JP7521468B2 - Wireless communication system, main unit, terminal device, and communication control method in wireless communication system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a wireless communication system, a main unit, a terminal device, and a communication control method in the wireless communication system.

Bluetooth (registered trademark) is a widely used short-range wireless communication standard between digital devices. Bluetooth Low Energy (hereinafter referred to as "BLE"), which is part of the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard, is a standard that focuses on low power consumption and low cost.

In the BLE standard, a BLE device communicates in either a central or peripheral role. A central device operating as a central (sometimes called a "master") is responsible for controlling communication, while a peripheral device operating as a peripheral (sometimes called a "slave") realizes communication by responding to requests sent from the central device. For example, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a wireless communication system including multiple devices capable of wireless communication according to the BLE standard.

JP 2020-127238 A

In the BLE standard, when a connection is established between a central device and a peripheral device, a process related to synchronous communication called a connection event is carried out at a specified time interval (connection interval) between the central device and peripheral device in this connected state. Therefore, even though the BLE standard boasts low power consumption, such synchronous communication will speed up battery consumption if the digital device is battery-powered.

However, some conventional wireless communication systems that use infrared communication methods provide one-way communication from a user's operating terminal device to the main device. For example, television sets and air conditioners (known as air conditioners) are equipped with a remote controller (known as a remote control) as an operating terminal device, and the remote control outputs a control signal to the main device via infrared communication only when operated by the user. Therefore, such wireless communication systems using conventional infrared communication methods consume less power than the BLE standard, and the battery life of the terminal device is sufficient for practical use.

As a result of the above, when the BLE standard is adopted for the wireless communication system between a remote control and a main unit, there is a problem in that the battery life of the remote control, which is a peripheral device, will be shorter than the battery life of a remote control that uses infrared wireless communication. If the battery needs to be replaced frequently, the hassle of the replacement work and the increased replacement costs can become a factor that reduces the appeal of the product itself.

The present invention aims to reduce the power consumption of an operation terminal device in a wireless communication system that performs wireless communication between a main device and an operation terminal device.

More specifically, the present invention aims to reduce the power consumption of a battery-powered peripheral device that wirelessly communicates with a central device in accordance with the BLE standard, thereby reducing the frequency of battery replacement in the peripheral device and providing a peripheral device that is easy to use (highly usable).

The present invention, which aims to solve the above problems, comprises the following invention-specific matters or technical features:

That is, the present invention according to one aspect is a wireless communication system including a first communication module and a second communication module that can communicate with each other according to a predetermined wireless communication standard. The first communication module includes a first sensor that outputs a signal indicating the presence or absence of a user in a target area. When the first sensor outputs a signal indicating the absence of a user in a connected state in which a first connection is established with the second communication module, the first communication module performs control to disconnect the first connection with the second communication module.

The present invention according to one aspect is a main device that is remotely operated by a user's operation terminal device. The main device includes a control board, a sensor that outputs a signal to the control board indicating the presence or absence of the user in a target area, and a communication module for performing synchronous communication with the operation terminal device in accordance with a predetermined wireless communication standard under the control of the control board. When the main device and the operation terminal device are in a connected state in which a first connection has been established between them, and the sensor provided in the main device outputs a signal indicating the absence of the user, the control board controls the communication module to disconnect the first connection.

The present invention according to one aspect is an operation terminal device for a user to remotely operate a main device. The operation terminal device includes a control unit, a communication module for performing synchronous communication with the main device according to a predetermined wireless communication standard under the control of the control unit, and a sensor for detecting a user's operation and outputting a predetermined active signal to the control unit. When the main device disconnects the first connection in a connected state in which the main device and the operation terminal device have established a first connection in accordance with a signal output by a sensor provided in the main device when the user is not present in the target area, the control unit controls the operation of the communication module to stop after a predetermined time (e.g., 30 seconds) has elapsed since the disconnection. Furthermore, when the sensor of the operation terminal device outputs a predetermined active signal, the control unit controls the operation of the stopped communication module to resume and establish a second connection with the main device.

The present invention according to one aspect is a communication control method in a wireless communication system including a first communication module and a second communication module capable of communicating with each other according to a predetermined wireless communication standard. The first communication module includes a first sensor that outputs a signal indicating the presence or absence of a user in a target area. The communication control method includes establishing a first connection for synchronous communication between the first communication module and the second communication module, and performing control to disconnect the first connection between the first communication module and the second communication module when the first sensor outputs a signal indicating the absence of a user in a connected state in which the first connection is established.

In this specification, the term "system" refers to a logical collection of multiple devices (or functional modules that realize a specific function), regardless of whether the devices or functional modules are contained within a single housing.

According to the present invention, in a communication system in which communication is performed between a central device and a peripheral device in accordance with the BLE standard, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the peripheral device. In particular, in battery-powered peripheral devices, the frequency of battery replacement can be reduced by reducing power consumption, thereby reducing the effort required by users for battery replacement work and also reducing the impact on the environment.

