the status display screen, and storing the second linking information in steps S6 to S10. When communication is disconnected, the physical status display process is terminated. Note that communication is disconnected here due to an operation by the user of the acquired information output terminal 20 to disconnect the communication.

[0045] As described above, the acquired information output terminal 20 acquires the ID by approaching the sensor device 10 to a relative position where short-range wireless communication is possible, and acquires sensing information from the sensor device 10 using the ID, so even if a plurality of or a large number of sensor devices 10 are densely packed in a given space, it is possible to identify only a specific sensor device 10 from among them and acquire and output the sensing information output by that sensor device 10. Furthermore, simply bringing the acquired information output terminal 20 close to the sensor device 10 results in a status display screen relating to the sensing information of that sensor device being displayed, thereby saving the user of the acquired information output terminal 20 the trouble of performing operations such as ID confirmation, pairing, and establishing one-to-one communication, thereby improving convenience.

[0046] Furthermore, since the acquired information output terminal 20 receives the first linking information directly from the sensor device 10, the communication distance is short, so the communication output can be reduced, reducing the impact of communication delays associated with sending and receiving various information, and the sensing information measured by the sensor device 10 can be displayed on the display unit 26 of the acquired information output terminal 20 with almost no delay.

[0047] The acquired information output system 1 is not limited to the above configuration. Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing another example of the acquired information output system 1. The acquired information output system 1 in Fig. 5 includes a plurality of sensor devices 10, acquired information output terminals 20, repeaters 50, and a management server 60 that manages sensing information for each sensor device 10, and each sensor device 10 is configured to be connectable to the acquired information output terminals 20 and the repeaters 50. The acquired information output terminals 20, repeaters 50, and management server 60 can be connected to each other via a network.

[0048] The repeater 50 is communicably connected to each sensor device 10, receives and stores sensing information transmitted from each sensor device 10, and transmits the received sensing information to the management server 60. Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the repeater 50. The repeater 50 has a repeater control unit 52 that performs overall control of each unit, and a repeater storage unit 54, a receiving unit 55, a transmitting unit 56, a repeater positioning information acquisition unit 57, a repeater time information acquisition unit 58, etc. are connected to the repeater control unit 52.

[0049] The repeater storage unit 54 stores the control program for the repeater 50, and also stores the processing results of the repeater control unit 52, etc.

[0050] The receiving unit 55 has at least the function of receiving information from the second communication unit 16 of the sensor device 10 , and has communication means compatible with the standard of the second communication unit 16 .

[0051] The transmitting unit 56 has at least the function of transmitting information to the management server 60, and this may be established via a communication means such as the Internet, carrier communication, a dedicated line, or a VPN. For example, the communication may be via a wireless network or a wired network, specifically a wireless LAN, a wide area network (WAN), ISDNs (Integrated Service Digital Networks), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-Advanced, CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), a fifth generation mobile communication system (5G), LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), etc. Of course, the network may be Wi-Fi, a public switched telephone network, Bluetooth, BLE, an optical fiber line, ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line), etc. The communication may be performed by using a line, a satellite communication network, or a combination of these.

[0052] The repeater positioning information acquisition unit 57 acquires positioning information indicating the current location. The positioning information may be acquired by a positioning system such as a GPS (Global Positioning System), an LPS (Local Positioning System), or an IMES (Indoor Positioning System), or by a mechanism that determines position information from image information, a mechanism that generates distance spatial information using radar or laser, or a mechanism that combines two or more of these.

[0053] The repeater time information acquisition unit 58 has a means for acquiring the latest time. For example, time information included in GPS or a radio-controlled clock may be acquired, or time information included in mobile phone carrier communications or time information via the Internet (Network Time Protocol (NTP)) service may also be used.

[0054] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the management server 60. The management server 60 has a server control unit 62 that controls the entire server. The server control unit 62 includes a CPU that executes programs and performs processing, and ROM, RAM, etc. that store programs, etc. The server control unit 62 is also connected to a server communication unit 64, a database 66, etc. The server communication unit 64 has communication means compatible with the communication standards of the device communication unit 32 and the transmitter 56, and communicates with the acquired information output terminal 20, the repeater 50, etc. The database 66 stores the sensing information in association with the ID of each sensor device, time information when the sensing information was measured, installation location information, individual identification information of the repeater 50 that relayed the sensing information (although not required), etc.

[0055] The management server 60 also has, for example, a means for displaying the sensing information stored in the database 66 on the acquired information output terminal 20. For example, the management server 60 has a function of displaying a web page that displays the contents of the sensing information in the database 66 in a viewable manner in response to access from the acquired information output terminal 20, and a function of transmitting sensing information in response to a request from the acquired information output terminal 20 and making it downloadable on the acquired information output terminal 20.

[0056] In the acquired information output system 1 configured as described above, sensing information output from the sensor device 10 is stored in the repeater 50, and is also transmitted from the repeater 50 to the management server 60 via a network such as the Internet, carrier communication, a dedicated line, or a VPN, and is also stored and managed in the management server 60. After communication with the acquired information output terminal 20 is disconnected, the sensor device 10 establishes communication with the repeater 50 as the next connection partner.

[0057] Communication between the sensor device 10 and the repeater 50 may be established by the sensor device 10 communicating with the repeater 50, or the acquired information output terminal 20 may send a command to the management server 60 to instruct the repeater 50 to establish communication with the sensor device 10.

[0058] 8 is a flowchart showing an example of connection processing between the sensor device 10 and the repeater 50, and shows an example of connection processing in which the acquired information output terminal 20 issues a command to the management server 60 to establish communication between the repeater 50 and the sensor device 10. After step S11 above and after communication with the sensor device 10 is completed, the control unit 22 of the acquired information output terminal 20 transmits second association information to the management server 60 (step S20). That is, the control unit 22 reads the second association information from the storage unit 24 and transmits the second association information to the management server 60 via the second device communication unit 33.

