Action confirmation device for a transport device and computer program

Abstract

The present invention provides a transport device action confirmation device capable of reproducing and confirming the action of a transport device. It has a display device 53, a log data generation unit 51 that generates log data separately recording the action states of the drive motors and the load sensors S of each transport unit 2 of the transport device 1, and an action reproduction unit 71 that, based on the log data, generates moving image data that schematically reproduces the action of the transport device 1 and action status data of the drive motors and the load sensors at each time, and can display a moving image based on the moving image data reproduced by the action reproduction unit 71 and a display based on the action status data on the display device 53.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for confirming the operation of a transport device, which reproduces and confirms the operation of the transport device.

[0002] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a computer program for a motion confirmation device for controlling a transport device. Background Technology

[0003] Transportation equipment is often set up in distribution centers, collection centers, warehouses, and other locations.

[0004] As one type of conveying device, a distributed control conveying device is known (Patent Document 1). Distributed control refers to arranging multiple conveyor units, called zone conveyors, in a series (line) or branched manner to form a continuous conveying path, with each conveyor unit having its own independent drive motor (drive device). Furthermore, a load sensor is installed in each conveyor unit. The load sensor is a sensor that detects whether there are items on the conveyor unit.

[0005] In a distributed control conveying system, each conveying unit constitutes a region, and these regions are interconnected.

[0006] Furthermore, when conditions are met, such as when there are items in its own area (conveyor unit) but no items (conveyed items) in the downstream area, the drive motor of its own area (conveyor unit) is activated to deliver the items to the downstream area.

[0007] In addition, there are known transport devices that include areas with branching functions (Patent Document 2).

[0008] Areas with branching functions, for example, consist of conveyor units that enable items to move forward in a straight line or to discharge items laterally.

[0009] Existing technical documents

[0010] Patent documents

[0011] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-231745

[0012] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-230914 Summary of the Invention

[0013] The technical problem that the invention aims to solve

[0014] Sometimes, malfunctions can occur during the operation of the conveying equipment. For example, sometimes the transported items become congested. Additionally, items may exceed the designated stopping point.

[0015] When a problem occurs, the cause should be investigated and corrected immediately. However, sometimes the recurrence rate of problems is low. That is, when an item arrives in the area, a problem does not always occur; sometimes a combination of factors leads to a problem.

[0016] In such situations, the cause is difficult to pinpoint, and maintenance technicians need to wait near the transport device for the malfunction to recur, resulting in a waste of time.

[0017] The present invention addresses the aforementioned problems of the prior art, and the technical problem to be solved is to provide a conveying device operation confirmation device capable of reproducing and confirming the operation of the conveying device.

[0018] Technical solutions for solving technical problems

[0019] A means of solving the above-mentioned technical problem is a motion confirmation device for a conveying device, which is used to confirm the motion of the conveying device. The conveying device has a portion consisting of multiple conveying units connected together. The conveying device includes individual control devices having control circuits that individually control each conveying unit. The control circuits include sequence circuits. The motion confirmation device is characterized by having a log data generation unit and a motion reproduction unit. The log data generation unit acquires information about the simultaneous on / off status of the switching elements constituting the sequence circuits of each individual control device and generates log data for each control device. The motion reproduction unit reproduces the motion of the sequence circuits of each control device based on the log data.

[0020] The motion confirmation device of this method, as the object of the transport device, includes a separate control device with a control circuit that controls each transport unit individually, and the separate control device includes a timing circuit.

[0021] The log data generation unit used in the action confirmation device of this method obtains information about the simultaneous on / off status of the switching elements constituting the aforementioned timing circuit of each individual control device, and generates log data for each control device.

[0022] Therefore, it is possible to reproduce the power-on state of sequential circuits, making it easy to investigate (trace) the causes of malfunctions.

[0023] In the above-described manner, it is preferable to be able to: individually reproduce the operation of the timing circuit of the control circuit controlling the transport unit by designating a transport unit; and to simultaneously reproduce multiple operations of the timing circuit of the control circuit controlling the transport unit by designating multiple transport units.

