JP2000099114A - Display and display system using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a display, of which plural pieces can be connected to external equipment, and a display system using the same. SOLUTION: Concerning a display J equipped with a control part 1 for controlling the whole, a communication part 3 provided with an external communication interface 31 for communicating with an external equipment 33 and a display part 4 for displaying a display screen, the communication part 3 is provided with an inter-equipment interface 32 using plural equipment communication protocols capable of mutually communicating with plural pieces of equipment 34, the external communication interface 31 communicates with the external equipment 33, and the inter-equipment interface 32 mutually communicates with plural pieces of equipment 34.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a display H which is connected to a controlled device via an external device such as a programmable controller and displays the operating status of the controlled device.
And a display system using the display.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is an indicator H of this type having a configuration shown in FIG. This device comprises a control unit A for controlling the whole, a communication unit B provided with an external communication interface B1 for communicating with the external device B11, and a display unit C for displaying a display screen. It communicates one-to-one with B11.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned conventional display H, the communication section B communicates with the external device B11 in a one-to-one manner.
For example, the operating state of the controlled device B12 connected to the external device B11 can be displayed on the display unit C.

[0006] However, as shown in FIG. 6, when a display system for displaying the operation status of the controlled device B 12 on four displays H is constructed, each display H is arranged in parallel. And each external communication interface B1
Are connected in parallel to the external device B11, and the external communication interfaces B1 and the external device B11 communicate with each other in a one-to-four manner.

[0005] To this end, each display H is a multi-device communication protocol capable of communicating with a plurality of devices, ie, N.
External communication interface B with one-to-one communication protocol
1 needs to be provided in the communication section B. Further, similarly to the display H, the external device B11 must be provided with a device-side external communication interface having a multi-device communication protocol, and when there are a plurality of manufacturers that manufacture the external device B11, An N-to-1 communication protocol corresponding to the communication protocol must be prepared. Therefore, from the above two problems, the controlled device B12
The display system for displaying the operation status and the like on a plurality of displays H cannot be easily configured.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a display which can be connected to a plurality of external devices, and a display system using the display. is there.

[0007]

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display device comprising: a control unit for controlling the whole; and a communication unit provided with an external communication interface for communicating with an external device. And a display unit for displaying a display screen, wherein the communication unit is provided with an inter-device interface using a multi-device communication protocol capable of communicating with a plurality of devices.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display system using a plurality of displays according to the first aspect, wherein a control unit for controlling the whole, an external communication interface for communicating with an external device, and a plurality of devices are provided. A specific display device, which is one of a plurality of display devices including a communication unit provided with an interface between devices using a multiple device communication protocol that can communicate with each other and a display unit that displays a display screen, The external communication interface communicates with an external device, and the inter-device interface communicates with an unspecified display excluding a specific display.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the display system according to the second aspect, the specific display includes:
A message transmission means for transmitting a message to the display unit of the unspecified display is provided.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the display system according to the second aspect, the specific display selects a priority display from among the unspecified displays, and gives priority to the priority display. And a selective communication unit for executing communication.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First, a display J according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a control unit, which is a central processing unit, a so-called CPU, which controls the entire system based on an operation system program 21 stored in a ROM 2 described later.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a ROM which is provided in connection with the control unit 1 and which is provided in connection with the control unit 1 by a non-volatile readable / writable flash memory, and which controls the entire system, and a plurality of ROMs. Stores the screen data of the display screen.

A communication unit 3 is connected to the control unit 1 and has an external communication interface 31 for one-to-one communication and a device interface 32 for N-to-one communication. The face 31 is connected to a programmable controller forming the external device 33 to perform one-to-one communication, and the external device 33 connects the controlled device 33a.

The interface between devices 32 includes a plurality of devices 3
4 that can communicate with each other, that is, N formed by a polling selecting method.
A point-to-point communication protocol is used. And each device 34
And inquires whether to transmit to each device 34, invites (polling) to transmit information if necessary, and invites to receive information when transmitting to a specific device 34 (poll). Selecting).

