A multiplex device including a multiplex connecting section connected to a movable side multiplex device, the multiplex connecting section being configured to transmit a position signal outputted from a position signal output section connected to the movable side multiplex device by multiplexing communication with the movable side multiplex device; an amplifier connecting section connected to a position signal output section amplifier, the amplifier being configured to transmit the position signal to the position signal output section amplifier; a measuring device connecting section connected to a position signal measuring device; and a switching section configured to switch from a connection between the multiplex connecting section and the position signal output section amplifier, and a connection between the multiplex connecting section and the position signal measuring device in accordance with detection of a connection between the measuring device connecting section and the position signal measuring device.

A data converter, a signal transmission method, and a signal transmission system for transmitting a signal to a programmable logic controller are provided. The data converter: performs sampling multiple times with respect to data detected by a sensor in one communication period of communication with a programmable logic controller; acquires statistical data by statisticizing a plurality of sampling data in the one communication period; and transmits the statistical data to the programmable logic controller when the one communication period is reached. Therefore, a signal sampling density is improved, and thus control accuracy can be enhanced. At the same time, a data transmission amount of a bus is reduced, a load on the programmable logic controller is reduced, and user convenience is improved.

A damper is provided which can more reliably prevent malfunction and breakdown and which enables efficiently performing repair and inspection operations. This damper, provided with a casing linked to a first object and a rotating part linked to a second object rotatably attached to the first object, damps rotation in either the direction closing or the direction opening the second object, and is provided with a sensor which detects prescribed change in the external environment in the damper or around the damper, and a control unit which externally communicates, over a communication network, information relating to the change in the external environment detected by the sensor, wherein the sensor is configured from at least one of: a rotation sensor for detecting the number of revolutions of the rotating part: a sound sensor for detecting sound during rotations of the rotating part; a temperature sensor for detecting temperature; and a torque sensor for detecting torque on the basis of friction during rotation of the rotating part.

A damper is provided which can more reliably prevent malfunction and breakdown and which enables efficiently performing repair and inspection operations. This damper, provided with a casing linked to a first object and a rotating part linked to a second object rotatably attached to the first object, damps rotation in either the direction closing or the direction opening the second object, and is provided with a sensor which detects prescribed change in the external environment in the damper or around the damper, and a control unit which externally communicates, over a communication network, information relating to the change in the external environment detected by the sensor, wherein the sensor is configured from at least one of: a rotation sensor for detecting the number of revolutions of the rotating part: a sound sensor for detecting sound during rotations of the rotating part; a temperature sensor for detecting temperature; and a torque sensor for detecting torque on the basis of friction during rotation of the rotating part.

To avoid congestion and an overload at the time of data transmission from an IoT device to a wireless network, at least one gateway apparatus is controlled to execute a gateway function at a first timing at a first position, collect data from a plurality of devices present near the first position, and transmit aggregated data to a base station, and to execute the gateway function at a second timing different from the first timing at a second position different from the first position, collect data from a plurality of devices present near the second position, and transmit aggregated data to the base station.

There are provided: a first communication device; a second communication device that communicates wirelessly with the first communication device; and a state detector that outputs state data indicating a state of a predetermined installation place. The first communication device includes: a storage; and a data controller that selectively executes a transmitting operation to transmit the state data to the second communication device and a storing operation to store the state data in the storage. The second communication device includes a signal generator that generates a stop notification signal notifying that the second communication device in operation stops an operation, and stops the operation after transmitting the stop notification signal to the first communication device. The data controller executes the transmitting operation before the stop notification signal is transmitted from the second communication device, and executes the storing operation after the stop notification signal is transmitted from the second communication device.

A provider-side metadata acquisition part acquires provider-side metadata regarding a sensing data providing terminal. The provider-side metadata includes a current position of the sensing data providing terminal. Also, the user-side metadata acquisition part acquires user-side metadata regarding sensing data using terminal. A matching part performs matching with the user-side metadata, using the current position of the sensing data providing terminal included in the provider-side metadata and the current time, and decides whether to request the sensing data providing terminal to provide the sensing data. A request part requires the sensing data providing terminal to provide the sensing data in accordance with the decision by the matching part.

A sensor system includes at least one sensor and a control unit. The at least one sensor and the control unit communicate with each other using a time-division multiplexing method. The control unit is capable of being connected to a plurality of sensors that configures the at least one sensor, and transmits a data transmission command to the at least one sensor connected to the control unit at every fixed amount of time. In response to the number of at least one target sensor, among the at least one sensor, for transmitting data collected by the control unit being less than the number of time slots allocated within the fixed amount of time, the at least one sensor transmits data to the control unit using a plurality of time slots.

A sensor management unit includes a sensing data obtaining unit that obtains sensing data generated by a sensor, an output determination unit that determines whether the sensing data is allowed to be output to a user based on a data catalog storing an attribute of the sensing data and storing a first item allowed to be output to the user, and an output unit that outputs the sensing data to the user in accordance with a result of the determination by the output determination unit.

A sensor management unit includes an obtaining unit that obtains sensing data from a sensing device to generate sensing data of a plurality of sensing items, a detection unit that detects an overloaded state of the sensing device, a retrieval unit that determines, based on a detection result obtained by the detection unit, at least one sensing item to be retrieved from of the plurality of sensing items and retrieves the determined sensing item, and an output unit that outputs the retrieved sensing item to an external device.