[0059] The management server 60 extracts the ID, sensing information, time information, positioning information, etc. from the received second association information, associates the extracted information with the ID, sensing information, time information, installation location information, etc. of the sensor device 10, and stores them in a database (step S21). Here, the positioning information is treated as the installation location information of the sensor device 10. The positioning information of the acquired information output terminal 20 that was close to the sensor device 10 at the time of installation is considered to be the installation location information. This eliminates the need for the management server 60 to pre-store the installation location information of each sensor device 10. Therefore, it becomes possible to install the sensor device 10 without worrying about the specific ID of the sensor device 10 for the installation location, without having to search for a specific sensor device assigned to a predetermined installation location from among the sensor devices in the pre-installation state or pre-register the sensor device to be installed at each installation location.

[0060] The management server 60 transmits a connection command with the extracted ID to the repeater 50 (step S22). The repeater 50 transmits a connection request notification with the ID of the received connection command (step S23). The processor 12 of the sensor device 10 confirms that the ID of the received connection request notification is its own ID stored in the memory 14, and transmits a response message to connect to the repeater 50 and establish communication (step S24). The response message is assumed to include the ID of the sensor device 10, etc.

[0061] The repeater 50 transmits a communication establishment completion notification with the ID of the response message to the management server 60 as a report of the result of the connection command (step S25). The management server 60 transfers the communication establishment completion notification to the acquired information output terminal 20 (step S26). Based on the received communication establishment completion notification, the control unit 22 displays a message indicating that communication between the sensor device 10 and the repeater 50 has been established, and ends the process.

[0062] By the above process, the sensor device 10 is connected to the repeater 50 so as to be able to communicate with the repeater 50. By establishing this communication, the sensor device 10 receives updated time information (approximately current time information) from the repeater 50 to update the time information, and also measures sensing information using the sensor unit 18 at a preset timing for the repeater 50, associates the sensing information with its own ID, etc., and transmits it to the repeater 50. At this time, the sensor device 10 may transmit first association information, etc., that is stored in the memory unit 14 and has not yet been transmitted to the repeater 50.

[0063] Furthermore, while the sensor device 10 has established communication with the repeater 50, it can transition to a so-called monitoring state in which it acquires sensing information and transmits information to the repeater 50 at a lower frequency than when it had established communication with the acquired information output terminal 20.

[0064] In this way, when communication with the sensor device 10 is established from the acquired information output terminal 20 to the repeater 50 via the management server 60, the connection result from the repeater 50 is received, so the user of the acquired information output terminal 20 can confirm that communication has been established between the sensor device 10 and the repeater 50.

[0065] Furthermore, the acquired information output terminal 20 transmits the contents of the stored second linking information to the management server 60 for storage, so that the sensing information acquired during communication with the sensor device 10 can be reliably managed by the management server 60. This can also be used as a backup in case communication between the sensor device 10 and the repeater 50 is not possible.

[0066] Furthermore, since the sensor device 10 transitions to a monitoring state when communication with the repeater 50 is established, it can be operated in a low power consumption state in which power consumption is kept as low as possible.

[0067] Furthermore, establishing communication between the sensor device 10 and the repeater 50 is not limited to the above method. For example, a repeater ID for identifying the repeater 50 may be included in a communication connection request sent from the sensor device 10, and the repeater 50 may respond to this request to establish communication. In this case, the sensor device 10 may have a repeater ID in advance, or the repeater ID may be sent from the acquisition information output terminal 20 to the sensor device 10. For example, the repeater ID may be stored in advance in the memory unit 24, and the sensor device 10 may receive or acquire the repeater ID from the acquisition information output terminal 20 while communication between the acquisition information output terminal 20 and the sensor device 10 is being established. Then, after disconnecting communication with the acquisition information output terminal 20, the sensor device 10 establishes communication with the repeater 50 with the acquired repeater ID and transmits information such as sensing information and its own ID to the repeater 50 at a predetermined timing. The repeater 50 may also periodically transmit time information to update the time information kept within the sensor device 10.

[0068] The repeater 50 may also be capable of updating the time information as needed, by acquiring time information contained in GPS, using a radio-controlled clock, time information contained in mobile phone carrier communications, or time information via the Internet (Network Time Protocol (NTP)). The repeater 50 may also wirelessly update the time information of the sensor device 10 using a local NTP (local radio-controlled clock) system, thereby enabling more accurate correspondence between the timing at which the sensor unit 18 acquires sensing information and the time at which the sensing information is acquired.

[0069] Furthermore, although the acquired information output terminal 20 acquires the individual identifier from the sensor device 10 through short-range wireless communication by the identifier acquisition unit, the means for acquiring the individual identifier is not limited to this. For example, the acquired information output terminal 20 may store the individual identifier in advance, in which case the individual identifier may be keyed in using input means (not shown) such as a keyboard.

[0070] Furthermore, a visual information reading means such as a scanner or barcode reader may be newly provided or added as an identifier acquisition unit, and visual information such as a one-dimensional code, a two-dimensional code, or other multidimensional code may be provided in a visible position on the exterior of the sensor device, and the individual identifier may be acquired by reading the visual information with the visual information reading means. In this way, if the individual identifier can be acquired without relying on short-range wireless communication, it is possible to easily grasp the sensing information from the sensor device 10 even when the sensor device 10 is located in a place where it is difficult to bring the acquired information output terminal 20 close.

[0071] In the above-described embodiment, the acquired information output terminal 20 establishes communication with the sensor device 10 and receives the sensing information, but communication may be established between the acquired information output terminal 20 and the management server 60, and the sensing information from the sensor device 10 may be received via the management server 60. Here, Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of sensing information display processing by the acquired information output system 1.