[0024] In the above-described manner, the preferred embodiment of the transport unit includes: a transport unit having a drive device for driving the transport unit and a load sensor for detecting whether there are items on the transport unit; the log data generated by the log data generation unit includes: data that separately records the operating status of the drive motor and the load sensor; and the motion reproduction unit is able to generate motion image data that schematically reproduces the operation of the transport device based on the log data.

[0025] In the above-described manner, a display device is preferably provided, which can display moving images on the display device based on the log data, and pause, step, and fast forward the moving images.

[0026] Another approach to solving the same technical problem is an action confirmation device for a transport device, wherein the transport device has multiple transport units, each transport unit including a drive device for driving the transport unit and a load sensor for detecting whether there is an item on the transport unit. The action confirmation device is characterized by having a display device, a log data generation unit, and an action reproduction unit. The log data generation unit generates log data that individually records the action status of the drive device and the load sensor of each transport unit of the transport device. The action reproduction unit generates, based on the log data, motion image data schematically reproducing the action of the transport device, as well as motion status data of the drive device and motion status data of the load sensor at various times. The display device can display the motion image based on the motion image data generated by the action reproduction unit and the display based on the motion status data.

[0027] The conveying device is, for example, a conveyor device. The conveying device may be configured such that the conveyor is arranged in multiple layers (stages) and has lifting devices for transferring items between them.

[0028] In addition, devices that transport goods in a vertical direction, such as elevators, are also considered transport devices.

[0029] Another approach to solving the aforementioned technical problem is a motion confirmation device for a transport device, used to confirm the motion of the transport device. The transport device comprises multiple connected transport units, each transport unit including a drive unit for driving the transport unit and a load sensor for detecting whether there is an item on the transport unit. The motion confirmation device is characterized by having a display device, a log data generation unit, and a motion reproduction unit. The log data generation unit generates log data that individually records the motion status of the drive unit and the load sensor of each transport unit of the transport device. Based on the log data, the motion reproduction unit generates motion image data schematically reproducing the motion of the transport device, as well as motion status data of the drive unit and the load sensor at various times. The display device can display the motion image data generated by the motion reproduction unit and the motion status data.

[0030] The motion confirmation device of the conveying device in this method (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the motion confirmation device) has a log data generation unit, which can separately record the motion status of the drive device and the load sensor of each conveying unit of the conveying device as the object, and generate log data.

[0031] For example, if certain adverse conditions occur during the operation of the conveying device, the operating status of the drive unit and the load sensor of each conveying unit at this time is also recorded.

[0032] Furthermore, the motion confirmation device for the conveying device in this method has a motion reproduction unit, which can generate motion image data that schematically reproduces the motion of the conveying device based on log data, and can display the motion image on a display device. Therefore, it is possible to reproduce the occurrence of malfunctions on the display device.

[0033] Furthermore, because it can display action status data on the display device, it can provide information for tracing the cause of the malfunction, thus helping to trace the cause.

[0034] In the above-described manner, the driving device is preferably a motor, and the log data generation unit obtains the on / off status of the load sensor, the on / off status of the driving device, and information about the rotation of the driving device during operation to generate the log data.

[0035] Information about rotation includes, for example, the rotational speed or rotational revolution.

[0036] The motion confirmation device of this method has high accuracy in reproducing motion.

[0037] In the above-described embodiments, preferably the transport unit has a control circuit for controlling the transport unit, the control circuit including a timing circuit, and the log data generation unit obtains information about the on / off status of the switching elements constituting the timing circuit to generate the log data.

[0038] The action confirmation device based on this method makes it easy to trace the cause of adverse situations.

[0039] In the above-described methods, it is preferable that the display screen shown by the display device based on the moving image data includes an overview graphic that mimics the transport device. This overview graphic is formed by connecting graphics that mimic the transport unit, and can display a graphic that mimics the item within the graphics of the transport unit where the load sensor detects the state of the item.

[0040] The motion confirmation device of this method has high accuracy in reproducing motion.

[0041] In the above-described manner, it is preferable to move the object to an adjacent transport unit while the load sensor detects the object and the drive device is powered on.

[0042] The motion confirmation device of this method has high accuracy in reproducing motion.

[0043] In the above-described manner, it is preferable that the transport unit has a control circuit that controls the transport unit, and that the display device can display the operation status of the control circuit of the specific transport unit at various times.

