Patent Application
20130231063
The present invention relates to a transmission device constituted by a plurality of transmitting units, such that transmitting of information can take place at shorter time intervals than the transmission pause time.
Conventionally, there are known transmission devices that employ transmitting units equipped with sensors and are adapted to transmit detected values for physical states that have been detected by the sensors, such as temperature, humidity, pressure, or the like, to a remote location by radio waves.
For example, in pneumatic fenders of the sort employed when bringing a boat alongside a pier or alongside another boat, it is known to detect the internal air pressure by the sensor of a transmitting unit, and to employ the transmitting unit to transmit detected values to a remote location by radio waves, where the values are received so that the internal air pressure can be monitored without contacting the pneumatic fender.
As an example thereof, a plurality of transmission devices are provided in the device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2010-175298 in order for information to be transmitted at shorter time intervals than a regulated transmission pause time. By using an external wireless starting device and setting the timing at which each of the transmission devices transmits so that the timing will be sequentially staggered over predetermined intervals, it is possible for transmissions to be made by the plurality of transmission devices at shorter time intervals than the transmission pause time.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2010-175298
However, in the aforedescribed prior art device, the external wireless-type startup device is merely used for setting the transmitting timing of each transmission device; therefore, once the transmitting timing has been set, the external wireless-type startup device is no longer needed, but the cost is commensurately higher.
An object of the present invention is to provide a transmission device for automatically setting the transmitting timing in a plurality of transmitting units, simply through communication among the transmitting units.
In order to achieve the aforedescribed object, the present invention proposes a transmission device comprising N number of transmitting units for transmitting predetermined information by radio waves of identical frequency each time that a given time T elapses, wherein in the transmission device, each of the transmitting units includes with: information storage means for storing, from among preset numbers from 1 to N representing a transmission sequence, the numeric value N, as well as a numeric value unique to the unit, which is different from numeric values stored in other transmitting units; trigger value determining means for, when a value obtained by subtracting 1 from the numeric value unique to the unit is positive, storing the subtraction result as a trigger value, or when the subtracted value is negative, storing the value of N as a trigger value; receiving means for receiving radio waves of the frequency; at-startup transmitting means for transmitting the numeric value unique to the unit and the predetermined information when the numeric value unique to the unit is 1 at startup; detection means for detecting the numeric value from a radio wave signal received by the receiving means; clocking means for clocking time elapsed after the detected numeric value matches the trigger value; and transmitting means for transmitting the predetermined information and the numeric value unique to the unit when the elapsed time clocked by the clocking means matches a predetermined time t that is less than the given time T.
According to the present invention, in each of the transmitting units, there is stored a numeric value showing a transmission sequence, and there is also stored a trigger value equal to the numeric value that precedes by 1 the numeric value; and once a predetermined time t has elapsed since a signal including the trigger value has been received, the transmitting unit transmits predetermined information, and the numeric value of the unit itself. Therefore, the transmission interval time of the transmitting units is equal to the time t, and information is transmitted in order from the transmitting units, each time that the time t elapses. Information is transmitted each instance that time t elapses, which is less than the given time T.
Moreover, in order to achieve the aforedescribed object, the present invention proposes a transmission device equipped with N number of transmitting units for transmitting predetermined information by radio waves of identical frequency each time that a given time T elapses, wherein the transmission device comprises a single reference transmitting unit, the reference transmitting unit having: information storage means for storing a value of 1, as a preset numeric value unique to the unit, the numeric value representing a transmission sequence, and reference transmitting means for transmitting the predetermined information and the numeric value unique to the unit each time that the given time T elapses; and the transmitting units other than the reference transmitting unit having: information storage means for storing, from among preset numbers from 1 to N, the numeric value unique to the unit other than 1, the numeric value representing a transmission sequence and differing from numbers stored in other transmitting units, factor determining means for storing as a factor c a value obtained by subtracting 1 from the numeric value unique to the unit, receiving means for receiving radio waves of the frequency, detection means for detecting the numeric value from a signal of radio waves received by the receiving means; clocking means for clocking time elapsed after the numeric value detected by the detection means matches 1, and transmitting means for transmitting the predetermined information when the elapsed time clocked by the clocking means matches a time obtained by multiplying, by the factor c, a predetermined time t shorter than the given time period T.
