Control device and communication system

Abstract

A control device that performs wireless communication and is connected to another control device via a wired network includes: an acquirer that acquires information relating to a channel and a communication timing used for wireless communication via the wired network from another control device that acts as a slave; a generator that generates a setting of a channel and a communication timing in which wireless communication performed by the another control device is free of interference, based on information relating to a channel and a communication timing used for wireless communication of the control device and information relating to the channel and the communication timing used for the wireless communication that are acquired by the acquirer; and a reporter that reports the setting of the channel and the timing generated by the generator to the another control device that acts as the slave via the wired network.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A control device that performs wireless communication and is connected to another control device via a wired network comprising:
 an acquirer that acquires information relating to a channel and a communication timing used for wireless communication via the wired network from another control device that is made to act as a slave;   a generator that generates a setting of a channel and a communication timing in which wireless communication performed by the another control device is free of interference, based on information relating to a channel and a communication timing used for wireless communication of the control device and information relating to the channel and the communication timing used for the wireless communication that are acquired by the acquirer; and   a reporter that reports the setting of the channel and the timing generated by the generator to the another control device that is made to act as the slave via the wired network.   
     
     
         2 . The control device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the communication timing is a starting time and a cycle of wireless communication;   when there is a usable and unused channel when generating the setting, the generator sets a channel that is used by an object control device to the usable and unused channel; and   when there is no usable and unused channel when generating the setting, the generator sets the channel that is used by the object control device to a channel its which a number of assigned control devices is less and sets a starting time of the wireless communication to a starting time in which a number of assigned control devices is less.   
     
     
         3 . The control device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein when another control device is added to the wired network or is deleted from the wired network, the acquirer re-acquires the information relating to the channel and the communication timing from another control device connected to the wired network, the generator re-generates the setting of the channel and the communication timing that is free of interference of the wireless communication performed by the another control device, and the reporter re-reports the re-generated setting of the channel and the communication timing to the control device that is made to act as the slave. 
     
     
         4 . The control device as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising:
 a second acquirer that acquires possession information possessed by an opposing control device that performs wireless communication with the control device when information is requested from an information processing device that is connected to the control device via the wired network; and 
 a sender that sends the possession information acquired by the second acquirer to the information processing device. 
 
     
     
         5 . The control device as claimed in  claim 4  further comprising a holder that associates with each other a destination of the slave, information of the opposing control device managed by the slave, and information of a group to which the opposing control device managed by the slave belongs, and holds the associated information,
 wherein: 
 when possession information of an opposing control device belonging to a group indicated by the information processing device is requested, the second acquirer acquires the possession information of the opposing control device belonging to the group from a slave that manages the opposing control device belonging to the group; and 
 the sender sends the possession information acquired by the second acquirer to the information processing device. 
 
     
     
         6 . A communication system comprising:
 a plurality of control devices that are connected to each other via a wired network;   a plurality of opposing control devices that respectively perform wireless communication with the plurality of control devices; and   an information processing device that is connected to the plurality of control devices via the wired network, and includes a setter that makes one of the plurality of control devices act as a master and makes the other control devices act as a slave,   wherein:   the master comprises:   an acquirer that acquires information relating to a channel and a communication timing used for a wireless communication via the wired network from the slave;   a generator that generates a setting of a channel and a communication timing that is free of interference in the wireless communication between the plurality of control devices and the plurality of opposing control devices, based on information relating to a channel and a communication timing used for a wireless communication that the master uses and information relating to the channel and the communication timing used for the wireless communication that are acquired by the acquirer; and   a reporter that reports the setting of the channel and the communication timing generated by the generator to the slave via the wired network,   the slave comprises a changer that changes a channel and a communication, timing used for the wireless communication of the slave in accordance with the setting of the channel and the communication that are reported by the reporter.   
     
     
         7 . The communication system as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein:
 the communication timing is a starting time and a cycle of a wireless communication;   when there is a usable and unused channel when generating the setting, the generator sets a channel that is used by an object control device to the usable and unused channel; and   when there is no usable and unused channel when generating the setting, the generator sets the channel that is used by the object control device to a channel in which a number of assigned control devices is less and sets a starting time of the wireless communication to a starting time in which a number of assigned control devices is less.   
     
     
         8 . The communication system as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein when the slave is added to the wired network or is deleted from the wired network, the acquirer re-acquires the information relating to the channel and the communication timing from another slave connected to the wired network, the generator re-generates the setting of the channel and the communication timing that is free of interference of the wireless communication performed by the plurality of control devices, and the reporter re-reports the re-generated setting of the channel and the communication timing to a control device that is made to act as the slave. 
     
     
         9 . The communication system as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein:
 the master comprises:   a second acquirer that acquires possession information of an opposing control device that performs a wireless communication with the master when acquiring of information from the opposing control device performing the wireless communication is requested; and   a first sender that sends the possession information acquired by the second acquirer to the it processing device,   the slave comprises:   a third acquirer that acquires possession information of an opposing control device that performs a wireless communication with the slave when the possession information is requested; and   a second sender that sends the possession information acquired by the third acquirer to the information processing device.   
     
     
         10 . The communication system as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein:
 the master comprises:   a holder that associates with each other a destination of the slave, information of the opposing control device managed by the slave, and information of a group to which the opposing control device managed by the slave belongs, and holds the associated information,   wherein:   when possession information of the opposing control device belonging to a group indicated by the information processing device is requested, the second acquirer acquires possession information of the opposing control device belonging to the group from a slave that manages the opposing control device belonging to the group; and   the first sender sends the possession information acquired by the second acquirer to the information processing device.   
     
     
         11 . The communication system as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein when the information processing device requests a re-setting of the channel and the communication timing used for the wireless communication or electrical power information of the opposing control device belonging to the group from the slave, the second sender of the slave sends back to the information processing device a re-direct instruction requesting the resetting of the channel and the communication timing used for the wireless communication or electrical power information of an opposing control device belonging to the group from the master by using a destination of the master.