JP2003140991A - Remote monitoring system and communication method for the system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a low cost and highly reliable general purpose remote monitoring system by using a communication through a network. SOLUTION: A monitoring device 2 monitors a monitoring object device 3 by a monitoring start instruction from a monitoring center system 1. When a detection part 22 installed in the monitoring device 2 detects the state of the trouble of the monitored device 3, the detected results are transmitted from the monitoring device 2 to the monitoring center system 1. The transmission of data from the monitoring center system 1 to the monitoring device 2 is performed by an HTTP client part 112 by using the POST method of HTTP. Also, the transmission of data from the monitoring device 2 to the monitoring center system 1 is performed by an HTTP client part 212 by using the POST method of HTTP.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a remote monitoring system for monitoring a remote monitoring target device using a communication network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a remote monitoring system. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 901 is a monitoring center system, 902 is a plurality of monitoring devices, and 903.
Are monitoring target devices that are respectively connected to the monitoring devices 902. The monitoring center system 901 includes a communication unit 90.
11 is provided. Further, the monitoring device 902 is provided with a communication unit 9021, a detection unit 9022, and a control unit 9023. A relay circuit 9031 is provided in the monitored device 903.

When a predetermined condition such as a failure occurs in the monitored device 903, the relay circuit 9031 operates and an electric signal is sent to the monitoring device 902.

In the monitoring device 902, the electric signal is detected by the detector 9022. Then, under the control of the control unit 9023, the detected failure is reported to the monitoring center system 901. As shown in FIG. 3, the monitoring device 902 is connected to the monitoring center system 901 via the network 900, and the communication unit 9011 on the monitoring center system 901 side and the monitoring device 9 are connected.
The communication unit 9021 on the No. 02 side controls communication using the network 900.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a method of controlling communication between the monitoring center system 901 and the monitoring device 902 according to the prior art. As shown in FIG. 4, the communication unit 9011
For communication between the communication unit 9021 and the communication unit 9021, SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol, Simple N
etwork Management Protocol) is used.

[0006]

The above-mentioned prior art has the following problems. As described above, the SNMP is used for the communication between the monitoring center system 1 and the monitoring device 2, and this SNMP uses UDP (User Datagram Protocol, User) in the transport layer which is a lower layer thereof. Datagram Protocol). However, UDP does not include functions such as connection management, response confirmation, and sequence number management, and information is lost if a packet (IP packet) is lost for some reason. Therefore, even when the monitoring device 2 detects the failure of the monitored device 3 and tries to report it to the monitoring center system 1, the report does not reach the monitoring center system 1 side,
Moreover, the monitoring center system 1 side does not even recognize that there is a loss of information in the report.

In order to prevent information loss due to the use of UDP, TCP (Transport Control Protocol, Transport Control Protocol) is used in the transport layer.
Although it is possible to use the Protocol), it is inconvenient to construct an application directly using TCP (particularly, control of the session layer, the presentation layer, and the application layer) because it takes time, cost, and cost. Further, when the upper layer communication procedure is uniquely defined for each system, it is not possible to connect a monitoring device using a different communication procedure, and there is a problem that versatility is poor.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and is a remote monitoring system for monitoring using communication via a network, which is a low-cost and highly reliable general-purpose remote monitoring. The purpose is to provide a system.

[0009]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is a remote monitoring system for centrally monitoring the states of a plurality of monitored devices using a communication network. A detection unit that detects the state of the target device, a first communication unit that transmits the data of the detection result by the detection unit via the communication network, and the first communication unit from the first communication unit via the communication network. A second communication unit that receives the detection result data and transmits the monitoring control data to the first communication unit, wherein the first communication unit has a server function in the communication control. One server unit and a first client unit having a client function, and the second communication unit has a second server unit having a server function in communication control and a client function. A second client unit for transmitting data from the first client unit to the second server unit, and transmitting the data from the second client unit to the first server unit. The gist is a remote monitoring system characterized by transmitting data to the remote monitoring system.

Further, in the remote monitoring system of the present invention, data transmission / reception between the first client unit and the second server unit, and communication between the second client unit and the first server unit are performed. A feature of using a hypertext transfer protocol is to transmit and receive data between them.

