Controlled device, controller, information control center, initialization-allowing communication system, and communication control system and medium

• US 20030191543A1
• Filed: 04/08/2003
• Published: 10/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koji Iwamoto
• Original Assignee: Koji Iwamoto
• Inventors: Iwamoto, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 7,043,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/2
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0421 Multiprocessor system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

An initialization-allowing communication system is constituted with devices 70 and 80, a controller 400 for controlling the devices 70 and 80 through communication, and so on. Each device and the controller 400 are provided with communication means 31, a house code showing a setting place, a subsystem ID showing the ID of a subsystem in a set system, a device ID showing the type of device, and self-address setting-holding means 11 for holding a self-address constituted with a device number showing a device number and the controller 400 is further provided with system structure holding means 301 for holding the information concerned with the system structure to be controlled and a communication-counterpart-address setting-holding means 401 for setting and holding the address of a counterpart to be communication-controlled obtained from the information concerned with the system structure.

Claims

1. A controlled device to be controlled by a controller, wherein

an information control center having a data base storing a plurality of pieces of combined information between said controller and a controlled device corresponding to said controller transmits a piece of combined information to a controller included in the piece of combined information in accordance with a transmission request for requesting the information control center to transmit any one of said pieces of combined information when receiving said request.

26. A medium wherein a program for making a computer execute functions of all or some of means of claim 1 is recorded.

2. A controller for controlling a controlled device, wherein

an information control center having a data base storing a plurality of pieces of combined information between said controller and a controlled device corresponding to said controller transmits a piece of combined information to a controller included in the piece of combined information in accordance with a transmission request for requesting the information control center to transmit any one of said pieces of combined information when receiving said request.

27. A medium wherein a program for making a computer execute functions of all or some of means of claim 2 is recorded.

3. An information control center having a data base storing a plurality of pieces of combined information between a controller and a controlled device corresponding to said controller, wherein

said information control center transmits a piece of combined information to a controller included in the piece of combined information in accordance with a request for requesting said information control center to transmit any one of said pieces of combined information when receiving said request.

28. A medium wherein a program for making a computer execute functions of all or some of means of claim 3 is recorded.

4. A controlled device to be controlled by a controller, wherein

an information control center having a data base storing a plurality of pieces of combined information between said controller and the controlled device corresponding to said controller transmits said combined information to controllers included in the combined information at predetermined timing.

35. A medium wherein a program for making a computer execute functions of all or some of means of claim 4 is recorded.

5. A controller for controlling a controlled device, wherein

an information control center having a data base storing a plurality of pieces of combined information between said controller and the controlled device corresponding to said controller transmits said combined information to controllers included in the combined information at predetermined timing.

36. A medium wherein a program for making a computer execute functions of all or some of means of claim 5 is recorded.

6. An information control center having a data base storing a plurality of pieces of combined information between a controller and a controlled device corresponding to said controller, wherein

said information control center transmits said combined information to controllers included in said combined information at predetermined timing.

37. A medium wherein a program for making a computer execute functions of all or some of means of claim 6 is recorded.

7. An initialization-allowing communication system comprising:

a controlled device to be controlled;

a controller for controlling said controlled device; and

an information control center having a data base storing a plurality of pieces of combined information between said controller and the controlled device corresponding to said controller, wherein

said information control center transmits a piece of combined information to a controller included in said piece of combined information in accordance with a request for requesting said information control center to transmit any one of said pieces of combined information when receiving said request.

9. The initialization-allowing communication system according to claim 7, wherein

setting-signal transmitting means for transmitting a signal indicating that said controlled device is set is included, and

said transmission request is sent to said information control center when said controller receives said transmitted signal.

10. The initialization-allowing communication system according to claim 7, wherein setting-detecting means for detecting that said controlled device is set is included, and

said transmission request is sent to said information control center when said detection is performed by said setting-detecting means.

11. The initialization-allowing communication system according to claim 7, wherein

said data base includes a self-address constituted with a setting ID code for distinguishing between at least setting places of said controller and said controlled device and a type and number ID code for distinguishing between the types and/or numbers of said controller or controlled device.

12. The initialization-allowing communication system according to claim 7, wherein

said combined information is information including the information for a system structure of said controller and said controlled device having the same setting ID code,

a system structure holding means is included which holds the information showing that said combined information is sent to said controller, and

said combined information is transmitted from either of said system structure holding means and said information control center when said transmission request is received.