Other technical features, objects, and effects or advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The effects described in this specification are merely examples and are not limiting, and other effects may also be present.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an air conditioning system to which a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an indoor unit in the air conditioning system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an operation terminal device in the air conditioning system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the external configuration of a terminal device in an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a sequence chart for explaining an example of a schematic operation of the air conditioning system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the indoor unit in the air conditioning system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the operation terminal device in the air conditioning system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the indoor unit in the air conditioning system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the operation terminal device in the air conditioning system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10A is a sequence chart for explaining an example of a schematic operation of the air conditioning system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10B is a sequence chart for explaining an example of a schematic operation of the air conditioning system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the indoor unit in the air conditioning system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the operation terminal device in the air conditioning system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below is merely an example, and there is no intention to exclude the application of various modifications and techniques not specified below. The present invention can be implemented with various modifications (for example, combining the various embodiments) without departing from the spirit of the invention. In addition, in the description of the drawings below, the same or similar parts are represented by the same or similar reference numerals. The drawings are schematic and do not necessarily correspond to actual dimensions, ratios, etc. The drawings may also include parts with different dimensional relationships and ratios.

[First embodiment]
This embodiment is characterized in that in a wireless communication system between a main device and an operation terminal device, when the main device detects that the user is not present within a target area, the connection (wireless communication) with the operation terminal device is cut off, and the operation terminal device puts only the minimum necessary components into an operating state and puts other components such as a communication module into a stopped state. Also, when it is detected that the user is present within the target area, the connection between the main device and the operation terminal device is re-established.

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an air conditioning system to which a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied. As shown in the figure, the air conditioning system 1 includes, for example, an indoor unit 2 of an air conditioner, and an operation terminal device 3 capable of remotely operating the indoor unit 2. In addition, although not shown, the air conditioning system 1 includes an outdoor unit connected to the indoor unit 2 by electrical wiring and refrigerant piping.

The indoor unit 2 is placed, for example, indoors, and is part of an air conditioning system that conditions the air in the room. The indoor unit 2 is equipped with a heat exchanger and a fan, and performs heating, cooling, dehumidification, etc., in the room by performing heat exchange between a refrigerant and indoor air using the heat exchanger and sending air conditioned to an appropriate temperature and humidity into the room using the fan. In this disclosure, the indoor unit 2 is also referred to as a main unit in relation to the operation terminal device 3.

The operation terminal device 3 is a user interface device that allows the user to remotely operate the indoor unit 2, and is also called a remote controller (a so-called "remote control"). The operation terminal device 3 may be a stationary type, but is not limited to this, and may also be a handheld type.

The wireless communication system 10 is a system for realizing wireless communication between the indoor unit 2 and the operation terminal device 3. The wireless communication system 10 is composed of a pair of communication modules incorporated in each of the indoor unit 2 and the operation terminal device 3. In this disclosure, the communication module incorporated in the indoor unit 2 corresponds to the first communication module 24, and the communication module incorporated in the operation terminal device 3 corresponds to the second communication module 35. In the BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) standard, a central is one aspect of the first communication module 24, and a peripheral is one aspect of the second communication module 35. In this disclosure, the wireless communication system 10 is a system that realizes wireless communication according to the BLE standard.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an indoor unit in an air conditioning system according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the indoor unit 2 includes, for example, a control board 21, an air conditioning mechanism 22, a sensor 23, and a first communication module 24 as a communication module.

The control board 21 is a control circuit including a processor (microcomputer) 211 for comprehensively controlling the operation of the indoor unit 2, a memory 212, an external interface 213, etc. The memory 212 stores, for example, an embedded control program and various setting data, etc. The control board 21 controls the indoor unit 2 to switch operation modes (e.g., cooling operation, heating operation, dehumidification operation, etc.) under the operation of the operation terminal device 3 by a user, for example. The external interface 213 is an interface circuit that connects the control board 21 with the air conditioning mechanism 22, the sensor 23, and the first communication module 24.

The air conditioning mechanism 22 is a mechanical component of the indoor unit 2, consisting of a heat exchanger, compressor, fan, louvers, etc. The air conditioning mechanism 22 is controlled by the control board 21, and thus the indoor unit 2 cooperates with the outdoor unit to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the indoor air in the heat exchanger, and blows air conditioned to the appropriate temperature and humidity into the room.

The sensor 23 is an element that detects various physical quantities in order to maintain proper operation of the air conditioning system 1. The sensor 23 is configured to include, for example, various environmental sensors. In the figure, a temperature sensor 23a and a humidity sensor 23b are shown. In this disclosure, the sensor 23 further includes a human presence sensor 23c. The human presence sensor 23c outputs a signal corresponding to the presence or absence of a user in the target area. The human presence sensor 23c is, for example, a pyroelectric infrared sensor. In this disclosure, the human presence sensor 23c is one aspect of the first sensor.

The first communication module 24 is a communication interface circuit for realizing wireless communication with the second communication module 35 of the operation terminal device 3. As described above, the first communication module 24 functions as a central in the BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) standard.

Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an operation terminal device in an air conditioning system according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the operation terminal device 3 includes components such as a control unit 31, a memory unit 32, a user interface unit 33, a sensor 34, and a second communication module 35.

The control unit 31 controls the overall operation of the operation terminal device 3. The control unit 31 includes, for example, a processor. The storage unit 32 is a memory module used by the control unit 31, and stores, for example, an embedded control program and various setting data. The control unit 31 controls the operation terminal device 3 to operate in either a normal mode or a sleep mode. The sleep mode is a mode in which, for example, power is supplied to a minimum number of components required for operation, such as a part of the control unit 31 and the sensor 34, to make them operational, while power supply to other components, such as the user interface unit 33 and the second communication module 35, is stopped to make them in a stopped state. The operating frequency of the processor of the control unit 31 may also be changed to a lower frequency. This makes it possible to reduce the power consumption of the entire operation terminal device 3. The sleep mode may also be called a standby mode or a power saving mode, but the names are not important.

