Wireless data acquisition system

• US 6,850,157 B1
• Filed: 10/18/2000
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Masahiro, Saito, Jyunichi, Nakane, Shinichi, Nakagawa, Masafumi, Tanie, Katsunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG T
• Application Number:
  US10/019,851
• Time in Patent Office: 1,567 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/10.51, 340/3.1, 340/870.02, 340/870.03, 340/870.07, 340/870.11, 340/870.7, 455/404
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/10 using a centralized architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/50 using a mobile data collecting device, e.g. walk by or drive by
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/86 Performing a diagnostic of the sensing device
• 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

Abstract

A wireless data collection system 1a includes a wireless terminal 2 provided for an apparatus 1, a wireless base station 5 for communicating with the wireless terminal 2 through a wireless communication to collect data on the apparatus 1, and a central station apparatus 10 for communicating with the wireless base station 5 through a line 9. The wireless base station 5 includes a control section 6 for controlling an operation of the wireless base station 5, an information obtaining section 7 for obtaining change information for changing an operation of the control section 6 from outside the wireless base station 5, and a rewriting section 8 for rewriting control information defining the operation of the control section 6 based on the change information.

Claims

1. A wireless data collection system, comprising:

a wireless terminal provided for an apparatus;

a wireless base station for communicating with the wireless terminal through a wireless communication to collect data on the apparatus; and

a central station apparatus for communicating with the wireless base station through a line,

wherein;

the wireless base station includes;

a control section for controlling an operation of the wireless base station,

an information obtaining section for obtaining change information for changing an operation of the control section from outside the wireless base station, and

a rewriting section for rewriting control information defining the operation of the control section based on the change information,

wherein the wireless base station further includes a signal detection section for detecting a signal indicating timing at which the information obtaining section is to obtain the change information, and the information obtaining section starts obtaining the change information in response to detection of the signal by the signal detection section.

2. A wireless data collection system according to claim 1, wherein the information obtaining section obtains the change information from the central station apparatus.

3. A wireless data collection system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless base station further includes a rewriting amount determination section for determining whether the control information is to be rewritten partially or entirely based on the change information, and the rewriting section rewrites the control information based on a determination result of the rewriting amount determination section.

4. A wireless data collection system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless base station further includes a storage section for temporarily storing the control information before the rewriting section rewrites the control information;

and when the rewriting section fails in rewriting the control information, the control section operates in accordance with the control information stored in the storage section.

5. A wireless data collection system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless base station further includes a notification section for notifying of a rewriting result of the control information to outside the wireless base station.

6. A wireless data collection system, comprising:

a wireless terminal provided for an apparatus;

a wireless base station for communicating with the wireless terminal through a wireless communication to collect data on the apparatus; and

a central station apparatus for communicating with the wireless base station through a line,

wherein;

the wireless base station includes;

a control section for controlling an operation of the wireless base station,

an information obtaining section for obtaining change information for changing an operation of the control section from outside the wireless base station, and

a rewriting section,

wherein;

the control section includes a first control portion and a second control portion, and

the rewriting section rewrites at least one of first control information defining an operation of the first control portion and second control information defining an operation of the second control portion, based on the change information.

7. A wireless data collection system according to claim 6, wherein the wireless base station further includes a storage section for temporarily storing the change information obtained by the information obtaining section, and the rewriting section rewrites the control information based on the change information only when the information obtaining section has successfully obtained the change information.

8. A wireless data collection system according to claim 6, wherein the wireless base station further includes a rewriting range determination section for determining whether only the first control information is to be rewritten, only the second control information is to be rewritten, or both of the first control information and the second control information are to be rewritten;

and the rewriting section rewrites at least one of the first control information and the second control information based on a determination result of the rewriting range determination section.

9. A wireless data collection system according to claim 6, wherein the wireless base station further includes an operation determination section for determining whether the wireless base station is to operate in accordance with the first control portion or the second control portion, and the wireless base station operates in accordance with whichever of the first control portion and the second control portion determined by the operation determination section.

10. A wireless data collection system according to claim 6, wherein the wireless base station further includes a storage section for storing information indicating whether the wireless base station is in operation in accordance with the first control portion or the second control portion.

11. A wireless data collection system according to claim 6, wherein the wireless base station further includes a notification section for outputting a notification signal notifying of a rewriting result of the first control information and a rewriting result of the second control information.

12. A wireless data collection system according to claim 11, wherein the wireless base station further includes a normal operation monitoring section for starting counting of a timer upon receiving the notification signal output by the notification section and stopping the counting of the timer upon receiving a signal sent from the central station apparatus in response to the notification signal, and the rewriting section returns the operation of the control section to the operation before the change by the timer.

13. A wireless data collection system according to claim 12, wherein:

the control section further includes a third control portion for controlling minimum necessary communication between the wireless base station and the central station apparatus, and

the wireless base station further includes a recovery section for detecting that neither the first control portion nor the second control portion operates normally based on information from the normal operation monitoring section, and switching the wireless base station to be controlled by the third control portion.

14. A wireless data collection system according to claim 13, wherein the wireless base station further includes a switching section for switching the wireless base station to be controlled by the third control portion in response to a signal from the central station apparatus.