Communications apparatus, system, and communications method

• US 9,716,928 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2015
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Yamashita, Koichiro, Suzuki, Takahisa, Otomo, Toshiya, Yamauchi, Hiromasa, Kurihara, Koji, Teranishi, Yuta
• Primary Examiner(s): Bousono, Orlando
• Application Number:
  US14/632,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20150172791A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1068 Discovery involving direct consultation or announcement among potential requesting and potential source peers
• 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: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A given communications apparatus is included among plural first communications apparatuses, among which at least execution results of data processing of the given communications apparatus is communicated by multi-hop communication whereby, the execution results are transmitted to a second communications apparatus that performs a process based on the execution results. The given communications apparatus includes a storage device storing therein identification information of a specified communications apparatus that requires plural hops to communicate with the second communications apparatus and is among the plural first communications apparatuses, exclusive of the given communications apparatus; and a wireless communications circuit that transmits to a nearby communications apparatus of the given communications apparatus, request information that includes the identification information stored in the storage device and that requests the specified communications apparatus to execute the data processing of the given communications apparatus and to transmit execution results of the data processing.

Claims

1. A given communications apparatus included in a plurality of first communications apparatuses, among which at least execution results of data processing of the given communications apparatus is communicated by multi-hop communication whereby, the execution results are transmitted to a second communications apparatus that performs a process based on the execution results, the given communications apparatus comprising:

a storage device storing therein identification information of a specified communications apparatus that requires plural hops to communicate with the second communications apparatus and is among the plurality of first communications apparatuses, exclusive of the given communications apparatus; and

a wireless communications circuit that transmits to a nearby communications apparatus of the given communications apparatus, request information that includes the identification information stored in the storage device and that requests the specified communications apparatus to execute the data processing of the given communications apparatus and to transmit execution results of the data processing, wherein;

the wireless communications circuit receives from the nearby communications apparatus of the given communications apparatus, request information that includes identification information that is of an assignment-destination communications apparatus and stored in a storage device of a communications apparatus that is among the plurality of first communications apparatuses, exclusive of the given communications apparatus, the request information further requesting the assignment-destination communications apparatus to execute data processing of the communications apparatus and to transmit execution results of the data processing of the communications apparatus,

the given communications apparatus further comprises

a processor that judges whether the assignment-destination communications apparatus indicated by the identification information included in the request information received by the wireless communications circuit is the given communications apparatus; and

upon judging that the assignment-destination communications apparatus is the given communications apparatus, the processor executes the data processing that is based on the received request information, and upon judging that the assignment-destination communications apparatus is not the given communications apparatus, the processor refrains from executing the data processing that is based on the received request information, wherein

the wireless communications circuit;

when the processor judges that the assignment-destination communications apparatus is the given communications apparatus and the processor completes the data processing that is based on the received request information, transmits execution results obtained by the processor to the nearby communications apparatus of the given communications apparatus, and

when the processor does not complete the data process that is based on the received request information, correlates and transmits to the nearby communications apparatus of the given communications apparatus, request information that includes the identification information stored in the storage device and the execution results of the data processing completed by the processor, the request information further requesting the specified communications apparatus to execute the data processing that is based on the received request information and not completed by the processor and the request information further requesting the specified communications apparatus to transmit execution results of the data processing.

2. The given communications apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the wireless communications circuit receives request information that includes identification information that is of an assignment-destination communications apparatus and stored in a storage device of a communications apparatus that is among the plurality of first communications apparatuses, exclusive of the given communications apparatus, and receives execution results of the data processing that has been completed, the request information further requesting the assignment-destination communications apparatus to execute the data processing that is of the communications apparatus and has not been completed and to transmit execution results of the data processing of the communications apparatus,

the processor judges whether the assignment-destination communications apparatus indicated by the identification information included in the request information received by the wireless communications circuit is the given communications apparatus,

the processor, upon judging that the assignment-destination communications apparatus is the given communications apparatus, executes the data processing that is based on the received request information, and upon judging that the assignment-destination communications apparatus is not the given communications apparatus, refrains from executing the data processing that is based on the received request information,

