JP7656257B2 - Radio wave module and communication system - Google Patents

Description

Aspects of the present invention generally relate to radio wave modules and communication systems.

A communication system is known that allows a manager to manage a toilet room using an administrator's terminal by transmitting the toilet room status to an external device via a network (for example, Patent Document 1). In addition, a communication system for plumbing equipment is also known that allows a manager's terminal to centrally manage the usage status and maintenance needs of plumbing equipment such as warm water washing toilet seats, toilet bowls, hand washing basins, soap dispensers, electric water heaters, and hand dryers.

Patent No. 6636892

The communication system for such plumbing equipment is realized, for example, by communication between a radio wave module installed in the plumbing equipment and a network device such as a gateway. The radio wave module of the plumbing equipment may also communicate with a remote control for operating the plumbing equipment.

The radio wave module may be controlled by switching between a first reception period during which a first command signal according to a first communication standard used for communication with a network device can be received, and a second reception period during which a second command signal according to a second communication standard used for communication with a remote control can be received. The first command signal from the network device to the radio wave module can be transmitted stably, for example, by setting the transmission timing to the first reception period.

On the other hand, the second command signal from the remote control to the radio wave module is sent based on the user's operation of the remote control, so the transmission timing is irregular. As a result, when the radio wave module is in the first reception period, there is a risk that the radio wave module will not be able to receive the second command signal even if the remote control is operated.

The present invention was developed based on the recognition of this problem, and aims to provide a radio wave module and a communication system that can stably receive a first command signal according to a first communication standard and a second command signal according to a second communication standard used for communication with a remote control.

The first invention is a radio wave module having a communication unit capable of receiving both a first command signal according to a first communication standard having an acknowledgment signal and a second command signal according to a second communication standard used in communication from a remote control and not having an acknowledgment signal, characterized in that the communication unit alternates between a first reception period during which the first command signal can be received and a second reception period during which the second command signal can be received, and the first reception period is set to be shorter than the length of the second command signal.

This radio wave module can stably receive both a first command signal according to a first communication standard and a second command signal according to a second communication standard used for communication with the remote control.

The second invention is a radio wave module according to the first invention, characterized in that the second command signal has a preamble added to its beginning, and the first reception period is shorter than the time length of the preamble.

This radio wave module allows for more stable reception of the second command signal transmitted from the remote control.

The third invention is a radio wave module according to the first or second invention, characterized in that the second reception period is set to be longer than the first reception period.

This radio wave module can reduce the arrival of the second command signal transmitted from the remote control when the communication unit is in the first reception period, allowing the second command signal to be received more stably.

The fourth invention is a radio wave module according to any one of the first to third inventions, characterized in that the first command signal is transmitted from a network device connected to an external device via a network.

This radio wave module can receive instructions from the network via the first command signal.

The fifth invention is a communication system equipped with a radio wave module having a communication unit capable of receiving both a first command signal according to a first communication standard having an acknowledgment signal and a second command signal according to a second communication standard used in communication from a remote control and not having an acknowledgment signal, characterized in that the communication unit alternates between a first reception period during which the first command signal can be received and a second reception period during which the second command signal can be received, and the first reception period is set to be shorter than the length of the second command signal.

This communication system can stably receive both a first command signal according to a first communication standard and a second command signal according to a second communication standard used for communication with the remote control.

The sixth invention is a communication system according to the fifth invention, characterized in that it includes a plumbing device provided with the radio wave module, the remote control for operating the plumbing device, and a network device connected to an external device via a network and communicating with the radio wave module according to the first communication standard.

This communication system allows for stable communication for both the management and operation of plumbing equipment.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a radio wave module and a communication system are provided that can stably receive a first command signal according to a first communication standard and a second command signal according to a second communication standard used for communication with a remote control.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a network system. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a communication system including a radio wave module according to an embodiment of the present invention. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a case where a second command signal transmitted from a remote control is received by the radio wave module. FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, like elements are designated by like reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a network system.
As shown in FIG. 1, the network system 101 includes a plumbing device 10, an external device 40 connected to the plumbing device 10 via a network 30, and an administrator terminal 50 connected to the external device 40 via the network 30.

