Monitoring system, terminal device and main control device thereof, and method and program for registering terminal device

• US 8,400,276 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2007
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Tanaka, Yoshihei
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): OTT, FREDERICK R
• Application Number:
  US12/282,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20090040026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,204 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.4, 340/10.4, 340/10.42, 340/9.1, 340/10.5, 340/5.92
• US Class Current: 340/10.4
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/003 Address allocation methods and details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices

Abstract

By pushing the registration switch of a main controller, a radio signal for requesting the transmission of a terminal-device ID number is transmitted (SP1, SP2). A wireless sensor sends back the terminal-device ID number (SP11, SP12), and the main controller stores the received terminal-device ID number in its storage unit and transmits a main-controller device ID number (SP4, SP5). The wireless sensor stores the main-controller device ID number in its storage unit. From then on, communications between devices whose device ID numbers have been registered are permitted.

Claims

1. A monitoring system comprising:

a terminal device having terminal identifying information for identifying itself; and

a main control device having main control device identifying information and configured to control said terminal device, wherein;

said terminal device comprises an RFID tag configured to transmit the terminal identifying information of the terminal device as a radio signal in response to receipt of a request signal for the terminal identifying information wirelessly transmitted from said main control device, and

said RFID tag is configured to send back said terminal identification information if said main control device identifying information is not stored in said terminal device,

said main control device comprises;

an RFID reader/writer configured to transmit said request signal for the terminal identifying information as a radio signal before registration of said terminal identifying information and receive the terminal identifying information as a radio signal transmitted back from said terminal device;

a first storage unit configured to store the terminal identifying information in response to receipt of the terminal identifying information by said RFID reader/writer;

a first communication unit configured to communicate with said terminal device; and

a main control unit configured to permit the main control device to communicate through said first communication unit with the terminal device whose said main control device identifying information has been stored in said first storage unit,

wherein said RFID reader/writer is configured to transmit the main control device identifying information as a radio signal to said terminal device in response to receipt of said terminal identifying information before registration of said main control device identifying information;

wherein said RFID reader/writer is provided separately from said first communication unit;

wherein said RFID tag comprises;

a second storage unit configured to store the main control device identifying information transmitted by said RFID reader/writer; and

a power generation unit configured to generate electric power from a radio signal received by said RFID tag and supply the generated power to at least said second storage power,

wherein said terminal device further comprises;

a second communication unit configured to communicate with said main control device;

a power unit;

a third storage unit provided separately from said RFID tag; and

a terminal control unit configured to permit the terminal device to communicate through said second communication unit with the main control device whose said main control device identifying information has been stored in said third storage unit;

wherein said RFID tag is provided separately from said second communication unit, and

wherein said terminal control unit reads out said main control device identifying information from said second storage unit and writes said main control device identifying information in said third storage unit, when said terminal device is powered on at start-up by said power unit.

2. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein:

a plurality of said terminal devices are provided each having terminal identifying information,

said first storage unit of said main control device stores the terminal identifying information corresponding to each of said plurality of terminal devices,

said RFID reader/writer is configured to transmit a request signal for the terminal identifying information to each of said plurality of terminal devices,

said RFID reader/writer is configured to receive the terminal identifying information transmitted from each of said terminal devices, and

said first storage unit stores the terminal identifying information received by said RFID reader/writer.

3. A terminal device of a monitoring system, said terminal device having identifying information for identifying itself and being controlled by a main control device having main control device identifying information, comprising:

an RFID reader/writer configured to receive a request signal for requesting the transmission of the identifying information, said request signal being wirelessly transmitted from said main control device;

a first storage unit configured to store the main control device identifying information transmitted by said RFID reader/writer;

an RFID tag configured to transmit the identifying information of the terminal device as a radio signal in response to receipt of the request signal for the identifying information by said RFID reader/writer;

wherein said RFID tag comprises;

a second storage unit configured to store the main control device identifying information transmitted by said RFID reader/writer; and

a power generation unit configured to generate electric power from a radio signal received by said RFID tag and supply the generated power to at least said second storage power,

