JP2004015637A - Radio relay system and its reset method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technology for resetting readily and rapidly a radio relay system where malfunction has occurred. <P>SOLUTION: A signal output from a tapoff installed in a coaxial cable is received by a status monitor unit 301 as well as a cable modem 202 by means of a distributor 201. The status monitor unit 301 makes a signal output to a control section 206 active when its own address signal exists within a received signal. When the signal gets active, the control section 206 stops temporarily power supply of an electrical source 210 to the modem cable 202 and an access point 204, and reset the supply. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a technique for remotely resetting a wireless relay system such as a wireless base station that relays transmission and reception of a signal between a wireless network and a wireless network.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, networks have rapidly developed as information infrastructures. As a result, at present, it is indispensable as a means for transmitting and sharing information or performing communication.
Until now, information transmitted via networks has been mainly text and still images. Recently, however, networks with high communication speeds have become widespread, and data such as audio and video (moving images) with a larger data volume than text and still images has become a target. I have.
In the past, such networks were often built with wires. However, recently, a wireless base station (relay station (wireless relay system)) is connected to a wired (cable) network, and a terminal device (a personal computer (hereinafter, PC) or PDA) used by a user is connected to the network. During the period, a hybrid configuration in which signals are transmitted and received wirelessly by relaying a wireless base station is increasingly used. This is because there is an advantage that the wire laying work required for connecting the wire to the terminal device is not required, and the time and cost required for the work can be reduced. As a reference technical document, for example, JP-A-2001-218187 is cited.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In a network adopting the above hybrid configuration combining wired and wireless, by monitoring the state of a node including a wireless base station (wireless relay system), an abnormality occurring in the node is detected and responded to. ing. Most of the abnormalities that have occurred in the wireless relay system (relay station) are recovered by resetting, but the conventional wireless relay system has been manually reset. As a result, when an abnormality occurs in the wireless relay system, a worker who performs a recovery operation must move to a place where the system is installed, so that there is a problem that the recovery takes time.
In addition, the wireless relay system is often installed at a high place such as a telephone pole, and resetting cannot be performed unless the user climbs the high place. Therefore, it is strongly desired that the wireless relay system can be reset easily and quickly from the viewpoint of reducing the burden on the user of the network due to the occurrence of the abnormality and also reducing the burden on the workers. I was
An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for enabling a wireless relay system in which an abnormality has occurred to be reset easily and quickly.
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the problem, the present invention is a system used for relaying transmission and reception of signals between a wired network and a wireless device, wherein the network and the wireless device are used. And a reset unit that resets the signal relay unit when a predetermined signal is received from the network.
A second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the predetermined signal is a carrier signal of a predetermined frequency.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the predetermined signal is an address signal of a wireless relay system to be reset among address signals specifically given to all of the wireless relay systems.
According to a fourth aspect, the reset unit resets a circuit in the wireless relay system by turning on / off a power supply included in the wireless relay system.
The wireless relay system according to claim 5, further comprising a carrier detection unit that detects a carrier signal of a predetermined frequency, wherein the carrier detection unit detects a carrier of a predetermined frequency transmitted from the network. The circuit in the wireless relay system is reset by turning off the power supply in the wireless relay system for a predetermined time and then turning on the power supply again.
7. The wireless relay system according to claim 6, wherein the wireless relay system includes an address detection unit that detects an address signal given specifically, and when the address detection unit detects an address signal transmitted from the network. The circuit in the wireless relay system is reset by turning off the power supply for a predetermined time and then turning on the power supply again.
[0005]
8. A method for remotely resetting a wireless relay system that relays transmission and reception of signals between a wired network and a wireless device, comprising the steps of: A reset unit for resetting the relay system is connected to the network, and the wireless relay system is reset by transmitting the predetermined signal to the reset unit via the network. .
The wireless relay system of the present invention presumes that the wireless relay system is used to relay transmission and reception of signals between a wired network and a wireless device, and relays transmission and reception of signals between the network and the wireless device. A signal relay unit is provided, and a reset unit resets the signal relay unit when a predetermined signal is received from the network.
It is preferable that the predetermined signal is a signal of a predetermined frequency. Alternatively, the signal is desirably a signal transmitted to the wireless relay system to be reset.
The wireless relay system reset method of the present invention is a method used for remotely resetting a wireless relay system that relays transmission and reception of signals between a wired network and a wireless device. A reset unit that receives and resets the wireless relay system is connected to a network, and a predetermined signal is transmitted to the reset unit via the network, thereby causing the reset unit to reset the wireless relay system.
