Portable terminal device, repeating installation, management system, notification method, relay method and program

0001The present invention relates to a mobile terminal device, a relay device, a management system, a notification method, a relay method and a program.

0002Patent Document 1 discloses a watching system. The system monitors and watches over the target using a mobile terminal. When the target is outdoors, the mobile terminal uses GPS (global positioning system) to detect the location of the target at any time and notifies the notification target by e-mail or the like. When the target is indoors, the mobile terminal wirelessly communicates with the door open / close sensor installed indoors (example: Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication), and the acquired information (example: door open / close status) is sent by e-mail, etc. Notify the notification target with.

0003Patent Document 2 discloses an indoor positioning system. If the mobile terminal is outdoors, the system will locate the mobile terminal with GPS. When the mobile terminal is indoors, the system identifies the position of the mobile terminal based on the communication state between the plurality of position acquisition means installed indoors and the mobile terminal.

0004Patent Document 3 discloses a remote control device. The remote control device permits access to the home control device that centrally controls each device in the house only when the identification information and the password received from the outside are valid.

0005Patent Document 4 discloses a portable player. When the content is selected in the mobile player when the outdoor mode is set, the mobile player plays the content recorded in itself. When the content is selected in the mobile player when the indoor mode is set, the mobile player instructs the client to play the content recorded in the server or the content recorded in itself.

<p num="0006"><patcit num="1"><text>Utility model registration No. 3167778</text></patcit><patcit num="2"><text>Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-105062</text></patcit><patcit num="3"><text>Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-291057</text></patcit><patcit num="4"><text>Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-59707</text></patcit></p>

<p num="0007"> The present inventors have examined a technique for monitoring the whereabouts of a monitored object (eg, an elderly person, a child, etc.). For example, by having a mobile terminal device having a GPS function and a communication function possessed by a monitoring target and having the mobile terminal device perform positioning and notification, the location of the monitoring target can be monitored.</p><p num="0008"> However, GPS positioning consumes a relatively large amount of power. For this reason, if the mobile terminal device is constantly monitored by GPS positioning, the battery of the mobile terminal device runs out at a relatively early timing, and the monitoring cannot be continued thereafter. Neither Patent Documents 1 to 4 discloses the problem and the means for solving the problem.</p><p num="0009"> An object of the present invention is to realize power saving of a mobile terminal device used in a technique for monitoring the position of a monitoring target.</p>

<p num="0010"> According to the present invention A first notification means that calculates position information based on GPS signals and executes a first notification process that transmits the position information and mobile terminal identification information to an external device. A second notification means for executing a second notification process for transmitting the mobile terminal identification information to at least one of the plurality of relay devices, Have, At a predetermined timing, either one of the first notification process and the second notification process is executed. When it is in a state where it can communicate with at least one of the plurality of relay devices at the predetermined timing, the second notification process is executed, and when it is not in a state where it can communicate with any of the relay devices, the above. A mobile terminal device that executes the first notification process is provided.</p><p num="0011"> Further, according to the present invention. It s a smart meter, The first communication means for receiving the mobile terminal identification information from the mobile terminal device, A second communication means for transmitting the mobile terminal identification information to an external device in association with the identification information of the own terminal, A relay device having the above is provided.</p><p num="0012"> Further, according to the present invention. The first communication means for receiving the mobile terminal identification information from the mobile terminal device, A second communication means for transmitting the mobile terminal identification information, the identification information of the own terminal, and the time information to an external device in association with each other. A relay device having the above is provided.</p><p num="0013"> Further, according to the present invention, a management system including the mobile terminal device and the relay device is provided.</p><p num="0014"> Further, according to the present invention. The computer The first notification process that calculates location information based on GPS signals and sends the location information and mobile terminal identification information to an external device, A second notification process for transmitting the mobile terminal identification information to at least one of the plurality of relay devices, and And At a predetermined timing, either one of the first notification process and the second notification process is executed. When it is in a state where it can communicate with at least one of the plurality of relay devices at the predetermined timing, the second notification process is executed, and when it is not in a state where it can communicate with any of the relay devices, the above. A notification method for executing the first notification process is provided.</p><p num="0015"> Further, according to the present invention. Computer, A first notification means that calculates position information based on GPS signals and executes a first notification process that transmits the position information and mobile terminal identification information to an external device. A second notification means that executes a second notification process for transmitting the mobile terminal identification information to at least one of the plurality of relay devices. To function as At a predetermined timing, either one of the first notification process and the second notification process is executed. When it is in a state where it can communicate with at least one of the plurality of relay devices at the predetermined timing, the second notification process is executed, and when it is not in a state where it can communicate with any of the relay devices, the above. A program that executes the first notification process is provided.</p><p num="0016"> Further, according to the present invention. The smart meter The first communication process of receiving mobile terminal identification information from the mobile terminal device, A second communication step of transmitting the mobile terminal identification information to an external device in association with the identification information of the own terminal, Is provided as a relay method to execute.</p><p num="0017"> Further, according to the present invention. Smart meter, The first communication means for receiving the mobile terminal identification information from the mobile terminal device, A second communication means for transmitting the mobile terminal identification information to an external device in association with the identification information of the own terminal. A program is provided that functions as.</p><p num="0018"> Further, according to the present invention. The computer The first communication process of receiving mobile terminal identification information from the mobile terminal device, The second communication step of associating the mobile terminal identification information, the identification information of the own terminal, and the time information and transmitting the information to the external device, Is provided as a relay method to execute.</p><p num="0019"> Further, according to the present invention. Computer, The first communication means for receiving the mobile terminal identification information from the mobile terminal device, A second communication means for transmitting the mobile terminal identification information, the identification information of the own terminal, and the time information to an external device in association with each other. A program is provided that functions as.</p>

