JP7248847B2 - sensor unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to sensor units such as photoelectric switches.

A product (work) produced in a factory is transported by a transport device such as a belt conveyor, and the arrival at a predetermined location is detected by a photoelectric switch. The photoelectric switch has a light projecting element and a light receiving element, the light receiving element receives light from the light projecting element, and the presence or absence of a workpiece is determined according to whether the amount of received light exceeds a threshold value. For this reason, the photoelectric switch used to refer to a 7-segment LED display that displays the amount of light received and the threshold value (Patent Document 1). According to Patent Documents 2 and 3, it is proposed to employ a dot matrix display as a display for a photoelectric switch.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-210720 JP 2015-81869 A JP-A-2015-81870

A 7-segment LED was the mainstream for a slim type sensor unit as in Patent Document 1, but a dot matrix display could be adopted for a large sensor unit as in Patent Documents 2 and 3. Here, if a dot-matrix display can be adopted even in a slim type sensor unit, the degree of freedom of display will increase. Although the sensor unit simultaneously displays the threshold value and the physical quantity such as the amount of received light, it may be desired to display additional information other than these (eg, information indicating the operation mode, etc.) at the same time. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sensor unit that simultaneously displays other information along with a threshold value and a physical quantity.

The present invention, for example,
a detection unit that detects a physical quantity;
a dot matrix display unit that displays the physical quantity detected by the detection unit ;
an output unit that outputs a comparison result between the physical quantity detected by the detection unit and a threshold;
an operation unit that receives an operation for adjusting the threshold;
A control unit that controls the dot matrix display unit,
The control unit displays the threshold value and the physical quantity on the dot matrix display unit as a display screen,
The dot matrix display unit is capable of displaying a first setting menu that is shifted from the display screen by a predetermined operation input, and a second setting menu that is shifted by a complicated operation input from the predetermined operation input. One setting menu has simple setting items that are displayed while being sequentially switched according to user operations, one of the simple setting items is language setting, and the second setting menu is the same as the first setting menu. Provided is a sensor unit characterized by having a plurality of setting items, which are detailed setting items displayed in a language set through language setting and which are displayed while being sequentially switched according to a user's operation.

According to the present invention, a sensor unit is provided that simultaneously displays threshold values and physical quantities as well as other information.

Perspective view showing a photoelectric switch FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a plurality of connected photoelectric switches; Explosion diagram showing a photoelectric switch Perspective view showing a photoelectric switch FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship among the cover member, the indicator, and the shield member; Diagram showing the fiber heads of the optoelectronic switches placed side by side Diagram explaining the controller Flowchart showing switching of display mode A diagram showing an example of the user interface A diagram showing an example of the user interface A diagram showing an example of the user interface A diagram showing an example of the user interface A diagram showing an example of the user interface A diagram showing an example of the user interface A diagram showing an example of the user interface Flowchart showing menu switching Diagram explaining menu transition Diagram explaining menu transition Diagram explaining menu transition A diagram explaining an example of a graph A diagram showing an example of the user interface

An embodiment of the present invention is shown below. The specific embodiments described below may be helpful in understanding various concepts such as the broader, middle and narrower concepts of the present invention. Moreover, the technical scope of the present invention is determined by the claims and is not limited by the following individual embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a photoelectric switch. The photoelectric switch 1 has a substantially rectangular housing. Here the z-axis corresponds to the longitudinal direction. The x-axis corresponds to the lateral direction. The y-axis corresponds to the height direction. The housing generally has six exterior surfaces. The six exterior surfaces include top, bottom, front, back, left and right sides. In FIG. 1, the top, front and right sides are visible. The housing has a lower case 2 and an upper case 3 . By fitting the lower case 2 and the upper case 3 together, an internal space is formed in which a control board and the like are accommodated. A portion of the upper case 3 forms an upper surface. A display 5, a mode button 8, an active receiver button 7, an adjustment button 9, a slide switch 10, a set button 11, an indicator lamp 24, a clamp module 14, and the like are provided on the upper surface. The display 5 is a dot matrix display such as an OLED, and displays a threshold value, the amount of received light, and the like. The display device 5 is sandwiched and fixed between the outer surface of the upper case 3 and the cover member 4 . The display 5 is offset from the center of the upper surface to the front side. The adjustment button 9 is a button for raising or lowering the threshold or operating a menu. The menu is displayed on the display 5 and has various setting items for setting the operation of the photoelectric switch 1 . The mode button 8 is a button for switching operation modes related to the amount of projected light and the like. The active receiver button 7 is a special button for projecting light from the photoelectric switch 1 to the outside through the light receiving fiber. When the photoelectric switch 1 detects that the active receiver button 7 is pressed down, it also uses the light receiving fiber as a light projecting fiber, and projects light toward the outside while receiving light coming from the outside. This light is not light for detecting a workpiece, but light for assisting the user in adjusting the optical axis. Note that the light-emitting element that outputs the assist light may be arranged, for example, in the center of the light-receiving element. In this case, the light receiving surface of the light receiving element is larger than the light emitting surface of the light emitting element. The slide switch 10 is a switch for selecting a plurality of setting parameter sets. The set button 11 is a button for starting automatic setting of the threshold. When the photoelectric switch 1 detects that the set button 11 has been pressed, it determines a threshold according to the amount of received light. The indicator lamp 24 is lit or extinguished, for example, when a workpiece is detected. The clamp module 14 is a module that clamps and holds the light projecting fiber and the light receiving fiber. A cylindrical hole 12 into which a light emitting fiber is inserted and a cylindrical hole 13 into which a light receiving fiber is inserted are provided on the front surface of the housing. Output cables are attached to the back of the housing. Cable bush 15 is a bush for holding an output cable.

