COMMUNICATIONS APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND COMMUNICATIONS METHOD

• US 20150181528A1
• Filed: 02/27/2015
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: YAMAUCHI, Hiromasa, Yamashita, Koichiro, Suzuki, Takahisa, Kurihara, Koji, Otomo, Toshiya, Teranishi, Yuta
• Granted Patent: US 9,467,947 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• 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 sensor node executes any one among a first operation by which another sensor node is requested to execute data process and if the request is not accepted the sensor node starts executing the data processing after waiting for charging and a second operation by which the sensor node starts executing the data processing after waiting for charging, without requesting the data processing to be executed. The sensor node compares an expected value of a first time that elapses until execution is started by the sensor node or the other sensor node when the first operation is executed, and a second time that elapses until execution is started by the sensor node when the second operation is executed. Based on the comparison result, the sensor node executes among the first operation and the second operation, the operation for which the time that elapses until execution is started is shorter.

Claims

1. A given communications apparatus included among a plurality of first communications apparatuses, performs multi-hop communication with the plurality of first communications apparatuses and thereby, transmits execution results of data processing performed at the given communications apparatus to a second communications apparatus that performs a process based on the execution results, the given communications apparatus comprising:

a harvester that charges a battery with self-generated electrical power;

a micro control unit that when execution of the data processing is suspended based on a remaining amount of the charged electrical power, can execute any one among a first operation by which a request signal requesting execution of the data processing is transmitted to another communications apparatus among the plurality of first communications apparatuses, and when the request of the request signal is accepted by the other communications apparatus, the data processing is not executed by the given communications apparatus, and when the request of the request signal is not accepted by the other communications apparatus, the execution of the data processing is started by the given communications apparatus after electrical power enabling the execution of the data processing to be completed is charged by the harvester, and a second operation by which, without transmission the request signal to the other communications apparatus, the execution of the data processing is started by the given communications apparatus after the electrical power enabling the execution of the data processing to be completed is charged by the harvester; and

a power management unit that;

obtains an expected value of a first time that elapses until the execution of the data processing is started by the micro control unit or the other communications apparatus in a case of the first operation being executed based on a probability that the other communications apparatus will accept the request for the execution of the data processing,

obtains a second time that elapses until the execution of the data processing is started by the micro control unit after the electrical power enabling the execution of the data processing to be completed is charged by the harvester, in a case of the second operation being executed,

compares the obtained expected value of the first time unit and the obtained second time, and

when the remaining amount of charged electrical power becomes less than a threshold, causes the micro control unit to execute any one among the first operation and the second operation, based on a comparison result obtained by the power management unit.

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

the power management unit obtains the expected value of the first time by a sum of:

a product of a third time that is consumed for transmitting the request signal to the other communications apparatus and starting the execution of the data processing by the other communications apparatus and the probability that the request will be accepted by the other communications apparatus, and

a product of a fourth time that when the execution of the data processing is not accepted by the other communications apparatus, elapses until the execution of the data processing is started by the micro control unit after waiting for charging enabling the execution of the data processing to be completed and a probability that the request will not be accepted by the other communications apparatus.

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

the power management unit, when the remaining amount of charged electrical power becomes less than the threshold during the execution of the data processing by the micro control unit and upon determining that the expected value of the first time shorter than the second time, causes the first operation to be executed by micro control unit, and upon determining that the second time is shorter than the expected value of the first time by the power management unit, causes the second operation to be executed by the micro control unit.

4. The given communications apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the power management unit, upon determining that the expected value of the first time is shorter than the second time, causes the micro control unit to execute the data processing until the execution of the data processing is completed, or until the remaining amount of charged electrical power becomes less than the threshold, which is based on a sum of the electrical power consumed for transmitting the request signal and the electrical power consumed for receiving a signal indicating acceptance of the request signal;

and when the remaining amount of charged electrical power becomes less than the threshold, causes the execution of the data processing by the micro control unit to be suspended and the first operation to be executed by the micro control unit.

5. The given communications apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the power management unit, upon determining that the second time is shorter than the expected value of the first time, causes the data processing to be executed by the micro control unit until the execution of the data processing is completed, or until the remaining amount of charged electrical power becomes less than the threshold, which is based on the electrical power consumed for transmitting the execution results;

and when the remaining amount of charged electrical power becomes less than the threshold, causes the execution of the data processing by the micro control unit to be suspended and the second operation to be executed by the micro control unit.