Reference numeral 4 denotes a display unit, which is provided with a liquid crystal screen made of liquid crystal and is connected to the control unit 1, and one of the display screens is displayed on the liquid crystal screen. Here, the display screen is the controlled device 3
3a operating status, production quantity data, or time series transition graph of production quantity, a switch for controlling the controlled device 33a,
It is a lamp or the like, and displays the operation status of the controlled device 33a.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a switch unit, which is connected to the control unit 1 and is provided with a plurality of switches.
When the status is changed by operating the touch panel or the button switch, the display screen of the display unit 4 is switched, and the controlled device 33 a is controlled via the external device 33.

In the display J of the first embodiment, as described above, the communication unit 3 is provided with the inter-device interface 32 having a multi-device communication protocol capable of communicating with the plurality of devices 34. Therefore, while the external communication interface 31 communicates with the external device 33, the inter-device interface 32 communicates with the plurality of devices 34, and the external device 33 can communicate with the external device 33 without providing the external device 33 with the multiple device communication protocol. Of the external device 33 and the plurality of devices 34 can be easily executed.

Next, a display system using a plurality of displays J according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. In the display system, a device 34 connected to the above-described device interface 32 is formed by a display J, and the five displays J are one of them, a specific display J1 and a specific display thereof. And four unspecified indicators J2 except for the device J1. And the specific display J1
Indicates that the external communication interface 31 is one-to-one with the external device 33.
, And the inter-device interface 32 is connected to the inter-device interface 32 of each unspecified display J2, and communicates with each other using a multi-device communication protocol.
That is, the external device 33 is connected to each unspecified display J2 via the specific display J1.

The operation of the above will be described. Specific display J
When the external communication interface 31 of the communication unit 3 receives a screen change command from the external device 33 or when a switch is operated to change the switch state, the display screen corresponding to the screen change command or the switch state change is displayed. Change and display the display screen. Next, the inter-device interface 32 sequentially communicates with the inter-device interface 32 of each unspecified display J2, solicits (selects) to receive information, and displays the changed display screen on each unspecified display. It is displayed on the display unit 4 of J2.

In the display system according to the first embodiment, as described above, each display J has an external communication interface 31 for communicating with an external device 33, and a plurality of devices J capable of communicating with a plurality of devices 34. A communication unit 3 provided with a device interface 32 having a device communication protocol;
The specific display J1, which is one of the plurality of displays J,
Since the external communication interface 31 communicates with the external device 33 and the inter-device interface 32 communicates with a plurality of unspecified displays J2, the external device 33 does not need to be provided with a plurality of device communication protocols and each display J The external device 33 is connected via the unspecified display J2 and the specified display J1 without changing the settings of the above, and the communication between the external device 33 and the plurality of unspecified displays J2 can be easily executed. it can.

In the display device J and the display system according to the first embodiment, the communication protocol of the plural devices of the communication unit 3 is formed by the polling selecting method. Display J
2 and the device 34 or each unspecified display J2 that has obtained the token obtains the transmission right and transmits it. When transmission is completed, the token is released and each device 34 or each unspecified display J2 is simultaneously It may be formed by a so-called token passing method for preventing transmission, and is not limited.

A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. In the second embodiment, functions different from those of the display system of the first embodiment will be described.
Members having substantially the same functions as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. In the second embodiment, the distance between the specific display J1 and the non-specific display J2 is large.

The specific display J1 is provided with a message transmitting means (not shown) connected to the control unit 1. A plurality of touch switches are provided on the display unit 4, and when the touch switch is pressed, a message corresponding to the touch switch, for example, "Set the stop mode because the machine will be checked. Restart the work after 10 minutes. Is transmitted to the unspecified display J2 and displayed on the display screen of the unspecified display J2.

