JP2004304617A - Local area network using hybrid cable - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a local area network using a hybrid cable which reduces labor and costs of cable laying by using the hybrid cable served both as communication and power supply and is further comparatively freely extended by using the hybrid cable. <P>SOLUTION: A local area network 10 has a hybrid cable 12 formed by combining a power line and an optical fiber cable, a hybrid hub 11 to be connected to one end of the hybrid cable 12, an actuator 13 to be connected on the other end of the hybrid cable 12 and terminal equipment 15 to be connected to the actuator 13 by a second hybrid cable 14. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a local area network using a cable obtained by combining an optical fiber cable and a power line. More specifically, the present invention relates to a local area network (LAN) laid indoors such as a general home, a condominium, and a building.
[0002]
[Prior art]
[Patent Document 1] JP-A-9-198930
[Patent Document 2] JP-A-2000-134228
2. Description of the Related Art A conventional technique has been disclosed in which terminal devices are communicably connected to a wiring to an indoor terminal device, and not only a LAN is constructed using the communication function but also power is supplied to them at the same time.
[0003]
A part of the plurality of strands of the communication cable is used for data communication, and the remaining strands are used for at least one of transmission / reception of control signals and power supply, so that data communication and power supply are performed by one cable. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-157572 discloses an example of the operation. FIG. 6A shows a schematic configuration diagram of the cable of Patent Document 1, and FIG. 6B shows a communication cable with a modular plug used in this conventional example. The data communication system 100 of FIG. 6A has a main data communication terminal 101, a sub data communication terminal 102, a first connector 103 provided on each of the communication terminals 101 and 102, and one end connected to the connector 103. The communication terminal 104 includes a communication cable 104, a second connector 105 connected to the other end of the communication cable 104, and a switching device 106 provided with the second connector 105. Power is supplied to the device 106 by the communication cable 104. The modular plug 109 at both ends of the communication cable 104 has six pins 110 as shown in FIG. 6B, and two central pins 110c and 110d of the pins 110 are used for normal data communication. Further, two of the remaining pins 110a, 110b, 110e, and 110f are used for transmitting a control signal of the switching device, and the other two are used for supplying power.
[0004]
Patent Document 2 discloses an example in which a direct current is supplied to a transmission line and a reception line used for data transmission. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing details of the interface device with a power supply function of Patent Document 2. The interface device 120 with a power supply function shown in FIG. 7 uses two pairs of UTP cables used for data communication, and economically remotely supplies power over Ethernet (registered trademark) without any special construction in an existing system. Is realized. First, the power supply unit 121 includes a power supply unit 121 for remotely supplying power to a partner device, a transmission line 122, and a reception line 123. The power supply unit 121 supplies a local power supply 124, which is a power supply source, and supplies the power supply to the transmission / reception line. And a power supply circuit 125 for performing control such as execution or stop of the power supply. The supplied local power supply 124 is applied to a power supply circuit 125, and at the same time, a control signal from the device is connected to the power supply circuit 125. The control signal controls the power supply circuit 125 to execute / stop the power supply, invert the power supply polarity, control the power supply voltage, and the like. When an instruction to supply power to the line is issued by the control signal, the power supply circuit 125 starts supplying power to the transmission line 122 and the reception line 123. The polarity inversion circuit 126 monitors the polarity of the applied DC voltage and controls the polarity inversion. An abnormality detection circuit 127 is connected to the power supply circuit 125, and this circuit detects an abnormality in a circuit to which power is supplied, and outputs an alarm.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
With the development of communication media, optical fiber cables have been laid in condominiums, buildings or ordinary households. It is difficult to lay various cables separately as in the past, such as the cost required for the work or securing a space for installing the cables. Also, in order to construct a LAN indoors, it is necessary to lay cables, hubs or routers again, and when they are randomly arranged indoors, when they are maintained or when a new network is expanded. For example, much labor is required for laying the cables and setting up the devices.
