Communication device, communication method, and communication program

Abstract

A communication device (10) acquires an output signal from a sensor (21a) or the like and transmits the output signal to a cloud server (31). The communication device (10) has a control unit (11b), a communication control unit (11da), a radio wave intensity acquisition unit (11e), and a data analysis unit (11f). The control unit (11b) acquires the output signal from the sensor (21a) or the like. The communication control unit (11da) transmits the output signal acquired by the control unit (11b) to the cloud server (31) via a communication network (30). The radio wave intensity acquisition unit (11e) acquires the radio wave intensity of a signal received via the communication network (30). The data analysis unit (11f) analyzes the communication environment between the communication device (10) and the cloud server (31) on the basis of the magnitude of the radio wave intensity acquired by the radio wave intensity acquisition unit (11e).

Description

Communication device, communication method, and communication program

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device, a communication method, and a communication program for acquiring an output signal from an external device and transmitting the signal to an external server.

[0002] In recent years, communication devices have been used that transmit output from external devices such as sensors to a management server, etc. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an IoT system and management server that includes a plurality of node terminals each having a wireless communication module and a sensor, and a management server, in which sensor information is transmitted to the management server via the wireless communication module, and the management server receives the sensor information, determines whether or not a notification is necessary based on the sensor information, and posts the notification to a chat room if a notification is necessary.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-117261

[0004] However, the above-mentioned conventional IoT systems have the following problems: The IoT systems disclosed in the above publications are often installed in mountainous areas, on the rooftops of buildings, etc., and although radio wave strength is checked at the installation stage, it is difficult to grasp the deterioration of the communication environment in real time after installation even if the communication environment deteriorates due to external factors such as weather conditions or the degree of congestion at base stations.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a communication device, a communication method, and a communication program that are capable of monitoring the deterioration of the communication environment in real time even if the communication environment deteriorates due to an external factor.

[0006] (Means for Solving the Problem) A communication device according to a first invention is a communication device that acquires an output signal from an external device and transmits it to an external server via a communication network, and includes a signal acquisition unit, a communication control unit, a radio wave intensity acquisition unit, and an analysis unit. The signal acquisition unit acquires the output signal from the external device. The communication control unit transmits the output signal acquired by the signal acquisition unit to the external server via the communication network. The radio wave intensity acquisition unit acquires the radio wave intensity of a signal received via the communication network. The analysis unit analyzes the communication environment between the external server and the external server based on the magnitude of the radio wave intensity acquired by the radio wave intensity acquisition unit.

[0007] In this example, a communication device acquires an output signal from an external device such as a sensor and transmits it to an external server via a communication network. The communication device acquires the radio wave intensity of the signal received via the communication network and analyzes the communication environment between the external server and the device. Here, the external device includes, for example, various sensors, relays, and other devices. The external server includes, for example, a cloud server equipped with a memory unit, a server device, and the like.

[0008] The communication control unit may communicate with the external server using different communication methods, such as LTE (registered trademark) (Long Term Evolution), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), LoRa (registered trademark) (Long Range), etc., or may communicate using the same communication method. For example, the radio wave strength may be a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) or a reference signal received power (RSRP).

[0009] The acquired radio wave intensity may be the radio wave intensity of a signal received from an external server via a communication network, or may be the radio wave intensity of a signal received from another device via a communication network. This allows the communication device to monitor changes in the communication environment between the external server and the communication device and transmit the results to, for example, an external server, making it possible to easily recognize changes in the communication environment after the communication device is installed. As a result, even if the communication environment deteriorates due to an external factor, the deterioration of the communication environment can be monitored in real time.

[0010] A communication device according to a second aspect of the present invention is the communication device according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the analysis unit determines that the communication environment has deteriorated when the radio wave strength acquired by the radio wave strength acquisition unit is lower than the average value of past radio wave strength by a predetermined threshold or more. Note that the value of past radio wave strength may be a median, a mode, or the like instead of the average value. This makes it possible to easily recognize a deterioration in the communication environment by analyzing the communication environment based on, for example, whether the acquired radio wave strength is lower than the predetermined threshold compared to the most recent average value of radio wave strength.

