JP2007104213A - Wireless device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a wireless device capable of recognizing the situation without causing an unnecessary increase in cost when communication abnormality occurs with a counterpart wireless device.
When test alarm data is wirelessly transmitted to another wireless device by a test transmission means A that has received an instruction for test communication, it is transmitted by a response means B of the other wireless device that has received the test alarm data. Reception intensity data indicating the reception intensity of the test alarm data is received, and a reception intensity signal corresponding to the content of the reception intensity indicated by the received reception intensity data is received by the reception intensity notification means C by the connected alarm device 1, Thus, the reception intensity of the alarm data for testing by other wireless devices is notified by voice in the alarm devices 1 and 4 at the connection destination.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a radio apparatus that is used by being connected to a gas meter and peripheral devices in order to enable wireless communication between the gas meter and its peripheral devices that exchange information with each other.

  For example, when a gas leak detected by a gas leak alarm is automatically reported to a remote center, or a gas leak alarm other than a gas leak alarm that detects gas leaks by connecting multiple gas leak alarms In the past, various types of wireless communication systems have been proposed in which, for example, when a warning is output, wireless devices are connected to each other and communication between the gas leak alarms is performed wirelessly. Yes.

  In the wireless communication system as described above, when a communication abnormality occurs between the wireless devices connected to the gas leak alarm device, necessary information is not transmitted to the other party, and the alarm device particularly indicates an alarm state such as gas leak. If the information at the time of detection is not transmitted to the other party, sufficient security monitoring cannot be performed.

In view of this, there has conventionally been proposed an apparatus in which a message indicating that a communication error between wireless devices is indicated by a lighting / flashing pattern of an LED of the wireless device (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2004-15368 A

  However, in the field of wireless devices where the position is fixed once installed, the communication status of the wireless device will not change after installation unless the surrounding environment changes. Once examined, there is no need to investigate again.

  Nevertheless, if each wireless device is provided with an LED as in the prior art, the cost of the device will increase due to the fact that there is no permanent need after installation.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a wireless device that is connected to an alarm device such as a gas leak alarm device and transmits and receives information transmitted and received by the alarm device. An object of the present invention is to provide a wireless device capable of recognizing the situation without causing an unnecessary increase in cost when a communication abnormality occurs with the wireless device.

  In order to achieve the above object, the wireless device according to the first aspect of the present invention provides a voice or display of the alarm state or failure state when detecting the alarm state or failure state as described in the basic configuration diagram of FIG. Is connected to the alarm devices 1 and 4 for notifying the alarm state or the failure state indicated by the notification signal by voice or display when the notification signal indicating the content of the alarm state or the failure state is input from the outside. Test transmission means for wirelessly transmitting / receiving signals transmitted / received between the alarm devices 1 and 4 to / from the outside and transmitting test alarm data to other wireless devices in response to a test communication instruction A, response means B for transmitting reception intensity data indicating the reception intensity of the test alarm data upon reception of the test alarm data, and upon reception of the reception intensity data from the other wireless device The test alarm by the other wireless device indicated by the received intensity data for notifying the connected alarm devices 1 and 4 by voice or display of the reception strength of the test alarm data by the other wireless device Receiving intensity notification means C for outputting a receiving intensity signal indicating the receiving intensity of data to the alarm devices 1 and 4 to be connected is provided.

  According to the wireless device of the present invention described in claim 1, when the test alarm data is wirelessly transmitted to another wireless device by the test transmission means A that has received the test communication instruction, Reception intensity data indicating the reception intensity of the test alarm data transmitted by the response unit B of the wireless device is received, and a reception intensity signal corresponding to the content of the reception intensity indicated by the received reception intensity data is received intensity. The notification means C outputs the alarm to the connection destination alarm devices 1 and 4 so that the reception intensity of the test alarm data by the other wireless device is notified by the connection destination alarm devices 1 and 4 by voice or display. Become.

  For this reason, it is possible to reliably recognize reception strength information that is useful for determining whether there is a risk of communication abnormality due to a change in communication status without providing a multi-display etc. in the wireless device. Can be made.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an automatic cooperation system in which the present invention is applied to mutually connect gas leak alarms wirelessly, and FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of a wireless unit in the automatic cooperation system of FIG. It is a block diagram.

  The automatic cooperation system of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 2 includes gas leak alarms 1 and 4 (corresponding to alarms in claims) and wireless units 2 and 3 connected to the gas leak alarms 1 and 4, respectively. (Corresponding to the wireless device in the claims). The gas leak alarms 1 and 4 and the wireless units 2 and 3 are installed at different locations in one building, and the wireless units 2 and 3 perform wireless communication with each other to perform a mutual alarm operation.