<p num="0020"> According to the present invention, power saving of a mobile terminal device used in a technique for monitoring the position of a monitoring target is realized.</p>

0021<figref num="1">This is an example of a functional block diagram of the management system of the present embodiment.</figref><figref num="2">It is a figure which shows an example of the hardware composition of each of the mobile terminal device, the relay device, and the processing system of this embodiment.</figref><figref num="3">This is an example of a functional block diagram of the mobile terminal device of the present embodiment.</figref><figref num="4">It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing flow of the mobile terminal apparatus of this embodiment.</figref><figref num="5">This is an example of a functional block diagram of the relay device of the present embodiment.</figref><figref num="6">It is a figure which shows typically an example of the information processed by the relay device of this embodiment.</figref><figref num="7">It is a figure which shows typically an example of the information processed by the processing system of this embodiment.</figref><figref num="8">It is a figure which shows typically an example of the information processed by the processing system of this embodiment.</figref><figref num="9">It is a figure which shows the specific example of the management system of this embodiment.</figref>

0022&lt;First embodiment&gt; First, the overall picture and outline of the management system of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The management system includes a mobile terminal device 10, a relay device 20, and a processing system 30. The mobile terminal device 10 is possessed by a monitoring target (eg, an old man, a child, etc.) that is a target for monitoring the whereabouts. The relay device 20 of the present embodiment is a smart meter (electric power meter), and is installed for each electric power consumer, for example, on the premises of each electric power consumer. That is, the relay devices 20 are scattered over a wide area. The processing system 30 is a server (eg, a cloud server) and is managed by a business operator that provides a monitoring service.

0023The mobile terminal device 10 executes the first notification process and the second notification process. The power required for the second notification process is smaller than the power required for the first notification process.

0024In the first notification process, the mobile terminal device 10 calculates the position information of the own device based on the GPS signal, and transmits the calculated position information and the mobile terminal identification information of the own device to the processing system 30. The mobile terminal device 10 is connected to the Internet via a communication base station (eg, a wireless LAN (local area network) base station, a mobile phone base station, a smartphone base station, etc.), and is a processing system 30 using, for example, an IP (internet protocol). Communicate with.

0025In the second notification process, the mobile terminal device 10 transmits the mobile terminal identification information of its own device to at least one relay device 20 capable of communicating among the plurality of relay devices 20. The mobile terminal device 10 communicates with the relay device 20 according to communication standards such as Wi-SUN, NB-IoT, LoRaWAN, SIGFOX, Wi-Fi HaLow, RPMA, and Flexnet belonging to LPWA (low power wide area), for example.

0026The mobile terminal device 10 executes either the first notification process or the second notification process at predetermined timing intervals. When the mobile terminal device 10 is in a state of being able to communicate with at least one of the plurality of relay devices 20 at a predetermined timing, the mobile terminal device 10 executes the second notification process. Then, the mobile terminal device 10 executes the first notification process when it is not in a state where it can communicate with any of the relay devices 20 at a predetermined timing.

0027The relay device 20 transmits the mobile terminal identification information acquired from the mobile terminal device 10 to the processing system 30 in association with the information for identifying the own device.

0028The processing system 30 manages the position of the mobile terminal device 10 based on the information received from the mobile terminal device 10 in response to the first notification process and the information received from the relay device 20 in response to the second notification process. To do.

0029By the way, when the second notification process is executed, that is, when the mobile terminal device 10 is in a state where it can communicate with any of the relay devices 20, the mobile terminal device 10 is near the relay device 20. Conceivable. The position of the mobile terminal device 10 can be estimated by specifying the relay device 20 that is in a state of being able to communicate with each mobile terminal device 10 based on the information received from the relay device 20 in response to the second notification process.

0030The management system of the present embodiment executes the second notification process having relatively low power consumption in an environment in which the second notification process can be executed, and relatively consumes in an environment in which the second notification process cannot be executed. Executes the first notification process with high power consumption. That is, the second notification process is preferentially executed, and when the second notification process cannot be executed, the first notification process is executed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the execution of the first notification process, which consumes a relatively large amount of power, that is, the use of GPS. As a result, power saving can be realized.

0031Next, the configurations of the mobile terminal device 10, the relay device 20, and the processing system 30 will be described in detail. First, an example of the hardware configuration of each of the mobile terminal device 10, the relay device 20, and the processing system 30 will be described. Each functional unit included in the portable terminal device 10, the relay device 20, and the processing system 30 of the present embodiment is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) of an arbitrary computer, a memory, a program loaded into the memory, and a hard disk for storing the program. Storage unit (can store programs stored in advance from the stage of shipping the device, as well as programs downloaded from storage media such as CDs (Compact Discs) and servers on the Internet), network connection interface It is realized by any combination of hardware and software. And, it is understood by those skilled in the art that there are various modifications of the realization method and the device.

0032FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configurations of the mobile terminal device 10, the relay device 20, and the processing system 30 of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the mobile terminal device 10, the relay device 20, and the processing system 30 has a processor 1A, a memory 2A, an input / output interface 3A, a peripheral circuit 4A, and a bus 5A. Peripheral circuit 4A includes various modules. The processing system 30 may be composed of a plurality of physically and / or logically separated devices. In this case, each of the plurality of devices may have a processor 1A, a memory 2A, an input / output interface 3A, a peripheral circuit 4A, and a bus 5A.

0033The bus 5A is a data transmission line for the processor 1A, the memory 2A, the peripheral circuit 4A, and the input / output interface 3A to send and receive data to and from each other. The processor 1A is, for example, an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The memory 2A is, for example, a memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or ROM (Read Only Memory). The input / output interface 3A is an interface for acquiring information from an input device (eg, keyboard, mouse, microphone, physical key, touch panel display, code reader, etc.), an external device, an external server, an external sensor, etc. Examples: displays, speakers, printers, mailers, etc.), including interfaces for outputting information to external devices, external servers, etc. Processor 1A can issue commands to each module and perform calculations based on the calculation results.

