JP2000181845A - Communication interface device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable monitoring and controlling an optional device to be monitored and controlled by a general computer at an optional position. SOLUTION: A communication interface device is provided with NIC 11 being a communication interface part by which data is inputted/outputted with various kinds of networks, an external interface part 16 by which the state signals of various kinds of equipment are inputted and also control signals are outputted to them, a function for mutually converting data between the external interface part 16 and NIC 11 and exchanging the data with the networks by HTTP and a function for selecting application software for performing access to a prescribed state signal which is inputted to the external interface part 16 based on transmission data inputted from NIC 11 or executing prescribed software.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an interface device used for remotely monitoring and controlling various control devices using a network or a communication line.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When monitoring and operating facilities scattered in various places, such as a relay pumping station and a small-scale sewage treatment facility, in a remote place using a network or a communication line, it is common to use a general method. By connecting monitoring equipment etc. designed and manufactured independently for each equipment in the equipment to the communication line,
It is configured to remotely operate a monitoring device or the like via a communication line. As described above, when various facilities are monitored or operated at a remote place via a communication line, a dedicated system corresponding to various devices in the facilities is provided.

[0003]

In such a system, usually, a device to be monitored and controlled and a device for transmitting a signal for monitoring and control are fixedly connected. Since the device is designed and manufactured exclusively for both hardware and software, it is not completely compatible with other similar monitoring and control systems, nor is it versatile. In addition, any change or expansion of the monitoring / control target device can be easily performed because both the target device and the device that transmits the monitoring / control signal need to change software. There is a problem that you can not. Furthermore, since the device for transmitting the monitoring / control signal is fixedly provided at a specific location, it is impossible to monitor and control various devices at an arbitrary position.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to use a general computer at an arbitrary position to control an arbitrary device to be monitored and controlled.
An object of the present invention is to provide an interface device that enables monitoring and control.

[0005]

An interface device according to the present invention includes a communication interface unit for inputting / outputting data to / from various networks, a status signal of various devices, and a control signal for various devices. An external interface unit capable of outputting, a function of mutually converting data between the external interface unit and the communication interface unit, transmitting / receiving the data to / from the network by HTTP, and transmission data input from the communication interface unit Or a function of selecting application software for accessing a predetermined state signal input to the external interface unit based on the application software, or executing the predetermined software.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a communication interface device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The communication interface device 10 is provided, for example, by connecting an unmanned relay pumping facility 20 to a personal computer 3 installed in a remote office.
4, the operation panel 21 of various devices in the pump facility 20 for monitoring and controlling using a network.
Is to be connected to. The inside of this device is an external interface unit 16 for transmitting and receiving data to and from the external connection terminal 22, and a communication interface unit N for transmitting and receiving data to and from a network or a communication line.
An IC (network interface card) 11, a memory 14 for holding application software, and a memory 15 for holding shared data, a signal control unit 12 for controlling the entire communication interface device 10, and an operation panel for various devices in the pump facility 20 The external interface unit 16 is connected to an external connection terminal 22 provided in the unit 21 and receives and outputs status signals of various devices.

[0007] The signal control unit 12 is the center of the interface device 10 of the present invention, and has an OS (operatio).
n system) 12a and CGI (Common Gateway Interfa
ce) 12b, device driver 12c, and HTTP (H
HTTPD running ipter Text Transfer Protocol)
12d and a web server function 12e.

The NIC 11 serving as a communication interface unit connected to a network is configured to transmit and receive communication data to and from a personal computer 34 via a network 31, and to connect a router 33 and a communication line 32 from the network 31. Communication data is transmitted to and received from another personal computer 34 and the like.

Each personal computer 34 connected to the network 31 or the communication line 32 transmits control signals to the operation panel 21 of various devices of the relay pump facility 20,
An initial setting signal and the like are input, and the input control signal and the like are transmitted as communication data to the network 3.
1 or transmitted to the NIC 11 via the communication line 32.

The NIC 11 is driven by a device driver 12c of the signal control unit 12, and data input / output to / from the NIC 11 is an HTTP (Hipter Text Transfer Protocol).
ocol) and predetermined application software stored in the memory 14,
6 are mutually converted. CGI 12b is
A predetermined application is selected from a plurality of preset applications based on the transmission data.

On the other hand, the external interface unit 16 includes:
A plurality of input / output terminals connected to external connection terminals 22 provided on an operation panel 21 of various devices in the relay pump facility 20 are provided.

The input / output terminals provided on the external interface section 16 are adapted to receive status signals of various devices output from the external connection terminals 22 of the operation panel 21, respectively. When the input status signal is
It is stored in the shared memory 15. The status signals of various devices held in the shared memory 15 are accessed by a predetermined application stored in the memory 14.

The CGI 12b selects one application from a plurality of applications stored in the memory 14 in advance, based on communication data transferred by HTTP. Then, depending on the selected application, a predetermined state signal stored in the shared memory 15 is transmitted to the NIC 11 and the network 3 by HTTP.
1 or transmitted to each personal computer 34 via the communication line 32.

The status signals of various devices input to the external interface unit 16 can be confirmed by the remote personal computers 34 via the network 31 or the communication line 32. Therefore,
The status signals of various devices can be monitored by a remote personal computer 34, and further, various devices are controlled by changing the status signals of various devices based on transmission data from the personal computer 34 or the like. be able to.

NIC11 which is a communication interface unit
Can also be connected to the Internet, so that communication data from a remote personal computer 34 can be transmitted to the Internet. Moreover, since this device has a web server function 12e,
Any computer with built-in general-purpose browsing software (browser) can be accessed from any location via the Internet, and from multiple computers simultaneously, regardless of model, to monitor the status. it can.

[0016]

According to the communication interface device of the present invention,
By simply connecting to various devices in this way, the connected devices can be monitored and controlled at a remote location by a general personal computer or a workstation.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration in an example of an embodiment of a communication interface device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 communication interface device 11 NIC (Network Interface Card) 12 signal control unit 12 a OS (Oprating System) 12 b CGI (Common Gateway Interface) 12 c device driver 12 d HTTPD 12 e WEB server function 14 memory 15 shared memory 16 external interface unit 20 relay pump facility 21 operation panel 22 external connection terminal 31 network 32 communication line 33 router 34 personal computer

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 5B089 GA05 GB03 HB05 JA21 JA35 JB15 JB16 KA10 KB04 5K034 AA19 DD01 HH01 HH02 HH61 JJ03

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A communication interface unit for inputting / outputting data to / from various networks, an external interface unit for receiving a status signal of various devices and outputting a control signal for various devices, and an external interface unit A function of mutually converting data between the communication interface unit and the data, and transmitting / receiving the data to / from the network by HTTP, and a predetermined input to the external interface unit based on the transmission data input from the communication interface unit. A function of selecting application software that accesses the status signal or executing predetermined software.