[0011] A communication device according to a third aspect of the present invention is the communication device according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein the analysis unit acquires a specific period during which the external server was able to receive the output signal normally, and updates the threshold by averaging the radio wave strength acquired by the analysis unit during the specific period. This makes it possible to accurately determine whether the communication environment has deteriorated using the latest threshold updated using the average value of the radio wave strength acquired under a normal communication environment.

[0012] A communication device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the communication device according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, wherein the analysis unit acquires a reception status of the output signal acquired by the external server, and determines that the communication environment has deteriorated if the analysis unit determines that data has been lost a predetermined number of times or more during reception by the external server. Thus, if the analysis unit determines that data received by the external server is intermittent and that data has been lost a predetermined number of times or more, it can be determined that the communication environment has deteriorated.

[0013] A communication device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the communication device according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, further comprising a notification unit that notifies the analysis result of the communication environment by the analysis unit. As a result, for example, by notifying a terminal of an administrator or the like of the analysis result showing changes in the communication environment in real time, the administrator or the like of the communication system can take appropriate measures against deterioration of the communication environment.

[0014] A communication device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the communication device according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, wherein the analysis unit uses data such as received signal strength indicator (RSSI) or reference signal received power (RSRP) as data for analysis using radio wave strength. This makes it possible to determine whether communication is possible using radio wave strength by acquiring the radio wave strength such as the RSSI or RSRP from an antenna provided in the communication control unit, for example.

[0015] A communication device according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the communication device according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, further comprising a storage unit for storing data on the output signal and radio wave intensity transmitted from the communication control unit. By storing the data on the output signal and radio wave intensity of the external device transmitted from the communication control unit in the storage unit within the communication device, it is possible to determine within the communication device whether the communication environment has deteriorated.

[0016] A communication device according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the communication device according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, wherein the external device includes a weather sensor that acquires weather data, a power monitoring sensor that acquires power information, or an agricultural sensor that acquires information from equipment that grows agricultural crops. By using the various sensors described above as the external device, various data acquired from the various sensors can be stably transmitted to an external server.

[0017] A ninth aspect of the present invention provides a communication method for a communication device that acquires an output signal from an external device and transmits it to an external server via a communication network, the method comprising: a signal acquisition step, a communication step, a radio wave intensity acquisition step, and an analysis step. In the signal acquisition step, a signal acquisition unit of the communication device acquires the output signal from the external device. In the communication step, a communication control unit of the communication device transmits the output signal acquired by the signal acquisition unit to the external server via the communication network. In the radio wave intensity acquisition step, the radio wave intensity acquisition unit of the communication device acquires the radio wave intensity of a signal received via the communication network. In the analysis step, an analysis unit of the communication device analyzes the communication environment between the communication device and the external server based on the magnitude of the radio wave intensity.

[0018] In this example, a communication device acquires an output signal from an external device such as a sensor and transmits it to an external server via a communication network. The communication device acquires the radio wave intensity of the signal received via the communication network and analyzes the communication environment between the external server and the device. Here, the external device includes, for example, various sensors, relays, and other devices. The external server includes, for example, a cloud server equipped with a memory unit, a server device, and the like.

[0019] The communication control unit may communicate with the external server using different communication methods, such as LTE (registered trademark) (Long Term Evolution), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), LoRa (registered trademark) (Long Range), etc., or may communicate using the same communication method. For example, the radio wave strength may be a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) or a reference signal received power (RSRP).

[0020] The acquired radio wave intensity may be the radio wave intensity of a signal received from an external server via a communication network, or may be the radio wave intensity of a signal received from another device via a communication network. This allows the communication device to easily recognize changes in the communication environment between the communication device and the external server after installation. As a result, even if the communication environment deteriorates due to an external factor, the deterioration of the communication environment can be monitored in real time.

[0021] A tenth aspect of the present invention provides a communication program executed by a communication device that acquires an output signal from an external device and transmits the signal to an external server via a communication network, the program causing a computer to execute a communication method including a signal acquisition step, a communication step, a radio wave intensity acquisition step, and an analysis step. In the signal acquisition step, a signal acquisition unit of the communication device acquires the output signal from the external device. In the communication step, a communication control unit of the communication device transmits the output signal acquired by the signal acquisition unit to the external server via the communication network. In the radio wave intensity acquisition step, the radio wave intensity acquisition unit of the communication device acquires the radio wave intensity of a signal received via the communication network. In the analysis step, an analysis unit of the communication device analyzes the communication environment between the communication device and the external server based on the magnitude of the radio wave intensity.