[0044] The action confirmation device based on this method makes it easy to trace the cause of adverse situations.

[0045] In the above embodiments, the motion reproduction unit preferably has a shape storage unit and a circuit storage unit. The shape storage unit is used to store the structure of the transport units constituting the transport device and the connection between each transport unit. The circuit storage unit is used to store the control circuit of each transport unit.

[0046] This motion verification device offers high accuracy in motion reproduction. Furthermore, it facilitates the tracing of the causes of malfunctions.

[0047] Another approach to solving the same technical problem is a computer program for activating an action confirmation device that confirms the movement of a transport device. The computer program is characterized in that the transport device is composed of multiple transport units connected together, each transport unit including a drive unit having a drive mechanism to drive the transport unit and a load sensor to detect whether there is an item on the transport unit. Log data, which individually records the operational status of the drive mechanism and the load sensor of each transport unit of the transport device, is input. Based on the log data, motion image data schematically reproducing the movement of the transport device, and data on the operational status of the drive mechanism and the load sensor at various times are generated.

[0048] Because the computer program in this method can generate motion image data and motion status data that schematically reproduce the operation of the transport device based on log data, it can reproduce the situation when an malfunction occurs.

[0049] The effects of the invention

[0050] The action confirmation device and computer program of the conveying device according to the present invention can reproduce and confirm the action of the conveying device. Attached Figure Description

[0051] Figure 1 This is a conceptual diagram of a transport system including the action confirmation device of the transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] Figure 2 It refers to the layout of the transport device and the display screen of the display device, which serve as the object of action confirmation.

[0053] Figure 3 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the conveying units that constitute the linear conveying area.

[0054] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional view of the area near the direction-changing region, which is composed of a direction-changing device.

[0055] Figure 5 It is a block diagram of the area controller and a circuit diagram showing the relationship between each area controller and the log data generation unit.

[0056] Figure 6 These are explanatory diagrams representing the moving images displayed on the screen. (a), (b), and (c) show the changes in state over time.

[0057] Figure 7 This is the timing circuit of area 12 displayed on the screen. (a), (b), and (c) respectively represent the timing circuits of the area 12 displayed on the screen. Figure 6 The energized states of (a), (b), and (c) at the same time. Detailed Implementation

[0058] The following further describes the embodiments of the present invention.

[0059] Figure 1 This is a conceptual illustration of a conveying system 100 consisting of a motion confirmation device 50 for a conveying device and a conveying device 1 for a confirmed object.

[0060] like Figure 1 As shown, the action confirmation device 50 of this embodiment consists of a log data generation unit 51 and an external device 48. In this embodiment, the log data generation unit 51 is built into the upper-level control device 46 of the conveying device 1.

[0061] External device 48 is a known personal computer, portable terminal, etc., and has a control device 52 and a display device 53.

[0062] In addition, the control device 52 includes a storage unit 70, a communication unit 72, and an action reproduction unit 71.

[0063] The action confirmation device 50 of this embodiment can generate log data that individually records the action status of each conveying unit 2, 20 in the actual conveying device 1, and display and confirm the action of the item and the state of the circuit at that time when each conveying unit was activated based on the log data on the display device 53.

[0064] The conveying device 1, as the object, is arbitrary, in Figure 2 This is one example.

[0065] Conveying device 1 is, for example, Figure 2 The conveyor system has a layout as shown, with multiple branches in the transport path and multiple destinations for the transported items.

[0066] The conveying device 1 is a distributed control device, and the straight section of the conveying path is divided into multiple short areas. That is, in the conveying device 1, multiple straight conveying areas are connected in series (in a straight line) to form the straight section of the conveying path. In addition, the conveying device 1 includes multiple conveying direction (conveyor direction) changing areas, forming a branched conveying path.

[0067] In each area, a conveying unit (transportation unit) 2, 20 is configured. The mechanical components of conveying units 2, 20 are integrally formed with the area controller 10. The area controller 10 is a separate control device with its own control circuit for controlling the conveying units.

