JPH02143116A - Sensor controller system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To discriminate the abnormality of a sensor when an output pattern is a specified one even in the sensor which does not have a diagnostic function by receiving input from each sensor and discriminating whether or not the input coincides with a specified output pattern stored in a storage device. CONSTITUTION:Whether or not the teaching key of a keyboard 16 is operated is checked first. When it is operated, the rising of a signal from a sensor S1 is awaited. When the sensor 1 is on, the data of the sensors S2-S6 is read through an input circuit 11 and held in a register to be displayed. Articles labelled in various states are successively conveyed on a belt conveyor 21 and teaching in which the output pattern of the sensor is stored according to the normal or abnormal labelled state is completed. When the output of the sensor S1 is on, whether or not the data of the sensors S2-S6 is a normal pattern is checked. When it is not the normal pattern, whether it coincides with the abnormal pattern is checked. When they do not coincide, it is judged that the label is not normally applied and abnormality processing is executed. When they coincide, it is judged that abnormality occurs in the sensor.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a sensor controller system having a plurality of sensors and a sensor controller, and particularly to a sensor controller system capable of determining whether a sensor is good or bad.

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, sensor controllers have been used that continuously convey articles using, for example, a belt conveyor and determine the state of the articles using a plurality of sensors. Such a sensor controller uses a plurality of sensors such as photoelectric sensors to determine the state and transportation state of the article. Such sensors include transmissive photoelectric sensors with external diagnostic functions that stop light emission based on external diagnostic input and detect abnormalities in the sensor based on changes in the output from the light receiver at that time;
A sensor is sometimes used that has a diagnostic function that detects when the output level is in an unstable region for a predetermined period of time or more and determines whether the sensor is abnormal. However, in many cases, a sensor is used that does not have such a function and simply outputs an output depending on the presence or absence of an object.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, conventional sensor controllers have the disadvantage that if the sensor itself does not have the above-mentioned diagnostic function, it is not possible to determine the abnormality.

The present invention was made in view of the problems of the conventional sensor controller system including a large number of sensors. The technical challenge is to make the distinction possible.

[Means to solve the problem]

The present invention is a sensor controller system having a plurality of sensors and a sensor controller that is given the output of each sensor and determines the state based on the output state,
The sensor controller includes a storage means for storing all existing output patterns among the output patterns obtained from each sensor according to the detection target, and a storage means for receiving input from each sensor and checking for coincidence with a predetermined output pattern stored in the storage means. The present invention is characterized by having a sensor quality determination means for determining whether a connected sensor is abnormal or not.

[Effect]

According to the present invention having such characteristics, signals are given to the sensor controller from the plurality of sensors, and the external state is detected by the sensors.

The sensor controller compares the output pattern obtained from multiple sensors with the output pattern of the sensor stored in advance in the t9 means, and if it does not match these patterns, it outputs as if there is an abnormality in one of the sensors. I try to give.

〔Effect of the invention〕

Therefore, according to the present invention, even if a normal sensor that does not have a diagnostic function is connected to the sensor itself, if the output pattern from a plurality of sensors is a predetermined pattern, it is possible to determine whether the sensor is abnormal. Therefore, the present invention can be applied to all sensor controllers regardless of the type of sensor connected, and has the excellent effect of being able to identify sensor abnormalities with an extremely simple configuration.

[Explanation of Examples]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a sensor controller system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
2 is a diagram showing the arrangement of a sensor controller 2 and a sensor controller 2. FIG. As shown in these figures, in the sensor controller according to this embodiment, a plurality of sensors, for example sensors S1 to S6, are connected to a sensor controller 1. On the other hand, a detachable operation section 2 is attached to the sensor controller 1. The sensor controller 1 is made up of a photocoupler, etc., and has an input circuit 11 that converts the signal level obtained from each sensor, and its output is given to the CPU 12. A read only memory (hereinafter referred to as ROM) 13 and a random access memory (hereinafter referred to as RAM) 14 are connected to the CPtJ 12. The RAM 14 constitutes a storage means for storing all detectable output patterns among the output patterns from each sensor. A display 15 and a keyboard 16 of the operation section 2 are connected to the CPU 12 and configured to set the input state of the sensor controller 2.

Further, an output circuit 17 is connected to the CPtJ12 as an output means.

This sensor controller system detects, for example, the conveyance state of articles 22a, 22b, etc., which are conveyed in the direction of the arrow on belt controller 721, as shown in FIG. used as a system. That is, the sensor S1 is a sensor for determining the arrival of an article, and the sensors S2 to S6 are sensors for determining the attachment position of a label on an article conveyed on the belt conveyor 21. These sensors S1 to S6 are provided to the sensor controller 1, and the quality of label attachment is determined based on their output states.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained with reference to a flowchart. First, as shown in FIG. 3, all output patterns obtained from each sensor S1 to S6 are stored depending on the state of the label attached to the article. This operation is called teaching. When the operation starts, it is first checked in step 31 whether or not the teaching key on the keyboard 16 has been operated, and if it has been operated, the key is pressed in step 3.
Step 2 waits for the rise of the signal from sensor S1.