A connector 16a and connecting portions 17a and 17b are provided on the right side of the housing. FIGS. 2A and 2B show that a plurality of photoelectric switches 1 are connected to each other by connectors 16a and connecting portions 17a and 17b and fixed to a DIN rail 18. FIG. DIN is an abbreviation for German Standards Institute. Four photoelectric switches 1 are connected in FIG. 2(A), and eight photoelectric switches 1a to 1g are connected in FIG. 2(B). The incident end of the light emitting fiber 22 of each photoelectric switch 1 is inserted into the hole 12 and the emitting end of the light receiving fiber 23 is inserted into the hole 13 . FIG. 2A also shows an openable and closable upper cover 19 that covers the upper surface of the housing. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2B, when the upper cover 19 is translucent, the upper surface of the upper cover 19 may not have a hole. This is because, if the upper cover 19 is translucent, the user can confirm the contents displayed on the display 5 even when the upper cover 19 is closed. If the upper cover 19 does not have translucency, a hole or window may be provided in the upper surface of the upper cover 19 as shown in FIG. 2(A). The upper cover 19 functions as a dust cover. As shown in FIGS. 2(A) and 2(B), a plurality of photoelectric switches 1 can be horizontally connected to each other, so that it is also called a continuous type sensor.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the photoelectric switch 1. FIG. A decorative member 20 may be provided on the rear end side of the upper cover 19 . A rotating pin 19 a is provided on the rear end side of the upper cover 19 . The rotating pin 19a is fitted into a holding hole 19b provided on the rear end side of the upper case 3. As shown in FIG. Thereby, the upper cover 19 is rotatably connected to the upper case 3 . The top cover 19 may be made of a transparent member so that the user can check the information displayed on the display 5 even when the top cover 19 is closed. A spine member 36 for supporting the display 5 is provided near the center of the upper case 3 . Four fringes 47 are provided on the left and right sides of the spine member 36 . Four fringes 47 are protrusions that protrude upward from the upper case 3 and position the display 5 in the lateral direction (x direction). In addition, the four fringes 47 are fitted into the concave portions of the cover member 4 . Two claw portions 48 are provided on the left and right sides of the backbone member 36 . The claw portion 48 is fitted into a recess provided inside the center leg of the cover member to fix the cover member 4 to the upper case 3 . The recess may be a groove or a through hole. An opening 25 is provided on the rear end side of the display mounting portion centered on the backbone member 36 . The opening 25 is a through hole or notch for allowing the signal cable to pass from the outer surface of the upper case 3 to the inner surface side. The signal cable includes power lines for supplying power to the display 5 and control lines for supplying control signals. A signal cable is connected to the control board 30 . Here, the control board 30 may be a single board. If two substrates are provided in the x-axis direction, the length of the photoelectric switch 1 in the x-axis direction becomes long. Therefore, in this embodiment, only one control board 30 is provided in the x-axis direction. A controller 6 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) is mounted on the control board 30 . The controller 6 causes the display 5 to display the threshold value and the amount of received light. Switches corresponding to the adjustment button 9 , mode button 8 , active receiver button 7 , slide switch 10 and set button 11 are mounted on the control board 30 . These buttons may be made of resin such as POM (polyacetal). Note that the upper cover 19, the cover member 4, and the housing may basically be made of polycarbonate. An LED (light emitting diode) that supplies light to the light diffusion member of the indicator lamp 24 is also mounted on the control board 30 . The control board 30 is provided with a connector 16a for communicating with another adjacent photoelectric switch 1 and for receiving power. An element holder 26 is provided on the front side of the control board 30, and a light emitting element module 32 and a light receiving element module 33 are attached thereto. The element holder 26 has a hole for the light projecting fiber 22 inserted from the hole 12 and a hole for the light receiving fiber 23 inserted from the hole 13 . A clamp module 14 is arranged on the front side of the element holder 26 to hold the light projecting fiber 22 and the light receiving fiber 23 . A fixture 28 for fixing to the DIN rail 18 and a metal cover 29 are attached to the bottom surface of the lower case 2 . The metal cover 29 may act as heat dissipation and electromagnetic shield.

4A is a perspective view of the photoelectric switch 1 with the cover member 4 fixed to the upper case 3. FIG. FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the photoelectric switch 1 with the cover member 4 not fixed to the upper case 3. FIG. Various buttons and indicators 5 are fixed to the upper case 3 , and a control board 30 is also fixed to the upper case 3 . A signal cable 51 for electrically connecting the display 5 and the control board 30 passes through the opening 25 to enter the inside of the housing and is connected to the connector of the control board 30 . A connector 16 b is provided on the left side of the control board 30 . The connector 16b of the photoelectric switch 1 is a female connector, and is fitted and electrically connected to the male connector 16a of another photoelectric switch 1 located to the left of the photoelectric switch 1. FIG.

It should be noted that the height of the active receiver button 7 is lower than the height of the mode button 8 and the adjustment button 9, as can be seen from FIG. This is to prevent erroneous operation of the active receiver button 7 .

FIG. 5 is a perspective view for explaining the cover member 4 in detail. The cover member 4 has two front legs 42 , two central legs 43 and two rear legs 44 . A window portion 40 is provided on the upper surface of the cover member 4 . The user can see the display surface of the display 5 through the window portion 40 . The window part 40 is surrounded by four frames. The left frame 41a and the right frame 41b are thinner than the front frame 41d and the rear frame 41c. This is to secure the display area in the lateral direction of the photoelectric switch 1 . The rear frame 41c has a larger area than the other frames. This is because the rear frame 41c protects the IC controlling the display 5 and the like. Character information or the like may be printed on the rear frame 41c. Further, since the rear frame 41c has a certain area, even if the user presses the adjustment button 9 with his/her finger, the information displayed on the display 5 is less likely to be hidden by his or her finger. That is, the rear frame 41 can sufficiently separate the distance between the display 5 and the buttons. Since the area of the front frame 41 is small, the indicator lamp 24 and the indicator 5 can be placed close to each other. As a result, it is possible to concentrate the information transmission mechanisms of interest to the user in one place. A total of four cutouts 46 are provided on the right side and left side of the cover member 4 . The four notches 46 are fitted into four fringes 47 provided on the upper case 3 to position and fix the cover member 4 to the upper case 3 . A concave portion 45 is provided on the inner surface side of each of the two central legs 43 . The concave portions 45 are fitted with claw portions 48 provided on the right side and the left side of the upper case 3 respectively. A shield member 50 may be employed to protect the front surface, bottom surface, left side surface, and right side surface of the display device 5 . The shield member 50 includes a front wall 50d that protects the front surface of the display 5, a bottom portion 50a that protects the bottom surface of the display 5, a right wall 50b that protects the right side of the display 5, and a left side of the display 5. It has a left wall 50c. The display device 5 is sandwiched between the backbone member 36 and the cover member 4 while being covered with the shield member 50 . The shield member 50 may be made of FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit Board).

FIG. 6 shows the light projecting fiber 22 and the light receiving fiber 23 in the transmissive photoelectric switch 1. As shown in FIG. One end of the light projecting fiber 22 emits the detection light to the passage area of the workpiece w. The other end of the light projecting fiber 22 is inserted into the hole 12, and the light from the light emitting element is incident thereon. One end of the light receiving fiber 23 receives detection light from the passing region. The other end of the light receiving fiber 23 is inserted into the hole 13 and emits light to the light receiving element. When the workpiece w does not exist in the passing area, the light emitted from the emitting end of the light projecting fiber 22 enters the incident end of the receiving fiber 23 . When the workpiece w exists in the passage area, the light emitted from the output end of the light projecting fiber 22 is blocked by the workpiece w, so the light does not enter the incident end of the light receiving fiber 23 . The controller 6 detects the presence or absence of the work w according to whether or not light is incident on the light receiving fiber 23 .