In the present invention, reset means for receiving a predetermined signal and resetting the wireless relay system is provided on the wireless relay system side, and the reset means is connected to a network to which the wireless relay system is connected. By providing such reset means, the wireless relay system can be remotely reset by a signal transmitted via the network. As a result, resetting of the wireless relay system can be performed easily and quickly.
[0006]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a network system employing a wireless relay system according to the present embodiment.
The network system is for providing a user with a connection service to the Internet using a cable television (hereinafter, CATV) system. Since the equipment and the like on the user side are the same as those in the related art, FIG. 1 shows only the equipment installed in the center 100 and the transmission system 150.
As shown in FIG. 1, the equipment of the center 100 includes a head-end device 101, a cable modem center device (hereinafter abbreviated as a modem center device) 102 for monitoring the status of a cable modem constituting the transmission system 150, a transmission system A TV center device 103 that adjusts the level of a TV signal transmitted to the 150 and outputs it to the head end device 101, and a status monitor center device that monitors the state of the amplifier 154 configuring the transmission system 150 (hereinafter referred to as a monitor center device). The abbreviation) 104, a plurality of first optical transceivers 105 connected to the headend device 101, and a router 106 connecting the modem center device 102 and the Internet network 110. The terminal device used by the user is connected to the Internet network 110 via the transmission system 150, the first optical transceiver 105, the headend device 101, the modem center device 102, and the router 106.
One transmission system 150 has an optical cable 151 connected to the first optical transceiver 105 as a trunk, a second optical transceiver 152 connected to the optical cable 151, and a trunk connected to the second optical transceiver 152. 153, an amplifier 154 that amplifies signals flowing through the cable 153 and outputs the signals to the coaxial cables 155 and 156, which are branch wirings, a tap-off 157 provided on the coaxial cable 156, and the tap-off 157. And a wireless relay system 200 according to the present embodiment.
As described above, the CATV system adopts the hub system. The wireless relay system 200 according to the present embodiment employed in the system is wirelessly connected to a wireless device mounted on or connected to a terminal device used by a user, or a wireless device having the wireless device as a slave unit. It is realized as a relay station that performs communication and connects the terminal device to the transmission system 150 via a wireless LAN.
[0007]
FIG. 2 is a circuit configuration diagram of the wireless relay system 200 according to the present embodiment. The power supply unit 210 in FIG. 2 is provided at the installation location for supplying power to the wireless relay system 200, for example.
As shown in FIG. 2, the system 200 includes a distributor 201 for distributing a signal received from the tap-off 157 and a terminal device connected to the distributor 201 for connecting a terminal device used by a user to the Internet network 110. A cable modem 202, an antenna 203, a wireless LAN access point 204 connected to the modem 202, a carrier detection unit 205 connected to the distributor 201 and detecting a carrier of a predetermined frequency, The control unit 206 includes a cable modem 202 and a control unit 206 that controls power supply to the access point 204 in accordance with a signal output from the detection unit 205.
[0008]
The conventional wireless relay system has a configuration in which an access point 204 is connected to a cable modem 202 and a power supply unit 210 directly supplies power to them. On the other hand, the wireless relay system 200 according to the present embodiment arranges the distributor 201 between the cable modem 202 and the tap-off 157, and causes the carrier detection unit 205 to receive a signal output from the distributor 201, A signal output by the detection unit 205 causes the control unit 206 to control power supply to the cable modem 202 and the access point 204 (relay means) by the power supply unit 210. In this way, power supplied to the cable modem 202 and the access point 204 can be controlled by a signal transmitted through the transmission system 150.
By stopping the power supply to the cable modem 202 and the access point 204 and starting the power supply again, it is possible to reset them. Since the resetting can be performed by a signal transmitted via the transmission system 150, the resetting can be performed remotely without causing the worker to go to the installation location. Thereby, the reset can be performed easily and quickly without dispatching a worker.
The carrier detection unit 205 includes, for example, a band-pass filter and an output circuit that activates a signal to be output to the control unit 206 in accordance with an output result of the filter. Thus, when a frequency component passing through the band-pass filter exists in the signal input from the distributor 201, the signal output to the control unit 206 is activated. The frequency passing through the band-pass filter (hereinafter referred to as a reset frequency for convenience) is set to a frequency not used in the frequency band of the downlink signal.
When the signal output by the carrier detection unit 205 becomes active, the control unit 206 temporarily stops supplying power to the cable modem 202 and the access point 204. Thereby, those resets are performed.
