Program development support device, non-transitory storage medium storing thereon computer-readable program development support program, and program development support method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10339255-B2
Application number	US-201715413622-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2017
Priority date	Mar 14, 2016
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

A program development support device includes: a first display control module that displays, in response to selection of any input/output unit connected to the safety controller, a first image object representing an external appearance and input/output terminals of the selected input/output unit; and a second display control module that displays, together with the first image object, a second image object representing a safety device and a circuit configuration of the safety device, the safety device being set to be allocated to any of the input/output terminals of the selected input/output unit. For an input/output terminal to which each safety device is allocated, the input/output terminal represented by the first image object and the circuit configuration represented by the second image object are displayed in association with each other by the program development support device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A program development support device for supporting development of a safety program to be executed in a safety controller, the program development support device comprising:
a first display control module configured to display, in response to selection of any input/output unit connected to the safety controller, a first image object representing an external appearance and input/output terminals of the selected input/output unit; and
a second display control module configured to display, together with the first image object, a second image object representing an external appearance of a safety device and a circuit configuration of the safety device, the safety device being set to be allocated to any of the input/output terminals of the selected input/output unit, wherein the circuit configuration includes an internal circuit of the safety device and connection between the safety device and the allocated input/output terminals;
wherein for an input/output terminal to which each safety device is allocated, the input/output terminal represented by the first image object and the circuit configuration represented by the second image object being displayed in association with each other,
wherein the first image object includes, as the external appearance of the input/output unit corresponding to the first image object, one or more partial image objects each representing an input/output terminal, and
wherein the first display control module varies, depending on a type of the safety device allocated to the input/output unit, a manner of displaying a corresponding partial image object.

2. The program development support device according to claim 1 , further comprising a module configured to allocate, in response to selection of any safety device from a plurality of safety devices prepared in advance, the selected safety device to an input/output terminal of the input/output unit.

3. The program development support device according to claim 1 , wherein the first display control module varies a manner of displaying the input/output terminals of the first image object, depending on a type of the safety device allocated to the input/output unit.

4. The program development support device according to claim 1 , wherein
the one or more partial image objects are configured to represent a direction of a signal to be delivered to/from the safety device allocated to the input/output unit.

5. The program development support device according to claim 1 , further comprising an output module configured to output a document including the first image object and the second image object.

6. The program development support device according to claim 1 , further comprising a storage module configured to store a setting regarding allocation of the safety device to the selected input/output unit.

7. A non-transitory storage medium storing thereon a computer-readable program development support program for supporting development of a safety program to be executed in a safety controller, the program development support program causing a computer to execute:
displaying, in response to selection of any input/output unit connected to the safety controller, a first image object representing an external appearance of an external appearance and input/output terminals of the selected input/output unit; and
displaying, together with the first image object, a second image object representing a safety device and a circuit configuration of the safety device, the safety device being set to be allocated to any of the input/output terminals of the selected input/output unit, wherein the circuit configuration includes an internal circuit of the safety device and connection between the safety device and the allocated input/output terminals;
wherein for an input/output terminal to which each safety device is allocated, the input/output terminal represented by the first image object and the circuit configuration represented by the second image object being displayed in association with each other,
wherein the first image object includes, as the external appearance of the input/output unit corresponding to the first image object, one or more partial image objects each representing an input/output terminal, and
wherein the first display control module varies, depending on a type of the safety device allocated to the input/output unit, a manner of displaying a corresponding partial image object.

8. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 7 , wherein the program development support program further causes the computer to execute allocating, in response to selection of any safety device from a plurality of safety devices prepared in advance, the selected safety device to an input/output terminal of the input/output unit.

9. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 7 , wherein the step of displaying the first image object comprises varying a manner of displaying the input/output terminals of the first image object, depending on a type of the safety device allocated to the input/output unit.

10. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 7 , wherein
the one or more partial image objects are configured to represent a direction of a signal to be delivered to/from the safety device allocated to the input/output unit.

11. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 7 , wherein the program development support program further causes the computer to execute outputting a document including the first image object and the second image object.

12. A program development support method for supporting development of a safety program to be executed in a safety controller, the program development support method comprising:
displaying, in response to selection of any input/output unit connected to the safety controller, a first image object representing an external appearance of an external appearance and input/output terminals of the selected input/output unit; and
displaying, together with the first image object, a second image object representing a safety device and a circuit configuration of the safety device, the safety device being set to be allocated to any of the input/output terminals of the selected input/output unit, wherein the circuit configuration includes an internal circuit of the safety device and connection between the safety device and the allocated input/output terminals;
wherein for an input/output terminal to which each safety device is allocated, the input/output terminal represented by the first image object and the circuit configuration represented by the second image object being displayed in association with each other,
wherein the first image object includes, as the external appearance of the input/output unit corresponding to the first image object, one or more partial image objects each representing an input/output terminal, and
wherein the first display control module varies, depending on a type of the safety device allocated to the input/output unit, a manner of displaying a corresponding partial image object.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising allocating, in response to selection of any safety device from a plurality of safety devices prepared in advance, the selected safety device to an input/output terminal of the input/output unit.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the step of displaying the first image object comprises varying a manner of displaying the input/output terminals of the first image object, depending on a type of the safety device allocated to the input/output unit.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein
the one or more partial i

Assignees

• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Sakurai Hiroko
• Takuma Nobuyuki
• Fujimura Ryosuke
• Suganuma Hiromu
• Matsui Asahi

Classifications

• G06F30/394 Primary

  Routing (G06F30/396 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F8/34

  Graphical or visual programming · CPC title

• G06F3/04817

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title

• G06F9/44505

  Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files · CPC title

• G05B23/0213 Primary

  Modular or universal configuration of the monitoring system, e.g. monitoring system having modules that may be combined to build monitoring program; monitoring system that can be applied to legacy systems; adaptable monitoring system; using different communication protocols · CPC title