# US 2023/0067775 A1 · Communication point determination device, communication point determination method and program, and inspection system

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- Number: US 2023/0067775 A1
- Document ID: US20230067775A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/799,579
- Filed: 2021-01-07
- Published: 2023-03-02
- Earliest claimed: 2020-02-27
- Assignees: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
- Applicants: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
- Inventors: Gen SAKASHITA; Masaki HONDA; Shigeru YOSHIDA; Ryo HASHIMOTO
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230067775A1

## CPC

- H04W 4/21: for social networking applications
- H04W 48/04: based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
- G01S 5/02: using radio waves (using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00)
- H04B 17/318: Received signal strength
- H04W 4/70: Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
- H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
- H04W 16/18: Network planning tools
- H04W 64/00: Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
- H04W 84/10: Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
- H04B 17/3912: {Simulation models, e.g. distribution of spectral power density or received signal strength indicator [RSSI] for a given geographic region}
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- H04B: TRANSMISSION

## Abstract

A communication point determination device for determining a communication point including a communication position being a position of a mobile body which performs close-range wireless communication with a wireless device disposed within a target area including an obstacle which obstructs propagation of radio waves includes: a first acquisition part configured to obtain a radio wave strength map indicating a distribution of a radio wave strength within the target area obtained by numerical analysis based on area shape information of the target area generated on the basis of an outer shape of the obstacle existing within the target area, installation position information of the wireless device within the target area, and radio wave information related to transmission or response of radio waves of the wireless device; and a determination part configured to determine the communication point on the basis of the radio wave strength map.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-11. (canceled)

### Claim 12

A communication point determination device for determining a communication point including a communication position being a position of a mobile body which performs close-range wireless communication with a wireless device disposed within a target area including an obstacle which obstructs propagation of radio waves, the communication point determination device comprising:
a first acquisition part configured to obtain a radio wave strength map indicating a distribution of a radio wave strength within the target area obtained by numerical analysis based on area shape information of the target area generated on the basis of an outer shape of the obstacle existing within the target area, installation position information of the wireless device within the target area, and radio wave information related to transmission or response of radio waves of the wireless device;
a determination part configured to determine the communication point on the basis of the radio wave strength map;
a second acquisition part configured to obtain a detection result of the obstacle included in at least a part of a direction of a surrounding of the communication point upon failure of the close-range wireless communication at the communication point; and
a shape change determination part configured to determine, on the basis of the detection result of the obstacle, presence or absence of shape change of the detected surrounding from a shape of the surrounding indicated by the area shape information,
wherein the determination part is configured to, if it is determined that the shape change is present, determine a new communication point instead of the communication point at which the close-range wireless communication has failed.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The communication point determination device according to claim 12, further comprising:
an update part configured to update the area shape information on the basis of the detection result of the obstacle,
wherein the determination part is configured to, if it is determined that the shape change is present, determine the new communication point on the basis of a new radio wave strength map obtained by the numerical analysis using the updated area shape information.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The communication point determination device according to claim 12,
wherein the determination part includes:
a selection part configured to select a plurality of candidate points for the wireless device on the basis of the radio wave strength map; and
a choosing part configured to choose one of the plurality of candidate points as the communication point,
wherein the choosing part is configured to, if the shape change determination part determines that the shape change is absent, choose the new communication point from the plurality of candidate points.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The communication point determination device according to claim 14, further comprising:
a storage part for storing communication history information including the communication point at which the close-range wireless communication has succeeded,
wherein the choosing part is configured to choose the communication point on the basis of the communication history information.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The communication point determination device according to claim 12,
wherein the communication point is determined by at least one information of the communication position within the target area, an attitude of the mobile body performing the close-range wireless communication with the wireless device, a position of an on-board wireless device of the mobile body for performing the close-range wireless communication with the wireless device, an attitude of an antenna of the on-board wireless device, or an orientation of the antenna.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

An inspection system, comprising:
the communication point determination device according to claim 12 configured to determine a communication point including a communication position being a position of a mobile body which performs close-range wireless communication with a wireless device disposed within a target area including an obstacle which obstructs propagation of radio waves; and
the mobile body including an on-board wireless device for performing the close-range wireless communication with the wireless device, the mobile body being configured to travel along a patrol route which passes through the determined communication position.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The inspection system according to claim 17, further comprising:
a control device configured to control the mobile body,
wherein the mobile body is configured to, if the close-range wireless communication at the communication point fails, detect the obstacle included in at least a part of a direction of a surrounding of the communication point and send a detection result of the obstacle to the communication point determination device, and
wherein the control device is configured to, if the communication point determination device determines a new communication point in response to receiving the detection result of the obstacle, control the mobile body to the new communication point.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The inspection system according to claim 17, further comprising:
a diagnosis device configured to, if the number of failure of the close-range wireless communication with the same wireless device becomes a predetermined number or more, perform abnormality diagnosis on the on-board wireless device,
wherein the mobile body is configured to, if a result of the abnormality diagnosis shows that the on-board wireless device has an abnormality, travel to a predetermined position other than the communication point.

### Claim 20

A method for determining a communication point which includes a communication position being a position of a mobile body which performs close-range wireless communication with a wireless device disposed within a target area including an obstacle which obstructs propagation of radio waves, the method comprising:
a step of obtaining a radio wave strength map indicating a distribution of a radio wave strength within the target area obtained by numerical analysis based on area shape information of the target area generated on the basis of an outer shape of the obstacle existing within the target area, installation position information of the wireless device within the target area, and radio wave information related to transmission or response of radio waves of the wireless device;
a step of determining the communication point on the basis of the radio wave strength map;
a step of obtaining a detection result of the obstacle included in at least a part of a direction of a surrounding of the communication point upon failure of the close-range wireless communication at the communication point; and
a step of determining, on the basis of the detection result of the obstacle, presence or absence of shape change of the detected surrounding from a shape of the surrounding indicated by the area shape information,
wherein the step of determining the communication point includes, if it is determined that the shape change is present, determine a new communication point instead of the communication point at which the close-range wireless communication has failed.

### Claim 21

A program for determining a communication point including a communication position being a position of a mobile body which performs close-range wireless communication with a wireless device disposed within a target area including an obstacle which obstructs propagation of radio waves, the program being configured to cause a computer to realize:
a first acquisition part configured to obtain a radio wave strength map indicating a distribution of a radio wave strength within the target area obtained by numerical analysis based on area shape information of the target area generated on the basis of an outer shape of the obstacle existing within the target area, installation position information of the wireless device within the target area, and radio wave information related to transmission or response of radio waves of the wireless device;
a determination part configured to determine the communication point on the basis of the radio wave strength map;
a second acquisition part configured to obtain a detection result of the obstacle included in at least a part of a direction of a surrounding of the communication point upon failure of the close-range wireless communication at the communication point; and
a shape change determination part configured to determine, on the basis of the detection result of the obstacle, presence or absence of shape change of the detected surrounding from a shape of the surrounding indicated by the area shape information,
wherein the determination part is configured to, if it is determined that the shape change is present, determine a new communication point instead of the communication point at which the close-range wireless communication has failed.