[0006]
According to Patent Document 1 described above, a cable in which a power supply line and a communication line are combined into one modular jack is disclosed. According to this, it is true that the data communication system 100 can be simplified, downsized, and the production cost can be reduced. Further, in Patent Literature 2, power supply and communication can be performed using the communication cables 122 and 113 without using a special cable or a device for power supply, and the economic efficiency is further improved. However, as described above, in recent years when optical fiber cables have been laid in condominiums, buildings or general homes, using optical fiber cables for communication is not uneconomical, and rather, high-capacity communication is preferred.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of the above, and by using a hybrid cable that performs both communication and power supply, the labor and cost of cable laying are reduced, and the hybrid cable is relatively freely used. The technical task is to provide an expandable local area network.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A first local area network (Claim 1) of the present invention is a hybrid cable combining a power line and an optical fiber cable, and is connected to one end of the hybrid cable to supply power to the power line, A hybrid hub communicably connected with the actuator, connected at the other end of the hybrid cable, operating with its power line, communicably connected with the optical fiber cable, and connected with the actuator by a hybrid cable, A terminal device that operates on the power line and is communicably connected by the optical fiber cable, wherein the actuator controls communication via the actuator, and a communication unit controlled by the control unit. A branch for distributing to the end device; It is characterized by comprising a power supply circuit for supplying power to be supplied to the over data to the terminal equipment.
[0009]
A second local area network according to the present invention is connected to the local area network according to claim 1, an actuator of the local area network by a hybrid cable, operates by its power line, and communicably connected by the optical fiber cable. And a second terminal device connected to the second actuator by a hybrid cable, operated by the power line, and communicably connected by the optical fiber cable. 2). A third local area network according to the present invention includes a plurality of the first or second local area networks, and the local area networks are communicably connected to each other by an optical fiber cable (claim 3). And
[0010]
In any of the local area networks, a central control unit that records information communicated via the end device and the actuator, and controls the end device or the actuator based on the recorded information. (A fourth local area network) is preferred. In such a local area network, it is preferable that the central control unit is communicably connected to the outside (claim 5) (fifth local area network).
[0011]
[Action and effect of the invention]
In the first local area network (Claim 1) of the present invention, since the optical fiber cable and the power supply line are integrated, communication and supply of power to the terminal device are performed by one hybrid cable extending from the actuator. enable. Therefore, the power consumption of the end device can be grasped for each hybrid cable connection port (outlet). When the outlet is not in use, energy can be saved by providing a relay or the like that cuts off power supply to the outlet. In addition, the wiring around these end devices is neatly arranged, so it looks beautiful. In particular, when a personal computer or the like is connected as a terminal device, the trouble of extending the power line and the optical fiber cable separately to the personal computer and connecting them can be omitted. In addition, since communication is performed using an optical fiber cable, large-capacity communication is possible and is not affected by noise caused by a power supply. Further, data can be shared between the end devices via the actuator, and the power in the first local area network can be monitored by the personal computer or the like. Further, when the first local area network is installed in a small office or the like having a plurality of personal computers, the wiring of the personal computers is neatly arranged and maintenance is easy.
[0012]
In addition, since the actuator can not only relay the communication from the terminal device but also control the communication by the control device, for example, it is possible to select one that communicates to the outside toward the hybrid hub, which is important. Information can be prevented from leaking outside.
[0013]
In the second local area network of the present invention (claim 2), the actuators can be connected to each other by the hybrid cable, and a single hybrid cable is used for wiring between the actuators to facilitate communication and power supply. It can be carried out. Therefore, when the scale of this equipment is expanded, the scale can be freely expanded for each actuator, and the labor for laying can be saved. Also, since there is only one cable, replacement is easy. In addition, since they are connected in series, it is possible to easily find a failure point in communication even during maintenance. Further, since the plurality of actuators are connected by a hybrid cable, communication between end devices between different actuators is possible. For example, when one actuator is arranged in each room such as a general home, a small local area network can be formed by selecting several actuators from a plurality of actuators. When this second local area network is laid in ordinary households, lighting, air conditioning, water supply / drainage, power distribution, LAN wiring, etc. can be integrated, and these can be centrally managed by a personal computer connected to the terminal device. It is possible and it can be easily realized.