6. The given communications apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the power management unit compares the expected value of the first time and the second time, before the execution of the data processing is started by the micro control unit.

7. The given communications apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising

a transmitting circuit that transmits the execution results of the data processing, wherein

the power management unit, when based on the remaining amount of charged electrical power, transmission of the execution results by the transmitting circuit is waiting, causes the data processing to be executed by the micro control unit after the transmission of the execution results by the transmitting circuit.

10. The given communications apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the power management unit compares the expected value of the first time and the second time, before the execution of the data processing is started by the micro control unit.

8. 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 concerning at least one communications apparatus of the plurality of first communications apparatuses, wherein

the at least one communications apparatus of the plurality of first communications apparatuses;

when execution of the data processing at the at least one communications apparatus is suspended based on a remaining amount of electrical power charged by a harvester that charges a battery with self-generated electrical power, can execute any one among a first operation by which a request signal requesting execution of the data processing is transmitted to another communications apparatus among the plurality of first communications apparatuses, and when the request by the request signal is accepted by the other communications apparatus, the data processing is not executed by the at least one communications apparatus, and when the request by the request signal is not accepted by the other communications apparatus, the execution of the data processing is started by the at least one communications apparatus after electrical power enabling the execution of the data processing to be completed is charged by the harvester, and a second operation by which, without transmission of the request signal to the other communications apparatus, the execution of the data processing is started by the at least one communications apparatus after the electrical power enabling the execution of the data processing to be completed is charged by the harvester,

obtains an expected value of a first time that elapses until the execution of the data processing is started by the at least one communications apparatus or the other communications apparatus in a case of the first operation being executed based on a probability that the other communications apparatus will accept the request for the execution of the data processing,

obtains a second time that elapses until the execution of the data processing is started by the at least one communications apparatus after the electrical power enabling the execution of the data processing to be completed is charged by the harvester, in a case of the second operation being executed,

compares the obtained expected value of the first time and the obtained second time, and

causes based on a comparison result, any one of the first operation and the second operation to be executed when the remaining amount of the charged electrical power becomes less than a threshold during the execution of the data processing,

the other communications apparatus;

receives the request signal from the at least one communications apparatus,

determines whether the data processing indicated by the received request signal can be executed by the electrical power charged by a harvester that charges a battery with self-generated electrical power,

transmits to the at least one communications apparatus upon determining that the data process indicated by the received request signal can be executed, an acceptance signal indicating that the data processing indicated by the request signal can be executed, and

executes the data processing indicated by the request signal, upon determining that the data processing indicated by the request signal can be executed.

9. A communications method executed by a given communications apparatus that is included in a plurality of first communications apparatuses, performs multi-hop communication with the plurality of first communication apparatuses and thereby, transmits execution results of data processing performed at the given communications apparatus to a second communications that performs a process based on the execution results, the communications method comprising:

executing when execution of the data processing is suspended based on a remaining amount of electrical power charged by a harvester that charges a battery with self-generated electrical power, any one among a first operation by which a request signal requesting execution of the data processing is transmitted to another communications apparatus among the plurality of first communications apparatuses, and when the request of the request signal is accepted by the other communications apparatus, the data processing is not executed by the given communications apparatus, and when the request of the request signal is not accepted by the other communications apparatus, the execution of the data processing is started by the given communications apparatus after electrical power enabling the execution of the data processing to be completed is charged by the harvester, and a second operation by which, without transmission the request signal to the other communications apparatus, the execution of the data processing is started by the given communications apparatus after the electrical power enabling the execution of the data processing to be completed is charged by the harvester;

obtaining an expected value of a first time that elapses until the execution of the data processing is started by the micro control unit or the other communications apparatus in a case of the first operation being executed based on a probability that the other communications apparatus will accept the request for the execution of the data processing;

obtaining a second time that elapses until the execution of the data processing is stated by the given apparatus after the electrical power enabling the execution of the data processing to be completed is charged by the harvester, in a case of the second operation being executed; and

comparing the obtained expected value of the first time and the obtained second time, wherein

the executing includes executing any one of the first operation and the second operation based on comparison at the comparing, when the remaining amount of charged electrical power becomes lower than a threshold during the execution of the data processing.