JP2004241016A - Medium controller, diagnostic method of detection means for medium controller, and its program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a means capable of detecting the decrease of light emitting amount of an LED before a photo-sensor becomes defective, in a medium recording/reproducing device. <P>SOLUTION: The amount of the light from a light emitting element 108 of a pass sensor 107 is reduced by using a diagnostic filter 111, and when the light can not be received by a light receiving element 109, the judgment is made that the light becomes undetectable (remaining life of the light emitting element 108 is short) by the light receiving element 109 when the light emitting amount of the light emitting element 108 is decreased at most by the light reduced amount. As the result, the deterioration of a detection power of the pass sensor 107 due to the aging is detectable by the self-diagnostic method. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an optical sensor diagnostic mechanism of an autoloader device, and more particularly, to a mechanism for self-diagnosing aging deterioration of an optical sensor.
[0002]
[Prior art]
FIG. 5 is a side perspective view showing the configuration of the conventional autoloader device 200 (a diagram showing the internal structure of the housing from the side). FIG. 3 is a diagram in which the medium 201 is stored in one cell 2021 of the shelf 202 (since the shelf 202 in the conventional technique is the same as the present invention, the same FIG. 3 as the present invention is used. Since the reference numerals are different in the description of the technology, the reference numerals of the conventional technology are indicated by reference numerals in parentheses ().) FIG. 6 is a view of a cross section cut by a dashed line viewed from the direction of A (from above in FIG. 5). Hereinafter, the configuration of the conventional autoloader device 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3, 5, and 6. FIG.
[0003]
The autoloader device 200 includes a shelf 202 including a plurality of cells 2021 for storing a medium 201, a drive mechanism 203, a picker 204, a door 205, a shaft 206, a path sensor 207, and a notch 210 inside a housing 2001. And a control unit 213.
[0004]
The medium 201 is a magnetic tape recording medium or the like.
[0005]
The shelf 202 is a shelf having a plurality of cells 2021 and stores a plurality of media 201 inserted in the cells 2021 by a user. The shelf 202 is fixed to the housing 2001 and is located above the drive mechanism 203.
[0006]
The drive mechanism 203 writes or reads data on the medium 201 inserted by the picker 204. The picker 204 is fixed to the housing 2001 and is located below the shelf 202.
[0007]
The picker 204 moves vertically using the two shafts 206 as guides, takes out the medium 201 from the target cell 2021 in the shelf 202, places it on the picker 204, and conveys it to the front of the insertion slot (not shown) of the drive mechanism 203. Then, it is inserted into the drive mechanism 203. Conversely, the medium 201 discharged from the drive mechanism 203 or taken out of the drive mechanism 203 is placed, transported to the front of the target cell 2021 on the shelf 202, and pushed into the cell 2021. The picker 204 includes an optical sensor called a path sensor 207.
[0008]
The door 205 is provided on the front side as viewed from the user of the housing 2001 (the left side in FIG. 5), and allows the user to insert and remove the medium 201 into and from the cell 2021 of the shelf 202 inside the housing of the autoloader device 200. It is opened and closed when performing.
[0009]
The shaft 206 is a guide when the picker 204 moves in the vertical direction. In the present invention, the shaft 206 is a cylindrical rod member penetrating two places on the side surface of the picker 204 as shown in FIG.
[0010]
The path sensor 207 is a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object, and has a light emitting element 208 and a light receiving element 209. The light-emitting element 208 and the light-receiving element 209 which face the side surface of the picker 204 in the cell 2021 direction (right direction in the drawing) are horizontally arranged. The light receiving element 209 outputs a voltage corresponding to the amount of received light. Whether or not the light from the light emitting element 208 can be received by the light receiving element 209 is determined based on the output, and the presence or absence of an object between the light emitting element 208 and the light receiving element 209 is detected. As the light emitting element 208, an LED is often used.
[0011]
Based on the information from the path sensor 207, the picker 204 performs stop positioning by using the position of the notch 210 as a mark. Further, the presence or absence of the medium 201 is detected between the plurality of notches 210 existing during the movement.
[0012]
Here, as an example of a conventional path sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object using a light emitting element and a light receiving element, see Patent Document 1. Also, refer to Patent Documents 2 and 3 as examples in which a conventional path sensor is used in an autoloader device.