0034Next, the functional configuration of the mobile terminal device 10 will be described. FIG. 3 shows an example of a functional block diagram of the mobile terminal device 10. As shown in the figure, the mobile terminal device 10 has a first notification unit 11 and a second notification unit 12.

0035The first notification unit 11 calculates the position information based on the GPS signal, and executes the first notification process of transmitting the position information and the mobile terminal identification information of the own device to the processing system 30. The first notification unit 11 may associate the location information and the mobile terminal identification information with the time information and transmit the time information to the processing system 30. The time information may be the time when the location information and the mobile terminal identification information are transmitted to the processing system 30, the time when the location information is acquired, or other time equivalent thereto. ..

0036The first notification unit 11 connects to the Internet via a communication base station (eg, wireless LAN base station, mobile phone base station, smartphone base station, etc.), and communicates with the processing system 30 by, for example, IP.

0037The second notification unit 12 executes a second notification process for transmitting the mobile terminal identification information of the own device to at least one relay device 20 capable of communicating among the plurality of relay devices 20. The second notification unit 12 may associate the time information with the mobile terminal identification information and transmit it to the relay device 20. The time information may be the time when the mobile terminal identification information is transmitted to the relay device 20, or may be another time equivalent thereto.

0038The second notification unit 12 communicates with the relay device 20 according to communication standards such as Wi-SUN, NB-IoT, LoRaWAN, SIGFOX, Wi-Fi HaLow, RPMA, and Flexnet belonging to LPWA, for example.

0039The power required for the second notification process is smaller than the power required for the first notification process.

0040The mobile terminal device 10 executes either the first notification process or the second notification process at predetermined timing intervals.

0041When a state in which communication is possible with at least one of the plurality of relay devices 20 at a predetermined timing, the second notification unit 12 executes the second notification process. Then, when the relay device 20 is not in a communicable state at a predetermined timing, the first notification unit 11 executes the first notification process. The means by which the mobile terminal device 10 determines whether or not there is a relay device 20 capable of communicating at each timing is not particularly limited. An example will be described below.

0042In the present embodiment, the predetermined timing is exemplified, but is not limited to, for example, every 5 minutes, every 10 minutes, every 15 minutes, every 30 minutes, every hour, and the like.

0043Here, an example of the processing flow of the mobile terminal device 10 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

0044The mobile terminal device 10 continues monitoring (S10) whether or not the predetermined timing has been reached while the process is not completed (No in S50).

0045At a predetermined timing (Yes in S10), it is determined whether the mobile terminal device 10 is in a state of being able to communicate with at least one of the plurality of relay devices 20 (S20).

0046When it is in a state where it can communicate with at least one relay device 20 (Yes in S20), the mobile terminal device 10 executes the second notification process (S30). On the other hand, when neither of the relay devices 20 can communicate with each other (No in S20), the mobile terminal device 10 executes the first notification process (S40). After that, the same process is repeated.

0047Next, the functional configuration of the relay device 20 will be described. FIG. 5 shows an example of a functional block diagram of the relay device 20. As shown in the figure, the relay device 20 has a first communication unit 21 and a second communication unit 22. The relay device 20 of this embodiment is a smart meter (electric energy meter). Although not shown, the relay device 20 can further include various functional units included in the smart meter.

0048The first communication unit 21 receives the mobile terminal identification information from the mobile terminal device 10. The first communication unit 21 communicates with the mobile terminal device 10 according to communication standards such as Wi-SUN, NB-IoT, LoRaWAN, SIGFOX, Wi-Fi HaLow, RPMA, and Flexnet belonging to LPWA, for example.

0049The second communication unit 22 transmits the mobile terminal identification information received by the first communication unit 21 to the processing system 30 in association with the identification information of the own terminal. The second communication unit 22 may transmit the mobile terminal identification information, the identification information of the own terminal, and the time information in association with each other to the processing system 30.

0050When the time information is associated with the mobile terminal identification information received by the first communication unit 21 from the mobile terminal device 10, the second communication unit 22 associates the time information with the mobile terminal identification information. It may be sent to the processing system 30.

0051When the time information is not associated with the mobile terminal identification information received by the first communication unit 21 from the mobile terminal device 10, the second communication unit 22 associates the time information with the mobile terminal identification information. It may be sent to the processing system 30. That is, the relay device 20 (smart meter) may associate the time information with the mobile terminal identification information received from the mobile terminal device 10. The time information associated with this case may be the time when the mobile terminal identification information is received from the mobile terminal device 10, or may be another time equivalent thereto.

0052The second communication unit 22 is a communication system for smart meters, for example, a wireless multi-hop system that hops and communicates between smart meters, a portable system that uses 3G or LTE, a PLC system that uses a power line, and the like. connect.

0053Next, the timing at which the second communication unit 22 transmits the mobile terminal identification information received by the first communication unit 21 to the processing system 30 will be described.

0054First, the second communication unit 22 transmits information other than the information related to the monitoring service (such as the mobile terminal identification information received by the first communication unit 21) to the processing system 30. Specifically, the second communication unit 22 transmits power information to the processing system 30 at predetermined time intervals (eg, every 30 minutes, every 15 minutes, every hour, etc.). The electric power information is, for example, an integrated value [Wh] of electric power consumed by each electric power consumer within the latest predetermined time, but is not limited to this.