  The gas leak alarms 1 and 4 are conventionally known ones that generate gas and output an alarm signal (corresponding to a notification signal in claims) by detecting gas by a sensor that detects components of city gas and propane gas. Incorporates a function to notify by sound (alarm sound, alarm message) at the time of detection.

  Note that the sound notification function of the gas leak alarms 1 and 4 is not limited to the case where it detects a gas leak or a fire, but also a signal input from the outside via the wireless units 2 and 3 (other wireless The alarm can also be activated by an alarm notification signal based on an alarm signal output from the gas leak alarms 1 and 4 connected to the units 2 and 3.

  The main part of the specific processing performed by the microcomputer (not shown) included in the gas leak alarm 1, 4 that performs the above operation is as shown in the flowchart of FIG.

  First, it is confirmed whether or not a gas leakage state has been detected (step S1). If it is detected (Y in step S1), the fact that the gas leakage has been detected is notified by voice output (step S3), and the gas leakage is detected. Is generated and output to the port Pio of the connected wireless units 2 and 3 (step S5), the process returns to step S1.

  On the other hand, when the gas leak state is not detected (N in step S1), it is confirmed whether or not an alarm signal is input from the connected wireless units 2 and 3 via the port Pio (step S7). If it is input (Y in step S7), it is notified by voice output that the other gas leak alarms 1 and 4 have detected the gas leak (step S9), and then the process returns to step S1.

  In step S7, when an alarm signal is not input from the connected wireless units 2 and 3 via the port Pio (N), it is received from the connected wireless units 2 and 3 via the port Pio. It is confirmed whether or not an intensity signal has been input (step S11). If it has not been input (N in step S11), the process returns to step S1.

  On the other hand, when a reception strength signal is input from the wireless units 2 and 3 as connection destinations (Y in step S11), the reception strength indicated by the input reception strength signal is notified by voice output (step S13). ), And returns to step S1.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the radio units 2 and 3 include a communication high-frequency circuit unit RF, a modulation / demodulation processing digital processing circuit unit DP, and a control microcomputer unit (hereinafter abbreviated as “microcomputer unit”) μCOM. One-chip integrated circuit LSI, a port Pio to which gas leak alarms 1 and 4 are connected, a non-volatile memory NVM, an antenna AT connected to the communication high-frequency circuit unit RF, and a battery V as a power source And the test communication switch SW, and the nonvolatile memory NVM and the test communication switch SW are connected to the microcomputer unit μCOM.

  In the nonvolatile memory NVM, the self-identification information used by the wireless units 2 and 3 in the wireless communication with the outside, and the pulse waveform pattern of the alarm signal output from the gas leak alarms 1 and 4 are indicated by this. A table that correlates alarm contents (for example, gas leakage, fire occurrence, etc.) and a table that correlates the reception intensity of test alarm data (to be described later) with the contents of reception intensity data and reception intensity signal indicating this are registered in advance. Has been.

  The microcomputer unit μCOM performs the processing shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 and 6 in accordance with a control program stored in an internal ROM (not shown).

  First, as shown in FIG. 5, it is confirmed whether or not the test communication switch SW has been operated (step S31). If it has not been operated (N in step S31), the process proceeds to step S47 described later.

  On the other hand, when the test communication switch SW is operated (Y in step S31), the gas leak alarms 1 and 4 connected to the ports Pio of the other wireless units 2 and 3 receive a test alarm by sound output. The test alarm start data for starting notification is modulated by the modulation / demodulation processing digital processing circuit DP together with its own identification information registered in the non-volatile memory NVM, and from the communication high frequency circuit unit RF to the antenna AT. Wireless transmission is performed (step S33), and time counting in a timer area provided in a RAM (not shown) is started (step S35).

  Then, it is confirmed whether or not the time count value has reached a predetermined test alarm time (for example, 10 seconds) (step S37). If the test alarm time has not been reached (N in step S37), step S37 is reached until it reaches. Repeat.

  On the other hand, when the time count value reaches the test alarm time (Y in step S37), it is based on the sound output in the gas leak alarms 1, 4 connected to the port Pio of the other wireless units 2, 3. The test alarm end data for ending the test alarm notification is modulated by the modulation / demodulation processing digital processing circuit section DP together with its own identification information registered in the non-volatile memory NVM, and the communication high frequency circuit section RF Through wireless transmission from the antenna AT (step S39), the time count in the timer area provided in the RAM (not shown) is terminated (step S41).

