Multiplex control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9804575-B2
Application number	US-201514837274-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2015
Priority date	Oct 17, 2014
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

In one embodiment, a multiplex control device includes three or more control modules to execute same operations for same input signals, and a majority decision module to output an output signal that matches majority of output signals outputted by the control modules. Each control module includes an input module to convert an input signal into an input value, a first determination module to obtain input values from input modules of respective control modules to determine whether majority of input values among the obtained input values match, an operation executing module to execute an operation using the matched input value to generate an output value, a second determination module to obtain output values from operation executing modules of respective control modules to determine whether majority of output values among the obtained output values match, and an output module to convert the matched output value to generate an output signal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A multiplex control device comprising:
three or more control modules configured to execute same operations for same input signals in parallel and to output output signals to control a same controlled target; and
a majority decision module configured to output an output signal that matches a majority of the output signals outputted by the three or more control modules, to the controlled target as a control signal that controls the controlled target,
each of the control modules comprising:
an input module configured to obtain an input signal to convert the input signal into an input value;
a first determination module configured to obtain input values from input modules of the respective control modules to determine whether a majority of input values among the obtained input values match;
an operation executing module configured, when the first determination module determines that the majority of input values match, to execute an operation using the matched input value to generate an output value;
a second determination module configured to obtain output values from operation executing modules of the respective control modules to determine whether a majority of output values among the obtained output values match; and
an output module configured, when the second determination module determines that the majority of output values match, to convert the matched output value to generate an output signal, and to output the output signal to the majority decision module.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein
each of the control modules stops the control of the controlled target when the first determination module determines that the majority of input values do not match; and
each of the control modules stops the control of the controlled target when the second determination module determines that the majority of output values do not match.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the control modules further comprises:
a first communication module configured to transmit an input value obtained by the conversion by a corresponding input module to other communication modules, and to receive input values obtained by the conversion by input modules included in other control modules than a control module that includes the first communication module; and
a second communication module configured to transmit an output value obtained by the operation by a corresponding operation executing module to other communication modules, and to receive output values obtained by the operation by operation executing modules included in other control modules than a control module that includes the second communication module.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein when the first communication module receives an input value from another first communication module, the first communication module transmits the received input value to other one or more first communication modules except the first communication module that is a transmission source of the received input value.

5. The device of claim 3 , wherein when the second communication module receives an output value from another second communication module, the second communication module transmits the received output value to other one or more second communication modules except the second communication module that is a transmission source of the received output value.

6. The device of claim 3 , wherein the first communication modules are connected by a bus, and the second communication modules are connected by a bus.

7. The device of claim 3 , wherein the first communication modules are connected through a network, and the second communication modules are connected through a network.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the control modules further comprises a threshold setting module configured to obtain threshold information showing a threshold from an external terminal device to store the threshold information,
wherein
the first determination module determines that the input values match each other when a difference in the input values is within the threshold; and
the second determination module determines that the output values match each other when a difference in the output values is within the threshold.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein each of the control modules further comprises:
a communication module configured to transmit the threshold information stored in the threshold setting module to other control modules than a corresponding control module of the three or more control modules, and to receive plural pieces of threshold information transmitted from other control modules than a corresponding control module of the three or more control modules; and
a third determination module configured to determine whether thresholds shown by the plural pieces of received threshold information and a threshold shown by the transmitted threshold information are different,
wherein when the third determination module determines that the thresholds are different, the threshold setting module transmits a warning signal to the terminal device.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Ohnishi Naoya
• Nakatani Hiroshi
• Maruchi Shunya
• Yoshida Yukitaka

Classifications

• G06F13/382 Primary

  using universal interface adapter · CPC title

• G06F11/184

  where the redundant components implement processing functionality · CPC title

• G05B9/03

  with multiple-channel loop, i.e. redundant control systems · CPC title

• G05B11/011 Primary

  details of the correcting means · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title