The user interface unit 33, under the control of the control unit 31, realizes a user interface that provides interactive operations to the user. The user interface unit 33 may be, for example, a touch panel. The user interface unit 33 may also include a speaker for issuing voice guidance and the like, and a microphone for collecting voice commands and the like from the user.

The sensor 34 is an operation sensor that detects the approach or operation of an object (here, a user). In the present disclosure, the operation sensor is one aspect of the second sensor. The sensor 34 outputs an active signal to the control unit 31 when the user holds his/her hand in front of the sensor 34 or makes a gesture. The sensor 34 is, for example, an infrared sensor, but is not limited to this. As another example, the sensor 34 may be a contact sensor that outputs an active signal when the user directly touches it. As yet another example, the sensor 34 may be an acceleration sensor. Such an acceleration sensor detects that the user is holding the operation terminal device 3 and outputs an active signal. Alternatively, the sensor 34 may output an active signal to the control unit 31 when the user approaches, rather than detecting such active movements of the user. Note that the sensor 34 detects user operations, and therefore may be considered as part of the user interface unit 33, but in the present disclosure, the user interface unit 33 and the sensor 34 are described separately.

The second communication module 35 is a communication interface circuit for realizing wireless communication with the indoor unit 2. As described above, the second communication module 35 functions as a peripheral in accordance with the BLE standard.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the external configuration of the operation terminal device 3 in an air conditioning system according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the operation terminal device 3 has a shape in which a user interface unit 33 is provided on the upper surface of the housing 301.

The housing 301 defines the general appearance of the operation terminal device 3 and is made of a resin material such as ABS. In this example, the housing 301 has a generally cylindrical shape, and the top surface 301a on which the user interface unit 33 is formed is slightly inclined from the front to the back.

For example, when the user holds his/her hand over the sensor 34 of the operation terminal device 3 in the sleep mode, the control unit 31 detects this and switches the operation mode of the operation terminal device 3 from the sleep mode to the normal mode. The operation terminal device 3 in the normal mode accepts various operations by the user on the user interface unit 33, thereby remotely operating the indoor unit 2.

Figure 5 is a sequence chart for explaining an example of the general operation of the air conditioning system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, the figure explains the operation of the wireless communication system 10 in the air conditioning system 1. In the figure, the processing of the indoor unit 2 is realized by the processor of the control board 21 executing a control program in cooperation with other components, while the processing of the operation terminal device 3 is realized by the processor of the control unit 31 executing a control program in cooperation with other components.

As shown in the figure, when the indoor unit 2 and the operation terminal device 3 are started, for example, by turning on the power, they each perform a predetermined initialization process (S501A and S501B). The initialization process includes, for example, the initialization of various parameters related to pairing described below. In the BLE standard, many parameters are defined, and those related to the present disclosure include, for example, connection interval, connection slave latency (hereinafter referred to as "slave latency"), and connection supervision timeout (hereinafter referred to as "timeout"). The connection interval is the time interval for sending and receiving a data packet called a connection event, and also indicates the period in which channel hopping is performed. The slave latency indicates a time calculated from the number of times that the peripheral device can ignore a connection event when there is no data packet to be transmitted in the peripheral device. For example, when the interval between connection events is 20 ms, this time is multiplied by the aforementioned number of times. In other words, by increasing the value of the slave latency, the transmission delay time of the data packet increases, but the peripheral device can reduce the power consumption required for wireless communication while maintaining the connection state. The timeout is the time at which it is determined that communication has been disconnected. After the indoor unit 2 and the operation terminal device 3 are started, the user issues a pairing instruction to establish wireless communication between the indoor unit 2 and the operation terminal device 3. In response to this, the indoor unit 2 and the operation terminal device 3 execute the pairing process (S502A and S502B).

In the pairing process, generally speaking, first, the first communication module 24 of the indoor unit 2 functions as a scanner and performs scanning to discover the second communication module 35 of the operation terminal device 3, while the second communication module 35 functions as an advertiser and performs advertising. In other words, the second communication module 35 transmits data packets (advertising packets) while switching channels in a specific frequency band through advertising, and the first communication module 24 discovers the second communication module 35 by receiving the data packets.

When the first communication module 24 finds the second communication module 35, it then functions as an initiator and transmits a connection request to the second communication module 35, and the second communication module 35 responds to the connection request. The first communication module 24 stores bonding information such as the device address of the second communication module 35 acquired during pairing in the memory 212 under the control of the control board 21, while the second communication module 35 stores bonding information such as the device address of the first communication module 24 in the storage unit 32 under the control of the control unit 31. The device address is an identifier assigned to identify a BLE device. This completes the pairing between the first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35, and wireless communication is established between the first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35 (i.e., a connection state is established). Through pairing, the first communication module 24 functions as a central, while the second communication module 35 functions as a peripheral.

The first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35 in a connected state exchange data packets called connection events at connection intervals, enabling two-way synchronous communication (S503). For example, when a user operates the user interface unit 33 of the operation terminal device 3 to instruct the indoor unit 2 to start operation (e.g., turn heating ON), the operation terminal device 3, under the control of the control unit 31, transmits an operation start command from the first communication module 24 to the second communication module 35 of the indoor unit 2, and in response, the indoor unit 2 starts operation under the control of the control board 21.