[0013]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-8-184680 (3-5 tribute, FIG. 1)
[Patent Document 2]
JP-A-7-134854 (paragraph number 0023-0025, FIG. 2)
[Patent Document 3]
JP-A-8-306116 (paragraph number 0025, FIG. 6)
The notch 210 is a hole that serves as a mark of the position of each cell 2021 that stores the medium 201 on the shelf 202. The picker 204 moves according to a command from the control unit 213. Then, fine adjustment of the final position of the picker 204 is performed using the notch 210. That is, it is confirmed that the position of the path sensor 207 overlaps the notch 210, and the light receiving element 209 receives the light of the light emitting element 208 through the notch 210, thereby stopping the picker 204 at a position where the medium 201 of the cell 2021 can be taken in and out. it can.
[0014]
The control unit 213 controls the autoloader device 200 to take out the medium 201 stored in the shelf 202 and transport and insert the medium 201 to the drive mechanism 203 using the picker 204 or the like. Conversely, the control unit 213 is inserted in the drive mechanism 203. Control such as taking out and transporting the medium 201 and storing it again on the shelf 202 is performed.
[0015]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In many cases, an LED is used as a light-emitting portion (the light-emitting element 208 in the above-described prior art example) of the optical sensor (the above-described prior-art example is the path sensor 207). Has the characteristic of decreasing. When the reduced light emission amount falls below the minimum sensitivity of the light receiving unit, the state becomes the same as the light-shielded state, and it cannot be determined that the object has been detected. In the above prior art example, when the light receiving element 209 erroneously detects the light emitting element 208 used as the light emitting element 208 during the operation of the apparatus, the notch 210 cannot be found by the path sensor 207 and the vertical position of the picker 204 is not detected. Cannot be confirmed.
[0016]
Conventionally, there is an optical sensor check method, but it has the following problems.
[0017]
That is, when the check is performed, the optical sensor can already be found only to be defective, and when the optical sensor is found, the device becomes an error and cannot operate as it is. The reason for this is that a conventional method of checking an optical sensor is a method of checking the change in output of the light receiving unit by blinking the light emitting unit in a state where there is no object between the light emitting and receiving units.
[0018]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a unit capable of detecting a decrease in the amount of emitted LEDs before the optical sensor becomes defective.
[0019]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The medium control device according to claim 1, further comprising: a light emitting unit; a light receiving unit; a detecting unit configured to detect whether the light receiving unit receives light emitted from the light emitting unit; Dimming means for dimming the light emitted to the light receiving means, and at least the dimming means when the light receiving means cannot detect the light emitted from the light emitting means to the light receiving means. And a self-diagnosis means for determining that the light emitted from the light emitting means cannot be detected when the light emission amount of the light emitting means decreases by the light reduction rate.
[0020]
3. The medium control device according to claim 2, wherein: a shelf for storing the medium; a recording and reproducing unit for recording and reproducing data on the medium; and a conveying unit for conveying the medium between the shelf and the recording and reproducing unit. And a detecting unit provided in the medium transporting unit, and having a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit, and detecting whether the light receiving unit receives light emitted from the light emitting unit. A dimming means for dimming the light emitted from the light emitting means to the light receiving means, and a self-diagnosis position indicating a position at which the light emitted from the light emitting means to the light receiving means is dimmed by the dimming means. Then, when the detecting means is located at the self-diagnosis position and the light receiving means cannot detect the light emitted from the light emitting means to the light receiving means, at most the light reducing means Dimming rate Characterized in that it comprises a self-diagnosis means for determining the light emission amount of the optical means can not detect the light of the light emitting means to decrease, the.
[0021]
The medium control device according to claim 3, further comprising a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit, wherein the detecting unit detects whether the light receiving unit receives the light emitted from the light emitting unit, and Dimming means for dimming the light emitted to the light receiving means, and at least reducing the dimming means when the light receiving means can detect the light emitted from the light emitting means to the light receiving means. Self-diagnosis means for determining that the light of the light emitting means can be detected until the light emission amount of the light emitting means decreases by the light rate.
