WO2022172378A1 - Communication adaptor, communication control method and program - Google Patents

Communication adaptor, communication control method and program Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2022172378A1
WO2022172378A1 PCT/JP2021/005101 JP2021005101W WO2022172378A1 WO 2022172378 A1 WO2022172378 A1 WO 2022172378A1 JP 2021005101 W JP2021005101 W JP 2021005101W WO 2022172378 A1 WO2022172378 A1 WO 2022172378A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
power
communication
wireless communication
equipment
air conditioner
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/JP2021/005101
Other languages
French (fr)
Japanese (ja)
Inventor
健太郎 澤
諭司 花井
Original Assignee
三菱電機株式会社
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by 三菱電機株式会社 filed Critical 三菱電機株式会社
Priority to PCT/JP2021/005101 priority Critical patent/WO2022172378A1/en
Priority to JP2022581095A priority patent/JP7383183B2/en
Publication of WO2022172378A1 publication Critical patent/WO2022172378A1/en

Links

Images

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q9/00—Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02D—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE
    • Y02D30/00—Reducing energy consumption in communication networks
    • Y02D30/70—Reducing energy consumption in communication networks in wireless communication networks

Definitions

  • the present disclosure relates to communication adapters, communication control methods, and programs.
  • a technology is known that enables information about the equipment to be transmitted over the network by connecting a communication adapter to the equipment.
  • the equipment can supply the power necessary for the operation of the communication adapter, it is convenient because it is not necessary to connect the communication adapter and an external power supply.
  • the operation of the equipment may be hindered by the equipment supplying power to the communication adapter.
  • the communication adapter performs network communication by wireless communication, a large amount of power is consumed in wireless communication, and it is conceivable that the power required for the operation of equipment may be insufficient.
  • the equipment is an air conditioner and the air conditioner operates to operate the compressor, a large amount of power is consumed by the communication adapter that performs wireless communication, resulting in a shortage of power to sufficiently operate the compressor. can be considered.
  • Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which an electrical device monitors its own operating state and supplies power to a communication adapter only when communication is necessary. This technology allows the electrical device to power the communications adapter only when it needs to communicate.
  • Patent Document 1 With the technology described in Patent Document 1, the electrical equipment monitors its own operating state, and the electrical equipment itself adjusts the power supply. Therefore, if the technology described in Patent Document 1 is applied to existing equipment, there is a problem that the equipment needs to be repaired.
  • the purpose of the present disclosure is to provide communication adapters and the like that can avoid power shortages without modifying existing equipment.
  • the communication adapter includes: a power receiving means for receiving power supply from equipment; a device communication means for wired communication with the facility device; wireless communication means for wirelessly communicating with the power supplied to the power receiving means; a state information acquisition means for acquiring state information indicating an operating state of the equipment from the equipment via the equipment communication means; power calculation means for calculating power that the equipment can supply to the power receiving means based on the operating state of the equipment indicated by the state information; communication control means for controlling the wireless communication means to perform wireless communication when the power calculated by the power calculating means is greater than the power required for wireless communication by the wireless communication means; Prepare.
  • the object is to provide a communication adapter or the like that can avoid power shortages without modifying existing equipment.
  • a diagram showing the overall configuration of an equipment communication system according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure A diagram showing a functional configuration of a communication adapter according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure
  • a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a communication adapter according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure Flowchart showing an example of communication control operation by the communication adapter according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure
  • the device communication system 1 is a device communication system for transmitting information about the air conditioner 20, which is equipment, to the server 40 on the network NT.
  • the equipment communication system 1 includes a communication adapter 10 , an air conditioner 20 , a wireless communication device 30 and a server 40 .
  • Communication adapter 10 and air conditioner 20 communicate with each other through communication line C.
  • FIG. A communication line C and a power supply line P are connected between the communication adapter 10 and the air conditioner 20 .
  • the communication adapter 10 communicates with the wireless communication device 30 by wireless communication.
  • Wireless communication device 30 communicates with server 40 via network NT. Therefore, the communication adapter 10 transmits information about the air conditioner 20 to the wireless communication device 30, and the wireless communication device 30 transfers the information to the server 40, thereby transmitting the information about the air conditioner 20 from the communication adapter 10 to the server 40. can be done.
  • the air conditioner 20 is a general air conditioner that has a function of outputting state information indicating the operating state of the air conditioner 20 itself.
  • the state information includes, for example, the set temperature of the air conditioner 20, the room temperature of the indoor space in which the indoor unit of the air conditioner 20 is installed, the blowout temperature of the air blown out from the outlet of the indoor unit of the air conditioner 20, and the temperature at which the outdoor unit of the air conditioner 20 is installed. It also includes sensor information indicating the outside air temperature of the outdoor space, the pressure of the compressor provided in the air conditioner 20, and the like.
  • the air conditioner 20 can output sensor information to the other device and supply power to the other device.
  • the air conditioner 20 may not be able to secure the power necessary for its operation and may not be able to operate normally.
  • the communication adapter 10 consumes power to perform wireless communication only when the operation of the air conditioner 20 is not hindered, so the air conditioner 20 runs out of power. You can drive without The air conditioner 20 is an example of equipment according to the present disclosure.
  • the communication adapter 10 acquires status information from the air conditioner 20 via the communication line C by wired communication, creates transmission data to be transmitted to the server 40 based on the status information, and wirelessly communicates the created transmission data by wireless communication. Send to device 30 .
  • the transmission data to be transmitted to the server 40 is data regarding the operation of the air conditioner 20, for example.
  • the communication adapter 10 receives power necessary for operating the communication adapter 10 itself from the air conditioner 20 via the power supply line P.
  • the communication adapter 10 calculates the power that the air conditioner 20 can supply to the communication adapter 10 based on the state information acquired from the air conditioner 20 .
  • the term "power that the air conditioner 20 can supply to the communication adapter 10" as used herein refers to power that the air conditioner 20 can supply to the communication adapter 10 without interfering with the operation of the air conditioner 20 itself. For example, when the air conditioner 20 is operating the compressor, the power consumption of the air conditioner 20 itself increases, so the power that can be supplied to the communication adapter 10 without interfering with the operation of the air conditioner 20 itself decreases.
  • the communication adapter 10 When the calculated suppliable power is greater than the power consumption necessary for wireless communication of the communication adapter 10 itself, the communication adapter 10 transmits transmission data to the wireless communication device 30 by wireless communication. On the other hand, the communication adapter 10 does not perform wireless communication when the calculated suppliable power is smaller than the power consumption necessary for wireless communication of the communication adapter 10 itself. By controlling the wireless communication in this way, power shortage of the air conditioner 20 caused by wireless communication of the communication adapter 10 when the air conditioner 20 is operating with large power consumption can be avoided. Details of this communication control will be described later together with the functional configuration of the communication adapter 10 .
  • the communication adapter 10 is an example of the communication adapter 10 according to the present disclosure.
  • the wireless communication device 30 wirelessly communicates with the communication adapter 10. Wireless communication device 30 communicates with server 40 via network NT.
  • the radio communication device 30 is, for example, a radio communication device provided in a base station that constitutes a mobile phone communication network.
  • the server 40 is a server provided on the network NT.
  • the server 40 collects data transmitted by the communication adapter 10 via the wireless communication device 30 .
  • the server 40 is, for example, a cloud server operated by the manufacturer of the air conditioner 20 .
  • the manufacturer of the air conditioner 20 can utilize the information regarding the air conditioner 20 by collecting the information regarding the air conditioner 20 with the server 40 .
  • the communication adapter 10 includes a device communication unit 100, a power reception unit 110, a state information acquisition unit 120, a power calculation unit 130, a transmittable amount calculation unit 140, a transmission data creation unit 150, a communication control unit 160, and a wireless communication unit 170. .
  • the device communication unit 100 performs wired communication with the air conditioner 20 via the communication line C.
  • the device communication unit 100 is realized by, for example, GPIO (General-purpose input/output).
  • the device communication unit 100 is an example of device communication means according to the present disclosure.
  • the power receiving unit 110 receives power from the air conditioner 20 via the power supply line P.
  • the communication adapter 10 operates with power supplied to the power receiving unit.
  • the power receiving unit 110 is an example of power receiving means according to the present disclosure.
  • the state information acquisition unit 120 acquires state information indicating the operating state of the air conditioner 20 from the air conditioner 20 via the device communication unit 100 .
  • the state information includes sensor data regarding the air conditioner 20, for example.
  • the state information acquisition unit 120 is an example of state information acquisition means according to the present disclosure.
  • the power calculation unit 130 calculates the power that the air conditioner 20 can supply to the power reception unit 110 based on the operating state of the air conditioner 20 indicated by the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit 120 .
  • Power calculator 130 is an example of a power calculator according to the present disclosure.
  • electric power calculation unit 130 determines whether air conditioner 20 has supplied power to power receiving unit 110 based on the operating state of air conditioner 20 indicated by the state information. Power that can be supplied can be calculated.
  • the electric power calculator 130 can accurately calculate the suppliable electric power. This is because the power consumption of the air conditioner 20 increases when the actuator operates. For example, the actuator consumes a large amount of power when the compressor operates greatly for cooling or heating operation, or when the blower fan operates greatly for blowing operation with a large air volume.
  • Data indicating the operating state of the actuator include sensor data indicating the pressure of the compressor, sensor data indicating the number of rotations of the blower fan, and the like.
  • the transmittable amount calculation unit 140 calculates the amount of data that can be transmitted in one wireless communication based on the operating state of the air conditioner 20 indicated by the state information. Depending on the operating state of air conditioner 20, it is conceivable that although power can be continuously supplied to power receiving unit 110 for a certain period of time, power cannot be supplied beyond the certain period of time. In that case, the amount of data that can be transmitted during the certain period of time is the "amount of data that can be transmitted in one wireless communication".
  • the transmittable amount calculator 140 is an example of a transmittable amount calculator according to the present disclosure.
  • the transmission data creation unit 150 creates transmission data to be transmitted to the server 40 based on the state information.
  • the transmission data creating unit 150 creates transmission data whose data amount is the “data amount that can be transmitted in one wireless communication” calculated by the transmittable amount calculating unit 140 .
  • the transmission data creation unit 150 buffers data that could not be transmitted in one wireless communication among the data to be transmitted to the server 40 in a storage unit (not shown), and transmits data including the buffered data in the next wireless communication. Create data.
  • the communication control unit 160 controls the wireless communication unit 170 and controls the transmission data creation unit.
  • the transmission data created in 150 is transmitted to the wireless communication device 30 .
