JP2018088573A - Pairing method, communication device, pairing device, slave device package, and manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pairing method capable of accurately performing pairing of devices.SOLUTION: A pairing method of a master device 10 and a slave device 20 that perform radio communication in accordance with a Bluetooth (R) scheme includes a step of bringing the slave device 20 into an acceptable state of a pairing request (S6) from the master device 10, a step of acquiring the address of the slave device 20 from an external device 30 other than the slave device 20 by the master device 10, a step of transmitting a pairing request (S6) to the acquired address of the slave device 20 by the master device 10, and a step of performing pairing (S8) between the master device 10 as the transmission source of the pairing request and the slave device 20 as the transmission destination of the pairing request (S6).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to a pairing method, a communication device, a pairing device, a slave device package, and a manufacturing method, and more particularly to a technology for pairing a master device and a slave device that perform wireless communication.

  As a STB (Set Top Box) remote controller (hereinafter referred to as “remote controller”) that outputs video content received via the Internet or broadcast waves, wireless communication can be performed in accordance with the Bluetooth (registered trademark) system with the STB. A remote controller has been developed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In order to perform wireless communication according to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) system, pairing (Pairing) for mutually authenticating devices between the remote controller and the STB is necessary. By performing pairing, a link key necessary for the second and subsequent device connection is generated and stored in each device. That is, when the device is connected for the second time or later, pairing is not performed, and mutual authentication using the link key is performed, and then wireless communication between the remote controller and the STB is performed.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2015-23500

  Such a pairing process may be difficult for a user such as an elderly person who is not used to operating the device. Usually, since the remote controller and the STB are sold as a set, the pair of the remote controller and the STB to be paired is known in advance. For this reason, it is less effective for the user to execute the pairing process, and it is desirable to perform the pairing between the remote controller and the STB in advance in a manufacturing process before factory shipment.

  However, before shipment from the factory, a plurality of pairs of the remote controller and the STB must be paired. Pairing is performed by wireless communication between the remote controller and the STB. For this reason, if pairing of a plurality of pairs of the remote controller and the STB is performed simultaneously, there is a problem that pairing is performed for an unintended pair of the remote controller and the STB.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a pairing method, a communication device, a pairing device, and a manufacturing method capable of accurately performing device pairing. .

  Moreover, it aims at providing the subunit | mobile_unit package which can implement | achieve exact pairing.

  (1) In order to achieve the above object, a pairing method according to an embodiment of the present invention is a pairing method of a parent device and a child device that perform wireless communication according to a Bluetooth (registered trademark) system, Making the machine ready to accept a pairing request from the parent machine, the parent machine obtaining an address of the child machine from an external device other than the child machine, and the parent machine obtaining Transmitting the pairing request to the address of the slave unit, and performing pairing between the master unit that is the transmission source of the pairing request and the slave unit that is the destination of the pairing request. Performing steps.

  (3) A pairing method according to another embodiment of the present invention is a pairing method of a parent device and a child device that perform wireless communication, wherein the parent device is attached to the child device and is visible. A step of acquiring the address of the child device from the identification information of the address of the child device, and a step of executing pairing between the parent device and the child device indicated by the acquired address of the child device Including.

  (4) A communication device according to another embodiment of the present invention is a communication device that performs wireless communication with a terminal device, and an address acquisition unit that acquires an address of the terminal device from an external device other than the terminal device; A pairing processing unit that performs pairing with the terminal device indicated by the address of the terminal device acquired by the address acquisition unit.

  (5) A pairing device according to another embodiment of the present invention is a pairing device that controls the pairing of a parent device and a child device that perform wireless communication, and is visually identifiable attached to the child device. An address acquisition unit that acquires the address of the child device read from the identification information of the address of the child device, a notification unit that notifies the address of the child device acquired by the address acquisition unit to the parent device, and the notification A pairing control unit that causes the parent device to perform pairing with the child device in accordance with the address of the child device notified by the unit.

  (6) A slave unit package according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a slave unit that wirelessly communicates with the master unit, and a label that describes the address of the slave unit.

