Synchronous measurement system

• US 9,986,035 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2014
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Takeda, Kazuyoshi, Katayama, Takao, Jin, Mikimoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Menz, Laura
• Application Number:
  US14/772,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20160036916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,548 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/462 LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A synchronous measurement system includes a main controller, a plurality of sub-controllers connected to the main controller, and a plurality of sensor units connected to the sub-controller. The sub-controllers include a sub-controller master and a sub-controller slave connected to the sub-controller master. The main controller transmits a start command to the sub-controller master. The sub-controller master generates a trigger signal according to reception of the start command and transmits the trigger signal to the sub-controller slave. Each of the plurality of sub-controllers transmits a synchronization command to the plurality of sensor units on the basis of the trigger signal.

Claims

1. A synchronous measurement system comprising:

a main controller;

a plurality of sub-controllers connected to the main controller; and

a respective plurality of sensor units connected to each of the plurality of sub-controllers, wherein the plurality of sub-controllers include;

a sub-controller master; and

a sub-controller slave connected to the sub-controller master, the main controller transmits a start command to the sub-controller master and the sub-controller slave,

the sub-controller master includes

a first communication section that receives the start command from the main controller,

a first trigger transmitter that generates a trigger signal in response to receiving the start command, transmits the trigger signal to the sub-controller slave, and

a first command generating section that generates a first synchronization command upon generating the trigger signal,

wherein the plurality of sensor units connected to the sub-controller master is configured to sample data in accordance with the first synchronization command, and

the sub-controller slave includes

a second communication section that receives the start command from the main controller,

a second command decoder that decodes the start command, wherein the gab-controller slave is set in a standby state based on the start command prior to receiving, the trigger signal from the sub-controller master, and

a second command generating section that receives the trigger signal from the sub-controller master and generates a second synchronization command in response to the trigger signal, wherein the plurality of sensor units connected to the sub-controller master is configured to sample data in accordance with the second synchronization command.

2. The synchronous measurement system according to claim 1, wherein

the start command includes information concerning a number of times of measurement, and

the sub-controller master repeatedly generates the trigger signal by the number of times of measurement according to the reception of the start command.

3. The synchronous measurement system according to claim 2, wherein the start command includes information concerning a measurement interval.

4. The synchronous measurement system according to claim 1, wherein

a plurality of the sub-controller slaves are provided, and

the plurality of sub-controller slaves are connected to the sub-controller master in series.

5. The synchronous measurement system according to claim 1, wherein the trigger signal is a digital signal.

6. The synchronous measurement system according to claim 1, wherein the trigger signal is an optical signal.

7. The synchronous measurement system according to claim 1, wherein

the main controller and the plurality of sub-controllers are connected via a LAN, and

the sub-controller slave receives the start command from the main controller and is set in a standby state for staying on standby for reception of the trigger signal.

8. The synchronous measurement system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit includes at least one acceleration sensor and at least one angular velocity sensor.

9. The synchronous measurement system according to claim 1, further comprising a display section connected to the main controller, wherein

in an operation check mode carried out before measurement, an ID is transmitted from the sensor unit in response to a command from the sub-controller, and

error information of the sensor unit not responding to the command is displayed on the display section by the main controller.