According to the present invention, in each transmitting unit, there is stored a numeric value showing a transmission sequence. A reference transmitting unit, whose numeric value is equal to 1, transmits predetermined information each time that a given time period T elapses. The transmitting units other than the reference transmitting unit perform clocking of elapsed time subsequent to having received the signal transmitted by the reference transmitting unit, and transmit the predetermined information when the elapsed time so clocked matches a time calculated by multiplying a time t by a numeric value showing an order unique to that unit. Therefore, with reference to transmission by the reference transmitting unit, the transmission interval time of the transmitting units is equal to the time t, and information is transmitted in order from the transmitting units each time that the time t elapses. Information is transmitted at each instance the time t elapses, which is less than the given time T.
In the transmission device of the present invention, since the transmitting units are formed in the aforedescribed manner, it is possible to automatically transmit information in order among the plurality of transmitting units each time that a predetermined time t elapses, on the basis of numeric values showing an order of transmission preset for each of the transmitting units, thereby obviating the need to prepare an external wireless-type startup device for the sole purpose of setting the transmitting timing of the transmitting units, as in the prior art example. A superfluous external wireless-type startup device is thereby obviated, and costs can be reduced.
An embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the drawings.
In the drawings, 10 is a transmission device, which is constituted by eight transmitting units 100 (100a to 100h) accommodated inside a cylindrical case 11 that is formed of an insulator that is transmissive of radio waves.
The transmitting units 100 (100a to 100h) are all of the same shape, constituted by a unit body 300 accommodated within a substantially rectangular parallelepiped case 130 that is formed of an insulator that is transmissive of radio waves.
As shown in
As shown in
The first printed circuit board 351 and the second printed circuit board 352 are linked by the plurality of columnar connecting conductors 354 furnished therebetween, the connecting conductors affixing one of the printed circuit boards to the other printed circuit board with a predetermined interval therebetween and conductively connecting the printed wiring of one printed circuit board and the printed wiring of the other printed circuit board.
A detection-transmitting/reception circuit 400, shown in
The sensor portion 410 is mounted on the surface of the main body 300, and is constituted by an air pressure detector element 411, a temperature detector element 412, and an analog/digital conversion circuit 413. Air pressure and temperature within, for example, an air chamber of a pneumatic fender, are detected by the air pressure detector element 411 and the temperature detector element 412, and the detection results are converted to digital values by the analog/digital conversion circuit 413, and output to the main control portion 430.
The battery cell 420 is linked to the unit body 300 by a connecting conductor, and is designed to supply power to the detection-transmitting/reception circuit 400 formed in the unit body 300.
The main control portion 430 is constituted by known elements such as a CPU, memory, DIP switches, and the like; and upon receiving the detection results from the sensor portion 410 in the form of digital values, generates digital information including the digital values to output to the transmitting/reception portion 440. In addition to digital values of the aforedescribed detection results, this digital information includes preset, unique identification information for the unit body 300 (which has been written to memory, or has been preset by a DIP switch), and a unique numeric value for the unit body 300, which is set through the DIP switch. The DIP switch may be either of flat type or of rotary type, as bng as it is possible to set any numeric value from 1 to 8 representing a transmission sequence, discussed later. In the present embodiment, two DIP switches are furnished, with a numeric value showing the order of transmission being set in the first DIP switch, and a value N equal to the total number of transmitting units 100 included in the transmission device 10 being set in the second DIP switch.