  (7) A manufacturing method according to another embodiment of the present invention is a method of manufacturing a communication system including a parent device and a child device that perform wireless communication, and the parent device is attached to the child device and is visible The step of acquiring the address of the child device from the identification information of the address of the child device and the step of executing pairing between the parent device and the child device indicated by the acquired address of the child device Including.

  The present invention can be realized not only as a pairing method including such characteristic steps, but also as a program for causing a computer to execute the characteristic steps included in the pairing method. . Such a program can be distributed via a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory) or a communication network such as the Internet. .

  According to the present invention, device pairing can be performed accurately.

It is a figure which shows the apparatus structure used for the pairing which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the remote control package containing the remote control which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and the container which packages a remote control. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of STB which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the remote control which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the control apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a sequence diagram which shows an example of the flow of the pairing process which concerns on this Embodiment. It is a sequence diagram which shows the flow of the pairing of the conventional remote control and STB. It is a figure for demonstrating the pairing in the manufacturing process of the set product of the conventional remote control and STB. It is a sequence diagram which shows the flow of pairing with the remote control and STB in the conventional several production line. It is a figure for demonstrating the pairing in the manufacturing process of the set product of the conventional remote control and STB.

[Knowledge that became the basis of the present invention]
The present inventor has found the following knowledge regarding conventional pairing described in the “Background Art” column.

  FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram showing a flow of pairing between the conventional remote controller and the STB.

  It is assumed that the remote control and the STB are installed at a short distance in advance, and both devices are in the pairing mode. In the pairing mode, each device enters a connection standby state with a wireless communication device installed at a short distance.

  After shifting to the pairing mode, the remote controller broadcasts the BD (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Device) address of its own device, and the STB installed at a short distance receives the BD address of the remote controller (S11). The BD address is a device-specific address used to identify a Bluetooth (registered trademark) compatible device.

  The STB that has received the BD address of the remote controller transmits a pairing request packet with the BD address of the remote controller as the destination, and the remote controller receives the packet (S12). The pairing request packet includes the BD address of the STB as the transmission source of the packet.

  The remote controller that has received the pairing request packet transmits a pairing approval signal with the BD address of the STB indicated in the packet as the destination, and the STB receives the signal (S13).

  Thereafter, a pairing process is executed by performing mutual communication between the remote controller and the STB (S14). In the pairing process, a link key is generated between the remote controller and the STB, and each device stores the generated link key.

As described above, such pairing processing may be difficult for a user such as an elderly person who is not accustomed to the operation of the device. Usually, since the remote controller and the STB are sold as a set, the pair of the remote controller and the STB to be paired is known in advance. For this reason, it is less effective for the user to execute the pairing process, and it is desirable to perform the pairing between the remote controller and the STB in advance in a manufacturing process before factory shipment.
Next, the pairing in a manufacturing process is demonstrated.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining pairing in a manufacturing process of a conventional remote control and STB set product.

  For example, it is assumed that pairing between the remote controller and the STB is performed in a plurality of production lines.

  As shown in FIG. 8, in the production line 100A, pairing between the remote controller 120A and the STB 110A is performed, and in the production line 100B, pairing between the remote controller 120B and the STB 110B is performed.

  The STB 110A is attached with a barcode 115A which is identification information of the serial number of the STB 110A. For example, a label on which the barcode 115A is printed may be attached to the STB 110A, or the barcode 115A may be directly printed on the STB 110A.

  Similarly, the STB 110B is attached with a barcode 115B that is identification information of the serial number of the STB 110B.

  A control device 130A is installed in the production line 100A, and a barcode reader 140A is connected to the control device 130A. The control device 130A performs production management of the STB 110A manufactured on the production line 100A. That is, the operator operates the barcode reader 140A to cause the barcode reader 140A to scan the barcode 115A. As a result, the barcode reader 140A reads the serial number of the STB 110A. The control device 130A acquires the serial number of the STB 110A read by the barcode reader 140A from the barcode reader 140A. The control device 130A performs production management of the STB 110A by accumulating information such as the serial number of the STB 110A to be paired and the pairing execution time.