[0068] Conveying unit 2, located in the linear transport area, is a typical conveying unit. Figure 3The area conveying equipment shown is as described. The conveying unit 20, located in the area where the conveying direction changes, is... Figure 4 The transfer device shown is as described. The conveying unit 20 is also a transport unit.

[0069] Conveying unit 2 is a short roller conveying device, in which multiple conveying rollers 5 are axially supported at predetermined intervals between a pair of parallel left and right side frames 3, 3. Each conveying roller 5 includes a rotatable driven roller 5b and a motor-embedded roller 5a. In this embodiment, there is only one motor-embedded roller 5a, and the others are all driven rollers 5b. A drive motor (not shown) is built into the motor-embedded roller 5a as a driving device. The built-in drive motor has the function of outputting pulse signals as it rotates. The drive motors of the other motor-embedded rollers are the same. The pulse signal is an example of "information about the rotation when the drive motor is driven."

[0070] Within the conveying unit 2, adjacent conveying rollers 5 are wound around each other by a drive belt 6. Therefore, the rotational driving force of the motor-built roller 5a can be transmitted to all driven rollers 5b.

[0071] In addition, such as Figure 3 As shown, a load sensor S is installed in the conveying unit 2. The load sensor S is mounted on the side frame 3. The load sensor S is located near the downstream end.

[0072] The load sensor S is used to detect whether the item is on the conveyor unit 2.

[0073] Next, the area where the transport direction changes will be described. The transport unit (transport unit) 20, which is located in the area where the transport direction changes, is... Figure 4 The transfer device is as shown. The conveying unit 20 has a direction-changing mechanism for switching the conveying direction or the feeding direction.

[0074] Conveying unit 20, for example Figure 4 As shown, it consists of a main conveying device 21, a secondary conveying device 22, and a lifting device (not shown).

[0075] The main conveying device 21 of the conveying unit 20 is a conveyor belt conveyor with multiple narrow conveyor belts 25 arranged at certain intervals. The main conveying device 21 is driven by motor-driven built-in rollers 28 located at the ends.

[0076] The auxiliary conveying device 22 of the conveying unit 20 is a roller conveyor. The auxiliary conveying device 22 is configured to have multiple rollers 26 arranged in parallel, and these rollers 26 are linked by a belt 27. One of the multiple rollers 26 constituting the auxiliary conveying device 22 is a motor-driven roller, and all rollers 26 are rotated by driving the motor-driven roller.

[0077] Secondary conveying equipment 22, such as Figure 4As shown, the conveyor belts 25 of the main conveyor 21 are configured such that rollers 26 are present between each other.

[0078] When the item W placed in the conveyor unit 20 is moving forward in a straight line, the main conveyor 21 is raised above the auxiliary conveyor 22 by a lifting device (not shown), and the motor-built roller 28 of the main conveyor 21 is driven to make the conveyor belt 25 run.

[0079] When the article W placed in the conveying unit 20 is discharged laterally, after the article is transported to the main conveying device 21, the auxiliary conveying device 22 is raised and the main conveying device 21 is lowered by a lifting device (not shown), so that the auxiliary conveying device 22 protrudes upward relative to the main conveying device 21, and the motor-built rollers of the auxiliary conveying device 22 are driven to rotate each roller 26.

[0080] A load sensor (not shown) is also installed in the conveying unit 20. Furthermore, an area controller (not shown) is also installed in the conveying unit 20.

[0081] Each region has its own unique address. For ease of explanation, as follows: Figure 2 Addresses 1 through 88 were assigned accordingly. In this embodiment, the address of region 1 is 1, and the address of region 2 is 2. Addresses are then assigned sequentially thereafter.

[0082] The addresses of each region are stored in the region controller (individual control device) 10 of each region.

[0083] As described above, each area is equipped with an area controller 10 and a load sensor S. The area controller 10 supplies power to the drive motors of the conveyor units 2 and 20 in each area, causing the drive motors of the conveyor units in each area to start and stop. That is, in the area controller 10, such as... Figure 5 A control circuit 40 for controlling the drive motor 15 is thus configured, and the control circuit 40 includes a drive circuit 42. Part or all of the control circuit 40 is a sequence circuit.

[0084] Furthermore, the area controller 10 has a built-in information transceiver unit 41.

[0085] The area controller 10 is a separate control device that controls each transport unit individually.