  • the communication control unit 160 does not perform wireless communication by the wireless communication unit 170 when the suppliable power calculated by the power calculation unit 130 is smaller than the power required for wireless communication. With such communication control, the communication control unit 160 can perform wireless communication by the wireless communication unit 170 without impeding the operation of the air conditioner 20 .
  • Communication control unit 160 is an example of communication control means according to the present disclosure.
  • the wireless communication unit 170 wirelessly communicates with the wireless communication device 30 under the control of the communication control unit 160 .
  • Wireless communication unit 170 performs wireless communication using power supplied from air conditioner 20 to power receiving unit 110 .
  • the wireless communication unit 170 is, for example, a wireless communication module connected to GPIO.
  • the wireless communication module is, for example, a wireless communication module compatible with mobile phone communication networks such as 4G (4th generation) and 5G (5th generation).
  • the wireless communication unit 170 is an example of wireless communication means according to the present disclosure.
  • the communication adapter 10 shown in FIG. 3 is implemented by, for example, a microcontroller, which is a small computer.
  • the microcontroller operates with electric power supplied from the air conditioner 20 through a power supply line P (not shown).
  • the communication adapter 10 includes a processor 1001, a memory 1002, an interface 1003, and a secondary storage device 1004, which are interconnected via a bus 1000.
  • the processor 1001 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Each function of the communication adapter 10 is realized by the processor 1001 reading the operating program stored in the secondary storage device 1004 into the memory 1002 and executing it.
  • CPU Central Processing Unit
  • the memory 1002 is, for example, a main memory configured by RAM (Random Access Memory).
  • the memory 1002 stores an operating program read by the processor 1001 from the secondary storage device 1004 .
  • the memory 1002 also functions as a work memory when the processor 1001 executes the operating program.
  • the interface 1003 is, for example, GPIO.
  • the interface 1003 implements the function of the device communication unit 100 , and the connection of the wireless communication module to the interface 1003 implements the function of the wireless communication unit 170 . Also, the interface 1003 supplies power supplied from the air conditioner 20 to modules connected to the interface 1003 .
  • the secondary storage device 1004 is, for example, flash memory.
  • the secondary storage device 1004 stores operation programs executed by the processor 1001 .
  • FIG. 4 is started, for example, when power is supplied from the air conditioner 20 to the power receiving unit 110 of the communication adapter 10 and the communication adapter 10 is activated.
  • the state information acquisition unit 120 of the communication adapter 10 acquires state information from the air conditioner 20 via the device communication unit 100 (step S101).
  • the power calculation unit 130 of the communication adapter 10 calculates the power that can be supplied by the air conditioner 20 based on the operating state of the air conditioner 20 indicated by the state information acquired in step S101 (step S102).
  • the communication control unit 160 of the communication adapter 10 determines whether or not the power calculated in step S102 is greater than the power required for wireless communication by the wireless communication unit 170 (step S103).
  • step S102 When the power calculated in step S102 is smaller than the power required for wireless communication by the wireless communication unit 170 (step S103: No), the communication adapter 10 repeats the operations from step S101.
  • step S102 When the power calculated in step S102 is greater than the power required for wireless communication by the wireless communication unit 170 (step S103: YES), the transmittable amount calculation unit 140 of the communication adapter 10 determines the operation of the air conditioner 20 indicated by the state information. Based on the state, the amount of data that can be transmitted in one wireless communication is calculated (step S104).
  • the transmission data creation unit 150 of the communication adapter 10 creates transmission data to be transmitted to the server 40 based on the state information (step S105).
  • the transmission data creation unit 150 creates transmission data whose data amount is the "data amount that can be transmitted in one wireless communication" calculated in step S104.
  • the communication control unit 160 controls the wireless communication unit 170 to transmit the transmission data created in step S105 to the wireless communication device 30 (step S106). Then, the communication adapter 10 repeats the operation from step S101.
  • the device communication system 1 according to Embodiment 1 has been described above.
  • Communication adapter 10 according to Embodiment 1 calculates the power that air conditioner 20 can supply to power receiving unit 110 based on the operating state of air conditioner 20 indicated by the state information. Then, the communication adapter 10 performs wireless communication when the calculated suppliable power is greater than the power required for wireless communication. Therefore, according to the communication adapter 10, power shortage of the air conditioner 20 can be avoided.
  • Embodiment 2 The device communication system 1 according to Embodiment 2 will be described below.
  • the configuration of the device communication system 1 and the functional configuration of the communication adapter 10 according to Embodiment 2 are generally the same as those of Embodiment 1, but differ in the following points.
  • the wireless communication unit 170 of the communication adapter 10 differs from the first embodiment in that it supports two communication methods.
  • wireless communication section 170 according to Embodiment 2 supports a first communication method and a second communication method that consumes less power than the first communication method.
  • the first communication method is, for example, a communication method compatible with mobile phone communication networks such as 4G and 5G. (Low Power Wide Area).
  • the wireless communication unit 170 according to the second embodiment is realized by connecting two modules, for example, a wireless communication module compatible with a mobile phone communication network and a wireless communication module compatible with LPWA, to GPIO.
  • the wireless communication device 30 that communicates with the wireless communication unit 170 is normally a device that supports the first communication method and a device that supports the second communication method, respectively. These devices are simply referred to as wireless communication device 30 without distinction.
  • the communication control unit 160 of the communication adapter 10 performs wireless communication using the first communication method.
  • the wireless communication unit 170 is controlled to perform communication, and when the suppliable power calculated by the power calculation unit 130 is smaller than the power required for wireless communication by the first communication method, the wireless communication is performed by the second communication method. It differs from the first embodiment in that wireless communication section 170 is controlled to perform communication.
  • the communication control unit 160 according to the second embodiment performs wireless communication using the first communication method when the available power is sufficient, and consumes less power than the first communication method when the available power is insufficient.
  • the wireless communication unit 170 is controlled so as to perform wireless communication using the smaller second communication method.
  • the transmissible amount calculation unit 140 of the communication adapter 10 differs from the first embodiment in that it calculates the amount of data that can be transmitted in one wireless communication for each of the first communication method and the second communication method. different. This is because the transmission speed is usually different between the first communication method and the second communication method, and therefore the amount of data that can be transmitted in one wireless communication also differs depending on the communication method.
  • Steps S201-S202 are exactly the same as in the case of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4, so the description is omitted.
  • the communication control unit 160 determines whether or not the power calculated in step S202 is greater than the power required for wireless communication according to the first communication method (step S203).
  • step S203: Yes When it is determined that the power calculated in step S202 is greater than the power required for wireless communication by the first communication method (step S203: Yes), the operations from step S204 onward are executed, and the wireless communication by the first communication method is performed. When it is determined that the power is smaller than the power required for communication (step S203: No), the operation of step S207 is executed.
  • step S207: Yes When it is determined that the power calculated in step S202 is greater than the power required for wireless communication by the second communication method (step S207: Yes), the operations from step S208 onward are executed, and the wireless communication by the second communication method is performed. When it is determined that the power is smaller than the power required for communication (step S207: No), the operations from step S201 are repeated.
  • steps S204-S206 and the operations of steps S208-S210 respectively correspond to the operations of steps S104-S106 in the case of the first embodiment shown in FIG. However, it differs from the first embodiment in that the communication methods are the first communication method and the second communication method, respectively.
  • the device communication system 1 according to the second embodiment has been described above.
  • the communication adapter 10 according to the second embodiment performs wireless communication according to the first communication method when the calculated available power is greater than the power required for wireless communication according to the first communication method, and the calculated available power reaches the When the power is smaller than the power required for wireless communication by the first communication method, wireless communication is performed by the second communication method, which consumes less power than the first communication method. Therefore, according to the communication adapter 10 according to the second embodiment, even if the calculated suppliable power is small, wireless communication can be performed using the second communication method, and the same advantages as in the first embodiment can be obtained. After that, data can be transmitted more stably than in the first embodiment.
  • the air conditioner 20 is exemplified as equipment, but each embodiment can also be applied to equipment other than the air conditioner.
  • the state information is information indicating the surface temperature and the set heating power of the cooking appliance, so that the suppliable power can be calculated based on the temperature and the set heating power of the cooking appliance. .
  • the wireless communication unit 170 may be compatible with three or more communication methods.
  • the wireless communication unit 170 may further be compatible with wireless LAN communication.
  • the second communication method may be a method in which the parameters of the first communication method are simply changed.
  • the second communication scheme may have half the transmission power of the first communication scheme.
  • the communication adapter 10 has a secondary storage device 1004.
  • the configuration is not limited to this, and the secondary storage device 1004 may be provided outside the communication adapter 10 and the communication adapter 10 and the secondary storage device 1004 may be connected via the interface 1003 .
  • removable media such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) flash drives, memory cards, etc. can also be used as the secondary storage device 1004 .
  • the communication adapter 10 may be configured with a dedicated circuit using ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc. .
  • ASIC Application Specific Integrated Circuit
  • FPGA Field Programmable Gate Array
  • part of the functions of the communication adapter 10 may be implemented by a dedicated circuit connected to the interface 1003, for example.
  • the program used in the communication adapter 10 should be stored and distributed in a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), USB flash drive, memory card, HDD, etc. is possible.
  • a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), USB flash drive, memory card, HDD, etc. is possible.
  • the above program may be stored in a storage device owned by another server on the Internet, and the above program may be downloaded from that server.
  • 1 equipment communication system 10 communication adapter, 20 air conditioner, 30 wireless communication device, 40 server, 100 equipment communication unit, 110 power receiving unit, 120 status information acquisition unit, 130 power calculation unit, 140 transmittable amount calculation unit, 150 transmission data Creation unit, 160 communication control unit, 170 wireless communication unit, 1000 bus, 1001 processor, 1002 memory, 1003 interface, 1004 secondary storage device, C communication line, NT network, P feed line.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Selective Calling Equipment (AREA)

Abstract

This communication adaptor (10) comprises: a power receiving unit (110) that receives the supply of a power from an air conditioner (20); an equipment communication unit (100) that communicates with the air conditioner (20) by wire; a wireless communication unit (170) that uses the power supplied by the power receiving unit (110) to perform wireless communications; a state information acquiring unit (120) that acquires, from the air conditioner (20) via the equipment communication unit (100), state information indicating an operation state of the air conditioner (20); a power calculating unit (130) that calculates, on the basis of the operation state of the air conditioner (20) indicated by the state information, a power the air conditioner (20) can supply to the power receiving unit (110); and a communication control unit (160) that controls the wireless communication unit (170) to perform wireless communications when the power calculated by the power calculating unit (130) is greater than a power necessary for the wireless communication unit (170) to perform the wireless communications.