  Similarly to the production line 100A, the production line 100B is provided with a control device 130B and a barcode reader 140B connected to the control device 130B, and performs production management of the STB 110B manufactured on the production line 100B.

  Further, it is assumed that the production line 100A and the production line 100B are separated from each other by only about several meters to several tens of meters. That is, the maximum communication distance of Bluetooth (registered trademark) depends on the class of Bluetooth (registered trademark), but in the case of Class 1, communication is possible even if the distance is about 100 m. For this reason, it is assumed that the production line 100A and the production line 100B are installed within a wireless communication range by the Bluetooth (registered trademark) system across the production lines.

  FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram showing a flow of pairing between a remote controller and an STB in a plurality of conventional production lines. Here, it is assumed that pairing in the production line 100A and pairing in the production line 100B are performed almost simultaneously.

  It is assumed that the remote controller 120A and the STBs 110A and 110B have transitioned to the pairing mode in advance. Although the remote controller 120B is not shown in FIG. 9, the remote controller 120B may also be in the pairing mode.

  After shifting to the pairing mode, the remote controller 120A broadcasts the BD address of its own device, and the STBs 110B and 110A installed at a short distance receive the BD address of the remote controller 120A, respectively (S21, S22).

  The STBs 110B and 110A that have received the BD address of the remote controller 120A transmit a pairing request packet with the BD address of the remote controller 120A as the destination (S23, S26). Here, it is assumed that packet transmission from STB 110B is performed earlier than packet transmission from STB 110A, and remote controller 120A receives a pairing request packet from STB 110B earlier than a pairing request packet from STB 110A. .

  Receiving the pairing request packet from STB 110B, remote controller 120A transmits a pairing approval signal with the BD address of STB 110B indicated in the packet as the destination, and STB 110B receives the signal (S24).

  Thereafter, a pairing process is executed by performing mutual communication between the remote controller 120A and the STB 110B (S25). Thereby, a link key required for authentication is generated between remote controller 120A and STB 110B, and the link key is stored in each of remote controller 120A and STB 110B.

  The pairing request packet from STB 110A arrives at remote controller 120A later than the pairing request packet from STB 110B (S26). For this reason, the pairing process between the remote controller 120A and the STB 110A is not executed.

  Thus, a pairing process different from the operator's intention is executed, and the pairing process may be executed between the remote control 120B and the STB 110A across the production line. In other words, if there are a plurality of pairing target devices within the communicable range, there is a problem that pairing processing is executed with an unintended combination.

  In order to solve such a problem, it is conceivable to limit the communication range of the pairing target device.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining pairing in a manufacturing process of a conventional remote control and STB set product.

  The production line shown in FIG. 10 is further provided with shield boxes 150A and 150B in the production lines 100A and 100B shown in FIG. Each shield box is a housing made of, for example, a sheet metal having a low electric resistance value, and shields the radio wave by reflecting the radio wave in the space of the shield box. Thereby, it is possible to prevent transmission radio waves from the devices in the shield box from leaking to the outside.

  That is, radio waves transmitted from the remote controller 120A and STB 110A existing in the shield box 150A can be prevented from being received by the remote controller 120B and STB 110B of the production line 100B. Similarly, radio waves transmitted from the remote controller 120B and STB 110B existing in the shield box 150B can be prevented from being received by the remote controller 120A and STB 110A of the production line 100A.

  By using such shield boxes 150A and 150B, the pairing process between the remote control and the STB across the production line can be prevented. Thereby, the pairing process between the remote controller and the STB can be executed in the same production line.

  However, in the pairing method using a shield box, there is a problem that a cost for preparing the shield box is required. Further, each time pairing is performed, the remote control and the STB must be housed in the shield box, or the remote control and the STB must be taken out of the shield box, which causes a problem of poor workability.

  Although a method of eliminating the shield box with one production line is also conceivable, since a plurality of production lines cannot be provided, the STB productivity deteriorates.

  In the present disclosure, a pairing method capable of accurately performing pairing of devices without cost and with good workability will be described.

