SYSTEM, COMMUNICATIONS NODE, AND DETERMINING METHOD

• US 20160255423A1
• Filed: 05/12/2016
• Published: 09/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takahisa, Otomo, Toshiya, Yamauchi, Hiromasa, Yamashita, Koichiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,888,298 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/845 where the measuring is synchronized between sensing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/886 using energy harvesting, e.g. solar, wind or mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A system includes communications nodes, respectively having a sensor; and a communications apparatus that simultaneously requests the communications nodes to transmit sensor data. A first communications node among the communications nodes, when determining that among a first state where the communications apparatus includes the first communications node when requesting transmission and a second state where the communications apparatus excludes the first communications node when requesting transmission, the first communications node is in the second state: determines whether a predetermined difference is present between a predetermined value and the sensor data of the first communications node, and transmits a notification signal that notifies the communications apparatus of the predetermined difference, when determining that the predetermined difference is present.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of communications nodes, respectively having a sensor; and

a communications apparatus configured to simultaneously request the plurality of communications nodes to transmit sensor data, wherein

a first communications node among the plurality of the communications nodes, when determining that among a first state where the communications apparatus includes the first communications node when requesting transmission and a second state where the communications apparatus excludes the first communications node when requesting transmission, the first communications node is in the second state;

determines whether a predetermined difference is present between a predetermined value and the sensor data of the first communications node, and

transmits a notification signal that notifies the communications apparatus of the predetermined difference, when determining that the predetermined difference is present.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the communications apparatus transmits identification information that indicates a second communications node that from among the plurality of communications nodes, excludes an intended recipient of a transmission request signal requesting transmission and an intended recipient of a data signal notifying the communications apparatus of the sensor data,

the first communications node receives from a third communications node among the plurality of communications nodes, the data signal that notifies the communications apparatus of the sensor data of the third communications node,

the first communications node, when included as an intended recipient of the received data signal, wirelessly transmits the data signal in which is set as an intended recipient, a fourth communications node that from among communications nodes that directly communicate with the first communications node and are among the plurality of communications nodes, excludes the second communication node indicated by the identification information, and

the first communications node determines according to whether the first communications node is included as an intended recipient of the data signal, whether the first communications node is in the first state or the second state.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein

the first communications node determines whether the predetermined difference is present between the sensor data included in the data signal and the sensor data of the first communications node, when the third communications node that measured the sensor data included in the data signal communicates directly with the first communications node.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein

the communications apparatus transmits the transmission request signal that includes the identification information,

the first communications node:

receives the transmission request signal,

determines whether the first communications node is included as an intended recipient of the received transmission request signal,

transmits the data signal when determining that the first communications node is included as an intended recipient, the data signal notifying the communications apparatus of the sensor data of the first communications node and having set as an intended recipient, the fourth communications node that from among communications nodes that directly communicate with the first communications node and are among the plurality of communications nodes, excludes the second communications node indicated by the identification information, and

wirelessly transmits the transmission request signal in which is set as an intended recipient, the fourth communications node that from among communications nodes that directly communicate with the first communications node and are among the plurality of communications nodes, excludes the second communications node indicated by the identification information.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein

the first communications node wirelessly transmits the data signal in which a transmission source of the transmission request signal is set as an intended recipient.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the communications apparatus transmits to the plurality of communications nodes, a suspension request signal that requests a portion of the plurality of communications to refrain from performing transmission and reception operations, and

the first communications node:

receives the suspension request signal,

determines whether the first communications node is in the first state or the second state according to whether the first communications node is included among the portion of the plurality of communications nodes not to perform the transmission and reception operations consequent to the received suspension request signal,

receives from a second communications node among the plurality of communications nodes when the first communications node determines to be in the first state, a data signal that notifies the communications apparatus of the sensor data of the second communications node,

stores to a storage device, the sensor data included in the received data signal, when determining to be in the first state,

wirelessly transmits when determining to be in the first state, the data signal in which a third communications node that is among the plurality of communications nodes and directly communicates with the first communications node is set as an intended recipient,

refrains from performing the transmission and reception operations, when determining to be in the second state, and

determines whether the predetermined difference is present between the sensor data stored in the storage device and the sensor data of the first communications node.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein

the suspension request signal has information that indicates a period during which the transmission and reception operations are not to be performed,

the first communications node refrains from performing the transmission and reception operations during the period indicated by the information included in the suspension request signal.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein

the first communications node stores the sensor data included in the received data signal to the storage device, when the second communications node that measured the sensor data in the received data signal communicates directly with the first communications node.