Under the control of the control board 21, the indoor unit 2 uses the human presence sensor 23c to monitor whether a user is present in the room (within a target area (e.g., the entire room or a specific area within the room)). Monitoring by the human presence sensor 23c may be performed either while the indoor unit 2 is operating or in standby. For example, if the human presence sensor 23c detects a user in the target area, it outputs a signal indicating the presence of a user (e.g., signal level "H") to the control board 21, and if it cannot detect a user, it outputs a signal indicating the absence of a user (e.g., signal level "L") to the control board 21.

Now, let us say that the user has left the room in which the indoor unit 2 is installed. The human presence sensor 23c cannot detect the presence of the user in the target area of the room, and so starts outputting a signal indicating that the user is absent (S504A). As a result, the control board 21 determines that the user is absent, and performs control to disconnect the connection between the first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35 (S505A). In other words, the first communication module 24 stops sending data packets due to connection events in the connection interval.

The second communication module 35 determines that the connection has been cut off because it cannot receive a data packet due to a connection event (S504B) and starts advertising to try to establish a connection with the first communication module 24 (S505B). If the second communication module 35 fails to respond to the connection request within a certain period of time, the control unit 31 determines that the second communication module 35 has not been found in response to the advertising and transitions to a sleep mode (S506B). That is, the control unit 31 controls to stop the supply of power to a part of the control unit 31 and components other than the sensor 34. This makes it possible to reduce the power consumption of the entire operation terminal device 3. In particular, in the present disclosure, the supply of power to the second communication module 35 is stopped, and power consumption associated with wireless communication under the BLE standard can be completely or almost completely reduced.

Then, suppose that a user enters the room. The human presence sensor 23c detects the user in the target area and outputs a signal indicating the user's presence (S506A). As a result, the control board 21 determines that the user is present, and controls the first communication module 24 to re-establish a connection with the second communication module 35 (S507A). In other words, the first communication module 24 starts pairing with the second communication module 35 indicated by the device address of the bonding information stored in the memory 212.

Meanwhile, a user who has entered the room holds his/her hand over the sensor 34 of the operation terminal device 3 to operate the indoor unit 2. This causes the sensor 34 to output an active signal to the control unit 31, and the control unit 31 detects that a user operation has been performed (S507B). When the control unit 31 detects the user operation, it transitions the operation terminal device 3 from sleep mode to normal mode, controls the stopped components to be supplied with power, and resumes their operation. The second communication module 35 that has resumed operation starts pairing with the first communication module 24 indicated by the device address of the bonding information stored in the memory unit 32 in order to attempt to re-establish a connection (S508B). In other words, the second communication module 35, whose power supply had been stopped due to the sleep mode, resumes power supply due to the transition to normal mode, and resumes operation.

As described above, when the first communication module 24 discovers the second communication module 35 by scanning, it sends a connection request to the second communication module 35, and the second communication module 35 responds to this request, thereby establishing a connected state. This enables the first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35 to communicate synchronously through a connection event (S509).

Figure 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of an indoor unit in an air conditioning system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, this figure is a flowchart for explaining the initial pairing process (S502A) by the first communication module 24 of the indoor unit 2 shown in Figure 5.

Referring to the figure, first, the indoor unit 2 is started by turning on the power or pressing the reset button, and under the control of the control board 21, the first communication module 24 performs initialization processing of various parameters as described above (S601). For example, the first communication module 24 sets the values of parameters such as the connection interval, slave latency, and timeout to initial values stored in the memory 212. The initial values are determined in advance by experiments or the like when the air conditioning system 1 is designed, and are stored in the memory 212.

Next, under the control of the control board 21, when a specific button is pressed to start pairing with the operation terminal device 3 provided in the indoor unit 2, that is, when a pairing operation is performed (Yes in S602), the first communication module 24 starts scanning (S603). Scanning attempts to receive advertising packets while switching advertising channels in a specific frequency band (e.g., 2.4 GHz band).

During scanning, the first communication module 24 monitors whether an advertising packet has been received from the second communication module 35 of the operation terminal device 3 (S604). When the first communication module 24 receives an advertising packet (Yes in S604), it performs a connection request process (S605). That is, the first communication module 24 transmits a connection request to the second communication module 35 that transmitted the advertising packet. The connection request includes various parameters such as the device address of the first communication module 24, access address, hopping, connection interval, slave latency, and timeout.

The first communication module 24 receives a response from the second communication module 35 to the connection request and stores the received parameters such as the device address of the second communication module 35 as bonding information in the memory 212 (S606). This puts the first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35 in a connected state. In other words, the first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35 are able to communicate synchronously through a connection event that is performed at a predetermined time interval (connection interval = for example, 500 ms).

Figure 7 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the operation terminal device 3 in the air conditioning system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, this figure is a flowchart for explaining the initial pairing process (S502B) by the second communication module 35 of the operation terminal device 3 shown in Figure 5.

With reference to the figure, the operation terminal device 3 is started when a battery is set in the device or when the reset button is pressed, and under the control of the control unit 31, the second communication module 35 performs an initialization process (S701). For example, the second communication module 35 sets the values of parameters such as the connection interval, slave latency, and timeout to initial values stored in the memory unit 32. The initial values are determined in advance by experiments or the like when the air conditioning system 1 is designed, and are stored in the memory unit 32.

Next, the second communication module 35, under the control of the control unit 31, monitors whether or not a pairing operation has been performed (S702). If it is determined that a pairing operation has been performed (Yes in S702), the second communication module 35 starts advertising (S703). Advertising involves transmitting advertising packets in a specific frequency band (e.g., 2.4 GHz band) while switching advertising channels at predetermined time intervals.