[0022]
5. The medium control device according to claim 4, wherein: a shelf for storing the medium; a recording / reproducing unit for recording and reproducing data on the medium; and a conveying unit for conveying the medium between the shelf and the recording / reproducing unit. And a detecting unit provided in the medium transporting unit, and having a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit, and detecting whether the light receiving unit receives light emitted from the light emitting unit. A dimming means for dimming the light emitted from the light emitting means to the light receiving means, and a self-diagnosis position indicating a position at which the light emitted from the light emitting means to the light receiving means is dimmed by the dimming means. Then, when the detecting means is located at the self-diagnosis position and the light receiving means can detect the light emitted from the light emitting means to the light receiving means, at least the dimming of the light dimming means Light emission Self diagnosis means to determine that it detects the light of the light emitting means to the light emission amount of the stage is reduced, characterized in that it comprises a.
[0023]
A medium control device according to a fifth aspect is characterized in that the medium recording / reproducing device includes a self-diagnosis result storage unit that stores the result of the determination.
[0024]
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the medium control device, the self-diagnosis position is located within a range in which a detection unit provided in the medium transport unit moves.
[0025]
A medium control device according to a seventh aspect is characterized in that the determination is made periodically.
[0026]
9. The medium control device diagnostic method according to claim 8, wherein the detecting means having the light emitting means and the light receiving means detects whether the light receiving means receives the light emitted from the light emitting means. A detecting step, a dimming step, wherein the dimming step diminishes light emitted from the light emitting section to the light receiving section, and the light receiving section detects light emitted from the light emitting section to the light receiving section. A self-diagnosis step of judging that it is impossible to detect the light of the light emitting means when the light emission amount of the light emitting means is reduced by at most the light reduction rate of the light reducing means. .
[0027]
The method for diagnosing a detecting means of a medium control device according to claim 9, wherein the medium is stored in a shelf, a recording / reproducing means for recording and reproducing data of the medium, and the medium is provided between the shelf and the recording / reproducing means. Transport means for transporting the light, the detecting means having a light emitting means and a light receiving means, provided in the medium transport means, for receiving the light emitted from the light emitting means. A detecting step of detecting whether or not the means receives light; a dimming step of dimming light emitted from the light emitting means to the light receiving means; and a dimming step of dimming light emitted from the light emitting means to the light receiving means. If the position where the light is reduced by the dimming unit is a self-diagnosis position, the detection unit is located at the self-diagnosis position, and the light receiving unit emits light emitted from the light emitting unit to the light receiving unit. A self-diagnosis step of judging that it is not possible to detect the light of the light emitting means when the light emission amount of the light emitting means is reduced by at most the light reduction rate of the light reducing means when the light is not output. Features.
[0028]
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for diagnosing detection means of a medium control device, wherein the medium recording / reproducing apparatus includes a self-diagnosis result storage means for storing and storing the result of the determination.
[0029]
According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the medium control device, the self-diagnosis position is located within a range in which the detection unit provided in the medium transport unit moves.
[0030]
According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the method of diagnosing detection means of the medium control device, the determination is periodically performed.
[0031]
14. The program according to claim 13, wherein the medium control device detects whether the light emitted from the light emitting means is received by the light receiving means, and dims the light emitted from the light emitting means to the light receiving means. When the light receiving means cannot detect the light emitted from the light emitting means to the light receiving means, the light emission amount of the light emitting means decreases at most by the light reduction rate of the light reducing means. Then, the program is a program for functioning as a self-diagnosis unit that determines that the light of the light emitting unit cannot be detected.
[0032]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a side perspective view showing the configuration of an autoloader device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention (a diagram showing the internal structure of a housing from the side). FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a cross section taken along a dashed line when the picker 104 is at the self-diagnosis position 112 in FIG. 1 as viewed in the direction B (from above in FIG. 1). FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state where the medium 101 is stored in one cell 1021 of the shelf 102. Hereinafter, the configuration according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. FIG.
[0033]
The autoloader apparatus 100 includes a shelf 102 including a plurality of cells 1021 for storing a medium 101, a drive mechanism 103, a picker 104, a door 105, a shaft 106, a path sensor 107, a diagnostic filter 111 inside a housing 1001. And a notch 110 and a control unit 113. The difference from the conventional autoloader device 200 is that a diagnostic filter 111 is provided.
[0034]
The medium 101 is a medium such as a cartridge type magnetic tape recording medium, an optical recording medium, and a cartridge type hard disk drive. In the present embodiment, a magnetic tape recording medium is used.
