JP2021114701A - Server, management device, apparatus management system, apparatus management method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To accurately anticipate occurrence of a communication failure in remote control of an equipment instrument.SOLUTION: A cloud server 10 communicates with a plurality of management devices 20. The cloud server 10 comprises: a remote control unit for remotely controlling an equipment instrument 30 under management of each management device 20 via communication with each management device 20; a setting unit for setting to each management device 20 a remote control mode for controlling the equipment instrument 30 under management according to remote control by the remote control unit or a local control mode for controlling the equipment instrument 30 under management independently of the remote control unit; a detection unit for detecting a communication failure in communication with each management device 20; and an identification unit for identifying a management device 20, of the plurality of management devices 20, to which the local control mode is to be set when the detection unit detects a communication failure in communication with at least one management device 20. The setting unit sets the local control mode to the identified management device 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to servers, management devices, device management systems, device management methods and programs.

In the equipment management system that remotely controls equipment, technology is required to appropriately respond when a communication failure is expected to occur. For example, if the remote control is interrupted in the middle due to the occurrence of a communication failure, inconvenience may occur in the equipment.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an equipment control system in which a monitoring center remotely controls equipment by setting a control schedule for the equipment. In such an equipment control system, when a disaster occurs and a communication failure occurs, the control schedule of the equipment cannot be canceled, and the control set on the equipment even though the disaster has occurred. Can continue to run.

In order to deal with such a problem, Patent Document 1 describes control by transmitting a disaster response command to the equipment to cancel the control schedule before the communication failure occurs when the monitoring center acquires the disaster alarm. Technologies that reduce the risk of making it impossible to cancel a schedule are disclosed.

That is, Patent Document 1 corresponds to the case where the remote control of the equipment is expected to occur by canceling the remote control of the equipment when the remote control of the equipment is expected in the equipment management system for remotely controlling the equipment. The technology to be used is disclosed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-192380

In the technology described in Patent Document 1, since the occurrence of a communication failure is dealt with based on global information called a disaster alarm, for equipment connected to a communication network where the possibility of a communication failure is extremely low. However, there is a problem that a disaster response command that cancels control can be sent.

Therefore, not only the technology described in Patent Document 1 but also the technology for predicting the occurrence of communication failure based on global information is applied to the device management system to cope with the case where the occurrence of communication failure is expected. Although it is possible, such a technique cannot accurately predict the occurrence of a communication failure.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a server or the like that can accurately predict the occurrence of a communication failure in remote control of equipment in view of the above circumstances.

In order to achieve the above objectives, the server according to this disclosure
A server that communicates with multiple management devices
A remote control means for remotely controlling equipment under the control of each management device via communication with each management device, and
Each management device is set to a remote control mode for controlling the equipment under the control according to the remote control by the remote control means or a local control mode for controlling the equipment under the control without depending on the remote control means. Setting means and
A detection means for detecting a communication failure in communication with each of the management devices, and
When the detection means detects a communication failure in communication with at least one management device, the specific means for specifying the management device for which the local control mode should be set among the plurality of management devices, and the specific means.
With
The setting means sets the local control mode in the identified management device.

According to the present disclosure, the occurrence of a communication failure can be accurately predicted in the remote control of equipment.

The figure which shows the whole structure of the device management system which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. The figure which shows the functional configuration of the cloud server which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. The figure which shows an example of the management apparatus table which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. The figure which shows an example of the equipment table which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. The figure which shows an example of the operation data table which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. The figure which shows the functional configuration of the management apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. The figure which shows an example of the hardware configuration of the cloud server which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. A flowchart showing an example of the operation of the local control mode setting by the cloud server according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. A flowchart showing an example of the operation of remote control mode setting by the cloud server according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. A flowchart showing an example of the operation of remote control by the cloud server according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. A flowchart showing an example of an operation of device control by the management device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The figure which shows the whole structure of the device management system which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this disclosure. The figure which shows the functional configuration of the cloud server which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this disclosure. The figure which shows an example of the management apparatus table which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this disclosure. A flowchart showing an example of the operation of the local control mode setting by the cloud server according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. A flowchart showing an example of the operation of remote control mode setting by the cloud server according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. The figure which shows the functional configuration of the cloud server which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this disclosure. The figure which shows an example of the management apparatus table which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this disclosure. A flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control mode setting by the cloud server according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, the device management system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or equivalent parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

(Embodiment 1)
The device management system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The device management system 1 includes a cloud server 10, a plurality of management devices 20, and a plurality of equipment devices 30. Each management device 20 communicates with the cloud server 10 via the Internet NT. The management device 20 manages one or more equipments 30. The management device 20 is communicably connected to the equipment 30 under control. The device management system 1 is a system in which the cloud server 10 manages each facility device 30 by communicating with each management device 20.

Although the details will be described later, according to the device management system 1, the cloud server 10 remotely controls the equipment device 30 when the communication state is normal, and the management device does not depend on the remote control of the cloud server 10 when a communication failure is expected. 20 controls the equipment 30. Although the details will be described later, in the first embodiment, the device management system 1 anticipates a communication failure caused by a failure in the communication network provided by the line provider used by the management device 20. The device management system 1 is an example of the device management system according to the present disclosure.

The cloud server 10 remotely controls the equipment 30 under the control of the management device 20 by transmitting a control command to the management device 20. However, the cloud server 10 can remotely control the equipment 30 only when the remote control mode described later is set in the management device 20. Further, the cloud server 10 transmits a mode switching command for setting the control mode described later to the management device 20 to the management device 20.