Then, the second communication module 35 monitors whether or not a connection request has been received from the first communication module 24 within the period (e.g., 3 seconds) indicated by the timeout (S704 and S705). If the second communication module 35 determines that a connection request has not been received from the first communication module 24 within the period indicated by the timeout (Yes in S705), it invalidates the processing of the current pairing operation and monitors again whether or not a pairing operation has been received (S702).

On the other hand, if the second communication module 35 determines that it has received a connection request from the first communication module 24 within the period indicated by the timeout (Yes in S704), it transmits its own parameters to the first communication module 24 in order to respond to the connection request (S706). Next, the second communication module 35 stores the parameters included in the received connection request in the memory unit 32 as bonding information with the first communication module 24. This places the first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35 in a connected state, enabling synchronous communication.

Figure 8 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of an indoor unit in an air conditioning system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, this figure is a flowchart for explaining the process related to user detection by the indoor unit 2 shown in Figure 5.

As shown in the figure, the indoor unit 2, under the control of the control board 21, monitors the presence or absence of a user in the target area by the human presence sensor 23c (S801). That is, while the human presence sensor 23c detects a user in the target area, it outputs a signal indicating the presence of the user to the control board 21, and if the user cannot be detected, it outputs a signal indicating the absence of the user to the control board 21.

When the user leaves the room, the control board 21 receives a signal from the human presence sensor 23c indicating that the user is not present (No in S801), and controls the first communication module 24 to disconnect the communication connection with the operation terminal device 3 (S802). As a result, a connection event is no longer performed between the first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35, and the first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35 enter a disconnected state.

Even in a disconnected state, the indoor unit 2 continuously monitors the presence or absence of a user in the target area using the human presence sensor 23c under the control of the control board 21 (S803). When the user returns to the room and the control board 21 receives a signal from the human presence sensor 23c indicating the user's presence (Yes in S803), the control board 21 starts scanning to re-establish a communication connection with the operation terminal device 3 (S804).

During scanning, the first communication module 24 monitors whether or not an advertising packet from the second communication module 35 has been received (S805). For example, when a user returns to the room and operates the operation terminal device 3 in sleep mode, the operation terminal device 3 transitions to normal mode and starts advertising. When the first communication module 24 receives an advertising packet from the second communication module 35 (Yes in S805), it determines whether or not the bonding information of the second communication module 35 is stored in the memory 212 (S806). In other words, based on the received advertising packet and bonding information, the first communication module 24 determines whether or not the device that transmitted the advertising packet is the second communication module 35 with which pairing has already been performed. When the first communication module 24 determines that the bonding information of the second communication module 35 is not stored in the memory 212 (No in S806), it continues scanning (S804).

On the other hand, if the first communication module 24 determines that the bonding information of the second communication module 35 is stored in the memory 212 (Yes in S806), it determines that the device that sent the advertising packet is the second communication module 35 with which pairing has already been performed, and sends a connection request according to the bonding information to re-establish a communication connection with the operation terminal device 3 (S807). As a result, the first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35 are connected, enabling synchronous communication.

Figure 9 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the operation terminal device in the air conditioning system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, this figure is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the operation terminal device 3 based on the detection of a user by the indoor unit 2 shown in Figure 5.

As shown in the figure, the second communication module 35 monitors whether the connection state with the first communication module 24 is maintained (S901). That is, the second communication module 35 monitors whether synchronous communication by a connection event is being performed normally at the connection interval. When the second communication module 35 determines that the communication connection with the operation terminal device 3 has been disconnected (S901 Yes), it starts advertising as described above (S902).

Next, the second communication module 35 monitors whether or not a connection request has been received from the first communication module 24 within the time indicated by the timeout (S903 and S904). If the second communication module 35 determines that it has not received a connection request from the first communication module 24 within the period indicated by the timeout (Yes in S904), the control unit 31 transitions the operation terminal device 3 to a sleep mode (S905). In the sleep mode, for example, only a part of the control unit 31 and the minimum necessary components such as the sensor 34 operate. This makes it possible to further reduce power consumption under the BLE standard. After transitioning to the sleep mode, the control unit 31 waits until the sensor 34 detects a user operation (S906). For example, when a user who has returned to the room holds his/her hand in front of the sensor 34 of the operation terminal device 3, the sensor 34 outputs an active signal, and in response, the control unit 31 recognizes that a user operation has been performed. When the control unit 31 determines that a user operation has been detected (Yes in S906), it resumes operation of the second communication module 35 and performs advertising (S902).

On the other hand, if the second communication module 35 determines that it has received a connection request from the first communication module 24 within the period indicated by the timeout (Yes in S903), the second communication module 35 determines whether or not bonding information is stored in the memory unit 32 (S907). If the second communication module 35 determines that bonding information is not stored in the memory unit 32 (No in S907), it switches the advertising channel and continues advertising (S902).

When the second communication module 35 determines that bonding information is stored in the memory unit 32 (Yes in S907), it responds to the connection request based on the bonding information (S908), whereby the first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35 are connected, enabling synchronous communication.

As described above, according to this embodiment, when the indoor unit 2 detects that no user is present within the target area, it disconnects the connection with the operation terminal device 3, and the operation terminal device 3 operates only the minimum necessary components, such as part of the control unit 31 and the sensor 34, and stops the other components, thereby further reducing the power consumption of the entire operation terminal device 3. In other words, while no user is present within the target area, the first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35 can reduce the power consumption associated with synchronous communication through a connection event, and can reduce battery consumption of the second communication module 35.

