CONTROL APPARATUS, RELAY APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD FOR CONTROL APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD FOR RELAY APPARATUS, CONTROL PROGRAM AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20170300432A1
• Filed: 04/13/2017
• Published: 10/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: KITAMURA, Yasuhiro, KAMIMURA, Atsushi, NISHI, Masahiro, NAKAMURA, Toshikatsu
• Granted Patent: US 10,740,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/054 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/16 for access to memory bus G06F13/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4068 Electrical coupling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Provided is a control apparatus that can correctly obtain the execution status information of the instruction whose sender is the control apparatus itself. The controller (3) controls operations of the IO-Link device (2) via the IO-Link master (1), and includes the writing part (300) transmitting an instruction for the IO-Link device (2) and an identification of the instruction to the IO-Link master (1) and the reading part (301) retrieving an execution status information (status) indicating the execution status of the instruction by using the identification information.

Claims

1. A control apparatus that controls operations of a device connected to a relay apparatus via the relay apparatus, comprising:

an instruction part that transmits an instruction for the device and an identification information of the instruction to the relay apparatus, and

an execution confirmation part that retrieves an execution status information indicating an execution status of the instruction by using the identification information.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the relay apparatus has a function that makes the device execute an instruction written in a storage area corresponding to the device and writes the execution status information in the storage area, and

the instruction part transmits the instruction and the identification information to the relay apparatus and makes the relay apparatus write the instruction and the identification information in the storage area, and

the execution confirmation part transmits the identification information to the relay apparatus and retrieves the execution status information from the storage area.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the identification information is an information distinguishable from an identification information of an instruction from another control apparatus.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the identification information is an information unique for each instruction transmitted by the instruction part.

10. A control program for making a computer function as the control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control program makes a computer function as the instruction part and the execution confirmation part.

12. A storage medium storing the control program according to claim 10, and being computer-readable.

5. A relay apparatus that relays an instruction between a control apparatus and a device operating according to the instruction from the control apparatus, comprising

a write management part that writes the instruction and an identification information of the instruction in a storage area corresponding to the device by way of correlating the instruction and the identification information of the instruction with each other, and also writes an execution status information indicating an execution status of the instruction in the storage area, and

a read management part that makes the control apparatus read the execution status information stored in the storage area in response to receiving the identification information from the control apparatus.

6. The relay apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising

a storage area releasing part that allows the write management part to write another instruction in the storage area if the write management part writes an control information indicating that there is no processing to be executed by the relay apparatus for the instruction in the storage area, or if a predetermined period of time has passed without the control information is written.

7. The relay apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

in a case where the write management part receives another instruction for the device while the instruction and the identification information are stored in the storage area, the write management part stores the another instruction and an identification information of the another instruction in another storage area corresponding to the device by way of correlating the another instruction and the identification information of the another instruction with each other, and then writes the execution status information of the another instruction in the another storage area.

11. A control program for making a computer function as the relay apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the control program makes a computer function as the write management part and the read management part.

13. A storage medium storing the control program according to claim 11, and being computer-readable.

8. A control method for a control apparatus that controls operations of a device connected to a relay apparatus via the relay apparatus, comprising

an instruction transmitting step for transmitting an instruction for the device and an identification information of the instruction to the relay apparatus, and

an execution confirmation step for retrieving an execution status information indicating an execution status of the instruction by using the identification information.

9. A control method for a relay apparatus that relays an instruction between a control apparatus and a device operating according to the instruction from the control apparatus, comprising

an instruction writing step for writing the instruction and an identification information of the instruction in a storage area corresponding to the device by way of correlating the instruction and the identification information of the instruction with each other,

a status writing step for writing an execution status information indicating an execution status of the instruction in the storage area, and

a read control step for making the control apparatus read the execution status information stored in the storage area in response to receiving the identification information from the control apparatus.