[0072] The acquired information output terminal 20 and the sensor device 10 perform the same processes as steps S1 to S3 above. That is, the control unit 22 performs an ID reading process with the sensor device 10 via short-range wireless communication (step SA1). The sensor device 10 transmits its ID to the acquired information output terminal 20 by activating the first communication unit 15 (step SA2). As a result, the control unit 22 acquires the ID of the sensor device 10 (step SA3).

[0073] The control unit 22 transmits a communication connection request with the acquired ID to the management server 60 via the device communication unit 32 (step SA4). The management server 60 establishes communication with the acquired information output terminal 20 that accepted the communication connection request, and transmits an information request to the repeater 50 requesting sensing information of the sensor device 10 that corresponds to the ID of the communication connection request (step SA5).

[0074] The repeater 50 transmits an information request to the sensor device 10 corresponding to the ID of the information request (step SA6). When the processor 12 of the sensor device 10 receives the information request, it measures sensing information using the sensor unit 18, creates first association information that associates the sensing information, the current time, its own ID, etc., and stores the information in the memory 14 (step SA7). The processor 12 transmits the first association information to the repeater 50 at a preset timing (step SA8).

[0075] The repeater 50 transfers the first linking information to the management server 60 (step SA9), and the management server 60 transfers the first linking information to the acquired information output terminal 20 (step SA10). The control unit 22 displays a status display screen based on the sensing information, etc., of the received first linking information on the display unit 26 (step SA11). The control unit 22 acquires positioning information using the positioning information acquisition unit 34, creates second linking information by linking the received first linking information to the positioning information, and stores the second linking information in the memory unit 24 (step SA12). Note that while communication is established between the acquired information output terminal 20 and the management server 60, the processes of steps SA5 to SA12 are repeated, and when communication is disconnected, the physical status display process is terminated.

[0076] As described above, the acquired information output terminal 20 acquires the ID of the sensor device 10 by approaching it to a relative position where short-range wireless communication is possible, and establishes communication with the management server 60 using the ID. Then, it acquires sensing information from the sensor device 10 via the management server 60 and the repeater 50. Even when multiple or many sensor devices 10 are densely packed in a given space, it is possible to identify only a specific sensor device 10 and acquire the sensing information output by that sensor device 10. The status display screen may display only the most recent sensing information, or it may display changes in the sensing information over time within a certain period of time. In this case, the acquired information output terminal 20 may acquire multiple pieces of sensing information collected over a certain period of time from the management server 60 (or the repeater 50 via the management server 60) and display the changes in the sensing information over time in a list, graph, or the like so that the changes in the sensing information can be recognized.

[0077] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of information display processing in a monitoring state. Here, the sensor device 10 has already established communication with the repeater 50 and is transmitting sensing information at a preset timing. The display shows the output of information when monitoring and confirming the sensing information measured by the sensor device 10 via the acquired information output terminal 20. The processor 12 of the sensor device 10 receives updated time information from the repeater 50, updates the time information, and measures the sensing information using the sensor unit 18 at a preset timing (step SB1). The processor 12 stores association information, which associates the sensing information, time information, its own ID, etc., in the memory 14 and transmits the association information to the repeater 50 via the second communication unit 16 (step SB2). Note that although the association information is transmitted at the timing of acquiring the sensing information, it may also be transmitted at a timing different from the timing of acquiring the sensing information.

[0078] The repeater 50 saves the received association information (step SB3) and transmits the association information to the management server 60 (step SB4). The management server 60 extracts the ID, sensing information, time information, etc. from the received association information, associates each piece of extracted information with the ID, and stores it in the database 66 (step SB5). This completes the sensing information storage process performed at the set timing in the monitoring state. In the monitoring state, when the control unit 22 of the acquired information output terminal 20 transmits a sensing information request to the management server 60 with the ID of the sensor device 10 to be monitored (step SB6), the management server 60 reads the sensing information corresponding to the received ID from the database 66 (step SB7). At this time, the latest sensing information is read from the database 66. The management server 60 transmits the sensing information to the acquired information output terminal 20 (step SB8). The control unit 22 outputs the received sensing information (step SB10). For example, the sensing information can be displayed on the display unit 26. When the output of the sensing information is completed, the information display process in the monitoring state is completed.

[0079] Although the description has been given of the acquired information output terminal acquiring the ID and sensing information, the acquired information output terminal is not limited to a single device, and may be configured as a device and terminal that can be separated from each other. For example, the acquired information output terminal may be composed of an RFID terminal having an identifier acquisition unit and a device main body having parts other than the identifier acquisition unit, which are separable from each other and capable of communicating via wired or wireless communication. In this case, the RFID terminal acquires the identifier from the sensor device 10, and the device main body acquires the sensing information. Furthermore, the RFID terminal sends the identifier to the device main body, and the device main body acquires the sensing information based on the identifier.

[0080] Furthermore, the identifier held by the sensor device 10 and the management identifier of the management server 60 do not necessarily need to be a perfect match, and may be a partial match. For example, the management identifier may be a combination of the identifier held by the sensor device 10 and information about the building where the sensor device 10 is installed, location information, etc. In such a case, the acquired information output terminal 20 acquires its own location information using GPS or the like, combines the location information with the identifier acquired from the sensor device 10, and transmits the combination to the management server 60, thereby enabling the acquired information output terminal 20 to correspond to the identifier managed by the management server 60.

[0081] Furthermore, although the acquired information output terminal displays the sensing information by displaying a status display screen, other methods may be used as long as the method is recognizable to at least the user of the information processing device. For example, the sensing information may be notified by a speaker that reads out the sensing information, or by outputting a simple or repeated sound such as a buzzer, bell, or chime. Furthermore, the sensing information may be notified by a vibration unit that generates a vibration pattern.

