Wireless communication device and monitoring system

Abstract

A wireless communication device (110) comprises a first wireless communication subsystem (111) having a first wireless communication circuit, a second wireless communication subsystem (112) having a second wireless communication circuit, and a control system (113) for controlling the first wireless communication subsystem (111) and the second wireless communication subsystem (112). The first wireless communication subsystem (111) communicates using a first frequency, the second wireless communication subsystem (112) communicates using a second frequency, and the control system (113) controls the first frequency and the second frequency.

Description

Wireless communication device and monitoring system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication device and a monitoring system.

[0002] Conventionally, various countermeasures against the risk of external attacks have been considered for wireless communication devices or wireless communication systems. For example, public key encryption such as AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) has been considered as a countermeasure against the risk of external attacks. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses an access point equipped with a wireless communication unit that uses an encryption method such as AES.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-023151

[0004] Incidentally, it is desirable to improve communication quality in wireless communication devices.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a wireless communication device and a monitoring system that can improve communication quality.

[0006] A wireless communication device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first wireless communication subsystem having a first wireless communication circuit, a second wireless communication subsystem having a second wireless communication circuit, and a control system that controls the first wireless communication subsystem and the second wireless communication subsystem, wherein the first wireless communication subsystem communicates using a first frequency and the second wireless communication subsystem communicates using a second frequency, and the control system controls the first frequency and the second frequency.

[0007] A monitoring system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a monitoring circuit that monitors an object, and the wireless communication device described above that wirelessly communicates data acquired by the monitoring circuit.

[0008] According to a wireless communication device and the like according to an aspect of the present disclosure, communication quality can be improved.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a vehicle equipped with a monitoring system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an external view showing an example of the monitoring system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a monitoring circuit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3B is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of the monitoring circuit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a first wireless communication circuit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a security module according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6A is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a management circuit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6B is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of the management circuit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining communication in the monitoring system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a first wireless communication circuit according to a first modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the first wireless communication circuit according to the first modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 10A is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of a monitoring circuit according to a second modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 10B is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of a management circuit according to the second modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a frequency band for wireless communication according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a rule for selecting a frequency for wireless communication according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an operation at the time of transmission in the monitoring system according to the third embodiment. FIG. 14A is a diagram showing a packet configuration of a packet transmitted to an ECC unit according to the third embodiment. FIG. 14B is a diagram showing an example of a packet configuration at the time of transmission according to the third embodiment. FIG. 14C is a diagram showing another example of a packet configuration at the time of transmission according to the third embodiment. FIG. 14D is a diagram showing an example of a packet configuration at the time of processing according to the third embodiment. FIG. 15A is a diagram showing an example of a packet configuration at the time of communication according to the third embodiment when applied to a BLE packet. FIG. 15B is a diagram showing an example of a payload configuration of a packet at the time of communication according to the third embodiment when applied to an IEEE 802.15.4 packet. FIG. 16A is a diagram showing an example of a packet configuration at the time of communication according to the third embodiment when applied to an IEEE 802.15.4 packet. FIG. 16B is a diagram showing an example of a packet configuration at the time of processing according to the third embodiment when applied to an IEEE 802.15.4 packet.Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing the operation at the time of reception in the monitoring system according to embodiment 3. Fig. 18 is a diagram for explaining communication in a monitoring system according to a modification of embodiment 3. Fig. 19 is a first diagram showing an application example of the monitoring system. Fig. 20 is a second diagram showing an application example of the monitoring system. Fig. 21 is a third diagram showing an application example of the monitoring system.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments and the like will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] The embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, components, component placement positions, connection configurations, steps, and step order shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components not described in independent claims are described as optional components.

[0012] Furthermore, each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily an exact illustration. Therefore, for example, the scales and the like do not necessarily match between the figures. Furthermore, in each figure, substantially identical components are assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted or simplified. Furthermore, for convenience, some of the figures are written in English for reference. The English notation may not necessarily match the Japanese notation in the specification.

[0013] Furthermore, in this specification, terms indicating relationships between elements such as "same," as well as numerical values ​​and numerical ranges, are not expressions that only express a strict meaning, but are expressions that also include a substantially equivalent range, for example, a difference of about several percent (or about 10%).

[0014] Furthermore, the term "on XX (e.g., on a battery module)" applies not only to cases where two components are arranged at a distance from each other with another component between them, but also to cases where two components are arranged in contact with each other.

[0015] Furthermore, in this specification, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" do not refer to the number or order of components unless otherwise specified, but are used for the purpose of avoiding confusion and distinguishing between components of the same type.

[0016] (First Embodiment) In a wireless communication system (for example, a low-speed wireless communication system such as BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark, the same applies hereinafter) Low Energy)), there is a possibility of malicious attacks such as hacking, and therefore it is desirable to achieve secure wireless communication. In order to achieve secure wireless communication, for example, the authenticity of data in wireless communication is important. For example, in wireless communication, it is important to address cybersecurity (for example, to confirm that the communication partner is authentic). In the automotive industry, ISO / SAE21434, an international standard that defines cybersecurity measures, has come into effect, and it is particularly important to address cybersecurity in the automotive industry. Note that authenticity means that the data being transmitted and received is genuine.

[0017] Therefore, it is conceivable to communicate information for secure wireless communication to address cybersecurity, but the communication of such information may cause communication delays of data that should be transmitted. For example, a secure wireless communication system is desired to use public key encryption such as AES as a countermeasure against the risk of external attacks, but when security and low latency are required for a low-speed wireless communication system such as BLE, communication delays due to encryption key exchange can become an issue.

[0018] As described above, conventionally, it has been difficult to improve communication quality while suppressing communication delays. Therefore, in this embodiment, a wireless communication device capable of improving communication quality while suppressing communication delays, for example, a wireless communication device capable of both suppressing communication delays and performing secure wireless communication, will be described. Specifically, a wireless communication device capable of data communication using two wireless communication circuits will be described. For example, a wireless communication device will be described that can suppress communication delays while improving security functions by using one wireless communication circuit for data communication and the other wireless communication circuit for encryption key communication.

[0019] This will prevent interruptions or delays in data transmission, while improving security by periodically updating and replacing encryption keys to address cybersecurity risks. Secure wireless communication is important for ensuring robust wireless communication quality, for example.

[0020] [1-1. Configuration of Monitoring System] A monitoring system according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a vehicle 1 equipped with a monitoring system 5 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the monitoring system 5 is a battery management system (hereinafter also referred to as a BMS (Battery Management System)). Note that the monitoring system 5 is not limited to being a BMS.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 1, the monitoring system 5 is disposed below the seat 2 of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the monitoring system 5 is disposed in the space (closed space) between the seat 2 and the chassis 3. This space is a small space. In other words, the monitoring system 5 is disposed and used in the small space.

[0022] Arranged within this narrow space are an assembled battery including multiple battery cells 11a, a management circuit 200 that manages the assembled battery, and multiple monitoring circuits 100 that monitor the assembled battery. The management circuit 200 and each of the multiple monitoring circuits 100 communicate wirelessly, and a transmission path L is formed within the narrow space. The management circuit 200 is connected to the assembled battery via a junction box 4. The junction box 4 is also referred to as a control box.

[0023] The vehicle 1 is, for example, an electric vehicle. The vehicle 1 is, for example, an electric vehicle (EV), but is not limited thereto, and may be an electric train or the like.

[0024] FIG. 2 is an external view showing an example of a monitoring system 5 according to this embodiment.

[0025] The monitoring system 5 is a system for managing the assembled battery. For example, the monitoring system 5 manages the SOC (State of Charge), SOH (State of Health), and SOP (State of Power) of the assembled battery. The monitoring system 5 also monitors abnormalities in the assembled battery. The monitoring system 5 includes a management circuit 200 that manages the assembled battery and multiple monitoring circuits 100 that monitor the assembled battery. The monitoring system 5 may also include an assembled battery. For example, the assembled battery is configured by connecting multiple battery modules 11 in series or parallel. The battery module 11 is also referred to as a battery pack, and is configured by housing one or more battery cells 11a in a battery case. When the battery module 11 is configured by multiple battery cells 11a, the multiple battery cells 11a are connected in series. The battery cells 11a are also referred to as a battery. For example, the battery cells 11a may be, but are not limited to, lithium-ion batteries. Furthermore, for example, the monitoring circuit 100 is disposed on each of the plurality of battery modules 11 .

[0026] The monitoring circuit 100 is a unit that monitors the battery cells 11a of the battery module 11, and includes a wireless communication device 110, a first antenna 120, a second antenna 130, a battery monitoring IC (Integrated Circuit) 140, and a switch 150. A specific example of the monitoring circuit 100 is a CMU (Cell Management Unit). The battery cells 11a (or the assembled battery) are an example of an object that the monitoring circuit 100 monitors.

[0027] The wireless communication device 110 is a device that allows the monitoring circuit 100 to wirelessly communicate with the management circuit 200. The wireless communication device 110 transmits, for example, data acquired by the monitoring circuit 100 to the management circuit 200 via wireless communication. The configuration of the wireless communication device 110 will be described later with reference to Figures 3A and 3B.

[0028] The first antenna 120 and the second antenna 130 are antennas for wireless communication. At least one of the first antenna 120 and the second antenna 130 may be an antenna for short-range wireless communication. In the present embodiment, each of the first antenna 120 and the second antenna 130 is an antenna for short-range wireless communication.

[0029] The wireless communication protocol for short-range wireless communication includes at least one of the Bluetooth protocol (Bluetooth) and the IEEE802.15.4 protocol, but is not limited to these, and may include, for example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark, the same applies hereinafter), ZigBee (registered trademark), etc. Furthermore, Bluetooth may be BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy).

[0030] The battery monitoring IC 140 is an IC that measures the voltage of the battery cells 11 a. The battery monitoring IC 140 can measure the voltage of each of one or more battery cells 11 a in the battery module 11, for example.

[0031] The switch 150 is a switch that can be used in the wireless communication device 110. The switch 150 is an operation button that instructs the monitoring circuit 100 to pair with the management circuit 200. For example, when a user operates the switch 150, the switch 150 outputs a pairing start signal to the monitoring circuit 100. As a result, the monitoring circuit 100 establishes pairing with the management circuit 200 based on the pairing start signal.

[0032] 2 illustrates an example in which the monitoring circuit 100 is disposed above the battery module 11, but the location of the monitoring circuit 100 is not limited to this as long as the monitoring circuit 100 is capable of communicating with the management circuit 200. The monitoring circuit 100 may be disposed inside the battery module 11 or on a side surface of the battery module 11, for example.