The plumbing equipment 10 is, for example, equipment installed in facilities used by an unspecified number of people, and is used in connection with, for example, public toilets TR, toilets in buildings, unit baths in hotels, and public baths. Examples of the plumbing equipment 10 include warm water washing toilet seats, toilet bowls, urinals, automatic faucets, automatic soap dispensers, electric water heaters, hand dryers, paper dispensers, human presence/queue sensors, door/lock sensors, storage shelves, lighting, speakers, music players, video displays, and eco-sensors.

The network device 20 transmits multiple pieces of device information related to, for example, the usage status and the need for maintenance of the water-related devices 10 to the external device 40 via the network 30. In this way, the network device 20 is connected to multiple water-related devices 10 and transmits multiple pieces of device information for each water-related device 10 to the external device 40, etc. The network device 20 also receives various command signals transmitted from the external device 40 and transmits them to each water-related device 10.

The network device 20 wirelessly communicates with the external device 40 via the network 30, and also wirelessly communicates with the radio wave module 15 provided in each water-related device 10 via the network 35. The network device 20 is, for example, a gateway that converts between the protocol of the network 30 on the external device 40 side and the protocol of the radio wave module 15's wireless communication. Note that the network device 20 is not limited to a gateway, and may be any communication device that can communicate with the outside. The communication between the network device 20 and the radio wave module 15 is bidirectional. The communication between the network device 20 and the external device 40 is also bidirectional.

The network 30 is, for example, the Internet or a LAN (Local Area Network), and connects the network device 20, the administrator terminal 50, and the display unit 60 via the external device 40. The network 30 may connect the external device 40 and the administrator terminal 50, the external device 40 and the network device 20, and the external device 40 and the display unit 60 with a wire, may connect them wirelessly, or may be a combination of wire and wireless. The network 30 may be any network that enables communication between the network device 20, the external device 40, and the administrator terminal 50.

The external device 40 is provided at a location away from the plumbing device 10. The external device 40 is, for example, a cloud server, which is connected to the administrator terminal 50 via the network 30 and manages information about the plumbing device 10.

The administrator terminal 50 is a terminal held by an administrator who manages the toilet room TR, and is, for example, a mobile terminal 50a or a PC terminal 50b. The administrator terminal 50 is connected to an external device 40 via a network 30. The administrator can, for example, connect to the external device 40 and obtain (view) various information on the bathroom equipment 10 installed in the toilet room TR. In addition, the administrator can operate the administrator terminal 50 to output various command signals from the external device 40 to the bathroom equipment 10.

The display unit 60 is installed, for example, at the entrances and exits of public facilities and buildings, or at information centers, and displays information within the facility. For example, the display unit 60 displays whether the toilet room TR is full or empty, the cleaning status, and the like. This allows the user to recognize the situation within the facility by checking the display unit 60.

In this way, the network system 101 makes the toilet TR an IoT (Internet of Things) facility, allowing the administrator to centrally manage the usage status of each bathroom device 10 and the need for maintenance. This allows the administrator to keep track of malfunctions, maintenance, and usage status of the bathroom devices 10 from a location away from the toilet TR. In addition, the administrator can operate the administrator terminal 50 to make various settings related to the bathroom devices 10. Therefore, the administrator can manage the toilet TR without having to go to a public toilet TR, etc.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic diagram of a communication system including a radio wave module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a case where the radio wave module receives a second command signal transmitted from the remote control.
2, the communication system 1 includes a plumbing device 10, a network device 20, and a remote control 25. The communication system 1 includes communication between a radio wave module 15 provided in each plumbing device 10 and the network device 20, and communication between the radio wave module 15 provided in each plumbing device 10 and a remote control 25 for operating the plumbing device 10.

