WIRELESS RELAY DEVICE, CONTROL DEVICE, WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, AND JOINING METHOD

• US 20170064763A1
• Filed: 08/25/2016
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2015
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Inventors: FUJIMOTO, Naoyuki, YAMAJI, Masato, TAKEDA, Kenichi, YAMADA, Haruka
• Granted Patent: US 10,264,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31093 Communication between sensors, actuators and gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

A wireless relay device that performs relay of data over a wireless network includes: a manager that manages a second wireless network different from a first wireless network that the own device joins; and a transfer controller that transfers data transmitted to the own device over the second wireless network, to a preset transfer destination over the first wireless network.

Claims

1. A wireless relay device that performs relay of data over a wireless network, the wireless relay device comprising:

a manager that manages a second wireless network different from a first wireless network that the own device joins; and

a transfer controller that transfers data transmitted to the own device over the second wireless network, to a preset transfer destination over the first wireless network.

2. The wireless relay device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage that stores setting information that is set in a wireless device joining the second wireless network.

3. The wireless relay device according to claim 2,

wherein the manager performs a joining process of causing a wireless device transmitting a request for joining the second wireless network to join the second wireless network using the setting information stored in the storage.

4. The wireless relay device according to claim 3,

wherein the manager requests a controller at an upper level to transmit the setting information in a case in which the setting information necessary for a joining process of the wireless device transmitting the joining request is not stored in the storage.

5. The wireless relay device according to claim 3,

wherein in a case in which the manager fails in authentication of the wireless device transmitting the joining request, the manager requests the controller at an upper level to transmit new setting information.

6. The wireless relay device according to claim 2,

wherein the manager deletes the setting information of the wireless device in which no data is obtained in a predefined period, from the storage.

7. The wireless relay device according to claim 6,

wherein the manager deletes the setting information of the wireless device from the storage in a case in which a first period defined so as to determine disconnection of wireless communication elapses and a second period defined in consideration of re-joining the second wireless network elapses after no data from the wireless device is obtained.

8. The wireless relay device according to claim 2,

wherein the manager performs deletion of the setting information stored in the storage on the basis of a deletion request for the setting information received from the controller at an upper level.

9. The wireless relay device according to claim 2,

wherein the transfer controller performs data transmission and reception setting for the wireless device that joins the second wireless network on the basis of the setting information stored in the storage.

10. The wireless relay device according to claim 1,

wherein the data transmitted to the own device over the second wireless network is encrypted, and

the wireless relay device further comprises an encryption processor that performs decryption of the data which is transmitted to the own device and performs encryption of the data to be transferred to the transfer destination.

11. A control device that controls a device joining a wireless network,

wherein setting information set in a wireless device joining the second wireless network is provided to the wireless relay device according to claim 1.

12. The control device according to claim 11,

wherein a deletion request for the setting information is performed to the wireless relay device.

13. The control device according to claim 11,

wherein in a case in which neighbor information indicating the wireless relay device located near the wireless device is included in data transferred from the wireless relay device, the setting information of the wireless device transmitting the neighbor information is provided to the wireless relay device indicated by the neighbor information.

14. A wireless communication system capable of wireless communication over a wireless network, the wireless communication system comprising:

the wireless relay device according to claim 1;

a management device that manages the first wireless network; and

a control device that controls a device joining a wireless network,

wherein setting information set in a wireless device joining the second wireless network is provided to the wireless relay device.

15. The wireless communication system according to claim 14,

wherein the management device and the control device are configured as one device.

16. The wireless communication system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a gateway set as a data transfer destination of the wireless relay device.

17. The wireless communication system according to claim 16,

wherein at least one of the management device and the control device, and the gateway are configured as one device.

18. A joining method of causing a wireless device to join a wireless network, the joining method comprising:

a step of transmitting a request for joining the second wireless network to the wireless relay device according to claim 1; and

a step of performing a joining process of causing the wireless device transmitting the joining request to join the second wireless network, in the wireless relay device.

19. The joining method according to claim 18, further comprising:

a step of transmitting, by a control device at an upper level, setting information necessary for a joining process for the wireless device transmitting the joining request to the wireless relay device on the basis of a transmission request from the wireless relay device.

20. The joining method according to claim 18, further comprising:

a step of providing the setting information of the wireless device transmitting the neighbor information to the wireless relay device indicated by neighbor information in a case in which the neighbor information indicating the wireless relay device located near the wireless device is included in data transferred from the wireless relay device.