[0022] In this example, a communication device acquires an output signal from an external device such as a sensor and transmits it to an external server via a communication network. The communication device acquires the radio wave intensity of the signal received via the communication network and analyzes the communication environment between the external server and the device. Here, the external device includes, for example, various sensors, relays, and other devices. The external server includes, for example, a cloud server equipped with a memory unit, a server device, and the like.

[0023] The communication control unit may communicate with the external server using different communication methods, such as LTE (registered trademark) (Long Term Evolution), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), LoRa (registered trademark) (Long Range), etc., or may communicate using the same communication method. For example, the radio wave strength may be a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) or a reference signal received power (RSRP).

[0024] The acquired radio wave intensity may be the radio wave intensity of a signal received from an external server via a communication network, or may be the radio wave intensity of a signal received from another device via a communication network. This allows the communication device to easily recognize changes in the communication environment between the communication device and the external server after installation of the communication device.

[0025] As a result, even if the communication environment deteriorates due to external factors, the deterioration of the communication environment can be monitored in real time.

[0026] Effect of the Invention According to the communication device of the present invention, even if the communication environment deteriorates due to an external factor, it is possible to monitor the deterioration of the communication environment in real time.

[0027] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a communication system including a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention. A diagram explaining the types of radio wave intensity used for determination in the communication system of FIG. 1. A diagram showing sensor log data and communication status analysis results stored in storage units on the communication device side and the cloud server side included in the communication system of FIG. 1. (a) is a diagram showing communication environment data stored in a storage unit on the communication device side included in the communication system of FIG. 1 and whether or not communication has been interrupted. (b) is a diagram showing communication environment data stored in a storage unit on the cloud server side included in the communication system of FIG. 1 and whether or not communication has been interrupted. A diagram showing threshold data for determining the communication environment stored in a storage unit on the communication device side included in the communication system of FIG. 1. A diagram showing the overall sequence of processing in the communication system of FIG. 1. A flowchart showing the processing flow of a communication method implemented by the communication system of FIG. 1.

[0028] A communication system 1 including a communication device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. In this embodiment, unnecessary detailed description may be omitted. For example, detailed description of well-known matters or redundant description of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary redundancy in the following description and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. Furthermore, the applicant provides the accompanying drawings and the following description to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present invention, and does not intend for them to limit the subject matter recited in the claims.

[0029] 1, the communication system 1 including the communication device 10 according to the present embodiment is configured around the communication device 10 that acquires various data (output signals) detected by a plurality of sensors (external devices) 21a to 21d via a sensor module 20 and transmits the data to a cloud server 31 via a communication network 30. That is, the communication system 1 includes the communication device 10, the sensor module 20 and the sensors 21a to 21d, the communication network 30, the cloud server (external server) 31, and a user terminal device 32.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 1 , the communication device 10 acquires various data detected by the sensors 21 a to 21 d and the radio wave intensity of signals received via a communication network via the sensor module 20, and transmits these to the cloud server 31. The detailed configuration of the communication device 10 will be described later. Here, the radio wave intensity indicating the communication environment between the communication device 10 and an external device such as the cloud server 31 can be a radio wave intensity value acquired from an antenna 11 db (described later), for example, as shown in FIG. 2 , a measured value of a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) or a reference signal received power (RSRP). The radio wave intensity is acquired from the antenna 11 db by the radio wave intensity acquisition unit 11 e, for example, at the timing when sensor data is acquired from the sensor module 20.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2, the RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) is expressed as a power measurement value in dBm (decibels in milliwatts) of a signal (overall system bandwidth) from an access point (base station) or router. The more positive the RSSI value, the stronger the radio wave is determined to be; for example, -30 dBm or higher is determined as "very strong," -67 dBm or higher is determined as "very strong," -70 dBm or higher is determined as "strong," and -80 dBm or higher is determined as "weak."

[0032] As shown in Fig. 2, RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power) is expressed in dBm (decibels per milliwatt) as the received power value of a reference signal determined by the relative positions of a terminal and a base station. As with RSSI, the RSRP value is determined to be stronger the more positive the value is, and is determined to be "very strong" if it is -44 dBm or higher, "very strong" if it is -90 dBm or higher, "strong" if it is -100 dBm or higher, and "weak" if it is -120 dBm or higher.

