JP2002244760A - Programmable display - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve operation security and operability of a programmable display. SOLUTION: This programmable display is provided with a recognition means detecting an external memory device possessed by an operator in non-contact and recognizing information of the operator stored in the external memory device and a determination means determining whether the programmable display is operable or not based on information of the operator recognized by the recognition means.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a programmable display for controlling the display of information on a display screen, and more particularly to a method for detecting the presence or absence of an operator when the operator is within a certain distance of the programmable display. The present invention relates to display control of a programmable display device which enables only an operation and at the same time enables an operation right of an operator to be detected, and stores an operation content of the operator in an external storage device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art First, the configuration and operation of a conventional programmable display will be described below. FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional programmable display. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a touch key input by an operator's hand and 2 denotes display means provided for displaying information. ,
For example, a liquid crystal display device 2a and a backlight illumination 2b
It is composed of Reference numeral 3A denotes a control unit for controlling the touch keys 1 and the display means 2, which switches the screen of the display means 2 and controls input / output information by input of the touch keys 1. Usually, the programmable display is often used as an operation panel of a mechanical device or the like, and enables operation, stop, and other operations of the machine only by touching a touch key.

FIG. 13 shows a programmable display which detects the presence or absence of an operator and enables the operation with the touch key 1 only when the operator is near the programmable display. Reference numeral 18 denotes an infrared sensor for detecting human motion,
Generally, it is a reflection type sensor composed of a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit. Note that the infrared sensor 18 keeps outputting while the person is being detected. The signal of the infrared sensor 18 is input to the control unit 3A, and the input of the touch key 1 is restricted. While the signal from the infrared sensor 18 is being output, display control is performed by touch key 1 input.
When the output of 8 disappears, the input of the touch key 1 is ignored.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the electric field strength generated from the antenna of a conventional non-contact readable / writable external storage device and the transmittable / receivable distance. If the field strength is equal to or higher than the threshold level of the receiver, that is, within a certain distance, transmission / reception is possible.

[0005]

In general, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of an operator using a sensor, manage the power of the liquid crystal display device 2 and the like, and determine the validity of the touch key 1 input. However, it is not possible to detect what operation authority the operator detected by the sensor has.

Also, when performing an inspection or the like in a state in which power is supplied to the apparatus, if the apparatus approaches the programmable display,
When the user touches the touch panel, the device is inadvertently operated, may be caught in the operating part of the device, and a disaster such as pinching may occur.

[0007] In addition, when an operator performs the same operation on the programmable display and performs setting of the devices in the same plurality of devices, an operation error or a setting error may occur.

The present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem, and relates to a display control of an external storage device which is readable and writable in a non-contact manner and a programmable display device which performs data communication with the external storage device. It aims to provide improved operability.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A programmable display according to the present invention detects an external storage device held by an operator in a non-contact manner and recognizes the information of the operator stored in the external storage device. Means for determining whether or not the programmable display can be operated based on the information of the operator recognized by the recognition means.

When an external storage device held by the operator is detected in a non-contact manner, the distance that can be transmitted and received by the antenna provided on the programmable display and the antenna of the external storage device can be determined based on the electric field strength of the antenna. Is defined.

Further, a sensitivity adjusting circuit for setting a detection level of an electric field intensity for detecting a signal from the antenna on the external storage device side is provided.

[0012] Further, there is provided storage means for storing an operation history of the operator with respect to the programmable display, and the storage means of the external storage device transmits the operation history.