[0082] The acquired information output system 1 may be configured without the relay, i.e., may be configured by the sensor device 10, the acquired information output terminal 20, and the management server 60. In such a configuration, the sensing information (or the first linking information, etc.) transmitted from the sensor device 10 may be transmitted directly to the management server 60, or the sensing information (or the first linking information, etc.) transmitted from the sensor device 10 and received by the acquired information output terminal 20 may be transmitted from the acquired information output terminal 20 to the management server 60.

[0083] Next, an application example of the acquired information output system will be described. Here, a deformation detection bolt is used as a sensor device, and it can be used to acquire raw data indicating the tightening axial force of the deformation detection bolt or the related physical state when multiple deformation detection bolts are used to fasten components together. The deformation detection bolt 100 is assumed to be equipped with the components of the sensor device 10, such as a processor 12, memory 14, first communication unit 15, second communication unit 16, and sensor unit 18.

[0084] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a deformation detection bolt 100. The deformation detection bolt 100 has a head 102 and a shaft 104, and is configured to be able to detect stresses such as bending stress, compressive stress, tensile stress, and torsional stress, as well as axial force, applied to the deformation detection bolt 100.

[0085] Furthermore, the deformation detection bolt 100 has a head cap 106 detachably attached to the head 102, so that the circuit boards that make up the various parts of the sensor device can be disposed between the head 102 and the head cap 106 (such as on the top surface of the head 102). Therefore, the head cap 106 can be used as a cover that encloses the circuit board.

[0086] The head 102 has a hexagonal outer periphery, three pairs of widths across flats, and an outer shape with a larger maximum dimension in the direction perpendicular to the axis than the shaft 104. The axial end of the head 102 is provided with a fastening means (not shown), such as a fitting groove, for fastening a head cap 106. The head 102 is also provided with an electric path installation portion 110 with a concave cross section for installing an electric path 134, which will be described later.

[0087] The shaft portion 104 has an outer shape whose axial length is longer than the maximum dimension in the direction perpendicular to the axis, and comprises a cylindrical portion 120 located at the base or seat side of the head 102, and a threaded portion 122 having a male screw helical groove formed on the outer circumferential surface.

[0088] The bottom surface of the electric path installation portion 110 is flat, and the electric path 134 is formed directly on the bottom surface. The electric path installation portion 110 is formed continuously at least on the outer peripheral surface and seating surface of the head 102. That is, the extension direction of the electric path installation portion 110 is set so that it extends in the axial direction on the outer peripheral surface of the head 102 and in the direction perpendicular to the axis on the seating surface of the head 102. Of course, the extension direction of the electric path installation portion 110 can be set as appropriate, such as extending in a direction inclined with respect to the axial direction on the outer peripheral surface or in a direction inclined with respect to the direction perpendicular to the axis on the seating surface, and the depth and width of the concave shape can also be set as appropriate.

[0089] The cylindrical portion 120 has a columnar outer peripheral shape and a reduced portion 120a whose outer diameter is reduced so that a portion of the cylindrical portion 120 is constricted relative to the entire cylindrical portion 120. The radial length of the reduced portion 120a is set to be approximately the root diameter or effective diameter of the male thread of the threaded portion 122. The cylindrical portion 120 further has a sensor mounting portion 124 recessed in the outer peripheral surface along the axial direction.

[0090] The threaded portion 122 has a first male screw structure with a helical groove formed with a predetermined lead angle and / or lead direction, and a second male screw structure with a helical groove set with a lead angle and / or lead direction different from that of the first male screw structure, in a superimposed manner. Here, two types of male screw structures are formed in the same axial region of the deformation detection bolt 100: the first male screw structure with a right-handed thread that can be threaded with a corresponding right-handed female screw, and the second male screw structure with a left-handed thread that can be threaded with a corresponding left-handed female screw. Of course, the first male screw structure and the second male screw structure may have the same right-handed lead direction but different lead angles. The helical grooves do not necessarily need to be superimposed, but a mechanism that can suppress loosening of the joining member is preferable for performing precise and accurate strain and stress measurements.

[0091] The sensor arrangement portion 124 extends from the intermediate position of the contracted portion 120a to the head 102 and is formed so as to be continuous with the current-carrying path arrangement portion 110. The sensor arrangement portion 124 has a substantially flat bottom surface, on which a sensor pattern 132 for detecting the physical state of the shaft portion 104 is directly formed.

[0092] The sensor pattern 132 is part of the sensor unit 18 and can function as an axial force measurement sensor. The sensor pattern 132 is made of a conductive material and includes a sensor structure portion that extends back and forth in the axial direction multiple times, and a lead structure portion that extends from the sensor structure portion toward the head. The electrical characteristics of this sensor pattern 132, such as resistance value, change as the conductive material in the sensor structure portion deforms, so that the axial force as a physical state can be detected by detecting the change in electrical characteristics.

[0093] The physical state detected by the change in electrical characteristics may be a change in heat / temperature, a change in humidity, or the like. For example, when measuring the environmental temperature from the change in the electrical resistance value of the sensor pattern 132, the sensor pattern 132 is used as a component of a so-called resistance thermometer. Similarly, the sensor pattern 132 may be used as a resistance change type electric humidity sensor to measure humidity. The sensor pattern 132 is electrically connected to an electric path 134 formed on the head 102.