In the reflective photoelectric switch 1 , the light output from the light projecting fiber 22 is reflected by the workpiece w, and the reflected light enters the light receiving fiber 23 . If there is no workpiece w in the passing area, the light emitted from the emitting end of the light projecting fiber 22 does not enter the incident end of the receiving fiber 23 . When the work w exists in the passage area, the light emitted from the output end of the light projecting fiber 22 is reflected by the work w, and the reflected light enters the incident end of the light receiving fiber 23 . The controller 6 detects the presence or absence of the work w according to whether light is incident on the light receiving fiber 23 . The present invention can also be applied to a reflective photoelectric switch 1 using a reflector.

●Controller FIG. 7 is a block diagram for explaining the controller 6. As shown in FIG. The CPU 100 implements various functions according to control programs stored in a ROM that is part of the memory 110 . The memory 110 is a storage device including RAM and ROM. The memory 110 stores setting information 111 including, for example, the threshold value Th set by the adjustment button 9 .

The light-emitting element module 32 has a light-emitting element 91 that emits detection light and enters the light projecting fiber 22, and a drive circuit 93a that supplies the light-emitting element 91a with a drive current for driving the light-emitting element 91a. The light-receiving element module 33 has a light-receiving element 92 that receives light incident from the light-receiving fiber 23 and outputs a light-receiving signal according to the amount of received light, and an amplifier circuit 94 that amplifies the light-receiving signal. The drive IC 54 is a circuit that drives the display 5 according to instructions from the CPU 100 . The drive circuit 93b is a circuit that drives the light emitting element 91b that supplies light to the indicator lamp 24. FIG.

The I/O circuit 95 is a circuit for outputting a signal DET indicating the detection result of the workpiece w to an external device (eg, external display device, PLC, etc.) and for inputting information from the external device. Furthermore, the I/O circuit 95 receives signals corresponding to user operations through the operation unit 90 . An operation unit 90 includes an adjustment button 9, a mode button 8, an active receiver button 7, and the like.

A detection unit 101 of the CPU 100 acquires the amount of detection light received by the light receiving element 92 through an A/D converter or the like. The detection unit 101 compares the received light amount of the detection light with the threshold value Th, and outputs the comparison result to the I/O circuit 95 . The lighting control unit 102 controls the lighting timing of the light emitting element 91a, generates a pulse signal that instructs lighting of the light emitting element 91a, and supplies the pulse signal to the driving circuit 93a. The UI control unit 103 displays the amount of received light and the threshold Th on the display 5 through the drive IC 54, for example. Further, the UI control unit 103 may cause the display 5 to display other information (additional information) such as information representing the operation mode in addition to the amount of received light and the threshold value Th. Furthermore, the UI control unit 103 may cause the display 5 to display a setting menu for accepting user settings for various setting items. UI is an abbreviation for user interface.

●Switching of display modes In the photoelectric switch 1 having a dimension in the x direction of about 10 mm (eg, 5 mm or more and 14 mm or less) as in the present invention, the display area of the display 5 is very small. Therefore, it is desirable to display the amount of light received and the threshold value in characters as large as possible. However, other preliminary information may be required by the user when threshold adjustments are performed. For example, the light emission amount of the light emitting element 91a can be switched over several steps. In other words, the user will not be able to appropriately set the threshold unless he or she understands the operation mode (power mode) of the light emitting element 91a. Therefore, in the present invention, the UI control unit 103 switches the display mode to provide necessary information to the user.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing user interface control executed by the CPU 100 (UI control unit 103).

In S1, the UI control unit 103 displays the top screen in the first display mode. The top screen is a default screen displayed when the user does not operate the operation unit 90 . FIG. 9A shows an example of the UI 300a according to the first display mode. The UI 300 a has a first display area 301 and a second display area 302 . Note that the dotted frame is a frame for suggesting the area, and is not displayed on the display 5 . A first display area 301 is an area for displaying the physical quantity measured by the sensor unit, that is, the amount of light received by the photoelectric switch 1 . A second display area 302 is an area for displaying a threshold value. In this way, in the first display mode, the size of the display 5 in the x direction is used almost to the maximum to display the amount of received light and the threshold value, thereby improving the visibility of numerical values for the user. Note that the UI control unit 103 may highlight the threshold. The highlighted display includes reverse display as shown in FIG. 9A, enclosing display in which the threshold is surrounded by a frame, display of the threshold in a display color different from the display color of the physical quantity, and the like. Inverted display is a display format in which the color of the numerical value of the received light amount in the first display mode is used as the background color of the second display mode, and the background color of the first display mode is the color of the numerical value in the second display mode.

In S2, the UI control unit 103 determines whether the adjustment button 9 of the operation unit 90 has been pressed. The adjustment button 9 may have two switches for raising and lowering the threshold. For example, the front half of the adjustment button 9 may correspond to the first switch for increasing the threshold and the rear half of the adjustment button 9 may correspond to the second switch for increasing the threshold. When either the first switch or the second switch is turned on by the user, the UI control unit 103 determines that the adjustment button 9 has been pressed, and proceeds to S3.

In S3, the UI control unit 103 displays the top screen in the first display mode. FIG. 9B shows an example of the UI 300b according to the second display mode. The area of the first display area 301 of the UI 300b according to the second display mode is the same as the area of the first display area 301 of the UI 300a of the first display mode. This is because the amount of received light is the most important information. On the other hand, the second display area 302 is divided into a third display area 303 and a fourth display area 304 in the UI 300b. A third display area 303 is an area for displaying a threshold value in the second display mode. A fourth display area 304 is an area for displaying an operation mode. The area of the third display area 303 is smaller than the area of the second display area 302 . That is, by reducing the area of the threshold display area in the second display area 302, a display area for the additional information (operation mode) is secured. Since the third display area 303 is smaller than the second display area 302, the character size for displaying the threshold is changed. However, the threshold is displayed in thin characters in the second display area 302 , and the threshold is displayed in bold characters in the third display area 303 . This makes the threshold value easier to read even if the character size is reduced. When the user presses the adjustment button 9 while the UI 300b is displayed on the display device 5, the UI control unit 103 adjusts the threshold according to the user's operation, and displays the adjusted threshold in the third display area 303. .


In S4, the UI control unit 103 determines whether or not the non-operation time has exceeded a predetermined time. The UI control unit 103 uses a timer or the like to measure the elapsed time (non-operation time) since the user last operated the operation unit 90 . The timer may be built in the CPU 100, or may be realized by a counter circuit. When the non-operation time exceeds the predetermined time, the UI control unit 103 proceeds to S5. Upon detecting a user operation on the operation unit 90, the UI control unit 103 resets the timer.