Further, the storage in the external storage device stores the operation status and operation time of each operation screen by the operator.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a programmable display device according to the first embodiment. In the drawing, reference numeral 1 denotes a touch key input by touching an operator's hand, and 2 denotes a display provided for displaying information. This is, for example, a liquid crystal display device 2a and a backlight illumination 2b. Reference numeral 3 denotes a control unit for controlling the touch keys 1 and the display means 2, 4 denotes a transmission / reception circuit for exchanging information from the control unit with the external storage device 6 via the antenna 5, and 5 for communication with the external storage device 6. Antenna for In the present embodiment, the touch keys 1, the liquid crystal display device 2a, and the backlight illumination 2b will be described. However, instead of the touch keys 1, input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse, the liquid crystal display device 2a, and the backlight illumination 2b. Instead, the same applies to display means such as a CRT.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the programmable display and a partial cross-sectional view showing the arrangement of the programmable display and the antenna. In FIG. The antenna 5 is arranged in a loop.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an internal block diagram of the transmission / reception circuit 4 and the external storage device 6 in the programmable display. The transmission / reception circuit 4 is connected to the control unit 3 by an internal bus. In the transmission / reception circuit 4, 7 is a parallel-serial conversion circuit for converting parallel data written from the internal bus into serial data, 8 is a modulation / demodulation circuit for modulating serially converted data at a transmission frequency, and 9 is a modulation / demodulation signal. Amplifying circuit for amplifying and outputting to antenna 5;
Is a circuit for adjusting the electric field intensity generated from the antenna. By adjusting the electric field intensity, the receivable distance of the external storage device 6 is determined. Note that the characteristics of the electric field strength are determined by the characteristics of the amplifier circuit 9 and the antenna 5.

Reference numeral 11 denotes an antenna 5 of the programmable display.
An antenna installed in an external storage device for receiving a signal transmitted from an antenna, 12 an amplification circuit for amplifying a signal received by the antenna 11, 13 a modulation / demodulation circuit for demodulating the amplified signal, and 14 for storing data. 15 is a parallel-to-serial conversion circuit that converts the demodulated signal into parallel, 16 is a memory I / F circuit that calculates a memory address from the parallel-converted data and generates a timing to write it to the memory 14, 17 is The level detection circuit outputs a modulation inhibition signal to the modulation circuit 13 when the received electrolysis intensity is higher than a certain level.

FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram showing the electric field strength of the antenna of the transmitting / receiving circuit 4 and the distance between the external storage device 6 and the display.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the sensitivity adjustment in the sensitivity adjustment circuit 10 which is configured to prevent communication when the distance between the external storage device 6 and the programmable display device exceeds a certain value.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show setting screens for automatically adjusting the distance between the programmable display and the external storage device.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a method of storing operation procedures in an external storage device.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the internal processing of the programmable display for storing the operation procedure in the external storage device.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing data stored in the external storage device according to the procedure shown in FIG.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart for reproducing the operation of the operator stored in the external storage device.

Next, the operation of FIGS. 1 to 7 will be described. In FIG. 1, it is assumed that the external storage device 6 is carried by the operator, and the operation authority of the operator is stored in advance in a memory in the external storage device. The programmable display always generates an external storage device presence / absence signal from the control unit 3 to the transmission circuit 4. The signal is modulated by the transmission / reception circuit 4 and transmitted outside the programmable display via the antenna 5 to check whether the external storage device 6 can receive the signal.
If the operator is too far from or too close to the programmable display and it is not determined that the external storage device 6 can receive, the control unit 6 does not accept even if a signal of the touch key 1 is input. That is, if the operator is far away or too close, touch key input is not accepted.

Next, it is assumed that the operator approaches the receivable area of the external storage device 6. When the operator approaches the programmable display and the external storage device 6 can receive data, data communication with the external storage device 6 is started. In this state, touch keys are input, and security information (operations that can be operated only by a specific operator) is applied to the touch keys, for example, device parameters (temperature conditions, etc.) that only a maintenance person can change the setting, and programs inside the device. Change, or
If information for fixing the operator, such as a change in the position setting data of the device operating unit, is not assigned, a predetermined operation is performed based on a key input. On the other hand, if security information is assigned to the touch key, data in the external storage device 6 is read based on the information. If the read information matches the security information assigned to the touch key, that is, if it is determined that the operator is operable, a predetermined operation is performed, but if the information does not match, the touch key input is ignored.

