Control system, display device, control-use host computer, and data transmission method

• US 20050113941A1
• Filed: 12/28/2004
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric Japan Holdings Ltd. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Digital Electronics Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Minoru, Ii, Nobuhiro, Kato, Satoshi, Shinohara, Akio, Morigaki, Yuichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,103,421 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/19
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0421 Multiprocessor system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/052 Linking several PLC's
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25012 Two different bus systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31087 Transmission device between workcell and central control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31088 Network communication between supervisor and cell, machine group
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31227 External network for proces data, internal network for transport, handling only
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31369 Translation, conversion of protocol between two layers, networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A control system including control devices with each control device including a control unit and a display device connected with the control unit via a dedicated communication line and being capable of display corresponding to a control state of the control unit. The display device includes a communication port connected with a control unit and a communication port connected with a data processing device, and a data processing section. Further, the data transmission method includes a dedicated protocol communication transmitting data with a processing device and a common protocol communication transmitting data with another processing device. In addition, the control-host computer used in the control system includes a control unit controlling a control target and a display device.

Claims

1. A control system, comprising:

a plurality of control devices, each control device including a control unit and a display device connected with said control unit via a dedicated communication line and being capable of display corresponding to a control state of said control unit, said control system being capable of transmitting data between said control devices,

wherein data is transmitted between said control unit and said display device according to a dedicated protocol specialized for said control unit, and all of said display devices in said control devices are connected with each other via a common communication line, and data is transmitted between said display devices according to a common protocol.

2. A control system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a data processing device connected to said common communication line and data is transmitted between said data processing device and each display device according to the common protocol.

3. A control system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said control unit is a programmable logic controller capable of performing a predetermined control operation by means of a program incorporated, said display device is a programmable display device capable of conducting display corresponding to control data of said control unit and said data processing device is a generally-used computer device.

4. The control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said display device forms a display by providing on one unit screen one or a plurality of processing instruction words (W) each defining a unit data processing operation, and effects the processing instruction word (W) at predetermined intervals, thereby enabling a predetermined display control operation, the processing instruction word (W) causes addresses for storage of state data (MD) in all of said control devices to be designatable as reference information (r), while in said display device at which the processing instruction word (W) is effected, necessary data are sent via said common communication line according to the common protocol to said display device connected with said control device designated as the reference information (r),and said display device having received the data cause necessary data to be transmittable to said control unit connected therewith, according to protocol dedicated for said control unit via dedicated communication line.

10. The control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said display device (3) forms a display by providing on one unit screen one or a plurality of processing instruction words (W) each defining a unit data processing operation, and effects the processing instruction word (W) at predetermined intervals, thereby enabling a predetermined display control operation.

5. A control system in which a control device controls a control target in response to a control output transmitted from a host device, and transmits information about the control to a display device so that the information is synthesized and displayed with character and image data installed beforehand in said display device, wherein said display device is provided between said host device and a control unit, so that the character and image data are downloaded from said host device so as to be installed in said display device.

6. A control system in which a plurality of control units respectively control targets in response to control outputs transmitted from a host device, and information about the controls is displayed in corresponding display devices, respectively, wherein said display device is provided between said host device and said control unit, so that preset data are downloaded from said host device so as to be installed in said display device.

7. The control system as set forth in claim 6, wherein communication between said control unit and said corresponding display devices is carried out according to a certain protocol, while communication through a network circuit between said display device and said host device is carried out according to a common protocol determined beforehand.

8. A recording medium storing a program that is applied to a control system (1g) including a control unit (2cα

through 2cγ

) a host device (7g), and a display device (3gα

through 3gγ

) so as to direct a first computer to function as said display device (3gα

through 3gγ

) and a second computer as said host device (7g), said recording medium storing;

a program that controls said first computer to transfer a control output transmitted from said second computer to said control unit (2cα

through 2cγ

), so as to cause said control unit (2ca through 2cy) to control a control target (9) in response to a control output transmitted from said host device (7g);

a program that controls said first computer so that the information about control transmitted from said control unit (2cα

through 2cγ

) should be synthesized and displayed with character and image data installed beforehand; and

a program that controls said second computer so that the character and image data should be installed in said first computer provided between said control unit (2ca through 2cy) and said host device (7g).

9. A recording medium storing a program that is applied to a control system (1h) including a control unit (2cα

through 2cγ

), a host device (7g), and a display device (3hα

through 3hγ

) so as to direct a first computer to function as said display device (3hα

through 3hγ

) and a second computer as said host device (7g), said recording medium storing;

a program that controls said first computer to transfer a control output transmitted from said second computer to said control unit (2cα

through 2cγ

) corresponding to said first computer, so as to cause said control unit (2cα

through 2cγ

) to control a control target (9) in response to a control output transmitted from said host device (7g);

a program that controls said first computer so that the information about control transmitted from said control unit (2cα

through 2cγ

) corresponding to said first computer should be displayed; and

a program that controls said second computer so that preset data should be installed in said first computer provided between said control unit (2cα

through 2cγ

) and said host device (7g).