[0033] The sensor module 20 is connected to sensors 21a to 21d and transmits various data detected by the sensors 21a to 21d to the communication device 10. The sensors 21a to 21d are, for example, weather sensors that acquire weather data (barometric pressure, temperature, humidity, etc.), power monitoring sensors that acquire power information in homes and businesses, agricultural sensors that acquire information (sunshine hours, temperature, humidity, acceleration, etc.) from equipment that grows agricultural crops, etc.

[0034] The communication network 30 connects the communication device 10 and the cloud server 31, enabling wireless communication between the communication device 10 and the cloud server 31. The cloud server 31 is a virtual server device provided in a cloud space on the Internet, and stores various data transmitted via the communication device 10. As shown in FIG. 1 , the cloud server 31 has a data input unit (data acquisition unit) 31a and a storage unit 31b.

[0035] The data input unit 31a receives as input various data transmitted from the communication device 10 via the communication network 30. As shown in Fig. 1, the storage unit 31b stores various data detected by the sensors 21a to 21d received from the communication device 10 via the communication network 30 as sensor log data 31ba (see Fig. 3). The storage unit 31b stores communication environment log data 31bb (see Fig. 4(b)) indicating the communication environment between the communication device 10 and the cloud server 31 and whether or not communication has been interrupted.

[0036] The sensor log data 31ba is various data detected by the sensors 21a to 21d, and includes, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, the detection time of the sensors 21a to 21d, the type of the sensors 21a to 21d (temperature, humidity, air pressure, etc.), the ID of the wireless communication module 11a ("1" or "2"), sensor data (20.0°C, 1011 hPa, etc.), and communication status analysis results (Analysis A and Analysis B, described below).

[0037] 3, for analysis A, ◯ indicates that the radio wave strength is below the threshold, × indicates that the radio wave strength is above the threshold (there is a concern that the communication environment may be deteriorating), and for analysis B, ◯ indicates that the number of communication interruptions is below the threshold, × indicates that the number of communication interruptions is above the threshold (there is a concern that the communication environment may be deteriorating). The communication environment log data 31bb is data indicating the reception status, such as loss of data transmitted from the communication device 10, and is used in analysis B of the communication environment in the communication device 10, which will be described later. The user terminal device 32 is a terminal owned by an administrator who manages various data detected using the sensors 21a to 21d, and is connected to the cloud server 31 via the communication network 30. The user terminal device 32 then displays information on the determination results (such as the communication environment) using the radio wave strength acquired by the communication device 10, which will be described later.

[0038] (2) Configuration of the communication device 10 The communication device 10 according to this embodiment is a device that transmits the detection results of the sensors 21a to 21d obtained via the sensor module 20 to the cloud server 31, and includes, as communication means, a wireless communication module 11a and a network device 11h, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0039] The wireless communication module 11a is one of a plurality of communication means included in the communication device 10, and employs a communication method such as LTE (registered trademark) (Long Term Evolution), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), LoRa (registered trademark) (Long Range), BLE (registered trademark) (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy), etc. As shown in FIG. 1 , the wireless communication module 11a includes a control unit (signal acquisition unit) 11b, a storage unit 11c, a communication processing unit 11d, a radio wave intensity acquisition unit 11e, a data analysis unit 11f, and a display / notification control unit (notification unit) 11g.

[0040] 1, the control unit (signal acquisition unit) 11b is connected to the sensor module 20 and acquires the detection results (output signals) of the sensors 21a to 21d via the sensor module 20. The control unit 11b also stores the acquired detection results as sensor log data 11ca in the storage unit 11c. The control unit 11b is also connected to the communication processing unit 11d and acquires radio wave intensity data (described later) and stores it in the storage unit 11c as communication environment log data 11cb.

[0041] The storage unit 11c stores sensor log data 11ca (see FIG. 3) as shown in FIG. 1. The storage unit 11c also stores communication environment log data 11cb (see FIG. 4A) indicating the communication environment between the communication device 10 and the cloud server 31 and whether or not communication has been interrupted, and a determination threshold value 11cc (see FIG. 5) used when analyzing the communication environment.