a communication unit configured to communicate with said main control device, and

a main control unit configured to permit the main control device to communicate through said communication unit with the terminal device whose said main control device identifying information has been stored in said first storage unit,

a power unit;

a third storage unit provided separately from said RFID tag;

a terminal control unit configured to permit the terminal device to communicate through said communication unit with the main control device whose said main control device identifying information has been stored in said third storage unit;

wherein said terminal control unit reads out said main control device identifying information from said second storage unit and writes said main control device identifying information in said third storage unit, when said terminal device is powered on at start-up by said power unit;

wherein said RFID tag is configured to send back said terminal identification information if said main control device identifying information is not stored in said terminal device.

4. A method for registering a terminal device by registering terminal identifying information for identifying the terminal device, the method comprising:

transmitting, from an RFID reader/writer of a main control device having main control device identifying information, a request signal for said terminal identifying information as a radio signal, wherein the request signal is transmitted before registration of the terminal identifying information;

transmitting, by said RFID reader/writer, said main control device identifying information as a radio signal to said terminal device in response to receipt of said terminal identifying information before registration of said main control device identifying information;

receiving the terminal identifying information transmitted back from an RFID tag of the terminal device in response to said radio signal if the main control device identifying information is not stored in the terminal device;

storing, in a first storage unit, the terminal identifying information in response to receipt of said terminal identifying information;

reading out, by a terminal control unit, said main control device identifying information from a second storage unit;

writing, by said terminal control unit, said main control device identifying information in a third storage unit of said terminal device, said third storage unit provided separately from said RFID tag, when said terminal device is powered on at start-up by a power unit;

wherein the RFID tag comprises said second storage unit, said second storage unit configured to store said main control device identifying information transmitted by said RFID reader/writer;

wherein said terminal control unit is further configured to permit said terminal device to communicate through a communication unit with said main control device whose said main control device identifying information has been stored in said third storage unit.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

storing, by said first storage unit of said main control device, terminal identifying information corresponding to each of a plurality of said terminal devices,

transmitting, by said RFID reader/writer, a request signal for the terminal identifying information to each of said plurality of terminal devices,

receiving, by said RFID reader/writer, the terminal identifying information transmitted from each of said terminal devices, and

storing, by said first storage unit, the terminal identifying information received by said RFID reader/writer.

6. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by at least one processing circuit, the instructions comprising:

registering terminal identifying information for identifying a terminal device;

transmitting, using an RFID reader/writer of a main control device having main control device identifying information, a request signal for requesting said terminal identifying information as a radio signal, wherein the request signal is transmitted before registration of the terminal identifying information;

transmitting, by said RFID reader/writer, said main control device identifying information as a radio signal to said terminal device in response to receipt of said terminal identifying information before registration of said main control device identifying information;

receiving, using said RFID reader/writer, the terminal identifying information as a radio signal transmitted back from said terminal device when the main control device identifying information is not stored in the terminal device; and

storing, using a first storage unit, the terminal identifying information in response to receipt of said terminal identifying information by said RFID reader/writer;

reading out, by a terminal control unit, said main control device identifying information from a second storage unit;

writing, by said terminal control unit, said main control device identifying information in a third storage unit of said terminal device, said third storage unit provided separately from said RFID tag, when said terminal device is powered on at start-up by a power unit;

wherein the RFID tag comprises said second storage unit, said second storage unit configured to store said main control device identifying information transmitted by said RFID reader/writer;

wherein said terminal control unit is further configured to permit said terminal device to communicate through a communication unit with said main control device whose said main control device identifying information has been stored in said third storage unit.

7. The at least one computer-readable medium according to claim 6, the instructions further comprising:

storing, by said first storage unit of said main control device, terminal identifying information corresponding to each of a plurality of said terminal devices,

transmitting, by said RFID reader/writer, a request signal for the terminal identifying information to each of said plurality of terminal devices,

receiving, by said RFID reader/writer, the terminal identifying information transmitted from each of said terminal devices, and

storing, by said first storage unit, the terminal identifying information received by said RFID reader/writer.