Description

通信アダプタ、通信制御方法及びプログラムCommunication adapter, communication control method and program
　本開示は、通信アダプタ、通信制御方法及びプログラムに関する。 The present disclosure relates to communication adapters, communication control methods, and programs.
　設備機器に通信アダプタを接続することにより、設備機器に関する情報をネットワーク上に送信することを可能とする技術が知られている。 A technology is known that enables information about the equipment to be transmitted over the network by connecting a communication adapter to the equipment.
　ここで、通信アダプタの動作に必要な電力を設備機器が供給できるようにすると、通信アダプタと外部電源とを接続する必要がなくなり、便利である。 Here, if the equipment can supply the power necessary for the operation of the communication adapter, it is convenient because it is not necessary to connect the communication adapter and an external power supply.
　一方、設備機器が通信アダプタに電力を供給することにより設備機器の運転に支障が生じる可能性がある。特に、通信アダプタが無線通信によりネットワーク通信を行うものである場合、無線通信に多大な電力が消費され、設備機器の運転に必要な電力が不足することが考えられる。例えば設備機器がエアコンであり、当該エアコンがコンプレッサを作動させる運転を行うときに、無線通信を行う通信アダプタに多大な電力が消費され、コンプレッサを十分に作動させるための電力が不足してしまうことが考えられる。 On the other hand, there is a possibility that the operation of the equipment may be hindered by the equipment supplying power to the communication adapter. In particular, when the communication adapter performs network communication by wireless communication, a large amount of power is consumed in wireless communication, and it is conceivable that the power required for the operation of equipment may be insufficient. For example, when the equipment is an air conditioner and the air conditioner operates to operate the compressor, a large amount of power is consumed by the communication adapter that performs wireless communication, resulting in a shortage of power to sufficiently operate the compressor. can be considered.
　上記の事情に関連する技術として、特許文献１には、電気機器が自身の動作状態を監視し、通信の必要性があるときのみ通信アダプタに電力を供給する技術が開示されている。この技術により、電気機器は通信が必要なときにのみ通信アダプタに電力を供給することができる。 As a technology related to the above circumstances, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which an electrical device monitors its own operating state and supplies power to a communication adapter only when communication is necessary. This technology allows the electrical device to power the communications adapter only when it needs to communicate.
特開２００６－２２９４２２号公報JP 2006-229422 A
　特許文献１に記載の技術は、電気機器が自身の動作状態を監視し、電気機器自身が電力の供給を調整する。そのため、特許文献１に記載の技術を既存の設備機器に応用しようとすると、設備機器の改修が必要になってしまうという問題がある。 With the technology described in Patent Document 1, the electrical equipment monitors its own operating state, and the electrical equipment itself adjusts the power supply. Therefore, if the technology described in Patent Document 1 is applied to existing equipment, there is a problem that the equipment needs to be repaired.
　本開示の目的は、上記の事情に鑑み、既存の設備機器を改修することなく電力不足を回避できる通信アダプタ等を提供することにある。 In view of the above circumstances, the purpose of the present disclosure is to provide communication adapters and the like that can avoid power shortages without modifying existing equipment.
　上記の目的を達成するため、本開示に係る通信アダプタは、
　設備機器から電力の供給を受ける受電手段と、
　前記設備機器と有線通信する機器通信手段と、
　前記受電手段に供給された電力により無線通信をする無線通信手段と、
　前記機器通信手段を介して前記設備機器から前記設備機器の動作状態を示す状態情報を取得する状態情報取得手段と、
　前記状態情報が示す前記設備機器の動作状態に基づいて、前記設備機器が前記受電手段に供給可能な電力を算出する電力算出手段と、
　前記電力算出手段により算出された電力が前記無線通信手段による無線通信に必要な電力より大きいときに、前記無線通信手段を制御して無線通信を行う通信制御手段と、
　を備える。 In order to achieve the above object, the communication adapter according to the present disclosure includes:
a power receiving means for receiving power supply from equipment;
a device communication means for wired communication with the facility device;
wireless communication means for wirelessly communicating with the power supplied to the power receiving means;
a state information acquisition means for acquiring state information indicating an operating state of the equipment from the equipment via the equipment communication means;
power calculation means for calculating power that the equipment can supply to the power receiving means based on the operating state of the equipment indicated by the state information;
communication control means for controlling the wireless communication means to perform wireless communication when the power calculated by the power calculating means is greater than the power required for wireless communication by the wireless communication means;
Prepare.
　本開示によれば、既存の設備機器を改修することなく電力不足を回避できる通信アダプタ等を提供することにある。 According to the present disclosure, the object is to provide a communication adapter or the like that can avoid power shortages without modifying existing equipment.
本開示の実施の形態１に係る機器通信システムの全体構成を示す図A diagram showing the overall configuration of an equipment communication system according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure 本開示の実施の形態１に係る通信アダプタの機能的構成を示す図A diagram showing a functional configuration of a communication adapter according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure 本開示の実施の形態１に係る通信アダプタのハードウェア構成の一例を示す図A diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a communication adapter according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure 本開示の実施の形態１に係る通信アダプタによる通信制御の動作の一例を示すフローチャートFlowchart showing an example of communication control operation by the communication adapter according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure 本開示の実施の形態２に係る通信アダプタによる通信制御の動作の一例を示すフローチャートFlowchart showing an example of communication control operation by a communication adapter according to Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure
　以下、図面を参照しながら、本開示に係る通信アダプタを機器通信システムに適用した実施の形態を説明する。各図面においては、同一又は同等の部分に同一の符号を付す。 An embodiment in which a communication adapter according to the present disclosure is applied to a device communication system will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected to the same or equivalent part.
（実施の形態１）
　図１を参照しながら、実施の形態１に係る機器通信システム１を説明する。機器通信システム１は、設備機器であるエアコン２０に関する情報をネットワークＮＴ上のサーバ４０に送信するための機器通信システムである。機器通信システム１は、通信アダプタ１０とエアコン２０と無線通信装置３０とサーバ４０とを備える。通信アダプタ１０とエアコン２０とは、通信線Ｃにより通信する。通信アダプタ１０とエアコン２０との間には、通信線Ｃ及び給電線Ｐが接続されている。通信アダプタ１０は、無線通信により無線通信装置３０と通信する。無線通信装置３０は、ネットワークＮＴを介してサーバ４０と通信する。そのため、エアコン２０に関する情報を通信アダプタ１０が無線通信装置３０に送信し、無線通信装置３０が当該情報をサーバ４０に転送することにより、エアコン２０に関する情報を通信アダプタ１０からサーバ４０に送信することができる。 (Embodiment 1)
A device communication system 1 according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The device communication system 1 is a device communication system for transmitting information about the air conditioner 20, which is equipment, to the server 40 on the network NT. The equipment communication system 1 includes a communication adapter 10 , an air conditioner 20 , a wireless communication device 30 and a server 40 . Communication adapter 10 and air conditioner 20 communicate with each other through communication line C. FIG. A communication line C and a power supply line P are connected between the communication adapter 10 and the air conditioner 20 . The communication adapter 10 communicates with the wireless communication device 30 by wireless communication. Wireless communication device 30 communicates with server 40 via network NT. Therefore, the communication adapter 10 transmits information about the air conditioner 20 to the wireless communication device 30, and the wireless communication device 30 transfers the information to the server 40, thereby transmitting the information about the air conditioner 20 from the communication adapter 10 to the server 40. can be done.
　エアコン２０は、エアコン２０自身の動作状態を示す状態情報を出力する機能を有する一般的なエアコンである。状態情報は、例えばエアコン２０の設定温度、エアコン２０の室内機が設置された屋内空間の室温、エアコン２０の室内機の吹き出し口から吹き出される空気の吹き出し温度、エアコン２０の室外機が設置された屋外空間の外気温、エアコン２０が備えるコンプレッサの圧力などを示すセンサ情報を含む。エアコン２０は、通信線Ｃ及び給電線Ｐを介して他の装置に接続されることにより、当該他の装置にセンサ情報を出力し、当該他の装置に電力を供給することができる。 The air conditioner 20 is a general air conditioner that has a function of outputting state information indicating the operating state of the air conditioner 20 itself. The state information includes, for example, the set temperature of the air conditioner 20, the room temperature of the indoor space in which the indoor unit of the air conditioner 20 is installed, the blowout temperature of the air blown out from the outlet of the indoor unit of the air conditioner 20, and the temperature at which the outdoor unit of the air conditioner 20 is installed. It also includes sensor information indicating the outside air temperature of the outdoor space, the pressure of the compressor provided in the air conditioner 20, and the like. By being connected to another device via the communication line C and the power supply line P, the air conditioner 20 can output sensor information to the other device and supply power to the other device.
　ただし、当該他の装置が電力を大きく消費する場合、エアコン２０は運転に必要な電力を確保できず、正常な運転を行えなくなる可能性がある。後述のとおり、当該他の装置が通信アダプタ１０である場合、通信アダプタ１０はエアコン２０の運転に支障がないときに限って電力を消費して無線通信を行うため、エアコン２０は電力不足になることなく運転をすることができる。エアコン２０は、本開示に係る設備機器の一例である。 However, if the other device consumes a large amount of power, the air conditioner 20 may not be able to secure the power necessary for its operation and may not be able to operate normally. As will be described later, when the other device is the communication adapter 10, the communication adapter 10 consumes power to perform wireless communication only when the operation of the air conditioner 20 is not hindered, so the air conditioner 20 runs out of power. You can drive without The air conditioner 20 is an example of equipment according to the present disclosure.
　通信アダプタ１０は、通信線Ｃを介してエアコン２０から有線通信により状態情報を取得し、状態情報に基づいてサーバ４０に送信すべき送信データを作成し、作成した送信データを無線通信により無線通信装置３０に送信する。サーバ４０に送信すべき送信データは、例えばエアコン２０の運転に関するデータである。通信アダプタ１０は、給電線Ｐを介してエアコン２０から通信アダプタ１０自身の動作に必要な電力の供給を受ける。 The communication adapter 10 acquires status information from the air conditioner 20 via the communication line C by wired communication, creates transmission data to be transmitted to the server 40 based on the status information, and wirelessly communicates the created transmission data by wireless communication. Send to device 30 . The transmission data to be transmitted to the server 40 is data regarding the operation of the air conditioner 20, for example. The communication adapter 10 receives power necessary for operating the communication adapter 10 itself from the air conditioner 20 via the power supply line P.
　通信アダプタ１０は、エアコン２０から取得した状態情報に基づいて、エアコン２０が通信アダプタ１０に供給可能な電力を算出する。ここでいう「エアコン２０が通信アダプタ１０に供給可能な電力」とは、エアコン２０がエアコン２０自身の動作に支障を起こすことなく通信アダプタ１０に供給することができる電力をいう。例えば、エアコン２０がコンプレッサを作動させているときにはエアコン２０自身の消費電力が大きくなるため、エアコン２０自身の動作に支障を起こすことなく通信アダプタ１０に供給できる電力は小さくなる。 The communication adapter 10 calculates the power that the air conditioner 20 can supply to the communication adapter 10 based on the state information acquired from the air conditioner 20 . The term "power that the air conditioner 20 can supply to the communication adapter 10" as used herein refers to power that the air conditioner 20 can supply to the communication adapter 10 without interfering with the operation of the air conditioner 20 itself. For example, when the air conditioner 20 is operating the compressor, the power consumption of the air conditioner 20 itself increases, so the power that can be supplied to the communication adapter 10 without interfering with the operation of the air conditioner 20 itself decreases.