Further, in the remote monitoring system of the present invention, the data transmission from the first client unit to the second server unit and the data transmission from the second client unit to the first server unit are performed. The transmission is characterized by using the post method of the hypertext transfer protocol.

Further, the present invention has a detection unit for detecting the state of the monitoring target device by a signal from the monitoring target device, and a client function of the hypertext transfer protocol, and the detecting unit uses the client function. A server having a client unit for transmitting the detection result to the outside via a communication network and a server function of the hypertext transfer protocol, and receiving data for monitoring control from the outside via the communication network using the server function. The gist is a monitoring device characterized by comprising a unit.

Further, in the monitoring apparatus of the present invention, the client unit transmits the detection result to the outside by using the post method of the hypertext transfer protocol, and the server unit transmits the detection result of the hypertext transfer protocol. It is characterized in that it receives data for the supervisory control sent using a method.

Further, the present invention is a communication method in a remote monitoring system for centrally monitoring the states of a plurality of monitoring target devices using a communication network, comprising a detection unit for detecting the state of the monitoring target devices. A first communication unit that transmits the data of the detection result by the detection unit via the communication network, and the data of the detection result from the first communication unit via the communication network, and In a remote monitoring system including a second communication unit that transmits monitoring control data to the first communication unit, the first communication unit uses the post method as a client of a hypertext transfer protocol, and uses the post method. The data is transmitted to the second communication unit, and the second
Of the first communication unit as a server of the hypertext transfer protocol receives the data from the first communication unit, and the second communication unit of the first communication unit uses a post method as a client of the hypertext transfer protocol. Data is transmitted to the first communication unit, and the first communication unit
As a server of a hypertext transfer protocol, the data from the second communication unit is received.

[0015]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a remote monitoring system according to the same embodiment.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is a monitoring center system, 2 is a plurality of monitoring devices, and 3 is a monitoring target device that is respectively connected to the monitoring device 2. The monitoring center system 1 is provided with a communication unit 11 (second communication unit). Further, the monitoring device 2 includes a communication unit 21 (first communication unit) and a detection unit 2
2 and a control unit 23 are provided. Further, the monitored device 3 is provided with a relay circuit 31.

In the monitoring device 2, the detecting section 22 detects the state of the monitored device 3 by the electric signal from the relay circuit 31. Then, when a failure of the monitored device 3 is detected by the control of the control unit 23, the detected failure is reported to the monitoring center system 1. Figure 3
2, the monitoring device 2 is connected to the monitoring center system 1 via the network 10, and the communication unit 11 on the monitoring center system 1 side and the communication unit 21 on the monitoring device 2 side use the network 10. Control communication.

The network 10 is a network for transferring IP (Internet Protocol) packets. Specifically, a method that uses a private network, a dial-up method that uses a public line network, a method that uses a leased line network, a method that uses the Internet, and a method that uses a combination of these methods. The network 10 is configured by.

For communication between the monitoring center system 1 and the monitoring device 2, communication using HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) service is performed. Therefore, the communication unit 11 on the monitoring center system 1 side internally includes the HTTP server unit 111 and the HTT.
P client unit 112. Further, the communication unit 21 on the monitoring device 2 side internally includes the HTTP server unit 211.
And an HTTP client unit 212. Then, the HTTP client unit 112 on the monitoring center system 1 side sends a request to the HTTP server unit 211 on the monitoring device 2 side. Also, the HTTP on the monitoring device 2 side
The client unit 212 sends a request to the HTTP server unit 111 on the monitoring center system 1 side.

Next, a detailed communication procedure between the communication section 11 and the communication section 21 will be described. FIG. 2 is a ladder diagram showing a communication procedure between the monitoring center system and the monitoring device in this embodiment. 2A shows a communication procedure when transmitting data from the monitoring device side to the monitoring center system side, and FIG. 2B shows a communication procedure when transmitting data from the monitoring center system side to the monitoring device side. . The POST method, which is one of the services specified by HTTP, is used for these communications. This post method is a function capable of transmitting data from the HTTP client side to the server side.

As shown in FIG. 2A, when data is transmitted from the monitoring device side to the monitoring center system side,
The HTTP client unit 212 is replaced by the HTTP server unit 11
A message containing application data is transmitted using the POST method toward 1. In response, HT
The TP server unit 111 sends back a response message. Also, FIG.
As shown in (b), when data is transmitted from the monitoring center system side to the monitoring device side, the HTTP client unit 112 directs the POS to the HTTP server unit 211.
The T method is used to send a message containing application data. In response to this, the HTTP server unit 21
1 returns a response message.