0055Then, the second communication unit 22 of the present embodiment transmits the mobile terminal identification information received up to that point from the previous transmission to the processing system 30 at the same timing as the transmission of the power information. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the relay device 20 stores the mobile terminal identification information received by the first communication unit 21 in association with the time and the transmission flag. The time is a value of time information associated with the mobile terminal identification information. For the transmission flag, a value indicating whether or not each mobile terminal identification information has been transmitted to the processing system 30 is entered.

0056Then, based on the accumulated information, the second communication unit 22 collectively transmits the mobile terminal identification information received from the previous transmission to the processing system 30 at the same timing as the transmission of the power information. The transmitted mobile terminal identification information may be deleted from the storage device. In this case, the transmission flag is unnecessary.

0057Next, the functional configuration of the processing system 30 will be described. The processing system 30 receives information received from the mobile terminal device 10 in response to the first notification process (hereinafter, may be referred to as "first information"), and from the relay device 20 in response to the second notification process. The position of the mobile terminal device 10 is managed based on the received information (hereinafter, may be referred to as "second information").

0058As shown in FIG. 7, the processing system 30 can collectively store the first information and the second information for each mobile terminal identification information. In FIG. 7, the time and the position are stored in association with each other.

0059The time is a value indicated by the time information included in the first information and the second information. The position is a position where it is estimated that the mobile terminal device 10 was present at each time. The position of each time is estimated based on the first information or the second information. As mentioned above, the first information includes the position information calculated based on the GPS signal. Therefore, the position can be set to the position where the mobile terminal device 10 existed at that time.

0060On the other hand, the second information includes the identification information of the relay device 20, but does not include a value that directly indicates a specific position. Therefore, it is necessary to calculate the position where the mobile terminal device 10 exists from the second information. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the processing system 30 may store the identification information of each of the plurality of relay devices 20 in association with the installation position. Then, the processing system 30 may calculate the position of the mobile terminal device 10 from the identification information of the relay device 20 by using the information.

0061When there is one relay device 20 that communicates with the mobile terminal device 10 at time t, that is, when there is one relay device 20 that transmits the second information associated with the time t to the processing system 30, the processing system 30 It is presumed that the mobile terminal device 10 was present near the relay device 20 at time t. For example, it is presumed that the mobile terminal device 10 exists within a circle having a radius R (design matter) centered on the relay device 20.

0062On the other hand, when there are a plurality of relay devices 20 that communicate with the mobile terminal device 10 at time t, that is, when there are a plurality of relay devices 20 that transmit the second information associated with the time t to the processing system 30, the processing system At time t 30, it is estimated that the mobile terminal device 10 was present near the plurality of relay devices 20. For example, it may be presumed that the mobile terminal device 10 was present at the center of an arbitrary area including a plurality of relay devices 20 at time t.

0063In addition, when there are a plurality of relay devices 20 communicating with the mobile terminal device 10 at time t, the processing system 30 of the relay device 20 having the strongest signal strength of communication with the mobile terminal device 10 at time t. It may be presumed that the mobile terminal device 10 was present nearby. For example, it may be presumed that the mobile terminal device 10 exists within a circle having a radius R (design matter) centered on the relay device 20.

0064In this case, when the relay device 20 receives the mobile terminal identification information from the mobile terminal device 10 by the second notification process, the signal strength of the communication between the mobile terminal device 10 and the first communication unit 21 at that time is received. May be measured. Then, when the second communication unit 22 transmits the mobile terminal identification information to the processing system 30, the associated signal strength may be further transmitted to the processing system 30. By executing these processes, it is possible to estimate the position of the relay device 20 based on the signal strength.

0065By the way, the processing system 30 can present the position of the managed mobile terminal device 10 to a predetermined user. The presentation of the information may be repeated at predetermined time intervals (design matters), or may be performed in response to a request from the user. For example, the information may be presented by e-mail, the push notification function of the application, or the like, or the information may be presented to the user who has logged in on the website.

0066The information presented to the user includes the latest estimated position of the mobile terminal device 10, the estimated position of the mobile terminal device 10 at the time specified by the user, the estimated movement locus of the mobile terminal device 10 in a predetermined time zone, and the like. By way of example, but not limited to these.

0067Next, a specific example of the management system of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The specific example is merely an example embodying the management system of the present embodiment, and the management system of the present embodiment is not limited to the specific example.

0068As shown in the figure, the mobile terminal device 10 is possessed by the monitoring target. In the steps (1) and (1) ́, the second notification unit 12 of the mobile terminal device 10 transmits a communication availability confirmation signal at predetermined timing intervals. The second notification unit 12 transmits a communication availability confirmation signal in, for example, communication standards such as Wi-SUN, NB-IoT, LoRaWAN, SIGFOX, Wi-Fi HaLow, RPMA, and Flexnet belonging to LPWA.

0069When any of the relay devices 20 receives the communication availability confirmation signal, the relay device (smart meter: SM) 20 that has received the communication availability confirmation signal transmits a response signal as shown in (2). That is, the first communication unit 21 receives the communication availability confirmation signal transmitted from the mobile terminal device 10, and transmits a response signal in response to the reception.

0070After that, as shown in (3), the mobile terminal device 10 that has received the response signal transmits the mobile terminal identification information. As shown in (4), the relay device 20 that has received the mobile terminal identification information transmits the received mobile terminal identification information to the processing system (cloud) 30 in association with the identification information of its own terminal.

0071On the other hand, when neither of the relay devices 20 receives the communication availability confirmation signal, neither of the relay devices 20 transmits the response signal as shown in (2) ́. The mobile terminal device 10 that fails to receive the response signal receives the GPS signal and calculates the position information as shown in (3) ́. Then, as shown in (4) ́, the mobile terminal device 10 transmits the calculated position information to the processing system 30 via the communication base station.