Further, the cloud server 10 receives operation data of the equipment 30 under the control of the management device 20 from the management device 20. The cloud server 10 is, for example, a cloud server operated by the manufacturer of the management device 20. The functional configuration of the cloud server 10 will be described later. The cloud server 10 is an example of the server according to the present disclosure.

The management device 20 controls the equipment 30 under control by operating based on two types of control modes, a remote control mode and a local control mode. When the remote control mode is set in the management device 20, the management device 20 controls the managed equipment 30 according to the control command received from the cloud server 10. On the other hand, when the local control mode is set in the management device 20, the management device 20 controls the managed equipment 30 without depending on the control command of the cloud server 10. That is, the management device 20 controls the managed equipment 30 according to the remote control of the cloud server 10 when the remote control mode is set, and the remote control of the cloud server 10 when the local control mode is set. Controls the equipment 30 under control regardless of the above.

The control mode of the management device 20 is set according to the received command when the mode switching command is received from the cloud server 10. Further, as will be described in detail later, when a communication failure is expected to occur in the communication between the management device 20 and the cloud server 10, the management device 20 is set to the local control mode, and when the management device 20 recovers from the communication failure, the management device 20 Is set to remote control mode. By setting the control mode in this way, it is possible to prevent a situation in which remote control for the equipment 30 is interrupted in an incomplete state due to, for example, a communication failure, and a problem occurs in the equipment 30. ..

Further, the management device 20 acquires operation data from the managed equipment 30 and transmits the acquired operation data to the cloud server 10. However, when the management device 20 is set to the local control mode, there is a high possibility that the operation data cannot be transmitted to the cloud server 10 due to a communication failure, so that the operation data need not be transmitted.

The management device 20 is installed in a building, for example, and manages each equipment 30 installed in the building. The management device 20 is connected to the Internet NT by an Internet connection service provided by a line provider, such as an Internet connection service using an optical fiber line and an Internet connection service using a mobile phone communication network. The functional configuration of the management device 20 will be described later. The management device 20 is an example of the management device according to the present disclosure.

The equipment 30 operates according to the control from the management device 20. The equipment 30 transmits the operation data acquired during operation to the management device 20. The equipment 30 is, for example, equipment such as an air conditioner, a lighting device, a solar shading device, and an elevator installed in a building. The equipment 30 is an example of the equipment according to the present disclosure.

Next, the functional configuration of the cloud server 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The cloud server 10 includes a control unit 100, a storage unit 110, and a communication unit 120.

The control unit 100 controls the cloud server 10 in an integrated manner. The control unit 100 includes a remote control unit 101, a setting unit 102, a detection unit 103, and a specific unit 104. Among the functions described below, the functions that require communication with the management device 20 are realized by communication via the communication unit 120 described later.

The remote control unit 101 determines the control content for each equipment 30 under the control of each management device 20, and sends a control command based on the control content to each management device 20 to remotely control each equipment 30. Control. More specifically, first, the remote control unit 101 determines the control content for each equipment 30 with reference to the management device table T1, the equipment table T2, and the operation data table T3, which will be described later. The details of determining the control content will be reserved here and will be described later. Next, the remote control unit 101 transmits a control command based on the above control contents to each management device 20 set in the remote control mode, so that the remote control unit 101 of each management device 20 set in the remote control mode. Remotely control each equipment 30 under control. The remote control unit 101 is an example of the remote control means according to the present disclosure.

The setting unit 102 sets the remote control mode or the local control mode in each management device 20. More specifically, the setting unit 102 issues a mode switching command instructing each management device 20 specified as the management device 20 to be set in the remote control mode by the specific unit 104 described later to switch to the remote control mode. A mode switching command to be transmitted to each management device 20 and instructing each management device 20 specified as the management device 20 to be set to the local control mode by the specific unit 104 to switch to the local control mode is issued to each management device 20. Send to. The setting unit 102 is an example of the setting means according to the present disclosure.

The detection unit 103 detects the communication state in the communication between the cloud server 10 and each management device 20. In particular, the detection unit 103 detects a communication failure in the communication between the cloud server 10 and each management device 20, and recovery from the communication failure in the communication. Here, the communication failure means a state in which communication is interrupted, communication is delayed, or the like, and the communication state is not preferable as compared with the normal state. The detection unit 103 is an example of the detection means according to the present disclosure.

The identification unit 104 identifies the management device 20 whose control mode should be set to the local control mode when the detection unit 103 detects a communication failure in communication with at least one management device 20. Similarly, the identification unit 104 specifies the management device 20 whose control mode should be set to the remote control mode when the detection unit 103 detects recovery from a communication failure in communication with at least one management device 20. How to specify the management device 20 will be described later when the operation is described. The specific unit 104 is an example of the specific means according to the present disclosure.

In addition to the above functions, the control unit 100 writes, for example, information indicating the changed communication state when the detection unit 103 detects a change in the communication state to the management device table T1 described later, and the setting unit 102 sets the control mode. Is set in the management device 20, the information indicating the control mode is written in the management device table T1, and the operation data received from the management device 20 is written in the operation data table T3.

The storage unit 110 stores the management device table T1, the equipment equipment table T2, and the operation data table T3.

The management device table T1 stores information about the management device 20. The management device table T1 includes, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, a management device ID field, a communication status field, a control mode field, and a line provider field.

The management device ID field includes a management device ID (Identifier) assigned to the management device 20. The line trader field includes information indicating the line trader used by the management device 20. The communication status field includes information indicating the current communication status in the communication between the cloud server 10 and the management device 20. The control mode field contains information indicating the control mode currently set in the management device 20.