　通信アダプタ１０は、算出した供給可能電力が通信アダプタ１０自身の無線通信に必要な消費電力よりも大きいときには、無線通信により送信データを無線通信装置３０に送信する。一方、通信アダプタ１０は、算出した供給可能電力が通信アダプタ１０自身の無線通信に必要な消費電力よりも小さいときには、無線通信を行わない。このように無線通信を制御することにより、エアコン２０が消費電力の大きい運転をしているときに通信アダプタ１０が無線通信を行ってしまうことにより生じるエアコン２０の電力不足を回避することができる。この通信制御の詳細は、通信アダプタ１０の機能的構成と併せて後述する。通信アダプタ１０は、本開示に係る通信アダプタ１０の一例である。 When the calculated suppliable power is greater than the power consumption necessary for wireless communication of the communication adapter 10 itself, the communication adapter 10 transmits transmission data to the wireless communication device 30 by wireless communication. On the other hand, the communication adapter 10 does not perform wireless communication when the calculated suppliable power is smaller than the power consumption necessary for wireless communication of the communication adapter 10 itself. By controlling the wireless communication in this way, power shortage of the air conditioner 20 caused by wireless communication of the communication adapter 10 when the air conditioner 20 is operating with large power consumption can be avoided. Details of this communication control will be described later together with the functional configuration of the communication adapter 10 . The communication adapter 10 is an example of the communication adapter 10 according to the present disclosure.
　無線通信装置３０は、通信アダプタ１０と無線通信する。無線通信装置３０は、ネットワークＮＴを介してサーバ４０と通信する。無線通信装置３０は、例えば携帯電話通信網を構成する基地局に設けられた無線通信装置である。 The wireless communication device 30 wirelessly communicates with the communication adapter 10. Wireless communication device 30 communicates with server 40 via network NT. The radio communication device 30 is, for example, a radio communication device provided in a base station that constitutes a mobile phone communication network.
　サーバ４０は、ネットワークＮＴ上に設けられたサーバである。サーバ４０は、無線通信装置３０を介して通信アダプタ１０が送信したデータを収集する。サーバ４０は、例えばエアコン２０の製造者が運営するクラウドサーバである。エアコン２０の製造者は、エアコン２０に関する情報をサーバ４０により収集することにより、エアコン２０に関するサービスに利活用することができる。 The server 40 is a server provided on the network NT. The server 40 collects data transmitted by the communication adapter 10 via the wireless communication device 30 . The server 40 is, for example, a cloud server operated by the manufacturer of the air conditioner 20 . The manufacturer of the air conditioner 20 can utilize the information regarding the air conditioner 20 by collecting the information regarding the air conditioner 20 with the server 40 .
　次に、図２を参照しながら、通信アダプタ１０の機能的構成を説明する。通信アダプタ１０は、機器通信部１００と受電部１１０と状態情報取得部１２０と電力算出部１３０と送信可能量算出部１４０と送信データ作成部１５０と通信制御部１６０と無線通信部１７０とを備える。 Next, the functional configuration of the communication adapter 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The communication adapter 10 includes a device communication unit 100, a power reception unit 110, a state information acquisition unit 120, a power calculation unit 130, a transmittable amount calculation unit 140, a transmission data creation unit 150, a communication control unit 160, and a wireless communication unit 170. .
　機器通信部１００は、通信線Ｃを介してエアコン２０と有線通信する。機器通信部１００は、例えばＧＰＩＯ（General-purpose input/output）により実現される。機器通信部１００は、本開示に係る機器通信手段の一例である。 The device communication unit 100 performs wired communication with the air conditioner 20 via the communication line C. The device communication unit 100 is realized by, for example, GPIO (General-purpose input/output). The device communication unit 100 is an example of device communication means according to the present disclosure.
　受電部１１０は、給電線Ｐを介してエアコン２０から電力の供給を受ける。通信アダプタ１０は、受電部に供給された電力により動作する。受電部１１０は、本開示に係る受電手段の一例である。 The power receiving unit 110 receives power from the air conditioner 20 via the power supply line P. The communication adapter 10 operates with power supplied to the power receiving unit. The power receiving unit 110 is an example of power receiving means according to the present disclosure.
　状態情報取得部１２０は、機器通信部１００を介してエアコン２０からエアコン２０の動作状態を示す状態情報を取得する。上述のとおり、状態情報は、例えばエアコン２０に関するセンサデータを含む。状態情報取得部１２０は、本開示に係る状態情報取得手段の一例である。 The state information acquisition unit 120 acquires state information indicating the operating state of the air conditioner 20 from the air conditioner 20 via the device communication unit 100 . As described above, the state information includes sensor data regarding the air conditioner 20, for example. The state information acquisition unit 120 is an example of state information acquisition means according to the present disclosure.
　電力算出部１３０は、状態情報取得部１２０が取得した状態情報が示すエアコン２０の動作状態に基づいて、エアコン２０が受電部１１０に供給可能な電力を算出する。電力算出部１３０は、本開示に係る電力算出手段の一例である。 The power calculation unit 130 calculates the power that the air conditioner 20 can supply to the power reception unit 110 based on the operating state of the air conditioner 20 indicated by the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit 120 . Power calculator 130 is an example of a power calculator according to the present disclosure.
　電力算出部１３０による供給可能電力の算出の一例を説明する。例えば、状態情報が、動作状態としてエアコン２０の設定温度、エアコン２０の室内機が設置された屋内空間の室温及びエアコン２０の室外機が設置された屋外空間の外気温を示す場合を考える。この場合、設定温度と室温との差及び室温と外気温との差が小さければ、エアコン２０の動作に必要な電力は小さくなるので、エアコン２０が受電部１１０に供給可能な電力は大きくなる。一方、設定温度と室温との差及び室温と外気温との差が大きい場合、エアコン２０の動作に必要な電力は大きくなるので、エアコン２０が受電部１１０に供給可能な電力は小さくなる。このように、エアコン２０の動作状態と供給可能電力との間には対応関係があるため、電力算出部１３０は、状態情報が示すエアコン２０の動作状態に基づいて、エアコン２０が受電部１１０に供給可能な電力を算出することができる。 An example of calculation of suppliable power by the power calculator 130 will be described. For example, consider a case where the state information indicates the set temperature of the air conditioner 20, the room temperature of the indoor space where the indoor unit of the air conditioner 20 is installed, and the outside temperature of the outdoor space where the outdoor unit of the air conditioner 20 is installed. In this case, if the difference between the set temperature and the room temperature and the difference between the room temperature and the outside temperature are small, the power required for operating the air conditioner 20 will be small, so the power that the air conditioner 20 can supply to the power receiving unit 110 will be large. On the other hand, when the difference between the set temperature and the room temperature and the difference between the room temperature and the outside temperature are large, the power required to operate the air conditioner 20 is large, so the power that the air conditioner 20 can supply to the power receiving unit 110 is small. As described above, since there is a correspondence relationship between the operating state of air conditioner 20 and the suppliable power, electric power calculation unit 130 determines whether air conditioner 20 has supplied power to power receiving unit 110 based on the operating state of air conditioner 20 indicated by the state information. Power that can be supplied can be calculated.
　特に、状態情報が、エアコン２０が備えるアクチュエータの動作状態を示すものである場合、電力算出部１３０は、精度よく供給可能電力を算出できる。エアコン２０は、アクチュエータが動作するときに消費電力が大きくなるからである。例えば、冷暖房運転のためにコンプレッサが大きく動作するとき、風量が大きい送風運転を行うために送風ファンが大きく動作するときなどの際に、アクチュエータによる消費電力が大きくなる。アクチュエータの動作状態を示すものとして、コンプレッサの圧力を示すセンサデータ、送風ファンの回転数を示すセンサデータなどがある。 In particular, when the state information indicates the operating state of the actuators included in the air conditioner 20, the electric power calculator 130 can accurately calculate the suppliable electric power. This is because the power consumption of the air conditioner 20 increases when the actuator operates. For example, the actuator consumes a large amount of power when the compressor operates greatly for cooling or heating operation, or when the blower fan operates greatly for blowing operation with a large air volume. Data indicating the operating state of the actuator include sensor data indicating the pressure of the compressor, sensor data indicating the number of rotations of the blower fan, and the like.
　送信可能量算出部１４０は、状態情報が示すエアコン２０の動作状態に基づいて、１回の無線通信にて送信可能なデータ量を算出する。エアコン２０の動作状態によっては、一定時間は継続して受電部１１０に電力を供給することができるものの、一定時間を超えて電力を供給することができないことが考えられる。その場合、当該一定時間の間に送信可能なデータ量が「１回の無線通信にて送信可能なデータ量」となる。送信可能量算出部１４０は、本開示に係る送信可能量算出手段の一例である。 The transmittable amount calculation unit 140 calculates the amount of data that can be transmitted in one wireless communication based on the operating state of the air conditioner 20 indicated by the state information. Depending on the operating state of air conditioner 20, it is conceivable that although power can be continuously supplied to power receiving unit 110 for a certain period of time, power cannot be supplied beyond the certain period of time. In that case, the amount of data that can be transmitted during the certain period of time is the "amount of data that can be transmitted in one wireless communication". The transmittable amount calculator 140 is an example of a transmittable amount calculator according to the present disclosure.
　送信データ作成部１５０は、状態情報に基づいて、サーバ４０に送信すべき送信データを作成する。送信データ作成部１５０は、データ量が、送信可能量算出部１４０により算出された「１回の無線通信にて送信可能なデータ量」となる送信データを作成する。送信データ作成部１５０は、サーバ４０に送信すべきデータのうち１回の無線通信で送信できなかったデータを図示しない記憶部にバッファリングし、次回の無線通信時にバッファリングされたデータを含む送信データを作成する。 The transmission data creation unit 150 creates transmission data to be transmitted to the server 40 based on the state information. The transmission data creating unit 150 creates transmission data whose data amount is the “data amount that can be transmitted in one wireless communication” calculated by the transmittable amount calculating unit 140 . The transmission data creation unit 150 buffers data that could not be transmitted in one wireless communication among the data to be transmitted to the server 40 in a storage unit (not shown), and transmits data including the buffered data in the next wireless communication. Create data.
　通信制御部１６０は、電力算出部１３０により算出された供給可能電力が、後述の無線通信部１７０による無線通信に必要な電力より大きいときに、無線通信部１７０を制御して、送信データ作成部１５０にて作成された送信データを無線通信装置３０に送信する。通信制御部１６０は、電力算出部１３０により算出された供給可能電力が無線通信に必要な電力より小さいときには、無線通信部１７０による無線通信を行わない。このような通信制御により、通信制御部１６０は、エアコン２０の動作に支障を起こすことなく無線通信部１７０による無線通信を行うことができる。通信制御部１６０は、本開示に係る通信制御手段の一例である。 When the suppliable power calculated by the power calculation unit 130 is greater than the power required for wireless communication by the wireless communication unit 170, which will be described later, the communication control unit 160 controls the wireless communication unit 170 and controls the transmission data creation unit. The transmission data created in 150 is transmitted to the wireless communication device 30 . The communication control unit 160 does not perform wireless communication by the wireless communication unit 170 when the suppliable power calculated by the power calculation unit 130 is smaller than the power required for wireless communication. With such communication control, the communication control unit 160 can perform wireless communication by the wireless communication unit 170 without impeding the operation of the air conditioner 20 . Communication control unit 160 is an example of communication control means according to the present disclosure.
