Panasonic Corporation

Toshitaka Sato

Yuuki Kasai

Masayuki Amano

Hideki Fujimura

Tadashi Matsumoto

A first unit and a second unit manage a plurality of devices (a first device), respectively. In addition, the first and second units, repeat to transmit a keep-alive packet and to confirm a response each other, and thus detect each other's malfunction. When the second unit malfunctions, the first unit detects the malfunction of the second unit and transmits a connection command to the connection unit. The connection unit connects a lower net Nia and a lower net Nib when receiving the connection command. Then, the first unit communicates with the first device as heretofore, and further communicates with a second device via the connection unit. Thus, even if a master unit malfunctions, the device management system can maintain to manage without stopping a management of a slave unit which had been managed by the master unit until then.

Device management system

When the alternate unit detects the failure of the area unit, the alternate unit obtains the program corresponding to the program type of the area unit having the failure. The alternate unit sets the IP address of the area unit, and obtains the setting information from the management unit belonging to the area same as the area including the area unit having the failure. Then, the alternate unit collects the data from the units which previously communicate with the area unit having a failure and previously communicating with the area unit. The alternate unit performs the initialization and starts the management of the unit. Consequently, it is possible to continuously manage the sub unit being previously managed by the main unit, now having a failure, without stopping the management of the sub unit, even if the main unit is failed.

A device management system has lighting device controlling units and measurement management units, each of which is disposed in each sub area. In addition, the lighting device controlling units and the measurement management units are configured to communicate with an area unit which is disposed in each sub area. The area unit is configured to communicate with the lighting device controlling units and the measurement management units via a communication packet. The area unit further has a router which is configured to prevent the communication packet from leaking to the communication network having an upper management device in the high hierarchy level. The area unit is configured to communicate with the upper management device through the router.

Growing community of inventors

Ibaraki, Japan

Toshitaka Sato