The management device ID field is set, for example, by the administrator of the cloud server 10 inputting the management device ID via an input device (not shown). Similarly, the line provider field is set by, for example, the administrator of the cloud server 10 inputting information indicating the line provider via the input device. The communication status field is set by, for example, as described above, when the detection unit 103 detects a change in the communication status, the control unit 100 writes information indicating a new communication status. Similarly, the control mode field is set by, for example, as described above, when the setting unit 102 sets the control mode in the management device 20, the control unit 100 writes information indicating the newly set control mode. NS.

The equipment table T2 stores information about the equipment 30. The equipment table T2 includes, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, an equipment ID field, a management device ID field, an address field, and a model name field.

The equipment ID field includes the equipment ID assigned to the equipment 30. The management device ID field includes a management device ID indicating a management device 20 that manages the equipment 30. For example, when the management device 20 having the management device ID 001 manages the equipment 30 having the equipment ID 001001 and the equipment 30 having the equipment ID 001002, the management device ID related to the record having the equipment ID 001001. And the management device ID related to the record whose equipment device ID is 001002 is 001.

The address field includes the address set in the equipment 30. The address is used to identify the equipment 30 when the management device 20 communicates with the equipment 30. The remote control unit 101 can remotely control the equipment 30 to be remotely controlled by including the address in the control command.

The model name field includes information indicating the model name of the equipment 30. The information indicating the model name is referred to, for example, when the remote control unit 101 determines the control content. For example, when the remote control unit 101 controls a certain equipment 30, the model name of the equipment 30 is specified, and the type, performance, and the like of the equipment 30 are specified based on the model name. Then, the remote control unit 101 determines the control content based on the type, performance, and the like of the equipment 30 and the operation data stored in the operation data table described later. Information indicating the correspondence between the model name and the type, performance, etc. related to the model may be stored in the storage unit 110, for example, or may be acquired from an external server (not shown).

The operation data table T3 stores the operation data of the equipment 30 acquired from the management device 20 for each equipment 30. As shown in FIG. 5, for example, the operation data table T3 stores the operation data of the equipment 30 for each equipment 30 and for each date and time. In FIG. 5, only the operation data related to the equipment 30 having the equipment ID 001001 is clearly shown. As described above, since the equipment 30 includes various equipment such as air conditioners and lighting equipment, various data included in the operation data may differ for each equipment 30. However, each operation data includes at least the equipment ID and information indicating the date and time.

Here, the details of the determination of the control content by the remote control unit 101, which has been suspended from the explanation, will be described. First, the remote control unit 101 refers to the management device table T1 and acquires the management device ID of the management device 20 set in the remote control mode. Next, the remote control unit 101 refers to the equipment table T2 and acquires the equipment ID of the equipment 30 related to the record including the management device ID. Then, the remote control unit 101 refers to the operation data table T3 and determines the control content with reference to the operation data for the acquired equipment ID.

For example, consider a case where the equipment 30 to be remotely controlled is an air conditioner, and control for suppressing power consumption is required. At this time, the remote control unit 101 determines the control content for suppressing the power consumption based on the operation data of the equipment 30. As such a control content, for example, control of changing the set temperature to reduce the air conditioning load can be considered. Further, the control content may be determined in cooperation with other equipment 30 installed in the building where the air conditioner is installed. In this case, the remote control unit 101 may acquire information indicating the weather in the area where the equipment 30 is installed from a weather information server (not shown), and determine the control content based on the information.

The communication unit 120 is connected to the Internet NT and communicates with the management device 20 via the Internet NT. The communication unit 120 is realized by, for example, a wired LAN (Local Area Network) interface. The control unit 100 appropriately communicates with the management device 20 via the communication unit 120.

Next, the functional configuration of the management device 20 will be described with reference to FIG. The management device 20 includes a control unit 200, a first communication unit 210, and a second communication unit 220.

The control unit 200 controls the management device 20 in an integrated manner. The control unit 200 includes a mode switching unit 201, an equipment control unit 202, an operation data acquisition unit 203, and an operation data transmission unit 204. Among the functions described below, the functions that require communication with the cloud server 10 are realized by communication via the first communication unit 210, which will be described later, and require communication with the equipment 30 under the control of the management device 20. The function is realized by communication via the second communication unit 220 described later.

The mode switching unit 201 sets the control mode of the management device 20 in the control mode indicated by the mode switching command received from the cloud server 10. That is, the mode switching unit 201 switches the control mode set in the management device 20 to the remote control mode or the local control mode according to the setting by the setting unit 102 of the cloud server 10. The mode switching unit 201 is an example of the mode switching means according to the present disclosure.

When the control mode of the management device 20 is set to the remote control mode, the device control unit 202 controls the equipment device 30 under the control of the management device 20 according to the control command received from the cloud server 10. That is, when the control mode of the management device 20 is set to the remote control mode, the device control unit 202 controls the equipment device 30 under the control of the management device 20 according to the remote control by the remote control unit 101 of the cloud server 10. ..

On the other hand, when the control mode of the management device 20 is set to the local control mode, the device control unit 202 determines the control content without depending on the control command received from the cloud server 10, and is under the control of the management device 20. Controls equipment 30. That is, when the control mode of the management device 20 is set to the local control mode, the device control unit 202 does not rely on the remote control by the remote control unit 101 of the cloud server 10, but the equipment device 30 under the control of the management device 20. To control.

The equipment control unit 202 controls the equipment 30 by transmitting a control command according to the control contents to the equipment 30 under the control of the management device 20. As described above, since the control command received from the cloud server 10 includes the address of the equipment device 30, the device control unit 202 may transmit the control command to the address as the destination. The device control unit 202 is an example of the device control means according to the present disclosure.