the wireless communications circuit:

when the processor judges that the assignment-destination communications apparatus is the given communications apparatus and when the processor completes the data processing that is based on the received request information, transmits execution results obtained by the processor to the nearby communications apparatus of the given communications apparatus, and

when the processor does not complete the data processing that is based on the request information, transmits to the nearby communications apparatus of the given communications apparatus, request information that includes the identification information stored in the storage device, requests execution of the data processing that is based on the received request information and not completed by the processor, and requests transmission of execution results of the data processing, and further transmits execution results received by the wireless communications circuit and execution results of the data processing that is based on the received request information and that has been completed by the processor.

3. The given communications apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a battery that stores electrical power supplied to the processor and the wireless communications circuit, wherein

the processor executes the data processing that is based on the received request information until execution of the data processing is completed, or until a level of the electrical power stored by the battery becomes less than a given value, and

the wireless communications circuit, when the level of stored electrical power becomes less than the given value and the data processing that is based on the received request information and executed by the processor is suspended, transmits to the nearby communications apparatus of the given communications apparatus, request information that includes the identification information stored in the storage device, requests execution of the data processing that is based on the received request information and that has not been completed by the processor, and requests transmission of execution results of the data processing, and further transmits the execution results of the data processing completed by the processor.

4. The given communications apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specified communications apparatus is a communications apparatus with which the given communications apparatus can communicate directly.

5. The given communications apparatus according to claim 1, wherein;

the storage device of each communication apparatus of the plurality of first communications apparatuses;

when the second communications apparatus is provided in plural, stores first identification information of a first specified communications apparatus that is between the communication apparatus and a given communications apparatus that is among the plurality of first communications apparatuses and requires plural hops in communicating with each second communications apparatus, and second identification information of a second specified communications apparatus that is not between the communications apparatus and the given communications apparatus,

each communication apparatus of the plurality of first communications apparatuses;

transmits to a nearby communications apparatus of the communications apparatus, request information that includes the first identification information stored in the storage device and that requests the first specified communications apparatus to execute data processing of the communications apparatus and to transmit execution results of the data processing,

the given communications apparatus;

receives the request information,

judges whether a communications apparatus indicated by identification information included in the received request information is the given communications apparatus,

upon judging that the indicated communications apparatus is the given communications apparatus, transmits to the nearby communications apparatus of the given communications apparatus, request information that includes any one among the first identification information and the second identification information stored in the storage device, and requests any one among the first specified communications apparatus and the second specified communications apparatus to execute the data processing indicated by the received request information and to transmit execution results of the data processing, and when the data processing is not completed by the requested one among the first specified communications apparatus and the second specified communications apparatus, transmits information that causes the data processing to be executed by a communications apparatus that is not between the given communications and, the first specified communications apparatus or the second specified communications apparatus,

each communications apparatus of the plurality of first communications apparatuses;

receives request information that includes identification information that is of an assignment-destination communications apparatus and stored in a storage device of another communications device among the plurality of first communications apparatuses, the request information requesting the assignment-destination communications apparatus to execute the data processing and to transmit execution results of the data processing, and when execution of the data processing is not completed by the assignment-destination communications apparatus, receives information that causes the data processing to be executed by a communications apparatus that is not between the given communications apparatus and the assignment-destination communications apparatus,

judges whether the assignment-destination communications apparatus indicated by identification information included in the received request information is the communications apparatus,

executes the data processing that is based on the received request information, upon judging that the assignment-destination communications apparatus is the communications apparatus, and refrains from executing the data processing that is based on the received request information, upon judging that the assignment-destination communications apparatus is not the communications apparatus,

transmits to the nearby communications apparatus of the communications apparatus when execution of the data processing indicated by the received request information is not completed, request information that includes the second identification information stored in the storage device and requests the second specified communications apparatus to execute the data processing that has not been completed and to transmit execution results of the data processing, and when the data processing is not completed by the second specified communications apparatus, transmits information that causes the communications apparatus that is not between the second specified communications apparatus and the given communications apparatus to execute the data processing, and execution results of the data processing that has been completed.

