Microscope system and extension unit

• US 7,627,707 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evident Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Watanabe, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): AUVE, GLENN ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US11/977,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20080114920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 710/104, 710/300, 710/301, 710/313, 710/316
• US Class Current: 710/300
• 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 the intra-system bus line at some point on the 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 the extension connector, and for opening/closing the switch based on a result of detection, wherein;

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

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

the detecting unit opens the switch if it detects that the extension unit is connected to the extension connector, and closes the switch if it detects that the extension unit is not connected to the extension connector.

2. The microscope system according to claim 1, wherein the 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 the extension connector.

4. The microscope system according to claim 1, wherein resistors for terminating the intra-system bus line are respectively provided at both ends of the intra-system bus line.

5. The microscope system according to claim 4, wherein the 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 the intra-system bus line, and the resistors are respectively connected to the forward and the backward lines at the other end of the 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

the intra-system bus line, which is led from both sides of the switch to the extension connector, is connected via the intra-unit bus line by being connected to the 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 that is the same as the extension unit is connected; and

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

wherein;

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

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

the intra-unit detecting unit opens the intra-unit switch if it detects that the extension unit is connected to the extension connector of the microscope system, and that the another extension unit is connected to the I/F connector, and closes the 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 the I/F connector.

9. A system comprising:

(i) 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 the intra-system bus line at some point on the 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 the extension connector, and for opening/closing the switch based on a result of detection,

wherein;

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

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

the detecting unit opens the switch if it detects that the extension unit is connected to the extension connector, and closes the switch if it detects that the extension unit is not connected to the extension connector; and

(ii) an extension unit connected to the microscope system, wherein;

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

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

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the extension unit further comprises:

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 that is the same as the extension unit is connected; and

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

wherein;

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

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

the intra-unit detecting unit opens the intra-unit switch if it detects that the extension unit is connected to the extension connector of the microscope system, and that the another extension unit is connected to the I/F connector, and closes the intra-unit switch otherwise.

11. The extension unit according to claim 10, wherein a power line for supplying power to the another extension unit is led to the I/F connector.