Further, the main control portion 430 transmits the numeric value unique to the unit and the detection result information on the basis of the numeric value unique to the unit set in the DIP switch; or detects the numeric value unique to the unit body from received information that has been input from the transmitting/reception portion 440, compares this detected numeric value and the numeric value unique to the unit, i.e., the numeric value representing a transmission sequence, that has been set in the DIP switch, and on the basis of the result of the comparison, transmits the numeric value unique to the unit and the detection result information.
The transmitting/reception portion 440 is switched between transmitting and receiving on the basis of an instruction from the main control portion 430, and during transmission transmits from the antenna 450 the digital information input from the main control portion 430 by radio waves of a predetermined frequency, for example, 315 MHz; while during receiving detects a digital signal from 315 MHz radio waves received via the antenna 450, extracts digital information from the detected digital signal, and outputs the information to the main control portion 430. The transmitting frequency and the reception frequency of the transmitting/reception portion 440 are set to an identical frequency.
The antenna 450 is a coil-shaped antenna, the resonance frequency of which has been set to the transmission frequency of the transmission portion 440, and is formed by a printed wiring 351 a furnished to the first printed circuit board 351, a printed wiring 352a furnished to the second printed circuit board 352, and the columnar connecting conductors 354 which conductively connect the printed wiring furnished to the first printed circuit board 351 and the printed wiring furnished to the second printed circuit board 352 and which affix the printed circuit boards 351, 352 to one another.
Furthermore, a planar conducting plate 361 of rectangular shape is affixed by four retainers 371 to the outer face of the other end portion of the first printed circuit board 351. The planar conducting plate 361 is furnished at the position of the antenna 450, so as to be parallel to the printed circuit board 351 that is positioned to the bottom face side of the case body 131 when the unit body 300 is housed within the case 130. The planar conducting plate 361 is affixed by the retainers 371 in such a way that a predetermined interval is maintained with respect to the first printed circuit board 351. This planar conducting plate 361 is conductively connected to a predetermined conductor pattern (the conductor pattern connected to the negative pole of the battery cell 420) of the first printed circuit board 351, and is set to a reference potential. As shown in
In a state in which the planar conducting plate 361 has been installed on the printed circuit board 351, the resonance frequency of the antenna 450 is 315 MHz, the characteristic curve, employing a Smith chart, being represented as curve A shown in
In the present embodiment, the eight transmitting units 100 are disposed in such a way that, even with the eight transmitting units 100 accommodated within the minimum space necessary within the case 11 of the transmission device 10, the decline in transmit gain is minimized so that emission of radio waves can take place in a satisfactory manner.
Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the transmitting timing is set automatically, simply among the eight transmitting units 100a to 100h. Specifically, because the transmitting units 100a to 100h of the present embodiment are classed as wireless equipment using radio waves of a frequency in the 315 MHz band, it is stipulated by regulations that the units be furnished with a predetermined transmission pause time during wireless transmission, with the object of avoiding interference and the like. Regulations specify a transmission pause time of 10 seconds or more. Therefore, in order for the transmission device 10 to be able to transmit information such as air pressure, temperature, and the like within time intervals t of less than 10 seconds, in the present embodiment, the transmitting units 100a to 100h are designed such that transmitting information takes place each time that the given time T elapses, this given time T is set to 10 seconds, the time t is set to 10/8 seconds (=1.25 seconds), and the transmitting units 100a to 100h transmit information in order each time that the time t elapses.
Next, specific examples of the present embodiment are described.
In Example 1, the DIP switches of each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h are set to numeric values, unique to each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h, selected from preset numeric values from 1 to N (N=8) that represent the order of transmission and that are different from the numbers set for the other transmitting units; and to the numeric value N. Furthermore, the transmitting units 100a to 100h are designed such that, when the value obtained by subtracting 1 from the unique value of the unit itself to which the DIP switch has been set is a positive value, the value of this subtraction result is stored as a trigger value; whereas when the subtracted value is negative, the aforedescribed value of N is stored as a trigger value.
