Microscope system and extension unit

• US 20080114920A1
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evident Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Watanabe, Hideo
• Granted Patent: US 7,627,707 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40032 Details regarding a bus interface enhancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40215 Controller Area Network CAN

Abstract

A bus connection switch is connected in series at some point on a bus that transmits control data. The bus connection switch releases the bus at the position of the switch when being opened, or connects the bus when being closed. The bus is led from both sides of the bus connection switch to an extension connector. If an extension unit having a bus connection switch in a closed state is connected to the extension connector, the bus is connected via the extension unit. A detecting circuit comprised by an extension port opens the bus connection switch comprised by the extension port if detecting that an extension unit is connected to the extension connector comprised by the extension port, or closes the bus connection switch comprised by the extension port if detecting that an extension unit is not connected.

Claims

1. A microscope system, comprising:

an intra-system bus line for transmitting control data for controlling operations of the microscope system;

a switch connected in series to said intra-system bus line at some point on said intra-system bus line;

an extension connector to which an extension unit, which comprises at least a processing device for transmitting/receiving the control data, and an intra-unit bus line that the processing device uses to transmit/receive the control data, is connected; and

a detecting unit for detecting whether or not the extension unit is connected to said extension connector, and for opening/closing said switch based on a result of detection, wherein

said switch releases said intra-system bus line at a position of said switch when being opened, or connects said intra-system bus line at the position of said switch when being closed,

said intra-system bus line is led from both sides of said switch to said extension connector, and connected via the intra-unit bus line if the extension unit is connected to said extension connector, and

said detecting unit opens said switch if detecting that the extension unit is connected to said extension connector, or closes said switch if detecting that the extension unit is not connected to said extension connector.

2. The microscope system according to claim 1, wherein

said intra-system bus line is a controller area network (CAN) bus used with a CAN protocol.

3. The microscope system according to claim 1, wherein

a power line for supplying power to the extension unit is led to said extension connector.

4. The microscope system according to claim 1, wherein

resistors for terminating said intra-system bus line are respectively comprised at both ends of said intra-system bus line.

5. The microscope system according to claim 4, wherein

said intra-system bus line comprises double lines composed of forward and backward lines, the forward and the backward lines are connected at one end of said intra-system bus line, and said resistors are respectively connected to the forward and the backward lines at the other end of said intra-system bus line.

6. An extension unit connected to the microscope system according to claim 1, wherein

the extension unit comprises at least the processing device and the intra-unit bus line, and

said intra-system bus line, which is led from both sides of said switch to said extension connector, is connected via the intra-unit bus line by being connected to said extension connector.

7. The extension unit according to claim 6, further comprising:

an intra-unit switch connected in series to the intra-unit bus line at some point on the intra-unit bus line;

an I/F connector to which another extension unit having a same characteristic as the extension unit is connected; and

an intra-unit detecting unit for detecting whether or not the extension unit is connected to said extension connector comprised by the microscope system, and whether or not the another extension unit is connected to said I/F connector, and for opening/closing said intra-unit switch based on a result of detection, wherein

said intra-unit switch releases the intra-unit bus line at a position of said intra-unit switch when being opened, or connects the intra-unit bus line at the position of said intra-unit switch when being closed,

the intra-unit bus line is led from both sides of said intra-unit switch to said I/F connector, and connected via an intra-unit bus line comprised by the another extension unit if the another extension unit is connected to said I/F connector, and

said intra-unit detecting unit opens said intra-unit switch if detecting that the extension unit is connected to said extension connector comprised by the microscope system, and that the another extension unit is connected to said I/F connector, or closes said intra-unit switch otherwise.

8. The extension unit according to claim 7, wherein

a power line for supplying power to the another extension unit is led to said I/F connector.