[Outline of Embodiment of the Present Invention]
First, the outline of the embodiment of the present invention will be listed and described.
(1) A pairing method according to an embodiment of the present invention is a pairing method of a parent device and a child device that perform wireless communication according to a Bluetooth (registered trademark) system, and the child device is connected to the parent device from the parent device. A step of accepting a pairing request; a step in which the parent device acquires an address of the child device from an external device other than the child device; and Transmitting the pairing request, and performing pairing between the parent device that is the transmission source of the pairing request and the child device that is the transmission destination of the pairing request.

  According to this configuration, the parent device acquires the address of the child device from an external device other than the child device. Therefore, the parent device can acquire the address of the child device by a method other than the Bluetooth (registered trademark) wireless communication. Therefore, even if another child device exists near the parent device, the parent device does not receive the address of the other child device from the other child device. Therefore, a combination of a parent device and a child device to be paired can be uniquely determined. After the master unit receives the slave unit address, pairing can be performed according to a normal sequence. For this reason, device pairing can be performed accurately.

  (2) Further, in the obtaining step, the address may be obtained by reading the address from the visible identification information of the address attached to the slave unit.

  According to this configuration, the parent device can acquire the address of the child device by reading the address from the identification information of the address of the child device. As described above, a bar code reader for production management is installed in the production line. For this reason, it is possible to read the address of the slave unit from the identification information by diverting a barcode reader conventionally used for production management. Thereby, it is possible to perform pairing of devices with good workability without incurring costs.

  (3) A pairing method according to another embodiment of the present invention is a pairing method of a parent device and a child device that perform wireless communication, wherein the parent device is attached to the child device and is visible. A step of acquiring the address of the child device from the identification information of the address of the child device, and a step of executing pairing between the parent device and the child device indicated by the acquired address of the child device Including.

  According to this configuration, the parent device can obtain the address of the child device from the identification information of the child device address attached to the child device. For this reason, even if another child device exists near the parent device, the parent device does not receive the address of the other child device from the other child device. Therefore, a combination of a parent device and a child device to be paired can be uniquely determined. After the parent device acquires the address of the child device, pairing can be performed according to a normal sequence. For this reason, device pairing can be performed accurately.

  (4) A communication device according to another embodiment of the present invention is a communication device that performs wireless communication with a terminal device, and an address acquisition unit that acquires an address of the terminal device from an external device other than the terminal device; A pairing processing unit that performs pairing with the terminal device indicated by the address of the terminal device acquired by the address acquisition unit.

  According to this configuration, the address acquisition unit acquires the address of the terminal device from an external device other than the terminal device. For this reason, even if another terminal device exists near the communication device, the address acquisition unit does not receive the address of the other terminal device from the other terminal device. Therefore, it is possible to uniquely determine the combination of the communication device to be paired and the terminal device. After the address acquisition unit acquires the address of the terminal device, the pairing processing unit can perform pairing with the terminal device. For this reason, device pairing can be performed accurately.

  (5) A pairing device according to another embodiment of the present invention is a pairing device that controls the pairing of a parent device and a child device that perform wireless communication, and is visually identifiable attached to the child device. An address acquisition unit that acquires the address of the child device read from the identification information of the address of the child device, a notification unit that notifies the address of the child device acquired by the address acquisition unit to the parent device, and the notification A pairing control unit that causes the parent device to perform pairing with the child device in accordance with the address of the child device notified by the unit.

  According to this configuration, the address acquisition unit acquires the address of the slave unit read from the identification information of the slave unit address. For this reason, the address of the pairing target slave unit read from the identification information of the pairing target slave unit can be acquired. The notifying unit notifies the parent device of the address of the child device to be paired, and performs pairing with the child device, so that the device can be paired accurately.

  (6) A slave unit package according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a slave unit that wirelessly communicates with the master unit, and a label that describes the address of the slave unit.

  According to this configuration, by reading the address of the child device from the label of the child device, the address of the child device can be acquired and the acquired address can be notified to the parent device. Also, the slave unit and a label indicating the slave unit address are packaged as a set. For this reason, when reading the label, the address is not read from the label of another child device by mistake. Thereby, the address of the child device to be paired can be accurately notified to the parent device, and pairing can be performed accurately. Therefore, it is possible to provide a handset package that can realize accurate pairing.

