Safety apparatus and fault detection method

• US 8,803,654 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Kurachi, Haruyuki, Kamiya, Tatsuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US13/639,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20130021135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• Field of Search: 340/3.43, 340/3.42, 340/3.6, 340/426.13, 340/426.24, 340/517
• US Class Current: 340/3.43
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/02 electric

Abstract

A safety apparatus includes: a latch circuit which retains an inconsistent state record when input signals from a plurality of sensors are in an inconsistent state, and frees the inconsistent state record when the input signals from the plurality of sensors are all in an OFF state; and an AND circuit which performs a sensor fault determination at timing when the input signals from the plurality of sensors are all in an ON state, the sensor fault determination including determining that at least one of the plurality of sensors is failed if the latch circuit retains the inconsistent state record and determining that none of the plurality of the sensors is failed if the latch circuit retains no inconsistent state record.

Claims

1. A safety apparatus comprising:

an input signal determination unit for determining whether input signals from a plurality of sensors each detecting a safety state of equipment are all in an ON state, all in an OFF state, or in an inconsistent state between the sensors;

a first latch storage unit for retaining an inconsistent state record if the input signal determination unit determines that the input signals from the plurality of sensors are in an inconsistent state, and freeing the inconsistent state record if the input signal determination unit determines that the input signals from the plurality of sensors are all in an OFF state;

a sensor fault determination unit for performing a sensor fault determination at first timing when the input signal determination unit determines that the input signals from the plurality of sensors are all in an ON state, the sensor fault determination including determining that at least one of the plurality of sensors is failed if the first latch storage unit retains the inconsistent state record and determining that none of the plurality of the sensors is failed if the first latch storage unit does not retain the inconsistent state record; and

an operation enable/disable unit for enabling/disabling an operation of the equipment based on the input signals from the plurality of sensors and a determination result of the sensor fault determination by the sensor fault determination unit.

2. The safety apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second latch storage unit for retaining an OFF state record if the input signal determination unit determines that the input signals from the plurality of sensors are all in an OFF state, and freeing the OFF state record if the input signal determination unit determines that the input signals from the plurality of sensors are all in an ON state, and wherein

if the second latch storage unit retains the OFF state record, the second latch storage unit inputs a reset input for freeing the inconsistent state record to the first latch storage unit.

3. The safety apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the first latch storage unit is nonvolatile; and

the sensor fault determination unit further includes a nonvolatile third latch storage unit for retaining the determination result of the sensor fault determination.

4. The safety apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the first latch storage unit and the second latch storage unit are nonvolatile; and

the sensor fault determination unit further includes a nonvolatile third latch storage unit for retaining the determination result of the sensor fault determination.

5. The safety apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the third latch storage unit frees the determination result of the sensor fault determination when a reset input from outside is input.

6. The safety apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an external trigger detection unit for detecting a trigger from outside, and wherein

the sensor fault determination unit performs the sensor fault determination at second timing when the external trigger detection unit detects a trigger, in addition to the first timing.

7. The safety apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the trigger from outside is a power-off signal.

8. The safety apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a counter for counting a predetermined set time, the counter starting counting when the input signal determination unit determines that the input signals from the plurality of sensors are in an inconsistent state, and resetting the count when the input signal determination unit determines that the input signals from the plurality of sensors are all in an ON state and when all in an OFF state, and wherein

the sensor fault determination unit performs the sensor fault determination at third timing when the timer has counted up to the set time, in addition to the first timing.

9. A fault detection method by which a safety apparatus that enables/disables an operation of equipment based on input signals from a plurality of sensors each detecting a safety state of the equipment detects a fault of the plurality of sensors, the fault detection method comprising:

a first step of acquiring the input signals from the plurality of sensors;

a second step of determining whether the acquired input signals are all in an ON state, all in an OFF state, or in an inconsistent state between the sensors;

a third step of storing a first state into a first storage unit if a determination result of the second step indicates an inconsistent state, the first storage unit being configured to store either one of the first state and a second state;

a fourth step of storing the second state into the first storage unit if the determination result of the second step indicates all being in an OFF state; and

a fifth step of determining that at least one of the plurality of sensors is failed when the first storage unit contains the first state and determining that none of the plurality of sensor is failed when the first storage unit contains the second state if the determination result of the second step indicates all being in an ON state.

10. A fault detection method by which a safety apparatus that enables/disables an operation of equipment based on input signals from a plurality of sensors each detecting a safety state of the equipment detects a fault of the plurality of sensors, the fault detection method comprising:

a first step of acquiring the input signals from the plurality of sensors;

a second step of determining whether the acquired input signals are all in an ON state, all in an OFF state, or in an inconsistent state between the sensors;

a third step of storing a first state into a first storage unit and storing a third state into a second storage unit if a determination result of the second step indicates all being in an OFF state, the first storage unit being configured to store either one of the first state and a second state, the second storage unit being configured to store either one of the third state and a fourth state;

a fourth step of storing the second state into the first storage unit when the second storage unit contains the fourth state if the determination result of the second step indicates an inconsistent state; and

a fifth step of storing the fourth state into the second storage unit when the first storage unit contains the first state and determining that at least one of the plurality of sensor is failed when the first storage unit contains the second state if the determination result of the second step indicates all being in an ON state.