JP2015136487A - Control device and system using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To discriminate a non-detection state of a sensor from a case where a sensor cable comes off.SOLUTION: The control device is connected to a sensor for outputting a prescribed detection signal, by a sensor cable, receives the detection signal transmitted from the sensor via the sensor cable, and performs prescribed processing in response to a detection signal value. The control device further includes a cable coming-off determination part that discriminates a state of receiving no detection signal from the sensor, from a coming-off state of the sensor cable in the sensor side.

Description

  The present invention relates to a control device, and more particularly to a control technique for detecting disconnection of a sensor cable that transmits a sensor detection signal to a control device in an alarm system including a sensor.

  In the fields of medical care and nursing care, for example, a nurse call device is known which uses a sensor to detect the rising of a patient or caregiver using a sensor and notifies a nurse center.

  For example, in the technology described in Patent Document 1 below, a collective corridor adapter connected to a nurse call master unit, a slave unit adapter connected to the collective corridor adapter, and a slave unit connected to the slave unit adapter are provided. In the nurse call device, whether the dropout / disconnection alarm is to be issued or not is registered in the registration table in the CPU of the collective corridor adapter depending on the presence / absence of polling processing answer data. Even so, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of dropout and disconnection warnings. In addition, when a slave unit adapter is added, it can be dealt with by re-registering that it is a target in the registration table, and if the slave unit is dropped, a drop / break alarm can be issued.

JP-A-8-242303

  However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 has a problem that a signal line only for that purpose is required in order to detect the drop of the slave adapter.

  For example, when a new signal line is not provided, in the configuration of the bed leaving detection system including the infrared sensor, the connection cable, and the control terminal body, the connection between the control terminal body and the connection cable is performed on the control terminal body side. However, the disconnection between the connection cable and the infrared sensor could not be determined. The reason is that an infrared sensor (sensor head) or the like outputs 0 V in a non-detected state, but it becomes 0 V even when the sensor is detached, and the two cannot be distinguished.

  An object of this invention is to provide the technique which can distinguish easily the non-detection state of a sensor, and the case where a sensor remove | deviates.

  According to an aspect of the present invention, a sensor that outputs a predetermined detection signal is connected by a sensor cable, receives the detection signal transmitted from the sensor through the sensor cable, and sets the value of the detection signal. A control device that performs predetermined processing according to the control device, further comprising a cable disconnection determination unit that distinguishes between a state in which no detection signal from the sensor is detected and a disconnection state of the sensor cable on the sensor side. Provided.

  The cable disconnection determination unit includes a sensor detection signal potential adjustment unit that sets a potential of the sensor cable on the control device side to a first value different from the detection signal by the sensor when the sensor cable is disconnected, and the sensor detection And a signal voltage determination unit that compares the detection signal adjusted by the signal potential adjustment unit with the first value to determine the cable disconnection.

  When the cable is disconnected, the detection signal can be distinguished from the signal notifying the cable disconnection by setting the potential of the sensor cable on the control device side to a first value different from the detection signal from the sensor. The sensor detection signal potential adjustment unit may be provided on the sensor side.

  The sensor detection signal potential adjustment unit adjusts the detection signal so that a maximum voltage of the detection signal of the sensor is lower than a voltage level when the cable is disconnected, and a cable when the sensor cable is disconnected And a pull-up resistor that makes the voltage level higher than the voltage value after adjustment in the voltage limiting means.

  The voltage limiting circuit is arranged so that the output voltage of the sensor does not reach a predetermined potential even at the maximum, and the identification is facilitated by pulling up the signal line to a higher voltage.

  A processing unit that distinguishes between processing at the time of sensor connection and processing at the time of sensor non-connection caused by cable disconnection on the sensor cable side based on a determination result in the signal voltage determination unit. .

  The sensor cable has a plurality of connector portions of the sensor cable, and adjusts a potential in the disconnected state of the sensor cable in the cable disconnection determining portion based on characteristics of different sensors connected to the connector portions. It is possible to distinguish the omission state.

  Thereby, it is possible to watch over patients with different symptoms using different sensors, or to apply a plurality of different sensors to one patient and perform careful watching based on a plurality of sensings.