When the sensor Sl is turned on, the process proceeds to step 33, where data from the other sensors S2 to S6 is read through the input circuit 11, temporarily held in the register, and displayed. Then, the process proceeds to step 34, and it is checked whether the output pattern matches the already stored sensor output pattern during teaching. If they do not match, the process proceeds to step 35 to check whether the pattern is normal. If the pattern is normal, it is registered as a normal pattern, otherwise it is registered in the RAM 1.4 as an abnormal pattern. The program then proceeds to step 38 to check whether or not the teaching has been completed.If not, the program returns to step 32 and repeats the same process. In this way, articles with labels affixed in various manners are sequentially conveyed on the belt conveyor 21, and teaching is performed to memorize the output cover/turn of the sensor in all states, including a normal label affixation state and an abnormally oriented label affixation state. complete.

Then, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the sensors S2 to S6
When all are in the on state, that is, rl, 1, not shown in FIG.
111J is a normal pattern. Further, as shown in labels 23a and 23b in FIG. 4(b), when a specific sensor S, for example, sensors S2 and S3 or S4 and S5 is turned off, that is, in the case of rrollllJ and rlloolJ, the label is affixed out of alignment. It is determined that there is a Also, Figure 4(b)
As shown in the label 23c of the two sensors S3. Abnormal pattern r in which S4 is turned off 1.0011. Even in J, it is determined that the sensor is misaligned. However, in this case, even though the label may be attached at an angle as shown in Figure 4 (bl), it is impossible to attach it at an angle of 90 degrees.Therefore, only sensor S6 is turned on. If so, the pattern will be determined to be impossible.Now, after all the sensor abnormal patterns have been registered in sequence, it is checked whether or not to end the teaching.If the teaching is not ended, the process returns to steps 38 to 32. The same process is repeated, and when the teaching is to be completed, the teaching is completed by issuing a teaching end command from the keyboard I6.

When the conveyance state of the article is to be detected after the teaching is completed, it is checked in step 41 whether the output of the sensor Sl is turned on, as shown in FIG. If sensor S1 is turned on, the process advances to step 42 and sensor S1 is turned on.
Read data from 2 to S6.

Then, the process advances to step 43 to check whether the data of the sensors S2 to S6 are in a normal pattern.

If it is not a normal pattern, the process proceeds to step 44 to check whether it matches the abnormal pattern memorized during teaching. If the label matches the abnormal pattern, the label is not pasted normally, and the process proceeds to routine 45 to perform label abnormality processing. Also, if it does not match the abnormal pattern stored in advance in step 44,
Since it is thought that one of the sensors has an abnormality, the routine advances to routine 46 to perform sensor abnormality processing, such as displaying the abnormality and transmitting it to the higher-level control equipment, and then ends the process. Here, in steps 43 to 46, the CPU 12 compares the normal output pattern and the cover pattern for abnormality when the label is not correctly pasted with the input output pattern of the sensor, and determines whether the sensor is abnormal or not. This function has been achieved.

In the Naoki embodiment, in order to store the output pattern from the sensor in the storage means, the label is tilted from the normal position and the output from the sensor is stored in various ways. It goes without saying that the output pattern may be input directly from an input means such as a keyboard and stored.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a sensor controller system according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the arrangement of sensors, and FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the sensor pattern creation state. Figure 4 shows the relationship between the label attached to the article and the output of the sensor, Figure 5 shows an example of the sensor table created in this way, and Figure 6 shows how the article is transported based on the created sensor table. It is a flowchart at the time of the operation|movement which identifies a state. 1-----Sensor control 11, ----Input circuit determination means) 14 17--Output circuit 2---Operation unit 12--CPU <Good sensor --- RAM
(Storage means) Sl-56・-・-・-sensor patent applicant Tateishi Electric Co., Ltd. agent Patent attorney Yoshiki Okamoto (and one other person) Figure 1・-・-℃Fubcon? D-':1 Figure Figure Figure

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In a sensor controller system having a plurality of sensors and a sensor controller that is provided with the output of each of the sensors and determines the state based on the output state, the sensor controller is configured to perform the following: storage means for storing all existing output patterns out of the output patterns that are detected, and a predetermined output pattern that receives input from each of the sensors and is stored in the storage means, and determines whether or not there is a match between the sensor and the connected sensor. A sensor controller system comprising: sensor quality determination means for determining sensor quality.