The status of the cable modem 202 is monitored by the modem center device 102. The transmitter that outputs the signal of the reset frequency is mounted on or connected to the TV center device 103, or is connected to the head end device 101. The monitor of the center 100 causes the transmitter to output a signal of the reset frequency when one of the cable modems 202 monitored by the modem center device 102 is not operating normally. This causes the transmission system 150 to transmit the signal via the headend device 101 to reset the cable modem 202 and the access point 204, which are the main components of the wireless relay system 200. In this way, the system 200, which is restored by resetting, responds to the abnormality that has occurred in the wireless relay system 200 and is restored. Confirmation of the recovery is performed by the modem center device 102, and if the recovery is not performed by resetting, the operator is directed to the site to respond.
[0009]
In the present embodiment, a signal of a reset frequency is transmitted to reset a main part of the wireless relay system 200, and all the wireless relay systems 200 that perform reset with the signal of the reset frequency are reset. However, the wireless relay system 200 in which the abnormality has occurred may be individually reset. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the status monitor center device 104 can replace the carrier detection unit 205 with a status monitor unit 301 for status monitoring mounted on an amplifier 154 or the like for monitoring the status.
When the replacement is performed, the center 100 may transmit a control command to the status monitor unit 301 of the wireless relay system 200 in which the abnormality has occurred, for example, by a polling method. The switching of the signal output to the control unit 206 between active and inactive may be performed by using, for example, a gate switch control function.
When the wireless relay system 200 is reset, the terminal device cannot temporarily transmit and receive signals. From this, the more the wireless relay system 200 in which the abnormality has not occurred is not reset, in other words, the more the wireless relay system 200 in which the abnormality has occurred can be reset, the more the reset is performed. The adverse effects can be avoided.
The reset frequency may be the same for all transmission systems 150, or may be set for each transmission system 150. The target to which the wireless relay system 200 is connected may be an optical cable, a telephone line for performing communication by DSL (Digital Subscriber Line), or the like, instead of the coaxial cable constituting the transmission system 150 of the CATV system.
The node to be reset may be a node other than the wireless relay system 200. The signal for instructing the reset may be transmitted using a different network from the network to which the wireless relay system 200 is connected, if that network can be used.
[0010]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, reset means for receiving a predetermined signal and resetting the wireless relay system is provided on the wireless relay system side, and the reset means is connected to the network to which the wireless relay system is connected. . Therefore, the wireless relay system can be remotely reset by a signal transmitted via the network. This makes it possible to reset the wireless relay system easily and quickly.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a network system employing a wireless relay system according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a circuit configuration diagram of the wireless relay system according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a circuit configuration diagram of a wireless relay system according to another embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
101 Head-end device 102 Cable modem center device 103 TV center device 104 Status monitor center device 106 Router 110 Internet network 150 Transmission system 154 Amplifier 157 Tap-off 200 Wireless relay system 201 Distributor 202 Cable modem 204 Access point 205 Carrier detector 206 Control unit 210 Power supply unit 301 Status monitor unit

Claims (7)

A system used to relay transmission and reception of signals between a wired network and a wireless device,
Signal relay means for relaying transmission and reception of signals between the network and the wireless device,
When receiving a predetermined signal from the network, reset means for resetting the signal relay means,
A wireless relay system comprising: The predetermined signal is a carrier signal of a predetermined frequency,
The wireless relay system according to claim 1, wherein: The predetermined signal is an address signal of a wireless relay system to be reset, among address signals specifically given to all of the wireless relay systems,
The wireless relay system according to claim 1, wherein: 2. The wireless relay system according to claim 1, wherein the reset unit resets a circuit in the wireless relay system by turning off / on a power supply included in the wireless relay system. The wireless relay system includes a carrier detection unit that detects a carrier signal of a predetermined frequency, and when the carrier detection unit detects a carrier of a predetermined frequency transmitted from the network, the wireless relay system The wireless relay system according to claim 1, wherein a power supply in the wireless relay system is turned off for a predetermined time and the power supply is turned on again to reset a circuit in the wireless relay system. The wireless relay system includes an address detection unit that detects an address signal given specifically, and when the address detection unit detects an address signal transmitted from the network, a power supply in the wireless relay system is predetermined. 5. The wireless relay system according to claim 1, wherein a circuit in the wireless relay system is reset by turning off the power for a time and then turning on the power again. A method used to remotely reset a wireless relay system that relays transmission and reception of signals between a wireless network and a wireless network,
A reset means for receiving a predetermined signal and resetting the wireless relay system is connected to the network,
By transmitting the predetermined signal to the reset unit via the network, the wireless relay system is reset by the reset unit,
A method of resetting a wireless relay system.

Images