[0033] The monitoring circuit 100 does not include a switch for switching the antenna used for communication from one of the first antenna 120 and the second antenna 130 to the other.

[0034] The management circuit 200 constitutes a BMS together with the monitoring circuits 100. The management circuit 200 acquires data such as the voltage value of each battery cell 11a from each monitoring circuit 100 via the wireless communication device 210.

[0035] 2 illustrates an example in which the management circuit 200 is disposed above the junction box 4, but the location of the management circuit 200 is not limited to this as long as it is capable of communicating with the monitoring circuit 100. The management circuit 200 may be disposed inside the junction box 4 or on a side surface of the junction box 4, for example.

[0036] 3A is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a monitoring circuit 100 according to this embodiment. Note that a battery cell 11a is also shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 3A, the wireless communication device 110 includes a first wireless communication subsystem 111, a second wireless communication subsystem 112, and a control system 113.

[0038] The first wireless communication subsystem 111 and the second wireless communication subsystem 112 are subsystems that perform wireless communication, and are each connected to a control system 113 .

[0039] The control system 113 is connected to each of the first wireless communication subsystem 111, the second wireless communication subsystem 112, and the battery monitoring IC 140, and controls them.

[0040] The first antenna 120 is connected to the first wireless communication subsystem 111, emits radio waves in response to signals from the first wireless communication subsystem 111, and receives radio waves from other devices (e.g., the management circuit 200) and outputs them to the first wireless communication subsystem 111.

[0041] The second antenna 130 is connected to the second wireless communication subsystem 112, emits radio waves in response to signals from the second wireless communication subsystem 112, and receives radio waves from other devices (e.g., the management circuit 200) and outputs them to the second wireless communication subsystem 112.

[0042] 3A and 2, in this embodiment, the first wireless communication subsystem 111, the second wireless communication subsystem 112, and the control system 113 are configured as a one-chip semiconductor device. A transceiver LSI (Large Scale Integration) is configured including the first wireless communication subsystem 111, the second wireless communication subsystem 112, and the control system 113. The term "one-chip" means that the circuits constituting the first wireless communication subsystem 111, the second wireless communication subsystem 112, and the control system 113 are configured as a single semiconductor device, and are arranged, for example, on the same semiconductor device (e.g., on a single IC chip or on a device in which two or more IC chips are configured in a single package). In other words, a single semiconductor device may be configured by including only one IC chip in a package, or may be configured by including multiple IC chips in a package.

[0043] 3B is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of the monitoring circuit 100 according to this embodiment. Note that the first wireless communication subsystem 111 and the second wireless communication subsystem 112 have the same configuration, and therefore the following description will mainly focus on the configuration of the first wireless communication subsystem 111, and will omit a description of the configuration of the second wireless communication subsystem 112.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 3B, the first wireless communication subsystem 111 includes a first wireless communication circuit 111a and a first host circuit 111b.

[0045] The first wireless communication circuit 111 a includes a first PHY (Physical Layer) unit 1110 , a first MAC (Medium Access Control) unit 1120 , and a first ECC (Error Correction Circuit) unit 1130 .

[0046] The first PHY unit 1110 has a function of the physical layer of the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) reference model. The first PHY unit 1110 has an analog circuit that converts one of a baseband signal and a modulated signal to the other. Taking transmission as an example, the baseband signal is, for example, a signal from the first MAC unit 1120, and in this embodiment, is a square wave signal output from the first MAC unit 1120 to the first PHY unit 1110 via the first ECC unit 1130.

[0047] The second PHY unit 1210 has the same configuration and functions as the first PHY unit 1110 .

[0048] The first MAC unit 1120 has a function of the media link layer of the OSI reference model and includes a digital circuit that generates and reads packets. The first MAC unit 1120 is connected to the first PHY unit 1110 and is also connected to the control system 113 via the first bus 1190.

[0049] The second MAC unit 1220 is connected to the second PHY unit 1210 and also connected to the control system 113 via a second bus 1290, and has the same configuration and functions as the first MAC unit 1120.

[0050] The first ECC unit 1130 executes processing related to error correction of packets transmitted and received. The first ECC unit 1130 adds error correction data (e.g., check bits) to packets to be transmitted, and corrects errors in received packets using the error correction data added to the packets. The error correction data is capable of detecting and correcting errors, and may be, for example, a so-called error correction code.

[0051] The first ECC unit 1130 is connected to each of the first PHY unit 1110 and the first MAC unit 1120, and performs processing related to error correction on signals passing through. In this embodiment, the first ECC unit 1130 is connected between the first PHY unit 1110 and the first MAC unit 1120 (for example, see FIG. 4, which will be described later).

[0052] The second ECC unit 1230 is connected to each of the second PHY unit 1210 and the second MAC unit 1220 , and has the same configuration and functions as the first ECC unit 1130 .

[0053] In this embodiment, the first PHY unit 1110 and the first MAC unit 1120 are connected to be able to communicate with each other. That is, the first PHY unit 1110 and the first MAC unit 1120 can transmit and receive data without going through the first ECC unit 1130, and a bypass path is formed that directly connects the first PHY unit 1110 and the first MAC unit 1120. For example, packets that do not require error correction may be transmitted and received directly between the first PHY unit 1110 and the first MAC unit 1120. The first PHY unit 1110 and the first MAC unit 1120 do not need to be directly connected to be able to communicate with each other. For example, a bypass path that directly connects the first PHY unit 1110 and the first MAC unit 1120 does not need to be formed.

[0054] In the above, an example has been described in which the wireless communication device 110 includes the first ECC unit 1130 and the second ECC unit 1230, but in this embodiment, the wireless communication device 110 may not include the first ECC unit 1130 and the second ECC unit 1230. For example, the first wireless communication subsystem 111 may be configured to include only the first PHY unit 1110 and the first MAC unit 1120 out of the first PHY unit 1110, the first MAC unit 1120, and the first ECC unit 1130.

[0055] 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the first wireless communication circuit 111a according to this embodiment. The configuration of the second wireless communication circuit 112a is the same as that of the first wireless communication circuit 111a, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. Also, in FIG. 4, the communication path directly connecting the first PHY unit 1110 and the first MAC unit 1120 is not shown.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 4, the first PHY unit 1110 of the first wireless communication circuit 111a includes a modulation circuit 1111, an oscillator 1112, a power amplifier 1113a, a linear amplifier 1113b, filters 1114a and 1114b, a switch 1115, a mixer 1116, an IF (Intermediate Frequency) filter 1117, and a demodulation circuit 1118.

[0057] The modulation circuit 1111 receives the transmission packet from the first ECC unit 1130 and converts the data string into a modulated signal. The modulated signal is input to an oscillator 1112.

[0058] Oscillator 1112 is a local oscillator that oscillates at the frequency of the RF signal.

[0059] The power amplifier 1113 a amplifies the power of the RF signal from the oscillator 1112 .

[0060] The filter 1114a is a filter that removes unnecessary frequency components from the signal from the power amplifier 1113a. The filter 1114a is, for example, a band-pass filter, but is not limited to this.

[0061] 4 shows the connection of switch 1115 during transmission, connecting first antenna 120 and filter 1114a.

[0062] The filter 1114b is a filter that removes unnecessary frequency components from the signal received via the first antenna 120. The filter 1114b is, for example, a band-pass filter, but is not limited to this.

[0063] The linear amplifier 1113b is an amplifier that amplifies the power of the received signal.

[0064] Mixer 1116 extracts a required frequency by mixing the received signal from linear amplifier 1113b with the signal from oscillator 1112. Mixer 1116 mixes the received signal, which is an RF signal, with the signal from oscillator 1112 to convert it into an IF signal with a lower frequency than the received signal.

[0065] The IF filter 1117 removes unwanted components from the mixed IF signal.

[0066] The demodulation circuit 1118 demodulates the IF signal (modulated signal) from the IF filter 1117. In other words, the demodulation circuit 1118 has a function of restoring the modulated signal to a data string (baseband data).

[0067] The first MAC unit 1120 includes a communication circuit 1121 , an output circuit 1122 , and a memory 1123 .

[0068] The communication circuit 1121 is a circuit that performs communication processing between the first host circuit 111 b and the output circuit 1122 .

[0069] The output circuit 1122 is a circuit that outputs transmission data acquired from the first host circuit 111b as a packet (first transmission packet).

[0070] The memory 1123 is a storage device that stores information related to communication and control. The memory 1123 is realized by, for example, but is not limited to, a semiconductor memory.

[0071] The first ECC unit 1130 includes a packet encoding circuit 1131 , a packet length encoding circuit 1132 , a transmission packet generation circuit 1133 , a packet length correction circuit 1134 , and a packet correction circuit 1135 .

[0072] The packet encoding circuit 1131 is a circuit that applies ECC to the entire first transmission packet to generate packet check bits. The packet encoding circuit 1131, for example, performs error correction encoding on the first transmission packet to generate packet check bits. The packet check bits include check bits that can detect and correct errors in the transmitted packet when the packet is received, and include, for example, check bits that can correct errors in the header information and payload information included in the first transmission packet. The packet check bits can also be considered as error codes that can correct errors in the header and payload included in the physical layer packet, for example. The packet encoding circuit 1131 is an example of a packet encoding unit.

[0073] The packet length coding circuit 1132 is a circuit that generates a packet length and a packet length check bit from a first transmission packet. For example, the packet length coding circuit 1132 generates the packet length of the first transmission packet from the first transmission packet and performs error correction coding on the generated packet length to generate a packet length check bit. The packet length check bit includes a check bit that can detect and correct errors in the packet length (a bit string indicating the packet length of the data) included in the transmitted packet when the packet is received, and includes, for example, a check bit that can correct errors in data among the payload information included in the first transmission packet. The packet length check bit can also be considered an error code that can correct errors in the packet length of the payload data included in the physical layer packet, for example. The packet length coding circuit 1132 is an example of a packet length coding unit.

[0074] The transmission packet generation circuit 1133 is a circuit that generates a packet (second transmission packet) in which a packet length, a packet length check bit, and a packet check bit are inserted into the packet payload. The transmission packet generation circuit 1133 generates a second transmission packet that includes the first transmission packet, the packet length, the packet check bit, and the packet length check bit and conforms to any communication standard. The transmission packet generation circuit 1133 is an example of a packet generation unit.