　無線通信部１７０は、通信制御部１６０による制御に基づいて、無線通信装置３０と無線通信をする。無線通信部１７０は、エアコン２０から受電部１１０に供給された電力により無線通信を行う。無線通信部１７０は、例えばＧＰＩＯに接続された無線通信モジュールである。当該無線通信モジュールは、例えば４Ｇ（4th generation）、５Ｇ（5th generation）などの携帯電話通信網に対応した無線通信モジュールである。無線通信部１７０は、本開示に係る無線通信手段の一例である。 The wireless communication unit 170 wirelessly communicates with the wireless communication device 30 under the control of the communication control unit 160 . Wireless communication unit 170 performs wireless communication using power supplied from air conditioner 20 to power receiving unit 110 . The wireless communication unit 170 is, for example, a wireless communication module connected to GPIO. The wireless communication module is, for example, a wireless communication module compatible with mobile phone communication networks such as 4G (4th generation) and 5G (5th generation). The wireless communication unit 170 is an example of wireless communication means according to the present disclosure.
　次に、通信アダプタ１０のハードウェア構成の一例について、図３を参照しながら説明する。図３に示す通信アダプタ１０は、例えば小型コンピュータであるマイクロコントローラにより実現される。当該マイクロコントローラは、図示しない給電線Ｐによりエアコン２０から供給される電力にて動作する。 Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the communication adapter 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The communication adapter 10 shown in FIG. 3 is implemented by, for example, a microcontroller, which is a small computer. The microcontroller operates with electric power supplied from the air conditioner 20 through a power supply line P (not shown).
　通信アダプタ１０は、バス１０００を介して互いに接続された、プロセッサ１００１と、メモリ１００２と、インタフェース１００３と、二次記憶装置１００４と、を備える。 The communication adapter 10 includes a processor 1001, a memory 1002, an interface 1003, and a secondary storage device 1004, which are interconnected via a bus 1000.
　プロセッサ１００１は、例えばＣＰＵ（Central Processing Unit：中央演算装置）である。プロセッサ１００１が、二次記憶装置１００４に記憶された動作プログラムをメモリ１００２に読み込んで実行することにより、通信アダプタ１０の各機能が実現される。 The processor 1001 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Each function of the communication adapter 10 is realized by the processor 1001 reading the operating program stored in the secondary storage device 1004 into the memory 1002 and executing it.
　メモリ１００２は、例えば、ＲＡＭ（Random Access Memory）により構成される主記憶装置である。メモリ１００２は、プロセッサ１００１が二次記憶装置１００４から読み込んだ動作プログラムを記憶する。また、メモリ１００２は、プロセッサ１００１が動作プログラムを実行する際のワークメモリとして機能する。 The memory 1002 is, for example, a main memory configured by RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory 1002 stores an operating program read by the processor 1001 from the secondary storage device 1004 . The memory 1002 also functions as a work memory when the processor 1001 executes the operating program.
　インタフェース１００３は、例えばＧＰＩＯである。インタフェース１００３により機器通信部１００の機能が実現され、インタフェース１００３に無線通信モジュールが接続されることにより無線通信部１７０の機能が実現される。また、インタフェース１００３は、エアコン２０から供給された電力を、インタフェース１００３に接続されたモジュールに供給する。 The interface 1003 is, for example, GPIO. The interface 1003 implements the function of the device communication unit 100 , and the connection of the wireless communication module to the interface 1003 implements the function of the wireless communication unit 170 . Also, the interface 1003 supplies power supplied from the air conditioner 20 to modules connected to the interface 1003 .
　二次記憶装置１００４は、例えば、フラッシュメモリである。二次記憶装置１００４は、プロセッサ１００１が実行する動作プログラムを記憶する。 The secondary storage device 1004 is, for example, flash memory. The secondary storage device 1004 stores operation programs executed by the processor 1001 .
　次に、図４を参照しながら、通信アダプタ１０による通信制御の動作の一例を説明する。図４に示す動作は、例えば通信アダプタ１０の受電部１１０にエアコン２０から電力が供給され通信アダプタ１０が起動したときに開始される。 Next, an example of communication control operation by the communication adapter 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The operation shown in FIG. 4 is started, for example, when power is supplied from the air conditioner 20 to the power receiving unit 110 of the communication adapter 10 and the communication adapter 10 is activated.
　通信アダプタ１０の状態情報取得部１２０は、機器通信部１００を介してエアコン２０から状態情報を取得する（ステップＳ１０１）。 The state information acquisition unit 120 of the communication adapter 10 acquires state information from the air conditioner 20 via the device communication unit 100 (step S101).
　通信アダプタ１０の電力算出部１３０は、ステップＳ１０１にて取得した状態情報が示すエアコン２０の動作状態に基づいて、エアコン２０が供給可能な電力を算出する（ステップＳ１０２）。 The power calculation unit 130 of the communication adapter 10 calculates the power that can be supplied by the air conditioner 20 based on the operating state of the air conditioner 20 indicated by the state information acquired in step S101 (step S102).
　通信アダプタ１０の通信制御部１６０は、ステップＳ１０２にて算出した電力が、無線通信部１７０による無線通信に必要な電力より大きいか否かを判定する（ステップＳ１０３）。 The communication control unit 160 of the communication adapter 10 determines whether or not the power calculated in step S102 is greater than the power required for wireless communication by the wireless communication unit 170 (step S103).
　ステップＳ１０２にて算出した電力が、無線通信部１７０による無線通信に必要な電力より小さいとき（ステップＳ１０３：Ｎｏ）、通信アダプタ１０は、ステップＳ１０１からの動作を繰り返す。 When the power calculated in step S102 is smaller than the power required for wireless communication by the wireless communication unit 170 (step S103: No), the communication adapter 10 repeats the operations from step S101.
　ステップＳ１０２にて算出した電力が、無線通信部１７０による無線通信に必要な電力より大きいとき（ステップＳ１０３：ＹＥＳ）、通信アダプタ１０の送信可能量算出部１４０は、状態情報が示すエアコン２０の動作状態に基づいて、１回の無線通信で送信可能なデータ量を算出する（ステップＳ１０４）。 When the power calculated in step S102 is greater than the power required for wireless communication by the wireless communication unit 170 (step S103: YES), the transmittable amount calculation unit 140 of the communication adapter 10 determines the operation of the air conditioner 20 indicated by the state information. Based on the state, the amount of data that can be transmitted in one wireless communication is calculated (step S104).
　通信アダプタ１０の送信データ作成部１５０は、状態情報に基づいて、サーバ４０に送信すべき送信データを作成する（ステップＳ１０５）。送信データ作成部１５０は、データ量が、ステップＳ１０４にて算出した「１回の無線通信にて送信可能なデータ量」となる送信データを作成する。 The transmission data creation unit 150 of the communication adapter 10 creates transmission data to be transmitted to the server 40 based on the state information (step S105). The transmission data creation unit 150 creates transmission data whose data amount is the "data amount that can be transmitted in one wireless communication" calculated in step S104.
　通信制御部１６０は、無線通信部１７０を制御して、ステップＳ１０５にて作成した送信データを無線通信装置３０に送信する（ステップＳ１０６）。そして通信アダプタ１０は、ステップＳ１０１からの動作を繰り返す。 The communication control unit 160 controls the wireless communication unit 170 to transmit the transmission data created in step S105 to the wireless communication device 30 (step S106). Then, the communication adapter 10 repeats the operation from step S101.
　以上、実施の形態１に係る機器通信システム１を説明した。実施の形態１に係る通信アダプタ１０は、状態情報が示すエアコン２０の動作状態に基づいて、エアコン２０が受電部１１０に供給可能な電力を算出する。そして通信アダプタ１０は、算出した供給可能電力が無線通信に必要な電力より大きいときに、無線通信を行う。そのため、通信アダプタ１０によれば、エアコン２０の電力不足を回避できる。 The device communication system 1 according to Embodiment 1 has been described above. Communication adapter 10 according to Embodiment 1 calculates the power that air conditioner 20 can supply to power receiving unit 110 based on the operating state of air conditioner 20 indicated by the state information. Then, the communication adapter 10 performs wireless communication when the calculated suppliable power is greater than the power required for wireless communication. Therefore, according to the communication adapter 10, power shortage of the air conditioner 20 can be avoided.
　ここで注目すべき点は、エアコン２０を通信アダプタ１０に対応させるための改修が不要な点である。通信アダプタ１０は、既存の設備機器であるエアコン２０から取得した状態情報に基づいて上述の通信制御を行うからである。したがって、通信アダプタ１０によれば、既存の設備機器を改修することなく電力不足を回避できる。 What should be noted here is that no modification is required to make the air conditioner 20 compatible with the communication adapter 10. This is because the communication adapter 10 performs the above-described communication control based on the state information acquired from the air conditioner 20, which is existing equipment. Therefore, according to the communication adapter 10, power shortage can be avoided without repairing existing equipment.
（実施の形態２）
　以下、実施の形態２に係る機器通信システム１について説明する。実施の形態２に係る機器通信システム１の構成及び通信アダプタ１０の機能的構成は、概ね実施の形態１と同様だが、以下に説明する点が異なる。 (Embodiment 2)
The device communication system 1 according to Embodiment 2 will be described below. The configuration of the device communication system 1 and the functional configuration of the communication adapter 10 according to Embodiment 2 are generally the same as those of Embodiment 1, but differ in the following points.
　まず、通信アダプタ１０の無線通信部１７０が、２つの通信方式に対応する点が実施の形態１と異なる。具体的には、実施の形態２に係る無線通信部１７０は、第１の通信方式と、第１の通信方式より消費電力の小さい第２の通信方式に対応する。第１の通信方式は、例えば４Ｇ、５Ｇなどの携帯電話通信網に対応した通信方式であり、第２の通信方式は、例えば通信速度は遅いが低消費電力で広範囲な無線通信が可能なＬＰＷＡ（Low Power Wide Area）に対応した通信方式である。実施の形態２に係る無線通信部１７０は、例えば携帯電話通信網に対応した無線通信モジュールと、ＬＰＷＡに対応した無線通信モジュールの２つのモジュールがＧＰＩＯに接続されることにより実現される。 First, the wireless communication unit 170 of the communication adapter 10 differs from the first embodiment in that it supports two communication methods. Specifically, wireless communication section 170 according to Embodiment 2 supports a first communication method and a second communication method that consumes less power than the first communication method. The first communication method is, for example, a communication method compatible with mobile phone communication networks such as 4G and 5G. (Low Power Wide Area). The wireless communication unit 170 according to the second embodiment is realized by connecting two modules, for example, a wireless communication module compatible with a mobile phone communication network and a wireless communication module compatible with LPWA, to GPIO.
　なお、無線通信部１７０と通信する無線通信装置３０は、第１の通信方式に対応する装置と第２の通信方式に対応する装置とでそれぞれ異なる装置となることが通常であるが、以下ではこれらの装置を区別せず単に無線通信装置３０という。 It should be noted that the wireless communication device 30 that communicates with the wireless communication unit 170 is normally a device that supports the first communication method and a device that supports the second communication method, respectively. These devices are simply referred to as wireless communication device 30 without distinction.
　次に、通信アダプタ１０の通信制御部１６０は、電力算出部１３０により算出された供給可能電力が、第１の通信方式による無線通信に必要な電力より大きいときには、第１の通信方式にて無線通信を行うように無線通信部１７０を制御して、電力算出部１３０により算出された供給可能電力が第１の通信方式による無線通信に必要な電力より小さいときには、第２の通信方式にて無線通信を行うように無線通信部１７０を制御する点が実施の形態１と異なる。つまり、実施の形態２に係る通信制御部１６０は、供給可能電力が十分なときには第１の通信方式にて無線通信を行い、供給可能電力が十分でないときには第１の通信方式よりも消費電力の小さい第２の通信方式にて無線通信を行うように無線通信部１７０を制御する。 Next, when the suppliable power calculated by the power calculation unit 130 is greater than the power required for wireless communication according to the first communication method, the communication control unit 160 of the communication adapter 10 performs wireless communication using the first communication method. The wireless communication unit 170 is controlled to perform communication, and when the suppliable power calculated by the power calculation unit 130 is smaller than the power required for wireless communication by the first communication method, the wireless communication is performed by the second communication method. It differs from the first embodiment in that wireless communication section 170 is controlled to perform communication. In other words, the communication control unit 160 according to the second embodiment performs wireless communication using the first communication method when the available power is sufficient, and consumes less power than the first communication method when the available power is insufficient. The wireless communication unit 170 is controlled so as to perform wireless communication using the smaller second communication method.