[0035]
The shelf 102 is a shelf having a plurality of cells 1021 and stores a plurality of media 101 inserted into the cells 1021 by a user. It is fixed to the housing 1001 and is located above the drive mechanism 103 in the present embodiment.
[0036]
The drive mechanism 103 writes or reads data on the medium 101 inserted by the picker 104. It is fixed to the housing 1001 and positioned below the shelf 102 in this embodiment, but is not limited to this.
[0037]
The picker 104 moves vertically using the two shafts 106 as guides, takes out the medium 101 from the target cell 1021 in the shelf 102, places it on the picker 104, and transports the medium 101 to the front of the insertion slot (not shown) of the drive mechanism 103. Then, it is inserted into the drive mechanism 103. Conversely, the medium 101 discharged from the drive mechanism 103 or taken out of the drive mechanism 103 is placed, transported to the front of the target cell 1021 on the shelf 102, and pushed into the cell 1021. The picker 104 includes an optical sensor called a path sensor 107.
[0038]
The door 105 is provided on the front side when viewed from the user of the housing 1001 (left side in FIG. 1), and allows the user to insert and remove the medium 101 into and from the cell 1021 of the shelf 102 inside the housing of the autoloader device 100. It is opened and closed when performing.
[0039]
The shaft 106 is a guide for the picker 104 to move in the vertical direction. In the present invention, the shaft 106 is a cylindrical bar member that penetrates two side surfaces of the picker 104 as shown in FIG.
[0040]
The path sensor 107 is a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object, and has a light emitting element 108 and a light receiving element 109. Of the side surfaces of the picker 104, the light emitting element 108 and the light receiving element 109 facing the side surface in the cell 1021 direction (right direction in the drawing) are horizontally arranged. The light receiving element 109 outputs a voltage corresponding to the amount of received light. Whether or not the light receiving element 109 can receive light from the light emitting element 108 is determined based on this output, and the presence or absence of an object between the light emitting element 108 and the light receiving element 109 is detected. The light emitting element 108 is an LED in the embodiment of the present invention, but is not limited to this.
[0041]
Based on the information from the path sensor 107, the picker 104 performs stop positioning by using the position of the notch 110 as a mark. In addition, the presence or absence of the medium 101 is detected between the plurality of notches 110 existing during the movement.
[0042]
The notch 110 is a hole that serves as a mark of the position of each cell 1021 that stores the medium 101 on the shelf 102. The picker 104 moves according to a command from the control unit 113. Fine adjustment of the final position of the picker 104 is performed using the notch 110. That is, it is confirmed that the position of the path sensor 107 overlaps the notch 110, and the light receiving element 109 receives the light of the light emitting element 109 through the notch 110, so that the picker 104 stops at the position where the medium 101 of the cell 1021 can be taken in and out. it can.
[0043]
The diagnostic filter 111 is a dimming filter, and is a filter having a dimming rate of 10% in the embodiment of the present invention. The light passing through this filter is cut off by 10% of the light amount, and the remaining 90% of the light amount is passed through as it is. In the embodiment of the present invention, the dimming rate of the dimming filter is set to 10%, but the dimming rate is not limited to this value. In consideration of the characteristics of the light emitting element 108 and the light receiving element 109, the interval at which the self-diagnosis is performed, and the like, it may be appropriately determined so that the deterioration of the detection power due to the aging of the path sensor 107 can be predicted.
[0044]
The position where the diagnostic filter 111 is fixed will be described below. The picker 104 moves vertically using the shaft 106 as a guide. Accordingly, the light emitting element 108 and the light receiving element 109 of the path sensor 107 also move. The diagnostic filter 111 is fixed within a movement range of the space between the light emitting element 108 and the light receiving element 109. In the present embodiment, the diagnostic filter 111 is particularly fixed between the shelf 102 and the drive mechanism 103, but is not limited to this. The position of the picker 104 when the diagnostic filter 111 is between the light emitting element 108 and the light receiving element 109 is defined as a self-diagnosis position 112. In the present embodiment, the notch is not used for moving the picker 104 to the self-diagnosis position 112, but a configuration may be adopted in which a notch is provided above the diagnosis filter 111 to perform fine adjustment.
[0045]
The control unit 113 controls the autoloader device 100. It differs from the conventional autoloader device 200 (FIG. 5) in that it includes a self-diagnosis unit 1131 and a self-diagnosis result storage unit 1132.