[0075] The packet length correction circuit 1134 is a circuit that detects and corrects errors in the packet length included in the baseband data (baseband signal) from the demodulation circuit 1118. It generates (extracts) the packet length and packet length check bits from the baseband data from the demodulation circuit 1118 and detects and corrects errors in the packet length. The packet length correction circuit 1134 performs error correction processing using the packet length check bits, for example, on the packet length of a first received packet, which includes the packet length check bits obtained by error correction coding the packet length and the packet check bits obtained by error correction coding the packet, to generate the packet length after error correction. The packet length correction circuit 1134 is an example of a packet length correction unit.

[0076] The packet correction circuit 1135 is a circuit that detects and corrects errors in packets included in the baseband data from the demodulation circuit 1118. The packet correction circuit 1135 generates (extracts) packet check bits from baseband data including the correct packet length, and detects and corrects errors in the packets. The packet correction circuit 1135 performs error correction processing on a first received packet using, for example, the packet length after error correction and the packet check bits, and generates a second received packet after error correction (corrected received packet). The packet correction circuit 1135 is an example of a packet correction unit.

[0077] The power management unit 111c manages the power consumed by the first wireless communication circuit 111a.

[0078] If the first wireless communication subsystem 111 does not have the first ECC unit 1130, the output circuit 1122 is connected to the modulation circuit 1111 and the demodulation circuit 1118.

[0079] Referring again to FIG. 3B, the first host circuit 111b is a circuit that plays a host role in controlling communication in the first wireless communication subsystem 111, and includes an MCU (Micro Controller Unit) core 1140, a memory 1150, a security module 1160, an FH (Frequency Hopping) control unit 1170, a peripheral circuit group 1180, and a first bus 1190.

[0080] The MCU core 1140 is a microcontroller that processes wireless communication.

[0081] The memory 1150 is a storage device that stores communication data and control programs. The memory 1150 may also store information for generating an encryption key by the security module 1160. The memory 1150 is realized by, for example, but is not limited to, a semiconductor memory.

[0082] The security module 1160 executes processing to improve security in communication using the first wireless communication circuit 111 a. The security module 1160 is, for example, a circuit (group of circuits) that generates an encryption key used in communication and performs encryption.

[0083] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of security module 1160 according to this embodiment.

[0084] As shown in FIG. 5, the security module 1160 includes a first encryption circuit 1161, a second encryption circuit 1162, a third encryption circuit 1163, a calculation circuit 1164, a random number generator 1165, a control unit 1166, and an interface unit 1167.

[0085] The first encryption circuit 1161 to the third encryption circuit 1163 encrypt data using encryption methods different from each other.

[0086] The first encryption circuit 1161 performs encryption using, for example, the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption, which uses an encryption key of a predetermined number of bits. In this embodiment, AES-128, which has a key length of 128 bits, is used, but the key length is not limited to this and may be 192 bits, 256 bits, or the like.

[0087] The second encryption circuit 1162 performs encryption using, for example, Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC). In this embodiment, ECC-256, which has a key length of 256 bits, is used, but the key length is not limited to this and may be other than 256 bits.

[0088] The third encryption circuit 1163 performs encryption using, for example, a public key encryption system. The third encryption circuit 1163 performs encryption using, for example, RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman) encryption. In this embodiment, the third encryption circuit 1163 uses RSA-3072, which has a key length of 3072 bits, but the key length is not limited to this and may be 2048 bits, 4096 bits, etc.

[0089] The calculation circuit 1164 calculates a hash value from input data (data to be transmitted) for verifying data tampering in the receiving device. The calculation circuit 1164 may, for example, calculate a fixed-length hash value from data of any length. In this embodiment, the calculation circuit 1164 calculates the hash value using, for example, a hash function (SHA-512 (Secure Hash Algorithm 512-bit)) that calculates a 512-bit hash value from data of any length.

[0090] The random number generator 1165 generates random numbers for encrypting input data. For example, the input data may be pseudo-encrypted using random numbers and logical operations. The random number generator 1165 is, for example, a hardware random number generator that generates random numbers using a random physical phenomenon, but may also be configured to generate random numbers (e.g., pseudo-random numbers) using a random number generation algorithm (software).

[0091] The control unit 1166 is a control device that controls each process of the security module 1160. For example, the control unit 1166 may cause any of the first encryption circuit 1161 to the third encryption circuit 1163 to encrypt transmitted data and decrypt received data. Furthermore, when the control unit 1166 changes the encryption circuit used for encryption, it may transmit a public key corresponding to the private key of the changed encryption circuit to the management circuit 200 via the first wireless communication circuit 111a.

[0092] The interface unit 1167 is a communication interface for communicating with external circuits and the like.

[0093] The number of encryption circuits included in the security module 1160 is not limited to three, but may be one or more. Furthermore, encryption methods other than the above three methods may also be used. Furthermore, the security module 1160 may be capable of newly generating encryption keys (e.g., sets of private and public keys) to be used in communication.

[0094] The security module 1260 has the same configuration and functions as the security module 1160 .

[0095] 3B , the FH control unit 1170 is a processing unit that performs processing related to the frequency used for communication. In this embodiment, the FH control unit 1170 controls the first wireless communication circuit 111a so that communication is performed using the frequency determined by the FH control unit 1340, but this is not limiting. The FH control unit 1170 may be capable of performing, for example, at least a portion of the processing performed by the FH control unit 1340. For example, the FH control unit 1170 may perform processing to select a frequency to use for communication. The FH control unit 1170 may also store information (e.g., a map) used for frequency selection.

[0096] The FH control unit 1270 has the same configuration and functions as the FH control unit 1170 .

[0097] The peripheral circuit group 1180 is a group of peripheral circuits for the microcomputer. The peripheral circuit group 1180 includes peripheral circuits necessary for the operation of the microcomputer. The peripheral circuit group 1180 includes, for example, a power supply circuit for supplying power, an oscillation circuit for supplying clocks, and the like, but is not limited to these.

[0098] The peripheral circuit group 1280 has the same configuration and functions as the peripheral circuit group 1180 .

[0099] The first bus 1190 connects each of the components of the first host circuit 111b (from the MCU core 1140 to the peripheral circuit group 1180). The first bus 1190 also connects the first host circuit 111b with each of the first MAC unit 1120 and the control system 113.

[0100] The second host circuit 112b is a circuit that plays a host role in controlling communications in the second wireless communication subsystem 112, and includes an MCU core 1240, a memory 1250, a security module 1260, an FH control unit 1270, and a peripheral circuit group 1280.

[0101] The MCU cores 1140 and 1240 have the same configuration, the memories 1150 and 1250 have the same configuration, and the security modules 1160 and 1260 have the same configuration. In addition, the FH control units 1170 and 1270 have the same configuration, and the peripheral circuit groups 1180 and 1280 have the same configuration.

[0102] In this way, the monitoring circuit 100 includes a set of the first wireless communication subsystem 111 and the first antenna 120, a set of the second wireless communication subsystem 112 and the second antenna 130, and one control system 113. This eliminates the need to switch the antenna used for communication using a switch or the like, and allows radio waves to be transmitted and received simultaneously from each of the first antenna 120 and the second antenna 130. Furthermore, the switch can be omitted.

[0103] The control system 113 has an MCU core 1310, a memory 1320, a security module 1330, an FH control unit 1340, a first peripheral circuit group 1350, a second peripheral circuit group 1360, a communication circuit 1370, and a third bus 1380.

[0104] The MCU core 1310 is a microcontroller that performs all processing related to wireless communication and all processing from peripheral circuits.

[0105] The memory 1320 is a storage device that holds communication data and control programs. The memory 1320 may store information related to communication settings of the first wireless communication subsystem 111 and the second wireless communication subsystem 112. In other words, the memory 1320 may have a storage area for storing this information. The memory 1320 may be realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory, but is not limited to this.

[0106] The security module 1330 executes processing to improve security in communications performed by the wireless communication device 110. The security module 1330 is, for example, a circuit (group of circuits) that generates an encryption key used in communications and performs encryption. The configuration of the security module 1330 may be the same as the configuration of the security module 1160, i.e., the configuration shown in FIG. 5 .

[0107] The FH control unit 1340 is a processing unit that executes processing related to the frequency used for communication. In this embodiment, the FH control unit 1340 determines the frequency to be used for communication and outputs the determined frequency to the FH control units 1170 and 1270. The FH control unit 1340 may hold information (e.g., a map) used for frequency selection. The FH control unit 1340 may hold a preset frequency and control the FH control units 1170 and 1270 to communicate at that frequency.

[0108] The first peripheral circuit group 1350 is a peripheral circuit group for the microcomputer, and includes peripheral circuits (for example, mainly digital circuits) necessary for the operation of the microcomputer.

[0109] The second peripheral circuit group 1360 is a peripheral circuit group for the microcomputer, and includes peripheral circuits (for example, mainly analog circuits) necessary for the operation of the microcomputer.

[0110] The communication circuit 1370 is a communication interface that allows the control system 113 to communicate with external devices such as the battery monitoring IC 140 .

[0111] The third bus 1380 connects the components (MCU core 1310 to communication circuit 1370) of the control system 113. The third bus 1380 is also connected to both the first bus 1190 and the second bus 1290.

[0112] Next, the configuration of the management circuit 200 will be described with reference to Figures 6A and 6B. Figure 6A is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the management circuit 200 according to this embodiment.

[0113] As shown in FIG. 6A, the management circuit 200 includes a wireless communication device 210, a first antenna 220, a second antenna 230, and an MCU 240.

[0114] The wireless communication device 210 is a communication device that allows the management circuit 200 to wirelessly communicate with the monitoring circuit 100. The wireless communication device 210 includes a first wireless communication subsystem 211, a second wireless communication subsystem 212, and a control system 213.

[0115] The first wireless communication subsystem 211 and the second wireless communication subsystem 212 are subsystems that perform wireless communication, and are each connected to a control system 213 .

[0116] The control system 213 controls the first wireless communication subsystem 211 and the second wireless communication subsystem 212 and communicates with the MCU 240 .

[0117] The first antenna 220 is connected to the first wireless communication subsystem 211, emits radio waves in response to signals from the first wireless communication subsystem 211, and receives radio waves from other devices (e.g., the monitoring circuit 100) and outputs them to the first wireless communication subsystem 211.

[0118] The second antenna 230 is connected to the second wireless communication subsystem 212, emits radio waves in response to signals from the second wireless communication subsystem 212, and receives radio waves from other devices (e.g., the monitoring circuit 100) and outputs them to the second wireless communication subsystem 212.

