Industrial equipment controller and industrial equipment data collection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11796985-B2
Application number	US-202117165946-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2021
Priority date	Aug 31, 2018
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

A controller includes a port via which a control command is output to an industrial equipment at every control cycle, a clock configured to generate a control clock based on which the control cycle is generated, and a time counter configured to count a time counter value at every cycle that is equal to the control cycle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A controller comprising:
a port via which a control command is output to an industrial equipment at every control cycle;
a clock configured to generate a control clock based on which the control cycle is generated;
a time counter configured to count a time counter value at each cycle of the control cycle;
a command transmitter configured to transmit the control command to the industrial equipment at every transmission cycle which is equal to the control cycle, the control command including a data acquisition command to instruct the industrial equipment to start acquiring data; and
a first calendar information generator configured to generate first counter calendar information which includes time information that is described in a format based on the time counter value,
wherein the time counter is configured to count the time counter value even during a period in which a main power supply does not supply power to the controller.

2. The controller according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a transmission time storage configured to store a transmission time at which the command transmitter transmits the control command; and
a logging data generator configured to generate logging data by relating the first counter calendar information to the data based on the transmission time.

3. The controller according to claim 2 , wherein
the command transmitter is configured to transmit the control command to a motor controller to control a motor to drive the industrial equipment, and
the data include data relating to control information of the motor acquired by the motor controller.

4. The controller according to claim 3 , wherein the logging data generator is configured to attach the first counter calendar information to data acquired by the controller and to include the data in the logging data.

5. The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the time counter is configured to reset the time counter value when the controller is shipped from a factory.

6. The controller according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first calendar IC configured to generate first IC calendar information indicating a time at which an auxiliary power supply different from the main power supply starts supplying power, wherein the time counter is configured to correct the time counter value based on the first IC calendar information when the main power supply starts supplying power.

7. The controller according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a display configured to display at least one of the time counter value, the first counter calendar information, and the first IC calendar information.

8. The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the time counter value is 64-bit data in which one bit corresponds to 0.01 μs, and the time counter is configured to count the time counter value at every predetermined number of bits corresponding to the time length of the control cycle.

9. The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the time counter is configured to increase the time counter value at every cycle.

10. The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the time counter value increases by an addition value at each cycle of the control cycle, the addition value being a constant valve at each cycle of the control cycle.

11. The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the time counter value is cumulatively counted as a total elapsed time from a factory shipment of the controller.

12. A data collection system comprising:
a superordinate controller comprising a data receiver; and
a controller configured to be controlled by the superordinate controller and output a control command to industrial equipment, the controller comprising:
a clock configured to generate a control clock;
a time counter configured to count a time counter value at each cycle of a control cycle synchronized with the control clock;
a command transmitter configured to transmit the control command to the industrial equipment at the control cycle, the control command including a data acquisition command to start acquiring data relating to the industrial equipment;
a transmission time storage configured to store a transmission time at which the command transmitter transmits the control command;
a logging data generator configured to generate logging data by relating time information which is obtained based on the transmission time to the data; and
a data transmitter configured to transmit the logging data to the data receiver of the superordinate controller, wherein

the logging data generator is configured to generate the logging data by relating the time counter value to the data, and
the superordinate controller comprises
a second calendar IC configured to generate second IC calendar information that is a time expressed in a predetermined format,
a second calendar information generator configured to generate second counter calendar information expressed in a predetermined format from a correspondence relationship between the time counter value received from the controller and the second IC calendar information, and
a time convertor configured to convert, to the second calendar information, the time counter value of the time information which is based on the transmission time related to the logging data and which is received from the controller.

13. The data collection system according to claim 12 , wherein
the controller includes a first calendar information generator configured to generate first counter calendar information expressed in a predetermined format based on the time counter value, and
the logging data generator is configured to express the time information based on the transmission time in the first counter calendar information.

14. A controller comprising:
a port via which a control command is output to an industrial equipment at every control cycle;
a clock configured to generate a control clock based on which the control cycle is generated; and
a time counter configured to count a time counter value at every cycle that is equal to the control cycle,
wherein the time counter is configured to count the time counter value even during a period in which a main power supply does not supply power to the controller.

15. The controller according to claim 14 , wherein the time counter is configured to reset the time counter value when the controller is shipped from a factory.

16. The controller according to claim 14 , further comprising:
a first calendar IC configured to generate first IC calendar information indicating a time at which an auxiliary power supply different from the main power supply starts supplying power, wherein the time counter is configured to correct the time counter value based on the first IC calendar information when the main power supply starts supplying power; and
a display configured to display at least one of the time counter value, the first counter calendar information, and the first IC calendar information.

Assignees

• Yaskawa Electric Corp

Inventors

• Kudo Masaomi
• KATONO Yu

Classifications

• G05B19/4183 Primary

  characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification · CPC title

• G05B19/41865

  characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow · CPC title

• G05B19/41885

  characterised by modeling, simulation of the manufacturing system · CPC title

• G06F1/10

  Distribution of clock signals {, e.g. skew} · CPC title

• G05B19/042 Primary

  using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence) · CPC title