[0086] Area controllers 10 are installed in all areas, and adjacent area controllers 10 are interconnected via signal lines 43. Furthermore, each area controller 10 receives a signal from its respective area's load sensor S.

[0087] The conveying device 1 has a superior control device 46, which is also connected to the area controller 10 via a signal line.

[0088] In this embodiment, each area controller 10 communicates with the upper-level control device 46 via a communication unit. Through this communication unit, each area controller 10 inputs information from the load sensor S and information about the driving status of that area to the upper-level control device 46.

[0089] Specifically, the ON / OFF status of the drive motors of each conveying unit 2 and 20, the speed of the drive motors, and the energization status of the control circuit 40 are input to the upper-level control device 46. In this embodiment, because the area controller 10 has a timing circuit, the ON / OFF status of switches, timers, etc., and the energization status within the circuit are input to the upper-level control device 46 one by one. In addition, pulse signals generated in response to the rotation of the drive motors are also input to the upper-level control device 46 one by one.

[0090] At the upper-level control device 40, information such as the on / off status of the drive motors of the conveying units 2 and 20, the speed of the drive motors, the power-on status of the control circuit 40, and the on / off status of the switches constituting the timing circuit are input to the upper-level control device 46.

[0091] That is, all information from each region at the same time is input to the upper-level control device 46.

[0092] Next, the operation confirmation device 50 of the conveying device will be described.

[0093] The action confirmation device 50 of this embodiment includes a log data generation unit 51 built into the upper-level control device 46 and an external device 48 located in other positions.

[0094] The log data generation unit 51 includes an information acquisition unit 60, a time determination unit 61, a storage unit 62, and a communication unit 63.

[0095] The timing determination unit 61 is a clock.

[0096] The information acquisition unit 60 is implemented by a computer program to acquire all the information from the load sensors S sent from the area controllers 10 of each conveying unit 2, 20 to the upper control device 46, as well as the driving status of each area.

[0097] The information acquisition unit 60 acquires information related to the on / off status of the drive motors of the conveying units 2 and 20 at the same time, the speed of the drive motors, the power-on status of the control circuit 40, and the on / off status of the switches constituting the timing circuit.

[0098] The information acquired by the information acquisition unit 60, along with the time of acquisition, is stored as log data in the storage unit 62.

[0099] The information in storage unit 62 is continuously accumulated (stored). Moreover, it is organized and saved according to each working period of conveyor 1. For example, information such as "Information of conveyor 1 on May 20, 2020" and "Information of conveyor 1 on May 21, 2020" are saved separately in a single folder.

[0100] When the memory capacity is insufficient, past information is automatically deleted.

[0101] The information stored in storage unit 62 is transmitted to external device 48 via communication unit 63. Communication unit 63 may, for example, use an Internet connection.

[0102] Next, the external device 48 will be described. The external device 48 has a built-in control device 52 and a display device 53.

[0103] The control device 52 includes a storage unit 70, an action reproduction unit 71, and a communication unit 72.

[0104] The communication unit 72 communicates with the communication unit 63 of the log data generation unit 51, and the external device 48 obtains the log data stored in the storage unit 62 of the log data generation unit 51. The log data obtained through the communication unit 72 is stored in the storage unit 70.

[0105] The motion reproduction unit 71 is implemented by a computer program. Based on log data, it generates motion reproduction motion image data that schematically reproduces the motion of the conveyor 1, and motion image data that shows the power-on status of each drive motor and the motion status of the load sensor S at each moment.

[0106] That is, the motion reproduction unit 71 includes: a computer program for a motion motion image generation unit 80 that generates motion reproduction motion image data; and a computer program for a circuit motion image generation unit 81 that generates motion image data of power-on condition reproduction.

[0107] In addition, the motion reproduction unit 71 has a shape storage unit 73 and a circuit storage unit 75.

[0108] The morphological storage unit 73 stores the structure of the conveying units constituting the conveying device 1 and the connections between each conveying unit.

[0109] The physical storage unit 73 is for storing Figure 2 The layout of the conveying device 1 shown and the memory of the conveying units 2 and 20 in each area are shown.

