Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Input/output data processing – Input/output addressing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-12
2003-04-08
Gaffin, Jeffrey (Department: 2182)
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Input/output data processing
Input/output addressing
C710S009000, C710S014000, C710S018000, C370S294000, C370S347000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06546435
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable programming device for programming correspondences between supervisory inputs and loads and control conditions of the individual loads, which is used for a supervisory remote control system capable of transmitting transmission signals to signal lines according to a TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) manner and controlling the loads by use of the transmission signals according to the supervisory inputs.
2. Disclosure of the Prior Art
In the past, a supervisory remote control system for controlling various equipments from a distance is used in electric-power companies, power plants, and so on. In recent years, the system has a wide applicability of controlling lightings or air conditioners in structures such as office buildings.
For example, as shown in
FIG. 31
, the supervisory remote control system for controlling lightings L comprises a signal transmission unit
30
, a plurality of operation terminals
31
for operating the lightings L, a plurality of control terminals
32
having relays therein, which are used to control the lightings L as loads, and a signal line Ls for connecting the transmission unit
30
to each of the operation and control terminals. In
FIG. 31
, separate switches
31
a
and pattern switches
31
b
are shown as the operation terminals
31
. The operation terminals
31
and the control terminals
32
have individual addresses. For example, when a separate switch
31
a
is operated, a signal is sent to the transmission unit
30
through the signal line Ls. The signal is read by the transmission unit, and then the signal is provided through the signal line Ls to a relay of one of the control terminals
32
in a one-to-one address correspondence with the separate switch
31
a.
The relay carries out an ON/OFF operation of the corresponding lighting L of the load according to the received signal. According to this system, plural lightings L can be controlled in a batch manner by operation of a single switch.
In this system, a programming device
33
is usually used to set the address of each of the operation terminals
31
and the control terminals
32
and control parameters of the lightings L. This programming device
33
accommodates a large number of switch circuits S therein. For example, when the programming device has 64 switch circuits S, each of which can provide four different operations, 256 operations are available. By use of such a programming device, a set of relation data including a statement of an address correspondence between the operation terminal and at least one control terminals and control data including control parameters of the load(s) can be prepared. Therefore, there is an advantage that the programming operation is easy to perform, as compared with a case that the programming operation is performed by the individual switch.
However, since the programming device
33
having the large number of switch circuits is very expensive, heavy and large, it is ordinary fixed to a control panel and so on. That is, such a large programming device is not suitable for medium- and small-scaled supervisory remote control systems, in which the number of operation and control terminals is relatively small.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a portable programming device for a supervisory remote control system, which can present the convenience of portability as well as various convenient functions for efficiently and easily perform programming operations.
That is, the portable programming of the present invention is used in the supervisory remote control system comprising a signal transmission unit for supplying a transmission signal according to a time-division-multiplexing manner, a plurality of first terminals having individual addresses, a plurality of second terminals having individual addresses, and a signal line for connecting the transmission unit to each of the first and second terminals. In the remote control system, when a set of relation data including a statement of a one-to-one address correspondence between one of the second terminals and one of the first terminals and control data including control parameters of a load are set in the transmission unit, the load connected to the one of the second terminals is controlled according to an input provided to the one of the first terminals. When a set of relation data including a statement of an address correspondence between at least two of the second terminals and one of the first terminals and control data including control parameters of loads are set in the transmission unit, the loads connected to the at least two of the second terminals are controlled according to an input provided to the one of the first terminals in a batch manner.
The programming device of the present invention used in the above-described remote control system has a hand-held type housing for accommodating a display for displaying data to be set, operation unit for programming an address of each of the first and second terminals, the relation data, and the control data with help of the display, data memory for storing the address, the relation data and the control data set by use of the operation unit and the display, and a signal processor for carrying out a first signal process of transferring the address set by use of the operation unit and the display to a required one of the first and second terminals, and a second signal process of transferring the relation data and the control data stored in the data memory to the transmission unit. The signal processor further comprises a data retrieving unit for retrieving at least one set of the relation data and the control data corresponding to an address designated by the operation unit from the transmission unit, and listing a name given to the set of the relation data and the control data on the display. For example, when changing a layout of the loads, it is possible to immediately check at least one set of the relation data and the control data corresponding to the address of a desired load. Therefore, there is a convenience that the relation data and/or control data can be readily and efficiently corrected, if necessary.
It is preferred that the signal processor has a copy unit for copying a desired control parameter of the control data stored in the data memory to make another control data with use of the copied parameter. In this case, it is possible to efficiently prepare the control data.
It is preferred that the control data includes information about an ON/OFF operation of the load, and the signal processor has a switch unit for switching between OFF and ON positions of the load with respect to the control data stored in the data memory. For example, a first set of the relation data and the control data having the ON position as a setting of the load is prepared, and copied by use of the copy unit. Next, with respect to the copy of the first set, the ON position is reversed to the OFF position by use of the switch unit, so that a second set of the relation data and the control data, which is the same as the first set except for the OFF position as the setting of the load, can be readily prepared. Thus, the switch unit enhances the data preparation.
It is preferred that the signal processor has a first setting unit for setting the control parameters in a batch manner such that desired plural sets of the relation data and the control data are identical in all of the control parameters of the loads with each other, and a second setting unit for removing all of the loads concerning the desired plural sets of the relation data and the control data from a focus of control in a batch manner. For example, the plural sets of the relation data and the control data, which are identical in all of the control parameters with each other, are obtained by use of the first setting unit. Then, by changing only a desired control parameter of the plural sets, plural sets of the relation data and the control data, which are
Sakasegawa Shinji
Tokizane Toshiaki
Yoshimura Yuichi
Gaffin Jeffrey
Matsushita Electric & Works Ltd.
Sorrell Eron
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