[0094] The sensor pattern 132 can be provided by forming an electrical insulating layer on the sensor mounting portion 124 and then forming the sensor pattern 132 directly on the electrical insulating layer. The electrical insulating layer can be formed using, for example, lamination printing, pad printing, painting, plating, inkjet printing, sputtering, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), or the like. The method for forming the electrical insulating layer is not limited to the above methods. Various methods can be used, such as forming a coating of an insulating material by sputtering with a specified mask, applying a silica material and then heat-treating it, or applying an organic insulating material such as a silicone-based, polyimide-based, epoxy-based, or urethane-based material. Furthermore, if the base material of the deformation detection bolt 100 is electrically conductive, the surface of the base material can be oxidized to form an oxide coating, which serves as the electrical insulating layer. If the base material is aluminum, the electrical insulating layer can be formed by anodizing. Of course, if the base material is electrically insulating, the electrical insulating layer need not be formed.

[0095] The sensor pattern 132 can be formed directly on the electrical insulating layer by lamination printing using a conductive paste, pad printing, painting, plating, inkjet printing, sputtering, CVD, PVD, etc. The shape of the wiring may also be set by applying a mask that matches the shape of the sensor pattern 132 and etching it.

[0096] The current path 134 can be formed by forming an electrical insulating layer on the current path placement portion 110 in the same manner as the sensor pattern, and then using a conductive paste on top of the insulating layer. The current path 134 is formed continuous with the sensor pattern 132, and a pair of electrical contacts that can be connected to the circuit board is formed at its end. By forming the sensor pattern 132 and the current path 134 directly on the electrical insulating layer in this way, peeling can be prevented for a long period of time.

[0097] It is possible to detect distortion occurring in the columnar portion 120 and deformation of the columnar portion 120 as a change in the electrical characteristics of the sensor pattern 132. Furthermore, a coating layer having excellent abrasion resistance, scratch resistance, heat resistance, moisture blocking properties, solvent resistance, gas barrier properties, deformation resistance (adhesion), etc. may be provided to cover the sensor pattern 132 and the current path 134.

[0098] Next, the processing of the acquired information output system 1 for detecting axial force or raw data for calculating axial force (hereinafter simply referred to as axial force, etc.) when multiple deformation detection bolts 100 are used in a structure will be explained using the example of a situation where a deformation detection bolt 100 is tightened to a structure for the first time.

[0099] FIG. 12 shows an example of a structure in which multiple joints connecting pillars 52 made of square cylindrical steel material extending vertically and joints connecting beams 54 made of H-shaped steel material extending horizontally from the pillars 52 are fastened together with deformation detection bolts 100 using connection plates 56.

[0100] 13 is a flowchart showing the display process of the axial force and the like during the tightening work of the deformation detection bolt 100. Here, the deformation detection bolt 100 is in a state where communication with the relay device 50 is not yet established, such as at the time of shipment, and the worker starts the deformation detection bolt 100, for example, at the work site, and begins tightening the deformation detection bolt 100.

[0101] The acquired information output terminal 20 is brought close to a specific deformation detection bolt 100 at a distance that allows short-range or close-range wireless communication such as RFID connection, that is, to a relative position where the ID can be acquired from the deformation detection bolt 100 by the identifier acquisition unit 30. The deformation detection bolt 100 is powered on at the time of installation or immediately before installation and during communication with the acquired information output terminal 20, and continues to transmit a communication connection request to search for a connection destination by the second communication unit 16.

[0102] The control unit 22 performs an ID reading process with a deformation detection bolt 100 that can be connected via short-range wireless communication, i.e., a deformation detection bolt 100 that is within the range of short-range wireless communication by the identifier acquisition unit 30 (step SC1). The deformation detection bolt 100 receives wireless radio waves via the short-range wireless communication connection, activates the first communication unit 15, and transmits the ID to an acquired information output terminal 20 that is within a predetermined distance (step SC2). As a result, the control unit 22 receives and acquires the ID of the deformation detection bolt 100 (step SC3).

[0103] The control unit 22 stores the ID in the storage unit 24, and transmits an axial force information request including the ID to the management server 60 via the second device communication unit 33 (step SC4).

[0104] When the management server 60 receives the request for information such as axial force, it communicates with the deformation detection bolt 100 corresponding to the attached ID. Specifically, the management server 60 transmits a measurement information request to the deformation detection bolt 100 corresponding to the received ID (step SC5).

[0105] The processor 12 of the deformation detection bolt 100 confirms that the ID of the received measurement information request is its own ID stored in the memory 14, and transmits the axial force and other information measured by the sensor unit 18 to the management server 60 via the second communication unit 16 (step SC6). At this time, the deformation detection bolt 100 and the management server 60 continue to communicate, and the axial force and other information measured by the sensor unit 18 of the deformation detection bolt 100 are transmitted to the management server 60. Note that the processor 12 stores the axial force and other information measured by the sensor unit 18 in the memory 14 even while communicating with the management server 60.

[0106] The management server 60 transmits the received axial force, etc. to the acquired information output terminal 20 (step SC7). At this time, the management server 60 establishes communication with the acquired information output terminal 20, and also establishes communication with the deformation detection bolt 100. Therefore, the axial force, etc. acquired by the deformation detection bolt 100 at a preset timing is transmitted to the acquired information output terminal 20 via the management server 60.

[0107] The control unit 22 outputs the received axial force, etc. (step SC8). For example, the axial force, etc. can be displayed on the display unit 26. While tightening the deformation detection bolt 100 with a fastening tool, the worker can check the axial force, etc. currently applied to the deformation detection bolt 100 by referring to the axial force, etc. displayed on the display unit 26. Then, the control unit 22 ends the output (display) of the axial force, etc. in response to an operation to disconnect from the management server 60.

[0108] It goes without saying that the axial force detection bolt 100 may be capable of communicating with both the relay device 50 and the management server 60 simultaneously, in which case the measured axial force, etc. will be transmitted to the relay device 50 and the management server 60.