0072That is, when a response to the communication availability confirmation signal is received from any of the relay devices 20, the second notification unit 12 executes the second notification process. Then, when the response to the communication availability confirmation signal is not received from any of the relay devices 20, the first notification unit 11 executes the first notification process.

0073The processing system 30 manages the position of the mobile terminal device 10 based on the information received from the mobile terminal device 10 as shown in (4) ́ and the information received from the relay device 20 as shown in (4). .. Then, as shown in (5), the observer is notified of the position of the monitoring target at an arbitrary timing.

0074Here, a modified example will be described. The smart meter (relay device 20) may acquire the mobile terminal identification information of the mobile terminal device 10 via the child meter.

0075That is, when the child meter receives the communication availability confirmation signal transmitted by the mobile terminal device 10 in the communication standards such as Wi-SUN, NB-IoT, LoRaWAN, SIGFOX, Wi-Fi HaLow, RPMA, and Flexnet belonging to LPWA, A response signal may be transmitted according to the same standard. Further, when the child meter receives the mobile terminal identification information transmitted by the mobile terminal device 10 according to the same standard, the child meter may transmit the information to the smart meter according to an arbitrary communication standard. At this time, the child meter may add the identification information of its own device to the mobile terminal identification information. The communication standard between the child meter and the smart meter can adopt any existing technology. Then, the relay device 20 may attach the identification information of the child meter to the mobile terminal identification information received from the child meter and transmit it to the processing system 30.

0076The processing system 30 may estimate the position of the mobile terminal device 10 by using the installation position of the child meter registered in advance and the identification information of the child meter attached to the mobile terminal identification information. The position estimation method is the same as the process using the identification information of the relay device 20 attached to the mobile terminal identification information.

0077Next, the operation and effect of the management system of the present embodiment will be described.

0078The mobile terminal device 10 of the present embodiment executes the second notification process having relatively low power consumption in an environment in which the second notification process can be executed, and is relative in an environment in which the second notification process cannot be executed. Executes the first notification process that consumes a large amount of power. That is, the second notification process is preferentially executed, and if the second notification process cannot be executed, the first notification process is executed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the execution of the first notification process, which consumes a relatively large amount of power, that is, the use of GPS. As a result, the power saving of the mobile terminal device 10 can be realized.

0079By the way, in the techniques of Patent Documents 1 and 2, the processing contents are switched according to the environment to be monitored. However, the conditions for switching the processing contents are clearly different between the techniques of Patent Documents 1 and 2 and the present embodiment. Therefore, the effects to be realized are also clearly different.

0080The techniques of Patent Documents 1 and 2 have a configuration in which GPS is used when the monitored object is outdoors, and other processing that does not use GPS is performed when the monitored object is indoors. That is, the processing content is different depending on whether the monitoring target is outdoors or indoors.

0081On the other hand, in the present embodiment, GPS is used when communication with any relay device 20 is not possible, and other processing without using GPS is performed when communication with any relay device 20 is possible. .. That is, the processing contents are different depending on whether or not communication with any of the relay devices 20 is possible.

0082Therefore, in the case of the technologies of Patent Documents 1 and 2, GPS is always used when the monitoring target is outdoors, but in the case of the present embodiment, GPS is not always used even when the monitoring target is outdoors. Absent. Therefore, the techniques of Patent Documents 1 and 2 and the present embodiment are clearly different from each other in, for example, the speed of power consumption of the mobile terminal when the monitoring target is outdoors. Specifically, the present embodiment can suppress the speed of power consumption.

0083Further, in the management system of the present embodiment, a smart meter can be used as the relay device 20. Smart meters are widespread and are scattered over a wide area. By using such a smart meter as the relay device 20, it is possible to secure a wide area in which the mobile terminal device 10 can execute the second notification process. As a result, the power saving of the mobile terminal device 10 can be realized more effectively. Moreover, since the existing equipment can be used as the relay device 20, there is no need to install new equipment. Therefore, the cost burden can be reduced.

0084Further, in the present embodiment, the relay device 20 can transmit the mobile terminal identification information received from the mobile terminal device 10 up to that point to the processing system 30 at the timing of transmitting the power information. By doing so, it is possible to avoid congestion in the communication network of the smart meter.

0085By the way, as described above, in order to avoid congestion of the communication network of the smart meter, when the relay device 20 collectively transmits the mobile terminal identification information acquired within a predetermined time to the processing system 30, where was it at each timing? The estimation accuracy becomes worse. In order to avoid the inconvenience, in the present embodiment, time information can be added to the mobile terminal identification information transmitted / received in the second notification process. By using the time information, the processing system 30 can accurately estimate where the mobile terminal device 10 was at each timing. That is, at the same timing as the transmission of the power information, the mobile terminal identification information and the time information received from the previous transmission up to that time are collectively transmitted to the processing system 30, so that the processing system 30 is attached to the mobile terminal identification information. Based on the time information, it is possible to estimate where the mobile terminal device was at each timing and the movement locus.

0086&lt;Second embodiment&gt; In the management system of the present embodiment, if the predetermined timing (hereinafter, "notification timing") for executing the first notification process or the second notification process by the mobile terminal device 10 is different depending on the state of the mobile terminal device 10. Let me. Other configurations of the management system are the same as in the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the points different from the first embodiment will be described, and the description of the common points will be omitted.

0087"pattern 1" When the mobile terminal device 10 is in a state where it can communicate with a predetermined relay device 20 among the plurality of relay devices 20, it is notified as compared with a case where it is not in a state where it can communicate with the predetermined relay device 20. Increase the timing interval.