[0046]
The self-diagnosis unit 1131 moves the picker 104 to the self-diagnosis position 112. Then, the light emitting element 108 emits light, and it is diagnosed whether the light receiving element 109 is sensing light. Here, “sensing” indicates a case where the light emission amount of the light emitting element 108 exceeds the minimum sensitivity of the light receiving element 109. If light is being sensed, it is determined that the light emission amount of the light emitting element 108 of the path sensor 107 still has room and can be used continuously. That is, it is determined that the light of the light emitting element 108 can be detected at least until the light emission amount of the light emitting element 108 decreases by at least the dimming rate (10%) of the diagnostic filter 111. The result is regarded as a self-diagnosis result. When the light is not sensed, it is determined that the light receiving element cannot detect the light when the light emission amount of the light emitting element 108 of the path sensor 107 decreases by 10% to several% later. That is, when the light emission amount of the light emitting element 108 decreases at most by the dimming rate of the diagnostic filter 111, it is determined that the light of the light emitting element 108 cannot be detected (the life of the light emitting element 108 is short), and the self-diagnosis result is determined. I do.
[0047]
The self-diagnosis result storage unit 1132 stores the self-diagnosis result. The self-diagnosis result storage unit 1132 is specifically a nonvolatile storage medium such as a flash memory.
[0048]
Although a specific hardware configuration of the control unit 113 is not shown, the control unit 113 includes a microprocessor (CPU, MPU) or the like that operates under program control, and controls the autoloader device 100 according to a program stored in a program storage medium.
[0049]
Examples of the program storage medium include a magnetic disk, a magnetic tape, a semiconductor memory, and an optical disk such as a CD-ROM and a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk).
[0050]
The control unit may control the autoloader device 100 according to a program downloaded from a server or the like via a communication medium, in addition to the program stored in the program storage medium.
[0051]
When the program is downloaded via the program storage medium or the communication medium, the program may be operated while being directly read from the program storage medium or the server from which the program is downloaded, or may be provided separately from the program storage medium from the program storage medium or the server. The program may be stored in the storage unit, and the program may be operated while reading the program stored in the storage unit.
[0052]
The storage unit needs to be readable and writable, and is generally a RAM (Random Access Memory).
[0053]
Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
[0054]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation of the autoloader device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.
[0055]
The control unit 113 starts the self-diagnosis of the path sensor 107 by the user of the autoloader apparatus 100 periodically instructing through the input / output device (not shown) of the autoloader apparatus 100 (start). Alternatively, the control unit 113 periodically starts self-diagnosis of the path sensor 107 (start). Hereinafter, S1 to S5 are performed under the control of the self-diagnosis unit 1131.
[0056]
First, the picker 104 moves to the self-diagnosis position 112 using the shaft 106 as a guide (S1). When the picker 104 stops at the self-diagnosis position 112, there is a diagnostic filter 111 between the light emitting element 108 and the light receiving element 109 of the path sensor 107.
[0057]
Next, the light emitting element 108 emits light to the light receiving element 109 (S2). At this time, as described above, the diagnostic filter 111 exists between the light emitting element 108 and the light receiving element 109. The diagnostic filter 111 blocks 10% of the light emission amount of the light emitted from the light emitting element 108 and passes the remaining 90% of the light emission amount. Then, the light receiving element 109 receives the light that has been reduced by 10%.
[0058]
Next, it is checked whether the light receiving element 109 senses the light received (S3). When the light received by the light receiving element 109 is sensed (S3, Yes), it is determined that the light emission amount of the light emitting element 108 of the path sensor 107 still has a margin, and the determination result is set as a self-diagnosis result. That is, it is determined that the light of the light emitting element 108 can be detected at least until the light emission amount of the light emitting element 108 decreases by at least the dimming rate (10%) of the diagnostic filter 111 (S4). When the light receiving element 109 does not sense the light received (S3, No), it is determined that the light receiving element 109 cannot detect the light when the light emission amount of the light emitting element 108 of the path sensor 107 decreases by 10% to several%. That is, if the light emission amount of the light emitting element 108 is reduced at most by the dimming rate of the diagnostic filter 111 (診断 10%), it is determined that the light of the light emitting element 108 cannot be detected (the life of the light emitting element 108 is short). The judgment result is set as a self-diagnosis result (S5).