[0109] In the above description, the acquired information output terminal 20 establishes communication with the management server 60 to acquire the axial force, etc., but this is not limited to this, and the axial force, etc. may be acquired directly from the axial force detection bolt 100. In this case, the control unit 22 stores the ID in the storage unit 24 and transmits a communication connection request with the ID attached to the axial force detection bolt 100 via the device communication unit 32.

[0110] When the ID of the received communication connection request matches the ID stored in the memory 14, the processor 12 of the axial force detecting bolt 100 establishes a one-to-one communication connection with the acquired information output terminal 20 and transmits the axial force and other information received by the sensor 18 to the acquired information output terminal 20. This allows the acquired information output terminal 20 to display a status display screen showing the received axial force and other information.

[0111] More specifically, wireless communication in accordance with the BLE standard may be established between the acquired information output terminal 20 and the axial force detection bolt 100. For example, the control unit 22 of the acquired information output terminal 20 sends a communication establishment request with an ID to the deformation detection bolt 100. When the processor 12 of the deformation detection bolt 100 responds by confirming that the ID stored in the memory 14 matches the received ID, the acquired information output terminal 20 and the deformation detection bolt 100 establish a pairing connection and establish wireless communication. In this way, if the acquired information output terminal 20 communicates wirelessly with the axial force detection bolt 100 to directly receive the axial force, etc., the time lag and power consumption required for communication can be reduced compared to when the axial force is transmitted from the axial force detection bolt 100 to the relay device 50 or the management server 60.

[0112] Furthermore, the above process has been described using an example in which the deformation detection bolt 100 is tightened while not yet connected to the relay device 50. However, the status display screen can also be displayed using a similar process when retightening a deformation detection bolt 100 that is being used to tighten a structure. However, when retightening a deformation detection bolt 100 that has already been tightened, communication between the deformation detection bolt 100 and the relay device 50 has already been established and the bolt is in a monitoring state, so the monitoring state is switched to an axial force monitoring state. This switching method can be set as appropriate, but possible methods include restarting or resetting the deformation detection bolt 100, or switching between states. During this switching, the established communication between the deformation detection bolt 100 and the relay device 50 is severed. Therefore, the acquired information output terminal 20 can establish communication with the deformation detection bolt 100.

[0113] In the acquired information output system 1 that employs the deformation detection bolt 100, when tightening the deformation detection bolt 100, the worker can check the axial force of the deformation detection bolt 100 that occurs as the bolt is tightened on the status display screen. Also, by checking the axial force that changes as the deformation detection bolt 100 is tightened, the worker can adjust the tightening of the deformation detection bolt 100 to achieve an appropriate axial force.

[0114] Furthermore, the acquired information output terminal 20 acquires an identifier from a deformation detection bolt 100 that has been brought close enough to be in contact with the identifier acquisition unit 30. This reliably prevents the identifier acquisition unit 30 from simultaneously acquiring identifiers from multiple deformation detection bolts 100. Furthermore, even in situations where multiple deformation detection bolts 100 are closely spaced within a specified range, the worker can reliably grasp only the axial force of the desired deformation detection bolt 100, preventing misidentification due to a mismatch between the displayed axial force and the deformation detection bolt 100 being tightened.

[0115] The axial force of the deformation detection bolt 100 is calculated by applying a characteristic constant that can be set for each deformation detection bolt 100 to the raw data output from the sensor pattern 132. Therefore, to display the axial force, the characteristic constant and raw data are processed by a predetermined calculation in either the deformation detection bolt 100, the relay device 50, the management server 60, or the acquired information output terminal 20 to calculate the axial force. For example, the memory 14 can store a characteristic constant for each deformation detection bolt 100 in advance, and the processor 12 can calculate the axial force from the output raw data and the characteristic constant and send it to the relay device 50, etc. Alternatively, the relay device 50 can store a characteristic constant for each deformation detection bolt 100, calculate the axial force from the raw data and the characteristic constant received from the deformation detection bolt 100, and send it to the management server 60. Alternatively, the management server 60 can store a characteristic constant for each deformation detection bolt 100, and calculate the axial force from the raw data and the characteristic constant when it receives the raw data of each deformation detection bolt 100. Furthermore, the acquired information output terminal 20 can acquire the characteristic constant and calculate the axial force from the characteristic constant and the raw data received from the management server 60 or the deformation detection bolt 100. The acquired information output terminal 20 can acquire the characteristic constant by communicating with the deformation detection bolt 100 or the management server 60, such as by acquiring it together with the identifier from the deformation detection bolt 100 using the identifier acquisition unit 30. [Switch mechanism]

[0116] The following describes a switch mechanism of the present invention that can be used in the above-mentioned sensor device, deformation detection bolt, etc. Here, an embodiment of a processing terminal to which the switch mechanism is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing an example system configuration of a processing terminal 200 according to this embodiment. The processing terminal 200 includes a reed switch 202, a power supply unit 204, a power supply control unit (control means) 206, a system (target circuit) 210, etc. The processing terminal 200 may be any terminal that includes a switch mechanism, and may be the above-mentioned sensor device, deformation detection bolt, etc.

[0117] The reed switch 202 operates in response to the application of a magnetic field, and opens and closes the electrical path between the power supply unit 204 and the power supply control unit 206. The power supply unit 204 is a power supply device that includes an external power source, a battery (primary battery, secondary battery, etc.), a storage battery, etc., and supplies power to each unit of the processing terminal 200.

[0118] The power supply control unit 206 controls the electrical paths to each unit and determines whether to supply power to the system 210 based on the on / off timing of the reed switch 202. The power supply control unit 206 can also have a memory or the like for storing in advance a signal code for determining whether to supply power.