[0014]
In a third local area network of the present invention (claim 3), a plurality of first or second local area networks are connected to each other by an optical fiber cable. Also in this case, the scale can be easily expanded, and expansion can be performed in units of the first or second local area network. In addition, since a unique network can be formed between actuators in different first or second local area networks, for example, a network that connects an office on the third floor and a store on the first floor in the same building can be easily constructed. Can be. Furthermore, when this third local area network is used for the entire condominium, such as a condominium or a building, the power consumption of each connection port of the hybrid cable can be centrally managed, thereby realizing finer energy saving. Since it is possible to easily cooperate with solar power generation using solar energy, solar energy can be more efficiently utilized.
[0015]
A fourth local area network (Claim 4) in which the central control unit is communicably connected to the first, second or third local area network by an optical fiber cable records information communicated from the terminal device or the actuator. Can be managed. Then, based on the managed information, the terminal device or the actuator can be automatically controlled based on the result calculated under a certain condition. When the central control unit manages the private IP address of each device inside the first, second or third form of local area network as a DHCP server, the connection between the second local area networks or which end device is Even in the case of connection or disconnection, troublesome settings such as allocation of private IP addresses for the communication can be omitted. Therefore, the terminal device is ready for use as soon as it is connected inside the fourth local area network. Further, when the central control unit is connected to the outside so as to be able to communicate or control, the operation of the terminal device or the actuator can be externally monitored or remotely controlled.
[0016]
In addition, when introducing a local area network using these hybrid cables into condominiums, buildings, ordinary homes, etc., the work of laying one power cable and one communication cable is eliminated, and the cost and the cost of the laying are reduced. The construction period can be reduced. Further, the space provided for laying the cable can be reduced, and the space can be easily secured by, for example, providing a mounting hole in the air conditioning duct or a mounting bracket outside the duct.
[0017]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Next, an embodiment of a local area network using a hybrid cable according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a first local area network of the present invention, FIG. 2a is a cross-sectional view of a hybrid cable used in the present invention, FIG. 2b is a side view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a second local area network of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a third local area network of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing fourth and fifth local area networks of the present invention.
[0018]
First, an embodiment of a first local area network using a hybrid cable according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The first local area network 10 of FIG. 1 includes a hybrid cable 12 in which a power supply line and an optical fiber cable are combined, and is connected to one end of the hybrid cable 12 to supply power to the power supply line and communicate with the optical fiber cable. A hybrid hub 11 operably connected, an actuator 13 connected to the other end of the hybrid cable 12, operated by the power supply line, and communicably connected by the optical fiber cable, an actuator 13 and the hybrid cable 14. The terminal device 15 is connected, operates with the power supply line, and is communicably connected with the optical fiber cable.
[0019]
As shown in FIG. 2, an optical fiber cable 16 is disposed at the center of the hybrid cables 12 and 14, for example. A stack (double in FIG. 2) having an outermost insulating coating layer 19 is used. A conventionally known optical fiber cable can be used. For example, the material is mostly made of glass fiber (quartz) having high transparency, but a material other than glass fiber made of synthetic resin can also be used. In this case, the manufacturing process is complicated and the cost is high, but there is an advantage that it can withstand extreme bending, and therefore, it is preferable to use the one used as a transmission path between personal computers and exchange of audio signals. sell. The power supply line 17 is a twisted wire formed by twisting a large number of conductor wires such as a conductor such as a soft copper wire and is formed in a cylindrical shape so that the optical fiber cable 16 can be housed therein. This is preferable because it does not require installation work.