Next, the operation of the transmission circuit 4 and the external storage device 6 in the programmable display will be described with reference to FIG. The control unit 3 of the programmable display periodically transmits an external storage device presence / absence signal for detecting the presence or absence of the external storage device 6 to the parallel-serial conversion circuit 7 in the transmission circuit 4. This signal is converted into serial data by a parallel-serial conversion circuit 7 and combined with a carrier frequency required for transmission by a modulation / demodulation circuit 8. Then, the signal synthesized with the carrier frequency is amplified by the amplifier 9 and output to the antenna 5. When the external storage device 6 approaches the receivable distance, the external storage device 6 returns a response to the external storage device presence / absence person signal inquiring about the presence or absence. Also, the external storage device 6
Amplifies the received signal by the amplification circuit 12 and outputs the result to the modulation circuit 13 and the level detection circuit 17. When the received signal level is higher than the set level, the level detection circuit 17 outputs a modulation inhibition signal to the modulation circuit 13. Therefore, the external storage device 6 is used for the programmable display device.
A response signal is transmitted only when the terminal is set within a certain distance. Based on this response, the programmable display detects that the external storage device 6, that is, the operator is within a certain distance of the programmable display.

Next, the characteristics of the transmission / reception circuit 4 of the programmable display will be described with reference to FIG. External storage device 6
Is above the electric field strength indicated by the dashed line, that is, above the receiver threshold. Therefore, in the case of the A characteristic, if the external storage device 6 is within the range of the transmittable / receivable distance A where the electric field strength of the antenna is equal to or higher than the reception sensitivity of the external storage device 6, the reception is possible. Next, when the electric field intensity output from the antenna 5 is reduced by the sensitivity adjustment circuit 10 (large gain), the electric field intensity characteristic shifts to B. Even if the characteristics of the electric field strength change, the reception sensitivity of the external storage device 6 is constant, so that transmission / reception can be performed within a range where the electric field strength becomes equal to or higher than the reception sensitivity, that is, within the range of the transmittable / receiveable distance B. In other words, reception is possible even if the distance is longer than in the case of the A characteristic.
In this state, transmission and reception can be performed from the surface of the programmable display.

Next, the operation of the level detection circuit 17 in the external storage device 6 will be described. By changing the detection level of the level detection circuit 17, the shortest transmission / reception distance of the external storage device 6 can be set.

As described above, by adjusting the electric field strength of the antenna and the detection level of the level detection circuit 17 of the external storage device, the receivable distance of the external storage device 6 can be adjusted. Also, when the distance is short, the minimum transmission / reception distance between the programmable display and the external storage device can be set by lowering the detection level of the level detection circuit 17.

Next, the procedure of sensitivity adjustment will be described with reference to FIG. First, the external storage device is installed at the farthest distance to be detected, and when the start button on the sensitivity adjustment screen shown in FIG. 6 is pressed, the sensitivity adjustment program shown in the follow chart in FIG. 5 is started. First, the gain is set to the maximum value in step S1, and it is checked in step S2 whether the data can be received from the external storage device 6. If reception is possible, step S3
Check if the gain is within the adjustment range with. If not within the adjustment range, the process proceeds to step S11, an error message is set, and the sensitivity adjustment program ends. on the other hand,
If it is within the adjustment range, the gain is reduced, and step S2
Returning to step S2, the processes from step S2 to step S4 are repeated until reception from the external storage device 6 becomes impossible.

When reception is no longer possible in step S2, the process proceeds to step S5, and the detection level of the level detection circuit of the external storage device is set to the maximum. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S6, and a message prompting the completion of the display on the programmable display and the next procedure is displayed (an example of the display is shown in FIG. 7). When the start button is pressed in step S7, the process proceeds to the next processing step S8. In step S8, it is checked whether reception is possible. If reception is possible, it is checked in step S9 whether the detection level is within the adjustment range. Within the adjustment range,
The process proceeds to step S10, the detection level is lowered, and the process proceeds to step S8. Then, the processing from step S8 to step S10 is repeated until reception at the detection level becomes impossible. As described above, the transmission / reception possible distance is set by adjusting the gain and the detection level.