9. A first communications node included among a plurality of communications nodes that respectively have a sensor, the first communications node comprising:

a control circuit configured to determine whether a predetermined difference is present between a predetermined value and sensor data of the first communications node, the sensor data being received from a second communications node among the plurality of the communications nodes, when among a first state where a communications apparatus that simultaneously requests the plurality of communications nodes to transmit the sensor data includes the first communications node when requesting transmission and a second state where the communications apparatus excludes the first communications node when requesting transmission, the first communications node is in the second state; and

a transmitting circuit configured to wirelessly transmit a notification signal that notifies the communications apparatus of the predetermined difference when the control circuit determines that the predetermined difference is present.

10. The first communications node according to claim 9, further comprising:

a power control circuit configured to supply power to the transmitting circuit when transmitting the notification signal and to suspend power to the transmitting circuit when not transmitting the notification signal, when the first communications node is in the second state.

11. The first communications node according to claim 9, further comprising:

a receiving circuit configured to receive from the second communications node, a data signal that notifies the communications apparatus of the sensor data of the second communications node, wherein

the transmitting circuit, when the first communications node is included as an intended recipient of the received data signal, wirelessly transmits the data signal in which is set as an intended recipient, a third communications node that from among communications nodes that directly communicate with the first communications node and are among the plurality of communications nodes, excludes a fourth communications node indicated by identification information that indicates the fourth communications node that excludes from among the plurality of communications nodes, an intended recipient of a transmission request signal that requests transmission and an intended recipient of the data signal that notifies the communications apparatus of the sensor data, and

the control circuit determines whether the first communications node is in the first state or the second state, according to whether the first communications node is included as an intended recipient of the data signal.

12. The first communications node according to claim 9, further comprising:

a receiving circuit configured to receive from the communications apparatus, a suspension request signal that requests a portion of the plurality of communications to refrain from performing transmission and reception operations; and

a power control circuit configured to control power supplied to the receiving circuit and the transmitting circuit, when the first communications node is in the second state, wherein

the control circuit determines whether the first communications node is in the first state or the second state, according to whether the first communications node is included among the portion of the plurality of communications nodes not to perform the transmission and reception operations consequent to the suspension request signal received by the receiving circuit,

the receiving circuit, when the control circuit determines the first communications node to be in the first state, receives from the second communications node, a data signal that notifies the communications apparatus of the sensor data of the second communications node,

the control circuit, when determining the first communications node to be in the first state, stores the sensor data included in the received data signal to a storage device,

the control circuit, when determining the first communications node to be in the first state, wirelessly transmits the data signal in which a third communications node that is among the plurality of communications nodes and communicates directly with the first communications node is set as an intended recipient,

the power control circuit, when the control circuit determines the first communications node to be in the second state, suspends power supply to the transmitting circuit and the receiving circuit, and

the control circuit determines whether the predetermined difference is present between the sensor data stored in the storage device and the sensor data of the first communications node.

13. A determining method of a plurality of communications nodes respectively having a sensor, the method comprising:

determining, by each communications node among the plurality of communications nodes, whether a predetermined difference is present between sensor data of the communications node and a predetermined value, when among a first state where a communications apparatus that simultaneously requests the plurality of communications nodes to transmit the sensor data includes the communications node when requesting transmission and a second state where the communications apparatus excludes the communications node when requesting transmission, the communications node is in the second state; and

wirelessly transmitting, by each communications node among the plurality of communications nodes, a notification signal that notifies the communications apparatus of the predetermined difference, when the predetermined difference is present.