0088The predetermined relay device 20 is a relay device 20 installed in a place recognized as safe by the observer, for example, a home to be monitored, a relative's home to be monitored, a hospital to be visited, a long-term care facility to be visited, or the like. is there. In the present embodiment, when the mobile terminal device 10 is near such a relay device 20, that is, when the monitoring target is in a safe place, the time interval of the notification timing is increased, and the first notification process and the second notification process are performed. Power saving is realized by reducing the number of executions of the notification process.

0089Here, a method of determining whether or not the mobile terminal device 10 is in a state of being able to communicate with a predetermined relay device 20 will be described.

0090"Method 1" In the method 1, the identification information of one or a plurality of relay devices 20 is registered in the mobile terminal device 10. The relay device 20 transmits the identification information of its own device to the mobile terminal device 10 in a communicable state.

0091The identification information of the mobile terminal device 10 and the received relay device 20 is collated with the identification information of the relay device 20 registered in advance. When the received identification information is registered in the own device, it is determined that the communication with the predetermined relay device 20 is possible. On the other hand, if the received identification information is not registered in the own device, it is determined that the communication with the predetermined relay device 20 is not possible.

0092"Method 2" In the method 2, the mobile terminal identification information of one or a plurality of mobile terminal devices 10 is registered in the relay device 20.

0093When the relay device 20 receives the mobile terminal identification information due to the second notification process executed by the mobile terminal device 10, the relay device 20 collates with the mobile terminal identification information registered in advance. When the received mobile terminal identification information is registered in the own device, it is determined that the mobile terminal device 10 is in a state of being able to communicate with the predetermined mobile terminal device 10. Then, the first communication unit 21 transmits a signal (determination result) indicating that fact to the mobile terminal device 10.

0094On the other hand, if the received mobile terminal identification information is not registered in the own device, it is determined that the communication with the predetermined mobile terminal device 10 is not possible. Then, the first communication unit 21 transmits a signal (determination result) indicating that fact to the mobile terminal device 10.

0095The mobile terminal device 10 determines whether or not it is in a state of being able to communicate with the predetermined relay device 20 based on the received determination result.

0096"Pattern 2" When the movement amount of the mobile terminal device 10 is smaller than the reference, the mobile terminal device 10 increases the time interval of the notification timing as compared with the case where the movement amount is larger than the reference.

0097When the amount of movement of the monitored object is small, for example, it is assumed that the person is resting on a park bench or talking with an acquaintance. When the amount of movement of the monitored object is small, the need for monitoring is reduced. Therefore, in such a case, power saving is realized by increasing the time interval of the notification timing and reducing the number of executions of the first notification process and the second notification process.

0098Here, an example of a method for determining whether the movement amount of the mobile terminal device 10 is larger or smaller than the reference will be described.

0099The latest notification timing that has been executed is P1, and the notification timing immediately before that is P0. When the notification processing executed in P0 (first notification processing or second notification processing) and the notification processing executed in P1 are different, that is, one of them is the first notification processing and the other is the second notification processing. In this case, the mobile terminal device 10 determines that the amount of movement is larger than the standard. Then, the time interval from P1 to the next notification timing P2 is set to a relatively small value.

0100On the other hand, when the notification process executed in P0 and the notification process executed in P1 are both the first notification processes, the mobile terminal device 10 performs each of the first notification process of P0 and the first notification process of P1. Based on the calculated position information, the distance between the position at P0 and the position at P1 is calculated. Then, when the calculated distance is larger than the reference value held in advance, the mobile terminal device 10 determines that the movement amount is larger than the reference value. Then, the time interval from P1 to the next notification timing P2 is set to a relatively small value. Further, when the calculated distance is smaller than the reference value held in advance, the mobile terminal device 10 determines that the movement amount is smaller than the reference value. Then, the time interval from P1 to the next notification timing P2 is set to a relatively large value.

0101Further, when the notification process executed by P0 and the notification process executed by P1 are both the second notification processes, the mobile terminal device 10 performs the second notification process of P0 and the second notification process of P1 respectively. It is determined whether or not the communication relay devices 20 match. When there are a plurality of relay devices 20 that communicate with each other and the relay devices 20 that communicate with each other are exactly the same, it may be determined that they match. The mobile terminal device 10 determines that the movement amount is larger than the reference when the communication relay devices 20 do not match. Then, the time interval from P1 to the next notification timing P2 is set to a relatively small value. Further, the mobile terminal device 10 determines that the movement amount is smaller than the reference when the communication relay devices 20 match. Then, the time interval from P1 to the next notification timing P2 is set to a relatively large value.

0102"Pattern 3" The mobile terminal device 10 combines pattern 1 and pattern 2.

0103Next, a specific example of the management system of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The specific example is merely an example embodying the management system of the present embodiment, and the management system of the present embodiment is not limited to the specific example.

0104Here, an example in which the above-mentioned pattern 3 is adopted and the method 1 is adopted in the pattern 1 will be described. Then, "the time interval of the notification timing when it is in a state where it can communicate with the predetermined relay device 20 is T1", and "it is not in a state where it can communicate with the predetermined relay device 20 and the amount of movement is small. The time interval of the notification timing when it is smaller than the standard is T2, and the time interval of the notification timing when it is not in a state where it can communicate with the predetermined relay device 20 and the movement amount is larger than the standard is T3. Note that T1&gt; T2&gt; T3.

0105As shown in the figure, the mobile terminal device 10 is possessed by the monitoring target. In the steps (1) and (1) ́, the second notification unit 12 of the mobile terminal device 10 transmits a communication availability confirmation signal at predetermined timing intervals. In this example, T1, T2, or T3 is set as the time interval for transmitting the communication availability confirmation signal. The second notification unit 12 repeatedly transmits a communication availability confirmation signal at a set time interval. The second notification unit 12 transmits a communication availability confirmation signal in, for example, communication standards such as Wi-SUN, NB-IoT, LoRaWAN, SIGFOX, Wi-Fi HaLow, RPMA, and Flexnet belonging to LPWA.