Next, a method for storing the operation procedure of the operator and a method for reproducing the procedure will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 8, the display content of the programmable display is composed of a plurality of operation screens and graphic displays such as switches and lamps arranged on the screen according to the operation contents of the normal apparatus. Here, the lamps and switches are arranged at different positions for each operation screen, or the functions of the switches are set to be different. It is assumed that the display of these switches, lamps, and the like has been performed in advance by user settings. Also, a plurality of display screens are set according to each operation content. It is assumed that the operator operates the switch 1, the switch 3, and the switch 2 on the operation screen 1 in this order. By this operation, the operation screen 1 is displayed on the external storage device.
And the numbers of the touch switches operated by the operator are stored in the order in which they were operated (the operation will be described later with reference to FIG. 9).

Next, it is assumed that the display screen is switched to the operation screen 2. Here, it is assumed that the operator operates the switch 4, the switch 5, and the switch 6 in this order. Then, in the external storage device,
Similarly, the screen number of the operation screen and the number of the touch switch operated by the operator are stored in the order of operation. As described above, by storing the screen number and the number of the touch switch in the order in which they were operated, the operation content of the operator can be stored in the external storage device. By reading the operation procedure stored in the external storage device by another device, the operation procedure of the operator can be reproduced.

A specific procedure will be described with reference to FIG. When the procedure storage is started, the processing shown in FIG. 9 is started. The start and end of the procedure storage are normally started by touch key input set on the screen. Step S
At 20, it is checked whether or not there is an end key input. here,
If there is an end key input, the end key code is written in step S31, and the process ends. On the other hand, if there is no end key input, the screen number currently displayed is acquired in step S21, and the screen number is stored in the internal memory in the control unit in step S22. Thereafter, in step S23, the presence / absence of the end key input is checked again. If there is the end key input, the end key code is written in step S31, and the process ends. The determination processing of the end key input presence or absence in this step 23 is for interrupting the touch key storage processing when the second and subsequent key operations are stored. When performing the second and subsequent key operation storage, the processing may be started from step 20, but in order to prevent the processing speed from being deteriorated by repeating the processing of S21 and S22 again.

If there is no end key input as a result of step S23, the flow shifts to step S24 to measure the interval between touch key inputs by the operator. Therefore, the timer is reset and started, and the timer is counted up in step S25. Then, the presence or absence of a touch key input is detected in step S26, and if there is no touch key input, the time measurement is continued in step S25. However, if there is a touch key input, the touch key is input to the internal memory in step S27. The timer value at the time is stored, and step S2
At 8, the touch key number input by the operator is stored in the internal memory. By storing the touch key input interval, the processing time of the device, for example, the time when data is sent from a higher-level device to the device, or a device connected to the outside such as a barcode reader connected to the device It is possible to reproduce an operation such as a case of waiting for a time for acquiring data from and moving on to the next operation.

Thereafter, in step S29, it is confirmed whether or not the screen has been switched.
Then, the screen number acquired in step S21 and the timer value and the touch key number acquired in steps S27 and S28 are written in the external storage device and executed. All the operation contents stored at the time of writing the end code may be written collectively. In this embodiment, the external storage device is accessed every time the screen is switched,
Processing performance can be improved by reducing the access frequency. Normally, the number of operations performed on one screen of a programmable display is limited, and when switching screens, the touch keys are not operated. Never be aware of

Thereafter, if there is no screen switching, the process proceeds to step S23, and by repeating the above-described processing,
The key operation procedure until the operator performs the end key input is written in the external storage device.

FIG. 10 shows an example of data written in the external storage device by the above processing. With the screen number at the top, the touch key numbers are stored in the order in which the operator operated, and the screen numbers are stored each time a screen change occurs. Finally, an end code is stored, indicating that a series of operation procedures has been completed.