[0042] The communication environment log data 11cb is data on radio wave intensity acquired from the antenna 11db of the communication processing unit 11d and data received from the cloud server 31 indicating whether or not communication has been interrupted. As shown in FIG. 4(a), the data includes the date and time when the radio wave intensity was acquired, data on radio wave intensity (RSSI value, RSRP value) acquired every hour, and whether or not communication has been interrupted between the communication device 10 and the cloud server 31 (◯ / -).

[0043] The sensor log data 11ca stored in the storage unit 11c is the same as the sensor log data 31ba stored in the storage unit 31b on the cloud server 31 side. The determination threshold 11cc is a threshold used in the analysis process of the communication environment using radio wave strength, which will be described later, and includes, as shown in Fig. 5 , the communication method (LTE, LoRa, Wi-Fi, BLE, etc.) adopted by the communication processing unit 11d, threshold setting items (RSRP, timeout period, number of communication interruptions in the last hour), and values ​​of each threshold setting item (dBm, seconds, number of times).

[0044] For example, when the communication processing unit 11d employs LTE-Cat1 or LTE-CatM1 as the communication method, the radio wave strength threshold (RSRP) is set to -120 dBm, the timeout period threshold is set to 150 seconds, and the threshold for the number of communication interruptions (in one hour) is set to 5. When the communication processing unit 11d employs LoRa as the communication method, the radio wave strength threshold (RSSI) is set to -90 dBm, the timeout period threshold is set to 60 seconds, and the threshold for the number of communication interruptions (in one hour) is set to 5.

[0045] Furthermore, when the communication processing unit 11d employs Wi-Fi or BLE as the communication method, the radio wave intensity threshold (RSSI) is set to -90 dBm, the timeout threshold is set to 60 seconds, and the threshold for the number of communication interruptions (per hour) is set to 5. The communication processing unit 11d transmits the detection results of the sensors 21a to 21d acquired by the control unit 11b to the cloud server 31 via the network device 11h and the communication network 30. As shown in FIG. 1 , the communication processing unit 11d has a communication control unit 11da and an antenna 11db.

[0046] The antenna 11db may be, for example, a type built into the wireless communication module or a type outside the wireless communication module (an external antenna type). Depending on the installation environment, if the radio wave intensity of the built-in antenna is weak, an external antenna may be used. The external antenna is disposed outside the wireless communication module 11a and is connected via a wire to the communication control unit 11da in the communication processing unit 11d.

[0047] The communication control unit 11da controls communication between the communication device 10 and the cloud server 31 via the communication network 30. Furthermore, when the communication control unit 11da transmits the detection results (output signals) of the sensors 21a to 21d to the cloud server 31, the communication control unit 11da determines whether or not communication is possible depending on whether or not a response signal is received from the cloud server 31 within a predetermined time.

[0048] The antenna 11db transmits data such as the detection results of the sensors 21a to 21d to the network device 11h. The communication control unit 11da calculates the radio wave intensity (RSSI value, RSRP value, etc.) from the radio waves received by the antenna 11db. The network device 11h is, for example, a base station if the communication method is LTE, a Wi-Fi router if the communication method is Wi-Fi, or an LoRa gateway if the communication method is LoRa. The network device 11h is connected to a communication network 30, and transmits various data received from the wireless communication module 11a to a cloud server 31 via the communication network 30.

[0049] The data analysis unit 11f uses the data on the radio wave intensity acquired from the antenna 11db of the communication processing unit 11d to analyze the communication environment between the communication device 10 and the cloud server 31. More specifically, if the acquired radio wave intensity is lower than the average value of the radio wave intensity in the past (for example, for the most recent day) by a predetermined threshold or more, the data analysis unit 11f determines that the communication environment has deteriorated.

[0050] This makes it possible to easily recognize a deterioration in the communication environment depending on whether the acquired radio wave strength is lower than a predetermined threshold value compared with the most recent average radio wave strength. Here, the data analyzer 11f uses data such as a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) or a reference signal received power (RSRP) as data for determination using radio wave strength.

[0051] Furthermore, the data analysis unit 11f acquires a specific period during which the data input unit 31a on the cloud server 31 side was able to receive an output signal normally, averages the radio wave strength acquired during that specific period, and updates the threshold value. This allows accurate determination of deterioration of the communication environment by updating the threshold value to the latest value using the average value of radio wave strength acquired under a normal communication environment.