  Then, the reception intensity data indicating the reception intensity of the data from the other wireless units 2 and 3 having received the test alarm start data and the test alarm end data is received by the antenna AT or the communication high-frequency circuit unit RF. Then, it is confirmed whether or not the signal has been demodulated and inputted by the modulation / demodulation processing digital processing circuit DP (step S43). If not inputted (N in step S43), step S43 is repeated until it is inputted.

  On the other hand, when reception intensity data from other wireless units 2 and 3 is input (Y in step S43), test alarm start data in other wireless units 2 and 3 indicated by the reception intensity data or A reception intensity signal for informing the reception intensity of the test alarm end data by sound output in the gas leak alarms 1 and 4 connected to the port Pio is generated, and the gas leak alarms 1 and 4 are output from the port Pio. (Step S45), the process returns to step S31.

  In step S31, when the test communication switch SW is not operated in step S31, the test alarm start data from the other wireless units 2 and 3 is transmitted from the antenna AT to the communication high-frequency circuit unit RF in step S47. In step S47, the process proceeds to step S59, which will be described later. If it is not input (N in step S47), the process proceeds to step S59.

  On the other hand, when test alarm start data is input from the other wireless units 2 and 3 (Y in step S47), the gas leak alarm device 1 connected to the port Pio indicates that it is a test alarm. , 4 generates a test alarm notification signal for notification by voice output and starts output from the port Pio to the gas leak alarms 1, 4 (step S49). It is confirmed whether or not the test alarm end data is received by the antenna AT or the communication high-frequency circuit unit RF and demodulated and inputted by the modulation / demodulation processing digital processing circuit unit DP (step S51).

  When the test alarm end data from the other wireless units 2 and 3 is not input (N in step S51), step S51 is repeated until it is input, and when it is input (Y in step S51), The output of the test alarm notification signal from the port Pio to the gas leak alarms 1 and 4 is terminated (step S53).

  Then, the reception intensity of the test alarm start data in step S47 and the test alarm end data in step S51 is confirmed (step S55), and the reception intensity data indicating the confirmed reception intensity is stored in the non-volatile memory NVM. Together with the identification information, the modulation / demodulation processing digital processing circuit DP modulates and wirelessly transmits from the communication high-frequency circuit unit RF to the antenna AT (step S57), and then returns to step S31.

  In step S47, when the test alarm start data from the other wireless units 2 and 3 is not inputted (N), in step S59, as shown in FIG. It is confirmed whether or not an alarm signal is input to the port Pio. If it is input (Y in step S59), the pulse waveform of the input alarm signal is referred to with reference to a table registered in the nonvolatile memory NVM. The content of the alarm generated from the pattern is determined (step S61).

  Then, the alarm generation data indicating the alarm content of the determined alarm signal is modulated by the modulation / demodulation processing digital processing circuit DP together with its own identification information registered in the nonvolatile memory NVM, and the communication high-frequency circuit unit RF to After wireless transmission from the antenna AT (step S63), the process returns to step S31.

  On the other hand, when the alarm signal from the gas leak alarms 1 and 4 is not input to the port Pio in step S59 (N), the alarm generation data from the other radio units 2 and 3 are transmitted from the antennas AT to AT. It is confirmed whether or not it is received by the communication high-frequency circuit section RF and demodulated by the modulation / demodulation processing digital processing circuit section DP (step S65).

  If alarm generation data from other wireless units 2 and 3 has not been input (N in step S65), the process returns to step S31. If input (Y in step S65), other alarms in the same building are returned. The gas leak alarm connected to the port Pio indicates that the alarm state indicated in the alarm occurrence data has occurred in the gas leak alarm 1, 4 connected to the other wireless units 2, 3 After generating an alarm notification signal for notification by voice output at 1 and 4 and outputting it to the gas leak alarms 1 and 4 from the port Pio (step S67), the process returns to step S31.

  As is clear from the above description, in the wireless units 2 and 3 of the present embodiment, the test alarm start data and the test alarm end data correspond to the test alarm data in the claims, and accordingly, FIG. A series of processing from step S35 to step S41 in the flowchart is processing corresponding to the test transmission means A in the claims.

  Further, in the wireless units 2 and 3 of the present embodiment, step S55 and step S57 in FIG. 5 are processes corresponding to the response means B in the claims, and further, step S43 and step in FIG. S45 is processing corresponding to the reception intensity notification means C in the claims.