  Further, the present invention provides an output signal based on the sensor, the control device described above, processing from the control device when the sensor is connected, and processing when the sensor is not connected due to the cable disconnection. And a notification unit for receiving and notifying.

  According to the present invention, it is easy to distinguish between a non-detected state of a sensor and a state where the sensor is detached.

It is a functional block diagram which shows the example of 1 structure of the bed leaving detection alarm system by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the utilization method of the bed leaving detection alarm system by this Embodiment. It is a circuit diagram which shows the example of 1 structure of the cable missing determination part for detecting the sensor cable missing in the bed leaving detection alarm system by this Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram which shows the example of 1 structure of the alarm system by this Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram which shows the structural example with the sensor side (a), the control apparatus side (b), the alarm device (notification part) side (c), and the detail (d) of a sensor part. It is a functional block diagram which shows the structure relevant to a sensor cable disconnection determination process among control parts. It is a flowchart figure which shows the flow of a process of the control part shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the specific circuit structural example corresponding to a cable disconnection determination circuit part. It is a figure which shows the specific circuit structural example corresponding to a control apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of the time change of a signal voltage. It is a figure which shows an example of the process at the time of sensor non-connection, and the process at the time of sensor connection. It is a functional block diagram which shows the example of 1 structure of the bed leaving detection alarm system by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, a control device in a monitoring alarm system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail by taking as an example a bed detection alarm system capable of performing bed detection and nurse call.

  FIG. 1A is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of the bed detection alarm system according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing a method of using the bed detection alarm system. As shown in FIG. 1A, the bed detection alarm system 1 includes, for example, distance measuring sensors 3a, 3b, and 3c, a control device 11, an alarm notification unit (output unit) 31, a power plug 33, a call button 7, and the like. ,have. The sensors 3a, 3b, 3c and the control device 11 are connected by sensor cables 5a, 5b, 5c and internal wirings, and are connected to the control unit (CPU) 15 by connector parts 17a, 17b, 17c and internal wirings. . Moreover, the alerting | reporting part 31 and the control apparatus 11 are connected with the control part 15 by the connector part 17d.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, for example, a distance measuring sensor 3a or the like is attached to a position where the rising of the cared person can be detected (bed-off detection) such as a hospital, a facility, or a bed at home (see FIGS. 1B (a) and (b) )), For example, to the nurse center or the like via the control device 11 installed in the patient's room so as to receive the sensor signal can be notified from the notification unit 31 or the like by voice or display (FIG. 1B). (C)).

  By the way, the sensor cable 5a may be disconnected on the sensor 3a side (for example, the connector position indicated by reference numeral P1). In this case, notification to a nurse center or the like is necessary.

  FIG. 2 shows a sensor 3a including a cable disconnection determination unit for detecting sensor cable 5a, 5b, 5c disconnection on the sensor 3a, 3b, 3c side in the bed detection alarm system according to the present embodiment and the control device 11. It is a circuit diagram which shows the example of 1 structure between. The cable disconnection determination unit is provided, for example, in order from the sensor 3a side (P1) along the sensor cable 5a between the amplifier such as the operational amplifier 8-1 and the sensor cable 5a and the ground, and outputs from the amplifier. A voltage control circuit unit such as a Zener diode 8-2 for setting the signal S1 to a constant voltage, and the voltage adjustment circuit unit 8-2 and the control unit 15 on the control device 11 side are provided. And a pull-up resistor 8-3 that pulls up the voltage of the sensor cable 3a that has passed so as to become a signal S3 based on a voltage value different from (exceeding) the detection signal range of the sensor.

  Hereinafter, a configuration example and a processing example of the alarm system according to the present embodiment will be described in detail.

  FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of the alarm system according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the alarm system according to the present embodiment includes a sensor 3a, a sensor cable 5a, a control device 11, a signal line 21, and an output unit 31, and includes a sensor 3a and a control device 11. A cable disconnection determination unit 9 is provided between them.

  FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing one configuration example of the sensor side (a), the control device side (b), the alarm (notification unit) side (c), and the sensor unit (d). With the configuration included in reference numerals 9a and 9b, it is possible to perform cable disconnection determination. That is, the cable disconnection determination unit 9 is included in the control unit 15 and the sensor detection signal potential adjustment unit 9a (8-1, 8-2, 8-3) that adjusts the potential based on the sensor detection signal of the sensor cable 5a. A signal voltage determination unit 9b (corresponding to a signal voltage determination unit 15-2 in FIG. 5 described later) that determines disconnection based on the voltage (potential) is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 4D, the sensor unit 3a ′ is, for example, a distance measuring sensor, and controls the light emission side LED 3a′-2, the light reception side PSD 3a′-1, the light emission and detects the light reception. And a signal processing circuit 3a′-3 for outputting the detection signal S1 to the sensor cable 5a via the sensor connector 3a′-4. The output of the distance measuring sensor is output to the amplifier (amplifying unit) 8-1 shown in FIG. 4A via the sensor connector 3a'-4. In this specification, the sensor 3a refers to the sensor unit 3a ', the sensor connector 3a'-4, and the part included in the sensor 3a in FIG. 1, for example, the sensor 3a in FIG. In the case where 8-1 and the voltage limiting circuit part (zener diode) 8-2 are included, the part including them is indicated. Further, the disconnection of the sensor cable is detected, for example, that the sensor cable 5a is disconnected at the position P1 described above, that is, at the position of the connector portion 17a in FIG.

  As shown in the functional block diagram in FIG. 4, these functions may be realized by another configuration that exhibits the same function instead of the circuit described in this embodiment.

  FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram illustrating a configuration related to sensor cable disconnection determination processing on the sensor side in the control unit 15. As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, the connection signal confirmation unit 15-1, the signal voltage determination unit 15-2, the sensor connection time processing unit 15-3, and the sensor non-connection time processing unit 15-4. And have. The sensor unconnected processing unit 15-4 includes an abnormality notification signal generation unit 15-5.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the control unit 15 shown in FIG. When the process is started in step S1, power is supplied to the sensor in step S2, and the connection signal confirmation unit 15-1 confirms the connection signal in step S3. When the connection signal is confirmed (Yes), in step S4, the signal voltage determination unit 15-2 determines whether or not the signal voltage is a predetermined potential (for example, a pull-up voltage of 5 V, generally a power supply voltage). Determine whether.

  If it is a predetermined voltage (Yes), it is determined that there is an abnormality, and the process proceeds to step S5, where the abnormality detection signal generated by the abnormality notification signal generation unit 15-5 of the sensor non-connection processing unit 15-4, for example, The output unit 31 performs a process for notifying that the sensor (3a) is disconnected.

  If the voltage is not the predetermined voltage (No), it is determined that the sensor (3a) is not disconnected but is normal, and the process proceeds to step S6. The sensor connection processing unit 15-3 outputs the sensor signal as a normal output signal. The process which outputs to 31 is performed. Then, the process ends (step S7: END).

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sensor non-connection process and a sensor connection process. As shown in FIG. 9 (a), in the processing example when the sensor is not connected, a message prompting confirmation that the cable of the sensor (3a) has been disconnected is displayed on the output unit 31, and in the processing example when the sensor is connected, In the output unit 31, for example, when a caregiver's rising (a leaving action) is detected, the fact may be notified. Alternatively, the buzzer may be leveled when the cable disconnection of the sensor (3a) is detected.

  When the sensor detects the bed leaving operation, the nurse's room number may be notified to the nurse by sound and light on the bulletin board of the nurse call center in the same manner as when the nurse call button is pressed. Moreover, when using it at home, you may transmit the message to that effect to a caregiver's smart phone, a mobile telephone, etc. as an alerting | reporting means. Other notification methods may be used and the notification method is not limited.

  7A and 7B are diagrams showing more detailed circuit configuration examples of the bed detection alarm system according to the present embodiment.

  FIG. 7A is a diagram illustrating a specific circuit configuration example corresponding to a portion indicated by reference numeral 9a in FIG. FIG. 7B is a diagram illustrating a specific circuit configuration example corresponding to the control device 11, and includes a portion indicated by reference numeral 9a in FIG. 4B.

  The cable disconnection determination circuit shown in FIG. 7A shows a circuit configuration from a terminal (T1) connected to the sensor 3a or the like to a terminal (T2) that outputs the sensor signal S2 to the control unit 15, and is connected to the sensor cable 5a. The signal is first amplified by the operational amplifier 8-1.