In S5, the UI control unit 103 switches the display mode of the top screen from the second display mode to the first display mode. As a result, the UI 300a in the first display mode is displayed on the display 5 again. That is, when the non-operation state continues for a predetermined time, the UI control unit 103 determines that the adjustment of the threshold value is finished, and returns the UI 300b to the UI 300a. As described above, since the area of the upper surface of the photoelectric switch 1 of the present invention is very small, it can be said that there is almost no space for providing a dedicated button for notifying the CPU 100 of the end of adjustment. Therefore, the UI control unit 103 determines that the continuation of the no-operation state is the end of the adjustment. Note that even if the UI 300b returns to the UI 300a, the user can immediately switch the UI 300a to the UI 300b by operating the adjustment button 9 again.

Modified Example of UI FIG. 10A shows the UI 300a in the first display mode when the number of digits of the numerical value is increased. The light emitting element 91a has a plurality of operation modes (power modes). If an operation mode with a large amount of light emission is selected from among a plurality of operation modes, the amount of received light cannot be represented by a numerical value of four digits. Therefore, the UI control unit 103 may increase or decrease the number of display digits of the received light amount according to the operation mode of the light emitting element 91a. However, the UI control unit 103 may maintain the area of the first display region 301 for displaying the amount of received light even if the number of display digits of the amount of received light is changed. As shown in FIG. 10A, the UI control unit 103 may increase or decrease the number of display digits of the threshold according to the operation mode of the light emitting element 91a. However, the area of the second display area 302 is maintained.

FIG. 10B shows the UI 300a in the first display mode when the number of digits of the numerical value is increased. Even if the amount of received light becomes small enough to display the amount of received light with a numerical value of four digits, the UI control unit 103 maintains the number of display digits at five digits. Similarly, even if the threshold value becomes small enough to be displayed as a four-digit numerical value, the UI control unit 103 maintains the number of display digits at five digits. In this way, the number of display digits is increased or decreased according to the operation mode, and does not have to depend on the numerical value.

FIG. 10C shows the UI 300b in the second display mode when the number of digits of the numerical value is increased. The UI control unit 103 increases or decreases the number of display digits of the third display area 303 according to the operation mode of the light emitting element 91a. Note that the UI control unit 103 may increase or decrease the number of display digits of the amount of received light according to the operation mode of the light emitting element 91a in the UI 300b of the second display mode as well. The UI control unit 103 may maintain the area of the first display area 301 and the area of the second display area 302 even in the second display mode.

FIG. 11A shows the UI 300a in the first display mode that displays the amount of received light in graph form. The UI control unit 103 may display the amount of received light using a bar graph, a circle graph, or the like. A bar-type graph 401a is a graphic object that expands and contracts according to the amount of received light. The bar-type graph 401a extends in the forward direction (z direction) of the photoelectric switch 1 in proportion to the increase in the amount of received light. The threshold mark 402a is an object that indicates the position of the threshold for the bar-type graph 401a. A peak mark 403a is an object indicating the peak value (maximum value) of the amount of received light. The bottom mark 404a is an object indicating the bottom value (minimum value) of the amount of received light. In this example, a bar type graph 401a is displayed in the first display area 301a.

FIG. 11B shows the UI 300b of the second display mode that displays the amount of received light in a graph format. UI 300b is used by the user to adjust the threshold. As such, the user would prefer to understand the actual threshold as a number. The UI control unit 103 creates a first display area 301b by reducing the area of the first display area 301a, and further creates a third display area 303 secured by reducing the area of the first display area 301a. The amount of received light may be displayed numerically. The third display area 303 has a numerical display area 405 for the amount of received light. As the area of the first display region 301a is reduced, the UI control unit 103 reduces or simplifies the graph 401a, the threshold mark 402a, the peak mark 403a, and the bottom mark 404a. 402b, peak mark 403b, and bottom mark 404b. The peak mark 403a includes the letter P, which is the initial letter of peak, but the peak mark 403b may not include the letter P. The bottom mark 404a includes the letter B, which is the initial letter of bottom, but the bottom mark 404b may not include the letter B. This is because a wider third display area 303 can be secured by omitting these characters.

FIG. 12A shows the UI 300a in the first display mode that displays the differential value of the amount of received light and its threshold value. The UI control unit 103 adds a Δ mark to the beginning of the numerical value to indicate that the numerical value displayed in the first display area 301 is a differential value. The UI control unit 103 adds a Δ mark to the beginning of the numerical value to indicate that the threshold value displayed in the second display area 302 is the differential value of the amount of received light.

FIG. 12B shows the UI 300b in the second display mode that displays the differential value of the amount of received light and its threshold value. The UI control unit 103 adds a Δ mark to the beginning of the numerical value to indicate that the threshold value displayed in the third display area 303 is the differential value of the amount of received light.

FIG. 13A shows the UI 300a in the first display mode that displays the margin [%] of the amount of received light with respect to the threshold. The UI control unit 103 displays the threshold in the second display area 302 , calculates the margin of the received light amount with respect to this threshold, and displays the margin in the first display area 301 . The UI control unit 103 has a margin calculation unit. In addition, the UI control unit 103 may display % as a unit mark together with the margin in order to indicate to the user that the margin is indicated.

FIG. 14A shows the UI 300a in the first display mode that displays the peak value and bottom value of the amount of received light. The UI control unit 103 secures a fifth display area 305 and a sixth display area 306 in the first display area 301, displays the peak value of the amount of received light in the fifth display area 305, and displays the received light in the sixth display area 306. Display the bottom value of the quantity. Note that the UI control unit 103 may display the letter P indicating the peak value in the fifth display area 305 . Similarly, the UI control unit 103 may display the letter B indicating the bottom value in the sixth display area 306 . As the number of numerical values displayed increases, the user cannot easily grasp which numerical value indicates what. These characters will thus help the user understand the meaning of the numbers. The UI control unit 103 compares the peak value of the received light amount obtained in the past with the current received light amount, and if the current received light amount exceeds the peak value, substitutes the current received light amount for the peak value, Update value. Similarly, the UI control unit 103 compares the bottom value of the amount of received light obtained in the past with the current amount of received light, and if the current amount of received light is below the bottom value, substitutes the current amount of received light for the bottom value. to update the bottom value. Thus, the UI control unit 103 has a peak value determination unit and a bottom value determination unit. The UI control unit 103 displays the threshold in the second display area 302. FIG. Note that the definition of the peak value and the definition of the bottom value may be different. For example, the peak value may be the maximum value among the received light amounts exceeding the threshold. If a setting is adopted in which the detection signal is turned ON when the amount of received light is greater than the threshold, the peak value may be the maximum value of the amount of received light during the period when the detection signal is ON. The peak value is updated each time the level of the detection signal switches from ON to OFF. The bottom value, like the peak value, may be the minimum value of the amount of received light that is below the threshold. The bottom value is updated each time the level of the detection signal switches from OFF to ON.

FIG. 14B shows the UI 300b of the second display mode displaying the peak value and bottom value of the amount of received light. The UI control unit 103 secures a third display area 303 and a seventh display area 307 in the second display area 302 , displays the threshold in the third display area 303 , and displays the amount of received light in the seventh display area 307 . The user adjusts the threshold while referring to the current amount of received light. Therefore, displaying the amount of received light assists the user in adjusting the threshold.

