JPH0685824A - Communication control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To realize the communication control system in which the priority of communication between terminal equipments connected to a bus transmission line is properly set. CONSTITUTION:A center controller 1 including a microcomputer 5 selects a desired priority code from a set priority code group relating to the communication priority in advance in an address priority code setting storage section 8 through the use of an operation section 2 and distributes the selected code to a terminal equipment such as 10a whose communication priority is desired to be enhanced through external operation. A communication controller 9a to which the terminal equipment 10a receiving the priority code is connected allows an address priority code storage section 19 to store the priority code, and adds the distributed priority code to a sent communication frame when the communication controller acts like a sender side for the communication, and the receiver side implements the operation in response to the communication priority.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication control system for a communication system comprising a plurality of terminal devices and communication control devices and a center controller for controlling and managing these terminal devices, and more particularly to setting address of the terminal devices and communication control. Regarding the scheme.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a communication system in the home or in the industrial field, there is a system having a structure as shown in FIG. This is a transmission line 18 and a plurality of terminal devices 10a-1.
0c and communication control devices 9a to 9c, and a center controller 1a that controls and manages these terminal devices. In this system, the center controller 1a
A plurality of terminal devices 10 via the communication control devices 9a to 9c.
In order to control a to 10c, different addresses or common addresses are assigned to the respective terminal devices, and the transmission line 1
Via the center controller 1a and the terminal device 10a
-10c, or mutual communication between terminal devices.
Communication control device 9 to which each terminal device 10a to 10c is connected
Only when the destination address and the self address in the transmitted communication frame match, the a to 9c receive the communication frame and perform the operation according to the control code included in the communication frame.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a conventional communication system. In the figure, the terminal device 10a-
10c are respectively connected to the communication control devices 9a to 9c,
Each communication control device and the center controller 1a are electrically connected on a common transmission line 18. The center controller 1a has a receiving unit 7, a transmitting unit 6, a microcomputer 5, a display unit 4, an operating unit 2 and an address setting storage unit 3. The receiving unit 7 takes in a communication signal from the transmission line 18 and outputs it to the microcomputer 5, the transmitting unit 6 outputs the output from the microcomputer 5 onto the transmission line 8, and the transmitting unit 6 transmits the output from the microcomputer 5. The operation unit 2 receives an operation input from the outside to control the operation of the microcomputer 5, and the address setting storage unit 3 stores the addresses of the respective terminal devices 10a to 10c. The display unit 4 is a microcomputer 5
The communication status, the status of each terminal device, etc. are displayed.

The communication controller 9a comprises a transmitter 11, a receiver 12, a microcomputer 13, a terminal device interface 14, an individual address storage 15, an individual address registration operation unit 16, and a simultaneous address storage 17. The receiving unit 12 takes in a communication signal from the transmission line 1 and outputs it to the microcomputer 13a, and the transmitting unit 11 outputs the output from the microcomputer 13a to the transmission line 18.

The output from the individual address registration operation unit 16 is input to the microcomputer 13a, the individual address storage unit 15 is connected to the microcomputer 13a,
These perform operations related to the address setting of the terminal device 10a connected via the terminal device interface unit 14. The communication control devices 9b and 9c have the same configuration as the communication control device 9a.

Next, referring to FIG. 5, each of the terminal devices 10a-1
Registration of the individual address of 0c will be described. Address registration of the terminal device 10a is performed by externally requesting registration to the individual address registration operation unit 16 of the communication control device 9a, clearing the address stored in the individual address storage unit 15, and at the same time the microcomputer. 13a
An interrupt is requested to the processing routine for transmitting and receiving in the program area of the microcomputer 13a, and the processing routine for automatic address setting is executed. Here, the microcomputer 13a transmits a communication frame of an address distribution request including the cleared address stored in the individual address storage unit 15 to the center controller. After receiving the address distribution request communication frame from the communication control device 9a, the center controller 1a selects an address not assigned to the address setting storage unit 3 from the operation unit 12 and stores it in the address setting storage unit 3a. The address distribution communication frame is transmitted to the communication control device 9a.

The communication control device 9a uses the address transmitted from the center controller 1a as the individual address storage unit 1
5 and thereafter, this is recognized and used as an individual address of the terminal device 10a. Similarly, the terminal devices 10b and 10c
Also, address registration is performed by mutual communication between the communication control devices 9b and 9c and the center controller 1a, and individual addresses of all terminal devices are set.

