WIRELESS SYNCHRONOUS SYSTEM, RADIO APPARATUSES, SENSOR DEVICES, WIRELESS SYNCHRONIZING METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20140002664A1
• Filed: 06/25/2013
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: HANABUSA, Toshio
• Granted Patent: US 9,451,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/159
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/04 Synchronising for television systems using pulse code modulation H04N7/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A wireless synchronous system includes plural apparatuses and plural devices. The plural apparatuses each have a radio communication unit for performing synchronous communication with the other apparatus. The plural apparatuses each generate a radio synchronizing signal having a predetermined cycle synchronized with the synchronous communication, further generate a synchronizing signal having a cycle synchronized with the radio synchronizing signal, and determine a timing of controlling the apparatus, based on the synchronizing signal. The plural sensor devices each have a radio communication unit for performing synchronous communication with at least one of the plural apparatus. The plural sensor devices each generate a radio synchronizing signal having a predetermined cycle being synchronized with the synchronous communication, obtain detection-data representing a state of the sensor device, and determine a timing of obtaining the detection-data in accordance with the radio synchronizing signal.

Claims

1. A wireless synchronous system including plural apparatuses and plural sensor devices, wherein

the plural apparatuses each comprise:

a first communicating unit for performing synchronous communication with the other apparatus;

a first radio synchronizing-signal generating unit for generating a first radio synchronizing signal having a predetermined cycle, the predetermined cycle being synchronized with a timing of the synchronous communication performed by the first communicating unit;

a synchronizing-signal generating unit for generating a synchronizing signal having a predetermined cycle, the predetermined cycle being synchronized with the first radio synchronizing signal generated by the first radio synchronizing-signal generating unit; and

a controlling unit for determining a controlling timing of controlling the apparatus in accordance with the synchronizing signal generated by the synchronizing-signal generating unit, and

the plural sensor devices each comprise;

a second communicating unit for performing synchronous communication with at least one of the plural apparatuses;

a second radio synchronizing-signal generating unit for generating a second radio synchronizing signal having a predetermined cycle, the predetermined cycle being synchronized with a timing of the synchronous communication performed by the second communicating unit;

a sensor unit for obtaining detection-data representing a state of the sensor device; and

a detection-data obtaining controlling unit for determining a timing, at which the sensor unit obtains the detection-data, in accordance with the second radio synchronizing signal generated by the second radio synchronizing-signal generating unit.

2. The wireless synchronous system according to claim 1, wherein the plural apparatuses each further comprise:

an image pickup unit for taking an image to obtain image data;

a first memory for storing data; and

a first record controlling unit for recording in the first memory the image data, which is obtained by the image pickup unit at the controlling timing determined by the controlling unit.

3. The wireless synchronous system according to claim 1, wherein

the first radio synchronizing-signal generating unit generates the first radio synchronizing signal synchronized in phase with the other apparatus;

and

the second radio synchronizing-signal generating unit generates the second radio synchronizing signal synchronized in phase with at least one of the plural apparatuses.

4. The wireless synchronous system according to claim 2, wherein

the plural apparatuses each further comprise a first real-time generating unit for generating a first real time synchronized in time with the other apparatus, and

the first record controlling unit correlates the first real time generated by the first real-time generating unit with the image data, which is obtained by the image pickup unit at the controlling timing determined by the controlling unit, and records the first real time correlated with the image data in the first memory.

5. The wireless synchronous system according to claim 1, wherein the plural sensor devices each further comprise:

a second real-time generating unit for generating a second real time synchronized in time with the other apparatus;

a second memory for storing data; and

a second record controlling unit for correlating the second real time generated by the second real-time generating unit with the detection-data, which is obtained by the sensor unit at the timing determined by the detection-data obtaining controlling unit, and for recording the second real time correlated with the detection-data in the second memory.

6. The wireless synchronous system according to claim 2, wherein the plural apparatuses each further comprise a first real-time generating unit for generating a first real time synchronized in time with the other apparatus, and wherein

the first record controlling unit correlates the first real time generated by the first real-time generating unit with the image data, which is obtained by the image pickup unit at the controlling timing determined by the controlling unit, and records the first real time correlated with the image data in the first memory, and wherein

the plural sensor devices each further comprise:

a second real-time generating unit for generating a second real time synchronized in time with the other apparatus;

a second memory for storing data; and

a second record controlling unit for correlating the second real time generated by the second real-time generating unit with the detection-data, which is obtained by the sensor unit at the timing determined by the detection-data obtaining controlling unit, and for recording the detection-data correlated with the second real time in the second memory.

7. The wireless synchronous system according to claim 4, wherein the plural apparatuses each further comprise a play-back controlling unit for playing back the image data recorded in the first memory, in accordance with the synchronizing signal generated by the synchronizing-signal generating unit, wherein the image data is correlated with the first real time and recorded in the first memory by the first record controlling unit.