  The output voltage values of the sensors 3a, 3b, and 3c change according to the detected distance from the object.

  The operational amplifier 8-1 is used for adjusting the output by reducing the influence of variations in the output of the individual sensors 3a, 3b, and 3c. Since the sensor unit (ranging sensor) 3a ′ shown in FIG. 4D has a large variation in output voltage depending on the distance, the operational amplifier 8-1 amplifies the output voltage and unifies the output value in the unit distance. . As the operational amplifier 8-1 shown in FIG. 7A, a non-inverting amplifier circuit is used.

  Further, the voltage output from the sensors 3a, 3b, and 3c is as small as about 0.65 V, for example, at a distance of 1 m, for example, so that it is necessary to reduce the influence of noise. Therefore, the signal was amplified, and the average output was set to be about 1.5 times so that the output when the distance to the distance measurement target was 1 m was about 1V. Thereby, the output voltage from the operational amplifier 8-1 changes in the range of 0 to 5V, for example.

  Next, for example, a Zener diode 8-2 is disposed as a voltage limiting circuit so that the output voltage from the operational amplifier 8-1 does not reach a predetermined potential (for example, the power supply voltage Vcc = 5V) at the maximum. For example, a Zener diode 8-2 having a characteristic that the maximum output voltage from the operational amplifier 8-1 is up to 4V is disposed.

  Accordingly, the signal S2 based on the voltage of the sensor cable 5a is adjusted from the range of 0 to 5V to the range of 0 to 4V when input to the control device 11.

  The terminal T2 in FIG. 7A has 1P to 4P and transmits the sensor signal S2 to the terminal T3 of the circuit shown in FIG. 7B via the sensor cable 5a.

  In the control device shown in FIG. 7B, the terminal T3 corresponds to (connects to) the terminal T2 in FIG. 7A, and the signal line (S2) via 4P by the voltage from the sensor cable 5a is connected by, for example, a pull-up resistor 8-3. It is configured to be pulled up to 5V by a voltage of 5V based on the power supply voltage Vcc and to have a first value (5V).

  Thereby, the voltage input to the control unit 15 becomes 5V which is a first value different from the voltage range of 0 to 4V based on the adjusted sensor 3a when the sensor cable is disconnected.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a temporal change in the signal voltage. As shown by the curve indicated by S1, depending on the distance by the distance measuring sensor, a high voltage is output from the sensor and the operational amplifier when close, and a low voltage is output from the sensor and the operational amplifier when remote ( Signal S1). The voltage range of the signal S1 is between 0V and 5V.

  Here, since the voltage of 5V is indistinguishable from the voltage when the cable is disconnected, the Zener diode 8-2 adjusts the output maximum voltage from the operational amplifier 8-1 to 4V (signal S2).

  Then, by pulling up the signal line to 5 V (Vp) by the pull-up resistor 8-3, a 5 V pull-up signal is input to the control unit 15 when the sensor cable 5 a is disconnected on the sensor 3 a side. (Signal S3 ′).

  Accordingly, in step S4 of FIG. 6, the potential of the sensor cable 5a via 4P of the terminal T3 is 5V when the sensor cable 5a is disconnected on the sensor 3a side, and when the sensor cable 5a is not disconnected on the sensor 3a side. Therefore, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not it is a predetermined potential (5 V). In this way, it is possible to detect that the sensor cable 5a is disconnected from the connector portion (17a in FIG. 4A) on the sensor 3a side without providing a separate signal line with this sensor cable 5a alone.

  In the following, referring to FIG. 7B, an audio jack of a main circuit to which signal S2 is input, used for determination of sensor cable disconnection in the connector portion (17b in FIG. 4B) on the control device 11 side of sensor cable 5a. These four lines will be described as an example.

Pin 1 (1P): GND (0V)
Pin 2 (2P): Power supply 33 (5V) to the sensor
3rd pin (3P): Jack insertion confirmation signal line, that is, a signal line for sensor cable disconnection determination on the control device 11 side of the sensor cable 5a 4th pin (4P): Sensor signal line (usually analog based on sensor 3a) Voltage flows.)