The operation data acquisition unit 203 acquires operation data related to the operation of the equipment 30 from the equipment 30 under the control of the management device 20. When the equipment device 30 receives a control command from, for example, the device control unit 202, the equipment device 30 transmits operation data as a response to the command.

The operation data transmission unit 204 transmits the operation data acquired by the operation data acquisition unit 203 to the cloud server 10.

The first communication unit 210 is connected to the Internet NT and communicates with the cloud server 10 via the Internet NT. The first communication unit 210 is realized by, for example, a wireless communication module capable of wireless communication with a base station of a mobile phone communication network. Alternatively, the first communication unit 210 may be realized by an interface related to local communication such as a wired LAN interface and a wireless LAN interface.

The second communication unit 220 communicates with the equipment 30 under the control of the management device 20. The second communication unit 220 is realized by, for example, a network interface conforming to a standard for device communication. The standard for device communication is, for example, a standard used in HEMS (Home Energy Management System).

Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the cloud server 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The cloud server 10 shown in FIG. 7 is realized by a computer such as a personal computer or a microcontroller.

The cloud server 10 includes a processor 1001, a memory 1002, an interface 1003, and a secondary storage device 1004, which are connected to each other via a bus 1000.

The processor 1001 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Each function of the cloud server 10 is realized by the processor 1001 reading the operation program stored in the secondary storage device 1004 into the memory 1002 and executing the operation program.

The memory 1002 is, for example, a main storage device configured by a RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory 1002 stores an operation program read from the secondary storage device 1004 by the processor 1001. Further, the memory 1002 functions as a work memory when the processor 1001 executes an operation program.

The interface 1003 is an I / O (Input / Output) interface such as a serial port, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port, and a network interface. The interface 1003 realizes the function of the communication unit 120.

The secondary storage device 1004 is, for example, a flash memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The secondary storage device 1004 stores an operation program executed by the processor 1001. The function of the storage unit 110 is realized by the secondary storage device 1004.

As for the hardware configuration of the management device 20, substantially the same configuration can be adopted.

Next, an example of the operation of the local control mode setting by the cloud server 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The operation shown in FIG. 8 is started, for example, after the cloud server 10 is started.

The detection unit 103 of the control unit 100 of the cloud server 10 detects the communication state of the communication between the cloud server 10 and the management device 20 (step S101). When there is no communication in which a communication failure is detected by the detection unit 103 (step S101: No), the control unit 100 repeats the operation from step S101.

When there is communication in which a communication failure is detected by the detection unit 103 (step S101: Yes), the identification unit 104 of the control unit 100 uses the same line carrier as the line carrier related to the communication in which the communication failure is detected. The device 20 is extracted (step S102). More specifically, the specifying unit 104 first identifies the management device 20 related to the communication failure, and refers to the management device table T1 to specify the line provider related to the communication in which the communication failure has occurred. Next, the specifying unit 104 refers to the management device table T1 and extracts the management device 20 that uses the same line carrier as the specified line carrier.

The detection unit 103 detects the communication state of the communication between each management device 20 and the cloud server 10 extracted in step S102. Whether or not the identification unit 104 has detected a communication failure by the detection unit 103 for 10% or more of the communications related to the management device 20 extracted in step S102 within 1 minute after the communication failure is detected in step S101. Is determined (step S103). The parameters of "10%" and "within 1 minute" referred to here are predetermined, and for example, parameters such as "20%" and "within 30 seconds" may be defined. .. In the following description, it is assumed that the above parameters of "10%" and "1 minute" are defined.

When no communication failure is detected for 10% or more of the extracted communication related to the management device 20 even after 1 minute has passed since the communication failure was detected in step S101 (step S103: No), the control unit 100 The operation from step S101 is repeated.

When a communication failure is detected for 10% or more of the communication related to the extracted management device 20 within 1 minute after the communication failure is detected in step S101 (step S103: Yes), the identification unit 104 is set to the management device. With reference to the table T1, the management device 20 in which the remote control mode is set is specified as the management device 20 in which the local control mode should be set among the extracted management devices 20 (step S104).

The setting unit 102 of the control unit 100 sets the local control mode for each management device 20 specified in step S104 (step S105). Then, the control unit 100 repeats the operation from step S101.

Next, an example of the operation of the remote control mode setting by the cloud server 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The operation shown in FIG. 9 is started, for example, after the cloud server 10 is started. Since the operation shown in FIG. 9 has many points in common with the operation shown in FIG. 8, the description will be simplified as necessary.

The detection unit 103 detects the communication state of the communication between the cloud server 10 and the management device 20 (step S201). When there is no communication in which the communication recovered from the communication failure is detected by the detection unit 103 (step S201: No), the control unit 100 repeats the operation from step S201.

When the detection unit 103 detects the communication recovered from the communication failure (step S201: Yes), the specific unit 104 manages to use the same line carrier as the line carrier related to the communication in which the recovery from the communication failure is detected. The device 20 is extracted (step S202).

The detection unit 103 detects the communication state of the communication between each management device 20 and the cloud server 10 extracted in step S202. The identification unit 104 determines whether or not the detection unit 103 has detected that the communication state is normal for 99% or more of the communications related to the management device 20 extracted in step S202 (step S203). The parameter of "99%" referred to here is predetermined, and may be, for example, a parameter such as "98%" or "99.5%". In the following description, it is assumed that the above "99%" parameter is defined.

When less than 99% of the extracted communications related to the management device 20 are detected to be in a normal communication state (step S203: No), the control unit 100 repeats the operation from step S201.