6. A system comprising:

a plurality of first communications apparatuses; and

a second communications apparatus that performs a process based on execution results of data processing of at least one communications apparatus among the plurality of first communications apparatuses that perform multi-hop communication thereamong to transmit the execution results to the second communications apparatus, wherein

each communication apparatus among the plurality of first communications apparatuses;

has a storage device storing therein identification information of a specified communications apparatus that is among the plurality of first communications apparatuses, exclusive of the communications apparatus and that requires plural hops in communicating with the second communications apparatus, and

transmits to a nearby communications apparatus of the communications apparatus, request information that includes the identification information stored in the storage device, requests the specified communications apparatus to execute data processing of the communications apparatus, and to transmit execution results of the data processing, wherein each communication apparatus of the plurality of first communications apparatuses;

receives from the nearby communications apparatus of the communications apparatus, request information that includes identification information that is of an assignment-destination communications apparatus and stored in a storage device of another communications apparatus that is among the plurality of first communications apparatuses, and requests the assignment-destination communications apparatus to execute data processing that is based on the received request information and to transmit execution results of the data processing,

judges whether the assignment-destination communications apparatus indicated by the identification information included in the received request information is the communications apparatus,

executes the data processing that is based on the received request information, upon judging that the assignment-destination communications apparatus is the communications apparatus, and refrains from executing the data processing that is based on the received request information, upon judging that the assignment-destination communications apparatus is not the communications apparatus,

transmits execution results to the nearby communications apparatus of the communications apparatus, upon judging that the assignment-destination communications apparatus is the communications apparatus and when completing execution of the data processing, and

transmits request information that includes the identification information stored in the storage device and execution results of the data processing that is based on the received request information and that has been completed, the request information further requesting execution of the data processing that has not been completed and transmission of execution results of the data processing, the request information and the execution results being transmitted to the nearby communications apparatus of the communications apparatus, upon judging that the assignment-destination communications apparatus is the communications apparatus and when not completing execution of the data processing.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein

the storage device of each communication apparatus of the plurality of first communications apparatuses:

when the second communications apparatus is provided in plural, stores first identification information of a first specified communications apparatus that is between the communication apparatus and a given communications apparatus that is among the plurality of first communications apparatuses and requires plural hops in communicating with each second communications apparatus, and second identification information of a second specified communications apparatus that is not between the communications apparatus and the given communications apparatus,

each communication apparatus of the plurality of first communications apparatuses;

transmits to the nearby communications apparatus of the communications apparatus, request information that includes the first identification information stored in the storage device and that requests the first specified communications apparatus to execute data processing of the communications apparatus and to transmit execution results of the data processing,

the given communications apparatus;

receives the request information,

judges whether a communications apparatus indicated by identification information included in the received request information is the given communications apparatus,

upon judging that the indicated communications apparatus is the given communications apparatus, transmits to the nearby communications apparatus of the given communications apparatus, request information that includes any one among the first identification information and the second identification information stored in the storage device, and requests any one among the first specified communications apparatus and the second specified communications apparatus to execute the data processing indicated by the received request information and to transmit execution results of the data processing, and when the data processing is not completed by the requested one among the first specified communications apparatus and the second specified communications apparatus, transmits information that causes the data processing to be executed by a communications apparatus that is not between the given communications and, the first specified communications apparatus or the second specified communications apparatus,

each communications apparatus of the plurality of first communications apparatuses;

receives request information that includes identification information that is of an assignment-destination communications apparatus and stored in a storage device of another communications device among the plurality of first communications apparatuses, the request information requesting the assignment-destination communications apparatus to execute the data processing and to transmit execution results of the data processing, and when execution of the data processing is not completed by the assignment-destination communications apparatus, receives information that causes the data processing to be executed by a communications apparatus that is not between the given communications apparatus and the assignment-destination communications apparatus,