0106When any of the relay devices 20 receives the communication availability confirmation signal, the relay device (smart meter: SM) 20 that has received the communication availability confirmation signal transmits a response signal as shown in (2). That is, the first communication unit 21 receives the communication availability confirmation signal transmitted from the mobile terminal device 10, and transmits a response signal in response to the reception.

0107After that, as shown in (3), the mobile terminal device 10 that has received the response signal transmits the mobile terminal identification information. As shown in (4), the relay device 20 that has received the mobile terminal identification information transmits the received mobile terminal identification information to the processing system (cloud) 30 in association with the identification information of its own terminal.

0108Further, the relay device 20 transmits the identification information of the own device to the mobile terminal device 10 at an arbitrary timing after receiving the communication availability confirmation signal. For example, it may be transmitted together with a response signal.

0109The mobile terminal device 10 that has received the identification information of the relay device 20 collates the received identification information of the relay device 20 with the identification information of the relay device 20 registered in advance. When the received identification information is registered in the own device, it is determined that the mobile terminal device 10 is in a state of being able to communicate with the predetermined relay device 20. Then, the time interval for transmitting the communication availability confirmation signal is set to T1.

0110On the other hand, when the received identification information is not registered in the own device, it is determined that the mobile terminal device 10 is not in a state where it can communicate with the predetermined relay device 20. In this case, the mobile terminal device 10 determines whether or not the movement amount of the own device is larger than the reference. The details of the judgment are as described above. When the movement amount is smaller than the reference, the mobile terminal device 10 sets the time interval for transmitting the communication availability confirmation signal to T2. On the other hand, when the movement amount is larger than the reference, the mobile terminal device 10 sets the time interval for transmitting the communication availability confirmation signal to T3.

0111If neither of the relay devices 20 receives the communication availability confirmation signal, neither of the relay devices 20 transmits the response signal as shown in (2) ́. The mobile terminal device 10 that fails to receive the response signal receives the GPS signal and calculates the position information as shown in (3) ́. Then, as shown in (4) ́, the mobile terminal device 10 transmits the calculated position information to the processing system 30 via the communication base station.

0112When no response signal is received from any of the relay devices 20, the mobile terminal device 10 determines whether or not the movement amount of the own device is larger than the reference. The details of the judgment are as described above. When the movement amount is smaller than the reference, the mobile terminal device 10 sets the time interval for transmitting the communication availability confirmation signal to T2. On the other hand, when the movement amount is larger than the reference, the mobile terminal device 10 sets the time interval for transmitting the communication availability confirmation signal to T3.

0113The processing system 30 manages the position of the mobile terminal device 10 based on the information received from the mobile terminal device 10 as shown in (4) ́ and the information received from the relay device 20 as shown in (4). .. Then, as shown in (5), the observer is notified of the position of the monitoring target at an arbitrary timing.

0114According to the management system of the present embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be realized.

0115In addition, when the monitoring target is in a predetermined place such as a place recognized as safe by the observer, the time interval of the notification timing is increased, and the number of times the first notification process and the second notification process are executed. Can be reduced. As a result, the power saving of the mobile terminal device 10 can be realized.

0116Further, for example, when the movement amount of the monitoring target is small, that is, when the necessity of monitoring is small, the time interval of the notification timing can be increased and the number of executions of the first notification process and the second notification process can be reduced. it can. As a result, the power saving of the mobile terminal device 10 can be realized.

0117&lt;Third embodiment&gt; In the first and second embodiments, the relay device 20 transmits the mobile terminal identification information received from the mobile terminal device 10 to the processing system 30 at the timing of transmitting the electric power information. The relay device 20 of the present embodiment transmits the mobile terminal identification information received from the mobile terminal device 10 to the processing system 30 at other timings. Other configurations of the management system are the same as in the first and second embodiments. Hereinafter, the points different from the first and second embodiments will be described, and the description of the common points will be omitted.

0118The second communication unit 22 of the relay device 20 transmits the mobile terminal identification information received from the mobile terminal device 10 to the processing system 30 at a timing different from the timing of transmitting the power information. For example, when the first communication unit 21 receives the mobile terminal information from the mobile terminal device 10, the second communication unit 22 may transmit the mobile terminal information to the processing system 30 accordingly (real-time processing). In addition, the second communication unit 22 may transmit the mobile terminal identification information received from the mobile terminal device 10 to the processing system 30 at a time interval different from the time interval for transmitting the power information (batch processing).

0119In the case of the present embodiment, the processing system 30 may add time information (eg, reception time) to the mobile terminal identification information received from the relay device 20.

0120According to the management system of the present embodiment, the same effects as those of the first and second embodiments can be realized.

0121&lt;Fourth embodiment&gt; The management system of the present embodiment is different from the management system of the first to third embodiments in that the relay device 20 is not a smart meter. Other configurations of the management system are the same as those in the first to third embodiments. The relay device 20 is preferably a device that is scattered over a wide area. The relay device 20 may be a device installed exclusively for the monitoring service, or may be a device installed for other purposes.

0122According to the management system of the present embodiment, the same effects as those of the first to third embodiments can be realized.