When it is detected that the communication state is normal for 99% or more of the communications related to the extracted management device 20 (step S203: Yes), the specific unit 104 is set to the local control mode among the extracted management devices 20. The management device 20 is specified as the management device 20 for which the remote control mode should be set (step S204).

The setting unit 102 sets the remote control mode for each management device 20 specified in step S204 (step S205). Then, the control unit 100 repeats the operation from step S201.

Due to the operation of the local control mode setting shown in FIG. 8, when the communication failure occurs in the communication related to some of the management devices 20 due to the failure caused in the communication network provided by the line provider, the cloud server 10 corresponds to the operation. The control mode of the management device 20 that uses the line carrier can be switched to the local control mode before all the management devices 20 that use the line carrier become unable to communicate. Therefore, by the operation shown in FIG. 8, the device management system 1 can respond in anticipation of a communication failure that occurs in the communication related to the management device 20. Then, by the operation of the remote control mode setting shown in FIG. 9, the cloud server 10 can switch the control mode of each management device 20 to the remote control mode when recovering from the communication failure due to the above-mentioned cause.

Next, an example of the operation of remote control by the cloud server 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The operation shown in FIG. 10 is started, for example, after the cloud server 10 is started.

The remote control unit 101 of the control unit 100 refers to the management device table T1 and identifies the management device 20 in which the remote control mode is set (step S301). The remote control unit 101 refers to the equipment table T2 and specifies the equipment 30 under the control of each management device 20 specified in step S301 (step S302).

The remote control unit 101 determines the control content of each equipment 30 specified in step S302 (step S303). Then, the remote control unit 101 transmits a control command indicating the control content determined for each equipment 30 in step S303 to each management device 20 specified in step S301 (step S304). Then, the control unit 100 repeats the operation from step S301.

The operations shown in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 are usually executed in parallel, but the steps shown in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 may be executed in series. That is, each step of step S101 to step S105, step S201 to step S205, and step S301 to step S304 may be executed in sequence. In this case, with respect to the step of executing the operation from the beginning of each loop, the operation from step S101 may be executed.

Next, an example of the operation of device control by the management device 20 will be described with reference to FIG. The operation shown in FIG. 11 is started, for example, after the management device 20 is started.

The device control unit 202 of the control unit 200 of the management device 20 determines whether or not the current control mode of the management device 20 is set to the remote control mode (step S401).

When the control mode is set to the remote control mode (step S401: Yes), the device control unit 202 waits for the control command transmitted by the cloud server 10 (step S402). When the device control unit 202 receives the control command, the device control unit 202 determines the control content of the equipment device 30 under control based on the received control command (step S403). Then, the device control unit 202 executes the operation from step S405.

When the control mode is set to the local control mode (step S401: No), the device control unit 202 determines the control content of the controlled equipment device 30 without depending on the control command (step S404). Then, the device control unit 202 executes the operation from step S405.

The equipment control unit 202 controls the equipment equipment 30 under control based on the control content determined in step S403 or step S404 (step S405).

The operation data acquisition unit 203 of the control unit 200 acquires operation data from the equipment 30 under control (step S406). The operation data transmission unit 204 of the control unit 200 transmits the operation data acquired in step S406 to the cloud server 10 (step S407). Then, the control unit 200 repeats the operation from step S401.

The device management system 1 according to the first embodiment has been described above. According to the device management system 1 according to the first embodiment, when a communication failure is detected in the communication related to a part of the management devices 20, the other management device 20 is affected by the failure of the communication network provided by the line provider. In anticipation of a communication failure that occurs in the communication, the control mode of the management device 20 is switched to the local control mode. According to the device management system 1 according to the first embodiment, since the communication failure of other communication is expected starting from the fact that the communication failure is actually detected for some of the communication, the communication failure of the other communication is accurately performed. Can be expected to occur.

(Embodiment 2)
The device management system 1 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. However, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described. Although the details will be described later, the device management system 1 according to the second embodiment predicts a communication failure due to bad weather such as rainfall, snowfall, and strong wind, and controls the management device 20 in which the communication failure is expected in the local control mode. Switch to. The device management system 1 and the management device 20 according to the second embodiment are effective regardless of whether the communication between the management device 20 and the Internet NT is by wire or wirelessly, but the management device is by wireless communication which is easily affected by the weather. 20 is particularly suitable when communicating with the Internet NT.

The device management system 1 according to the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the weather information server 40A is further provided. Further, as will be described later, the cloud server 10 also has a difference from the first embodiment.

The weather information server 40A transmits the current weather information to the cloud server 10 in response to the request of the cloud server 10. For example, the cloud server 10 transmits the position information indicating the installation position of the management device 20 to the weather information server 40A, and the weather information server 40A transmits the weather information indicating the current weather at the installation position to the cloud server 10. The weather information server 40A is, for example, a weather information server operated by the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The functional configuration of the cloud server 10 according to the second embodiment, which is different from the first embodiment, will be described with reference to FIG. In the cloud server 10 according to the second embodiment, the function of the specific unit 104A is different from the function of the specific unit 104 of the first embodiment, and the information stored in the management device table T1A is the management device table T1 of the first embodiment. Different from.

The identification unit 104A specifies the management device 20 for which the control mode should be set based on the information indicating the installation position of the management device 20 and the information indicating the weather at the installation position, not the information indicating the line supplier. Is different from the first embodiment. How the specifying unit 104A specifies the management device 20 will be described later when the operation is described. The specific unit 104A acquires information indicating the weather at the installation position from the weather information server 40A via the communication unit 120.

The management device table T1A according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The management device table T1A is different from the first embodiment in that it includes an installation position field and an installation area field instead of the line provider field.