[0020]
Although a power supply line 17 can be provided directly around the optical fiber 16, in this embodiment, a synthetic resin such as nylon is used around the optical fiber cable 16 in order to prevent the optical fiber cable 16 from being damaged or broken. Is provided. The same material as the above-described insulating layer 18 can be used as the protective coating 20. In addition, the insulating coating layer 19 is made of a material having appropriate flexibility and deformation resistance for protecting the hybrid cables 12 and 14, such as polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene, in addition to insulating and water shielding properties for protecting the power supply line 17. It is composed of synthetic resin, natural rubber, synthetic rubber and the like. According to the environment in which the hybrid cable 12 is used, for example, the cross-sectional area of the power supply line 16 can be increased or the number of layers of the power supply line 16 can be increased where a large amount of power is required. The number of the optical fiber cables 16 can also be increased according to the place where the optical fiber cables 16 are installed.
[0021]
Returning to FIG. 1, the hybrid hub 11 communicates with the trunk optical fiber cable 31 connected for communication between the hybrid hub 11 and the outside, and with the trunk optical fiber cable 31 and the optical fiber cable 16 of the hybrid cable 12. The power supply circuit includes a branching section 21 for relaying, and a power supply circuit 22 for supplying power from a power supply 29 to the power supply line 17 of the hybrid cable 12. A power supply such as a single-phase AC 100 V or 200 V is supplied from a power supply circuit 22 to the power supply line 17. In some cases, a single-phase power supply of 100 V or 200 V AC is converted to 12 V DC or 24 V DC according to the intended use and supplied to the power supply line 17.
[0022]
The actuator 13 includes a control unit 23 and a second branch unit 24, and the control unit 23 includes a first branch unit 30, a control circuit 26, and a power supply circuit unit 28. First, the hybrid cable 12 extending from the hybrid hub 11 is connected to a first branch 30 in the control unit 23, where it is connected to a hybrid cable 32 for communication with the outside (see FIG. 2 similarly to the above). The control unit 26 branches to a power supply circuit unit 28. The control unit 26 restricts the passage of communication flowing from the terminal device 15 and the hybrid hub 11 or when performing communication from the terminal device 15 to the outside via the main optical fiber cable 31, It is preferable to use a device having a function of a conventionally known router that determines a communication route and the like. The power supply circuit 28 converts the power supplied from the power supply line 17 such as single-phase AC 100 V or 200 V into DC 12 V or DC 24 V according to the application and supplies the converted power to the power supply line 27 of the second hybrid cable 14. In some cases, power can be supplied directly from the power supply circuit 28 to the power supply line 27. The second branching unit 24 branches communication and power supply from the optical fiber cable 16 of the hybrid cable 12 and the power supply line 17, and branches the communication between the optical fiber cable 25 and the power supply line 27 of the second hybrid cable 14 to the terminal device 15. Relay to
[0023]
The above-described router has a function of relaying between networks, for example, being installed at a relay point between different networks, and having a function of properly delivering data transmitted via the network to a target location. If the data flowing in the network is addressed to an external network, the data is sent to the outside. At that time, it decides on what route to distribute the data and sends the data to an optimal route. Further, if necessary, the type of data or protocol to be passed can be restricted, but it is basically a conventionally known one used for connecting a LAN to an external network. Further, as the branch portions 21 and 24, conventionally known ones can be used. For example, on a network such as a local area network, a hub used for branching and relaying communication cables, or a switching hub that can directly exchange ports required for communication and exchange data, etc. is there. When the first branching unit 30 is configured by a switching hub, the control circuit 26 may not be incorporated in the control unit 23.
[0024]
The terminal device 15 is an indoor electrical appliance or the like, such as a personal computer, an air conditioner such as an air conditioner, or a television. The hybrid cable 14 is used to connect the end devices 15 and the actuator 13, and power is supplied to these devices and the devices are communicably connected.