FIG. 6 shows a communication procedure in the conventional example of FIG. 5, that is, a sequence of individual address distribution to each terminal device (communication control device A and communication to an individual address. In FIG. 6, (a) shows each communication. The sequence of the individual address distribution communication to each communication control device of the center controller 1a in response to the individual address distribution request from the control device is shown, (b) shows the communication control to the terminal device 10b to which the individual address “02” is assigned. The case where a communication frame is transmitted from the devices 9a to 9c is shown.

Here, when the center controller 1a normally receives the individual address registration request communication frame from each communication control device, it returns an acknowledgment (ACK) signal to each communication control device, and each communication control device When the device normally receives the individual address distribution communication frame from the center controller 1a, it similarly returns an ACK signal to the center controller 1a. Communication control device 9b to which the terminal device 10b to which the individual address "02" is distributed is connected
Receives a communication frame addressed to the individual address “02” from the communication control device 9a, receives the communication frame if communication with another communication control device is not being performed, and acknowledges after completion of communication (ACK). ) Return the signal.

On the other hand, when the communication frame addressed to the individual address "02" is oscillated while the communication frame addressed to the individual address "02" is received from the communication control unit 9c, mutual communication has already been performed. The communication frame from the communication control device 9c is received with priority, and a negative response (NA) is given to the communication frame from the communication control device 9a.
K) signal, which is uncontrolled. On the contrary, if the communication frame addressed to the individual address “02” is transmitted from the communication control unit 9c during the period in which the communication frames are mutually communicated by the communication frame from the communication control unit 9a, the communication has already been performed. The communication frame from the communication control device 9a is preferentially received, and NAK is returned to the communication frame from the communication control device 9c.

In this way, when a plurality of communication control devices other than the communication control device to which this terminal device is connected simultaneously transmit a communication frame addressed to this individual address to a terminal device having a certain individual address. Is controlled so that communication with the communication control device that has previously transmitted the communication frame is prioritized (FIG. 6 (b)), on the other hand, the individual address distributed to each terminal device is related to the communication in advance. There is a way to give priority.

FIG. 7 shows another conventional example showing a communication sequence in the case where priorities regarding individual address communication distributed in advance are given to each terminal device. In the figure, each of the terminal devices 10a to 10c receives an individual address "0" from the center controller 1a.
1 ”,“ 02 ”, and“ 03 ”are distributed and stored in the individual address storage unit 15 in the communication control devices 9a to 9c to which the respective terminal devices are connected. Although it is the same as that shown in FIG. 6A, the distributed individual addresses are prioritized as “03”>“02”> “01” regarding the communication addressed to the individual addresses.

Therefore, when the communication frame addressed to the individual address "02" is transmitted from the communication control unit 9a to which the terminal unit 10a to which the individual address "01" is distributed is connected to the communication control unit 9b, the communication control unit 9c outputs the communication frame. While the communication frame addressed to the individual address “02” is not transmitted, the communication frame receives the communication frame and operates according to the reception, but the communication priority is higher than that of the terminal device 10a while receiving the communication frame from the communication control device 9a. When a communication frame addressed to the individual address “02” is transmitted from the terminal device 10c to which the individual address “03” is distributed via the communication control device 9c, the communication control device 9b gives priority to the communication frame from the communication control device 9c. Of the communication frame previously received, that is, the communication stop notification is transmitted to the transmission side of the previously received communication frame, that is, to the communication control device 9a (see FIG. )).

On the other hand, while the communication control device 9b is receiving the communication frame addressed to the individual address "02" from the communication control device 9c, the individual address "02" is received from the communication control device 9a.
When the addressed communication frame is transmitted, the communication with the communication control device 9c having a high communication priority of the individual address distributed to the connected terminal device is continued as it is, and the communication frame from the communication control device 9a is transmitted. A negative response (NAK) is returned (FIG. 7 (c)).

Further, the center controller 1a transmits the same communication frame in the broadcast communication by using a preset simultaneous address for all terminal devices electrically connected to the transmission path 18 and the communication control device. Each communication control device receives the broadcast communication frame to be transmitted with priority over other communication (FIG. 7B).

[0016]

When the above-mentioned communication system (FIG. 5) is applied to the control of home electric equipment in a general house, for example, the priority order in mutual communication between the equipment connected on the transmission line is As shown in the communication sequence of FIG. 6, when a plurality of terminal devices simultaneously send a communication frame addressed to the individual address to a certain terminal device via each communication control device, the communication frame is transmitted first. ,
Communication with the terminal device received by the receiving terminal device has priority. Therefore, in such a communication system, it is not possible to intentionally give priority to the communication frame addressed to the individual terminal device B from a specific terminal device A to the individual address.