Second Embodiment
This embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, and is characterized in that in a wireless communication system between a main device and an operation terminal device, when the main device detects that a user does not exist within a target area, the main device reduces the frequency of synchronous communication with the operation terminal device and maintains the connection in that state. Also, when the main device detects that a user exists within the target area, the main device increases the frequency of synchronous communication with the operation terminal device. In the BLE standard, the frequency of such synchronous communication is defined by slave latency.

Figures 10A and 10B are sequence charts for explaining an example of the general operation of an air conditioning system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1A, when the indoor unit 2 and the operation terminal device 3 are started, for example, by turning on the power, they each perform a predetermined initialization process (S1001A and S1001B). As described above, the initialization process includes the initialization of various parameters related to pairing, such as slave latency. Next, the user performs a pairing operation to establish wireless communication between the indoor unit 2 and the operation terminal device 3. In response to this, as described above, the indoor unit 2 and the operation terminal device 3 perform a pairing process (S1002A and S1002B). By pairing, the indoor unit 2 and the operation terminal device 3 are connected, enabling synchronous communication (S1003).

Now, let us assume that the user has left the room in which the indoor unit 2 is installed. The human presence sensor 23c cannot detect the user within the target area of the room, and so outputs a signal indicating that the user is absent (S1004A). As a result, the control board 21 determines that the user is absent, and performs control to disconnect wireless communication between the first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35 (S1005A). In other words, the first communication module 24 stops sending data packets due to connection events in the connection interval.

The second communication module 35 determines that the connection has been cut off because it cannot receive data packets due to a connection event (S1004B) and changes the slave latency from the current first value (initial value) to a second value greater than the first value (S1005B). That is, the second communication module 35 reduces the frequency of synchronous communication due to a connection event by changing the current value of the slave latency to a value greater than the first value. Next, the second communication module 35 starts a pairing process to re-establish a connection with the first communication module 24 (S1006B). That is, as described above, the second communication module 35 functions as an advertiser, and performs advertising based on the bonding information stored in the storage unit 32, and performs pairing with the first communication module 24.

Meanwhile, after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the first communication module 24 stopped transmitting data packets due to the connection event, it considers that wireless communication with the second communication module 35 has been disconnected, and starts pairing processing (S1006A). That is, as described above, the first communication module 24 functions as a scanner and performs scanning to discover the second communication module 35. When the first communication module 24 discovers the second communication module 35 through scanning, it functions as an initiator and transmits a connection request to the second communication module 35.

When the second communication module 35 responds to the connection request from the first communication module 24, the pairing between the first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35 is completed, and the first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35 are connected again. The first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35 in the connected state can perform bidirectional synchronous communication by exchanging data packets called connection events at connection intervals (S1007). In addition, in this synchronous communication, the second communication module 35 follows the changed slave latency value. In other words, since the second communication module 35 has a large slave latency value, the number of operations for synchronous communication by connection events can be reduced, and power consumption of wireless communication can be suppressed while maintaining the connection state. In addition, the slave latency may be changed in stages, for example, every time a predetermined time has passed.

After that, suppose that a user enters the room from outside. As shown in FIG. 2B, the human presence sensor 23c detects the user in the target area in the room and outputs a signal indicating the user's presence (S1008A). As a result, the control board 21 determines that the user is present and temporarily disconnects the wireless communication (S1009A). That is, the first communication module 24 stops sending data packets due to a connection event in the connection interval. This is to re-establish the connection with a new value instead of synchronous communication with the current slave latency value. The new slave latency value is a value smaller than the current value (e.g., the initial value).

The second communication module 35 determines that wireless communication has been disconnected because it cannot receive data packets due to a connection event (S1008B) and changes the slave latency from the current second value to the first value (S1009B). That is, the second communication module 35 increases the frequency of synchronous communication due to connection events to a normal state by changing the current value of the slave latency to a value smaller than the current value. In this example, the value of the slave latency is returned to the initial value, but this is not limited to this. Next, the second communication module 35 starts a pairing process to re-establish wireless communication with the first communication module 24 (S1010B). That is, the second communication module 35 functions as an advertiser, and performs advertising based on the bonding information stored in the storage unit 32, and performs pairing with the first communication module 24.

Meanwhile, after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the first communication module 24 stopped transmitting data packets due to a connection event, it assumes that wireless communication with the second communication module 35 has been disconnected, and starts pairing processing (S1010A). That is, as described above, the first communication module 24 functions as a scanner and performs scanning to discover the second communication module 35. When the first communication module 24 discovers the second communication module 35 through scanning, it functions as an initiator and transmits a connection request to the second communication module 35.

When the second communication module 35 responds to the connection request from the first communication module 24, the pairing between the first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35 is completed, and the first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35 are connected again. The first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35 in the connected state exchange data packets called connection events at connection intervals, enabling two-way synchronous communication (S1011). By returning the slave latency value to its original value in this way, the transmission delay time of the data packets can be reduced.

Figure 11 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the indoor unit 2 in the air conditioning system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, this figure is a flowchart for explaining the process related to the detection of a user by the indoor unit 2 shown in Figures 10A and 10B.

As shown in the figure, the indoor unit 2, under the control of the control board 21, monitors the presence or absence of a user in the target area of the room using the human presence sensor 23c (S1101). That is, while the human presence sensor 23c detects a user in the target area, it outputs a signal indicating the presence of the user to the control board 21, and if it cannot detect the user, it outputs a signal indicating the absence of the user to the control board 21.