The plumbing device 10 comprises a device body 11. The device body 11 operates the plumbing device 10 and comprises, for example, a control unit 13 that controls the operation of the device body 11 and a memory unit 14 that stores the state and usage of the device body 11. For example, in the case of a warm-water washing toilet seat, the device body 11 may be a heat retention device that keeps the toilet seat warm or a sanitary washing device that washes the buttocks, in the case of a urinal, a flushing device that flushes flushing water for flushing the toilet, and in the case of an automatic faucet, a faucet device that spouts hot and cold water. In other words, the device body 11 constitutes a functional unit that performs the functions of the plumbing device 10.

The control unit 13 controls the operation of the device body 11. The control unit 13 is electrically connected to actuators, sensors, etc. (neither of which are shown) of the device body 11. The control unit 13 is also electrically connected to the radio wave module 15. The control unit 13 controls the operation of actuators, etc. of the device body 11 based on, for example, a second command signal transmitted from the remote control 25 or a detection signal transmitted from a sensor.

The storage unit 14 is a memory that stores the usage history of the plumbing device 10, the status of various devices provided in the plumbing device 10, and the settings of the plumbing device 10. The storage unit 14 also stores a control program executed by the control unit 13. The storage unit 14 may be provided within the control unit 13.

The radio wave module 15 communicates with both the network device 20 and the remote control 25. The radio wave module 15 is capable of receiving a first command signal transmitted from the network device 20 and a second command signal transmitted from the remote control 25. The radio wave module 15 receives, for example, settings of the plumbing device 10 operated on the manager terminal 50 via the network device 20. The radio wave module 15 also transmits information such as the usage and status of the plumbing device 10 to the external device 40 and the manager terminal 50 via the network device 20. The radio wave module 15 also receives a second command signal such as the operation of the plumbing device 10 operated on the remote control 25. The radio wave module 15 has a communication unit 16, a control unit 18, and a memory unit 19.

The communication unit 16 receives a first command signal transmitted from the network device 20 and a second command signal transmitted from the remote control 25. The communication unit 16 also transmits a command signal to the network device 20. That is, the communication unit 16 and the network device 20 communicate bidirectionally. On the other hand, the communication unit 16 and the remote control 25 communicate unidirectionally from the remote control 25 to the communication unit 16. This creates a communication system 1 with reduced power consumption.

The communication between the communication unit 16 and the network device 20 is performed according to a first communication standard that has an acknowledgement signal (ACK). The first communication standard is a wireless communication standard. When the radio wave module 15 receives a first command signal transmitted from the network device 20, it transmits an acknowledgement signal to the network device 20. On the other hand, the communication between the communication unit 16 and the remote control 25 is performed according to a second communication standard that does not have an acknowledgement signal. The second communication standard is a wireless communication standard.

The control unit 18 controls the operation of the radio wave module 15. For example, the control unit 18 causes the memory unit 19 to store a first command signal transmitted from the network device 20 and a second command signal transmitted from the remote control 25, and causes the communication unit 16 to transmit an acknowledgement signal to the network device 20. The control unit 18 also causes the communication unit 16 to transmit various pieces of information about the plumbing device 10, stored in the memory unit 19, to the network device 20.

Furthermore, the control unit 18 controls the switching of the reception mode of the communication unit 16. Specifically, the control unit 18 alternates between a first reception period A during which the communication unit 16 can receive a first command signal transmitted from the network device 20 and a second reception period B during which the communication unit 16 can receive a second command signal transmitted from the remote control 25. Details of the reception mode of the radio wave module 15 will be described later.

The storage unit 19 is a memory that stores information such as the first and second command signals received by the communication unit 16 and the usage and status of the plumbing device 10. The storage unit 19 also stores identification information that is individually set for the network device 20 and the remote control 25. The control unit 18 can recognize whether the received command signal is the corresponding network device 20 or remote control 25 by comparing the identification information of the command signal transmitted from the network device 20 or remote control 25 with the identification information stored in the storage unit 19. The storage unit 19 also stores a control program executed by the control unit 18. The storage unit 19 may be provided within the control unit 18.