[0052] Furthermore, when the data analysis unit 11f receives from the cloud server 31 the reception data of the output signal at the data input unit 31a on the cloud server 31 side, it determines that the communication environment has deteriorated if communication interruptions (data loss) have occurred a predetermined number of times (for example, five times) or more within the most recent specific period. The period for counting the number of communication interruptions can be set to any period, such as one hour or one day.

[0053] For example, if 10 pieces of sensor data or the like are supposed to be received at predetermined time intervals (1 minute) over a predetermined time period (10 minutes) among the data received by the cloud server 31, but only 7 pieces of data are received, the data analysis unit 11f determines that 3 pieces of data are missing. As a result, if the data analysis unit 11f determines that the data acquired by the data input unit 31a on the cloud server 31 side is intermittent and that there are a predetermined number of missing pieces (e.g., 3 pieces) or more within the predetermined time period (10 minutes), the data analysis unit 11f on the communication device 10 side can determine that the communication environment has deteriorated.

[0054] Then, data analysis unit 11f transmits the analysis result to communication processing unit 11d, which transmits it to cloud server 31 via communication network 30, and also transmits it to storage unit 11c to store the analysis result. If display / notification control unit 11g determines that the communication environment has deteriorated based on the analysis result of the communication environment by data analysis unit 11f, it notifies cloud server 31 of the deterioration of the communication environment via communication processing unit 11d.

[0055] <Analysis process of communication environment between communication device 10 and cloud server 31> As shown in FIG. 6, the communication system 1 of this embodiment communicates between the communication device 10 (wireless communication module 11a), the sensor module 20 and sensors 21a to 21d, the cloud server 31, and the user terminal device 32, and also performs analysis process of the communication environment between the communication device 10 and the cloud server 31.

[0056] That is, the communication device 10 first transmits initial settings from the control unit 11b of the wireless communication module 11a to the sensor module 20. Next, the control unit 11b of the wireless communication module 11a transmits a sensor data acquisition instruction signal to the sensor module 20. Upon receiving the sensor data acquisition instruction signal from the wireless communication module 11a, the sensor module 20 responds by transmitting the detection results of the sensors 21a to 21d as sensor data (output signals) to the wireless communication module 11a. This allows the communication device 10 to acquire the sensor data and store it in the storage unit 11c.

[0057] Next, in the communication device 10, the radio wave intensity acquisition unit 11e acquires data related to radio wave intensity from the antenna 11db, triggered by the timing of acquisition of sensor data from the sensor module 20. Note that the data related to radio wave intensity acquired by the communication device 10 is, for example, RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) or RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power) data, as described above.

[0058] Then, when the acquired radio wave intensity is greater than a predetermined threshold (see S16 in FIG. 7 ), the communication control unit 11da of the communication device 10 transmits the sensor data to the cloud server 31. The cloud server 31 records the reception status of the sensor data received from the communication device 10 (including data loss, the number of communication interruptions, etc.) and stores the data in the storage unit 31b as communication environment log data.

[0059] Furthermore, the cloud server 31 transmits the reception status of the received sensor data as is to the communication device 10. As a result, in the communication device 10, by receiving from the cloud server 31 reception status log data of the sensor log data received on the cloud server 31 side, the data analysis unit 11f can analyze the reception status of the sensor data (whether or not there is data loss or communication interruption).

[0060] In the communication device 10, the data analysis unit 11f performs a communication environment analysis process using the radio wave strength acquired by the radio wave strength acquisition unit 11e and the reception status log data acquired from the cloud server 31. Here, the communication environment analysis process determines whether the communication environment (radio wave strength) has deteriorated by more than a threshold value compared to the average for the past day, and whether communication interruptions have occurred more than a threshold value.

[0061] Here, the analysis result of the data analysis unit 11f is transmitted as a communication status determination result to the cloud server 31. The analysis result (communication status determination result) transmitted to the cloud server 31 is transmitted to the user terminal device 32 together with the sensor log data via the communication network 30. Note that the sensor log data and communication status determination result transmitted to the user terminal device 32 may be transmitted to the user terminal device 32 from the communication device 10 via the communication network 30, rather than from the cloud server 31.

[0062] <Communication Method by Communication Device 10> The communication method by the communication device 10 of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 7. That is, in step S11, the power of the communication device 10 is turned on. Next, in step S12, the control unit 11b of the communication device 10 transmits initial settings to the sensor module 20.