The installation position field contains information indicating the installation position of the management device 20. The installation area field contains information indicating the area where the management device 20 is installed. These fields are used when the specific unit 104A acquires information indicating the weather at the installation position of the management device 20 from the weather information server 40A, and the management device 20 installed in the vicinity of the management device 20 related to the communication in which the communication failure has occurred. Is referred to when the specific unit 104A specifies. The term "nearby" as used herein means, for example, a range within a radius of 3 kilometers from the installation position. Alternatively, the case where it is installed in the same area as the area related to the installation position may be regarded as "nearby".

Next, with reference to FIG. 15, an example of the operation of setting the local control mode by the cloud server 10 according to the second embodiment will be described, which is different from the first embodiment. Of the steps shown in FIG. 15, steps S501 and S504 to 506 are the same as steps S101 and S103 to S105 in the case of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 8, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

In step S502, the identification unit 104A determines whether or not the weather at the installation position of the management device 20 related to the communication in which the communication failure is detected is bad weather. More specifically, first, the specific unit 104A refers to the installation position field of the management device table T1A and acquires information indicating the installation position of the management device 20. Next, the specific unit 104A acquires information indicating the current weather at the installation position from the weather information server 40A. Then, the specific unit 104A determines whether or not the current weather is bad weather. Here, "bad weather" refers to weather that may adversely affect communication, such as rainfall, snowfall, and strong winds.

When the weather at the installation position of the management device 20 related to the communication in which the communication failure is detected is not bad weather (step S502: No), the control unit 100 repeats the operation from step S501.

When the weather at the installation position of the management device 20 related to the communication in which the communication failure is detected is bad weather (step S502: Yes), the identification unit 104A is installed in the vicinity of the management device 20 related to the communication in which the communication failure is detected. The management device 20 is extracted (step S503). More specifically, the identification unit 104A refers to the installation position field of the management device table T1A, and the management device installed within a radius of 3 kilometers from the installation position of the management device 20 related to the communication in which the communication failure is detected. Identify 20. As described above, since the installation position field is represented by latitude and longitude, the distance between the two management devices 20 can be obtained. In order to reduce the processing load, the specific unit 104A is installed in the same installation area as the installation area of the management device 20 related to the communication in which the communication failure is detected by referring to the installation area field instead of the installation position field. The management device 20 may be extracted.

Then, the control unit 100 executes the operation from step S504 after the operation of step S503.

Next, with reference to FIG. 16, an example of the operation of the remote control mode setting by the cloud server 10 according to the second embodiment will be described, which is different from the first embodiment. Of the steps shown in FIG. 16, steps S601 and S603 to 605 are the same as steps S201 and S203 to S205 in the case of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 9, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

In step S602, the specific unit 104A extracts the management device 20 installed in the vicinity of the management device 20 related to the communication recovered from the communication failure. Since the details of the extraction are the same as those in step S503 shown in FIG. 15, the description thereof will be omitted. Then, the control unit 100 executes the operation from step S603.

Due to the operation of the local control mode setting shown in FIG. 15, when a communication failure occurs in the communication related to some of the management devices 20 due to bad weather, the cloud server 10 is installed in the vicinity of the management device 20. The control mode of the management device 20 installed in the vicinity can be switched to the local control mode before the management device 20 of the above becomes unable to communicate. Therefore, by the operation shown in FIG. 15, the device management system 1 can respond in anticipation of a communication failure that occurs in the communication related to the management device 20. Then, by the operation of the remote control mode setting shown in FIG. 16, the cloud server 10 can switch the control mode of each management device 20 to the remote control mode when recovering from the communication failure due to the above-mentioned cause.

The device management system 1 according to the second embodiment has been described above. According to the device management system 1 according to the second embodiment, when a communication failure is detected for communication related to some management devices 20, a communication failure that occurs in communication related to another management device 20 due to bad weather is expected. Then, the control mode of the management device 20 is switched to the local control mode. According to the device management system 1 according to the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the communication failure of other communication is expected from the fact that the communication failure is actually detected for a part of the communication. It is possible to accurately predict the occurrence of communication failures for other communications.

(Embodiment 3)
Hereinafter, the device management system 1 according to the third embodiment will be described. However, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described. Since the overall configuration of the device management system 1 according to the third embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the description thereof will be omitted.

Although the details will be described later, in setting the control mode of the management device 20, the device management system 1 according to the third embodiment is transmitted from the management device 20 to the cloud server 10 according to the degree of the detected communication failure. It also limits the amount of data. Some communication failures are completely impossible to communicate, while others require longer than normal data transmission but communication itself is possible. When the communication failure is the latter, it is not preferable to perform remote control by the cloud server 10 because the responsiveness is deteriorated, but it is possible for the management device 20 to transmit a small amount of operation data to the cloud server 10. On the other hand, it is not preferable for the management device 20 to transmit a large amount of operation data to the cloud server 10 because there is a high possibility that congestion will occur. Therefore, by limiting the amount of data transmitted according to the degree of communication failure, the cloud server 10 can appropriately acquire operation data.

The difference between the cloud server 10 according to the third embodiment and the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the cloud server 10 according to the third embodiment, the functions of the setting unit 102B and the specific unit 104B are different from the functions of the setting unit 102 and the specific unit 104 according to the first embodiment, and the information stored in the management device table T1B. Is different from the management device table T1 of the first embodiment.