Next, the writing procedure to the external storage device when the screen switching occurs in the above processing will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 3, the internal memory storing the above operation procedure is connected to the transmission circuit 4 through an internal bus. Data sent from the internal memory is converted to serial data by the parallel-serial conversion circuit 7. The data converted into the serial data is combined with the carrier signal by the modulation circuit 8 and sent to the amplification circuit 9. The amplification circuit 6 amplifies the signal level in accordance with the output of the sensitivity adjustment circuit 10 and radiates the air via the antenna 5.

The external storage device 6 receives the signal output from the antenna 5 with the antenna 11, and the received data is once amplified by the amplifier circuit 12. The amplified signal is output to the level detection circuit 17 and the modulation circuit 13, and the level detection circuit 17 compares the signal level of the amplified signal. On the other hand, if the value is equal to or smaller than the set value, the modulation circuit 13 removes the carrier signal from the signal sent from the amplification circuit 12 and converts the carrier signal into a parallel signal by the parallel-serial conversion circuit 15. The converted data is stored in the memory I / F circuit 16
At the same time, writing is performed on a specific area of the memory 14 by a control signal that determines a writing timing at the same time as adding a memory address.

Next, referring to FIG. 11, a description will be given of a process for reproducing an operation procedure stored in an external storage device, for example, when setting the same operating conditions in a plurality of devices. Depending on the device, it is necessary to perform tens to hundreds of settings, such as setting of temperature conditions and setting of material mixing conditions, when changing the setup of the device. Making these settings is very difficult. In addition, it is necessary to investigate the cause, for example, when the device malfunctions due to an operation error or when a quality defect occurs in a product manufactured by the device.
When the procedure reproduction is started, the processing shown in FIG. 11 is started. The procedure playback start or interruption is started by touch key input set on the normal screen. When the process is started, first, in step S41, the stored operation procedure data is collectively read from the external storage device into the programmable display. Note that the reading procedure is performed in the reverse procedure of writing data to the external storage device. The read procedure data is stored in the memory inside the programmable display in step S42. Then, step S4
The display screen number is obtained in step 3, and the screen number of the procedure data stored in step S44 is compared with the screen number currently being displayed.

If the result of comparison in step S45 is that they do not match, an error is set in step S54, and the process ends. This is because a plurality of screens are usually registered in the programmable display device, and different functions may be assigned to the same touch key depending on the screen. If the stored touch key processing is executed as it is, a malfunction may occur.

On the other hand, if the stored screen number and the currently displayed screen number match, the timer value is obtained from the internal memory in step S46, and further, in step S4.
At 7, the touch key number is acquired. Then, step S4
At 8, it is checked whether the data acquired in steps S46 and S47 is an end code. If it is an end code, the process is terminated.
At 49, a timer value is set in the timer, and step S5
Start the timer with 0.

In step S51, the state of the timer is checked, and when the timer counts up, the flow advances to the next step S52 to output the touch key number to the key input processing. Then, the presence or absence of the interruption key input is checked in step S53, and if not interrupted, the process proceeds to step S46, and the above-described processing is continued until the end code or the interruption key is input.

According to the present embodiment, the presence / absence of an operator is detected to permit or prohibit an operation, and at the same time, the operation authority of the operator is detected and permission / prohibition of each operation can be set, thereby improving safety. In addition, since the detection distance can be set easily and arbitrarily, if the user gets too close to the device, the operation can be prohibited and the operation of the device can be stopped. The device can be prevented from touching and malfunctioning. Also, when performing a setup change of a product to be manufactured at a factory or the like where a plurality of the same devices are installed, when performing various settings such as temperature data and material mixing conditions for a plurality of devices, the first device may be used. The operation contents of the operator are stored in the external storage device, read out by a programmable display installed in another device, and the same operation is reproduced to eliminate the operation error of the operator. Malfunction of the device can be prevented. Further, when investigating the cause, for example, when the device malfunctions due to an operation error or when a quality defect occurs in a product manufactured by the device, the operation procedure stored in the external storage device is analyzed. By doing
A failure analysis as to which operation caused an abnormality or the like can be easily performed. Furthermore, not only the information of the touch keys operated by the operator but also the time element is added and stored, so that the operation state closer to the actual operation can be stored, so that the processing time of the apparatus, for example, In order to move on to the next operation after waiting for the time when data is sent from a higher-level device or the time for loading data from an externally connected device such as a barcode reader connected to the device, The operation can be reproduced without any loss of data from the device. Also, in the case of processing different products for each operator using the same device in a machine tool, etc., the operator can be identified and the operation procedure can be stored. The operation can be performed without re-entering the settings such as.

