Monitoring control apparatus, monitoring system, monitoring method, wireless communication apparatus and wireless communication system

• US 7,650,144 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Nakamura, Akihiko, Hayashi, Jun, Ombe, Takaaki, Hayakawa, Noriaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro; Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Magloire; Vladimir
• Application Number:
  US11/362,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20060209176A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 455418-420, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 370/331
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A main controller used in a security system having a sensor or a camera performs wireless communication with the sensor or the camera so as to control the sensor or the camera. The main controller has a plurality of communication sections that perform wireless communication by using communication systems having different communication speeds. The camera transmits and receives information by performing wireless communication with the main controller. The camera is provided with a first camera communication section and a second camera communication section that perform wireless communication by using communication systems having different communication speeds, and a camera communication control section for selecting the first camera communication section and the second camera communication section according to the information to be transmitted and received, as a communication section to perform communication.

Claims

1. A wireless communication apparatus configured to communicate information including data and identification information identifying the data with a controlling apparatus by wireless communication, the wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a first communicator, configured to perform the wireless communication by using a first communication system;

a second communicator, configured to perform the wireless communication by using a second communication system having a communication speed higher than the first communication system;

a storage, storing identification information indicative of specific data which has a data amount no less than a threshold value;

a selector, configured to extract identification information from information to be sent to the controlling apparatus, the selector being configured to select the first communicator in a case where the extracted identification information is not identical with the identification information stored in the storage, and to select the second communicator in a case where the extracted identification information is identical with the identification information stored in the storage;

an information acquirer, configured to acquire information related to a state of an environment of a peripheral region of the wireless communication apparatus,

wherein the information acquirer includes an imaging device configured to image the peripheral region, and the specific data is image data that is imaged by the imaging device;

a detector, configured to detect an abnormality in the state of the environment; and

an activator, configured to activate the second communicator and send an instruction to the imaging device to image the peripheral region when the detector detects the abnormality,

wherein the selector is configured to send the image data according to the instruction from the activator through the second communicator.

2. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first communication system is a specified low-power radio communication, and

the second communication system is a wireless LAN (local area network).

3. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a transmission request receiver, configured to receive a transmission request of the specific data from the controlling apparatus through the first communicator; and

wherein the activator is configured to activate the second communicator from a standby state when the transmission request receives the transmission request.

4. A wireless communication system comprising:

the wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1; and

a controlling apparatus configured to communicate information with the wireless communication apparatus by wireless communication.

5. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein;

the wireless communication apparatus is configured to be driven by a battery, and further comprises a data generator configured to judge whether a remaining battery level of the battery is less than a predetermined value, and to generate notification data in a case where it is judged that the remaining battery level is less than the predetermined value; and

the selector is configured to select the first communicator to send the notification data to the controlling apparatus.