[0059]
Next, the self-diagnosis result storage unit 1132 stores the self-diagnosis result (S6).
[0060]
The user of the autoloader apparatus 100 knows the self-diagnosis results of S4 and S5 through a display means (not shown) or the like, so that the parts of the light-emitting means can be replaced before the path sensor 107 causes an actual apparatus error. Maintenance such as can be performed.
[0061]
Further, the user of the autoloader apparatus 100 knows the self-diagnosis result stored in the self-diagnosis result storage unit 1132 using a display device (not shown) such as a display or a printer, so that the actual This can be used as a basis for identifying the cause of a device error in the first place, and a reduction in investigation time can be expected.
[0062]
【The invention's effect】
A first effect of the present invention is that maintenance such as replacement of parts of a light emitting unit can be performed before an apparatus error actually occurs due to the path sensor 107. The reason is as follows.
[0063]
When the light from the light emitting element 108 of the path sensor 107 is dimmed using the diagnostic filter 111 and the light receiving element 109 cannot receive light, the light receiving element 109 emits light when the light emission amount of the light emitting element 108 decreases at most by the reduced light amount. Is not detected (the life of the light emitting element 108 is short). As a result, a decrease in detection power due to the passage sensor 107 over time can be detected by self-diagnosis. In addition, by performing self-diagnosis periodically, prediction accuracy and establishment can be improved.
The second effect is that it can be used as a basis for specifying the cause when an apparatus error actually occurs due to the path sensor 107, and a reduction in investigation time can be expected. The reason is that the self-diagnosis result is stored in the self-diagnosis result storage unit 1132, and by confirming the self-diagnosis result, it can be determined that the cause is a decrease in the detection power of the path sensor.
[0064]
The third effect is that the cost impact is small.
[0065]
The first reason is that the present invention can be implemented by changing the program stored in the program storage medium, which is followed by the control unit 113 that controls the autoloader device 100, and the electric circuit is not added. It is.
[0066]
The second reason is that the self-diagnosis position exists within a range in which the picker 104 moves in the vertical direction with the shaft 106 as a guide. That is, the light emitting element 108 and the light receiving element 109 of the path sensor 107 move with the movement of the picker 104. The diagnostic filter 111 is fixed within a movement range of the space between the light emitting element 108 and the light receiving element 109. Therefore, it is possible to use the movement of the picker 104, which is a conventional technique, and it is not necessary to provide a new movement mechanism.
[0067]
The fourth effect is that there is no influence by noise or the like. The reason is that it is not an electrical self-diagnosis.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side perspective view showing a configuration of an autoloader device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention (a diagram showing the internal structure of a housing from the side).
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a cross section cut by a dashed line viewed from a direction B (from above in FIG. 1) when the picker 104 is at a self-diagnosis position 112 in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which a medium 101 is stored in one cell 1021 of a shelf 102.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation of the autoloader device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a side perspective view showing the configuration of a conventional autoloader device 200 (a diagram showing the internal structure of the housing from the side).
6 is a view of a cross section taken along a dashed line in FIG. 5 as viewed from a direction A (from above in FIG. 5).
[Explanation of symbols]
100 Autoloader device
101 medium
102 shelves
103 Drive mechanism
104 Picker
105 door
106 shaft
107 Path sensor
108 light emitting element
109 light receiving element
110 notch
111 Diagnostic Filter
112 Self-diagnosis position
113 control unit
200 Autoloader device
201 medium
202 shelves
203 drive mechanism
204 pickers
205 door
206 shaft
207 Path sensor
208 light emitting element
209 light receiving element
210 notch
213 control unit
1021 cells
1131 Self-diagnosis means
1132 Self-diagnosis result storage means
2021 cell

Claims (13)

A detection unit having a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit, and detecting whether the light receiving unit receives light emitted from the light emitting unit,
Dimming means for dimming light emitted from the light emitting means to the light receiving means,
When the light receiving means cannot detect the light emitted from the light emitting means to the light receiving means, the light emitting means is turned off when the light emission amount of the light emitting means is reduced at most by the dimming rate of the light reducing means. A self-diagnosis unit that determines that the light cannot be detected. A medium control device comprising: a shelf for storing a medium; data recording / reproducing means for recording / reproducing the medium; and transport means for transporting the medium between the shelf and the recording / reproducing means.