When at startup the aforedescribed numeric value unique to the unit is 1, each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h transmits the numeric value unique to the unit, together with the information about the aforedescribed detection results.
Moreover, the transmitting units 100a to 100h are adapted to clock elapsed time subsequent to the numeric value detected from the received signal input by the transmitting/reception portion 440 becoming coincident with the aforedescribed trigger value; and, when the elapsed time so clocked becomes coincident with the predetermined time t, to transmit the numeric value unique to the unit itself which shows the order of transmission, together with the information about the aforedescribed detection results.
Next, the operation of each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h discussed above, specifically, the operation of a program stored in the memory in each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h for the purpose of operation of the CPU of each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h, is described with reference to the flowchart of
Instantaneously with startup, each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h retrieves, from the settings in the DIP switches, a numeric value “a” showing a transmission sequence, and the numeric value N showing the total number of transmitting units 100a to 100h with which the transmission device 10 is equipped (SA1). Next, the transmitting units 100a to 100h store a time t, which is a value calculated by dividing the time T by the numeric value N (SA2). The time T has been preset in the program.
Further, the transmitting units 100a to 100h ascertain whether the retrieved numeric value “a” is 1 (SA3), and when the numeric value “a” is 1, store N as a trigger value b (SA4), then advance to a process SA11, discussed later; or when the numeric value “a” is not 1, store a value obtained by subtracting 1 from the numeric value “a,” as the trigger value b (SA5).
Thereafter, each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h initiates reception of signals transmitted by the other transmitting units, ascertains whether a signal has been received (SA6), and when a signal has been received, extracts from the received signal a numeric value n which represents the order of transmission (SA7), and ascertains whether the extracted numeric value n is equal to the trigger value b (SA8). When the ascertained result is that the extracted numeric value n is different from the trigger value b, the unit advances to the process of SA6, discussed below.
When the ascertained result of the aforedescribed SA8 is that the extracted numeric value n is equal to the trigger value b, clocking by a timer is initiated (SA9), and it is then ascertained whether the time clocked by the timer has reached the time t discussed previously (SA10). When the ascertained result is that the time clocked by the timer has reached the time t, clocking by the timer terminates (SA11), and a detection detected by the sensor portion 410 is acquired (SA12). Information that includes the detection value and the numeric value “a” that shows the order of transmission is transmitted (SA13). Thereafter, the unit advances to the process of the aforedescribed SA6.
By operation of the CPU of each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h in the manner discussed above, the transmission device 10 can transmit information such as air pressure, temperature, and the like, within time intervals t of less than 10 seconds. In the process, transmitting of information by the respective transmitting units 100a to 100h takes place each time that the given time T elapses. Moreover, on the basis of the numeric value “a” which has been set in each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h and which shows the order of transmission, transmitting of information by each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h takes place in order every 10/8 seconds (=1.25 seconds).
In Example 2, the DIP switches of each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h are set to numeric values unique to each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h, selected from preset numeric values from 1 to N (N=8) representing a transmission sequence, and different from the numbers set for the other transmitting units; and to the numeric value N.
Moreover, when the aforedescribed numeric value unique to the unit itself at startup is 1, each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h transmits the numeric value unique to the unit itself, together with the information about the aforedescribed detection results.
Moreover, each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h is adapted to clock elapsed time subsequent to the numeric value detected from the received signal input by the transmitting/reception portion 440 becoming coincident with 1; and, when the elapsed time so clocked becomes coincident with a time calculated by multiplying the predetermined time t by the numeric value unique to the unit, to transmit the information about the aforedescribed detection result.