FIG. 15A shows the UI 300a in the first display mode that displays the peak value and bottom value of the margin [%] of the amount of received light with respect to the threshold. The UI control unit 103 secures a fifth display area 305 and a sixth display area 306 in the first display area 301, displays the peak value of the margin in the fifth display area 305, and displays the margin in the sixth display area 306. Display the bottom value in degrees. The UI control unit 103 displays the threshold in the second display area 302. FIG.

FIG. 15B shows the UI 300b in the second display mode that displays the peak value and bottom value of the margin [%] of the amount of received light with respect to the threshold. The UI control unit 103 secures a third display area 303 and a seventh display area 307 in the second display area 302 , displays the threshold in the third display area 303 , and displays the amount of received light in the seventh display area 307 . Displaying the amount of light received assists the user in adjusting the threshold.

●Setting Menu As the photoelectric switch 1 becomes more sophisticated, it would be convenient for the user if setting items for setting each function could be displayed on the display 5 of the photoelectric switch 1 . Since a conventional slim-type photoelectric switch employs a 7-segment LED, it is difficult to display setting items in an easy-to-understand manner for the user. Since the dot matrix display is adopted as the display device 5 in the present invention, it is possible to display the setting items in an easy-to-understand manner for the user. On the other hand, as the functions increase, the setting items also increase. Since the x-direction dimension of the display 5 is at most around 10 mm, the number of lines of characters that can be displayed on the display 5 will be one line. For example, if there are 20 setting items, the user must press the button at least 19 times to reach the target setting item. Therefore, the present invention improves usability by providing a plurality of setting menus and selecting a setting menu displayed according to a user's operation. For example, the user can reach the setting item for setting the display language with as few user operations as possible. This reduces the possibility that words in a language not intended by the user will be displayed before the user reaches the setting item for setting the display language. It is conceivable that the photoelectric switch 1 displays the setting item of the display language every time the user starts the photoelectric switch 1 for the first time or initializes the setting of the photoelectric switch 1 . However, the photoelectric switch 1 displays the amount of received light and the threshold on the TOP screen. Therefore, if the user cannot use the photoelectric switch 1 without setting the language, usability is compromised. In other words, it would be more convenient for the user if the photoelectric switch 1 displays the amount of received light and the threshold without setting the language. Therefore, it is important that a user who thinks language setting is necessary can reach the language setting item with fewer operations.

FIG. 16 is a flow chart showing processing relating to the setting menu.

In S11, the UI control unit 103 determines whether the mode button 8 has been pressed for a short time. Short pressing refers to pressing the button for a relatively short period of time. Upon detecting that the mode button 8 has been pressed for a short time, the UI control unit 103 proceeds to S12. If the mode button 8 has not been pressed for a short time, the UI control unit 103 skips S12 and proceeds to S13.

In S<b>12 , the UI control unit 103 displays the simple setting menu on the display device 5 .

FIG. 17 shows an example of the simple setting menu. When the mode button 8 is pressed for a short time while the UI 300 a in the first display mode is being displayed as the top screen, the UI control unit 103 displays the simple setting menu on the display device 5 . The simple setting menu includes a setting item 311a for selecting the output method of the detection result of the workpiece w, a setting item 311b for setting the language, and a setting item 311c for returning to the top screen. When the adjustment button 9 is pressed while the setting item 311a is displayed, the UI control unit 103 displays a submenu for selecting the output method. In particular, when the rear end portion of the adjustment button 9 is pressed, the UI control section 103 displays a submenu for selecting the output method. Note that the setting item 311a may have a mark suggesting a button for displaying a submenu. As shown in FIG. 1, this mark may also be displayed on the rear end portion of the adjustment button 9 by printing, engraving, or the like. Also, the setting item 311a may have a mark indicating a button for displaying the next setting item. In this example, setting item 311a includes M, which suggests mode button 8 . The submenu includes a selection item 381a for turning on the output of the I/O circuit 95 when the light directed from the light emitting fiber 22 to the light receiving fiber 23 is blocked, and a selection item 381a for turning on the output of the I/O circuit 95 when the light enters the light receiving fiber 23. and a selection item 381b for turning on the output. The UI control unit 103 switches between the selection item 381a and the selection item 381b each time the adjustment button 9 is pressed, and confirms the selection result when the mode button 8 is pressed. The selection item 381a and the selection item 381b may have a mark suggesting a button to be operated for switching. In this example, a mark given to the first half of the adjustment button 9 and a mark given to the second half are displayed in the selection item 381a and the selection item 381b. Also, a mark indicating a button to be operated to confirm the selection may be displayed on the selection item 381a and the selection item 381b. In this example, an M indicating mode button 8 is displayed in selection item 381a and selection item 381b. The selection result of the selection item 381a and the selection item 381b may be used for lighting control of the indicator lamp 24. FIG.

Based on the short press of the mode button 8, the UI control unit 103 switches from the setting item 311a to the setting item 311b, switches from the setting item 311b to the setting item 311c, and switches from the setting item 311c to the UI 300a. When the adjustment button 9 is pressed while the setting item 311b is displayed, the UI control unit 103 displays a submenu for selecting the language. The submenu may include at least a selection item 381c for selecting English and a selection item 381d for selecting Japanese. Of course, more languages (eg German, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, etc.) may be selectable. The UI control unit 103 switches selection items each time the adjustment button 9 is pressed. Also, when the UI control unit 103 detects that the mode button 8 has been pressed, it confirms the language selection by the user. For example, when it is detected that the mode button 8 has been pressed while the selection item 381a is displayed on the display 5, the UI control unit 103 sets the display language to English. The setting item 311a for selecting the power mode has a plurality of selection items corresponding to each of a plurality of power modes. Since the photoelectric switch 1 can frequently switch between power modes, the simple setting menu includes a setting item 311a for selecting the power mode. For sensor units other than the photoelectric switch 1, setting items that are frequently set are also included in the simple setting menu.

In S13, the UI control unit 103 determines whether the active receiver button 7 has been pressed for a short time. If the active receiver button 7 has been pressed for a short time, the UI control unit 103 proceeds to S14. If the active receiver button 7 has not been pressed for a short time, the UI control unit 103 skips S14 and proceeds to S15.

In S<b>14 , the UI control unit 103 displays an AR-related menu on the display device 5 . AR is an abbreviation for active receiver.

FIG. 18 shows an example of an AR-related menu. When the active receiver button 7 is pressed for a short time while the UI 300 a in the first display mode is displayed as the top screen, the UI control unit 103 displays an AR-related menu on the display 5 . The AR-related menu includes, for example, a setting item 311d for setting the blinking mode, a setting item 311e for setting the optical axis adjustment mode, a setting item 311f for setting the active receiver, and a setting item for returning to the top screen. 311c.