On the other hand, in the case of the method of performing communication by giving the communication priority to the individual address in advance as shown in the communication sequence of FIG. 7, the individual address having the higher communication priority is distributed to the terminal device whose communication priority is desired to be increased. If this is done, communication with a higher priority than other communication control devices can be performed, but since they are fixedly distributed as individual addresses, communication priority among communication control devices will be uniquely determined. .

As devices controlled in the home, that is, terminal devices, AV devices, lighting devices, cooling and heating devices,
There are various types such as cooking equipment, crime prevention equipment, etc., and the frequency of mutual communication increases as the number of connected equipment increases. Therefore, when it is desired to increase the communication priority of a specific terminal device depending on the usage status, the above-mentioned conventional In this method, it is impossible to increase the communication priority of an arbitrary terminal device depending on the situation, because it is fixedly set by distributing individual addresses having a high communication priority.

An object of the present invention is to solve such problems and provide a communication control system capable of increasing the communication priority of an arbitrary terminal device.

[0020]

According to the configuration of the present invention, n communication control devices (n is an integer of 2 or more) and a center controller are electrically connected on a transmission line, and each of the communication control devices is connected to the communication control device. In the communication control system of the system to which each terminal device is connected, in the center controller,
The communication control device has an operation unit, an address setting storage unit, and an address priority code setting storage unit, and the address priority code setting storage unit of the communication control device has priority over mutual communication between the communication control devices whose priorities are mutually determined in advance. It has m priority code groups (m is an integer within n) that give a rank, and the operation unit assigns a desired priority code from the priority code group to any terminal device to which a desired communication priority is given. Select and distribute to each of the communication control devices, these communication control devices store the distributed priority code in the address priority code storage unit, the communication control device to other arbitrary terminal device and communication control device. When sending a communication frame by sending the communication frame with the priority code, Communication priority among devices mutually, characterized in that it is controlled in accordance with the priority of the priority code transmitted from the transmission side communication control device.

[0021]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. Also in this embodiment, the terminal devices 10a to 10c are connected to the communication control devices 9a to 9c, respectively.
The a to 9c and the center controller 1 are electrically connected on a common transmission line 18. The center controller 1 has an address priority code setting storage unit 8 added to the conventional example (FIG. 5).

The receiving unit 7 takes in a communication signal from the transmission line 18 and outputs it to the microcomputer 5, the transmitting unit 6 outputs the output from the microcomputer 5 onto the transmission line 18, and the operation unit 2 receives an operation input from the outside. After that, the operation of the microcomputer 5 is controlled, and the address setting storage unit 3 stores the addresses of the terminal devices 10a to 10c. Further, the display unit 4 is connected to the microcomputer 5 and displays the communication status, the status of each terminal device, and the like.

In the communication control device 9a, the address priority code storage unit 19 is added to the conventional example (FIG. 5), the receiving unit 12 takes in the communication signal from the transmission line 18 and outputs it to the microcomputer 13, and the transmitting unit 11 Outputs the output from the microcomputer 13 onto the transmission path 18. The output from the address registration operation unit 16 is input to the microcomputer 13, and the individual address storage unit 15 and the simultaneous address storage unit 17 are stored in the microcomputer 13.
Connected to the terminal device interface unit 14
The operation relating to the address setting of the terminal device 10a connected via the is performed. The communication control devices 9b and 9c have the same configuration as the communication control device 9a.

Here, the address priority code setting storage unit 8 in the center controller 1 has a priority order mutually determined in advance, and a priority code group giving a priority order to the mutual communication between the communication control devices to which the terminal device is connected. have. This priority code is distributed to an arbitrary terminal device to which a desired communication priority is given by an operation from the operation unit 2, so that the terminal device can control other communication via the connected communication control device. Priority for communication frames sent to the device
Can be given.

When the priority code is distributed to the terminal device, for example, the terminal device 10a by the operation of the operation unit 2, it is sent to the address priority code storage unit 19 in the communication control device 9a to which the terminal device 10a is connected. The priority code is stored, and thereafter, when the communication frame addressed to the individual address is transmitted to the other terminal device and the communication control device, the given priority code is added to the communication frame and transmitted. The following Table 1 shows an example of setting the address priority code, the individual address, the simultaneous address value, and the priority order for mutual communication between them.

