Signal inspection apparatus, signal inspection system, signal inspection method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with signal inspection program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10184966-B2
Application number	US-201715436077-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 17, 2017
Priority date	Feb 24, 2016
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

A signal inspection apparatus, a signal inspection system, a signal inspection method, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a signal inspection program are provided, all of which can appropriately detect discrepancy between multiplexed signals. A signal inspection apparatus includes: an acquisition unit that acquires values of at least two signals among multiplexed signals in a predetermined cycle; a count unit that counts respective changes in the at least two signals in a predetermined time frame; a calculation unit that calculates a difference between the counts of changes; and an output unit that performs an output indicating discrepancy between the signals, if the difference between the counts of changes exceeds an allowable value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A signal inspection apparatus, comprising:
an acquisition unit that acquires values of at least two signals among multiplexed signals in a predetermined cycle;
a count unit that counts respective changes in the at least two signals in a predetermined time frame;
a calculation unit that sequentially calculates a difference between one signal and an other signal, in the counts of changes in the at least two signals; and
an output unit that performs an output indicating discrepancy between the one signal and the other signal, if the difference between the counts of changes exceeds an allowable value.

2. The signal inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the count unit starts counting afresh after the predetermined time frame elapses.

3. The signal inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the count unit counts respective changes in the at least two signals in the latest predetermined time frame, in each of the predetermined cycle.

4. The signal inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the output unit performs an output indicating a signal having a higher count of changes, between the one signal and the other signal.

5. A signal inspection system, comprising a plurality of the signal inspection apparatuses according to claim 1 , respectively corresponding to the multiplexed signals, wherein
the signal inspection apparatuses each generate and output a control signal based on a corresponding signal.

6. A signal inspection method, causing a computer to execute:
an acquiring step of acquiring values of at least two signals among multiplexed signals in a predetermined cycle;
a counting step of counting respective changes in the at least two signals in a predetermined time frame;
a calculating step of sequentially calculating a difference between one signal and an other signal, in the counts of changes in the at least two signals; and
an outputting step of performing an output indicating discrepancy between one signal and the other signal, if the difference between the counts of changes exceeds an allowable value.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a signal inspection program for causing a computer to execute:
an acquiring step of acquiring values of at least two signals among multiplexed signals in a predetermined cycle;
a counting step of counting respective changes in the at least two signals in a predetermined time frame;
a calculating step of sequentially calculating a difference between one signal and an other signal, in the counts of changes in the at least two signals; and
an outputting step of performing an output indicating discrepancy between one signal and the other signal, if the difference between the counts of changes exceeds an allowable value.

Assignees

• Fanuc Corp

Inventors

• Miyashita Shouhei

Classifications

• G01R23/10 Primary

  by converting frequency into a train of pulses, which are then counted {, i.e. converting the signal into a square wave} · CPC title

• G01R23/15

  Indicating that frequency of pulses is either above or below a predetermined value or within or outside a predetermined range of values, by making use of non-linear or digital elements {(indicating that pulse width is above or below a certain limit)} · CPC title

• G05B2219/25257

  Microcontroller · CPC title

• G05B19/0423 Primary

  Input/output · CPC title