13. The initialization-allowing communication system according to claim 12, wherein

said data base stores said pieces of combined information having setting ID codes different from each other,

an external communication apparatus having said system structure holding means and an external communication medium for connecting said external communication apparatus with said information control center are included, and

information for the system structure to be controlled by said controller is received from said data base in said information control center through said external communication medium unless necessary information is held by said system structure holding means in said external communication apparatus.

14. The initialization-allowing communication system according to any one of claims 7 to 13, wherein

said controller is provided with display means for displaying the information transmitted to said controller and input means for designating selection of predetermined information out of said display contents, and

contents of the address information for the controlled device held by said controller are selected and changed by using said display means and input means.

15. The initialization-allowing communication system according to claim 13, wherein the data base of said information control center can be changed in accordance with the access from said external communication apparatus.

16. The initialization-allowing communication system according to claim 13, wherein said information control center and said external communication apparatus are provided with enciphering-deciphering means for enciphering transmission contents on said external communication medium and deciphering said enciphered reception contents.

17. The initialization-allowing communication system according to claim 7, wherein

terminal certification means for effectuating the communication on said communication medium only between proper terminals is provided for said controlled device and/or said controller connected to said communication medium.

29. A medium wherein a program for making a computer execute functions of all or some of means of claim 7 is recorded.

8. An initialization-allowing communication system comprising:

a controlled device to be controlled;

a controller for controlling said controlled device; and

an information control center having a data base storing a plurality of pieces of combined information between said controller and the controlled device corresponding to said controller, wherein

said information control center transmits said combined information to controllers included in said combined information at predetermined timing.

33. The initialization-allowing communication system according to claim 8, wherein

said data base includes a self-address constituted with a setting ID code for distinguishing between at least setting places of said controller and said controlled device and a type and number ID code for distinguishing between the types and/or numbers of said controller or controlled device.

34. The initialization-allowing communication system according to claim 8, wherein

terminal certification means for effectuating the communication on said communication medium only between proper terminals is provided for said controlled device and/or said controller connected to said communication medium.

38. A medium wherein a program for making a computer execute functions of all or some of means of claim 8 is recorded.

18. A controlled device to be controlled by a controller, wherein

said controlled device is provided with first functional-information holding means for holding the functional information for said controlled device, and

requested functional information is transmitted to said controller in accordance with a transmission request for said held functional information when the request is sent to said controlled device.

30. A medium wherein a program for making a computer execute functions of all or some of means of claim 18 is recorded.

19. A controller for controlling a controlled device, wherein

said controlled device is provided with first functional-information holding means for holding the functional information for said controlled device,

the functional information transmitted from said controlled device is received in accordance with a request for transmitting said held functional information when the request is sent to said controlled device.

31. A medium wherein a program for making a computer execute functions of all or some of means of claim 19 is recorded.

20. A communication control system comprising a controlled device to be controlled and a controller for controlling said controlled device through a communication medium, wherein

said controlled device is provided with first functional-information holding means for holding the functional information for said controlled device, and

requested functional information is transmitted to said controller in accordance with a request for transmitting said held functional information when the request is sent to said controlled device.

21. The communication control system according to claim 20, wherein

said functional information is described in the form of a functional description format statement in which said functional information is described by being classified into a header, an operation rule for specifying the operation of the function of said controlled device, a control attribute for specifying the attribute of a button for controlling said function, and an operational condition for said function to operate.

22. The communication control system according to claim 20, wherein

said controller is provided with communication means for performing the communication with said controlled device, a button for controlling said controlled device through said communication, control content generation means for generating control contents corresponding to said button, and functional description interpretation means for setting said control contents in accordance with the interpretation of said functional information.

23. The communication control system according to claim 22, wherein said functional description interpretation means obtains said functional information held by said functional description holding means of a device through said communication means.

24. The communication control system according to claim 20, wherein said controlled device is provided with functional information development means for developing functional information transferred from an external unit into functions and adding the functions as those of said controlled device.

25. The communication control system according to claim 24, wherein the functional information transmitted from said external unit is stored in second functional-information holding means provided for said controller.

32. A medium wherein a program for making a computer execute functions of all or some of means of claim 20 is recorded.