The setting unit 102B not only sets the management device 20 to the local control mode or the remote control mode, but also sets the amount of operation data to be transmitted to the cloud server 10 when the local control mode is set to the management device 20. It is different from the first embodiment in that the setting for limiting is also performed according to the degree of. The settings will be described later. The limit on the amount of data set in the management device 20 is also included in a part of the control mode. Therefore, in the third embodiment, the local control mode includes a plurality of modes according to the limitation of the amount of data.

The identification unit 104B is different from the first embodiment in that the management device 20 is extracted and specified based on the communication state level described later. How to extract and specify will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 18, for example, the management device table T1B includes a communication state level field instead of the communication state field as compared with the case of the first embodiment. Further, among the control modes shown in the control mode field, the local control mode is different from the first embodiment in that the local control mode includes numerical values such as “local 0” and “local 3”. This numerical value indicates the mode according to the above-mentioned limitation of the amount of data. This numerical value corresponds to the communication state level described later.

The communication state level is expressed by quantifying the communication state detected by the detection unit 103 according to the degree of communication failure. In the example shown in FIG. 18, the communication state level is represented by an integer from 0 to 5. When the communication state is normal, the communication state level is 5, and when the communication state is such that communication cannot be performed at all, the communication state level is 0. When a communication failure has occurred but communication is possible to some extent, the communication status level is one of 1 to 4 depending on the degree of the communication failure.

The numerical values included in the above-mentioned "local 0", "local 3" and the like are numerical values corresponding to this communication state level. The management device 20 whose control mode is set to "local 0" does not transmit operation data to the cloud server 10 at all. The management device 20 in which the control mode is set to "local 3" limits the transmission operation data to about 60% and transmits the operation data to the cloud server 10. When the communication state level is 5, the control mode is set to the remote control mode.

The management device 20 according to the third embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 6, but as described above, the local control mode includes a plurality of modes according to the limitation of the amount of data, and the operation. The data transmission unit 204 is different from the first embodiment in that the data transmission unit 204 limits the data amount of the operation data to be transmitted according to the limitation of the data amount. When the amount of data to be transmitted is limited, the operation data transmission unit 204 transmits only the operation data including, for example, highly important information to the cloud server 10. The information with high importance is, for example, information indicating an abnormality. In the third embodiment, the operation data transmission unit 204 is an example of the operation data transmission means according to the present disclosure.

Next, an example of the operation of the control mode setting by the cloud server 10 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The operation shown in FIG. 19 includes both setting of the local control mode and setting of the remote control mode. Since the operation shown in FIG. 19 has many points in common with the operations shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 in the first embodiment, the description thereof will be simplified as necessary.

The detection unit 103 detects the communication state of the communication between the cloud server 10 and the management device 20 (step S701). As a result of detecting the communication state by the detection unit 103, when there is no communication in which the communication state level has changed (step S701: No), the control unit 100 repeats the operation from step S701.

When there is communication in which the communication state level has changed (step S701: Yes), the specific unit 104B extracts the management device 20 that uses the same line carrier as the line carrier involved in the communication in which the communication state level has changed (step S702). ).

The detection unit 103 detects the communication state of the communication between each management device 20 and the cloud server 10 extracted in step S702. The identification unit 104B calculates the average value of the communication state levels related to each of the extracted management devices 20 (step S703).

The identification unit 104B determines whether or not the average value of the communication state levels calculated in step S703 has changed by 1 or more from the average value before the communication state has changed (step S704). The average value of the communication state levels before the communication state changes may be obtained by referring to the communication state level field of the management device table T1B before rewriting the management device table T1B, for example.

When the change in the average value of the communication state level is less than 1 (step S704: No), the control unit 100 repeats the operation from step S701.

When the average value of the communication state level changes by 1 or more (step S704: Yes), the specific unit 104B should set the control mode for the management device 20 extracted in step S702 according to the average value of the communication state level. It is specified as the management device 20 (step S705). For example, when the calculated average value of the communication state level is 3.2, the local control mode of "local 3" according to the value rounded off from this average value becomes the "control mode according to the average value of the communication state level". ". Further, when the calculated average value of the communication state levels is 4.5 or more, the remote control mode becomes the "control mode according to the average value of the communication state levels".

The setting unit 102B sets a control mode according to the average value of the communication state level in each management device 20 specified in step S705 (step S706). Then, the control unit 100 repeats the operation from step S701.

Due to the operation of the control mode setting shown in FIG. 19, the cloud server 10 according to the third embodiment has changed the communication state of the communication related to a part of the management devices 20 due to some event occurring in the communication network provided by the line provider. Occasionally, the control modes of all the management devices 20 that use the line carrier can be switched. Therefore, by the operation shown in FIG. 19, the device management system 1 according to the third embodiment can respond in anticipation of a change in the communication state, particularly a communication failure, which occurs in the communication related to the management device 20.

The device management system 1 according to the third embodiment has been described above. According to the device management system 1 according to the third embodiment, when a change in the communication state is detected for the communication related to some management devices 20, another event cause that occurs in the communication network provided by the line carrier is another. The control mode of the management device 20 is set in anticipation of a change in the communication state that occurs in the communication related to the management device 20. Therefore, according to the device management system 1 according to the third embodiment, the occurrence of a communication failure can be predicted with high accuracy as in the first embodiment.

Further, according to the device management system 1 according to the third embodiment, the amount of operation data transmitted by the management device 20 to the cloud server 10 can be limited according to the degree of the communication failure, so that the communication failure occurs. Even so, it is possible to collect operation data within a range that does not adversely affect communication.

(Modification example)
In the above description, the first embodiment and the second embodiment are described separately, but the device management system 1 may be configured by combining these embodiments. That is, the device management system 1 that can deal with both the communication failure caused by the communication network of the line carrier and the communication failure caused by the weather may be configured.

