JPH0476143B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention provides a method for controlling the operation of a slave unit from a base unit that collects information on the slave unit that executes a preset operation via a communication line. This relates to a remote control system capable of

[Technical background of the invention and its problems]

In the case of various security systems and remote data monitoring systems, various types of information collected by handsets installed at various information monitoring points and executing preset operations are transmitted to the handset over communication lines such as public telephone lines. The information is collected by the base unit connected via the base unit, and the status of the information monitoring point is monitored on the base unit side.

Specifically, it has been widely put into practical use, for example, as a gas meter reading security system, an unmanned relay station monitoring system, and the like.

A child device in this type of system is generally configured mainly with a CPU such as a microprocessor. Since this slave unit is only expected to perform predetermined operations, data and programs are generally set for the slave unit when it is installed, and the slave unit uses the initially set data and programs. It is designed to execute predetermined operations according to a program.

However, among the data set for the handset, there is data such as address management data that must be changed in response to changes in the operating status of the system. Furthermore, an error may be detected in the initially set data or program.

In such a case, it is necessary to promptly change the data, programs, etc. set for the slave device. However, in the conventional system, it was necessary for a specialized operator to go to the location where the handset was installed and make corrections each time. As a technique capable of solving the above-mentioned problems, a "remote program starting method" disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 53-94843 is known. This occurs when one of multiple stations connected via a data line issues a program start or program load command to another station.
A command indicating this program start or program load command is output to the target station. The station that receives the command decodes the command, determines whether it is a program start command or a program load command, sets the result of the determination in a register, and initializes the station. After initialization, the station first checks the register, determines whether the command is a program start command or a program load command, and executes processing according to the command. In this way, program start-up and program load commands can be issued between stations located apart from each other via the data line.

However, in this technique, since it is necessary to decode the command, a function for decoding the command is required, resulting in a complicated configuration.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a remote control system that has a simple configuration and can easily control the operation of a slave unit from the base unit. It is about providing.

[Summary of the invention]

The present invention is applicable to security systems, remote data monitoring systems, etc. in which a master unit collects information on slave units executing preset operations via a communication line. When performing a program command and supplying a program command to the slave unit, a predetermined continuous reset signal for a predetermined period is given to the slave unit via a communication line, and then the program command is sent to the slave unit via the communication line. The data and the program/command are given to the slave unit, and the slave unit has a reset circuit, and this reset circuit detects the continuation reset signal given from the base unit via the communication line and resets the status flag. and reset the CPU of the slave device.
The CPU of the slave unit refers to the above status flag when resetting it, and if the status flag is set, it waits for the data or program command given from the base unit via the line, and starts reading the data. It is designed to execute program commands.

〔Effect of the invention〕

Thus, according to the present invention, the slave unit performs a reset operation by giving a reset signal from the base unit to the slave unit via the communication line, and the data and program commands given from the base unit via the communication line are reset. Since the slave unit operates after waiting, it becomes possible for the master unit to freely set data, programs, commands, etc. to the slave unit.

Therefore, if there is an error in the data or program set on the slave unit, it can be easily corrected from the base unit, and if the data or program set on the slave unit needs to be corrected, this can be easily corrected. can be easily corrected from the parent device side.

Therefore, the hassle of having a specialized operator go to each location where the handset is installed is eliminated, and this has great practical effects in terms of ease of installing the handset, system management, and its effective operation. .

[Embodiments of the invention]

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment system.
In Figure 1, A is a base unit system installed at a central control center, etc., and B is connected to this base unit system A via a communication line C such as a public telephone line, and is connected to each home or remote relay station, etc. This is a slave system that will be installed.

This slave system is used for microprocessors, etc.
It is mainly composed of a CPU and executes various sensing processes according to set data and programs. For example, in the case of a security system, slave units detect fire detection, gas leak detection, earthquake detection, emergency button detection, as well as gas consumption and electricity consumption, and periodically transmit the detected information.
Alternatively, the information is sent to the base unit system A in an emergency.

That is, the handset system B basically includes a CPU 1 that controls the operation of the handset according to predetermined program data, a ROM 2 that stores an initial program, etc., a user program that is input as a preset, and various control data. , furthermore, a RAM 3 for storing detection data, etc., an input/output port 4 for inputting/outputting data, programs, commands, etc. with the base unit system A, and a bus 5 interconnecting these.
It is composed of the following.

In addition, the transmission control unit 6 connected to the input/output port 4
is for controlling information transmission between the base unit system A and the base unit system A via the communication line C.

The feature of this system is that the slave system B is provided with a fixed time reset circuit 9 having a flag port 7 and a reset circuit 8.

This fixed-time reset circuit 9 resets the CPU 1 from the reset circuit 8 when a reset signal, which will be described later, is input from the master system A via the communication line C, or when a reset signal is generated on the slave system B side. An interrupt is applied to the computer to stop its operation for a certain period of time.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, which shows the operation sequence of this system, when a continuous reset signal lasting, for example, 5 seconds is input from the master system A to the slave system B via the communication line C, the periodic reset circuit is activated. 9 detects this reset signal (step a),
The status flag provided in the flag port 7 is turned on (step b). Thereafter, the fixed time reset circuit 9 issues a reset command to the CPU 1 (step c), and in response to this, the CPU 1
After executing the interrupt process, it stops its operation for, for example, one second.