　そして、通信アダプタ１０の送信可能量算出部１４０は、第１の通信方式、第２の通信方式のそれぞれについて、１回の無線通信で送信可能なデータ量を算出する点が実施の形態１と異なる。第１の通信方式と第２の通信方式とでは伝送速度が異なることが通常であるため、１回の無線通信で送信可能なデータ量も通信方式ごとに異なるからである。 The transmissible amount calculation unit 140 of the communication adapter 10 differs from the first embodiment in that it calculates the amount of data that can be transmitted in one wireless communication for each of the first communication method and the second communication method. different. This is because the transmission speed is usually different between the first communication method and the second communication method, and therefore the amount of data that can be transmitted in one wireless communication also differs depending on the communication method.
　次に、図５を参照しながら、実施の形態２に係る通信アダプタ１０による通信制御の動作の一例について説明する。ただし、図４に示す実施の形態１に係る動作と異なる点を主に説明し、共通する点については省略する。 Next, an example of communication control operation by the communication adapter 10 according to Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to FIG. However, differences from the operation according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4 will be mainly described, and common points will be omitted.
　ステップＳ２０１－Ｓ２０２については、図４に示す実施の形態１の場合と全く同様であるため説明を省略する。 Steps S201-S202 are exactly the same as in the case of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4, so the description is omitted.
　通信制御部１６０は、ステップＳ２０２にて算出した電力が、第１の通信方式による無線通信に必要な電力より大きいか否かを判定する（ステップＳ２０３）。 The communication control unit 160 determines whether or not the power calculated in step S202 is greater than the power required for wireless communication according to the first communication method (step S203).
　ステップＳ２０２にて算出した電力が、第１の通信方式による無線通信に必要な電力より大きいと判定したとき（ステップＳ２０３：Ｙｅｓ）、ステップＳ２０４以下の動作が実行され、第１の通信方式による無線通信に必要な電力より小さいと判定したとき（ステップＳ２０３：Ｎｏ）、ステップＳ２０７の動作が実行される。 When it is determined that the power calculated in step S202 is greater than the power required for wireless communication by the first communication method (step S203: Yes), the operations from step S204 onward are executed, and the wireless communication by the first communication method is performed. When it is determined that the power is smaller than the power required for communication (step S203: No), the operation of step S207 is executed.
　ステップＳ２０２にて算出した電力が、第２の通信方式による無線通信に必要な電力より大きいと判定したとき（ステップＳ２０７：Ｙｅｓ）、ステップＳ２０８以下の動作が実行され、第２の通信方式による無線通信に必要な電力より小さいと判定したとき（ステップＳ２０７：Ｎｏ）、ステップＳ２０１からの動作が繰り返される。 When it is determined that the power calculated in step S202 is greater than the power required for wireless communication by the second communication method (step S207: Yes), the operations from step S208 onward are executed, and the wireless communication by the second communication method is performed. When it is determined that the power is smaller than the power required for communication (step S207: No), the operations from step S201 are repeated.
　ステップＳ２０４－Ｓ２０６の動作及びステップＳ２０８－Ｓ２１０の動作は、それぞれ図４に示す実施の形態１の場合におけるステップＳ１０４－Ｓ１０６の動作に対応する。ただし、通信方式をそれぞれ第１の通信方式及び第２の通信方式としている点が実施の形態１と異なる。 The operations of steps S204-S206 and the operations of steps S208-S210 respectively correspond to the operations of steps S104-S106 in the case of the first embodiment shown in FIG. However, it differs from the first embodiment in that the communication methods are the first communication method and the second communication method, respectively.
　これらの動作により、第１の通信方式による無線通信に必要な電力が供給可能であるときには第１の通信方式による無線通信が行われ、第１の通信方式による無線通信に必要な電力が供給可能ではないものの第２の通信方式による無線通信に必要な電力が供給可能であるときには第２の通信方式による無線通信が行われる。なお、第２の通信方式の無線通信に必要な電力すら供給可能ではないときには無線通信が行われないこととなるが、第２の通信方式として例えば上述のＬＰＷＡのような低消費電力な通信方式を採用すれば、無線通信が行われないことは希となる。 By these operations, when the power necessary for wireless communication according to the first communication method can be supplied, wireless communication according to the first communication method is performed, and the electric power necessary for wireless communication according to the first communication method can be supplied. However, when power necessary for wireless communication by the second communication method can be supplied, wireless communication by the second communication method is performed. When it is not possible to supply even the power required for wireless communication in the second communication method, wireless communication is not performed. is adopted, it is rare that radio communication is not performed.
　以上、実施の形態２に係る機器通信システム１を説明した。実施の形態２に係る通信アダプタ１０は、算出した供給可能電力が第１の通信方式による無線通信に必要な電力より大きいときには第１の通信方式による無線通信を行い、算出した供給可能電力が第１の通信方式による無線通信に必要な電力より小さいときには、第１の通信方式より消費電力の小さい第２の通信方式による無線通信を行う。そのため、実施の形態２に係る通信アダプタ１０によれば、算出した供給可能電力が小さい場合でも、第２の通信方式により無線通信を行うことができるので、実施の形態１と同様の利点を享受した上で、実施の形態１よりも安定してデータを送信することができる。 The device communication system 1 according to the second embodiment has been described above. The communication adapter 10 according to the second embodiment performs wireless communication according to the first communication method when the calculated available power is greater than the power required for wireless communication according to the first communication method, and the calculated available power reaches the When the power is smaller than the power required for wireless communication by the first communication method, wireless communication is performed by the second communication method, which consumes less power than the first communication method. Therefore, according to the communication adapter 10 according to the second embodiment, even if the calculated suppliable power is small, wireless communication can be performed using the second communication method, and the same advantages as in the first embodiment can be obtained. After that, data can be transmitted more stably than in the first embodiment.
（変形例）
　実施の形態１、２においては設備機器としてエアコン２０を例示したが、各実施の形態はエアコン以外の設備機器にも適用可能である。例えば設備機器が調理家電である場合、状態情報を、調理器具の表面温度及び設定火力を示す情報とすることにより、調理器具の温度と設定火力とに基づいて供給可能電力を算出することができる。 (Modification)
In Embodiments 1 and 2, the air conditioner 20 is exemplified as equipment, but each embodiment can also be applied to equipment other than the air conditioner. For example, if the facility equipment is a cooking appliance, the state information is information indicating the surface temperature and the set heating power of the cooking appliance, so that the suppliable power can be calculated based on the temperature and the set heating power of the cooking appliance. .
　実施の形態２において、２つの通信方式を示したが、無線通信部１７０は、３以上の通信方式に対応するものであってもよい。例えば、無線通信部１７０はさらに、無線ＬＡＮによる通信に対応したものであってもよい。 Although two communication methods are shown in Embodiment 2, the wireless communication unit 170 may be compatible with three or more communication methods. For example, the wireless communication unit 170 may further be compatible with wireless LAN communication.
　また、実施の形態２において、２つの通信方式として別個の通信方式を示したが、第２の通信方式は、単に第１の通信方式のパラメータを変更しただけのものであってもよい。例えば、第２の通信方式は、第１の通信方式において送信電力を半分としたものであってもよい。 In addition, in Embodiment 2, separate communication methods are shown as two communication methods, but the second communication method may be a method in which the parameters of the first communication method are simply changed. For example, the second communication scheme may have half the transmission power of the first communication scheme.
　図３に示すハードウェア構成においては、通信アダプタ１０が二次記憶装置１００４を備えている。しかし、これに限らず、二次記憶装置１００４を通信アダプタ１０の外部に設け、インタフェース１００３を介して通信アダプタ１０と二次記憶装置１００４とが接続される形態としてもよい。この形態においては、ＵＳＢ（Universal Serial Bus）フラッシュドライブ、メモリカードなどのリムーバブルメディアも二次記憶装置１００４として使用可能である。 In the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 3, the communication adapter 10 has a secondary storage device 1004. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and the secondary storage device 1004 may be provided outside the communication adapter 10 and the communication adapter 10 and the secondary storage device 1004 may be connected via the interface 1003 . In this form, removable media such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) flash drives, memory cards, etc. can also be used as the secondary storage device 1004 .
　また、図３に示すハードウェア構成に代えて、ＡＳＩＣ（Application Specific Integrated Circuit：特定用途向け集積回路）、ＦＰＧＡ（Field Programmable Gate Array）などを用いた専用回路により通信アダプタ１０を構成してもよい。また、図３に示すハードウェア構成において、通信アダプタ１０の機能の一部を、例えばインタフェース１００３に接続された専用回路により実現してもよい。 Also, instead of the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 3, the communication adapter 10 may be configured with a dedicated circuit using ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc. . Moreover, in the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 3, part of the functions of the communication adapter 10 may be implemented by a dedicated circuit connected to the interface 1003, for example.
　通信アダプタ１０で用いられるプログラムは、ＣＤ－ＲＯＭ（Compact Disc Read Only Memory）、ＤＶＤ（Digital Versatile Disc）、ＵＳＢフラッシュドライブ、メモリカード、ＨＤＤ等のコンピュータ読み取り可能な記録媒体に格納して配布することが可能である。そして、かかるプログラムを特定の又は汎用のコンピュータにインストールすることによって、当該コンピュータを通信アダプタ１０として機能させることが可能である。 The program used in the communication adapter 10 should be stored and distributed in a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), USB flash drive, memory card, HDD, etc. is possible. By installing such a program in a specific or general-purpose computer, the computer can be made to function as the communication adapter 10 .
　また、上述のプログラムをインターネット上の他のサーバが有する記憶装置に格納しておき、当該サーバから上述のプログラムがダウンロードされるようにしてもよい。 Alternatively, the above program may be stored in a storage device owned by another server on the Internet, and the above program may be downloaded from that server.
　本開示は、本開示の広義の精神と範囲を逸脱することなく、様々な実施の形態及び変形が可能とされるものである。また、上述した実施の形態は、本開示を説明するためのものであり、本開示の範囲を限定するものではない。つまり、本開示の範囲は、実施の形態ではなく、請求の範囲によって示される。そして、請求の範囲内及びそれと同等の開示の意義の範囲内で施される様々な変形が、本開示の範囲内とみなされる。 Various embodiments and modifications of the present disclosure are possible without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the embodiments described above are for explaining the present disclosure, and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, the scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims rather than the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and within the scope of equivalent disclosure are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.
　１　機器通信システム、１０　通信アダプタ、２０　エアコン、３０　無線通信装置、４０　サーバ、１００　機器通信部、１１０　受電部、１２０　状態情報取得部、１３０　電力算出部、１４０　送信可能量算出部、１５０　送信データ作成部、１６０　通信制御部、１７０　無線通信部、１０００　バス、１００１　プロセッサ、１００２　メモリ、１００３　インタフェース、１００４　二次記憶装置、Ｃ　通信線、ＮＴ　ネットワーク、Ｐ　給電線。 1 equipment communication system, 10 communication adapter, 20 air conditioner, 30 wireless communication device, 40 server, 100 equipment communication unit, 110 power receiving unit, 120 status information acquisition unit, 130 power calculation unit, 140 transmittable amount calculation unit, 150 transmission data Creation unit, 160 communication control unit, 170 wireless communication unit, 1000 bus, 1001 processor, 1002 memory, 1003 interface, 1004 secondary storage device, C communication line, NT network, P feed line.