The network device 20 is installed, for example, in a public restroom TR, a restroom in a building, a hotel unit bath, a public bath, etc., with one network device 20 provided for multiple bathroom devices 10 (radio wave modules 15). In other words, one network device 20 is capable of one-to-many communication corresponding to multiple radio wave modules 15.

The network device 20 is, for example, a gateway, and is connected to an external device 40 via a network 30. The network device 20 is also connected to a radio wave module 15 provided in each of the multiple plumbing devices 10 via a network 35. The network device 20 is not limited to a gateway, and may be any device provided between the Internet network and the radio wave module 15. The network device 20 has a communication unit 21, a control unit 22, and a memory unit 23.

The communication unit 21 is connected to the external device 40 via the network 30. The communication unit 21 receives command signals transmitted from the external device 40 and transmits command signals to the external device 40. The communication unit 21 is also connected to the communication unit 16 of the radio module 15 via the network 35. Signals transmitted over the network 35 are in accordance with a first communication standard that includes an acknowledgement signal. The communication unit 21 receives command signals transmitted from the radio module 15 and transmits first command signals to the radio module 15.

The control unit 22 controls the operation of the network device 20. The control unit 22 stores command signals transmitted from, for example, the external device 40 or the radio wave module 15 in the memory unit 23. The control unit 22 also causes the communication unit 21 to transmit command signals to the external device 40 and a first command signal to the radio wave module 15.

For example, when the control unit 22 transmits a first command signal to the radio wave module 15, the control unit 22 can recognize that the first command signal has been received by the radio wave module 15 by receiving an acknowledgment response signal transmitted from the radio wave module 15. When the first command signal is transmitted from the network device 20 to the radio wave module 15, if it is in the second reception period B during which the communication unit 16 of the radio wave module 15 can receive the second command signal transmitted from the remote control 25, the control unit 22 of the network device 20 cannot receive the acknowledgment response signal within a predetermined time after transmission.

In such a case, the control unit 22 transmits the first command signal again to the radio wave module 15. If the communication unit 16 of the radio wave module 15 is in the first reception period A, the first command signal is received and an acknowledgement signal is transmitted from the radio wave module 15 to the network device 20. In other words, the control unit 22 transmits the first command signal to the radio wave module 15 until the acknowledgement signal is received. This allows stable communication between the network device 20 and the radio wave module 15.

The storage unit 23 is a memory that stores command signals and the like received by the communication unit 21. The storage unit 23 also stores identification information that is set individually for each radio wave module 15. The control unit 22 can recognize which of the bathroom appliances 10 the received command signal belongs to by comparing the identification information of the command signal transmitted from the radio wave module 15 of each bathroom appliance 10 with the identification information stored in the storage unit 23.

The control unit 22 can identify the radio wave module 15 that transmits the first command signal from among the multiple radio wave modules 15 based on the identification information of the radio wave modules 15 stored in the memory unit 23. The memory unit 23 also stores a control program executed by the control unit 22. The memory unit 23 may be provided within the control unit 22.

The remote control 25 is operated to operate the plumbing equipment 10. The remote control 25 is disposed, for example, on the side of each plumbing equipment 10. For example, if the plumbing equipment 10 is a warm water washing toilet seat, the remote control 25 is operated to wash the private parts of a user seated on the toilet seat. The remote control 25 is provided, for example, exclusively for one radio wave module 15. In other words, the remote control 25 and the radio wave module 15 are in one-to-one communication. The remote control 25 may be a mobile terminal that the user can carry with them. The remote control 25 may also be used for maintenance of the plumbing equipment 10. The remote control 25 has an operation unit 26, a communication unit 27, a control unit 28, and a memory unit 29.