  Next, the operation (action) of the automatic linkage system of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.

  First, when an alarm state is detected in the gas leak alarms 1 and 4, an alarm is output by voice or the like, and an alarm signal having a different pulse waveform pattern is generated depending on the detected alarm state. Is output.

  Then, in the wireless units 2 and 3 to which the alarm signal is input from the port Pio, alarm generation data indicating the alarm content indicated by the pulse waveform pattern of the alarm signal is transmitted by wireless communication.

  In the other wireless units 2 and 3 that have received this alarm generation data, an alarm notification signal is output to the gas leak alarms 1 and 4 connected to the radio unit 2 and 3 and the alarm state is detected. In the gas leak alarms 1 and 4 installed in the same building as 1 and 4, the alarm state notification operation generated in the other gas leak alarms 1 and 4 is performed using the voice notification function.

  Further, when the test communication switch SW is operated in the wireless units 2 and 3, the test alarm operation is performed over a predetermined test alarm time in the gas leak alarms 1 and 4 connected to the other wireless units 2 and 3. Is performed using the voice notification function, and the reception strength of the transmission signal from the wireless units 2 and 3 in which the test communication switch SW is operated in the other wireless units 2 and 3 is controlled by the test communication switch SW. The gas leak alarms 1 and 4 connected to the wireless units 2 and 3 are notified using a voice notification function.

  As described above, according to the automatic linkage system of the present embodiment, the reception strength of the test signal transmitted from the wireless units 2 and 3 can be received without providing the voice notification function in the wireless units 2 and 3 themselves. The wireless units 2 and 3 on the side determine and notify the wireless units 2 and 3 on the transmission side, and notify them using the voice notification function of the gas leak alarms 1 and 4 connected to the wireless units 2 and 3. Can do.

  The alarm device connected to the wireless device to which the present invention is applied outputs an alarm signal when an alarm state occurs, such as the gas leak alarm devices 1 and 4 and the fire alarm device described in the above-described embodiment. For example, an alarm device that periodically detects a failure state of an internal circuit or sensor and outputs a notification signal to the wireless device (external) may be used.

  In the present embodiment, the test alarm start data for starting the notification of the test alarm by voice output in the gas leak alarms 1 and 4 connected to the port Pio of the other wireless units 2 and 3 is used. Has been described in response to the operation of the test communication switch SW provided in the wireless units 2 and 3, but the operation of the operation string for the operation test start instruction provided in the gas leak alarms 1 and 4 has been described. In some cases, the test alarm start data may be transmitted in response to an operation string operation signal input from the port Pio.

  And the alarm status or failure status notification performed by the alarm device may be not only by voice but also by display or the like, and even such an alarm device can be an application target of the present invention. Needless to say.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the wireless units 2 and 3 are externally attached to the gas leak alarms 1 and 4 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the alarm unit such as the gas leak alarm and the wireless unit. The present invention can also be applied to a wireless device that is housed in one housing and is electrically connected inside and physically integrated with an alarm device.

It is a basic block diagram of the radio | wireless apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a block diagram which shows one Embodiment of the automatic cooperation system which applied the present invention and mutually connected the gas leak alarms wirelessly. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the wireless unit in the automatic cooperation system of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the principal part of the process which the gas leak alarm device of FIG. 2 performs by an internal microcomputer. It is a flowchart which shows the process which the microcomputer part of the radio | wireless unit of FIG. 3 performs according to the control program stored in internal ROM. It is a flowchart which shows the process which the microcomputer part of the radio | wireless unit of FIG. 3 performs according to the control program stored in internal ROM.

Explanation of symbols

1, 4 Alarm A Test transmission means B Response means C Received strength notification means

Claims (1)

When the alarm state or failure state is detected, the alarm state or failure state is notified by voice or display, and when the notification signal indicating the content of the alarm state or failure state is input from the outside, the alarm state or A wireless device that is connected to an alarm device that notifies a failure state by voice or display, and that wirelessly transmits and receives a signal that the alarm device exchanges with the outside,
Test transmission means for receiving test communication instructions and transmitting test alarm data to other wireless devices;
Response means for transmitting reception intensity data indicating the reception intensity of the test alarm data when receiving the test alarm data;
The reception strength data for notifying the connection destination alarm device by voice or display of the reception strength of the test alarm data by the other wireless device when the reception strength data is received from the other wireless device. Reception strength notification means for outputting a reception strength signal indicating the reception strength of the test alarm data by the other wireless device indicated to the connected alarm device;
A wireless device comprising:

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