JPH039698A - Communication equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To secure reliability for monitor and control by communication as well and to constitute a system to be easily used by setting load in a turning-ON state only when communication can be executed between an adapter and plural controllers. CONSTITUTION:Adapters 23 and 24 connected with loads 21 and 22 and controllers 25, 26 and 27 are connected to lamp line 20 and the communication is mutually executed through the lamp line 20. The adapters 23 and 24 are equipped with self-station address setting means 28 and 29 to set the address value of a self-station and the state of loads 21 and 22, which are respectively connected to the self-station, are detected. Then, a telegraphic message showing this load state is communication with adding the self-station address. The controllers 25, 26 and 27 are equipped with address setting means and the communicating means of an ACK telegraphic message to be a response telegraphic message when a telegraphic message to the specified address station of the lamp line 20 is received and the telegraphic message to the self-station is received.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication device for remotely controlling a load that is distributed in a distributed manner and requires consideration of safety.

Background of the Invention In recent years, communication control devices have been developed that connect devices through an electrical communication network and transmit control messages to each other for the purpose of centrally controlling multiple devices or monitoring the current status of devices. has been reported in various ways. - For example, there is a communication device that uses a commercial 100V power line as a transmission communication path to control the load in a general household. This system superimposes a communication signal voltage of a sufficiently higher frequency on the AC voltage of the power line to communicate between each device, and it eliminates the need for special wiring for control, reducing the time and effort associated with installation. It is characterized by low cost.

A communication device using a power line as a transmission communication path will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a conventional communication device using electric power lines. ■ is commercial toov
It is a power line and a transmission path for carrier wave signals. Adapters 2 and 3 and loads 4 and 5° are combined and connected to the power line 1, respectively. The adapters 2 and 3 each include a load state detection means for detecting the state of the loads 4 and 5 connected to themselves, a load control means for controlling this load in a 0N10FF manner, a communication means for communicating with other devices, and a communication means for communicating with other devices. It has own station address setting means 6 and 7 for setting own station addresses, and communicates messages including the own station address with other devices using the power line 1 as a transmission communication path. On the other hand, the controllers 8, 9, and 10 are also connected to the electric light Ml, and
Adapter-like communication means/load control switch group 11/1
2/13, it has monitor display means 14, 15, 16, own station address setting means 17, 18, 19, and partner station address setting means.

With the above configuration, the user presses the load control switch 11 corresponding to the load to be controlled on a specific controller, for example 8, installed at a convenient location for operation.
The controller 8 transmits a control command message of 0N10FF to the adapter having the partner station address corresponding to the switch. The adapter of the partner station address station that received the message controls the load according to the control command. When the load status changes, the adapter sends a message containing the load status and its own station address to the controller 8 of the specific address station. The monitor display means 14 of the controller 8 displays the load status in a column corresponding to the local station address of the received message. The controllers 9 and 10 intercept the message transmitted to the controller 8 of the specific address station, and display the load status on the monitor display means 15 and 16 in correspondence with the own station address of the received message. Through the series of operations described above, the user was able to remotely control the load status as desired and monitor the control results.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the above configuration, the adapter only transmits the load status unilaterally, so if the type of load is an electric stove or
In the case of items such as irons that have a risk of catching fire, the following problems arise. For example, if the number of loads connected to a power line increases and the impedance of the line decreases, the transmission of the ON status of the load from the adapter may not reach the controller.
A problem arises when the monitor status of the controller remains OFF even though the load is ON. In other words, if the user trusts the monitor display and goes to bed or goes out, there is a risk of fire because the load is actually operating. Conventional communication devices have had the above problems to be solved.

The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and the first object is to provide a communication device in which the adapter turns off the load when communication between the °r adapter controller is interrupted and there is no unsafe condition. The purpose is to A second purpose is to provide yet another means for achieving the first purpose.

Means for Solving the Problem The first means for achieving the first objective is to have a local station address, receive a message destined for the local station and a specific address station, and receive a message destined for the local station. a plurality of controllers that send an ACK message as a response when correctly received; an adapter that sends a load status message to the controller when the state of a connected load changes; and a message between the controller and the adapter. The adapter includes a load control means for controlling the connected load, a load state detection means for detecting the state of the load, and a transmission communication path for transmitting and receiving messages on the transmission communication path. When the communication means, the transmission destination setting means in which the addresses of the plurality of controllers are set, and the nf load state detection means recognize that the load has changed to OFF, the load state message is sent to a specific address station. The communication means is instructed to transmit only to the controller, and when it recognizes that the load has changed to ON, the load status message is sent to the controller of the address set in the transmission destination setting means, including the controller of the address station. The communication means is configured to instruct the communication means to transmit the load status message and to instruct the load control means to perform OFF control when a normal ACK message cannot be received from the controller as a result of transmitting the load status message. It is intended as a communication device.