[0110] Furthermore, the circuit storage unit 75 stores the control circuit 40 built into each of the transport units 2, 20. At least a portion or all of the timing circuits included in the control circuit 40 of each transport unit 2, 20 are stored.

[0111] Next, the function of the action confirmation device 50 in this embodiment will be explained.

[0112] For ease of explanation, the actual conveying device 1 will be referred to as "the actual conveying device 1," and the adjective "actual" will be added to describe events occurring in the actual conveying device 1. The adjective "virtual" will be added to distinguish events reproduced by the action confirmation device 50.

[0113] In the motion confirmation device 50 of this embodiment, based on the log data input from the log data generation unit 51 to the external device 48, the motion reproduction unit 71 generates motion reproduction motion image data and power-on status reproduction motion image data, and displays the motion image on the display device 53.

[0114] The moving image can be paused, stepped, fast forward, rewind, slowed down, zoomed in, etc.

[0115] The display device 53 schematically displays... Figure 2 That is the layout of the actual conveying device 1.

[0116] The graphic displayed on the display device 53 is an overview graphic that imitates the conveying device 1, and is formed by connecting the rectangular graphics that imitate the conveying units 2 and 20.

[0117] like Figure 6 As shown, the virtual layout can magnify any position. Moreover, in the area where the actual conveyor 1 carries items, the virtual layout displays a simulated item display M. Figure 1 , Figure 6 (a) indicates that an item exists at addresses 10 and 11. The display screen shows the date and time, indicating the exact time of the event.

[0118] The simulated object display M is based on the operational status of the loading sensor S contained in the log data. Specifically, when the loading sensor S of the actual conveying device 1 detects the presence of an object at a specific moment, and if its record exists in the log data, the simulated object display M is displayed in a virtual area.

[0119] Furthermore, for the area where the actual conveyor 1's drive motor is energized, a non-static moving image, such as a wave, is displayed in the virtual area.

[0120] If the drive motor of the actual conveyor 1, which is located in the area containing the items, is energized, a virtual display showing M moving is generated. The moving speed and moving distance are determined by the interval and total number of pulses emitted by the drive motor.

[0121] In addition, clicking on a specific area will display the power-on status of the conveyor units that make up that area in a live image.

[0122] For example, at a specific moment when the actual conveyor 1 is activated, if there are items in zone 10 and zone 11, and if the load sensor S10 and load sensor S11 are turned on, this fact is recorded in the log data.

[0123] As long as there is a record of the load sensor S10 and load sensor S11 being connected, the motion image generation unit 80 of the motion reproduction unit 71 will... Figure 6 As shown in (a), display M (display screen M) is displayed in virtual areas 10 and 11.

[0124] Furthermore, in the actual conveyor device 1, when items from areas 10 and 11 are transported to the side of area 12, the log data records that the drive motors of areas 10, 11, and 12 are in the on state and powered on.

[0125] If there is a record that the load sensor S10 and load sensor S11 are turned on and the drive motor in that area is turned on and energized, the motion image generation unit 80 of the motion reproduction unit 71 will... Figure 6 As shown in (b), the display M of virtual areas 10 and 11 is moved.

[0126] If, in the actual conveying device 1, items located in area 10 and area 11 are moved to area 11 and area 12 respectively, then the log data will record that the loading sensor S11 and loading sensor S12 are connected.

[0127] If there are records of load sensors S11 and S12 being activated, then the motion image generation unit 80... Figure 6 As shown in (c), display M in virtual areas 11 and 12.

[0128] Furthermore, in the action confirmation device 50 of this embodiment, the power-on status of each of the conveying units 2 and 20 at each time is displayed on the display device 53. The display can be performed with the same layout as described above, or the display can switch between different screens.

[0129] Furthermore, the action confirmation device 50 is capable of: individually reproducing the operation of the timing circuit of the control circuit controlling the region by specifying the region controller (transport unit) 10 by determining the region; and simultaneously reproducing multiple operations of the timing circuit of the control circuit controlling each region by specifying multiple regions.

[0130] Figure 7 This is a moving image showing the power-on status of the conveyor unit 2 in region 12.

[0131] According to the above example, at a specific moment, there are items in areas 10 and 11 of the actual conveying device 1, but no items in area 12, which is the display object.