The blinking mode is a mode in which a light emitting element (not shown) provided on the light receiving surface of the light receiving element 92 is temporarily blinked. The light emitted by this light emitting element is emitted from the light receiving fiber 23 to the outside. In general, the receiving fiber 23 has a purpose of receiving light and does not emit light. However, by emitting light from the tip of the light-receiving fiber 23, it is possible to check whether the light-receiving fiber 23 is disconnected. When the adjustment button 9 is pressed while the setting item 311d is displayed, the UI control unit 103 switches between valid/invalid of the flashing mode. In particular, when the blinking mode is valid, the UI control unit 103 may alternately display the animation image 382a and the animation image 382a to express the blinking of the light emitting element.

The optical axis adjustment mode is a mode for adjusting the optical axis of the light receiving fiber 23 and the optical axis of the light projecting fiber 22 . For example, choosing to illuminate the light emitting element of the receiving fiber 23 may help the user to confirm the position of the receiving fiber 23 . Note that when the optical axis adjustment mode is activated, the UI control unit 103 may display an image 382c indicating optical axis adjustment on the display 5. FIG.

The active receiver setting has a submenu consisting of a plurality of selection items for setting the lighting/extinguishing of the light emitting element of the light receiving fiber 23 . The selection item 381m is an item for selecting lighting of the light emitting element of the light receiving fiber 23 in conjunction with the detection result of the workpiece w (output interlocking). In output interlocking, the light emitting element of the light receiving fiber 23 is lit/extinguished in conjunction with the lighting/extinction of the indicator lamp 24 . The selection item 381n is an item for selecting to light the light emitting element of the light receiving fiber 23 in a state in which it is inverted with respect to the detection result of the work w (output inversion). When the output inversion is selected, the light-emitting element of the light-receiving fiber 23 is turned off/on in conjunction with the turning on/off of the indicator lamp 24 . The selection item 381o is an item for constantly lighting the light emitting element of the light receiving fiber 23 . The selection item 381p is an item for selecting to always turn off the light emitting element of the light receiving fiber 23 . The UI control unit 103 switches the selection items 381m to 381p each time the adjustment button 9 is pressed and displays them on the display device 5 . At this time, when the active receiver button 7 is pressed for a short time, the UI control unit 103 confirms the currently displayed selection item among the selection items 381m to 381p as being selected by the user, and sets the setting item. Return to 311f. The selection items 381m to 381p may have a mark suggesting the active receiver button 7, a mark suggesting the first half of the adjustment button 9, or a mark suggesting the latter half of the adjustment button 9. FIG. This will allow the user to visually understand the buttons for transitioning between selections and the buttons for confirming selections. The UI control unit 103 switches these setting items in order each time the active receiver button 7 is pressed for a short time. Each setting item may have a marking suggesting an active receiver button 7 for cycling through the setting items. This mark also matches the mark given to the surface of the active receiver button 7 shown in FIG.

In S15, the UI control unit 103 determines whether the mode button 8 has been pressed long. Long press means pressing the button for a relatively long time. Upon detecting that the mode button 8 has been pressed for a long time, the UI control unit 103 proceeds to S16. If the mode button 8 has not been pressed long, the UI control unit 103 returns to S11.

In S<b>16 , the UI control unit 103 displays a detailed setting menu on the display device 5 .

FIG. 19 shows part of the detail setting menu. When the mode button 8 is pressed long while the UI 300 a in the first display mode is displayed as the top screen, the UI control unit 103 displays the detailed setting menu on the display device 5 . The detail setting menu has a first menu and a second menu. The first menu includes a setting item 311h for selecting a power mode, a setting item 311a regarding output switching, a setting item 311i for selecting whether or not to display a graph of the amount of received light, and a setting item 311j for selecting whether to shift to the second menu. The UI control unit 103 switches setting items each time the mode button 8 is pressed for a short time. Further, when a long press of the mode button is detected while the setting item 311i is displayed, the first menu is shifted to the second menu.

The submenu of the setting item 311h includes a plurality of selection items 381q, 381r, etc. for selecting the light emission amount of the light emitting element 91a. For example, the amount of light emission may be divided into eight stages. Names such as FINE, SUPER, MEGA, TERA, etc., may be displayed in the plurality of selection items 381q and 381r for easily explaining the light emission amount to the user. The UI control unit 103 may change the number of display digits of the amount of received light according to the selected amount of emitted light. The setting item 311i has a selection item 381s for enabling graph display and a selection item 381t for disabling graph display.

The second menu may have, for example, 20 or more setting items. The setting item 311k is a setting item for selecting the display format of the amount of received light. The selection item 381u is a selection item for selecting numerical display of the amount of received light. The selection item 381v is a selection item for selecting to display the amount of received light with margin. When the adjustment button 9 is pressed while the setting item 311k is displayed, the UI control unit 103 displays the selection item 381u and the selection item 381v. On the other hand, when the mode button 8 is pressed while the setting item 311k is displayed, the UI control unit 103 displays the selection item next to the selection item 381u. The second menu has a setting item 311b for setting the language and a setting item 311z for ending the setting.

Here, the UI control unit 103 displays different menus on the display 5 according to two operation methods such as long press and short press. A long press is an operation method that is relatively difficult to operate, and a short press is an operation method that is relatively easy to operate. In this way, different menus may be displayed according to the difficulty level of the operation method. Such operation methods include, for example, pressing a small button (high difficulty) and pressing a large button (low difficulty). Further, the operation method may include simultaneously pressing a plurality of buttons (high difficulty level) and pressing a single button (low difficulty level).

The UI control unit 103 may display the above-described menu even when the photoelectric switch 1 is detecting the workpiece w (during operation) and accept the change of setting.

The UI control unit 103 may employ animation display when switching from one setting item to the next setting item. It is assumed here that the setting item is, for example, an image consisting of 20 lines. In this case, the UI control unit 103 displays the 1st to 20th lines of the first setting item, and then the UI control unit 103 displays the 2nd to 20th lines of the first setting item and the second line. Display the first line of setting items. That is, the second line of the first setting item is displayed at the top, and the first line of the second setting item is displayed at the bottom. Next, the UI control unit 103 displays the 3rd to 20th lines of the first setting item and the 1st and 2nd lines of the second setting item. By adopting such scroll display, the UI control unit 103 finally displays the 1st to 20th lines of the second setting items on the display 5 . As a result, the display image is gradually changed from the first setting item to the second setting item, and animation display of the setting item is realized.

