Trigger relay unit of programmable controller, trigger transmission system, trigger transmission method, and recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12461501-B2
Application number	US-202218878801-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2022
Priority date	Jul 13, 2022
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

A central processing unit in a programmable controller is connectable to a plurality of logging devices to detect a trigger to log control data about device control. The central processing unit includes a bus communicator that receives a first trigger signal indicating the trigger from a first logging device of the plurality of logging devices, and a trigger relay that transmits the first trigger signal to a second logging device different from the first logging device when the first trigger signal is received. The trigger relay excludes, from a transmission target, a second trigger signal different from the first trigger signal and received in a period from when the first trigger signal is received to when the trigger relay completes transmitting the first trigger signal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A trigger relay unit in a programmable controller, the trigger relay unit being connectable to a plurality of detectors to detect a trigger to log control data about device control, the trigger relay unit comprising:
processing circuitry to
receive a first trigger signal indicating the trigger from a first detector of the plurality of detectors, and
transmit the first trigger signal to a second detector different from the first detector when the first trigger signal is received,
wherein the processing circuitry excludes, from a transmission target, a second trigger signal different from the first trigger signal and received in a period from when the first trigger signal is received to when the processing circuitry completes transmitting the first trigger signal.

2 . The trigger relay unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the processing circuitry transmits the first trigger signal to two or more detectors of the plurality of detectors including the second detector.

3 . The trigger relay unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the processing circuitry transmits the first trigger signal to the plurality of detectors.

4 . The trigger relay unit according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the first trigger signal and the second trigger signal indicates trigger identification information to identify the trigger.

5 . A trigger transmission system, comprising:
the plurality of detectors to detect a trigger to log control data about device control; and the trigger relay unit according to claim 1 connected to the plurality of detectors.

6 . A trigger transmission method implementable with a trigger relay unit in a programmable controller, the method comprising:
receiving, with a receiver, a first trigger signal from a first detector of a plurality of detectors to detect a trigger to log control data about device control, the first trigger signal indicating the trigger; and transmitting, with a transmitter, the first trigger signal to a second detector different from the first detector when the receiver receives the first trigger signal, wherein the transmitter excludes, from a transmission target, a second trigger signal different from the first trigger signal and received by the receiver in a period from when the receiver receives the first trigger signal to when the transmitter completes transmitting the first trigger signal.

7 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program executable by a trigger relay unit in a programmable controller, the trigger relay unit being connected to a plurality of detectors to detect a trigger to log control data about device control, the program causing the trigger relay unit to function as:
a receiver that receives a first trigger signal indicating the trigger from a first detector of the plurality of detectors; and a transmitter that transmits the first trigger signal to a second detector different from the first detector when the receiver receives the first trigger signal, wherein the transmitter excludes, from a transmission target, a second trigger signal different from the first trigger signal and received by the receiver in a period from when the receiver receives the first trigger signal to when the transmitter completes transmitting the first trigger signal.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Takeuchi Daisuke

Classifications

• G05B2219/14055

  Make log, journal, history file of state changes · CPC title

• G05B19/056

  Programming the PLC · CPC title

• H04L43/045

  for graphical visualisation of monitoring data · CPC title

• G05B19/058 Primary

  Safety, monitoring · CPC title

• H04L43/04 Primary

  Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation · CPC title