Here, the third pin (3P) will be described.
When the sensor cable 5a is not inserted on the control device 11 side (cable disconnection), the third pin (3P) is configured to contact the second pin (2P), and the potential becomes 5V. When the sensor cable 5a is inserted on the control device 11 side, the 3rd pin and the 2nd pin are separated, so the voltage becomes 0V. With this voltage difference, it is possible to confirm whether or not the sensor cable 5a is inserted on the control device 11 side.

  In this manner, by using different confirmation methods, it is possible to distinguish between sensor cable disconnection on the sensor side and sensor cable disconnection on the control device side.

(Second embodiment: multiple types of sensors)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the bed leaving alarm system according to the present embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. 1A. In the first embodiment, one or more distance measuring sensors can be connected.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, for example, the distance measuring sensor 3a is connected to the control device 11 by the sensor cable 5a, installed under the floor, and installed on a sensor or mattress for notifying when the mat is stepped on. Then, a mat sensor 3d such as a sensor for informing when the upper body is raised is connected to the control device 11 by the sensor cable 5b, installed on the bed fence, and a touch sensor 3e for informing when the bed fence is grasped by the sensor cable 5c. You may make it connect with the control apparatus 11. FIG.

  The mechanism for removing the sensor cable may be the same as in the first embodiment.

  In this way, different sensors can be used to watch patients with different symptoms, or a plurality of different sensors can be applied to a single patient to perform careful watching based on multiple sensing. good.

  The processing and control can be performed by software processing by CPU (Central Processing Unit) or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate) hardware hardware.

  In the above-described embodiment, the configuration and the like illustrated in the accompanying drawings are not limited to these, and can be changed as appropriate within the scope of the effects of the present invention. In addition, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the object of the present invention.

  Each component of the present invention can be arbitrarily selected, and an invention having a selected configuration is also included in the present invention.

  The present invention can be used for a bed leaving alarm system.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Bed detection alarm system, 3a, 3b, 3c ... Sensor, 5a, 5b, 5c ... Sensor cable, 7 ... Call button, 8-1 ... Operational amplifier, 8-2 ... Zener diode, 8-3 ... Pull-up resistor, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 9 ... Cable disconnection determination part, 11 ... Control apparatus, 15 ... Control part (CPU), 15-5 ... Abnormality notification signal production | generation part, 17a, 17b, 17c, 17d ... Connector part, 31 ... Alarm notification part (output) Part), 33 ... power plug.

Claims (6)

A control device that is connected to a sensor that outputs a predetermined detection signal by a sensor cable, receives the detection signal transmitted from the sensor via the sensor cable, and performs predetermined processing according to the value of the detection signal Because
A control device comprising: a cable disconnection determination unit that distinguishes between a state in which no detection signal from the sensor is present and a disconnection state of the sensor cable on the sensor side. The cable disconnection determination unit
When the sensor cable is disconnected, a sensor detection signal potential adjusting unit that sets the potential of the sensor cable on the control device side to a first value different from the detection signal by the sensor;
The control device according to claim 1, further comprising: a signal voltage determination unit that compares the detection signal adjusted by the sensor detection signal potential adjustment unit with the first value to determine cable disconnection. The sensor detection signal potential adjustment unit is
Voltage limiting means for adjusting the detection signal so that the maximum voltage of the detection signal of the sensor is lower than the voltage level when the cable is disconnected;
The control device according to claim 2, further comprising: a pull-up resistor that makes a voltage level of the cable when the sensor cable is disconnected higher than a voltage value after adjustment in the voltage limiting unit. Based on the determination result in the signal voltage determination unit,
4. The control device according to claim 2, further comprising: a processing unit that distinguishes between processing when the sensor is connected and processing when the sensor is not connected due to a cable disconnection on the sensor cable side. 5.   The sensor cable has a plurality of connector portions of the sensor cable, and adjusts a potential in the disconnected state of the sensor cable in the cable disconnection determining portion based on characteristics of different sensors connected to the connector portions. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the omission state is distinguishable. A sensor,
A control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5;
From the control device, a notification unit that receives and reports an output signal based on the process when the sensor is connected and the process when the sensor is not connected due to the cable disconnection,
Having a system.

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