[0025]
The first local area network 10 is, for example, an electric appliance or the like in a general home or office, corresponds to the terminal device 15 in FIG. 1, and is connected to the end device 15 by the hybrid cable 14 extending from the actuator 13. Data such as the operation state of each can be shared via the two-branch unit 24. For example, it is also possible to sense the temperature difference between the upper part and the lower part in the room from the temperature sensor of the air conditioner and the temperature sensor of the floor heating and communicate with each other to efficiently control the temperature inside the room. Furthermore, when these terminal devices 15 are connected, power is also supplied at the same time, so that the terminal devices 15 can be used immediately. If the terminal devices 15 have a communication function, the number of wires is reduced, and the wires become cluttered. Instead, it looks good. In particular, when this hybrid cable is used in a computer, a voltage of 24 V DC or 12 V DC operating inside the computer can be applied.
[0026]
FIG. 3 shows a second local area network 33 of the present invention. The second local area network 33 is obtained by connecting the actuator 13 of the first local area network 10 with another second actuator 34 or a third actuator 35 in series so as to be communicable with a hybrid cable 32. The power is supplied by the power supply line 36 and the optical fiber cable 37 is connected to the optical fiber cable 37 so as to be communicable. Terminal devices 40 and 41 connected by hybrid cables 38 and 39 are connected to these newly connected actuators in the same manner as the actuator 13, and the size of the actuators can be easily reduced by sequentially connecting the actuators. Can be expanded.
[0027]
The second local area network 33 can be used, for example, in a room on the same floor such as an apartment or a building, or in a general home between different rooms such as a living room and a kitchen. By connecting 34 and 35 with one hybrid cable 32, power can be supplied to the end device in a state where communication is easily possible. Further, since each actuator is provided with a control unit, it is possible to select an arbitrary actuator from among the connected actuators and construct a network 42 including the selected actuator. Further, in a building in which the second local area network 33 is laid in advance, almost no labor is required to construct such a network 42.
[0028]
FIG. 4 shows a third local area network 43 of the present invention. A third local area network 43 is formed by communicatively connecting the first or second local area network with the optical fiber cable 31. The environment in which the third local area network 43 is used is used, for example, when the user is slightly away from the first floor and the second floor, such as a building, a condominium, or a general home, or when a user who uses the network belongs to a different organization. Can be. As an example of use of the third local area network 43, a plurality of actuators (45, 46 in FIG. 4) are selected from within the third local area network 43, and the actuators (45, 46 in FIG. 4) are selected. Can form a unique network 44. For example, the network 44 connecting the office on the third floor and the store on the first floor can be easily constructed.
[0029]
FIG. 5 shows a fourth local area network of the present invention. The fourth local area network 47 records information transmitted from terminal devices and actuators inside the first to third local area networks, calculates based on the information, and calculates a terminal based on the calculation result. A centralized control unit 48 for controlling a device or an actuator is communicably connected by an optical fiber cable 49. It is preferable to use a personal computer or the like as the central control unit 48, for example.
[0030]
Information communicated in the fourth local area network 47 is centrally managed by the central control unit 48 and can be shared in this network. If the information of the end device is the temperature or humidity of each room in a building, condominium, or general household, the optimal control can be performed by considering the thermal efficiency of the entire building based on the data, Energy saving can be achieved. Furthermore, when an abnormality is detected in the temperature inside the room, gas concentration such as carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide, etc., it is used as a fire protection system that adjusts air conditioning equipment based on the data and activates fire prevention shutters, sprinklers, etc. Can be used. In addition, when this is used in a factory, it not only supplies power to the equipment in the factory, but also transmits the operation status via the optical fiber cable and can transmit data such as power and operation status of those devices. Can be centrally managed with a laid hybrid cable.
[0031]
When the TCP / IP protocol is used for the communication of the fourth local area network 47, a private IP address can be automatically assigned to each device by using the central management unit 48 as a DHCP server. Therefore, even if the terminal device 14, the actuator 13, or the above-described local area network unit is divided or expanded, communication can be easily performed. In addition, it is possible to reduce the troublesome setting of communication. In addition, since power can be supplied at the same time, the device can be used in the local area network as soon as it is connected.