[0047]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The presence or absence of an operator is detected and operation permission is prohibited, and the operation authority of the operator is detected, and permission / prohibition of each operation can be set. Therefore, it is possible to prevent operation of the device due to careless operation by a third party. it can. In addition, since the detection distance can be arbitrarily and easily set, the operator can operate the programmable display only at an appropriate distance, and the safety of the operator can be ensured. Also, since the operation details of the operator can be stored,
The data can be read out by another programmable display device, and when the same setting or the like is repeated in a plurality of devices, malfunction of the device due to a setting error can be prevented. In addition, when an abnormality occurs in the device, by analyzing the operation procedure,
Failure analysis can be easily performed. Furthermore, by storing not only the information of the touch keys operated by the operator but also the time element, the operation state closer to the actual operation can be stored, and data exchange with an external device occurs. The operation procedure can be reproduced while securing the time required for data transfer. Further, in the case of processing different products for each operator with the same device, since the operation can be performed without re-inputting settings such as processing information,
It is possible to shorten the setting time and prevent the occurrence of product failure due to a setting error.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a programmable display according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an arrangement of a programmable display and an antenna.

FIG. 3 shows a transmission / reception circuit 4 in a programmable display device.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an internal block diagram of the external storage device 6.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an electric field strength of an antenna and a distance between an external storage device and a display, and is a diagram for setting a transmittable / receivable distance by level detection.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for automatically adjusting the sensitivity of the external storage device.

FIG. 6 is a setting screen for automatically adjusting the longest distance between a programmable display and an external storage device.

FIG. 7 is a setting screen for automatically adjusting the shortest distance between a programmable display and an external storage device.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a method of storing operation procedures.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing internal processing of a programmable display for storing an operation procedure in an external storage device.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing data stored in an external storage device.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart for reproducing an operator operation stored in an external storage device.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional programmable display.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing how a thermal sensor is attached to a conventional programmable display to detect the presence or absence of an operator and control input of touch keys.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the electric field intensity generated from an antenna of a conventional non-contact readable / writable external storage device and the transmittable / receivable distance.

[Explanation of symbols]

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 touch key, 2 display means, 2 a device liquid crystal display device, 2 b backlight illumination, 3 control unit, 4 transmission circuit, 5 antenna, 6 external storage device, 7 serial / parallel conversion circuit, 8 modulation circuit, 9 amplification circuit, 10
Sensitivity adjustment circuit, 11 External storage device antenna, 12
External storage device amplification circuit, 13 external storage device modulation circuit,
14 memory, 15 external storage device serial-parallel conversion circuit, 16 memory I / F circuit, 17 level detection circuit, 18 infrared sensor.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An identification means for detecting an external storage device owned by an operator in a non-contact manner and recognizing information of an operator stored in the external storage device; Based on the information,
Determining means for determining whether the programmable display is operable or not. 2. The non-contact detection of an external storage device owned by an operator based on an electric field strength between an antenna provided on a programmable display and an antenna of the external storage device, based on electric field strength between the two. 2. The programmable display according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The programmable display according to claim 1, further comprising a sensitivity adjustment circuit for setting a detection level of an electric field intensity for detecting a signal from the external storage device side antenna. 4. The storage device according to claim 1, further comprising storage means for storing an operation history of the operator on the programmable display, and transmitting the operation history to the storage means of the external storage device. Programmable display. 5. The programmable display according to claim 4, wherein the storage in the external storage device stores an operation status and an operation time of each operation screen by the operator.