[0132] Therefore, the load sensor S12 is off. Furthermore, the drive motor of the conveyor unit 2 in area 12 is off and stopped; no power is supplied to the drive motor. These facts are recorded in the log data.

[0133] Figure 7 (a) and Figure 6 (a) Correspondingly, in the circuit of the virtual display, the load sensor S12 is disconnected, and the drive motor is also disconnected.

[0134] According to the above example, in the actual conveying device 1, when the items in area 10 and area 11 are conveyed to the side of area 12, a record is left in the log data that the drive motor of area 12 has been energized.

[0135] Figure 7 (b) and Figure 6 (b) Correspondingly, in the circuit displayed by the display device, the load sensor S12 is off and the drive motor is on.

[0136] In the actual conveying device 1, when the items in area 11 have completely moved to area 12, the log data records that the left-down item sensor S12 is turned on and the drive motor is turned off and the power supply is stopped.

[0137] Figure 7 (c) and Figure 6 (c) Correspondingly, in the circuit displayed by the display device, the load sensor S12 is turned on and the drive motor is turned off.

[0138] In the event of certain malfunctions in the actual conveying device 1, the status of the load sensor S and the drive motor at that time was also recorded in the log data.

[0139] Therefore, the occurrence of the malfunction can be reproduced virtually. Furthermore, the state of the circuit at that time can be confirmed. Thus, the cause of the fault can be easily identified.

[0140] In the embodiments described above, two typical conveying units are illustrated, but the structure and manner of the conveying units are not limited to these two.

[0141] For example, it can also be a conveying unit that forms a curved path, or a conveying unit that uses rods or other means to guide the forward movement of items.

[0142] The above explanation uses a simple control circuit 40 as an example for ease of understanding. However, the actual control circuit 40 is much more complex.

[0143] Furthermore, actual conveying devices also include those with areas where no load sensors are installed, and / or those with areas that are frequently driven, and the present invention does not exclude these conveying devices.

[0144] The circuit displayed on the display device 53 can also be a static image.

[0145] In the embodiments described above, the load sensor S is shown to be turned on when an item is detected, but it can also be turned off when an item is detected.

[0146] This invention includes a computer-readable recording medium on which the aforementioned computer program is recorded. Furthermore, this invention includes a non-transitory recording medium on which the aforementioned computer program is recorded.

[0147] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0148] 1 Conveying device

[0149] 2.20 Conveying Units (Conveying Units)

[0150] 5a motor with built-in roller

[0151] 10. Area controllers (individual control devices)

[0152] 28. Motor-built roller

[0153] 40 Control Circuit

[0154] 46. ​​Upper-level control device

[0155] 48 External devices

[0156] 50. Conveying device operation confirmation device

[0157] 51 Log Data Generation Unit

[0158] 52 Control device

[0159] 53 Display devices

[0160] 60 Information Acquisition Unit

[0161] 61-Time Determination Unit

[0162] 62 storage units

[0163] 63 Communication Units

[0164] 70 storage units

[0165] 71 Motion Reproduction Unit

[0166] 72 Communication Units

[0167] 73 morphological storage units

[0168] 75 circuit storage units

[0169] 80 motion graphics generation units

[0170] 81 Circuit Active Image Generation Unit

[0171] 100 Conveying System

[0172] S-type load sensor

Claims

1. A motion confirmation device for a conveying device, used to confirm the motion of the conveying device, wherein, The conveying device comprises a portion consisting of multiple conveying units connected together. The conveying device includes a separate control device with control circuits for each conveying unit, and the control circuits include timing circuits. The action confirmation device is characterized in that: It has a log data generation unit and an action reproduction unit. The log data generation unit acquires information about the on / off status of the switching elements constituting the timing circuit of each individual control device at the same time, and generates log data for each individual control device. The action reproduction unit reproduces the actions of the timing circuits of each of the individual control devices based on the log data.

2. The action confirmation device for the conveying device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Capable of: A designated transport unit is used to reproduce the individual reproduction of the operation of the timing circuit of the control circuit that controls the transport unit; and Multiple transport units are designated to simultaneously reproduce multiple reproductions of the timing circuitry of the control circuitry that controls the transport unit.