As shown in FIG. 1, the rear end portion of the cover member 4 is a flat surface having a certain area. Moreover, this rear end is positioned immediately adjacent to the display 5 . Therefore, a mark (eg, " >”) may be displayed on the display 5 by the UI control unit 103 . Next to the mark displayed on the indicator 5, the letters D-on and L-on are given (eg, printed, stamped, or pasted) to the rear end of the cover member 4. may

In FIG. 1 , the operation unit 90 is arranged at a different position from the display 5 . However, a so-called touch panel type display in which the operation unit 90 is mounted on the display device 5 may be adopted as the photoelectric switch 1 . In this case, different menus may be displayed according to the position of the user's operation on the display surface (touch-sensitive surface) of the display 5 or the movement of the user's finger. For example, the first sensing area on the touch-sensitive surface may be short pressed (low difficulty) or long pressed (high difficulty). The UI control unit 103 may display different menus according to different finger movements such as a flick operation and a double-click operation on the touch-sensitive surface.

FIG. 20A shows another example of the UI 300b in the second display mode. Among other things, the seventh display area 307 displays a stepped graph 401a, such as a graph showing the radio field strength of a mobile phone. FIG. 20B shows a linear graph 401a. This linear graph 401a extends leftward in accordance with the amount of received light. FIG. 20C shows a semicircular graph 401a. Various types of graphs can thus be employed as the graph 401a.

FIG. 21A shows the UI 300a in the first display mode that displays the amount of received light both numerically and graphically. FIG. 21B shows the UI 300b of the first display mode, which displays the amount of received light both numerically and graphically. The UI control unit 103 removes part of the first display area 301 to secure a third display area 303 for displaying the threshold. However, in the first display area 301, the area of the numerical value display area is the same between the UI 300a and the UI 300b. However, the display area of the graph 401a is reduced and the third display area 303 is secured.

<Summary>
As described with reference to FIG. 1 and the like, the photoelectric switch 1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing. In other words, the housing is elongated. The display 5 is an example of a display unit attached to the first surface of the outer surface of the housing. Conventionally, since the display was housed inside the housing of the photoelectric switch, there was a distance from the outer surface of the housing to the display, making it difficult to see the displayed information. In this embodiment, since the display 5 is attached to the outer surface of the housing, the distance from the outer edge of the photoelectric switch 1 to the display 5 is short, and the information displayed on the display 5 is easy to see. The light-emitting element module 32 and the hole 12 are examples of light-projecting parts provided near the second surface located next to the first surface. The light-receiving element module 33 and the hole 13 are an example of a light-receiving part provided near the second surface located next to the first surface. The adjustment button 9 or the like is provided on the first surface or the display section, and is an example of a receiving section that receives user operations. The controller 6 is an example of a display control unit that causes the display unit to display the threshold value adjusted through the reception unit and the signal value indicating the amount of light received by the light receiving unit. The control board 30 is an example of a control board (first board) that is accommodated inside a housing and to which a display control unit is mounted or connected. A signal cable 51 is an example of a signal cable that connects the control board 30 and the display device 5 . The display 5 has a connecting portion connected to the signal cable 51 . The connection portion of the display 5 is arranged between the display area and the signal cable 51 in the longitudinal direction of the housing. The display 5 has two short sides and two long sides, and the signal cable 51 is connected to one of the two short sides. This provides a connection structure for the signal cable 51 capable of securing a sufficient display area for the display 5 in the photoelectric switch 1 . The shield member 50 is an example of a shield member provided on at least part of the side surface of the display device 5 . The cover member 4 is an example of a cover member that sandwiches a shield member 50 between itself and the side surface of the display device 5 and covers at least part of the side surface of the display device 5 . Thus, the shield member 50 also has a role of protecting the display device 5 from impact.

In the above embodiment, the photoelectric switch 1 is used as an example of the sensor unit. However, the sensor unit may be a sensor unit that detects other physical quantities such as a pressure sensor. The detection unit 101 is an example of a detection unit that detects a physical quantity (eg, amount of light received or pressure). The display 5 is an example of a dot matrix display that displays the physical quantity detected by the detector. The indicator lamp 24, an output cable to the outside, the I/O circuit 95, etc. are examples of an output unit that outputs the comparison result between the physical quantity detected by the detection unit and the threshold value. The operation unit 90 is an example of an operation unit that receives a threshold adjustment operation. The UI control unit 103 is an example of a control unit that controls the dot matrix display unit. As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the UI control unit 103 causes the dot matrix display unit to display the threshold value and the physical quantity in the first display mode, and causes the dot matrix display unit to display the physical quantity in the second display mode. Additional information (eg, power mode, etc.) different from the physical quantity and different from the threshold may be displayed together with the physical quantity and the threshold. The area of the threshold display area (eg, the third display area 303) in the second display mode is smaller than the area of the threshold display area (eg, the second display area 302) in the first display mode. The area of the information display area (fourth display area 304) in the second display mode may be secured by reducing the area of the threshold display area (second display area 302). However, as shown in FIG. 21, the area of the first display area 301 may be reduced to secure the third display area 303 . When the number of display items increases in this way, a part of the display area is reduced to secure the display area for the increased display items. When the number of display items is reduced, such as when returning from the UI 300b to the UI 300a, the area of the reduced display items may be added to the area of other display regions. The area of the physical quantity display area in the second display mode may be smaller than the area of the physical quantity display area in the first display mode. In this case, the area of the information display area (fourth display area 304) in the second display mode may be secured by reducing the area of the physical quantity display area. In this way, the display area for one of the threshold value and the physical quantity may be reduced to secure the display area for the increased display items.

The additionally displayed information may be information indicating the operating mode (eg, power mode) of the sensor unit.

The UI control unit 103 is configured to display the threshold updated according to the adjustment operation accepted by the operation unit 90 on the dot matrix display unit in both the first display mode and the second display mode. good too. That is, the UI control unit 103 also reflects the threshold updated through the UI 300b on the UI 300a.

The UI control unit 103 may be configured to highlight the threshold on the dot matrix display unit. For example, the method of emphasizing the threshold value may be any one of reverse display, enclosure display, and display using a display color different from the display color of the physical quantity. The UI control unit 103 may be configured to display the threshold in thin characters in the first display mode and to display the threshold in bold characters in the second display mode.

As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the area of the physical quantity display area in the first display mode may be larger than the area of the threshold display area in the first display mode. The area of the physical quantity display area in the second display mode may be larger than the sum of the area of the threshold value display area and the information display area in the second display mode.

As shown in FIG. 9B and the like, the height of the threshold display area in the second display mode may be higher than the height of the information display area in the second display mode. This allows important information to be displayed larger.

When the operation unit 90 accepts a threshold adjustment operation, the UI control unit 103 switches the first display mode to the second display mode. The UI control unit 103 may return the second display mode to the first display mode after a predetermined period of time has passed since the first display mode was switched to the second display mode. Thereby, the user can omit the operation of returning from the second display mode to the first display mode.