[0063] Next, in step S13, the control unit 11b of the communication device 10 acquires the detection results of the sensors 21a to 21d via the sensor module 20. Next, in step S14, the control unit 11b of the communication device 10 stores the acquired sensor data in the storage unit 11c. Next, in step S15, the radio wave intensity acquisition unit 11e of the communication device 10 acquires the radio wave intensity of the signal received from the antenna 11db via the communication network 30, and stores it in the storage unit 11c as communication environment log data.

[0064] Here, the acquired radio wave strength is the radio wave strength of a signal received via the communication network 30, and may be, for example, the radio wave strength of a signal transmitted from the cloud server 31, or may be the radio wave strength of a signal transmitted from another device such as the user terminal device 32. Next, in step S16, the data analysis unit 11f of the communication device 10 acquires a threshold value for determining the communication environment from the storage unit 11c at the timing when the data analysis unit 11f stores the radio wave strength at the time when the sensor log data was acquired in the storage unit 11c.

[0065] Next, in step S17, the data analysis unit 11f of the communication device 10 compares the current radio wave strength acquired in step S15 with a threshold value (RSSI / RSRP) for determining the communication environment, and if the current radio wave strength is greater than the threshold value, the process proceeds to step S18. On the other hand, if the current radio wave strength is equal to or less than the threshold value, the process proceeds to step S20. Next, in step S18, since it was determined in step S17 that the communication environment is good, the communication control unit 11da of the communication device 10 transmits sensor data to the cloud server 31 via the communication network 30.

[0066] Next, in step S19, the communication device 10 receives from the cloud server 31 data indicating the reception status at the cloud server 31, which data is to be used in analysis B. Next, in step S20, the data analysis unit 11f of the communication device 10 acquires radio wave intensity data from the storage unit 11c and performs analysis A of the communication environment. Specifically, the data analysis unit 11f compares, for example, the average value of radio wave intensity over the most recent day with the current radio wave intensity, and if the average value is less than a predetermined threshold, determines that the communication environment between the communication device 10 and the cloud server 31 has deteriorated.

[0067] Next, in step S21, the data analysis unit 11f of the communication device 10 acquires the reception status log data acquired from the cloud server 31 in step S19 and performs another analysis B of the communication environment. Specifically, the data analysis unit 11f checks, for example, from the reception status log data received from the cloud server 31 whether or not a portion of the data received by the cloud server 31 has been lost (communication has been interrupted), and if the number of times the loss has occurred is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, determines that the communication environment between the communication device 10 and the cloud server 31 has deteriorated.

[0068] Next, in step S22, the data analysis unit 31d determines whether either analysis A in step S20 or analysis B in step S21 was NG (the radio wave intensity is lower than a predetermined threshold compared to the average value, or the number of communication interruptions (number of losses) is greater than a predetermined number). If either analysis A or B is determined to be NG, the process proceeds to step S23; if neither analysis A nor B is determined to be NG, the process proceeds to step S25.

[0069] Next, in step S23, the data analysis unit 11f stores the results of analyses A and B in the storage unit 11c of the communication device 10. Next, in step S24, since at least one of analyses A and B was determined to be NG in step S22, the display / notification control unit 11g of the wireless communication module 11a notifies the user terminal device 32 of the deterioration of the communication environment via the communication control unit 11da and the communication network 30.

[0070] Next, in step S25, the display / notification control unit 11g of the wireless communication module 11a acquires the sensor data from the storage unit 11c and transmits it to the user terminal device 32 via the communication network 30 and the cloud server 31. Note that the analysis results of the data analysis unit 11f and the sensor data may be transmitted to the user terminal device 32 directly via the communication network 30 without going through the cloud server 31.

[0071] [Other Embodiments] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. (A) In the above embodiment, an example in which the present invention is realized as a communication device and a communication method has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention may be realized as a communication program that causes a computer to execute the communication method by the above-described communication device.

[0072] This program is stored in a memory (storage unit) installed in the communication device, and a CPU reads the communication program stored in the memory and causes the hardware to execute each step. More specifically, the CPU reads the communication program and executes the above-mentioned signal acquisition step, communication step, radio wave intensity acquisition step, data acquisition step, and analysis step, thereby achieving the same effects as those described above. The present invention may also be realized as a recording medium storing the communication program.