judges whether the assignment-destination communications apparatus indicated by identification information included in the received request information is the communications apparatus,

executes the data processing that is based on the received request information, upon judging that the assignment-destination communications apparatus is the communications apparatus, and refrains from executing the data processing that is based on the received request information, upon judging that the assignment-destination communications apparatus is not the communications apparatus,

transmits to a nearby communications apparatus of the communications apparatus when execution of the data processing indicated by the received request information is not completed, request information that includes the second identification information stored in the storage device and requests the second specified communications apparatus to execute the data processing that has not been completed and to transmit execution results of the data processing, and when the data processing is not completed by the second specified communications apparatus, transmits information that causes the communications apparatus that is not between the second specified communications apparatus and the given communications apparatus to execute the data processing, and execution results of the data processing that has been completed.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein

the given communications apparatus transmits to the nearby communications apparatus of the given communications apparatus, a registration signal that requests registration of the first specified communications apparatus,

the plurality of first communications apparatuses perform multi-hop communication of the registration signal,

each communication apparatus of the plurality of first communications apparatuses:

receives the registration signal from the nearby communications apparatus of the communications apparatus,

stores to the storage device, the first identification information indicating a transmission source of the received registration signal, when the first identification information is not stored in the storage device,

receives from the nearby communications apparatus of the communications apparatus, a reception signal indicating that the first identification information has been stored to the storage device based on the received registration signal,

receives from the nearby communications apparatus of the communications apparatus, the reception signal that corresponds to the registration signal in which the transmission source is the communications apparatus, and

stores to the storage device, the second identification information that indicates the transmission source of the reception signal, the transmission source being included in the reception signal.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein

each communications apparatus of the plurality of first communications apparatuses:

stores to the storage device, the second identification information that indicates the transmission source of the received registration signal, the second identification information being stored when the reception signal that corresponds to the registration signal transmitted to the nearby communications apparatus is not received within a given period after transmission of the registration signal,

receives from the nearby communications apparatus of the communications apparatus, request information that includes identification information of an assignment-destination communications apparatus stored in a storage device of another communication apparatus among the plurality of first communications apparatuses and requests the assignment-destination communications apparatus to execute the data processing and to transmit execution results of the data processing, and when execution of the data processing is not completed by the assignment-destination communications apparatus, receives information that causes the communications apparatus that is not between the assignment-destination communications apparatus and the communications apparatus to execute the data processing,

judges whether the assignment-destination communications apparatus indicated by the identification information included in the request information is the communications apparatus,

executes the data processing that is based on the received request information, upon judging that the assignment-destination communications apparatus is the communications apparatus, and refrains from executing the data processing that is based on the received request information, upon judging that the assignment-destination communications apparatus is not the communications apparatus,

when the data processing indicated by the received request information is not completed and the first identification information and the second identification information stored in the storage device are identical, transmits to the nearby communications apparatus of the communications apparatus, request information that includes the identification information that is of the first specified communications apparatus and stored in the storage device and requests the first specified communications apparatus to execute the data processing that is indicated by the received request information and has not been completed and to transmit execution results of the data processing, and when the data processing is not completed by the first specified communications apparatus, transmits information that causes the communications apparatus that is between the first specified communications apparatus and the given communications apparatus to execute the data processing, and execution results of the complete data processing.

10. A communications method of a given communications apparatus included in a plurality of first communications apparatuses, among which at least execution results of data processing of the given communications apparatus is communicated by multi-hop communication whereby, the execution results are transmitted to a second communications apparatus that performs a process based on the execution results, the communications method comprising:

transmitting to a nearby communications apparatus of the given communications apparatus, request information that includes identification information stored in a storage device storing therein the identification of a specified communications apparatus that is among the plurality of first communications apparatuses, exclusive of the given communication apparatus and that requires plural hops in communicating with the second communications, the request information further requesting the specified communications apparatus to execute the data processing of the given communications apparatus and to transmit execution results of the data processing, wherein each communication apparatus of the plurality of first communications apparatuses;