The operation unit 26 is provided in a plurality of units on the remote control 25, for example. The operation unit 26 is a switch and a button for operating the functions of the device body 11 of the bathroom equipment 10. The operation unit 26 is, for example, a water volume adjustment switch, a water temperature adjustment switch, a start switch for starting the operation of the actuator of the bathroom equipment 10, a stop switch for stopping the operation of the actuator, and the like. For example, if the bathroom equipment 10 is a warm water washing toilet seat, the operation unit 26 is a switch for starting private parts washing and a switch for stopping private parts washing. The operation unit 26 is connected to the control unit 28, and a signal from the operation unit 26 is transmitted to the control unit 28.

The communication unit 27 is connected to the communication unit 16 of the radio wave module 15. The communication unit 27 transmits a second command signal to the communication unit 16 of the radio wave module 15. The second command signal is based on a second communication standard that does not have a confirmation signal. In other words, the communication unit 27 of the remote control 25 is configured not to receive a response confirmation signal from the radio wave module 15. In other words, the communication unit 27 of the remote control 25 is a transmitting unit that transmits a first command signal, and is configured to perform one-way communication with the radio wave module 15.

The control unit 28 controls the operation of the remote control 25. For example, the control unit 28 stores operation information of the operation unit 26 in the memory unit 29. When the operation unit 26 is operated, the control unit 28 also causes the communication unit 27 to transmit a second command signal toward the radio wave module 15.

The storage unit 29 is a memory that stores the second command signal transmitted by the communication unit 27. The storage unit 29 also stores identification information that is set individually for each radio wave module 15. The control unit 28 transmits the second command signal with this identification information added to the radio wave module 15.

Next, we will explain what happens when the first command signal is sent from the network device 20.

The network device 20 can transmit the first command signal to the radio wave module 15, for example, at a preset time or at a specified time interval. The network device 20 may also transmit the first command signal to the radio wave module 15 when instructed by, for example, the administrator terminal 50.

The communication unit 16 of the radio wave module 15 alternates between a first reception period A during which the first command signal transmitted from the network device 20 can be received, and a second reception period B during which the second command signal transmitted from the remote control 25 can be received. The communication unit 16 can receive the first command signal when the first command signal arrives during the first reception period A. When the control unit 18 of the radio wave module 15 receives the first command signal, it causes an acknowledgement signal to be transmitted to the network device 20. By receiving this acknowledgement signal, the network device 20 can recognize that the first command signal has been received normally.

On the other hand, when the first command signal arrives during the second reception period B, the communication unit 16 is unable to receive the first command signal. The network device 20 is able to recognize that the first command signal has not been received normally because the acknowledgement signal has not been received. In such a case, the network device 20 can repeatedly transmit the first command signal until it receives the acknowledgement signal.

The first command signal is, for example, various initial setting values (such as initial setting values for water temperature and water volume) of the water-related device 10 set by the administrator terminal 50. Therefore, there is little need for the radio wave module 15 to receive the first command signal immediately, and it is sufficient for the radio wave module 15 to receive it within a certain predetermined time. In addition, since the network device 20 communicates with multiple radio wave modules 15, it is necessary to recognize whether the transmitted first command signal has been received by the radio wave module 15. Therefore, by using the first communication standard having an acknowledgement response signal for communication between the network device 20 and the radio wave module 15, communication and management can be performed stably.

Next, the case where the radio wave module 15 receives the second command signal transmitted from the remote control 25 will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

As shown in FIG. 3, the communication unit 16 of the radio wave module 15 alternates between a first reception period A during which the first command signal transmitted from the network device 20 can be received, and a second reception period B during which the second command signal transmitted from the remote control 25 can be received. The time length Ta of the first reception period A is equal to or less than the time length Tb of the second reception period B (Ta≦Tb). In this embodiment, the time length Ta of the first reception period A and the time length Tb of the second reception period B are set to the same length.

The second command signal has a preamble added to the beginning of each packet, followed by a header, data contents, and a checksum, in that order. The preamble is a section that indicates that the data contents of the second command signal are about to be transmitted. The header is added before the data contents, and contains information about the data contents and identification information for the remote control 25. The data contents contain information about the operations performed on the operation unit 26 of the remote control 25. The checksum is a section that allows the control unit 18 of the radio module 15 to confirm that it is the same as the second command signal transmitted from the remote control 25.