When the user leaves the room, and the control board 21 receives a signal from the human sensor 23c indicating that the user is absent (No in S1101), the control board 21 controls the first communication module 24 to transmit a notification that the user is absent (hereinafter referred to as a "user absence notification") to the operation terminal device 3 (S1102). As a result, the first communication module 24 transmits the user absence notification to the second communication module 35 by a connection event. The reason for transmitting the user absence notification is that the second communication module 35 recognizes that the disconnection described below is not due to a deterioration in radio wave conditions or the like. The first communication module 24 then controls the first communication module 24 to temporarily disconnect the connection in order to change the value of the slave latency (S1103). As a result, a connection event is no longer performed between the first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35, and the first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35 are in a non-connected state.

After a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the first communication module 24 starts a pairing process to re-establish a connection with the second communication module 35 (S1104). Meanwhile, the second communication module 35, having been disconnected, changes the value of the slave latency and similarly starts a pairing process. As a result, the first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35 are connected, enabling synchronous communication.

Under the control of the control board 21, the indoor unit 2 continuously monitors the presence or absence of a user in the target area of the room by the human presence sensor 23c (S1105). When the control board 21 receives a signal indicating the presence of a user from the human presence sensor 23c (Yes in S1105), it controls the first communication module 24 to send a notification that the user is present (hereinafter referred to as a "user presence notification") to the operation terminal device 3 (S1106), and then controls the first communication module 24 to temporarily disconnect in order to change the value of the slave latency (S1107). As a result, a connection event is no longer performed between the first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35, and the first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35 are in a disconnected state.

After a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the first communication module 24 starts a pairing process to re-establish a connection with the second communication module 35 (S1108). Meanwhile, the second communication module 35, having been disconnected, changes the value of the slave latency and similarly starts a pairing process. As a result, the first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35 are connected, enabling synchronous communication.

Figure 12 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the operation terminal device in the air conditioning system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, this figure is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the operation terminal device 3 based on the detection of a user by the indoor unit 2 shown in Figures 10A and 10B.

As shown in the figure, the second communication module 35 monitors whether or not a user absence notification has been received from the first communication module 24 (S1201). If the second communication module 35 determines that a user absence notification has been received (Yes in S1201), it then monitors whether or not the connection has been disconnected (S1202).

When the second communication module 35 determines that the connection has been cut off (Yes in S1202), the second communication module 35 changes the value of the slave latency from the current first value (initial value) to a second value greater than the first value (S1203). That is, the second communication module 35 reduces the frequency of synchronous communication by a connection event by changing the current value of the slave latency to a value greater than the first value. Next, the second communication module 35 starts a pairing process to re-establish a connection with the first communication module 24 (S1204). That is, the second communication module 35 functions as an advertiser, and performs advertising based on the bonding information stored in the storage unit 32, and performs pairing with the first communication module 24. As a result, the second communication module 35 continues to operate under the control of the control unit 31 while maintaining the connection state with the first communication module 24.

During the connected state, the second communication module 35 monitors whether a user presence notification has been received from the first communication module 24 (S1205). If the second communication module 35 determines that a user presence notification has been received (Yes in S1205), it then monitors whether the connection has been disconnected (S1206).

When the second communication module 35 determines that the connection is disconnected (Yes in S1206), the second communication module 35 changes the value of the slave latency from the current second value to the first value (S1207). That is, the second communication module 35 increases the frequency of synchronous communication by connection events to a normal state by changing the current value of the slave latency to a value smaller than the current value. Next, the second communication module 35 starts a pairing process to re-establish a connection with the first communication module 24 (S1208). That is, the second communication module 35 functions as an advertiser, and performs advertising based on the bonding information stored in the memory unit 32, and performs pairing with the first communication module 24. As a result, the first communication module 24 and the second communication module 35 are connected.

As described above, according to this embodiment, when the indoor unit 2 detects that a user is not present within the target area, the operation terminal device 3 changes the slave latency value to a larger value, re-establishes the connection with the operation terminal device 3, and waits until the user returns. This allows the second communication module 35 to reduce the number of operations for synchronous communication via a connection event, and suppresses power consumption associated with wireless communication. In addition, since the second communication module 35 has not entered sleep mode, it can immediately establish a connection. In addition, when the indoor unit 2 detects that a user is present within the target area, it changes the slave latency value to a smaller value, and re-establishes the connection with the operation terminal device 3, thereby reducing the transmission delay time of data packets.

The air conditioning system 1 according to this embodiment may be configured by combining it with the technology shown in the first embodiment. For example, when the indoor unit 2 detects that a user is not present in the target area, the operation terminal device 3 changes the slave latency value to a larger value, re-establishes the connection with the operation terminal device 3, and waits until the user returns. Next, after a further predetermined time (e.g., 20 seconds) has elapsed, the operation terminal device 3 transitions to sleep mode and waits until the user returns. The operation terminal device 3 re-establishes the connection by operation of the user who has returned indoors. With such a configuration, power consumption can be further reduced under the BLE standard.