Claims (6)

  1. 　設備機器から電力の供給を受ける受電手段と、
    　前記設備機器と有線通信する機器通信手段と、
    　前記受電手段に供給された電力により無線通信をする無線通信手段と、
    　前記機器通信手段を介して前記設備機器から前記設備機器の動作状態を示す状態情報を取得する状態情報取得手段と、
    　前記状態情報が示す前記設備機器の動作状態に基づいて、前記設備機器が前記受電手段に供給可能な電力を算出する電力算出手段と、
    　前記電力算出手段により算出された電力が前記無線通信手段による無線通信に必要な電力より大きいときに、前記無線通信手段を制御して無線通信を行う通信制御手段と、
    　を備える通信アダプタ。     a power receiving means for receiving power supply from equipment;
    a device communication means for wired communication with the facility device;
    wireless communication means for wirelessly communicating with the power supplied to the power receiving means;
    a state information acquisition means for acquiring state information indicating an operating state of the equipment from the equipment via the equipment communication means;
    power calculation means for calculating power that the equipment can supply to the power receiving means based on the operating state of the equipment indicated by the state information;
    communication control means for controlling the wireless communication means to perform wireless communication when the power calculated by the power calculating means is greater than the power required for wireless communication by the wireless communication means;
    Communication adapter with
  2. 　前記状態情報は、前記設備機器に関するセンサデータを含み、
    　前記電力算出手段は、前記センサデータに基づいて、前記設備機器が前記受電手段に供給可能な電力を算出する、
    　請求項１に記載の通信アダプタ。     The state information includes sensor data related to the equipment,
    The power calculation means calculates power that the equipment can supply to the power receiving means based on the sensor data.
    A communications adapter according to claim 1 .
  3. 　前記状態情報が示す前記設備機器の動作状態に基づいて、１回の無線通信にて送信可能なデータ量を算出する送信可能量算出手段をさらに備え、
    　前記通信制御手段は、前記無線通信手段によるデータ送信の際に、前記送信可能量算出手段により算出された前記データ量だけデータ送信をする、
    　請求項１又は２に記載の通信アダプタ。     further comprising transmittable amount calculation means for calculating an amount of data that can be transmitted in one wireless communication based on the operating state of the equipment indicated by the state information;
    When data is transmitted by the wireless communication means, the communication control means transmits data by the amount of data calculated by the transmittable amount calculation means.
    A communication adapter according to claim 1 or 2.
  4. 　前記無線通信手段は、第１の通信方式及び前記第１の通信方式よりも消費電力の小さい第２の通信方式による無線通信が可能であり、
    　前記通信制御手段は、前記電力算出手段により算出された電力が、前記第１の通信方式による無線通信に必要な電力より大きいときには、前記無線通信手段を制御して前記第１の通信方式による無線通信を行い、前記電力算出手段により算出された電力が、前記第１の通信方式による無線通信に必要な電力より小さいときには、前記無線通信手段を制御して前記第２の通信方式による無線通信を行う、
    　請求項１から３のいずれか１項に記載の通信アダプタ。     The wireless communication means is capable of wireless communication by a first communication method and a second communication method that consumes less power than the first communication method,
    When the power calculated by the power calculation means is greater than the power required for wireless communication according to the first communication method, the communication control means controls the wireless communication means to perform wireless communication according to the first communication method. When the power calculated by the power calculating means is smaller than the power required for wireless communication by the first communication method, the wireless communication means is controlled to perform wireless communication by the second communication method. conduct,
    A communication adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
  5. 　設備機器から電力の供給を受ける受電手段と、
    　前記受電手段に供給された電力により無線通信をする無線通信手段と、
    　を備える通信アダプタにおける通信制御方法であって、
    　前記設備機器の動作状態に基づいて、前記設備機器が前記受電手段に供給可能な電力を算出し、
    　算出された電力が前記無線通信手段による無線通信に必要な電力より大きいときに、前記無線通信手段を制御して無線通信を行う、
    　通信制御方法。     a power receiving means for receiving power supply from equipment;
    wireless communication means for wirelessly communicating with the power supplied to the power receiving means;
    A communication control method in a communication adapter comprising
    calculating power that the equipment can supply to the power receiving means based on the operating state of the equipment;
    When the calculated power is greater than the power required for wireless communication by the wireless communication means, the wireless communication means is controlled to perform wireless communication.
    Communication control method.
  6. 　設備機器から電力の供給を受ける受電手段と、
    　前記設備機器と有線通信する機器通信手段と、
    　前記受電手段に供給された電力により無線通信をする無線通信手段と、
    　を備えるコンピュータを、
    　前記機器通信手段を介して前記設備機器から前記設備機器の動作状態を示す状態情報を取得する状態情報取得手段、
    　前記状態情報が示す前記設備機器の動作状態に基づいて、前記設備機器が前記受電手段に供給可能な電力を算出する電力算出手段、
    　前記電力算出手段により算出された電力が前記無線通信手段による無線通信に必要な電力より大きいときに、前記無線通信手段を制御して無線通信を行う通信制御手段、
    　として機能させるプログラム。     a power receiving means for receiving power supply from equipment;
    a device communication means for wired communication with the facility device;
    wireless communication means for wirelessly communicating with the power supplied to the power receiving means;
    a computer comprising
    State information acquisition means for acquiring state information indicating an operating state of the equipment from the equipment via the equipment communication means;
    power calculation means for calculating power that the equipment can supply to the power receiving means based on the operating state of the equipment indicated by the state information;
    communication control means for performing wireless communication by controlling the wireless communication means when the power calculated by the power calculation means is greater than the power required for wireless communication by the wireless communication means;
    A program that acts as
PCT/JP2021/005101 2021-02-10 2021-02-10 Communication adaptor, communication control method and program WO2022172378A1 (en)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/JP2021/005101 WO2022172378A1 (en) 2021-02-10 2021-02-10 Communication adaptor, communication control method and program
JP2022581095A JP7383183B2 (en) 2021-02-10 2021-02-10 Communication adapter, communication control method and program