  (7) A manufacturing method according to another embodiment of the present invention is a method of manufacturing a communication system including a parent device and a child device that perform wireless communication, and the parent device is attached to the child device and is visible. The step of acquiring the address of the child device from the identification information of the address of the child device and the step of executing pairing between the parent device and the child device indicated by the acquired address of the child device Including.

  According to this configuration, the parent device acquires the address of the child device from an external device other than the child device. Therefore, the parent device can acquire the address of the child device by a method other than the Bluetooth (registered trademark) wireless communication. Therefore, even if another child device exists near the parent device, the parent device does not receive the address of the other child device from the other child device. Therefore, a combination of a parent device and a child device to be paired can be uniquely determined. After the master unit receives the slave unit address, pairing can be performed according to a normal sequence. For this reason, device pairing can be performed accurately.

[Details of the embodiment of the present invention]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Each of the embodiments described below shows a preferred specific example of the present invention. Numerical values, shapes, components, arrangement positions and connection forms of components, steps, order of steps, and the like shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The invention is specified by the claims. Therefore, among the constituent elements in the following embodiments, constituent elements that are not described in the independent claims indicating the highest concept of the present invention are not necessarily required to achieve the object of the present invention. It will be described as constituting a preferred form.

[Overall device configuration]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention and a device used for pairing of the communication system.
The communication system includes an STB 10 and a remote controller 20.

  In the present embodiment, a method will be described in which the STB 10 that performs wireless communication according to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) system and the remote control 20 of the STB 10 are paired in advance before shipment from the factory.

  The STB 10 constitutes a parent device or a communication device. The STB 10 is accompanied by a barcode 15 indicating identification information of the serial number of the STB 10. For example, a label on which the barcode 15 is printed may be attached to the STB 10, or the barcode 15 may be directly printed on the STB 10.

  The remote controller 20 constitutes a slave unit or a terminal device. A remote control 20 shipped as a set with the STB 10 is attached with a bar code 25 indicating identification information of the BD address of the remote control 20. For example, a label on which the barcode 25 is printed may be attached to the remote controller 20 or the barcode 25 may be directly printed on the STB 10. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a barcode 25 may be attached to a container for packaging the remote control 20.

  A control device 30 is installed at the production site of the STB 10, and a barcode reader 40 is connected to the control device 30. The control device 30 performs production management of the STB 10 to be manufactured. That is, the operator operates the barcode reader 40 to cause the barcode reader 40 to scan the barcode 15. Thereby, the barcode reader 40 reads the serial number of the STB 10. The control device 30 acquires the serial number of the STB 10 read by the barcode reader 40 from the barcode reader 40. The control device 30 performs production management of the STB 10 by accumulating information such as the serial number of the STB 10 to be paired and the pairing execution time.

  Further, the operator operates the barcode reader 40 to cause the barcode reader 40 to scan the barcode 25 of the remote controller 20. Thereby, the barcode reader 40 reads the BD address of the remote controller 20. The control device 30 constitutes a pairing device, and acquires the BD address of the remote controller 20 from the barcode reader 40. The control device 30 transmits the acquired BD address of the remote controller 20 to the STB 10. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that control device 30 and STB 10 are connected by wire, but control device 30 and STB 10 may be connected wirelessly.

  The STB 10 performs pairing processing with the remote controller 20 according to the BD address of the remote controller 20 received from the control device 30.

  The barcode 25 attached to the remote controller 20 is an example of BD address identification information of the remote controller 20 that can be viewed. For this reason, as long as the identification information of the BD address is visible, the BD address may be indicated by another method. For example, the BD address of the remote controller 20 may be indicated by a QR code (registered trademark). In this case, instead of the barcode reader 40, a QR code (registered trademark) reader is used. The QR code (registered trademark) reader reads the BD address of the remote controller 20 from the QR code (registered trademark). The remote controller 20 may be accompanied by characters indicating the address of the remote controller 20. In this case, an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) reader is used instead of the barcode reader 40. The OCR reader reads the BD address of the remote controller 20 by recognizing characters.

