Distance measurement device and distance measurement method

• US 9,513,101 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2013
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Kanayama, Yasuto
• Primary Examiner(s): TSAI, CAROL S W
• Application Number:
  US15/023,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20160209200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 702/158, 455/456.1, 455/424, 455/67.11, 455/404.2, 455/422.1, 342/457, 709/218, 709/204
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B7/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40 Bus networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/123 Evaluation of link metrics techniques for monitoring network metrics H04L43/08

Abstract

A distance measurement device includes a transceiving unit that, in a distance measurement process between the distance measurement device and nodes, transmits a command to the nodes, and receives a response as a response to the command; and a distance measurement control unit that instructs the transceiving unit to transmit the command when the distance measurement process starts, measures a period of time until the response is received after the command is transmitted, and calculates a distances between the distance measurement device and the nodes on the basis of the measured period of time. The distance measurement control unit determines the number of repetitions for the distance measurement process until the distance is calculated after the command is transmitted on the basis of the calculated distance.

Claims

1. A distance measurement device, comprising:

a transceiver that, in a distance measurement process between the distance measurement device and a communication device,

transmits a command to the communication device of a network system configured to include the distance measurement device and the communication device, and

receives a response from the communication device as a response to the command; and

a distance measurement controller that

instructs the transceiver to transmit the command when starting the distance measurement process,

measures a period of time until the response is received after the command is transmitted, and

calculates a distance between the distance measurement device and the communication device on the basis of the measured period of time,

wherein, before repeatedly executing the distance measurement process, the distance measurement controller determines, on the basis of a comparison result of the calculated distance and a specified amount, the number of times the distance measurement process, which is until the distance is calculated after the command is transmitted, is repeated,

wherein a communication cycle of the communication device is adjusted based on the calculated number of times the distance measurement process is repeated.

2. The distance measurement device according to claim 1, wherein

the distance measurement controller executes, before data communication with the communication device is started after the distance measurement device is activated, the distance measurement process which is until the distance is calculated and after the command is transmitted, the distance measurement process being executable by interrupting the data communication after the data communication with the communication device starts.

3. The distance measurement device according to claim 1, wherein, when the distance measurement process is executed at least twice, the distance measurement controller divides a plurality of distance measurement processes into at least two distance measurement process periods of time so as to execute the divided distance measurement processes.

4. The distance measurement device according to claim 3,

wherein the distance measurement controller determines a length of each distance measurement process period of time based on a cycle time of the network system.

5. A distance measurement method in a distance measurement device that constitutes a network system with a communication device, comprising:

transmitting a command to the communication device when a distance measurement process starts, wherein the communication device is connected to the distance measurement device via a communication network;

receiving a response from the communication device as a response to the command;

measuring, by the distance measurement device, a period of time until the response is received after the command is transmitted;

calculating a distance between the distance measurement device and the communication device based on the measured period of time; and

before the distance measurement process is repeatedly executed, determining, based on a comparison result of the calculated distance and a specified amount, number of times the distance measurement process is repeated, wherein the distance measurement process comprises the transmitting, the receiving, the measuring, and the calculating,

wherein a communication cycle of the communication device is adjusted based on the calculated number of times the distance measurement process is repeated.

6. The distance measurement method according to claim 5, wherein:

the distance measurement process from the transmitting to the measuring is executed before data communication with the communication device starts and after the distance measurement device is activated,

the distance measurement process being executable by interrupting the data communication after the data communication with the communication device starts.

7. The distance measurement method according to claim 5, wherein, when the distance measurement process is executed at least twice, a plurality of distance measurement processes are divided into at least two distance measurement process periods of time so as to execute the divided distance measurement processes.

8. The distance measurement method according to claim 7,

wherein a length of each distance measurement process period of time is determined on the basis of a cycle time of the network system.