[0026]

[Table 1]

In the example of Table 1, the address value and the address priority code are defined by 1-byte data,
Each value is set in hexadecimal notation. 256 kinds of addresses can be set by 1-byte data, but here, "00 (H)", "FF (H)" ... General address "01 (H)" to "EF (H)" ... Individual address “F0 (H)” to “FE (H)” ... Defined as address priority codes.

Here, the priority order regarding the communication of these mutual addresses and priority codes is set as follows: simultaneous address> address priority code> individual address,
Furthermore, "00 (H)", "FF (H)">"FE
(H) ”>“ FD (H) ”>...>“ F1 (H) ”>“ F
0 (H) ”>“ EF (H) ”,“ EE (H) ”...“ 02
(H) ”and“ 01 (H) ”are assigned to the terminal device to which the address priority code is given and the terminal device to which only the individual address is given as the communication priority of the communication frame from the communication control device. , And the communication frame from the communication control device can be made higher.

FIG. 2 shows a communication means between the communication control device and the center controller to which each terminal device of the embodiment of FIG. 1 is connected, that is, a sequence of priority code distribution, cancellation, and individual address addressed communication to each terminal device. ing. Here, the registration of the individual address for each of the terminal devices 10a to 10c is omitted because it is performed in the same manner as the individual address distribution of the method described in the conventional example illustrated in FIG.

In the figure, when the terminal unit 10a and the terminal unit 10c are given a priority related to individual communication by an external operation to the operation unit 2 of the center controller 1, the center controller 1 is set in the address priority code storage unit 8. The priority code corresponding to the priority request is selected from the priority code group that is present and the priority code distribution communication frame is transmitted to the communication control devices 9a and 9c to which the terminal devices 10a and 10c are connected, respectively.

Here, the priority code is "FE (H)" for the terminal device 10a and "FD" for the terminal device 10c.
(H) ”has been distributed, and between these two priority codes,“ FE
There is a relationship of (H) ”>“ FD (H). ”The communication control devices 9a and 9c that have normally received the respective priority code distribution communication frames return an ACK signal to the center controller 1 and at the same time, The distributed priority code is stored in the address priority code storage unit 19 (FIG. 2A).

FIG. 2B shows communication between individual communication control devices after distribution of the priority code, addressed to individual addresses, and the response on the receiving side. As shown in the figure, the communication control device 9b is connected to the terminal device 10 connected to it.
b, when the communication frame addressed to the individual address “02” of b is transmitted from the communication control device 9a, the communication control device 9c controls the communication frame addressed to the individual address “03” of the terminal device 10c connected thereto. When each communication frame is received when the communication frame is transmitted from the device 9b, etc., if no other communication frame is received, the communication frame is received, and after the communication is completed, an ACK signal is returned to the transmission side communication control device. .

On the other hand, the communication controller 9c is replaced by the communication controller 9c.
If the communication frame addressed to the individual address "03" is transmitted from the communication control device 9a while receiving the communication frame addressed to the individual address "03" from b, the priority code "FE" has been distributed to the communication control device 9a. Since the communication priority is higher than that of the communication control device 9b, the communication control device 9c on the receiving side selects the communication frame from the communication control device 9a, transmits the communication stop notification frame to the communication control device 9b, and performs communication. Transmission with the control device 9b is stopped.

On the contrary, while the communication control device 9b is receiving the communication frame addressed to the individual address "02" from the communication control device 9a, the communication control device 9c receives the individual address "02".
When the addressed communication frame is transmitted, the priority code “FE” distributed to the communication control device 9a is the priority code “FD” distributed to the communication control device 9c.
Since the communication priority is higher than that, the communication frame from the communication control device 9a is continuously received, and a negative response (NAK) is made to the communication frame from the communication control device 9c.

FIG. 2C shows communication for canceling the distributed priority code. When the communication priority for the terminal device 10a is released by an external operation on the operation unit 2 of the center controller 1, the center controller 1 sends a communication frame for releasing the priority code “FE” to the communication control device 9a for communication control. The device 9a, after successfully receiving this,
While clearing the priority code “FE” stored in the address priority code storage unit 19,
ACK is returned to the center controller 1.