[Configuration of STB 10]
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the STB 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  The STB 10 includes a wireless communication unit 11, a wired communication unit 12, an address acquisition unit 13, and a pairing processing unit 14.

  The wireless communication unit 11 performs wireless communication with the remote controller 20 according to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) system. The wireless communication unit 11 includes a wireless communication module.

  The wired communication unit 12 is connected to the control device 30 by a wired line such as an Ethernet (registered trademark) cable, and communicates with the control device 30. The wired communication unit 12 includes a wired communication module. Instead of the wired communication unit 12, a wireless communication unit that communicates with the control device 30 by wireless communication such as Wi-Fi Direct or Zigbee (registered trademark) may be used.

  The address acquisition unit 13 acquires the BD address of the remote controller 20 from the control device 30 via the wired communication unit 12.

  Based on the BD address of the remote controller 20 acquired by the address acquisition unit 13, the pairing processing unit 14 performs pairing with the remote controller 20 indicated by the BD address. That is, the pairing processing unit 14 transmits a pairing request packet to the BD address as a destination via the wireless communication unit 11. The packet includes the BD address of the STB 10 as a transmission source. When pairing is approved by the remote controller 20, the pairing processing unit 14 receives a pairing approval signal from the remote controller 20 via the wireless communication unit 11. Thereafter, the pairing processing unit 14 generates a link key by performing mutual communication with the remote controller 20 and stores the link key in a storage unit (not shown) of the STB 10.

  After the pairing is executed, the wireless communication unit 11 performs mutual authentication with the remote controller 20 using the link key stored in the storage unit. Accordingly, the wireless communication unit 11 can perform wireless communication with the remote controller 20 by the Bluetooth (registered trademark) system without performing the pairing process.

[Configuration of remote control 20]
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of remote controller 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention.
The remote controller 20 includes a wireless communication unit 21 and a pairing processing unit 22.

  The wireless communication unit 21 performs wireless communication with the STB 10 according to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) system. The wireless communication unit 21 includes a wireless communication module.

  The pairing processing unit 22 performs pairing with the STB 10 by transmitting / receiving data to / from the STB 10 via the wireless communication unit 21. That is, the pairing processing unit 22 receives a pairing request packet from the STB 10 via the wireless communication unit 21. If the pairing with the other STB 10 is not completed, the pairing processing unit 22 approves the pairing, and sends a pairing approval signal to the BD address of the STB 10 indicated in the transmission source of the pairing request packet. Send. Thereafter, the pairing processing unit 22 generates a link key by performing mutual communication with the STB 10 and stores the link key in a storage unit (not shown) of the remote controller 20.

  After the pairing is performed, the wireless communication unit 21 performs mutual authentication with the STB 10 using the link key stored in the storage unit. Accordingly, the wireless communication unit 21 can perform wireless communication with the STB 10 using the Bluetooth (registered trademark) system without performing the pairing process.

[Configuration of Control Device 30]
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the control device 30 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  The control device 30 includes a wired communication unit 31, an address acquisition unit 32, a notification unit 33, and a pairing control unit 34.

  The wired communication unit 31 is connected to the STB 10 via a wired line such as an Ethernet (registered trademark) cable, and communicates with the STB 10. The wired communication unit 31 includes a wired communication module. Instead of the wired communication unit 31, a wireless communication unit that communicates with the STB 10 by wireless communication such as Wi-Fi Direct or Zigbee (registered trademark) may be used.

  The address acquisition unit 32 is connected to the barcode reader 40 and acquires the BD address of the remote controller 20 as a result of reading the barcode 25 of the remote controller 20 by the barcode reader 40.

  The notification unit 33 transmits the BD address of the remote controller 20 acquired by the address acquisition unit 32 to the STB 10 via the wired communication unit 31.

  When the address acquisition unit 32 acquires the BD address of the remote controller 20, the pairing control unit 34 transmits a request signal for requesting execution of pairing to the STB 10 via the wired communication unit 31.

[Pairing process flow]
FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of pairing processing according to the present embodiment.

