Data processing: measuring – calibrating – or testing – Calibration or correction system – Timing
Reexamination Certificate
2002-12-18
2004-07-06
Barlow, John (Department: 2863)
Data processing: measuring, calibrating, or testing
Calibration or correction system
Timing
Reexamination Certificate
active
06760677
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a measured data synchronizing system where a plurality of measuring units, such as measuring instruments and sensors, are connected with data processing units such as computers, and specifically, relates to a measured data synchronizing system and a measured data synchronizing method, which can determine measured data whose synchronization is secured among units without being restricted by the number of units.
2. Description of the Prior Art
If various physical quantities of objects to be measured, such as temperature, voltage, etc., are to be measured using a plurality of units, or if a physical quantity of an object is to be measured in a plurality of places using each unit, or in similar cases, synchronization in measured results among these two or more units must be secured. A measured data synchronizing system can secure synchronization in measured data which are measured by each of two or more units.
FIG. 1
is a drawing showing an example configuration of conventional measured data synchronizing systems. In
FIG. 1
, the data processing unit PC consists of a computer or the like and comprises general communication circuit
10
A. Measuring part
10
is composed of two or more units
11
to
1
N (where N is a natural number) which are measuring instruments, sensors and/or the like, and its specific unit
11
is connected to the data processing unit PC with general communication line
100
, such as Ethernet (registered trademark), to exchange signals with data processing unit PC. Each two of units
11
to
1
N in measuring part
10
are connected with dedicated communication line
200
, in which signal waveforms are hard to degrade, to exchange signals with each other.
Further, specific unit
11
, which communicates with the data processing unit PC and which is also called the main unit, comprises general communication circuit
10
A and dedicated communication circuit
10
B. Units
12
to
1
N are also called subunits and each comprises dedicated communication circuit
10
B.
General communication circuit
10
A and dedicated communication circuit
10
B extract the desired signals from the input signals or output signals to be output after converting them to signals conforming to each communication protocol via general communication line
100
and dedicated communication line
200
respectively. In addition, dedicated communication circuit
10
B inputs or outputs synchronizing signals for securing synchronization among units of
11
to
1
N and minimizes delay times when synchronizing signals are transferred.
Operation of the system shown in
FIG. 1
will be described below. Data processing unit PC outputs a signal composed of setting conditions for carrying out measurement (such as measuring period, measuring range, etc.), and commands for measurement start and end and the like to measuring part
10
. These signals are converted to signals for communication (a packet that is a block of data) in general communication circuit
10
A in the data processing unit PC and then output to general communication line
100
. Main unit
11
in measuring part
10
receives the packet from the data processing unit PC via general communication line
100
as an input, extracts desired signals (setting conditions and commands) with its general communication circuit
10
A from this input packet, and carries out measurement or the like based on this extracted signal.
Main unit
11
further converts the extracted signal into a signal having a dedicated communication protocol and outputs this signal to subunits
12
to
1
N. Subunits
12
to
1
N extract desired signals in each dedicated communication circuit
10
B from a packet input via dedicated communication line
200
and start measurement or the like based on these extracted signals.
Further, main unit
11
distributes a synchronizing signal for securing synchronization in measurement by main unit
11
and subunits
12
to
1
N to each of subunits
12
to
1
N via dedicated communication circuit
10
B and dedicated communication line
200
. Each of subunits
12
to
1
N measures the object to be measured based on the synchronizing signal from main unit
11
to acquire measured data. Measured data acquired by each of subunits
12
to
1
N are output to main unit
11
via dedicated communication circuit
10
B and dedicated communication line
200
.
As described above, measured data which are synchronized among subunits
12
to
1
N are input to main unit
11
. Main unit
11
outputs the measured data synchronized among subunits
12
to
1
N to the data processing unit PC via general communication circuit
10
A and general communication line
100
.
The data processing unit PC extracts a desired signal, such as measured data, from a packet in general communication circuit
10
A, carries out desired processing or analysis of these measured data, and stores the measured data and the results of processing and analysis to a memorizing part not shown in the drawing, such as hard disk and memory, or displays the measured data and the results of processing and analysis in a display not shown in the drawing.
As seen above, it is required to supply a synchronizing signal from main unit
11
to each of subunits
12
to
1
N to secure synchronization of measured data in each of units
11
to
1
N. It is also required for each of units
11
to
1
N to provide dedicated communication circuit
10
B respectively in which processing more complicated than in general communication circuit
10
A (such as compensation of delay time in the synchronizing signal due to the length of dedicated communication line
200
or regeneration of degraded waveforms) is necessary to synchronize the measured data. Furthermore, dedicated communication line
200
is more expensive than general communication line
100
because the former must transfer the synchronizing signal exactly.
In addition, even if dedicated communication circuit
10
B and dedicated communication line
200
are used, increasing the length of dedicated communication line
200
due to the increase of the number of units
11
to
1
N degrades the synchronizing signal waveforms, increases the delay time, and causes very large deviation of synchronization between units
11
to
1
N. This restricts the number of connectable units
11
to
1
N. Although a circuit for further decreasing the delay time for the purpose of securing synchronization can be designed, such a circuit configuration may be more complicated and thus it is not realistic.
On the other hand, for measurement at long intervals over a long time, such as for measurement of data in a plant, it is desired that exact synchronization among units is not required but increasing the number of units is required if synchronization to a certain extent can be secured.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The objective of the present invention is to achieve a measured data synchronizing system and a measured data synchronizing method which can determine the measured data whose synchronization is secured among measuring units without being restricted by the number of measuring units.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5959568 (1999-09-01), Woolley
patent: 6088659 (2000-07-01), Kelley et al.
patent: 6377640 (2002-04-01), Trans
patent: 2002/0059536 (2002-05-01), Saeki
Kasajima et al., Darwin Series, Yokogawa Technical Report English Edition, No. 25, (1998) pp. 5-8.
Barlow John
Pretlow Demtrius
Westerman Hattori Daniels & Adrian LLP
Yokogawa Electric Corporation
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