[0119] The power supply control unit 206 can be configured to include a logic circuit, and the logic circuit can include a microcontroller and / or a microcomputer and / or a microprocessor. The control unit 206 can also be configured with an electric circuit. That is, power supply control can be realized by an electric circuit that combines physical elements and wiring.

[0120] Furthermore, the power supply control unit 206 may include one or more FETs, and the FETs may open and close the electrical path between the power supply unit 204. For example, two FETs may be provided, and a first FET closes the electrical path between the power supply unit 204 and the power supply control unit 206 so that power is supplied only to the power supply control unit 206 when the reed switch 202 is closed. Furthermore, a second FET closes the electrical path for supplying power to the power supply control unit 206 after startup. In other words, the second FET closes the electrical path between the power supply unit 204 and the power supply control unit 206 to ensure stable power supply even after the reed switch 202 is opened.

[0121] The system 210 is a main system configured for the calculations of the processing terminal 200, and may be configured to include, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, storage, a communication I / F, a bus, etc. as hardware.

[0122] The CPU executes calculations by controlling the entire system 210. The memory can be configured with a volatile storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0123] The storage can be configured, for example, by a non-volatile storage device such as an SSD (Solid State Drive) or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The storage stores control programs run by the CPU, other programs, and data such as the results of processing by the CPU.

[0124] The communication I / F is an interface for connecting to a network. The bus connects the CPU, storage unit, communication I / F, etc., and enables the exchange of information. In addition to the above configuration, the system 210 may also have an input / output I / F, etc.

[0125] The switch mechanism of the processing terminal 200 is configured to activate the power supply control unit 206 by a first operation of turning on the reed switch 202 using an external magnetic field, and to turn on and off the reed switch 202 at least once using an external magnetic field, thereby turning on the system and operating it or making it possible to operate it.

[0126] 15 is a flowchart showing the control process associated with power-on. Here, power-on is performed by applying an external magnetic field to the processing terminal 200. The external magnetic field is generated by a permanent magnet and / or an electromagnet. That is, power-on of the processing terminal 200 is performed by bringing a power-on means equipped with a permanent magnet and / or an electromagnet into close proximity with a predetermined portion of the processing terminal 200 (such as near the reed switch 202). Furthermore, although the first operation and the second operation may be performed by the same power-on means, in this case they are performed by different power-on means.

[0127] The second operation uses a second operation power-on means in which the external magnetic field changes temporally and / or spatially. For example, it can alternate between a state in which the external magnetic field is applied to the reed switch 202 and a state in which the application of the external magnetic field is stopped. This second operation power-on means transmits a signal to power on the processing terminal 200. This signal has a predetermined pattern, and when this signal pattern corresponds to a predetermined signal code, the entire processing terminal 200 is powered on.

[0128] The user of the processing terminal 200 brings the power-on means close to the reed switch 202 of the processing terminal 200. When an external magnetic field is applied and the reed switch 202 is turned on (step SD1), the first FET supplies power from the power supply unit 204 only to the power supply control unit 206, starting the power supply control unit 206 (step SD2). That is, the first FET closes the electrical path between the power supply control unit 206 and the power supply unit 204.

[0129] Next, the power supply control unit 206 fixes its own power ON state (step SD3). That is, the power supply control unit 206 drives the second FET to connect an electrical path between the power supply unit 204 and the power supply control unit 206. This keeps the power supply control unit 206 running even if the reed switch 202 turns OFF during the control process associated with power-on.

[0130] After startup, the power supply control unit 206 monitors the reed switch 202 to read the state of the external magnetic field (referred to as the magnetic field state) (step SD4), and determines whether the magnetic force has been turned off (step SD5).

[0131] The user brings the power-on means close to the reed switch 202 and then moves it away, and then brings the second power-on means close to the reed switch 202. The processing terminal 200 recognizes in step SD1 that the first power-on means has been brought close, and determines in step SD5 whether the power-on means that it recognized as being close has been moved away.

[0132] Therefore, when the power-on means is close, the power control unit 206 determines that the magnetic force is on (step SD5, No), and again performs the processing of steps SD4 to SD5 to read the magnetic field state and determine whether the magnetic force is off.

[0133] Furthermore, when the power-on means is removed, the power supply control unit 206 determines that the magnetic force is off (Yes in step SD5) and starts receiving the code via the reed switch 202 (step SD6). That is, when the operator brings the second power-on means close to the reed switch 202, a signal is transmitted by alternately switching on and off the application of the external magnetic field, and the power supply control unit 206 starts receiving the signal via the reed switch 202 (step SD7).

[0134] The power supply control unit 206 determines whether signal reception has been completed (step SD8), and if it is still receiving a signal (step SD8, No), it continues receiving the signal and again determines whether signal reception has been completed. Furthermore, when signal reception has been completed (step SD8, Yes), the power supply control unit 206 recognizes the code based on the received signal and determines whether the recognized code matches the stored signal code (step SD9). That is, at this time, part of the power supply control unit 206 functions as a signal determination unit that determines whether the code matches the signal code.

[0135] If the power supply control unit 206 determines that the signal does not match the signal code (No in step SD9), it cuts off the power supply (step SD10) and terminates the power-on process. On the other hand, if the received code matches the signal code (Yes in step SD9), the power supply control unit 206 performs a normal startup in which power is supplied from the power supply unit 204 to the entire processing terminal 200 (step SD11), and terminates the power-on process. In this normal startup, power is supplied to the system 210, so that the system 210 is in an operating state or is ready to operate.

[0136] As explained above, the processing terminal can be powered on by operating the reed switch, and the combined use of the first and second operations can prevent the switch mechanism from accidentally powering on the target circuit due to an unintended external magnetic field generated around the reed switch. That is, the second operation requires sending a signal corresponding to a predetermined signal code, and by making the signal code itself a fine pattern, for example, it is possible to prevent malfunction due to an unintended external magnetic field.