8. The wireless synchronous system according to claim 6, wherein

the plural sensor devices each further comprise a sending unit for sending the obtained detection-data correlated with the second real time to at least one of the plural apparatuses, and

the one of the plural apparatuses further comprises a receiving unit for receiving the detection-data correlated with the second real time, sent from the plural sensor devices, and wherein, in said one of the plural apparatuses,

receiving the detection-data correlated with the second real time from the receiving unit, the first record controlling unit correlates the detection-data with the image data correlated with the first real time corresponding to said second real time, and records the detection-data correlated with the image data in the first memory.

9. The wireless synchronous system according to claim 8, wherein the one of the plural apparatuses further comprises a play-back controlling unit for playing back the detection-data received by the receiving unit, in synchronization based on the first real time and the second real time, wherein the detection-data is correlated with the second real time and sent from the plural sensor devices, and received by the receiving unit, when the image data recorded in the first memory is played back in synchronization in accordance with the synchronizing signal generated by the synchronizing-signal generating unit, wherein the image data is correlated with the first real time and recorded in the first memory by the first record controlling unit.

10. A wireless apparatus comprising:

a communicating unit for performing synchronous communication with other apparatus;

a radio synchronizing-signal generating unit for generating a radio synchronizing signal having a predetermined cycle, the predetermined cycle being synchronized with a timing of the synchronous communication performed by the communicating unit;

a synchronizing-signal generating unit for generating a synchronizing signal having a predetermined cycle, the predetermined cycle being synchronized with the radio synchronizing signal generated by the radio synchronizing-signal generating unit; and

a controlling unit for determining a controlling timing of controlling the wireless apparatus in accordance with the synchronizing signal generated by the synchronizing-signal generating unit.

11. A sensor device comprising:

a communicating unit for performing synchronous communication with other wireless apparatus;

a radio synchronizing-signal generating unit for generating a radio synchronizing signal having a predetermined cycle, the predetermined cycle being synchronized with a timing of the synchronous communication by the communicating unit;

a sensor unit for obtaining detection-data representing a state of the sensor device; and

a detection-data obtaining controlling unit for determining a timing, at which the sensor unit obtains the detection-data, in accordance with the radio synchronizing signal generated by the radio synchronizing-signal generating unit.

12. A method of implementing wireless synchronization among plural apparatuses and plural sensor devices, including a first synchronizing method in each of the plural apparatuses and a second synchronizing method in each of the plural sensor devices, wherein

the first synchronizing method in the apparatus comprises:

a first communicating step of performing synchronous communication with the other apparatus;

a first radio synchronizing-signal generating step of generating a first radio synchronizing signal having a predetermined cycle, the predetermined cycle being synchronized with a timing of the synchronous communication at the first communicating step;

a synchronizing-signal generating step of generating a synchronizing signal having a predetermined cycle, the predetermined cycle being synchronized with the first radio synchronizing signal generated at the first radio synchronizing-signal generating step; and

a controlling step of determining a controlling timing of controlling the apparatus in accordance with the synchronizing signal generated at the synchronizing-signal generating step, and

the second synchronizing method in the sensor device comprises;

a second communicating step of performing synchronous communication with at least one of the plural apparatuses;

a second radio synchronizing-signal generating step of generating a second radio synchronizing signal having a predetermined cycle, the predetermined cycle being synchronized with a timing of the synchronous communication at the second communicating step;

a sensor step of obtaining detection-data representing a state of the sensor device; and

a detection-data obtaining controlling step of determining a timing, at which the sensor unit obtains the detection-data, in accordance with the second radio synchronizing signal generated at the second radio synchronizing-signal generating step.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program, the computer program, when installed on a computer provided on an apparatus, making the computer function as:

a communicating unit for performing synchronous communication with other wireless apparatus;

a radio synchronizing-signal generating unit for generating a radio synchronizing signal having a predetermined cycle, the predetermined cycle being synchronized with a timing of the synchronous communication performed by the communicating unit;

a synchronizing-signal generating unit for generating a synchronizing signal having a predetermined cycle, the predetermined cycle being synchronized with the radio synchronizing signal generated by the radio synchronizing-signal generating unit; and

a controlling unit for determining a controlling timing of controlling the apparatus in accordance with the synchronizing signal generated by the synchronizing-signal generating unit.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program, the computer program, when installed on a computer provided on a sensor device, making the computer function as:

a communicating unit for performing synchronous communication with other wireless apparatus;

a radio synchronizing-signal generating unit for generating a radio synchronizing signal having a predetermined cycle, the predetermined cycle being synchronized with a timing of the synchronous communication performed by the communicating unit;

a sensor unit for obtaining detection-data representing a state of the sensor device; and

a detection-data obtaining controlling unit for determining a timing, at which the sensor unit obtains the detection-data, in accordance with the radio synchronizing signal generated by the radio synchronizing-signal generating unit.