In the display system according to the second embodiment, as described above, the specific display J1 is provided with the message transmitting means for transmitting a message to the display unit 4 of the unspecified display J2. Even if the distance between the display J1 and each of the unspecified displays J2 is large, a message can be easily transmitted from the specified display J1 to each of the unspecified displays J2.

A third embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. In the second embodiment, functions different from those of the display system of the first embodiment will be described.
Members having substantially the same functions as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. In the second embodiment, the specific display J1 is provided with a selective communication means (not shown) connected to the control unit 1, and the selective communication means is a priority display J21 among the N non-specific displays J2. Is selected, and communication is executed with priority over the priority indicator J21.

In the display system according to the third embodiment, as described above, the specific display J1 is provided with the selection communication means for selecting the priority display J21.
When the emergency communication from the third is required, the priority display J21 which performs preferential communication among the non-specific displays J2 is selected by the selective communication means of the specific display J1, and the non-specific display J2 is selected.
The command from the external device 33 can be immediately reflected on the priority indicator J21 without successively communicating with the unspecified indicator J2 even if the number of items increases.

[0028]

According to the display device of the present invention, since the communication unit has the interface between the devices having the communication protocol for a plurality of devices capable of communicating with the plurality of devices, the external communication interface communicates with the external device. In addition, the inter-device interface communicates with a plurality of devices, and the external device is connected to the plurality of devices via the inter-device interface without providing the multi-device communication protocol to the external device. Communication between a plurality of devices can be easily executed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the display system includes an external communication interface in which each display communicates with an external device, and an interface between devices having a multi-device communication protocol capable of communicating with a plurality of devices. Equipped with a communication unit,
The specific display, which is one of the plurality of displays, communicates with the external device through the external communication interface and communicates with the plurality of unspecified displays through the interface between the devices. An external device is connected via an unspecified display and a specified display without providing a protocol and without changing the settings of each display, facilitating communication between the external device and a plurality of unspecified displays. Can be performed.

In the display system according to the third aspect, in addition to the effect of the second aspect, the specific display is provided with a message transmitting means for transmitting a message to the display unit 4 of the unspecified display. Even when the distance between the display and each of the unspecified indicators is large, the message can be easily transmitted from the specified display to each of the unspecified displays.

In the display system according to the fourth aspect, in addition to the effect of the second aspect, the specific display unit is provided with a selection communication unit, and the selection communication unit is configured to select the priority display unit from among the non-specific display units. Select and execute communication in priority with the priority display, so when emergency communication from external equipment is required, even if the number of unspecified displays increases, it does not communicate with the unspecified displays sequentially The command from the external device can be immediately reflected on the priority indicator.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating a display system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram illustrating a display system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram illustrating a display system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional display.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional display system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 J display J1 Specific display J2 Unspecified display 1 Control unit 2 ROM 3 Communication unit 31 External communication interface 32 Interface between devices 33 External device 34 Device 4 Display unit

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A display device comprising: a control unit for controlling the whole; a communication unit provided with an external communication interface for communicating with an external device; and a display unit for displaying a display screen. A display interface provided with a device interface using a multiple device communication protocol capable of communicating with another device. 2. A display system using the plurality of displays according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the whole, an external communication interface that communicates with an external device, and the plurality of devices can communicate with each other. A specific display, which is one of a plurality of displays having a communication unit provided with an interface between devices using a multiple device communication protocol and a display unit for displaying a display screen, is an external communication interface. A display system comprising: a communication device for communicating with an external device; and an interface between the devices communicating with an unspecified display device excluding the specified display device. 3. The display system according to claim 2, wherein the specific display is provided with a message transmission unit for transmitting a message to a display unit of the unspecified display. 4. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said specific display unit is provided with a selection communication unit for selecting a priority display unit from among the unspecified display units and executing communication with the priority display unit by priority. Item 3. The display system according to Item 2.