[0073] (B) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which data such as received signal strength indicator (RSSI) or reference signal received power (RSRP) was used as data for determination using radio wave strength. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, data such as reference signal received quality (RSRQ) or signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) may be used as other data for determination.

[0074] (C) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which various data (output signals) detected by the four sensors 21a to 21d were transmitted to the communication device 10 via the sensor module 20. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the output signals transmitted to the communication device may be transmitted from one, two, or three external devices (sensors, etc.), or may be transmitted from five or more external devices.

[0075] (D) In ​​the above embodiment, the communication device 10 that acquires output signals from various sensors such as a weather sensor, a power monitoring sensor, an agricultural sensor, etc. has been described as an example of an external device. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

[0076] For example, it may be a communication device that receives a power cutoff signal from an external device such as a relay and transmits it to an external server.

[0077] The communication device of the present invention has the effect of being able to monitor the deterioration of the communication environment in real time even if the communication environment deteriorates due to external factors, and is therefore widely applicable to various systems that include communication devices.

[0078] 1 Communication system 10 Communication device 11a Wireless communication module 11b Control unit (signal acquisition unit) 11c Memory unit 11ca Sensor log data 11cb Communication environment log data 11cc Determination threshold 11d Communication processing unit 11da Communication control unit 11db Antenna 11e Radio wave intensity acquisition unit 11f Data analysis unit (analysis unit) 11g Display / notification control unit (notification unit) 11h Network device 20 Sensor module 21a to 21d Sensor (external device) 30 Communication network 31 Cloud server (external server) 31a Data input unit 31b Memory unit 31ba Sensor log data 31bb Communication environment log data 32 User terminal device

Claims

1. A communication device that acquires an output signal from an external device and transmits it to an external server via a communication network, comprising: a signal acquisition unit that acquires the output signal from the external device; a communication control unit that transmits the output signal acquired by the signal acquisition unit to the external server via the communication network; a radio wave intensity acquisition unit that acquires the radio wave intensity of a signal received via the communication network; and an analysis unit that analyzes the communication environment with the external server based on the magnitude of the radio wave intensity acquired by the radio wave intensity acquisition unit.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the analysis unit determines that the communication environment has deteriorated when the radio wave intensity acquired by the radio wave intensity acquisition unit is lower than a predetermined threshold value by a certain amount compared to the average value of past radio wave intensities.

3. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the analysis unit acquires a specific period during which the external server was able to receive the output signal normally, and averages the radio wave intensity acquired by the analysis unit during the specific period to update the threshold value.

4. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the analysis unit acquires the reception status of the output signal acquired by the external server, and determines that the communication environment has deteriorated when the analysis unit determines that there is data loss a predetermined number of times or more during reception by the external server.

5. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a notification unit that notifies the analysis result of the communication environment in the analysis unit.

6. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the analysis unit uses data of RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) or RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power) as data for analysis using radio wave intensity.

7. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a storage unit that stores the data of the output signal and the radio wave intensity transmitted from the communication control unit.

8. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the external device includes any one of a weather sensor that acquires weather data, a power monitoring sensor that acquires power information, and an agricultural sensor that acquires information from a device for growing crops.

9. A communication method by a communication device that acquires an output signal from an external device and transmits it to an external server via a communication network, the method comprising: a signal acquisition step in which a signal acquisition unit of the communication device acquires the output signal from the external device; a communication step in which a communication control unit of the communication device transmits the output signal acquired by the signal acquisition unit to the external server via the communication network; a radio wave intensity acquisition step in which a radio wave intensity acquisition unit of the communication device acquires the radio wave intensity of a signal received via the communication network; and an analysis step in which an analysis unit of the communication device analyzes the communication environment between the communication device and the external server based on the magnitude of the radio wave intensity.

10. A communication program executed by a communication device that acquires an output signal from an external device and transmits it to an external server via a communication network, the program causing a computer to execute a communication method comprising: a signal acquisition step in which a signal acquisition unit of the communication device acquires the output signal from the external device; a communication step in which a communication control unit of the communication device transmits the output signal acquired by the signal acquisition unit to the external server via the communication network; a radio wave intensity acquisition step in which a radio wave intensity acquisition unit of the communication device acquires the radio wave intensity of a signal received via the communication network; and an analysis step in which an analysis unit of the communication device analyzes the communication environment between the communication device and the external server based on the magnitude of the radio wave intensity.

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