receives from a nearby communications apparatus of the communications apparatus, request information that includes identification information that is of an assignment-destination communications apparatus and stored in a storage device of another communications apparatus that is among the plurality of first communications apparatuses, and requests the assignment-destination communications apparatus to execute data processing that is based on the received request information and to transmit execution results of the data processing,

judges whether the assignment-destination communications apparatus indicated by the identification information included in the received request information is the communications apparatus,

executes the data processing that is based on the received request information, upon judging that the assignment-destination communications apparatus is the communications apparatus, and refrains from executing the data processing that is based on the received request information, upon judging that the assignment-destination communications apparatus is not the communications apparatus,

transmits execution results to the nearby communications apparatus of the communications apparatus, upon judging that the assignment-destination communications apparatus is the communications apparatus and when completing execution of the data processing,

transmits request information that includes the identification information stored in the storage device and execution results of the data processing that is based on the received request information and that has been completed, the request information further requesting execution of the data processing that has not been completed and transmission of execution results of the data processing, the request information and the execution results being transmitted to the nearby communications apparatus of the communications apparatus, upon judging that the assignment-destination communications apparatus is the communications apparatus and when not completing execution of the data processing.

11. The communications method according to claim 10, wherein

the storage device of each communication apparatus of the plurality of first communications apparatuses:

when the second communications apparatus is provided in plural, stores first identification information of a first specified communications apparatus that is between the communication apparatus and a given communications apparatus that is among the plurality of first communications apparatuses and requires plural hops in communicating with each second communications apparatus, and second identification information of a second specified communications apparatus that is not between the communications apparatus and the given communications apparatus,

each communication apparatus of the plurality of first communications apparatuses;

transmits to the nearby communications apparatus of the communications apparatus, request information that includes the first identification information stored in the storage device and that requests the first specified communications apparatus to execute data processing of the communications apparatus and to transmit execution results of the data processing,

the given communications apparatus;

receives the request information,

judges whether a communications apparatus indicated by identification information included in the received request information is the given communications apparatus,

upon judging that the indicated communications apparatus is the given communications apparatus, transmits to the nearby communications apparatus of the given communications apparatus, request information that includes any one among the first identification information and the second identification information stored in the storage device, and requests any one among the first specified communications apparatus and the second specified communications apparatus to execute the data processing indicated by the received request information and to transmit execution results of the data processing, and when the data processing is not completed by the requested one among the first specified communications apparatus and the second specified communications apparatus, transmits information that causes the data processing to be executed by a communications apparatus that is not between the given communications and, the first specified communications apparatus or the second specified communications apparatus,

each communications apparatus of the plurality of first communications apparatuses;

receives request information that includes identification information that is of an assignment-destination communications apparatus and stored in a storage device of another communications device among the plurality of first communications apparatuses, the request information requesting the assignment-destination communications apparatus to execute the data processing and to transmit execution results of the data processing, and when execution of the data processing is not completed by the assignment-destination communications apparatus, receives information that causes the data processing to be executed by a communications apparatus that is not between the given communications apparatus and the assignment-destination communications apparatus,

judges whether the assignment-destination communications apparatus indicated by identification information included in the received request information is the communications apparatus,

executes the data processing that is based on the received request information, upon judging that the assignment-destination communications apparatus is the communications apparatus, and refrains from executing the data processing that is based on the received request information, upon judging that the assignment-destination communications apparatus is not the communications apparatus,

transmits to the nearby communications apparatus of the communications apparatus when execution of the data processing indicated by the received request information is not completed, request information that includes the second identification information stored in the storage device and requests the second specified communications apparatus to execute the data processing that has not been completed and to transmit execution results of the data processing, and when the data processing is not completed by the second specified communications apparatus, transmits information that causes the communications apparatus that is not between the second specified communications apparatus and the given communications apparatus to execute the data processing, and execution results of the data processing that has been completed.