[0137] Conventionally, there are switches that switch between a conducting state and a cutoff state by contacting and separating a fixed terminal (hereinafter referred to as a "contact terminal") and a movable contact piece (hereinafter referred to as a "movable contact piece"). This is a so-called contact-type switch, and the mechanism for switching the switch may be exposed to the outside.

[0138] However, these so-called contact switches can sometimes have problems, such as accidentally turning on and off due to large vibrations. Furthermore, if the switch's operating part is exposed to the outside, the switch may open or close due to unintentional contact. There is also the problem of poor contact due to the weather resistance of the switch's contacts. Therefore, the use of reed switches as non-contact switches has been considered. However, reed switches turn on and off using magnetic force and are activated when a magnet is brought close to them. Therefore, reed switches can be affected by some external magnetic field and turn on and off unintentionally, which can cause the device equipped with the reed switch to malfunction.

[0139] Therefore, according to the present invention, a simple structure can be used to install a reed switch without exposing the mechanism to the outside, and it is possible to reliably prevent malfunctions while driving a target circuit by operating a reed switch with an external magnetic field. Furthermore, since the switch mechanism can be installed without exposing part or all of it to the outside, it is possible to reliably prevent malfunctions due to vibrations, contact with the outside, etc. Furthermore, since it is less susceptible to deterioration and alteration due to wind, rain, sunlight, and temperature changes, it is possible to improve weather resistance.

[0140] 1...Acquired information output system, 10...sensor device, 12...processor, 14...memory, 15...first communication unit, 16...second communication unit, 18...sensor unit, 20...acquired information output terminal, 22...control unit, 24...storage unit, 26...display unit, 30...identifier acquisition unit, 32...device communication unit, 50...relay, 60...management server, 100...deformation detection bolt, 102...head, 104...shaft portion, 106...head cap, 110...electrical path arrangement portion, 120...cylindrical portion, 122...screw portion, 124...sensor arrangement portion, 132...sensor pattern, 134...electrical path.

Claims

1. An acquired information output terminal that acquires only information output by a specific device, a first acquiring means for acquiring an identifier corresponding to the specific device; and a second acquisition means, different from the first acquisition means, for establishing external communication capable of acquiring information output by the specific device using the identifier acquired by the first acquisition means, and acquiring the information.

2. 2. The acquired information output terminal according to claim 1, wherein the first acquisition means acquires the identifier directly from the specific device and / or accepts a direct input of the identifier.

3. the first acquisition means acquires an identifier by directly communicating with the specific device that the device has approached via short-range wireless communication; The acquired information output terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that the second acquisition means directly or indirectly acquires the information output by the specific device by a communication means having a different communication distance from that of the first acquisition means.

4. the first acquisition means includes a wireless communication reader that receives an identifier from a wireless tag of the device; 4. The acquired information output terminal according to claim 3, wherein the second acquisition means has wireless communication means for establishing communication with the device using an identifier.

5. The acquired information output terminal according to claim 3, characterized in that the second acquisition means establishes communication with a management server that manages the information output from the device, and continuously acquires information about the device corresponding to the identifier acquired by the first acquisition means from the management server.

6. 6. The acquired information output terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a display means for displaying the information output from said device.

7. An acquired information output system having a device that outputs information and an acquired information output terminal that acquires the information output by the device, The acquired information output terminal is characterized in that it has a first acquisition means for acquiring an identifier corresponding to a specific device, a second acquisition means for establishing communication and acquiring information output by the specific device, and a display means for displaying the information acquired by the second acquisition means.

8. 8. The acquired information output system according to claim 7, wherein the first acquisition means acquires the identifier directly from the specific device and / or accepts a direct input of the identifier.

9. the first acquisition means acquires an identifier by directly communicating with the device that the acquired information output terminal has approached via short-range wireless communication; The acquired information output system according to claim 7, characterized in that the second acquisition means acquires the information output by the device directly or indirectly by a communication means having a different communication distance from that of the first acquisition means.

10. the device has a wireless tag having an identifier stored thereon; the first acquisition means includes a wireless communication reader that receives an identifier from a wireless tag of the device; 8. The acquired information output system according to claim 7, wherein the second acquisition means has wireless communication means for establishing communication with the device using an identifier.

11. a management server that manages information output from the device in association with an identifier for each device; The acquired information output system according to claim 9, characterized in that the second acquisition means establishes communication with the management server and continuously acquires information about the device corresponding to the identifier acquired by the first acquisition means from the management server.

12. 12. The acquired information output system according to claim 7, wherein the device comprises a sensor unit arranged on a structure and measuring sensing information relating to the structure, a memory unit that stores the sensing information measured by the sensor unit, and a transmission unit that transmits the sensing information stored in the memory unit.

13. A communication method for an acquired information output terminal that directly or indirectly acquires information output by a device, an acquired information output terminal acquiring an identifier corresponding to only a specific device; establishing communication to acquire information output by the device corresponding to the identifier; and continuously acquiring information output from the device while establishing communication.

14. 14. The communication method according to claim 13, wherein the step of acquiring the identifier includes the step of accepting a direct input of the identifier.

15. the step of acquiring the identifier includes a step of receiving the identifier from a wireless tag of a device that has come close by short-range wireless communication; 14. The communication method according to claim 13, wherein the step of acquiring information output from the device includes the step of establishing one-to-one wireless communication with the device corresponding to the identifier.

16. The communication method according to claim 13, characterized in that the step of acquiring the information output from the device includes the steps of establishing communication with a management server that manages the information output by the device, and acquiring information about the device corresponding to the identifier from the management server.