[0119] The MCU 240 is a processing device for managing the battery cells 11a. The MCU 240 manages, for example, data transmitted from the monitoring circuit 100. The MCU 240 manages, for example, the voltage value of each battery cell 11a. The MCU 240 also makes judgments on the battery cells 11a. For example, the MCU 240 judges whether the battery cells 11a are normal or not based on the voltage value.

[0120] The management circuit 200 does not include a switch for switching the antenna used for communication from one of the first antenna 220 and the second antenna 230 to the other.

[0121] 6A and 2, in this embodiment, the first wireless communication subsystem 211, the second wireless communication subsystem 212, and the control system 213 are configured as a single semiconductor device. The first wireless communication subsystem 211, the second wireless communication subsystem 212, and the control system 213 form a transceiver LSI.

[0122] 6B is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of the management circuit 200 according to this embodiment. Note that the first wireless communication subsystem 211 and the second wireless communication subsystem 212 have the same configuration, and therefore the following mainly describes the configuration of the first wireless communication subsystem 211, and omits a description of the configuration of the second wireless communication subsystem 212. Furthermore, the configuration of the first wireless communication subsystem 211 may be similar to the configuration of the first wireless communication subsystem 111, and the following mainly describes the correspondence and differences with the first wireless communication subsystem 111.

[0123] As shown in FIG. 6B, the first wireless communication subsystem 211 includes a first wireless communication circuit 211a and a first host circuit 211b.

[0124] The first wireless communication circuit 211a has a first PHY unit 2110, a first MAC unit 2120, and a first ECC unit 2130. The second wireless communication circuit 212a has a second PHY unit 2210, a second MAC unit 2220, and a second ECC unit 2230. The configurations of the first PHY unit 2110 and the second PHY unit 2210 are similar to those of the first PHY unit 1110, the configurations of the first MAC unit 2120 and the second MAC unit 2220 are similar to those of the first MAC unit 1120, and the configurations of the first ECC unit 2130 and the second ECC unit 2230 are similar to those of the first ECC unit 1130.

[0125] The first host circuit 211b is a circuit that plays a host role in controlling communications in the first wireless communication subsystem 211, and includes an MCU core 2140, a memory 2150, a security module 2160, an FH control unit 2170, and a peripheral circuit group 2180. The second host circuit 212b is a circuit that plays a host role in controlling communications in the second wireless communication subsystem 212, and includes an MCU core 2240, a memory 2250, a security module 2260, an FH control unit 2270, and a peripheral circuit group 2280.

[0126] The configuration of the MCU cores 2140 and 2240 is the same as that of the MCU core 1140, the configuration of the memories 2150 and 2250 is the same as that of the memory 1150, and the configuration of the security modules 2160 and 2260 is the same as that of the security module 1160. The security module 2160 executes processing to improve security in communications using the first wireless communication circuit 211a, and the security module 2260 executes processing to improve security in communications using the second wireless communication circuit 212a. In addition, the configuration of the FH control units 2170 and 2270 is the same as that of the FH control unit 1170, and the configuration of the peripheral circuit groups 2180 and 2280 is the same as that of the peripheral circuit group 1180. In this embodiment, the FH control unit 2170 controls the first wireless communication circuit 211a to communicate using the frequency determined by the FH control unit 2340, and the FH control unit 2270 controls the second wireless communication circuit 212a to communicate using the frequency determined by the FH control unit 2340, but this is not limited to this.

[0127] In this way, the management circuit 200 includes a set of the first wireless communication subsystem 211 and the first antenna 220, a set of the second wireless communication subsystem 212 and the second antenna 230, and one control system 213. This eliminates the need to switch the antenna used for communication using a switch or the like, and allows radio waves to be transmitted and received simultaneously from each of the first antenna 220 and the second antenna 230. Furthermore, the switch can be omitted.

[0128] The control system 213 has an MCU core 2310, a memory 2320, a security module 2330, an FH control unit 2340, a first peripheral circuit group 2350, a second peripheral circuit group 2360, a communication circuit 2370, and a third bus 2380.

[0129] The configuration of the MCU core 2310 is the same as that of the MCU core 1310, the configuration of the memory 2320 is the same as that of the memory 1320, and the configuration of the security module 2330 is the same as that of the security module 1330. The memory 2320 may store information related to communication settings of the first wireless communication subsystem 211 and the second wireless communication subsystem 212. In other words, the memory 2320 may have a storage area for storing the information.

[0130] The security module 2330 executes processing to improve the security of communications performed by the wireless communication device 210. The security module 2330 is, for example, a circuit (group of circuits) that generates an encryption key used in communications and performs encryption. The configuration of the security module 2330 may be the same as the configuration of the security module 1160, i.e., the configuration shown in FIG. 5 . The configuration of the FH control unit 2340 is the same as the FH control unit 1340, the configuration of the first peripheral circuit group 2350 is the same as the first peripheral circuit group 1350, the configuration of the second peripheral circuit group 2360 is the same as the second peripheral circuit group 1360, and the configuration of the communication circuit 2370 is the same as the communication circuit 1370. The communication circuit 2370 is a communication interface that enables the control system 213 to communicate with external devices such as the MCU 240.

[0131] The third bus 2380 connects each of the components (MCU core 2310 to communication circuit 2370) of the control system 213. The third bus 2380 is also connected to each of the first bus 2190 and the second bus 2290.

[0132] In the above, an example has been described in which the wireless communication device 210 includes the first ECC unit 2130 and the second ECC unit 2230, but in this embodiment, the wireless communication device 210 may not include the first ECC unit 2130 and the second ECC unit 2230. For example, the first wireless communication subsystem 211 may be configured to include only the first PHY unit 2110 and the first MAC unit 2120 out of the first PHY unit 2110, the first MAC unit 2120, and the first ECC unit 2130.

[0133] [1-2. Information Communicated in the Monitoring System] Next, an overview of communication performed in the monitoring system 5 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining communication in the monitoring system 5 according to this embodiment. "Slave" shown in FIG. 7 refers to a device (CMU) on the battery cell 11a (battery) side in the monitoring system 5, such as the monitoring circuit 100, and "Master" refers to a higher-level device (BMU: Battery Management Unit) in the monitoring system 5, such as the management circuit 200. Although FIG. 7 illustrates four monitoring circuits 100, the number of monitoring circuits 100 is not limited to this.

[0134] 7, the management circuit 200 communicates with the first antenna 120 of each monitoring circuit 100 via the first antenna 220 at the frequency of Channel A, and communicates with the second antenna 130 of each monitoring circuit 100 via the second antenna 230 at the frequency of Channel B. Channel A and Channel B are at different frequencies, but may be at a common frequency, for example. Channels A1 to A4 may be at different frequencies included in Channel A, or may be at a common frequency. Channels B1 to B4 may be at different frequencies included in Channel B, or may be at a common frequency.

[0135] For example, when secure wireless communication is performed, it is assumed that encryption keys such as public keys are exchanged through communication. In a low-speed wireless communication system such as BLE, exchanging encryption keys to improve security functions may cause communication delays.

[0136] According to the wireless communication devices 110 and 210 of this embodiment, the first antennas 120 and 220 (i.e., the first wireless communication subsystems 111 and 211) can perform the first communication, and the second antennas 130 and 230 (i.e., the second wireless communication subsystems 112 and 212) can perform the second communication, so that data (e.g., measurement data) acquired by the monitoring circuit 100 can be transmitted and received through one communication, and an encryption key used for the communication can be transmitted and received through the other communication. For example, while one communication is being performed, the other communication can be performed (i.e., the two communications can be performed with at least a partial temporal overlap).

[0137] The measurement data is an example of first data, and in this embodiment, includes data related to the monitoring status of the battery. The data related to the monitoring status of the battery may include, for example, sensing data obtained by sensing the battery. The first data may be data that requires more real-time performance than the second data described below.

[0138] The encryption key is an example of second data of a type different from the first data, for example, data for verifying the authenticity of the first data. The data for verifying the authenticity may include, for example, data related to security. The security-related data may include at least one of an encryption key used in communicating the measurement data, a digital certificate, authentication data, a password hash obtained by hashing a password used in communication, a unique ID of the wireless communication circuit, mutual monitoring log data, and mutual monitoring alert data. The mutual monitoring log data may include log data of the transmission and reception of the measurement data. The mutual monitoring alert data may include data related to an alert detected during the transmission and reception of the measurement data.

[0139] In addition, the second data may include, instead of or in addition to data for verifying the authenticity of the first data, information regarding at least one of a battery abnormality and an abnormality within the wireless communication system including the wireless communication device 110 or 210.

[0140] The second wireless communication subsystems 112 and 212 may communicate security-related data while the first wireless communication subsystems 111 and 211 are communicating the first data.

[0141] Although the above description has been given of an example in which the first wireless communication subsystems 111 and 211 and the second wireless communication subsystems 112 and 212 communicate different data, they may also communicate the same data. For example, the first wireless communication subsystems 111 and 211 and the second wireless communication subsystems 112 and 212 may transmit the same data at different times or at different frequencies. The same data may be, for example, data of the same type (e.g., battery voltage values ​​acquired at different times) or the exact same data (e.g., battery voltage values ​​acquired at the same time).

[0142] As described above, each of the wireless communication devices 110 and 210 according to the present embodiment includes a first wireless communication subsystem having a first wireless communication circuit, a second wireless communication subsystem having a second wireless communication circuit, and a control system that controls the first wireless communication subsystem and the second wireless communication subsystem. The first wireless communication subsystem, the second wireless communication subsystem, and the control system are configured as a single semiconductor device.

[0143] As a result, each of the wireless communication devices 110 and 210 includes two wireless communication circuits, a first wireless communication circuit and a second wireless communication circuit, which allows secure wireless communication while suppressing communication delays compared to when a single wireless communication circuit is included. For example, by performing data communication using one wireless communication circuit and performing communication to achieve secure wireless communication using the other wireless communication circuit, secure wireless communication while suppressing communication delays can be achieved using a wireless communication device in which the first wireless communication subsystem, the second wireless communication subsystem, and the control system are implemented in a single semiconductor device. Furthermore, for example, by using two wireless communication circuits to communicate common data to each, the number of retransmissions after a transmission error can be reduced, thereby suppressing communication delays due to retransmissions.

[0144] Furthermore, for example, by periodically updating and replacing encryption keys to address cybersecurity risks, it is possible to improve security functions. Secure wireless communication is important for ensuring robust wireless communication quality. Therefore, each of the wireless communication devices 110 and 210 can improve communication quality by ensuring communication quality.

[0145] (Variations of Embodiment 1) Variations of Embodiment 1 will be described below with reference to Figures 8 to 10B. Note that the following description will focus on differences from Embodiment 1, and descriptions of content that is the same as or similar to Embodiment 1 will be omitted or simplified.