Thereafter, for example, while the communication control device 9b is receiving the communication frame addressed to the individual address "02" from the communication control device 9c, the individual address "0" is received from the communication control device 9a.
When the 2 "-addressed communication frame is transmitted, the communication frame from the communication controller 9c has a higher priority than the communication frame from the communication controller 9a at this point, so the communication controller 9b transmits the communication frame from the communication controller 9c. Continuously receives the communication frame and returns NAK to the communication frame from the communication control device 9a (FIG. 2 (d)).

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the second embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, in the communication control device 9a, in addition to the configuration shown in the communication control device 9a of FIG. 1, a state storage unit 20 is connected to the microcomputer 13. here,
While the communication control device 9a is receiving a communication frame from another first communication control value, communication is performed from a second communication control device to which a priority code having a higher communication priority than that of the first communication control device is distributed. If the frame was sent,
As described above, the communication control device 9a selects the communication frame from the second communication control device and sends the communication stop notification to the first communication control device.

At this time, the communication state with the first communication control device immediately before the communication stop notification is sent to the first communication control device is stored in the state storage unit 20, and the communication state with the second communication control device is stored. After the communication is completed, the communication with the first communication control device is restarted based on the contents stored in the state storage unit 20. By doing so, after the communication from the second communication control device is completed, the communication with the first communication control device can be quickly returned to.

[0039]

As described above, according to the present invention, a communication in which a center controller and n communication control devices are electrically connected on a transmission path, and a terminal device is connected to each of the n communication control devices. In the system, a priority code group is provided to give a communication priority for communication addressed to individual addresses of each communication control device, and a priority code is given to the terminal device and the communication control device for which the center controller appropriately increases the priority as necessary. Distributed,
By canceling it, it is possible to arbitrarily prioritize communication from a specific terminal device depending on the usage conditions of each terminal device connected on the transmission path, the communication frequency, etc. Particularly effective communication can be performed when devices are connected.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a communication sequence diagram of the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a general communication system.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a conventional communication system.

FIG. 6 is a communication sequence diagram of the conventional example of FIG.

FIG. 7 is another communication sequence diagram of the conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 1a Center controller 2, 2a Operation part 3, 3a Address setting storage part 4 Display part 5, 13, 5a, 13a Microcomputer 6,11 Transmission part 7, 12 Reception part 8 Address priority code setting storage part 9a-9c Communication Control device 10a, 10c Terminal device 14 Terminal device interface unit 15 Individual address storage unit 16 Address registration operation unit 17 Broadcast address storage unit 18, 18a Transmission line 19 Address priority code storage unit 20 State storage unit

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. Communication of a system in which n communication control devices (n is an integer of 2 or more) and a center controller are electrically connected on a transmission line, and a terminal device is connected to each of the communication control devices. In the control method, the center controller has an operation unit, an address setting storage unit, and an address priority code setting storage unit, and the address priority code setting storage unit of the communication control device has the priorities determined in advance. The operation unit has m (m is an integer within n) priority code group that gives priority to mutual communication between the communication control devices, and the operation unit is for any terminal device that wants to give a desired communication priority. A desired priority code is selected from the priority code group and distributed to each of the communication control devices, and these communication control devices are not distributed. The priority code stored in the address priority code storage unit, the communication control device is transmitted by adding the priority code when sending a communication frame to any other terminal device and communication control device, A communication control system, wherein the communication priority among the communication control devices is controlled according to the priority of the priority code transmitted from the transmission side communication control device. 2. The center controller is based on an individual address distribution request communication frame for setting an individual address from each communication control device to each terminal device connected to these communication control devices, and the individual individual devices are not equal to each other. An address is selected, individual address distribution communication frames are sequentially sent to each of the communication control devices, and the center controller sets a simultaneous address that is not equal to the individual address to each of the terminal devices and broadcasts the same. The communication control method according to claim 1, wherein the simultaneous communication frame is transmitted. 3. When canceling the priority code already distributed to the communication control device, the priority code cancellation is notified to the terminal device and the communication control device to which the priority code has been distributed by an operation from the operation unit, and The communication control system according to claim 1, wherein the communication control device to which the terminal device notified of the priority code cancellation is connected clears the priority code stored in the address priority code storage unit. 4. A communication frame transmitted from a communication control device to which an arbitrary priority code among m priority codes is distributed is communicated with a communication frame transmitted from a communication control device to which the priority code is not distributed. 2. The communication control method according to claim 1, wherein the communication controller is controlled to have a higher priority and a lower communication priority than the simultaneous communication frame transmitted from the center controller to all the terminal devices connected to the transmission path.