  The operator shifts the remote controller 20 to the pairing mode (S1). For example, the remote controller 20 may be shifted to the pairing mode when the operator simultaneously presses a specific combination of remote control keys. However, the method for shifting to the pairing mode is not limited to this. By shifting to the pairing mode, the remote controller 20 becomes connectable to other devices. That is, the remote controller 20 is ready to accept a pairing request packet from another device.

  The worker shifts the STB 10 to the pairing mode (S2). For example, the operator may shift the STB 10 to the pairing mode by pressing a pairing button provided on the STB 10. However, the method for shifting to the pairing mode is not limited to this. For example, when the STB 10 is turned on while the STB 10 is not paired with another device, the STB 10 may automatically shift to the pairing mode. In this case, the operator can shift the STB 10 to the pairing mode by turning on the power switch of the STB 10. By shifting to the pairing mode, the STB 10 enters a connection standby state with another device.

  The execution order of the pairing mode transition process (S1) of the remote controller 20 and the pairing mode transition process (S2) of the STB 10 may be reversed.

  The operator operates the barcode reader 40 to cause the barcode reader 40 to read the BD address of the remote controller 20 from the barcode 25 of the remote controller 20. The control device 30 acquires the BD address of the remote controller 20 read by the barcode reader 40 (S3).

  The control device 30 transmits the acquired BD address of the remote controller 20 to the STB 10, and the STB 10 receives the BD address of the remote controller 20 transmitted from the control device 30 (S4).

  The control device 30 transmits a pairing request signal to the STB 10 in order to request pairing with the remote controller 20 in accordance with the BD address of the remote controller 20 transmitted to the STB 10. The STB 10 receives the request signal (S5).

  When receiving the pairing request signal from the control device 30, the STB 10 transmits a pairing request packet with the BD address of the remote controller 20 received in step S4 as a destination. The remote controller 20 receives the packet (S6). The pairing request packet includes, as a transmission source, the BD address of the STB 10 that transmitted the packet.

  When the remote controller 20 that has received the pairing request packet enters the pairing mode (S1) and does not perform pairing with another device, the remote controller 20 performs pairing with the BD address of the STB 10 indicated in the packet. Send ring approval signal. The STB 10 receives the pairing approval signal (S7). Note that the remote controller 20 does not broadcast the BD address of its own device, and only the STB 10 and the control device 30 know the BD address of the remote controller 20. For this reason, since the remote controller 20 is not paired with another device, the remote controller 20 transmits a pairing approval signal to the BD address of the STB 10.

  After the STB 10 receives the pairing approval signal, pairing is executed by performing mutual communication between the STB 10 and the remote controller 20 (S8). That is, the STB 10 and the remote controller 20 generate a link key, and each device stores the generated link key in its own device.

[Effect of the embodiment]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the STB 10 acquires the address of the remote controller 20 from the control device 30 which is an external device other than the remote controller 20. Specifically, the STB 10 acquires the BD address of the remote controller 20 read by the barcode reader 40 from the control device 30. Therefore, the STB 10 can acquire the BD address of the remote controller 20 by a method other than Bluetooth (registered trademark) wireless communication. Therefore, even if another remote controller exists near the STB 10, the STB 10 does not receive the BD address of the other remote controller from the other remote controller. Further, the STB 10 does not transmit a pairing request packet to a remote controller other than the remote controller 20. Therefore, the combination of the STB 10 to be paired and the remote controller 20 can be uniquely determined. After the STB 10 receives the BD address of the remote controller 20, pairing can be performed according to a normal sequence. For this reason, device pairing can be performed accurately.

  Further, the address acquisition unit 32 acquires the BD address of the remote controller 20 that the barcode reader 40 has read from the barcode 25. At the production site of the STB 10, a barcode reader 40 for reading a serial number from the barcode of the STB 10 is installed for production management. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the BD address of the remote controller 20 can be read from the barcode 25 of the remote controller 20 by using the barcode reader 40 that has been conventionally used for production management. Thereby, it is possible to perform pairing of devices with good workability without incurring costs.

  Since the STB 10 is usually provided with an Ethernet (registered trademark) communication port, the control device 30 can be connected to the communication port. For this reason, the STB 10 can be configured by simply changing the program so that what is conventionally received from the remote controller 20 wirelessly is received from the control device 30 via the communication port. Therefore, the STB 10 can be configured without a significant program change.