In addition to the configuration of the first means, the second means for achieving the second purpose is to send a message to all controllers by means of communication immediately after the power is turned on, and receive an ACK message in return. automatic setting means for detecting and setting the address of the controller existing in the partner station setting means by monitoring the address of the controller that is located at is the communication means provided in the adapter.

The first means of operation operates as follows. The load connected to the adapter is controlled by the load control means, and when the load state detection means recognizes that the adapter has changed to OFF, the calculation means sends the load state message to the communication means only to the controller of the specific address station. 1, and sends the message using 1 communication means. When the load state detection means recognizes that the load has changed to ON, the calculation means instructs the communication means to transmit a load state message to a plurality of controllers including a specific address station, and the communication means transmits the message. . Next, when the controller receives the telegrams for the specific address station and for its own station, it returns an ACK telegram as a response if it has successfully received the telegram for its own station. The above is the case when there is no communication failure and the adapter successfully receives the ACK message as a response to the message sent from the communication means, but if it cannot be received, the calculation means causes the load control means to turn off the load. The control is instructed and the load is controlled to be turned off by the load control means.

Therefore, only when communication is possible from the adapter to multiple controllers, and from multiple controllers to the adapter,
This means that the load can be turned on.

The second means works as follows. That is, the address of the controller to which each adapter sends the message indicating that the load is ON can be automatically set in the adapter.

EXAMPLE Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. Commercial 10
Adapters 23, 24 connected to loads 21, 22 and controllers 25, 26, 27 are connected to the 0V power line 20, and communicate with each other using the power line 20 as a transmission communication path. The adapters 23 and 24 have self-station address setting means 28 and 29 for setting their own address values, and detect the state of the loads 23 and 24 connected to their own stations, respectively, and determine the state of the loads. Add the own station address and send a message indicating the address. The controllers 25, 26, and 27 also have their own station address setting means 30, 31, and 32, and the power line 2.
a first communication means (not shown) that receives a message directed to a specific address station on 0 or directed to its own station, and transmits an ACK message as a response message when receiving a message directed to its own station; It has monitor means 33, 34, and 35 for displaying according to the contents of the message received by the communication means. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the adapter used in this embodiment.

The adapter 23 includes a load control means 36 that controls the load connected to itself, a load state detection means 37 that detects the state of the connected load, and a second communication means 38 that sends and receives messages to and from the controller. When the destination setting means 39, in which the addresses of a plurality of controllers are set, and the load state detection means 37 recognize that the load has changed to OFF, the second communication means 38 sends a message to the second communication means 38 about the specific address station. Only the controller is instructed to transmit, and when it is recognized that it has turned ON, the second communication means 38 is informed of the load status of all controllers, including the controller of the specific address station set in the destination setting means 39. Along with instructing the transmission of the message, the AC from the edge controller
It has calculation means 4.0 which issues an OFF control instruction to the load control means 36 when the K message cannot be received normally.

The operation of the communication device configured as described above will be explained below. The user can use the hand switch (not shown) of the adapter 22 or the controllers 25, 26,
Deaf load 21 by remote control using any of the 27
When controlling OFF, each means operates as follows. After the load control means 36 turns off the load 21, the adapter 23 controls the load 21 by the load state detection means 37.
If it is detected that the state of has changed to OFF, the calculation means 40 acts and instructs the second communication means 38 to transmit an OFF state message. In this way, the second communication means 38 transmits a message indicating a change in the state of the load to the specific address station controller via the commercial 100V power line 20. The controllers 25, 26, and 27 intercept this message transmitted to a specific address station using the first communication means, and display a display corresponding to the received message on the monitor display means 3.
Displayed on 3rd, 34th, and 35th. Next, a case will be described in which the user operates the hand switch of the adapter 23 or a specific controller to turn on the load 21. After the load control means 36 turns ON the load 21, when the load state detection means 37 detects that the load state has changed to ON, the calculation means 40 operates as follows. Second
An instruction is issued to the communication means 38 of the r doubler 2 to transmit an ON state message for the controller of the specific address station.
The ON state message is transmitted from the second communication means 38 of No. 3 via the commercial 100V power line 20. Controller 25・
26 and 27 intercept this message sent to a specific address station, and display the load 21 on the monitor display means 33, 34, and 35.
is in the ON state. Next, the adapter 23 transmits the ON state message from the second communication means 38 to the plurality of controllers set in the destination setting means 39 according to the instruction from the calculation means 40 . On the other hand, controller 25.2
6 and 27 are own station address setting means 30, 31, and 32.
If the message addressed to the local station with the destination address equal to the local address value set by is correctly received, an ACK message is returned. Then, if the message sent by the adapter 23 is not received normally by the controllers 25, 26, 27, or the ACKt message from the controllers 25, 26, 27 is not received normally by the adapter 23, the adapter 23 When the ACK message as a response to the message sent from the communication means 38 cannot be received normally,
The load control means 36 controls the load 21 to be OFF according to the instruction from the calculation means 40.