Note that if an internal reset occurs in slave system B, the fixed time reset circuit 9 will reset the CPU without turning on the status flag.
1 (step c).

In other words, when base unit system A attempts to modify the data or program of slave unit system B, base unit system A first generates a continuous reset signal for 5 seconds via communication line C. It is communicated to system B. Then, slave system B detects the continuous reset signal for 5 seconds, learns of the request to modify data or programs, etc. from base system A, sets a status flag (flag ON), and saves the request detection result. , and CPU
A reset command will be issued to 1.

In response to the reset command, the CPU 1 first starts an interrupt program, and then after a predetermined period of time (for example, one second) has passed, starts an initial program (basic operating algorithm). Upon activation of this initial program, the status flag is first referred to as shown in FIG. 2 (step d). If the status flag is ON, it is determined that this is a reset from the parent system A side. Note that if the status flag is OFF, this is determined to be a reset that has occurred on the slave (self) system B side.

When CPU1 confirms that the status flag is ON, it refers to the input/output port 4 (step e).
It is checked whether data or program commands have been input from the base system A via the communication line C (step f), and the system waits for data or program commands given from the base system A. Then, data and program commands given from the parent system A are taken into the CPU 1, set in the RAM 3 as necessary, and the program commands are executed (step g).

Therefore, after transmitting the 5-second continuous reset signal via the communication line C, the master system A sequentially transmits data and program commands to be set to the slave system via the communication line C. This makes it possible to provide necessary data and program commands to the slave system B. The slave system B then sets the given data and program commands in the RAM 3 and executes them.

Furthermore, if the status flag is OFF,
The CPU 1 refers to the user program stored in the RAM 3 (step h), and if the user program exists, executes the program (step i). If the user program does not exist, it waits for a command to be input via the key terminal (step j), analyzes the input command (step k), and executes the program (step l).

In this way, when the slave system B receives a reset command to the CPU 1, it refers to the status flag and resets the communication line C from the base system A.
The process will be executed in accordance with data or program commands given via the slave system B, or programs stored in the slave system B or commands input by key.

Therefore, according to this system, base unit system A arbitrarily gives a reset command to slave unit system B connected via communication line C, for example, by a continuous reset signal for 5 seconds, and then transmits necessary data and data. Give program commands to slave unit system B
You can change and control the behavior of Therefore, there is no need to set the operating program and data for each slave system B at the time of its installation. In addition, the operation can be changed without a specialized operator visiting the location where the slave system B is installed, which brings about great practical effects. Furthermore, since slave unit system B detects that a reset command has been given by detecting the continuous reset signal, there is no need to decode the command as in the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 53-94843. Since it is only necessary to detect the presence or absence of a continuous reset signal, the reset command can be detected with a simple configuration. Therefore, the configuration of slave system B can be simplified.

Incidentally, in the case of the conventional gas security meter reading system, the handset address number and the like are set using a so-called deep switch at the time of installation. Also, the management data etc. are preset at the time of installation. For this reason, errors were likely to occur in the data set. In this regard, according to this system, for example, by notifying the base unit system (center) that the slave unit system has been installed, all the information necessary for the operation of the slave unit system B can be effectively received from the base unit system A side. can be set.

Therefore, it becomes possible to uniformly manage data, programs, commands, etc. set in slave system B, and it becomes possible to prevent errors from occurring.

In addition, in a system for monitoring unmanned relay stations, for example, there are many cases in which a plurality of devices fail in a chain, some of them recover naturally, and only a specific device becomes in a failure state. In such a case,
Simply fixing the failure of the specific device described above will not solve the problem, and it is generally very difficult to investigate the cause.

In this regard, according to this system, the base unit system A
By modifying the operation monitoring program of slave system (unmanned relay station) B from the side, it is possible to take measures such as changing the functional assignment of multiple devices or disconnecting a defective device. can.

Therefore, by changing the monitoring application for unmanned relay stations, it becomes possible to effectively investigate the cause of the failure and take appropriate countermeasures.

As explained above, according to the present invention, data can be freely transmitted from a base unit system to a slave unit system whose data logging control procedure has conventionally been determined in advance. and programs. This ensures highly reliable operation of the handset system,
This makes it possible to operate the system effectively.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the gist thereof.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a sequence of reset operations in the embodiment system. A...Base system, B...Slave system, C
...Communication line, 1...CPU, 2...ROM, 3...
RAM, 4...I/O port, 5...Bus, 6...
. . . Transmission control section, 7 . . . Flag port, 8 . . . Reset circuit, 9 . . . Fixed time reset circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a system in which a base unit collects information on a slave unit that executes a preset operation via a communication circuit, when the base unit sets data for the slave unit. When supplying program commands to the slave unit, a predetermined continuous reset signal for a predetermined period is given to the slave unit via the communication line, and then data and commands are sent to the slave unit via the communication line. A program command is given to the slave unit, and the slave unit has a reset circuit, which detects the continuation reset signal given from the base unit via the communication line and sets a status flag. , the CPU of the slave unit is reset, and the CPU of the slave unit refers to the above status flag at the time of resetting, and when the status flag is set, the CPU of the slave unit does not accept data or program commands given from the base unit via the line. A remote control system that waits and then imports data and executes programs and commands.