When the communication unit 16 is in the second reception period B, it can receive the second command signal. On the other hand, when the communication unit 16 is in the first reception period A, it cannot receive the second command signal. The second command signal is transmitted when the user operates the operation unit 26 of the remote control 25, so it is difficult to time the transmission of the second command signal to the second reception period B. In addition, the second command signal transmitted from the remote control 25 is intended to cause the device body 11 of the plumbing device 10 to function, so it is necessary for the radio wave module 15 to receive it quickly and stably.

Therefore, the communication unit 16 of the radio wave module 15 sets the time length Ta of the first reception period A to be shorter than the time length Tc of the preamble of the second command signal (Ta<Tc). As shown in FIG. 3, the communication unit 16 of the radio wave module 15 is set to the first reception period A at time t1. Then, the communication unit 16 switches from the first reception period A to the second reception period B at time t2. If the second command signal reaches the communication unit 16 at time t1, the communication unit 16 can receive the second command signal (preamble) at time t2. When the communication unit 16 receives the second command signal, it continues (extends) the second reception period B until time t3 when the second command signal ends. When the communication unit 16 finishes receiving the second command signal, it switches to the first reception period A.

In this way, the communication unit 16 of the radio wave module 15 can receive the preamble when the first reception period A is switched to the second reception period B, regardless of where the second command signal arrives during the first reception period A. The control unit 13 of the plumbing device 10 then operates the device body 11 based on the second command signal received by the radio wave module 15. This allows stable operation of the plumbing device 10 based on the operation of the remote control 25.

Thus, according to this embodiment, the radio wave module 15 has a communication unit 16 capable of receiving both a first command signal according to a first communication standard having an acknowledgement signal, and a second command signal according to a second communication standard used in communication from the remote control 25 and not having an acknowledgement signal, and the communication unit 16 alternates between a first reception period A during which the first command signal can be received, and a second reception period B during which the second command signal can be received, with the first reception period A being set to be shorter than the length of the second command signal. Also, a preamble is added to the beginning of the second command signal, and the first reception period A is shorter than the time length of the preamble.

In the radio wave module 15, the communication unit 16 alternates between the first reception period A and the second reception period B, so that the radio wave module 15 does not receive both the first command signal and the second command signal at the same time, and the control process can be prevented from becoming complicated. In addition, the first command signal is a first communication standard having an acknowledgement signal. Therefore, the radio wave module 15 can stably receive the first command signal by this acknowledgement signal. In addition, the second reception period B is shorter than the second command signal (preamble). Therefore, even if the second command signal (preamble) arrives during the first reception period A, the radio wave module 15 can receive the second command signal when switching to the second reception period B. As a result, the radio wave module 15 can stably receive the first command signal according to the first communication standard and the second command signal according to the second communication standard used for communication with the remote control 25.

The first command signal is also transmitted from the network device 20 connected to the external device 40 via the network 30. This allows the radio wave module 15 to receive information instructed, for example, at a remote location.

The communication system 1 includes a radio wave module 15 having a communication unit 16 capable of receiving both a first command signal according to a first communication standard having an acknowledgment signal and a second command signal according to a second communication standard used in communication from a remote control 25 and not having an acknowledgment signal, and the communication unit 16 alternates between a first reception period A during which the first command signal can be received and a second reception period B during which the second command signal can be received, and the first reception period A is set to be shorter than the length of the second command signal.

The communication system 1 also includes a plumbing device 10 equipped with a radio wave module 15, a remote control 25 for operating the plumbing device 10, and a network device 20 connected to an external device 40 via a network 30 and communicating with the radio wave module 15 according to a first communication standard. This allows the communication system 1 to stably communicate both for managing the plumbing device 10 and for operating the plumbing device 10.