[0146] (First Modification of First Embodiment) A monitoring system 5 according to this modification will be described below with reference to Fig. 8 and Fig. 9. Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 are diagrams showing examples of the configuration of a first wireless communication circuit according to this modification.

[0147] As shown in FIG. 8, the first wireless communication subsystem 111A may have a first PHY unit 1110a instead of the first PHY unit 1110 of the first wireless communication subsystem 111 according to the first embodiment.

[0148] The first PHY unit 1110 a includes a mixer 1119 in addition to the first PHY unit 1110 , and is configured such that the oscillator 1112 can output a signal (for example, a carrier wave) to the mixer 1119 .

[0149] Mixer 1119 is connected between modulation circuit 1111 and power amplifier 1113a, mixes the signal from modulation circuit 1111 with the carrier wave from oscillator 1112, and outputs the mixed signal to power amplifier 1113a.

[0150] As shown in FIG. 9, the first PHY unit 1110b of the first wireless communication subsystem 111B may have a mixer 1116b instead of the mixer 1116 of the first wireless communication subsystem 111A shown in FIG.

[0151] The mixer 1116b is configured to be able to output an I-phase baseband signal and a Q-phase baseband signal to the IF filter 1117 in response to the input signal. The mixer 1116b may be a so-called I / Q mixer. The I-phase baseband signal is generated (extracted) by mixing the input signal with a signal (local oscillation signal) output from the oscillator 1112. The Q-phase baseband signal is generated (extracted) by mixing the input signal with a signal (local oscillation signal) output from the oscillator 1112 that has been phase-shifted by 90°.

[0152] (Second Modification of First Embodiment) A monitoring system 5 according to this modification will be described below with reference to Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B. Fig. 10A is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of a monitoring circuit 100A according to this modification. Fig. 10B is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of a management circuit 200A according to this modification.

[0153] 10A, the monitoring circuit 100A includes a control system 113a instead of the control system 113 of the monitoring circuit 100 according to embodiment 1. The control system 113a includes a clock control circuit 1390 in addition to the control system 113.

[0154] The clock control circuit 1390 is a circuit that controls a clock signal used in the monitoring circuit 100 A. The clock control circuit 1390 is a circuit that supplies a common clock signal to the first wireless communication subsystem 111, the second wireless communication subsystem 112, and the control system 113 a, thereby synchronizing the transmission and reception of signals among the first wireless communication subsystem 111, the second wireless communication subsystem 112, and the control system 113 a.

[0155] 10B, the management circuit 200A includes a control system 213a instead of the control system 213 of the management circuit 200 according to embodiment 1. The control system 213a includes a clock control circuit 2390 in addition to the control system 213.

[0156] The clock control circuit 2390 is a circuit that controls a clock signal used in the management circuit 200 A. The clock control circuit 2390 is a circuit that supplies a common clock signal to the first wireless communication subsystem 211, the second wireless communication subsystem 212, and the control system 213 a, thereby synchronizing the transmission and reception of signals among the first wireless communication subsystem 211, the second wireless communication subsystem 212, and the control system 213 a.

[0157] (Embodiment 2) For example, when communication is performed in a space where multipath fading is likely to occur, degradation of communication quality, such as extreme attenuation of radio waves at specific frequencies, may occur. Furthermore, when communication is performed in a space where interference waves are present, degradation of communication quality may also occur. A wireless communication device that reduces the impact of such a decrease in SINR (Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio) and ensures communication quality is desired. Ensuring communication quality is a fundamental requirement and is important in, for example, secure wireless communication.

[0158] Therefore, in this embodiment, a wireless communication device is described that has two wireless communication circuits, each using a different frequency for data communication, thereby reducing the effects of multipath fading and improving communication quality. For example, such a wireless communication device reduces the effects of SINR degradation, thereby reducing the probability of communication errors caused by radio wave attenuation and suppressing the need for data retransmission. Furthermore, using two frequencies can improve resistance to interference waves and the like.

[0159] The following description will be focused on a wireless communication device that performs data communication using two separate channels within the available frequency band (40 channels) when using the Bluetooth standard.

[0160] The monitoring system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. The following description will focus on the differences from embodiment 1, and descriptions of the same or similar content as embodiment 1 will be omitted or simplified. The configuration of the monitoring system according to this embodiment may be similar to that of the monitoring system 5 according to embodiment 1, and description thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, this embodiment will be described using the reference numerals of the monitoring system 5 according to embodiment 1.

[0161] In the monitoring system 5 according to this embodiment, the first wireless communication subsystem, the second wireless communication subsystem, and the control system may or may not be configured as a single-chip semiconductor device. For example, at least one of the first wireless communication subsystem 111, the second wireless communication subsystem 112, and the control system 113, and the first wireless communication subsystem 211, the second wireless communication subsystem 212, and the control system 213 may not be configured as a single-chip semiconductor device.

[0162] Fig. 11 is a diagram for explaining frequency bands for wireless communication according to this embodiment. Fig. 11 shows a mapping diagram of BLE channels. Specifically, Fig. 11 shows 40 frequency bands used in BLE, with the vertical axis indicating signal strength and the horizontal axis indicating frequency. The mapping diagram shown in Fig. 11 is an example of a map held by the FH control units 1340 and 2340, and is also an example of information indicating multiple frequencies that can be used for wireless communication.

[0163] The FH control units 1340 and 2340 according to this embodiment are processing units that perform processing related to frequencies used for communication, and select frequencies for communication and store information (e.g., maps) used for frequency selection. The FH control units 1340 and 2340 may store, for example, a mapping diagram of BLE channels shown in Fig. 11. Note that the following description will be given taking the case of the monitoring circuit 100 as an example.

[0164] 11 indicates the frequency band used for radio waves transmitted and received by the first antenna 120, and Ch. B indicates the frequency band used for radio waves transmitted and received by the second antenna 130. In other words, the first wireless communication subsystem 111 communicates using the frequency band indicated by Ch. A (an example of a first frequency), and the second wireless communication subsystem 112 communicates using the frequency band indicated by Ch. B (an example of a second frequency).

[0165] The FH control unit 1340 controls the first frequency and the second frequency based on the mapping diagram shown in FIG. 11 . For example, the FH control unit 1340 may control the first frequency and the second frequency to be different from each other (e.g., different frequency bands from each other). For example, the FH control unit 1340 may control the first frequency and the second frequency to be different from each other in the advertising channels (chs 37, 38, and 39) and the communication channels (chs 0 to 36). For example, as shown in FIG. 11 , the FH control unit 1340 may control the first frequency to ch 37 and the second frequency to ch 38 in the advertising channel. For example, as shown in FIG. 11 , the FH control unit 1340 may control the first frequency to ch 1 and the second frequency to ch 18 in the communication channel.

[0166] In this way, by using different frequencies for the first frequency and the second frequency, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of data retransmission, thereby improving communication quality. Also, for example, by using different frequencies for the first frequency and the second frequency in the advertising channel, it is possible to further suppress interference with radio waves of other communication standards (e.g., Wi-Fi), thereby improving noise resistance in communication. In other words, communication quality is further improved.

[0167] Furthermore, the FH control unit 1340 controls the frequencies of the first wireless communication subsystem 111 and the second wireless communication subsystem 112 based on the BLE channel mapping diagram shown in FIG. 11, but is not limited to this.

[0168] Fig. 12 is a diagram for explaining the rules for selecting a frequency for wireless communication according to this embodiment. "Frequency of LO" shown in Fig. 12 is the frequency of the RF signal oscillated by oscillator 1112. Since the frequency of the RF signal is set in advance, control system 113 can acquire the frequency of the RF signal. The vertical axis of Fig. 12 indicates signal strength, and the horizontal axis indicates frequency.

[0169] When two different frequencies are used as shown in Figure 11, it is expected that signals of two frequencies will be input to a mixer (e.g., mixer 1116). In this case, if the difference between the frequency of the RF signal oscillated by oscillator 1112 and each of the two frequencies matches, that is, if the IF frequencies are the same, communication quality may deteriorate. Therefore, FH control unit 1340 controls the first frequency and the second frequency using the rules described with reference to Figure 12. Note that, hereinafter, the frequency of the RF signal will also be referred to as the local frequency.

[0170] As shown in FIG. 12 , the control system 113 may further control the first frequency and the second frequency so that the differences between the local frequencies generated by the first wireless communication circuit 111a and the second wireless communication circuit 112a and the first frequency and the second frequency are different values. For example, if the first frequency is set to Ch. A1, setting the frequency indicated by "x" as the second frequency would result in the differences between the local frequency and the first frequency and the second frequency being equal. Therefore, the control system 113 sets the second frequency to a frequency other than the frequency indicated by "x" (the frequency indicated by Ch. B1). For example, the control system 113 may set the second frequency to the frequency band indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 12 .

[0171] Note that the FH control unit 1340 is not limited to controlling the first frequency and the second frequency based on the mapping diagram shown in Fig. 11, and may control the first frequency and the second frequency without using the mapping diagram. For example, the FH control unit 1340 may control the first frequency and the second frequency based on a table indicating frequencies to be used for communication that have been set in advance, or may control the first frequency and the second frequency using another method.

[0172] As described above, each of the wireless communication devices 110 and 210 according to the present embodiment includes a first wireless communication subsystem having a first wireless communication circuit, a second wireless communication subsystem having a second wireless communication circuit, and a control system that controls the first and second wireless communication subsystems. The first wireless communication subsystem communicates using a first frequency, and the second wireless communication subsystem communicates using a second frequency. The control system controls the first and second frequencies.

[0173] As a result, by performing data communication using two wireless communication circuits, for example, when the first frequency and the second frequency are appropriately set, it is possible to reduce the influence of a decrease in SINR due to multipath fading or interference waves. Therefore, each of the wireless communication devices 110 and 210 can improve communication quality in that communication quality can be guaranteed.

[0174] (Third embodiment) When an error occurs during communication under the existing BLE standard, the error is detected and a retransmission request is made, but a large number of retransmissions may cause a communication delay. Furthermore, even if, for example, only the payload portion is error-corrected, retransmission may occur. Meanwhile, in wireless communication, it is desirable to eliminate communication delays. Eliminating communication delays is important, for example, in secure wireless communication. Furthermore, a means for eliminating communication delays is important, for example, in ensuring robust wireless communication quality.

