Wireless communication control system, wireless communication control apparatus, method for controlling wireless communication, and method for producing directivity information

{
  "publication_number": "US10206123B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Wireless communication control system, wireless communication control apparatus, method for controlling wireless communication, and method for producing directivity information",
  "abstract": "Provided is a wireless communication control system including a control apparatus that controls driving of one or more driving devices in accordance with a plurality of predetermined driving patterns, a first radio having a directional antenna, and a second radio. Target driving directivity information corresponding to a target driving pattern acquired by an acquisition unit is selected from among pieces of driving directivity information relating to a directivity applied to the directional antenna in a state in which driving of the one or more driving devices is controlled by the control apparatus in accordance with the plurality of driving patterns, the selected target driving directivity information is applied to the directional antenna of the first radio, and wireless communication between the first radio and the second radio is executed.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A wireless communication control system comprising: a control apparatus controlling a driving of one or more driving devices in accordance with a plurality of predetermined driving patterns; a first radio comprising an arithmetic processor and a directional antenna; a second radio capable of performing wireless communication with the first radio; wherein the arithmetic processor is configured with a program to perform operations comprising: operation as a directivity information storage unit that stores driving directivity information relating to a directivity, the driving directivity information being applied to the directional antenna of the first radio in relation to wireless communication between the first radio and the second radio in accordance with the plurality of driving patterns in a state in which driving of the one or more driving devices is controlled by the control apparatus in accordance with the plurality of driving patterns; operation as an acquisition unit that acquires, from the control apparatus, a target driving pattern that is the driving pattern among the plurality of driving patterns that the control apparatus applies to the one or more driving devices; and operation as an execution unit that selects, from among pieces of the driving directivity information stored in the directivity information storage unit, target driving directivity information corresponding to the target driving pattern acquired by the acquisition unit, applies the selected target driving directivity information to the directional antenna of the first radio, and executes wireless communication between the first radio and the second radio.",
    "2. The wireless communication control system according to claim 1, wherein the arithmetic processor is configured with the program to perform operations such that: operation as the acquisition unit acquires, in addition to the target driving pattern, information relating to an execution time at which the target driving pattern is executed in the one or more driving devices by the control apparatus, and operation as the execution unit executes wireless communication with the second radio based on the execution time via the directional antenna of the first radio to which the target driving directivity information is applied.",
    "3. The wireless communication control system according to claim 1, wherein the target driving directivity information comprises information relating to a directivity that is applied to the directional antenna of the first radio, the directivity being set such that a received signal received by a reception radio out of the first radio and the second radio has a maximum intensity or is in a predetermined received signal intensity range at a plurality of control times that are set in an execution period during which the target driving pattern is executed.",
    "4. The wireless communication control system according to claim 1, wherein the second radio is disposed on a driving device of the one or more driving devices controlled by the control apparatus, and a relative position of the second radio with respect to the first radio changes due to the driving device being moved in accordance with the target driving pattern, and the target driving directivity information is produced as the relative position of the second radio with respect to the first radio changes.",
    "5. The wireless communication control system according to claim 1, wherein positions of the first radio and the second radio do not change relative to each other.",
    "6. The wireless communication control system according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of second radios, wherein the plurality of second radios are each configured to be capable of alternatively performing communication with the first radio, and the arithmetic processor is configured with the program to perform operations such that: operation as the directivity information storage unit stores the driving directivity information that corresponds to the plurality of second radios and is applied to the directional antenna of the first radio in relation to wireless communication between the first radio and the plurality of second radios in accordance with the plurality of driving patterns in a state in which driving of the one or more driving devices is controlled by the control apparatus in accordance with the plurality of driving patterns, and operation as the execution unit selects, from among the pieces of the driving directivity information stored in the directivity information storage unit, target driving directivity information that corresponds to the target driving pattern acquired by the acquisition unit and corresponds to the plurality of second radios, and executes wireless communication between the first radio and the plurality of second radios in accordance with the selected target driving directivity information.",
    "7. The wireless communication control system according to claim 1, further comprising: a second radio group comprising a plurality of second radios, wherein the second radio group is configured to be capable of performing communication with the first radio as a group, and the arithmetic processor is configured with the program to perform operations such that: operation as the directivity information storage unit stores the driving directivity information that corresponds to the second radio group and is applied to the directional antenna of the first radio in relation to wireless communication between the first radio and the second radio group in accordance with the plurality of driving patterns in a state in which driving of the one or more driving devices is controlled by the control apparatus in accordance with the plurality of driving patterns, and operation as the execution unit selects, from among the pieces of the driving directivity information stored in the directivity information storage unit, target directivity information that corresponds to the target driving pattern acquired by the acquisition unit and corresponds to the second radio group, and executes wireless communication between the first radio and the second radio group in accordance with the selected target driving directivity information.",