Detecting means provided in the medium transporting means, having a light emitting means and a light receiving means, and detecting whether or not the light receiving means receives light emitted from the light emitting means,
Dimming means for dimming light emitted from the light emitting means to the light receiving means,
When a position where light emitted from the light emitting unit to the light receiving unit is dimmed by the dimming unit is a self-diagnosis position, the detection unit is located at the self-diagnosis position, and the light receiving unit is the light emitting unit. When it is not possible to detect the light emitted from the light receiving unit from the above, it is determined that the light emitted from the light emitting unit cannot be detected when the light emission amount of the light emitting unit decreases at most by the dimming rate of the light reducing unit. And a self-diagnosis unit that performs the self-diagnosis. A detection unit having a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit, and detecting whether the light receiving unit receives light emitted from the light emitting unit,
Dimming means for dimming light emitted from the light emitting means to the light receiving means,
When the light receiving means can detect the light emitted from the light emitting means to the light receiving means, the light emitting means does not emit light until the light emission amount of the light emitting means is reduced by at least the dimming rate of the light reducing means. And a self-diagnosis unit for determining that light can be detected. A medium control device comprising: a shelf for storing a medium; data recording / reproducing means for recording / reproducing the medium; and transport means for transporting the medium between the shelf and the recording / reproducing means.
Detecting means provided in the medium transporting means, having a light emitting means and a light receiving means, and detecting whether or not the light receiving means receives light emitted from the light emitting means,
Dimming means for dimming light emitted from the light emitting means to the light receiving means,
When a position where light emitted from the light emitting unit to the light receiving unit is dimmed by the dimming unit is a self-diagnosis position, the detection unit is located at the self-diagnosis position, and the light receiving unit is the light emitting unit. If it is possible to detect the light emitted to the light receiving means from the above, it is determined that the light of the light emitting means can be detected at least until the light emission amount of the light emitting means is reduced by the dimming rate of the light reducing means. And a self-diagnosis unit. 5. The medium control device according to claim 1, wherein the medium recording / reproducing device includes a self-diagnosis result storage unit that stores a result of the determination. 6. The medium control device according to claim 1, wherein the self-diagnosis position is located within a range in which a detection unit provided in the medium transport unit moves. The medium control device according to claim 1, wherein the determination is performed periodically. A detecting unit having a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit, a detecting step of detecting whether the light receiving unit receives the light emitted from the light emitting unit,
Dimming means for dimming light emitted from the light emitting means to the light receiving means,
When the light receiving means cannot detect the light emitted from the light emitting means to the light receiving means, the light emitting means is turned off when the light emission amount of the light emitting means is reduced at most by the dimming rate of the light reducing means. A self-diagnosis step of determining that light cannot be detected. Detecting means of a medium control device comprising: a shelf for storing a medium; recording and reproducing means for recording and reproducing data on the medium; and conveying means for conveying the medium between the shelf and the recording and reproducing means. In the diagnostic method,
A detecting unit provided in the medium transporting unit, the detecting unit having a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit, detecting whether or not the light receiving unit receives light emitted from the light emitting unit;
Dimming means for dimming light emitted from the light emitting means to the light receiving means,
When a position where light emitted from the light emitting unit to the light receiving unit is dimmed by the dimming unit is a self-diagnosis position, the detection unit is located at the self-diagnosis position, and the light receiving unit is the light emitting unit. When it is not possible to detect the light emitted from the light receiving unit from the above, it is determined that the light emitted from the light emitting unit cannot be detected when the light emission amount of the light emitting unit decreases at most by the dimming rate of the light reducing unit. And a self-diagnosis step of diagnosing the detection means of the medium control device. 10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the medium recording / reproducing device includes a self-diagnosis result storage unit that stores a result of the determination. 11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the self-diagnosis position is located within a range in which the detection unit provided in the medium transport unit moves. 13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the determination is performed periodically. In the media controller,
Detecting means for detecting whether the light receiving means receives light emitted from the light emitting means,
Dimming means for dimming light emitted from the light emitting means to the light receiving means,
When the light receiving unit cannot detect the light emitted from the light emitting unit to the light receiving unit, the light of the light emitting unit is reduced when the light emission amount of the light emitting unit decreases at most by the dimming rate of the light reducing unit. Self-diagnosis means for determining that
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