The above embodiments are merely examples for explaining the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention to these embodiments. The present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For example, in the methods disclosed herein, steps, operations, or functions may be performed in parallel or in a different order, provided that the results are not inconsistent. The steps, operations, and functions described are provided merely as examples, and some of the steps, operations, and functions may be omitted or combined into one, or other steps, operations, or functions may be added, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In addition, although various embodiments are disclosed in this specification, specific features (technical matters) in one embodiment can be added to or replaced with specific features in another embodiment, with appropriate modifications, and such forms are also included in the gist of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1: Air conditioning system 10: Wireless communication system 2: Indoor unit 21: Control board 211: Processor 212: Memory 213: External interface 22: Air conditioning mechanism 23: Sensor 23a: Temperature sensor 23b: Humidity sensor 23c: Human presence sensor 24: First communication module 3: Operation terminal device 31: Control unit 32: Memory unit 33: User interface unit 34: Sensor 35: Second communication module 301: Housing

Claims (16)

A wireless communication system including a first communication module and a second communication module capable of communicating with each other according to a predetermined wireless communication standard,
the first communication module includes a first sensor that outputs a signal indicative of a presence or absence of a user in a target area;
the first communication module performs control so as to disconnect the first connection with the second communication module when a signal indicating the absence of the user is output by the first sensor in a connection state in which a first connection is established with the second communication module;
when the first connection is disconnected by the first communication module, the second communication module changes a value indicating a frequency of synchronous communication with the first communication module from a first value to a second value lower than the first value;
Wireless communication system. when the first connection is disconnected by the first communication module, the second communication module stops synchronous communication with the first communication module after a predetermined time has elapsed since the disconnection;
2. The wireless communication system according to claim 1. the first communication module performs control so as to establish a second connection with the second communication module when a signal indicating the presence of the user is output by the first sensor in a non-connected state in which the first connection is disconnected;
3. The wireless communication system according to claim 2. The first communication module includes:
When establishing the first connection, acquiring bonding information of the second communication module from the second communication module;
When establishing the second connection, transmitting a connection request to the second communication module according to the acquired bonding information.
4. The wireless communication system according to claim 3. the second communication module comprises a second sensor;
the second communication module is operative to establish the second connection with the first communication module when a predetermined active signal is output by the second sensor.
5. A wireless communication system according to claim 3 or 4. The second sensor outputs the predetermined active signal in response to an operation by the user.
6. The wireless communication system according to claim 5. the first communication module performs control so as to establish a second connection for performing the synchronous communication with the second communication module using the second value in a non-connected state in which the first connection is disconnected;
2. The wireless communication system according to claim 1 . the first communication module disconnects the second connection when the first sensor outputs a signal indicating the presence of the user in a connected state in which the second connection is established;
8. The wireless communication system according to claim 7 . the second communication module changes a value indicating the frequency of communication with the second communication module from the second value to the first value when the second connection is disconnected by the first communication module;
9. The wireless communication system according to claim 8 . the first communication module performs control so as to establish a third connection for performing the synchronous communication with the second communication module using the first value in a non-connected state in which the second connection is disconnected;
10. The wireless communication system according to claim 9 . the second communication module stops the synchronous communication with the first communication module after a predetermined time has elapsed since the second value was changed to the second value;
9. The wireless communication system according to claim 8 . The first sensor is a human presence sensor including at least one of an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and a visible light sensor.
A wireless communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 11 . the predetermined wireless communication standard is Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE),
The first communication module acts as a central in the BLE;
The second communication module operates as a peripheral in the BLE.
A wireless communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 12 . A main body device that is remotely operated by a user's operation terminal device,
A control board;
A sensor that outputs a signal indicating the presence or absence of the user in a target area to the control board;
a communication module for performing synchronous communication with the operation terminal device in accordance with a predetermined wireless communication standard under the control of the control board;
The control board includes:
when a signal indicating the absence of the user is output by a sensor provided in the main body device in a connection state in which the main body device and the operation terminal device have established a first connection, the communication module is controlled to disconnect the first connection ;
a control unit that controls the operation terminal device to change a value indicating a frequency of synchronous communication with the communication module from a first value to a second value lower than the first value while the first connection is in a disconnected state, and to establish a second connection with the operation terminal device for executing the synchronous communication with the second value;
Main unit. An operation terminal device for a user to remotely operate a main body device,
A control unit;
a communication module for performing synchronous communication with the main unit in accordance with a predetermined wireless communication standard under the control of the control unit;
a sensor that detects the user's operation and outputs a predetermined active signal to the control unit;
The control unit is
in a connected state in which the main body device and the operation terminal device have established a first connection, when the first connection is disconnected by the main body device in accordance with a signal output by a sensor provided in the main body device when the user is absent in a target area, a value indicating a frequency of synchronous communication with the communication module is changed from a first value to a second value lower than the first value, and control is performed so as to stop operation of the communication module after a predetermined time has elapsed from the point of disconnection;
When the predetermined active signal is output by the sensor of the operation terminal device, the operation of the communication module that has been stopped is resumed, and a second connection with the main body device is established.
Operation terminal device. A communication control method in a wireless communication system including a first communication module and a second communication module capable of communicating with each other according to a predetermined wireless communication standard, comprising:
the first communication module includes a first sensor that outputs a signal indicative of a presence or absence of a user in a target area;
The communication control method includes:
establishing a first connection for synchronous communication between the first communication module and the second communication module;
When a signal indicating the absence of the user is output by the first sensor in a connection state in which the first connection is established, performing control to disconnect the first connection between the first communication module and the second communication module;
When the first connection is disconnected, changing a value indicating a frequency of synchronous communication between the first communication module and the second communication module from a first value to a second value lower than the first value.
Communications control method.

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