In the above embodiment, the time length Ta of the first reception period A is shorter than the time length Tc of the preamble of the second command signal. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the time length Ta of the first reception period A may be set to be shorter than the length of the second command signal. In other words, the second command signal according to the second communication standard may be a communication without a preamble.

The second command signal does not need to have a preamble as long as the necessary data portion can be delivered to the radio wave module 15. For example, it is sufficient that the data necessary to operate the plumbing device, which is included in the second command signal, can be received within the second reception period B using a second communication standard that makes it possible to know from the header and data contents that a second command signal is being sent. Even in such a case, even if the radio wave module 15 receives the second command signal in the first reception period A, it can receive the second command signal when switching from the first reception period A to the second reception period B.

In the above embodiment, the time length Ta of the first reception period A and the time length Tb of the second reception period B are the same length. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the time length Tb of the second reception period B may be set longer than the time length Ta of the first reception period A. This can minimize the time that the second command signal transmitted from the remote control 25 takes to be transmitted to the first reception period A, thereby making it possible to increase the response speed of the remote control 25.

In the above-described embodiment, the second command signal is transmitted as one packet from the preamble to the checksum. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the second command signal may be transmitted as multiple packets from the preamble to the checksum in succession. This allows the plumbing device 10 to operate stably with the next packet, even if the data in a packet is corrupted.

In the above-described embodiment, the external device 40 is a cloud server. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the control process performed by the external device 40 may be performed by the administrator terminal 50. That is, the administrator terminal 50 may have a control function for the external device 40. In other words, the administrator terminal 50 may directly manage the plumbing device 10.

In the above-described embodiment, the radio wave module 15 and communication system 1 provided in the plumbing device 10 installed in the toilet room TR or the like have been described as examples. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the radio wave module 15 and communication system 1 may be used in multiple devices that are IoT-enabled.

The above describes the embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to these descriptions. Any design changes made by a person skilled in the art to the above-mentioned embodiments are also included within the scope of the present invention as long as they include the features of the present invention. For example, the shape, dimensions, material, arrangement, etc. of each element of the radio wave module 15 and the communication system 1 are not limited to those exemplified, and can be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, each element of each of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined to the extent technically possible, and such combinations are also included within the scope of the present invention as long as they include the features of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Communication system 10 Bathroom equipment 11 Equipment body 13 Control unit 14 Memory unit 15 Radio wave module 16 Communication unit 18 Control unit 19 Memory unit 20 Network equipment 21 Communication unit 22 Control unit 23 Memory unit 25 Remote control 26 Operation unit 27 Communication unit 28 Control unit 29 Memory unit 30, 35 Network 40 External equipment 50 Manager terminal 50a Mobile terminal 50b PC terminal 60 Display unit 101 Network system A First reception period B Second reception period TR Toilet room

Claims (6)

A radio wave module having a communication unit capable of receiving both a first command signal according to a first communication standard having an acknowledgement signal and a second command signal according to a second communication standard used in communication from a remote control and not having an acknowledgement signal,
the communication unit alternates between a first reception period during which the first command signal can be received and a second reception period during which the second command signal can be received;
The radio wave module, wherein the first reception period is set to be shorter than the length of the second command signal. The second command signal has a preamble added to its beginning,
2. The radio wave module according to claim 1, wherein the first reception period is shorter than the time length of the preamble. The radio wave module according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second reception period is set longer than the first reception period. The radio wave module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the first command signal is transmitted from a network device connected to an external device via a network. A communication system including a radio wave module having a communication unit capable of receiving both a first command signal according to a first communication standard having an acknowledgement signal and a second command signal according to a second communication standard used in communication from a remote control and not having an acknowledgement signal,
the communication unit alternates between a first reception period during which the first command signal can be received and a second reception period during which the second command signal can be received;
A communication system, wherein the first reception period is set to be shorter than the length of the second command signal. A plumbing device provided with the radio wave module;
The remote control for operating the plumbing equipment;
a network device connected to an external device via a network and configured to communicate with the radio wave module according to the first communication standard;
6. The communication system according to claim 5, further comprising:

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