Next, the operation each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h discussed above, specifically, the operation of a program stored in the memory in each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h for the purpose of operation of the CPU of each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h, is described with reference to the flowchart of
Instantaneously with startup, each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h retrieves from the settings in the DIP switches a numeric value “a” showing the order of transmission, and the numeric value N showing the total number of transmitting units 100a to 100h with which the transmission device 10 is equipped (SB1). Next, the transmitting units 100a to 100h store a time t, which is a value calculated by dividing the time T by the numeric value N (SB2). The time T has been preset in the program.
Further, each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h ascertain whether the retrieved numeric value “a” is 1 (SB3), and when the numeric value “a” is 1, acquire the detection detected by the sensor portion 410 (SB4), and transmit information that includes the detection values (SB5). Thereafter; the transmitting unit 100 for which the numeric value “a” is 1 initiates clocking by a timer (SB6), and then ascertains whether the time clocked by the timer has reached the time T discussed previously (SB7). When the ascertained result is that the time clocked by the timer has reached the time T, clocking by the timer terminates (SB8), and the unit advances to the aforedescribed process SB4.
When the ascertained result in the aforedescribed SB3 is that the retrieved numeric value “a” is a numeric value other than 1, specifically, when the read in numeric value “a” is any number from 2 to N, a factor c equal to the value obtained by subtracting 1 from the numeric value “a” is stored (SB9); and a time t1 obtained by multiplying the time t by the factor c is calculated and stored (SB10).
Thereafter, the transmitting units 100 for which the numeric value is other than 1 initiate reception of signals transmitted by the other transmitting units and ascertain whether a signal has been received (SB11), and when a signal has been received, extract from the received signal a numeric value n which represents the order of transmission (SB12), and ascertain whether the extracted numeric value n is 1 (SB13). When the ascertained result is that the extracted numeric value n is not 1, the units advance to the process of SB11 discussed previously.
When the ascertained result in the aforedescribed SB13 is that the extracted numeric value n is 1, clocking by a timer is initiated (SB14), and it is then ascertained whether the time clocked by the timer has reached the time t1 discussed previously (SB15). When the ascertained result is that the time clocked by the timer has reached the time t1, clocking by the timer terminates (SB16), a detection detected by the sensor portion 410 is acquired (SB17), and information that includes the detection value is transmitted (SB18). Thereafter, the unit advances to the process of the aforedescribed SB11.
By operation of the CPU of each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h in the manner discussed above, the transmission device 10 can transmit information such as air pressure, temperature, and the like, within time intervals t of less than 10 seconds. In the process, transmitting of information by the respective transmitting units 100a to 100h takes place each time that the given time T elapses. Moreover, on the basis of the numeric value “a” which has been set in each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h and which shows the order of transmission, transmitting of information by each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h takes place in order every 10/8 seconds (=1.25 seconds).
Optionally, each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h may be outfitted with memory, such as read only memory (ROM), electrically erasable and programmable read only memory (EEPROM), or the like, in which is stored identification information that includes unique identification information of each of the transmitting units 100a to 100h, and/or unique identification information of the transmission device 10. The identification information read from the memory would then be transmitted in addition to the information detected by the sensor portion 410. In so doing, when a plurality of transmission devices 10 are present, the transmission device 10 that transmitted the information can be distinguished.
In the aforedescribed embodiment, the transmitting units 100 are constituted to be able to detect both air pressure and temperature; however, the transmitting units 100 could instead be constituted to be able to detect either air pressure or temperature, or some other physical quantity.
Moreover, in the aforedescribed embodiment, the transmission device is installed in a pneumatic fender; however, there is no limitation thereto, and the transmission device of the present invention can be applied in applications besides pneumatic fenders.
Setting of the transmitting timing in a plurality of transmitting units can take place automatically, simply through communication among the transmitting units, so that the units emit radio waves in order within predetermined time intervals, whereby a transmission device that obviates the need for transmitting timing to be set from outside the plurality of transmitting units can be easily configured.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-251820 | Nov 2010 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2011/066130 | 7/14/2011 | WO | 00 | 5/9/2013 |