As shown in FIG. 11A and the like, the first display mode may be a mode in which the physical quantity is displayed in a graph and a threshold mark indicating the position of the threshold is displayed in the graph. As shown in FIG. 11B and the like, the second display mode is a mode in which the physical quantity is displayed as a graph, a threshold mark is displayed in the graph, and a numerical value indicating the threshold is displayed as additional information. good. As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the area of the threshold mark display area in the second display mode may be smaller than the area of the threshold mark display area in the first display mode. Further, the area of the display area for the numerical values indicating the threshold values in the second display mode may be secured by reducing the area of the display area of the threshold mark and the display area of the graph. As shown in FIG. 11A and the like, the first display mode may include a peak mark indicating the peak value of the physical quantity and a bottom mark indicating the bottom value of the physical quantity.

The light-emitting element module 32 is an example of a light-projecting unit that projects light onto a detection area (passage area) of the workpiece w in order to detect a physical quantity. The graph may be a bar graph as shown in FIG. The UI control unit 103 may be configured to extend the bar graph toward the light projecting unit as the physical quantity increases.

As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the scale of the bar graph for the physical quantity in the first display mode and the scale of the bar graph for the physical quantity in the second display mode may match. Also, the width of the bar graph in the first display mode may be narrower than the width of the bar graph in the second display mode. Since the scale is maintained, even if the UI 300a is changed to the UI 300b, the user can intuitively grasp the amount of received light.

The operation unit 90 may have buttons (eg, mode button 8, active receiver button 7, etc.) for displaying a setting menu for setting the sensor unit. When the button is pressed, the UI control unit 103 may transition from the first display mode or the second display mode to the third display mode and display the setting menu on the dot matrix display unit. 17, 18 and 19 show an example of the third display mode.

As shown in FIG. 19, the UI control unit 103 may display a first menu having a large number of setting items on the dot matrix display unit when the button is pressed for a long time. As shown in FIG. 17, when the button is pressed for a short time, a second menu having a small number of setting items may be displayed on the dot matrix display section. As shown in FIG. 17, the second menu may include a setting item 311b for setting the display language.

The language switching setting hierarchy, short press, and long press described above may be modified as follows.
(1): The housing of the sensor unit may have a button for receiving an input for setting change. When a short press on this button is detected, the first setting change group is displayed. When a long press on this button is detected, the second setting change group is displayed. Language switching is included in the first setting change group.
(2): The second setting change group in (1) may include a third setting change group that accepts more detailed setting changes. Language switching may be included in both the first setting change group and the third setting change group.
(3): The housing may have a button for receiving an input for setting change. When the first operation input for this button is received, the first setting change group is displayed. When a second operation input that is more complicated than the first operation input is received, a second setting change group is displayed. Language switching is included in the first setting change group. Here, "complicated" means that the user's operation is difficult, such as pressing a smaller button, pressing a button for a long time, or pressing a plurality of buttons at the same time.
(4): In (3), the second setting change group may have a third setting change group that accepts more detailed setting changes. Language switching may be included in both the first setting change group and the third setting change group.
(5): In (1) to (4), language switching may be possible even during operation of the fiber sensor.
(6): A mode selection unit capable of switching between a simple mode that enables simple settings and an advanced mode that enables detailed settings may be further provided. There are button operations assigned to simple mode and button operations assigned to advanced mode, and language switching is in simple mode.

By changing from a 7-segment type LED display to a dot matrix type display, numbers and some non-alphabetic characters (e.g. Japanese, Chinese, Korean, French, Italian, Spanish) can be displayed. became visible. In other words, a dot-matrix type display can display setting items and setting contents. In this case, the user presses a button or the like to display the setting items on the display while switching the setting items in order. Here, the sensor unit shipped from the factory may be initially set to a language different from the language desired by the user. In this case, the words in the undesired language will be displayed many times before the user reaches the language setting. This is because the language setting is not executed many times, and is usually provided at a deep position in the hierarchical menu. According to the present invention, since language switching can be performed in a simple manner, words in an undesired language will be displayed less often. Note that the sensor unit has a plurality of language sets inside. In the present invention, the language setting may be provided not only at the shallow position of the hierarchical menu but also at the deep position.

Claims (11)

a detection unit that detects a physical quantity;
a dot matrix display unit that displays the physical quantity detected by the detection unit ;
an output unit that outputs a comparison result between the physical quantity detected by the detection unit and a threshold;
an operation unit that receives an operation for adjusting the threshold;
A control unit that controls the dot matrix display unit,
The control unit displays the threshold value and the physical quantity on the dot matrix display unit as a display screen,
The dot matrix display unit is capable of displaying a first setting menu that is shifted from the display screen by a predetermined operation input, and a second setting menu that is shifted by a complicated operation input from the predetermined operation input. One setting menu has simple setting items that are displayed while being sequentially switched according to user operations, one of the simple setting items is language setting, and the second setting menu is the same as the first setting menu. A sensor unit characterized by having a plurality of setting items, which are detailed setting items displayed in a language set through language setting and which are displayed while being sequentially switched according to a user's operation. The second setting menu has a hierarchical menu structure,
The second setting menu has a first-layer setting menu positioned at a higher level in the hierarchical menu structure and a second-layer setting menu positioned at a lower level in the hierarchical menu structure,
The first-level setting menu has, as the detailed setting items, a plurality of setting items that are displayed in the language set by the language setting while being sequentially switched according to user operation, and one of the plurality of setting items is displayed. One is a setting item for selecting whether to shift from the first hierarchical setting menu to the second hierarchical setting menu,
When the second-layer setting menu is shifted from the first-layer setting menu to the second-layer setting menu, the language set by the language setting is displayed as the detailed setting item while being sequentially switched according to the user's operation. 2. The sensor unit according to claim 1, having a plurality of setting items to be set. 3. The sensor unit according to claim 2, wherein the first layer setting menu includes setting items for switching power modes. 4. The sensor unit according to claim 2, wherein the first layer setting menu includes setting items for selecting a detection result output method. 5. The sensor unit according to claim 4, wherein the first setting menu includes setting items for selecting an output method of detection results. 4. The language setting according to claim 2, wherein the language setting is a setting item of the first setting menu and is also a setting item of the second hierarchical setting menu in the second setting menu. The described sensor unit . The sensor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the language setting includes an alphabetic language and a Chinese character language as languages to be selected. The sensor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the control unit displays a notation indicating that the language setting is a setting item for setting a language in a plurality of languages. . 2. The first setting menu includes, as one of the detailed setting items, a setting item for instructing to return to the display screen from a state in which the first setting menu is displayed. 4. The sensor unit according to any one of 3 . The operation unit further includes a button that is operated when the display screen transitions to a menu display state,
The control unit displays the first setting menu when the button is pressed for a short time in the display state of displaying the display screen, and the button is long pressed in the display state of displaying the display screen. 4. The sensor unit according to claim 1 , wherein the second setting menu is displayed. 4. The controller according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein, in a display state in which the display screen is displayed, the physical quantity and the threshold are displayed numerically, and the threshold is displayed in a threshold display area. 1. The sensor unit according to item 1.

Images