[0032]
Here, the TCP / IP protocol is one of the communication protocols and is the most widely known communication protocol in the related art. A DHCP server is a conventionally known method in which when a computer logs in to a network by dynamically assigning an IP address to a computer on a LAN, the DHCP server assigns one of the prepared IP addresses to the computer. Furthermore, a private IP address is an IP address that can be freely used as a network address within an organization that does not always need to be connected to the outside (the Internet). An IP address is a unique number and is a destination when exchanging data. Used to specify the device. Since these are known in the art, their description is simplified here.
[0033]
In particular, when the central control unit 48 is connected to the external line 50 (the Internet) via the Web server 52 or the like so as to be able to communicate or control (the fifth local area network 51), the central control unit 48 is recorded in the central control unit 48. Existing data can be browsed from the outside via the Web server 52. Here, the Web server is a computer that provides contents for providing a Web page to be browsed with a Web browser. Further, as another application of the local area network using the hybrid cable of the present invention, in addition to the construction of the LAN, power is supplied to each of components having advanced functions such as a robot, and the components are communicably connected to each other. Thus, it can be used to constitute one device as a whole.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a first local area network of the present invention.
FIG. 2A is a sectional view of a hybrid cable used in the present invention, and FIG. 2B is a side view thereof.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a second local area network of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a third local area network of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing fourth and fifth local area networks of the present invention.
6a and 6b are schematic views showing a conventional technique.
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional technique.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 First local area network
11 Hybrid hub
12 Hybrid cable
13 Actuator
14 Hybrid cable
15 Terminal equipment
16 Optical fiber cable
17 Power line
18 Insulator
19 Insulation coating layer
20 Protective coating
21 Branch
22 Power supply circuit
23 Control unit
24 Second branch
25 Optical fiber cable
26 Control circuit
27 Power line
28 Power supply circuit
29 Power supply
30 1st branch
31 Backbone optical fiber cable
32 hybrid cable
33 Second Local Area Network
34 Second actuator
35 Third actuator
36 Power line
37 Optical fiber cable
38 Hybrid cable
39 Hybrid cable
40 Terminal equipment
41 Terminal equipment
42 Network
43 Third Local Area Network
44 Network
45 Actuator
46 Actuator
47 Fourth Local Area Network
48 Central control unit
49 Optical fiber cable
50 external line
51 Fifth Local Area Network
52 Web server
100 data communication system
101 Main data communication terminal
102 Sub data communication terminal
103 connector
104 Communication cable
105 Second connector
106 Switching device
109 modular plug
110 pin
110a pin
110b pin
110c pin
110d pin
110e pin
110f pin
120 Interface device with power supply function
121 feeding unit
122 transmission line
123 receiving line
124 local power
125 power supply circuit
126 polarity inversion circuit
127 Error detection circuit

Claims (5)

A hybrid cable combining a power line and an optical fiber cable,
A hybrid hub that is connected to one end of the hybrid cable, supplies power to the power line, and is communicably connected by the optical fiber cable;
An actuator connected at the other end of the hybrid cable, operating on the power line, and communicably connected by the fiber optic cable;
A terminal device connected to the actuator by a second hybrid cable, operated by the power supply line, and communicably connected by the optical fiber cable;
A control unit that controls communication via the actuator,
A branching unit that distributes the communication controlled by the control unit to the end device,
A power supply circuit for supplying power supplied to the actuator to a terminal device. A local area network according to claim 1,
A second actuator connected to the actuator of the local area network by a hybrid cable, operated by the power line, and communicably connected by the fiber optic cable;
A local area network including a second terminal device connected to the second actuator by a hybrid cable, operated by the power line, and communicably connected by the optical fiber cable. A local area network comprising a plurality of local area networks according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the local area networks are communicably connected to each other by an optical fiber cable. The central control unit for recording information communicated via the actuator with the terminal device and controlling the terminal device or the actuator based on the recorded information. Local area network. 5. The local area network according to claim 4, wherein the central control unit is communicably connected to the outside.

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