[0175] Therefore, in this embodiment, a wireless communication device that can suppress the occurrence of retransmissions by performing error correction on parts other than the payload part of the normal BLE standard and improve communication quality will be described. For example, by performing error correction on the entire packet, it is possible to reduce the number of retransmissions while remaining compliant with the existing BLE standard.

[0176] The monitoring system according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 13 to 17. The following description will focus on the differences from embodiment 1, and descriptions of the same or similar aspects as embodiment 1 will be omitted or simplified. The configuration of the monitoring system according to this embodiment may be similar to that of the monitoring system 5 according to embodiment 1, and a description thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, the present embodiment will be described using the same reference numerals as those of the monitoring system 5 according to embodiment 1.

[0177] In the monitoring system 5 according to the present embodiment, the first wireless communication subsystem, the second wireless communication subsystem, and the control system may or may not be configured as a single-chip semiconductor device. For example, at least one of the first wireless communication subsystem 111, the second wireless communication subsystem 112, and the control system 113, and the first wireless communication subsystem 211, the second wireless communication subsystem 212, and the control system 213 may not be configured as a single-chip semiconductor device. Furthermore, the frequencies used by the first wireless communication subsystem and the second wireless communication subsystem may be the same or different from each other.

[0178] Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing the operation (wireless communication method, monitoring method) during transmission in the monitoring system 5 according to this embodiment. Fig. 13 describes a case where the first wireless communication circuit 111a transmits data to the management circuit 200 (first wireless communication circuit 211a), but the same applies to a case where the first wireless communication circuit 211a transmits data to the first wireless communication circuit 111a, and a case where data is transmitted from one of the second wireless communication circuit 112a and the second wireless communication circuit 212a to the other.

[0179] 13, the first host circuit 111b transmits transmission data to the first MAC unit 1120 (S10). The output circuit 1122 of the first MAC unit 1120 acquires the transmission data via the communication circuit 1121 and generates a packet based on the acquired transmission data.

[0180] Next, the first MAC unit 1120 transmits the generated packet to the packet encoding circuit 1131 and the packet length encoding circuit 1132 (S20). The output circuit 1122 transmits the generated packet to the packet encoding circuit 1131 and the packet length encoding circuit 1132. The packet transmitted to the packet encoding circuit 1131 and the packet length encoding circuit 1132 is the same packet.

[0181] Fig. 14A is a diagram showing the packet structure of a packet transmitted to the ECC section (here, the first ECC section 1130) according to this embodiment. Fig. 14A shows an outline of the packet structure.

[0182] The preamble contains a specific bit string that never changes and is defined by communication standards.

[0183] The PHY header stores information for controlling the destination and transmission path of data.

[0184] The PHY payload is the data body contained in the packet.

[0185] The MAC header stores the MAC addresses of the destination and source.

[0186] The MAC payload is a payload portion defined by a protocol. The MAC payload is data obtained by removing additional information, such as a header, included in a packet from the PHY payload. In this embodiment, the MAC payload stores, for example, data obtained by sensing the battery cell 11a.

[0187] The CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) field stores a CRC value used to detect communication errors.

[0188] 13 again, the packet length encoding circuit 1132 then encodes the packet length and transmits the packet length ("Data Length" shown in FIG. 14B, which will be described later) and a packet length check bit ("Data length ECC check bit" shown in FIG. 14B, which will be described later) to the transmission packet generation circuit 1133 (S30). The packet length is, for example, the length of a packet that includes a MAC payload (specifically, Send Data). The Send Data stores, for example, data obtained by sensing the battery cell 11a.

[0189] The packet encoding circuit 1131 then encodes the packet and transmits the packet and its check bits ("ECC check bits" shown in FIG. 14B, which will be described later) to the transmission packet generation circuit 1133 (S40). The packet check bits are, for example, check bits that include the entire packet, including the PHY header and PHY payload. Note that the packet check bits may also include, for example, a preamble.

[0190] In this way, since the first ECC unit 1130 is connected between the first PHY unit 1110 and the first MAC unit 1120, it is possible to generate check bits that enable error correction for the entire packet.

[0191] The processing order of steps S30 and S40 is not particularly limited, and they may be executed in parallel, or step S30 may be executed after step S40.

[0192] Next, the transmission packet generation circuit 1133 inserts the packet length, packet length check bit, and packet check bit into the data payload of the packet (in the case of Figure 14A, into the Mac payload), and transmits this packet as a transmission packet (second transmission packet) to the first PHY unit 1110 (S50).

[0193] 14B is a diagram showing an example of a packet configuration at the time of transmission according to this embodiment, which shows the packet configuration of a transmission packet generated by the transmission packet generating circuit 1133.

[0194] As shown in FIG. 14B, the transmission packet generation circuit 1133 generates a transmission packet by inserting the packet length (Data Length), a packet length check bit for the packet length (Data length ECC check bit), and a packet check bit for the packet (ECC check bit) into the MAC payload of the packet shown in FIG. 14A.

[0195] In FIG. 14B, the packet length check bit and packet check bit are inserted into the MAC payload due to restrictions imposed by the BLE communication standard, but if there are no restrictions, they may be inserted in other locations.

[0196] The transmission packet generation circuit 1133 is not limited to inserting both the packet length check bit and the packet check bit into the MAC payload of the packet, but may insert at least one of the packet length check bit and the packet check bit into the MAC payload of the packet. Fig. 14C is a diagram showing another example of a packet configuration at the time of transmission according to this embodiment.

[0197] As shown in Figure 14C, the transmission packet generation circuit 1133 may insert only the packet check bit, out of the packet length check bit and the packet check bit, into the MAC payload of the packet. For example, if the data length is not corrected, a transmission packet (second transmission packet) as shown in Figure 14C may be generated. Note that the data length here is a bit string indicating the length of the data included in the packet, and means "Data Length" shown in Figure 14B. The same applies hereinafter.

[0198] 13 again, the first PHY unit 1110 then performs modulation and the like on the packet sent from the transmission packet generation circuit 1133 and transmits the packet from the first antenna 120 (S60). This makes it possible to detect errors in the packet and packet length, and to transmit correctable packets to the management circuit 200.

[0199] 14D is a diagram showing an example of a packet configuration during processing according to the present embodiment, in which a device (here, the management circuit 200) that has received a transmission packet processes the transmission packet.

[0200] As shown in FIG. 14D, the management circuit 200 moves the position of the packet check bit in the transmission packet shown in FIG. 14C to the end of the transmission packet, and then executes the process.

[0201] The processing of steps S10 to S60 may be executed in parallel with the processing for transmitting the encryption key and the like in the second wireless communication circuit 112a, for example, or may be executed at different times.

[0202] Here, specific examples of packet configurations will be described with reference to FIGS. 15A to 16B.

[0203] 15A and 15B show packet frames when a packet length check bit and a packet check bit are applied (inserted) to a BLE packet. For example, FIG. 15A is a diagram showing an example of a packet configuration according to this embodiment when applied to a BLE packet. FIG. 15B is a diagram showing an example of a payload configuration in a packet according to this embodiment when applied to a BLE packet. FIG. 15B enlarges the data payload shown in FIG. 15A and schematically shows the flow of correction processing.

[0204] 15A and 15B, the transmission packet generation circuit 1133 may generate a transmission packet for BLE by inserting a packet length (Data Length), a packet length check bit (Length BCH), and a packet check bit (BCH) into a data payload. The packet length is the length of the data in the data payload, and the packet check bit is a check bit for the entire PDU (Protocol Data Unit).

[0205] As shown in Figure 15B, by correcting errors in the data length using the packet length check bit, it becomes possible to more accurately identify the position of the packet check bit in the packet. Therefore, the packet check bit allows for more accurate error correction of the entire packet, including Send Data. Error correction of the data length using the packet length check bit means that the bit string stored in "Data Length" shown in Figure 15B is corrected to the correct bit string using the packet length check bit. The same applies hereinafter.

[0206] 15A are merely examples. The packet length check bit has a smaller data amount than the packet check bit, but is not limited to this.

[0207] 16A and 16B show packet frames in which a packet length check bit and a packet check bit are applied (inserted) to an IEEE 802.15.4 packet as an example other than BLE. For example, Fig. 16A is a diagram showing an example of a packet configuration during communication according to this embodiment when applied to an IEEE 802.15.4 packet. Fig. 16B is a diagram showing an example of a packet configuration during processing according to this embodiment when applied to an IEEE 802.15.4 packet.

[0208] As shown in FIG. 16A , the transmission packet generation circuit 1133 may generate a transmission packet (second transmission packet) for IEEE 802.15.4 by inserting a packet length, ECC check bits for packet length, and ECC check bits into a frame payload.

[0209] As shown in FIG. 16B, the management circuit 200 receives the transmission packet shown in FIG. 16A, moves the position of the packet check bit in the transmission packet to the end of the transmission packet, and then performs processing.

[0210] 16A and 16B are merely examples. The packet length check bit has a smaller data amount than the packet check bit, but is not limited to this.

[0211] Next, processing by a device that receives the transmission packet shown in Fig. 14B will be described with reference to Fig. 17. Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing operations (wireless communication method, monitoring method) during reception in the monitoring system 5 according to this embodiment. Fig. 17 describes a case in which the first wireless communication circuit 211a of the management circuit 200 receives a transmission packet from the monitoring circuit 100 (for example, the first wireless communication circuit 111a). However, the same applies to a case in which the first wireless communication circuit 111a receives data from the first wireless communication circuit 211a, and a case in which one of the second wireless communication circuit 112a and the second wireless communication circuit 212a receives data from the other.

[0212] As shown in FIG. 17, the first PHY unit 2110 of the first wireless communication circuit 211a performs demodulation, etc. on the signal received from the first antenna 220, and transmits the baseband data (baseband signal) to the packet length correction circuit and packet correction circuit of the first ECC unit 2130 (S110).

[0213] Next, the packet length correction circuit reads the packet length and packet length check bit in the payload from the baseband data, performs an error check on the packet length using the packet length check bit (S120), and determines whether there is an error in the packet length of the transmitted packet (S130).

[0214] If the packet length correction circuit determines that there is an error in the packet length (Y in S130), it performs error correction on the packet length using the packet length check bit and sends the error-corrected packet length to the packet correction circuit (S140).If the packet length correction circuit determines that there is no error in the packet length (N in S130), it sends the packet length included in the packet to the packet correction circuit (S150).In step S150, error correction on the packet length using the packet length check bit is not performed.

[0215] Next, the packet correction circuit uses the packet length from the packet length correction circuit to identify the location of the packet check bit in the data payload from the baseband data, and performs an error check on the received packet using the identified check bit (S160) to determine whether or not there is an error in the packet (S170).