3. The action confirmation device for the conveying device as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The plurality of transport units includes a first transport unit, which has a drive device for driving the first transport unit and a load sensor for detecting whether there are items on the first transport unit. The log data generated by the log data generation unit includes: data that separately records the operating status of the drive device and the load sensor. The motion reproduction unit can generate motion image data that schematically reproduces the motion of the transport device based on the log data.

4. The action confirmation device for the conveying device as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: It has a display device that can display a moving image on the display device based on the log data, and can pause, step, and fast forward the moving image.

5. A motion confirmation device for a conveying device, used to confirm the motion of the conveying device, wherein, The conveying device has multiple conveying units. The plurality of transport units includes a first transport unit, which has a drive device for driving the first transport unit and a load sensor for detecting whether there are items on the first transport unit. The action confirmation device is characterized in that: It has a display device, a log data generation unit, and an action reproduction unit. The log data generation unit generates log data that separately records the operational status of the drive device and the cargo sensor of each of the first transport units of the transport device. Based on the log data, the motion reproduction unit generates motion image data that schematically reproduces the motion of the transport device, as well as motion status data of the drive device and the motion status data of the cargo sensor at various times. The display device is capable of displaying motion images based on the motion image data generated by the motion reproduction unit and displaying motion status data.

6. A motion confirmation device for a conveying device, used to confirm the motion of the conveying device, wherein, The conveying device comprises multiple conveying units connected together. The plurality of transport units includes a first transport unit, which has a drive device for driving the first transport unit and a load sensor for detecting whether there are items on the first transport unit. The feature of the action confirmation device of the conveying device is: It has a display device, a log data generation unit, and an action reproduction unit. The log data generation unit generates log data that separately records the operational status of the drive device and the cargo sensor of each of the first transport units of the transport device. Based on the log data, the motion reproduction unit generates motion image data that schematically reproduces the motion of the transport device, as well as motion status data of the drive device and the motion status data of the cargo sensor at various times. The display device is capable of displaying motion images based on the motion image data generated by the motion reproduction unit and displaying motion status data.

7. The action confirmation device for the conveying device as described in claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The driving device is an electric motor. The log data generation unit acquires the on / off status of the load sensor, the on / off status of the drive device, and information about the rotation of the drive device during operation to generate the log data.

8. The action confirmation device for the conveying device as described in claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The transport unit has a control circuit for controlling the transport unit, and the control circuit includes timing circuitry. The log data generation unit obtains information about the on / off status of the switching elements constituting the timing circuit to generate the log data.

9. The action confirmation device for the conveying device as described in claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The display device, utilizing the moving image data, includes an overview graphic that mimics the transport device. This overview graphic is formed by connecting graphics that mimic the transport unit. The transport unit can display a graphic model of the item in the graphic representation of the item's state detected by the load sensor.

10. The action confirmation device for the conveying device as described in claim 9, characterized in that: When the load sensor detects an item and the drive device is powered on, the device moves to an adjacent transport unit, mimicking the shape of the item.

11. The action confirmation device for the conveying device as described in claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The transport unit has a control circuit that controls the transport unit and is able to display the operation status of the control circuit of a specific transport unit at various times on the display device.

12. The action confirmation device for the conveying device as described in any one of claims 1, 2, 5 and 6, characterized in that: The motion reproduction unit has a morphological storage unit and a circuit storage unit. The morphological storage unit is used to store the structure of the transport units constituting the transport device and the connections between the transport units. The circuit storage unit is used to store the control circuits of each transport unit.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer program for activating a motion confirmation device for confirming the movement of a transport device. The conveying device is composed of multiple conveying units connected together. The plurality of transport units includes a first transport unit, which has a drive device for driving the first transport unit and a load sensor for detecting whether there are items on the first transport unit. The computer program product is characterized in that, when the computer program is executed by a computer, it causes the action confirmation device to operate as described below: Log data, which individually records the operational status of the drive unit and cargo sensor of each of the first transport units of the transport device, was input. Based on the log data, motion image data schematically reproducing the operation of the transport device, as well as the operation status of the drive device and the operation status data of the cargo sensor at various times are generated.

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