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/JP2021/005101 WO2022172378A1 (en) 2021-02-10 2021-02-10 Communication adaptor, communication control method and program

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2022172378A1 true WO2022172378A1 (en) 2022-08-18

Family

ID=82838504

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/JP2021/005101 WO2022172378A1 (en) 2021-02-10 2021-02-10 Communication adaptor, communication control method and program

Country Status (2)

Country Link
JP (1) JP7383183B2 (en)
WO (1) WO2022172378A1 (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2024084917A1 (en) * 2022-10-21 2024-04-25 株式会社荏原製作所 Data processing system, data collection device, data processing method, and data collection method

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2004304275A (en) * 2003-03-28 2004-10-28 Toshiba Corp Control apparatus for electric appliance, electric appliance, and communication apparatus
JP2006171949A (en) * 2004-12-14 2006-06-29 Sharp Corp Electric appliance and communication adapter connectable to eletric appliance
JP2007096986A (en) * 2005-09-29 2007-04-12 Kyocera Corp Radio communication terminal and its control method
JP2010075015A (en) * 2008-09-22 2010-04-02 Mitsubishi Electric Corp Demand control system for household electric appliance
WO2015037225A1 (en) * 2013-09-13 2015-03-19 日本電気株式会社 Wireless communication device and method for controlling wireless communication device
WO2019180761A1 (en) * 2018-03-19 2019-09-26 三菱電機株式会社 Relaying device, communication system, communication method, and program

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
TWI236853B (en) 2002-10-02 2005-07-21 Mitsubishi Electric Corp Communication adapter device, communication adapter, method for writing into nonvolatile memory, electric apparatus used for the same, and ROM writer
JP4458763B2 (en) 2003-04-01 2010-04-28 シャープ株式会社 Mobile phone

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2004304275A (en) * 2003-03-28 2004-10-28 Toshiba Corp Control apparatus for electric appliance, electric appliance, and communication apparatus
JP2006171949A (en) * 2004-12-14 2006-06-29 Sharp Corp Electric appliance and communication adapter connectable to eletric appliance
JP2007096986A (en) * 2005-09-29 2007-04-12 Kyocera Corp Radio communication terminal and its control method
JP2010075015A (en) * 2008-09-22 2010-04-02 Mitsubishi Electric Corp Demand control system for household electric appliance
WO2015037225A1 (en) * 2013-09-13 2015-03-19 日本電気株式会社 Wireless communication device and method for controlling wireless communication device
WO2019180761A1 (en) * 2018-03-19 2019-09-26 三菱電機株式会社 Relaying device, communication system, communication method, and program

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2024084917A1 (en) * 2022-10-21 2024-04-25 株式会社荏原製作所 Data processing system, data collection device, data processing method, and data collection method

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JP7383183B2 (en) 2023-11-17
JPWO2022172378A1 (en) 2022-08-18

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US9933174B2 (en) HVAC unit, a method of generating a network address for a HVAC unit and a HVAC controller therefor
US10261530B2 (en) Control device, components, and mobile service device for an HVAC system
US20120136978A1 (en) Rack server system and management method of the same
US20130200703A1 (en) Intellectual power controlling system
CN105308983A (en) Electric device, air conditioner, external controller, portable terminal, and air conditioning system
WO2022172378A1 (en) Communication adaptor, communication control method and program
EP4230927A1 (en) Connection and control board for air conditioning system, air conditioning system, and adaptive control method
EP4328511A1 (en) Power line communication-based pairing method and device for air conditioner, and storage medium
JP6473651B2 (en) Air conditioning system, smart device used therefor, and data communication method
JP6718104B2 (en) Power management method, power management server, local control device, and power management system
US20150215272A1 (en) Communication adapter, identification code generation method, program, and network system
US9934680B2 (en) Managing the control of an electrical device controllable by infrared control signals
EP1662210A1 (en) Apparatus for monitoring air conditioner
WO2015008641A1 (en) Communication system, communication device, communication adapter, communication method, and program
KR20160060250A (en) Facility control apparatus, building automation system comprising the same and method for controlling facilities
JP2013013287A (en) Electric power supply device, electric power management method, and electric power management program
JP2002031391A (en) Communication device between different models of centralized control system
EP2354868A2 (en) Customer equipment profile system for HVAC controls
JP7292408B2 (en) Air-conditioning system, air-conditioning equipment, air-conditioning management method and program
JPWO2015075802A1 (en) COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, HOME EQUIPMENT, COMMUNICATION METHOD, AND PROGRAM
JP6858822B2 (en) Housing management system
CN112628953B (en) Air conditioner, control method and device thereof, storage medium and control end
KR102026638B1 (en) Gateway, building automation system comprising the same and method of operating the same
US20220299231A1 (en) Use of near-field communications for hvac equipment configuration
US20190377374A1 (en) Thermostat relay device

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application

Ref document number: 21925631

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1

ENP Entry into the national phase

Ref document number: 2022581095

Country of ref document: JP

Kind code of ref document: A

NENP Non-entry into the national phase

Ref country code: DE

122 Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase

Ref document number: 21925631

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1