[0216] If the packet correction circuit determines that the packet contains an error (Y in S170), it performs error correction on the packet using the packet check bits and transmits the error-corrected packet to the first MAC unit 2120 (S180). The method for correcting errors on the packet using the packet check bits is not particularly limited, and any known method may be used. Furthermore, if the packet correction circuit determines that the packet does not contain an error (N in S170), it transmits the packet to the first MAC unit 2120 (S190). In step S190, error correction on the packet using the packet check bits is not performed.

[0217] Next, the first MAC unit 2120 processes the header of the payload and transmits the data to the first host circuit 211b (S200).

[0218] Next, the first host circuit 211b executes processing based on the received data (S210).

[0219] The processing of steps S110 to S210 may be performed in parallel with the processing for receiving an encryption key or the like via the second wireless communication circuit 212a (for example, the processing of steps S110 to S210 corresponding to the reception of an encryption key), or may be performed at different times.

[0220] In this way, the first ECC unit 2130 corrects the data length using the packet length check bits, and then performs error detection and correction using the packet check bits to check whether there are any errors in the entire packet.

[0221] For example, it is possible to use packet check bits to detect and correct errors in the entire packet (header + payload), but if an error occurs in the data length, the packet check bits may not be able to correct the error. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first ECC unit 2130 corrects the data length for communication before correcting the entire packet.

[0222] As described above, each of the wireless communication devices 110 and 210 according to this embodiment comprises a MAC unit having the functions of a media link layer, a PHY unit having the functions of a physical layer, and an ECC unit that performs error correction processing on passing signals, and the ECC unit is connected between the MAC unit and the PHY unit.

[0223] As a result, since the ECC section is disposed between the PHY section and the MAC section, it becomes possible to perform error correction on the entire packet, and therefore it is possible to suppress retransmission of packets compared to when an ECC section is not disposed between the PHY section and the MAC section, thereby improving communication quality in that it is possible to eliminate communication delays due to retransmission.

[0224] (Variation of Embodiment 3) A variation of Embodiment 3 will be described below with reference to Fig. 18. Note that the following description will focus on differences from Embodiment 3, and descriptions of content that is the same as or similar to Embodiment 3 will be omitted or simplified. Fig. 18 is a diagram for explaining communications in a monitoring system 3005 according to this variation.

[0225] As shown in FIG. 18, the monitoring system 3005 includes a communication unit 3110, an antenna 3120, and a sensing unit 3140 that constitute a monitoring circuit, and a communication unit 3210, an antenna 3220, and a processing unit 3240 that constitute a management circuit.

[0226] In this modification, the monitoring circuit and the management circuit each include a pair of wireless communication subsystems and an antenna. Specifically, the wireless communication device of the monitoring circuit has a configuration similar to that of FIG. 3A , but does not include the second wireless communication subsystem 112. The wireless communication device according to this modification includes, for example, the first wireless communication subsystem 111 and the control system 113.

[0227] The sensing unit 3140 includes a device for sensing an object, and corresponds to, for example, the battery monitoring IC 140 according to the first embodiment.

[0228] 6A does not include the second wireless communication subsystem 212. The wireless communication device according to this modification includes, for example, a first wireless communication subsystem 211 and a control system 213.

[0229] The processing unit 3240 processes data from the monitoring circuit. The processing unit 3240 corresponds to, for example, the MCU 240 according to the first embodiment.

[0230] In this way, even if the wireless communication device is configured to have only one wireless communication subsystem, the packet length and packet length check bit are included in the packets sent and received, thereby improving the probability of error correction when an error occurs in the packet, and therefore, as in embodiment 3, communication delays due to packet retransmission can be suppressed.

[0231] (Application Example of Monitoring System) Next, application examples of the monitoring system 5 will be described with reference to Figs. 19 to 21. Figs. 19 to 21 are diagrams showing application examples of the monitoring system 5 or 3005 (monitoring system 5, etc.) according to the present disclosure. The communication units shown in Figs. 19 to 21 correspond to the wireless communication devices (e.g., wireless communication device 110 or 210) in the above-described first to third embodiments and the respective modifications of the first and third embodiments. Note that, for convenience, only one antenna is shown for one communication unit in each diagram, but one communication unit may also be provided with two antennas.

[0232] 19, an electric vehicle 1a according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of communication units 110a, first antennas 120a, and processing units 140a. Each communication unit 110a of the electric vehicle 1a may further include a second antenna (not shown).

[0233] The communication unit 110a performs wireless communication between the processing unit 140a and another processing unit (e.g., a processing unit provided in a device external to the electric vehicle 1a) or a host unit (host circuit). The communication unit 110a has a configuration similar to that of the wireless communication device 110 or 210, for example.

[0234] The processing unit 140a processes data acquired from the sensor or the communication unit 110a. The processing unit 140a also communicates data via the communication unit 110a. The processing unit 140a corresponds to, for example, the battery monitoring IC 140 described above.

[0235] In this case, the communication unit 110a may, for example, include a packet length check bit and a packet check bit in the transmission packet for transmitting the data generated by the processing unit 140a, or if two antennas are provided, may use the two antennas to communicate at different frequencies.

[0236] The monitoring system 5 etc. may be configured to include the communication unit 110a shown in FIG. 19 . For example, the monitoring system 5 etc. may be realized as a sensing system that performs sensing related to the electric vehicle 1a. For example, the processing unit 140a may be a monitoring circuit that monitors the air pressure of tires equipped on the electric vehicle 1a, and the monitoring system 5 etc. may be realized as a tire pressure monitoring system for monitoring the air pressure of the tires. Tires are an example of an object monitored by the processing unit 140a. Note that the monitoring system 5 etc. is not limited to being applied to the electric vehicle 1a, and may also be applied to gasoline-powered vehicles, etc.

[0237] As shown in FIG. 20, an electric vehicle 1b according to the present disclosure includes a communication unit 110b, a first antenna 120b, a BMS 140b, and a secondary battery 11b.

[0238] The communication unit 110b performs wireless communication between the BMS 140b and another processing unit (for example, the cloud server 510). The communication unit 110b has a configuration similar to that of the wireless communication device 110 or 210, for example.

[0239] The BMS 140b manages the battery based on the battery voltage, current, etc. The BMS 140b may be configured to include a BMU. The BMS 140b corresponds to, for example, the battery monitoring IC 140 described above.

[0240] The secondary battery 11b is a drive battery (battery cell) for the electric vehicle 1b.

[0241] In this case, the communication unit 110b may, for example, include a packet length check bit and a packet check bit in a transmission packet for transmitting data generated by the BMS 140b to the cloud server 510, or may perform communication at different frequencies using two antennas if two antennas are provided. Also, in this case, the control system of the communication unit 110b may be connected to a battery monitoring IC or a battery management unit (BMU) connected to the battery, and may transmit the battery monitoring status by wireless communication using at least one of a first wireless communication circuit and a second wireless communication circuit.

[0242] Furthermore, the cloud server 510 may include, for example, the wireless communication device 110 or 210 as a wireless communication device.

[0243] The monitoring system 5 and the like may be configured to include a communication unit 110b shown in Fig. 20. For example, the monitoring system 5 may be realized as a sensing system that transmits information related to monitoring of the secondary battery 11b of the electric vehicle 1b.

[0244] The cloud network system 500 including the cloud server 510 may constitute a distributed ledger system that manages a distributed ledger such as a blockchain.

[0245] As shown in FIG. 21 , the electric vehicle 1 a according to the present disclosure performs wireless communication with a relay device that relays communication between the electric vehicle 1 a and a cloud server 510 as another processing unit.

[0246] The relay device includes a communication unit 610 , an antenna 620 , and a processing unit 640 .

[0247] The configuration of the communication unit 610 may be the same as that of the wireless communication device 110 or 210 .

[0248] The processing unit 640 communicates with the communication unit 110 a via the antenna 620 and the communication unit 610 .

[0249] The monitoring system 5 or the like may be configured to include at least one of the communication units 110a and 610 shown in FIG.

[0250] (Other Embodiments) As described above, monitoring systems and the like according to one or more aspects have been described based on Embodiments 1 to 3, each modification of Embodiment 1, and a modification of Embodiment 3 (embodiments, etc.), but the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments, etc. As long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the present disclosure, various modifications that a person skilled in the art can conceive of to the present embodiments, and forms constructed by combining components of different embodiments may also be included in the present disclosure.

[0251] For example, in the above embodiments 1 to 3 and each variant of embodiment 1, an example has been described in which the wireless communication device has two sets of wireless communication subsystems and antennas, but it may also have three or more sets of wireless communication subsystems and antennas.

[0252] Furthermore, for example, the wireless communication device according to the second embodiment may be configured such that the first wireless communication subsystem, the second wireless communication subsystem, and the control system are not configured on a single chip and are capable of transmitting data for verifying authenticity. Such a wireless communication device may include, for example, a first wireless communication subsystem having a first wireless communication circuit, a second wireless communication subsystem having a second wireless communication circuit, and a control system that controls the first wireless communication subsystem and the second wireless communication subsystem, and the data communicated by one of the first wireless communication subsystem and the second wireless communication subsystem may include data for verifying the authenticity of data communicated by the other of the first wireless communication subsystem and the second wireless communication subsystem.

[0253] Furthermore, for example, at least one of the information shown in Figures 11 and 12 relating to the second embodiment may be stored in the memory of a control system (for example, each of control systems 113 and 213) as information related to communication settings.

[0254] Furthermore, the monitoring system or wireless communication device in the above-described embodiments may be used in any device that performs wireless communication. For example, the monitoring system or wireless communication device may be used in an air vehicle (an example of a mobile object) such as a drone, a home appliance, or the like.

[0255] In the above embodiments, each component may be configured with dedicated hardware, or may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

[0256] The order in which the steps in the flowchart are executed is merely an example for specifically explaining the present disclosure, and other orders may be used. Some of the steps may be executed simultaneously (in parallel) with other steps, or some of the steps may not be executed.

[0257] The division of functional blocks in the block diagram is an example, and multiple functional blocks may be realized as a single functional block, one functional block may be divided into multiple blocks, or some functions may be moved to another functional block.Furthermore, the functions of multiple functional blocks having similar functions may be processed in parallel or in time-sharing by a single piece of hardware or software.

[0258] Furthermore, each of the monitoring circuit and management circuit according to the above embodiments and the like may be realized as a single device or may be realized by multiple devices. When at least one of the monitoring circuit and management circuit is realized by multiple devices, the components of the at least one circuit may be distributed in any manner among the multiple devices. When at least one of the circuits is realized by multiple devices, the communication method between the multiple devices is not particularly limited and may be wireless communication or wired communication. Furthermore, wireless communication and wired communication may be combined between the devices.

