CONTROL APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20130297069A1
• Filed: 03/28/2013
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tachiwa, Wataru
• Granted Patent: US 9,278,447 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/006 by means of a wireless system for controlling one or several manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/16 Programme controls programme controls in general G05B19/00, e.g. numerical pogramme controls G05B19/18; recording or playback systems G05B19/42
• 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 2219/23113 Reread, retransmit several times data for valid data, redundant command
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25131 Collect several parameters and transmit in block to control microprocessor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25154 Detect error, repeat transmission on error, retransmit
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31251 Redundant access, wireless and hardware access to fielddevices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04

Abstract

A control apparatus detects a control signal that controls a movable portion of a device, and selects, from a plurality of transmitter stations, a transmitter station that transmits data a plurality of times to a movable station moving in accordance with movement of the movable portion, based on the detected control signal.

Claims

1. A control apparatus comprising:

a detection unit configured to detect a control signal that controls a movable portion of a device; and

a selection unit configured to select, from a plurality of transmitter stations, a transmitter station that transmits data a plurality of times to a movable station moving in accordance with movement of the movable portion, based on the control signal detected by the detection unit.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an acquisition unit configured to acquire, from a memory that stores information indicating communication qualities between each of the plurality of transmitter stations and the movable station for each driving amount set in the movable portion, the information that corresponds to a driving amount of the movable portion specified by the control signal,

wherein the selection unit selects the transmitter station that transmits the data a plurality of times in accordance with the acquired information.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the movable portion operates in a predefined sequence in accordance with the control signal;

and

the selection unit selects the transmitter station that transmits the data a plurality of times from among the plurality of transmitter stations based on a sequence number indicating an order in the sequence specified by the control signal.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an allocation unit configured to allocate data transmission times to each of the plurality of transmitter stations in the case where the communication qualities between each of the plurality of transmitter stations and the movable station satisfy a predetermined communication quality condition.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an allocation unit configured to, in the case where the communication quality between one of the plurality of transmitter stations and the movable station does not satisfy a predetermined communication quality condition, allocate a data transmission time of the one of the plurality of transmitter stations to another transmitter station.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the other transmitter station transmits the data a plurality of times.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein in the case where a line-of-sight is ensured between one of the plurality of transmitter stations and the movable station, the communication quality between the one of the plurality of transmitter stations and the movable station satisfies the predetermined communication quality condition.

8. The control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an allocation unit configured to allocate sequential data transmission times to different transmitter stations.

9. The control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the control signal is a control signal obtained at a point in time when the data to be transmitted to the movable station is generated.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to function as the respective units of the control apparatus according to claim 1.

10. A control method of a control apparatus, the method comprising:

detecting a control signal that controls a movable portion of a device; and

selecting, from a plurality of transmitter stations, a transmitter station that transmits data a plurality of times to a movable station moving in accordance with movement of the movable portion, based on the detected control signal.

11. The control method according to claim 10, further comprising:

acquiring, from a memory that stores information indicating communication qualities between each of the plurality of transmitter stations and the movable station for each driving amount set in the movable portion, the information that corresponds to a driving amount of the movable portion specified by the control signal,

wherein in the selecting, the transmitter station that transmits the data a plurality of times is selected in accordance with the acquired information.

12. The control method according to claim 10,

wherein the movable portion operates in a predefined sequence in accordance with the control signal;

and

in the selecting, the transmitter station that transmits the data a plurality of times is selected from among the plurality of transmitter stations based on a sequence number indicating an order in the sequence specified by the control signal.

13. The control method according to claim 10, further comprising:

allocating data transmission times to each of the plurality of transmitter stations in the case where the communication qualities between each of the plurality of transmitter stations and the movable station satisfy a predetermined communication quality condition.

14. The control method according to claim 10, further comprising:

allocating, in the case where the communication quality between one of the plurality of transmitter stations and the movable station does not satisfy a predetermined communication quality condition, a data transmission time of the one of the plurality of transmitter stations to another transmitter station.

15. The control method according to claim 14,

wherein the other transmitter station transmits the data a plurality of times.

16. The control method according to claim 13,

wherein in the case where a line-of-sight is ensured between one of the plurality of transmitter stations and the movable station, the communication quality between the one of the plurality of transmitter stations and the movable station satisfies the predetermined communication quality condition.

17. The control method according to claim 10, further comprising:

allocating sequential data transmission times to different transmitter stations.

18. The control method according to claim 10,

wherein the control signal is a control signal obtained at a point in time when the data to be transmitted to the movable station is generated.