US-20260129405-A1 - COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, AND METHOD

US20260129405A1US 20260129405 A1US20260129405 A1US 20260129405A1US-20260129405-A1

Abstract

A communication includes a plurality of control devices that are disposed in the vicinity of a plurality of devices and are configured to control the plurality of devices, and a terminal device that moves in a space in which the plurality of devices are installed and is configured to perform wireless communication with the plurality of control devices. Each of the plurality of control devices periodically transmits device identification information for identifying a device controlled by the control device. When the terminal device receives the device identification information transmitted from one of the plurality of control devices, the terminal device acquires position information indicating a position of the terminal device, and transmits the received device identification information and the acquired position information.

Inventors

Yasuyuki Tanaka
Hiroki Kudo

Assignees

KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20250711
Priority Date: 20241107

Claims (20)

1 . A communication system comprising: a plurality of control circuitries that are disposed in the vicinity of each of a plurality of devices and are configured to control each of the plurality of devices, and a terminal that moves in a space in which the plurality of devices are installed and is configured to perform wireless communication with the plurality of control circuitries, wherein: each of the plurality of control circuitries transmits device identification information for identifying a device controlled by one of the control circuitries at a predetermined interval, and the terminal acquires, when the device identification information transmitted from one of the control circuitries of the plurality of control circuitries is received, position information indicating a position of the terminal, and transmits the received device identification information and the acquired position information.
2 . The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein: the wireless communication performed between each of the plurality of control circuitries and the terminal includes short-range wireless communication.
3 . The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein: the terminal transmits the device identification information and the position information to a remote control system that remotely controls the plurality of devices, and a correspondence relationship between the device identification information and the position information sent from the terminal is registered in the remote control system and used to remotely control the plurality of devices.
4 . The communication system according to claim 3 , wherein: the terminal further transmits a signal reception strength or a reception angle when the device identification information is received, in addition to the device identification information and the position information.
5 . The communication system according to claim 4 , wherein: the reception strength or the reception angle transmitted from the terminal is used to update the position information corresponding to the device identification information.
6 . The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein: the terminal transmits user information for specifying a user who carries the terminal, instead of the position information indicating the position of the terminal.
7 . The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein: each of the plurality of control circuitries periodically transmits sensor data measured by a sensor connected to one of the control circuitries together with the device identification information, and the terminal transmits, when the device identification information and the sensor data transmitted from of the control circuitries among the plurality of control circuitries are received, the received device identification information and sensor data.
8 . The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein: the position information is acquired by a position specifying function of the terminal.
9 . The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein: the position information is acquired from a user management system that manages a position of a user, based on user information for identifying the user who carries the terminal.
10 . The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein: the terminal periodically transmits device control data, and each of the plurality of control circuitries controls the device so that the device operates and sets a time for which the device operates when the device control data is received.
11 . The communication system according to claim 10 , wherein: each of the plurality of control circuitries controls the device so as to stop the operation of the device when the device control data is not received during a period from when a time for operating the device is set to when the time elapses.
12 . The communication system according to claim 11 , wherein: each of the plurality of control circuitries sets the time for the device to operate again when the device control data is received during a period from when the time for the device to operate is set to when the time elapses.
13 . A method, comprising: transmitting, by a plurality of control circuitries, device identification information for identifying a device controlled by a corresponding one of the control circuitries at a predetermined interval, acquiring, by a terminal, position information indicating a position of the terminal and transmitting the device identification information, which has been received from one of the plurality of control circuities, and the acquired position information when the terminal receives the device identification information transmitted from the one of the plurality of control circuitries.
14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein: the transmitting by the plurality of control circuitries includes short-range wireless communication.
15 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein: the transmitting of the device identification information and the position information by the terminal transmits to a remote control system that remotely controls the plurality of devices, and a correspondence relationship between the device identification information and the position information sent from the terminal is registered in the remote control system and used to remotely control the plurality of devices.
16 . The method according to claim 15 , further comprising: transmitting, by the terminal, a signal reception strength or a reception angle when the device identification information is received, in addition to the device identification information and the position information.
17 . The method according to claim 16 , further comprising: updating the position information corresponding to the device identification information using the reception strength or the reception angle transmitted from the terminal.
18 . The method according to claim 13 , further comprising: transmitting, by the terminal, user information for specifying a user who carries the terminal, instead of the position information indicating the position of the terminal.
19 . The method according to claim 13 , further comprising: periodically transmitting, by each of the plurality of control circuitries, sensor data measured by a sensor connected to the control circuitry together with the device identification information, and transmitting, by the terminal, when the device identification information and the sensor data transmitted from one of the control circuitries are received, the received device identification information and sensor data.
20 . The method according to claim 13 , further comprising: acquiring, by a position specifying function of the terminal, the position information.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-195326, filed Nov. 7, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. FIELD Embodiments described herein relate generally to a communication system and method. BACKGROUND In general, it is known to control a plurality of devices to achieve an object such as energy saving, but in order to realize control of the plurality of devices, a time-consuming operation may be required. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining control of an lighting apparatus in a first comparative example. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a communication system according to a second comparative example. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a terminal device. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a terminal device. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a control device. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a specific aspect of a lighting apparatus. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure of the communication system. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining an example of a process of registering setting information. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining another example of the process of registering the setting information. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of setting information. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of data transmitted from a terminal device. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a communication system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure of the communication system. FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining an example of a configuration using a user management system. FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining another example of a configuration using the user management system. FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining a configuration in which sensor data is transmitted from a control device. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of arrangement of a number of lighting apparatuses. FIG. 18 is a diagram for specifically explaining installation positions of lighting apparatuses registered in the remote control system. FIG. 19 is a diagram for specifically explaining installation positions of lighting apparatuses registered in the remote control system. FIG. 20 is a diagram for specifically explaining installation positions of lighting apparatuses registered in the remote control system. FIG. 21 is a diagram for specifically explaining installation positions of lighting apparatuses registered in the remote control system. FIG. 22 is a diagram for specifically explaining installation positions of lighting apparatuses registered in the remote control system. FIG. 23 is a diagram for specifically explaining installation positions of lighting apparatuses registered in the remote control system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION In general, according to an embodiment, a communication system includes a plurality of control devices arranged in the vicinity of a plurality of devices and configured to control the plurality of devices, and a terminal device configured to move in a space where the plurality of devices are installed and perform wireless communication with the plurality of control devices. According to one implementation, the term “in the vicinity of” means in the same room. According to another implementation, “in the vicinity of” means one the same floor. According to yet another implementation, “in the vicinity of”means in the same building. According to still another implementation, in the vicinity of means that there is a predetermined signal strength between the relevant devices, for example, a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi signal. Still further, according to another implementation, “in the vicinity of” means within a predetermined distance. Each of the plurality of control devices transmits device identification information for identifying a device controlled by the control device at a predetermined interval. When the terminal device receives the device identification information transmitted from one of the plurality of control devices, the terminal device acquires position information indicating a position of the terminal device, and transmits the received device identification information and the acquired position information. Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, a communication system used for providing a service for controlling a device will be described, and a lighting apparatus installed in a building, or the like is assumed as the device, for example. Here, control of a lighting apparatus assumed in a first comparative example of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. In the first comparative exampl