[0259] Furthermore, each component described in the above embodiments may be implemented as software or, typically, as an LSI, which is an integrated circuit. These components may be individually integrated into a single chip, or some or all of them may be integrated into a single chip. Here, the term "LSI" is used, but depending on the level of integration, it may also be referred to as an IC, system LSI, super LSI, or ultra LSI. Furthermore, the integrated circuit implementation method is not limited to LSI, and may be implemented using a dedicated circuit (a general-purpose circuit that executes a dedicated program) or a general-purpose processor. After LSI fabrication, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) that can be programmed or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connections or settings of circuit cells within the LSI may also be used. Furthermore, if an integrated circuit implementation technology that replaces LSI emerges due to advances in semiconductor technology or a derivative technology, that technology may naturally be used to integrate the components.

[0260] A system LSI is an ultra-multifunctional LSI manufactured by integrating multiple processing units on a single chip. Specifically, it is a computer system that includes a microprocessor, ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. Computer programs are stored in the ROM. The system LSI achieves its functions when the microprocessor operates in accordance with the computer program.

[0261] Furthermore, one aspect of the present disclosure may be a computer program that causes a computer to execute each of the characteristic steps included in the wireless communication method shown in FIG. 13 or FIG.

[0262] Furthermore, for example, the program may be a program to be executed by a computer. Another aspect of the present disclosure may be a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium on which such a program is recorded. For example, such a program may be recorded on a recording medium and distributed or circulated. For example, the distributed program may be installed in a device having another processor, and the program may be executed by the processor, thereby causing the device to perform each of the above processes.

[0263] (Additional Note) The above description of the embodiments and the like discloses the following techniques.

[0264] (Technology 1) A wireless communication device includes a first wireless communication subsystem having a first wireless communication circuit, a second wireless communication subsystem having a second wireless communication circuit, and a control system that controls the first wireless communication subsystem and the second wireless communication subsystem, wherein the first wireless communication subsystem communicates using a first frequency and the second wireless communication subsystem communicates using a second frequency, and the control system controls the first frequency and the second frequency.

[0265] As a result, by performing data communication using two wireless communication circuits, for example, if the first frequency and the second frequency are appropriately set, it is possible to reduce the influence of a decrease in SNIR due to multipath fading or interference waves, thereby improving communication quality.

[0266] (Technology 2) The wireless communication device according to Technology 1, wherein the control system controls the first frequency and the second frequency based on information indicating a plurality of frequencies that can be used for wireless communication.

[0267] This allows the first frequency and the second frequency to be controlled from among a plurality of frequencies, and by selecting an appropriate frequency, communication quality can be improved.

[0268] (Technology 3) The wireless communication device according to Technology 2, wherein the first frequency and the second frequency are different from each other.

[0269] This allows for more reliable data communication, since different frequencies are used, even in spaces where multipath fading is likely to occur.

[0270] (Technology 4) The wireless communication device according to Technology 3, wherein the control system controls the first frequency and the second frequency so that differences between local frequencies generated by the first wireless communication circuit and the second wireless communication circuit and the first frequency and the second frequency are different.

[0271] This makes it possible to prevent the IF frequencies corresponding to the two frequencies used in the wireless communication device from becoming the same.

[0272] (Technology 5) The control system is a wireless communication device according to any one of Technologies 1 to 4, which is connected to a battery monitoring ring IC or a battery management unit connected to a battery, and transmits the monitoring status of the battery by wireless communication using at least one of the first wireless communication circuit and the second wireless communication circuit.

[0273] This makes it possible to improve the communication quality of communication in battery management.

[0274] (Technology 6) The first wireless communication subsystem includes a first PHY (Physical Layer) unit having a physical layer function, a first MAC (Medium Access Control) unit connected to the first PHY unit and having a media link layer function, the first MAC unit being connected to the control system via a first bus, and a first ECC (Error Correction Code) unit connected to each of the first PHY unit and the first MAC unit and performing processing related to error correction on passing signals. and a Media Access Control (MAC) unit, the second wireless communication subsystem having a second PHY unit having a function of a physical layer, a second MAC unit connected to the second PHY unit and having a function of a media link layer, the second MAC unit being connected to the control system via a second bus, and a second ECC unit connected to each of the second PHY unit and the second MAC unit and performing processing related to error correction on passing signals.

[0275] As a result, by placing an ECC section between the PHY section and the MAC section, it becomes possible to perform error correction on the entire packet, thereby improving communication quality compared to when an ECC section is not placed between the PHY section and the MAC section.

[0276] (Technology 7) The wireless communication device according to Technology 6, wherein the control system has a third bus connected to each of the first bus and the second bus.

[0277] This allows the control system to control communications between the first wireless communication subsystem and the second wireless communication subsystem via the third bus.

[0278] (Technology 8) The wireless communication device according to any one of Technologies 1 to 7, wherein the first wireless communication subsystem, the second wireless communication subsystem, and the control system are configured by a single semiconductor device.

[0279] This makes it possible to improve communication quality using a single semiconductor device.

[0280] (Technology 9) A monitoring system including a monitoring circuit that monitors an object, and the wireless communication device according to any one of Technologies 1 to 8 that wirelessly communicates data acquired by the monitoring circuit.

[0281] This provides the same effects as the above-mentioned wireless communication device.

[0282] (Technology 10) The monitoring system according to Technology 9, wherein the object includes a battery pack configured of one or more battery cells mounted on a vehicle, and the monitoring circuit monitors the one or more battery cells.

[0283] This makes it possible to improve the communication quality of communication in battery management.

[0284] The present disclosure is useful for monitoring systems such as battery management systems mounted on vehicles.

[0285] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Vehicle 1a, 1b Electric vehicle 2 Seat 3 Chassis 4 Junction box 5, 3005 Monitoring system 11 Battery module 11a Battery cell 11b Secondary battery 100, 100A Monitoring circuit 110, 210 Wireless communication device 110a, 110b, 610, 3110, 3210 Communication unit 111, 111A, 111B, 211 First wireless communication subsystem 111a, 211a First wireless communication circuit 111b, 211b First host circuit 111c Power management unit 112, 212 Second wireless communication subsystem 112a, 212a Second wireless communication circuit 112b, 212b Second host circuit 113, 113a, 213, 213a Control system 120, 120a, 120b, 220 First antenna 130, 230 Second antenna 140 Battery monitoring IC 140a, 640, 3240 Processing unit 140b BMS 150, 1115 Switch 200, 200A Management circuit 240 MCU 500 Cloud network system 510 Cloud server 620, 3120, 3220 Antenna 1110, 1110a, 1110b, 2110 First PHY unit 1111 Modulation circuit 1112 Oscillator 1113a Power amplifier 1113b Linear amplifier 1114a, 1114b Filter 1116, 1116b, 1119 Mixer 1117 IF filter 1118 Demodulation circuit 1120, 2120 First MAC unit 1121, 1370, 2370 Communication circuit 1122 Output circuit 1123, 1150, 1250, 1320, 2150, 2250, 2320 Memory 1130, 2130 First ECC unit 1131 Packet encoding circuit 1132 Packet length encoding circuit 1133 Transmission packet generation circuit 1134 Packet length correction circuit 1135 Packet correction circuit 1140, 1240, 1310, 2140, 2240, 2310 MCU core 1160, 1260, 1330, 2160, 2260, 2330 Security module 1161 First encryption circuit 1162 Second encryption circuit1163 Third encryption circuit 1164 Calculation circuit 1165 Random number generator 1166 Control unit 1167 Interface unit 1170, 1270, 1340, 2170, 2270, 2340 FH control unit 1180, 1280, 2180, 2280 Peripheral circuit group 1190, 2190 First bus 1210, 2210 Second PHY unit 1220, 2220 Second MAC unit 1230, 2230 Second ECC unit 1290, 2290 Second bus 1350, 2350 First peripheral circuit group 1360, 2360 Second peripheral circuit group 1380, 2380 Third bus 1390, 2390 Clock control circuit 3140 Sensing unit L transmission line

Claims

1. A first wireless communication subsystem having a first wireless communication circuit, A second wireless communication subsystem having a second wireless communication circuit, The system comprises the first wireless communication subsystem and the second wireless communication subsystem, The first wireless communication subsystem and the second wireless communication subsystem are located inside the battery pack. The first wireless communication subsystem communicates using the first frequency, The second wireless communication subsystem communicates using a second frequency, The control system controls the first frequency and the second frequency. Wireless communication device.

2. The control system controls the first frequency and the second frequency based on information indicating a plurality of frequencies that can be used for wireless communication. The wireless communication device according to claim 1.

3. The first frequency and the second frequency are different frequencies from each other. The wireless communication device according to claim 2.

4. The control system controls the first frequency and the second frequency such that the difference between the local frequency generated by the first wireless communication circuit and the second wireless communication circuit and the first frequency and the second frequency, respectively, is different. The wireless communication device according to claim 3.

5. The control system is connected to a battery monitoring ring IC or battery management unit connected to the battery, and transmits the monitoring status of the battery wirelessly using at least one of the first wireless communication circuit and the second wireless communication circuit. A wireless communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The first wireless communication subsystem is as follows: A first PHY (Physical Layer) section having the function of a physical layer, A first MAC (Medium Access Control) unit connected to the first PHY unit and having the function of a media link layer, the first MAC unit connected to the control system via the first bus, It has a first ECC (Error Correction Circuit) unit connected to the first PHY unit and the first MAC unit, respectively, which performs error correction processing on the signals passing through it, The second wireless communication subsystem is as follows: A second PHY section having the function of a physical layer, A second MAC unit connected to the second PHY unit and having the function of a media link layer, the second MAC unit connected to the control system via a second bus, It has a second ECC unit connected to the second PHY unit and the second MAC unit, respectively, which performs error correction processing on the signals passing through it. A wireless communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. The control system has a third bus connected to the first bus and the second bus, respectively. The wireless communication device according to claim 6.

8. The first wireless communication subsystem, the second wireless communication subsystem, and the control system are all configured as a single semiconductor device. A wireless communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

9. A monitoring circuit that monitors the target object, The wireless communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which wirelessly transmits the data acquired by the monitoring circuit. Monitoring system.

10. The object includes a battery pack consisting of one or more battery cells mounted on a vehicle. The monitoring circuit monitors the one or more battery cells. The monitoring system according to claim 9.