0123Hereinafter, an example of the reference form will be added. 1. A first notification means that calculates position information based on GPS signals and executes a first notification process that transmits the position information and mobile terminal identification information to an external device. A second notification means for executing a second notification process for transmitting the mobile terminal identification information to at least one of the plurality of relay devices, Have, At a predetermined timing, either one of the first notification process and the second notification process is executed. When it is in a state where it can communicate with at least one of the plurality of relay devices at the predetermined timing, the second notification process is executed, and when it is not in a state where it can communicate with any of the relay devices, the above. A mobile terminal device that executes the first notification process. 2. In the mobile terminal device described in 1, The second notification means transmits a communication availability confirmation signal at each predetermined timing, and the second notification means transmits a communication availability confirmation signal. When a response to the communication availability confirmation signal is received from any of the relay devices, the second notification means executes the second notification process. When the response to the communication availability confirmation signal is not received from any of the relay devices, the first notification means is a mobile terminal device that executes the first notification process. 3. In the mobile terminal device described in 1 or 2, The second notification means is a mobile terminal device that transmits the mobile terminal identification information with time information. 4. In the mobile terminal device described in any of 1 to 3, When the relay device is in a state of being able to communicate with the predetermined relay device among the plurality of the relay devices, the time interval of the predetermined timing is compared with the case where the relay device is not in a state of being able to communicate with the predetermined relay device. A mobile terminal device that increases the size of the device. Five. In the mobile terminal device described in 4, The second notification means transmits a communication availability confirmation signal at each predetermined timing, and the second notification means transmits a communication availability confirmation signal. When the response to the communication availability confirmation signal is received from the predetermined relay device, the communication availability confirmation signal is compared with the case where the response to the communication availability confirmation signal is not received from the predetermined relay device. A mobile terminal device that increases the time interval for transmitting. 6. In the mobile terminal device described in any of 1 to 5, The relay device is a mobile terminal device that is a smart meter. 7. In the mobile terminal device described in any of 1 to 6, The relay device is a mobile terminal device that transmits the received mobile terminal identification information to the external device. 8. In the mobile terminal device described in any of 1 to 7, The electric power required for the second notification process is smaller than the electric power required for the first notification process. 9. It's a smart meter The first communication means for receiving the mobile terminal identification information from the mobile terminal device, A second communication means for transmitting the mobile terminal identification information to an external device in association with the identification information of the own terminal, A relay device having. Ten. In the relay device described in 9, The second communication means is a relay device that transmits the mobile terminal identification information, the identification information of the own terminal, and the time information in association with each other to an external device. 11. In the relay device described in 9 or 10, The second communication means transmits electric power information to the external device at predetermined time intervals, and at the same timing as the transmission of the electric power information, the mobile terminal identification information received up to that point from the previous transmission is transmitted to the external device. A relay device that transmits to a device. 12. The first communication means for receiving the mobile terminal identification information from the mobile terminal device, A second communication means for transmitting the mobile terminal identification information, the identification information of the own terminal, and the time information to an external device in association with each other. A relay device having. 13. In the relay device described in any of 9 to 12, The first communication means is a relay device that receives a communication availability confirmation signal transmitted from the mobile terminal device and transmits a response signal in response to the reception. In the relay device described in 14.13 The first communication means is a relay device that transmits identification information of its own device in response to the reception. 15. 15. In the relay device according to any one of 9 to 13, The first communication means is a relay device that transmits a signal indicating that the received mobile terminal identification information is the registered mobile terminal identification information in advance. 16. In the relay device described in any of 9 to 13, The second communication means is a relay device that transmits the signal strength of communication between the mobile terminal device and the first communication means to the external device. 17. In the relay device described in any of 9 to 16, The mobile terminal device is a relay device which is the mobile terminal device according to any one of 1 to 7. 18. The mobile terminal device described in any of 1 to 8 and The relay device described in any of 9 to 17 and Management system with. In the management system described in 19.18 A management system further comprising a processing system that manages the position of the mobile terminal device based on the information received from the mobile terminal device and the information received from the relay device. 20. The computer The first notification process that calculates location information based on GPS signals and sends the location information and mobile terminal identification information to an external device, A second notification process for transmitting the mobile terminal identification information to at least one of the plurality of relay devices, and And At a predetermined timing, either one of the first notification process and the second notification process is executed. When it is in a state where it can communicate with at least one of the plurality of relay devices at the predetermined timing, the second notification process is executed, and when it is not in a state where it can communicate with any of the relay devices, the above. A notification method that performs the first notification process. twenty one. Computer, A first notification means that calculates position information based on GPS signals and executes a first notification process that transmits the position information and mobile terminal identification information to an external device. A second notification means that executes a second notification process for transmitting the mobile terminal identification information to at least one of the plurality of relay devices. To function as At a predetermined timing, either one of the first notification process and the second notification process is executed. When it is in a state where it can communicate with at least one of the plurality of relay devices at the predetermined timing, the second notification process is executed, and when it is not in a state where it can communicate with any of the relay devices, the above. A program that executes the first notification process. 22. The smart meter The first communication process of receiving mobile terminal identification information from the mobile terminal device, A second communication step of transmitting the mobile terminal identification information to an external device in association with the identification information of the own terminal, Relay method to execute. twenty three. Smart meter, The first communication means for receiving the mobile terminal identification information from the mobile terminal device, A second communication means for transmitting the mobile terminal identification information to an external device in association with the identification information of the own terminal. A program that functions as. 24. The computer The first communication process of receiving mobile terminal identification information from the mobile terminal device, The second communication step of associating the mobile terminal identification information, the identification information of the own terminal, and the time information and transmitting the information to the external device, Relay method to execute. 25. Computer The first communication means for receiving the mobile terminal identification information from the mobile terminal device, A second communication means for transmitting the mobile terminal identification information, the identification information of the own terminal, and the time information to an external device in association with each other. A program that functions as.

01241A processor 2A memory 3A I / O I / F 4A peripheral circuit 5A bus 10 Mobile terminal equipment 11 First notification section 12 Second notification section 20 Relay device 21 First communication unit 22 Second communication unit 30 processing system