In this way, in this embodiment, when communication between the controller and the adapter is interrupted, the adapter load is turned off.
control and prevent loads from reaching unsafe conditions. In addition, the controller has the opportunity to receive two messages, one for the controller of a specific address station and one for its own station, and even if it cannot receive the message for its own station, Normal monitor display can be performed by receiving a message directed to the user. Furthermore, in this embodiment, by setting only the address of the controller that is displaying the load state of the adapter 23 in the destination setting means 39 of the adapter 23, the display of the controller becomes more accurate with a small number of communications. .

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described using FIG. In this embodiment, an automatic setting means 41 is added to the configuration of the adapter of the first embodiment described above. The automatic setting means 41 has the following functions. First, at the same time as the power is turned on, a message is sent to all connected controllers by the second communication means 38, the address of the station to which the ACK message has been returned is monitored, and this ACK message is Only the address of the controller that returned the message is set in the destination setting means 39 as the communication destination. Second, while the communication device is in operation, communications from each controller are monitored, and if a controller is found for which no address has been set, the address of this controller is set in the destination setting means 39 as the communication destination. It is something.

This embodiment operates as follows. At the same time as the user turns on the power, the automatic setting means 41 operates as described in the above configuration, and automatically sets the addresses of all controllers present in the partner station setting means 39 in the partner setting means 39. . Furthermore, even if a new controller is added after energization is started, the automatic setting means 41 operates to automatically set the address of this controller in the destination setting means 39.

Therefore, by using this embodiment, it is not necessary for the user to set the message transmission destination for each adapter, and it is possible to construct an extremely easy-to-use system.

Effects of the Invention By configuring the first means as described above, the load is controlled to be turned off when the response from the controller to the transmitted message cannot be received normally, so the load is kept in the ON state when communication is interrupted. It never remains as it is. In other words, the load can be turned on only when communication with multiple controllers is possible and the communication of the entire device is reliable, and the reliability of monitoring and control by communication is also established. becomes. In addition, since the load status is sent to multiple controllers only when the adapter's ON status is transmitted, the transmission path is less likely to become congested, and it provides an appropriate method for monitoring loads that require safety considerations. It has great practical effects.

Furthermore, by configuring the second means, there is no need for the user to set the destination of the message on each adapter.
It is possible to build a system that is extremely easy to use.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the first embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the structure of the adapter, Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the second embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the adapter. The figure is a configuration diagram showing a conventional example. 20...Transmission communication path, 21.22...Load, 23.
24... Adapter, 25, 26, 27... Controller, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32... Local address setting means, 36... Load control means, 37... Load state detection means , 38... second communication means, 39...
Destination setting means, 40... calculation means, 41... automatic setting means.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) Connected to multiple controllers that have their own station address, receive messages for their own station and stations with specific addresses, and send an ACK message as a response when the message for their own station is correctly received. an adapter that transmits a load status message to the controller when the status of the load changes;
The adapter includes a transmission communication path that is a transmission path for messages between the controller and the adapter, and the adapter includes a load control means for controlling a connected load, a load state detection means for detecting the state of the load, and a transmission communication path for transmitting a message between the controller and the adapter. A communication means for sending and receiving messages on a transmission communication path, a transmission destination setting means in which the addresses of the plurality of controllers are set, and a load state detection means when the load state detection means recognizes that the load has changed to OFF. Instruct the communication means to transmit the status message only to the controller of the specific address station, and when it is recognized that the load has changed to ON, set the load status message to the transmission destination setting means including the controller of the specific address station. an operation that instructs the communication means to send the message to the controller at the address specified by the controller, and also instructs the load control means to perform OFF control when a normal ACK message cannot be received from the controller as a result of transmitting the load status message. A communication device consisting of means. (2) Immediately after the power is turned on, send a message to all controllers using the communication means, monitor the addresses of the controllers that return ACK messages, and use the communication means to send messages to all controllers on the transmission path. 2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the adapter is provided with automatic setting means for detecting and setting the address of the controller present in the partner station setting means by monitoring the address of the controller.