    "8. The wireless communication control system according to claim 1, wherein the second radio comprises a sensor-equipped radio including a sensor that measures a predetermined environmental parameter.",
    "9. The wireless communication control system according to claim 1, wherein the directional antenna comprises a phased-array antenna.",
    "10. A wireless communication control apparatus that controls wireless communication performed by a first radio performing wireless communication with a second radio via a directional antenna in a predetermined environment in which driving of one or more driving devices is controlled by a control apparatus in accordance with a plurality of predetermined driving patterns, the wireless communication control apparatus comprising an arithmetic processor configured with a program to perform operations comprising: operation as a directivity information storage unit that stores driving directivity information relating to a directivity, the driving directivity information being applied to the directional antenna of the first radio in relation to wireless communication between the first radio and the second radio in accordance with the plurality of driving patterns in a state in which driving of the one or more driving devices is controlled by the control apparatus in accordance with the plurality of driving patterns; operation as an acquisition unit that acquires, from the control apparatus, a target driving pattern that is the driving pattern among the plurality of driving patterns that the control apparatus applies to the one or more driving devices; and operation as an execution unit that selects, from among pieces of the driving directivity information stored in the directivity information storage unit, target driving directivity information corresponding to the target driving pattern acquired by the acquisition unit, applies the selected target driving directivity information to the directional antenna of the first radio, and executes wireless communication between the first radio and the second radio.",
    "11. The wireless communication control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first radio comprises the wireless communication control apparatus.",
    "12. A method for controlling wireless communication that controls wireless communication performed by a first radio performing wireless communication with a second radio via a directional antenna in a predetermined environment in which driving of one or more driving devices is controlled by a control apparatus in accordance with a plurality of predetermined driving patterns, the method comprising: acquiring, from among the plurality of driving patterns, a target driving pattern that is the driving pattern that the control apparatus applies to the one or more driving devices; selecting, from among pieces of driving directivity information relating to a directivity, target driving directivity information corresponding to the acquired target driving pattern, the target driving directivity information being applied to the directional antenna of the first radio in relation to wireless communication between the first radio and the second radio in accordance with the plurality of driving patterns in a state in which driving of the one or more driving devices is controlled by the control apparatus in accordance with the plurality of driving patterns; and applying the selected target driving directivity information to the directional antenna of the first radio and executing wireless communication between the first radio and the second radio.",
    "13. A directivity information production method for producing directivity information applied to a directional antenna in wireless communication control performed by a first radio performing wireless communication with a second radio via the directional antenna in a predetermined environment in which driving of one or more driving devices is controlled by a control apparatus in accordance with a plurality of predetermined driving patterns, the method comprising: transmitting test radio waves at a plurality of control times set in an execution period during which a driving pattern is executed, from a transmission radio to a reception radio out of the first radio and the second radio, in a state in which driving of the one or more driving devices is controlled by the control apparatus in accordance with the plurality of driving patterns; measuring a received signal intensity for the test radio waves when the reception radio receives the test radio waves transmitted from the transmission radio; and producing driving directivity information relating to a directivity in accordance with the plurality of driving patterns, the driving directivity information being applied to the directional antenna of the first radio in relation to wireless communication between the first radio and the second radio in a state in which driving of the one or more driving devices is controlled by the control apparatus in accordance with the plurality of driving patterns such that a received signal measured at the plurality of control times has a maximum intensity or is in a predetermined received signal intensity range."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to a wireless communication control system for controlling wireless communication between a first radio having a directional antenna and a second radio performing wireless communication therewith.\n\nConventionally known is technology in which with regard to wireless communication between a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone and a wireless base station, a directional adaptive array antenna is utilized in the wireless base station. The adaptive array antenna is constituted by a plurality of antenna elements that are spaced apart from each other and can emit a plurality of beams in any direction at any width by controlling these antenna elements. Accordingly, suitable wireless communication can be realized. For example, according to the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, the movement of a user of a mobile terminal is predicted, and the directivity of the adaptive antenna is controlled based on the result of this prediction.\n\nIn recent years, in the field of FA (factory automation) as well, there is an increasing tendency for wireless communication to be used for the transfer of a control signal to a driving device by a control apparatus or the transfer of measurement data measured by various sensors to a control apparatus for collection, for example. Conventionally, cable communication has been widely used for these signals and data in consideration of the stability of communication. However, if cable communication is used, there is a significant limitation on the design of the manufacturing line because the position of a radio is fixed.",
  "cpc": [
    "H04W 16/28",
    "B25J 13/006",
    "B25J 19/00",
    "B25J 9/0084",
    "G05B 2219/33192",
    "H01Q 3/30",
    "H04B 7/0617",
    "H04B 7/0834",
    "H04B 7/10",
    "H04W 4/04"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "H01Q 3/30",
    "H04W 16/28",
    "H04W 4/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Omron Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Daichi UEKI",
    "Keisuke Saito"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2016-02-02",
  "publication_date": "2019-02-12",
  "grant_date": "2019-02-12",
  "priority_date": "2015-02-13",
  "application_number": "US-201615545144-A",
  "family_id": "56614691",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
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}