  In the present embodiment, the pairing of devices in wireless communication using Bluetooth (registered trademark) has been described. However, the present embodiment similarly applies to communication methods that perform pairing other than Bluetooth (registered trademark). Can be applied.

  Each of the above devices is specifically configured as a computer system including a microprocessor, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a display unit, a keyboard, a mouse, and the like. May be. A computer program is stored in the RAM or HDD. Each device achieves its functions by the microprocessor operating according to the computer program. Here, the computer program is configured by combining a plurality of instruction codes indicating instructions for the computer in order to achieve a predetermined function.

  Furthermore, some or all of the constituent elements constituting each of the above-described devices may be constituted by one system LSI. The system LSI is an ultra-multifunctional LSI manufactured by integrating a plurality of components on a single chip, and specifically, a computer system including a microprocessor, ROM, RAM, and the like. . A computer program is stored in the RAM. The system LSI achieves its functions by the microprocessor operating according to the computer program.

  Further, the present invention may be a computer program that implements the method described above by a computer.

  Furthermore, the present invention may be a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium such as an HDD, a CD-ROM, or a semiconductor memory.

  In the present invention, the computer program or the digital signal may be transmitted via an electric communication line, a wireless or wired communication line, a network represented by the Internet, a data broadcast, or the like.

The present disclosure has the following features.
[Appendix]
A STB and remote control pairing method for performing wireless communication according to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) system,
Making the remote control ready to accept a pairing request from the STB;
The STB obtaining an address of the remote controller from an external device other than the remote controller;
The STB transmitting the pairing request to the acquired address of the remote control;
A pairing method comprising: performing pairing between the STB that is the transmission source of the pairing request and the remote controller that is the transmission destination of the pairing request.

  The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the meanings described above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

10, 110A, 110B STB
11, 21 Wireless communication unit 12, 31 Wired communication unit 13, 32 Address acquisition unit 14, 22 Pairing processing unit 15, 25, 115A, 115B Barcode 20, 120A, 120B Remote control 30, 130A, 130B Control device 33 Notification unit 34 Pairing control unit 40, 140A, 140B Barcode reader 100A, 100B Production line 150A, 150B Shield box

Claims (7)

A parent device and a child device pairing method for performing wireless communication according to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) system,
Making the slave unit ready to accept a pairing request from the master unit;
The master unit acquires the address of the slave unit from an external device other than the slave unit;
The master transmits the pairing request to the acquired address of the slave;
A pairing method comprising: performing pairing between the parent device as a transmission source of the pairing request and the child device as a transmission destination of the pairing request. The pairing method according to claim 1, wherein, in the obtaining step, the address is obtained by reading the address from the identification information of the visible address attached to the slave unit. A method for pairing a master unit and a slave unit for wireless communication,
The master unit obtains the address of the slave unit from the visible identification information of the slave unit attached to the slave unit;
A pairing method including: a step in which the parent device performs pairing with the child device indicated by the acquired address of the child device. A communication device that performs wireless communication with a terminal device,
An address acquisition unit for acquiring an address of the terminal device from an external device other than the terminal device;
A communication device comprising: a pairing processing unit that performs pairing with the terminal device indicated by the address of the terminal device acquired by the address acquisition unit. A pairing device that controls pairing of a parent device and a child device that perform wireless communication,
An address acquisition unit for acquiring the address of the child device read from the identification information of the address of the child device visible to the child device;
A notification unit for notifying the master unit of the address of the slave unit acquired by the address acquisition unit;
A pairing device comprising: a pairing control unit that causes the parent device to perform pairing with the child device in accordance with the address of the child device notified by the notification unit. A slave unit wirelessly communicating with the master unit;
A handset package comprising: a label indicating the address of the handset. A method of manufacturing a communication system including a parent device and a child device for performing wireless communication,
The master unit obtains the address of the slave unit from the visible identification information of the slave unit attached to the slave unit;
The parent device performs a pairing with the child device indicated by the acquired address of the child device.