As described above, the method shown in FIG. 2 enables bidirectional reliable data exchange between the monitoring center system 1 and the monitoring device 2. Specifically, the contents of the data exchanged between the two include MIB (Message Information Base, Message Information Base) similar to SNMP.
Base) or XML (extended markup language, Extensib
le Markup Language).

In this MIB or XML, at least a message for transmitting the status (for example, failure) of the monitored device from the monitoring device to the monitoring center system, and remote monitoring control (for example, monitoring). A control message sent from the monitoring center system to the monitoring device for a start instruction) is included.

The monitoring target device 3 monitored by the remote monitoring system may be, for example, a power supply device, an air conditioner, a communication device, a computer or the like, but is not limited to these.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the design etc. within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention are also possible. included.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, since TCP-based communication is performed between the monitoring center system and the monitoring device, even if an IP packet is lost, it can be detected. The reliability of communication is improved, such as recovery by retransmission, and the device can be reliably monitored. Further, both the monitoring center system side and the monitoring device side each have a server unit and a client unit, and each client unit uses the post method of the hypertext transfer protocol to send data to the server unit on the other side. As a result, the amount of development of the communication control portion can be reduced and the cost can be reduced, and the communication specifications of the constituent devices can be standardized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a remote monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a ladder diagram showing a communication procedure between a monitoring center system and a monitoring device according to the same embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a general remote monitoring system according to a conventional technique.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a method of controlling communication between a monitoring center system and a monitoring device according to the prior art.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Monitoring center system 2 monitoring devices 3 Monitored device 11 Communications Department 21 Communications Department 22 Detector 23 Control unit 31 relay circuit 111 HTTP server section 112 HTTP client part 211 HTTP server section 212 HTTP Client Unit

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Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A remote monitoring system for centrally monitoring the states of a plurality of monitoring target devices using a communication network, comprising: a detection unit for detecting the state of the monitoring target devices; A first communication unit that transmits data of the detection result by the detection unit, and receives the data of the detection result from the first communication unit via the communication network, and to the first communication unit. And a second communication unit for transmitting monitoring control data, the first communication unit having a first server unit having a server function in communication control and a first client unit having a client function. However, the second communication unit includes a second server unit having a server function in communication control and a second client unit having a client function, and the first communication unit A remote monitoring system, wherein data is transmitted from a client unit to the second server unit, and data is transmitted from the second client unit to the first server unit. 2. The data transmission / reception between the first client unit and the second server unit and the data transmission / reception between the second client unit and the first server unit include: The remote monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein a hypertext transfer protocol is used. 3. The first client unit to the second client unit
The post method of the hypertext transfer protocol is used for transmitting data to the server unit of the above and for transmitting data from the second client unit to the first server unit. Remote monitoring system. 4. A detection unit that detects the state of the monitoring target device based on a signal from the monitoring target device, and a client function of a hypertext transfer protocol, and the detection result of the detection unit is communicated using the client function. It has a client part that sends to the outside via the network and a server function of the hypertext transfer protocol,
And a server unit that receives data for monitoring control from outside via a communication network using the server function. 5. The client unit transmits the detection result to the outside by using a post method of the hypertext transfer protocol, and the server unit is transmitted by using a post method of the hypertext transfer protocol. The monitoring device according to claim 4, wherein data for the monitoring control is received. 6. A communication method in a remote monitoring system for centrally monitoring the states of a plurality of monitoring target devices using a communication network, comprising: a detection unit for detecting the state of the monitoring target devices; A first communication unit that transmits the data of the detection result by the detection unit via the first communication unit and the first communication unit that receives the data of the detection result from the first communication unit via the communication network. In a remote monitoring system including a second communication unit that transmits monitoring control data to the unit, the first communication unit uses the post method as a client of a hypertext transfer protocol to perform the second communication.
The second communication unit receives data from the first communication unit as a hypertext transfer protocol server, and the second communication unit uses the hypertext transfer protocol. First using post method as client of
The communication method in the remote monitoring system, wherein: the first communication unit receives data from the second communication unit as a server of a hypertext transfer protocol.