In the above description, the third embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, but a similar modification may be applied to the second embodiment. That is, the device management system 1 may be configured to limit the amount of operation data transmitted by the management device 20 to the cloud server 10 in response to a change in the communication state caused by the weather.

In the third embodiment, the average value of the communication state level is calculated, but the median value, the mode value, and the like may be calculated instead of the average value.

In the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 7, the cloud server 10 includes the secondary storage device 1004. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the secondary storage device 1004 may be provided outside the cloud server 10 and the cloud server 10 and the secondary storage device 1004 may be connected via the interface 1003. In this form, removable media such as a USB flash drive and a memory card can also be used as the secondary storage device 1004.

Further, instead of the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 7, the cloud server 10 may be configured by a dedicated circuit using an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or the like. .. Further, in the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 7, a part of the functions of the cloud server 10 may be realized by, for example, a dedicated circuit connected to the interface 1003.

1 Equipment management system, 10 cloud server, 20 management equipment, 30 equipment equipment, 40A weather information server, 100 control unit, 101 remote control unit, 102, 102B setting unit, 103 detection unit, 104, 104A, 104B specific unit, 110 Storage unit, 120 communication unit, 200 control unit, 201 mode switching unit, 202 device control unit, 203 operation data acquisition unit, 204 operation data transmission unit, 210 1st communication unit, 220 2nd communication unit, 1000 bus, 1001 processor , 1002 memory, 1003 interface, 1004 secondary storage, NT Internet, T1, T1A, T1B management device table, T2 equipment table, T3 operation data table.

Claims (9)

A server that communicates with multiple management devices
A remote control means for remotely controlling equipment under the control of each management device via communication with each management device, and
Each management device is set to a remote control mode for controlling the equipment under the control according to the remote control by the remote control means or a local control mode for controlling the equipment under the control without depending on the remote control means. Setting means and
A detection means for detecting a communication failure in communication with each of the management devices, and
When the detection means detects a communication failure in communication with at least one management device, the specific means for specifying the management device for which the local control mode should be set among the plurality of management devices, and the specific means.
With
The setting means sets the local control mode in the identified management device.
server. The identification means identifies a management device for which the local control mode should be set, based on information indicating a line carrier related to communication in which the communication failure is detected.
The server according to claim 1. The specific means identifies the management device for which the local control mode should be set based on the information indicating the installation position of the management device related to the communication in which the communication failure is detected and the information indicating the weather at the installation position. do,
The server according to claim 1 or 2. The setting means limits the amount of data transmitted from the management device to which the local control mode should be set to the server based on the degree of communication failure detected by the detecting means.
The server according to any one of claims 1 to 3. A management device that communicates with the server according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
A mode switching means for switching the control mode set in the management device to the remote control mode or the local control mode according to the setting by the setting means, and
When the control mode is set to the remote control mode, the equipment under control is controlled according to the remote control by the remote control means, and when the control mode is set to the local control mode, the remote control by the remote control means. Equipment control means that controls the equipment under the control regardless of
A management device equipped with. A management device that communicates with the server according to claim 4.
A mode switching means for switching the control mode set in the management device to the remote control mode or the local control mode according to the setting by the setting means.
When the control mode is set to the remote control mode, the equipment under control is controlled according to the remote control by the remote control means, and when the control mode is set to the local control mode, the remote control by the remote control means. Equipment control means that controls the equipment under the control regardless of
An operation data transmission means for transmitting operation data of the equipment under the control to the server, and
With
The operation data transmitting means limits the amount of data of the operation data to be transmitted to the server according to the limitation of the amount of data by the setting means.
Management device. A plurality of management devices and a server that communicates with the plurality of management devices are provided.
The server
A remote control means for remotely controlling equipment under the control of each management device via communication with each management device, and
Each management device is set to a remote control mode for controlling the equipment under the control according to the remote control by the remote control means or a local control mode for controlling the equipment under the control without depending on the remote control means. Setting means and
A detection means for detecting a communication failure in communication with each of the management devices, and
When the detection means detects a communication failure in communication with at least one management device, the detection means includes a specific means for specifying a management device for which the local control mode should be set among the plurality of management devices.
The setting means sets the local control mode in the identified management device and sets the local control mode.
Each of the management devices
A mode switching means for switching the control mode set in the management device to the remote control mode or the local control mode according to the setting by the setting means.
When the control mode is set to the remote control mode, the equipment under control is controlled according to the remote control by the remote control means, and when the control mode is set to the local control mode, the remote control by the remote control means. It is provided with an equipment control means for controlling the equipment under the control regardless of the above.
Equipment management system. Communicate with a plurality of management devices that can set a remote control mode that controls the controlled equipment according to remote control or a local control mode that controls the controlled equipment without relying on remote control.
The equipment under the control of each management device is remotely controlled via communication with each management device.
Detects a communication failure in communication with each of the management devices,
When a communication failure in communication with at least one management device is detected, the management device for which the local control mode should be set is specified among the plurality of management devices.
Set the local control mode for the identified management device,
Device management method. A computer that communicates with multiple management devices,
A remote control means for remotely controlling equipment under the control of each management device via communication with each management device.
Each management device is set to a remote control mode for controlling the equipment under the control according to the remote control by the remote control means or a local control mode for controlling the equipment under the control without depending on the remote control means. Setting means,
A detection means for detecting a communication failure in communication with each of the management devices,
A specific means for specifying a management device for which the local control mode should be set among the plurality of management devices when the detection means detects a communication failure in communication with at least one management device.
To function as
The setting means sets the local control mode in the identified management device.
program.

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