control device

Abstract

A control device includes a display control section that switches information displayed in each of a plurality of divided areas into which a display screen is divided, an edit screen display section that displays, for each of the plurality of divided areas, an edit screen that associates a first display and a second display and performs a list display, wherein the first display can visually determine a position of the divided area on the display screen, and the second display indicates a list of information categories that can be displayed in the divided area, and an edit section that receives an edit operation with respect to the second display and edits the list of information categories that can be displayed in the divided area based on the edit operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to control devices. Background Technology

[0002] When operating industrial machinery such as machine tools and robots, for example during pre-processing setup, the operator checks different categories of information while performing the operation. To enable reference to multiple different categories of information on a single screen, control devices for industrial machinery sometimes have the following function: dividing the display screen into tile-like segments, and displaying different categories of information in each segmented area (Patent Document 1, etc.).

[0003] However, display devices have limitations in screen size and pixel count. Therefore, especially in tasks such as setup that require displaying a large amount of information that cannot fit on a single screen, it is necessary to switch between the information displayed in the divided areas of the screen while performing the task. This switching is done using vertical and horizontal soft keys, mechanical control panels, etc.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-066709 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] In scenarios where multiple information categories are displayed while switching between multiple segmented areas, it's necessary to predefine which information categories can be displayed in each segmented area. In operations involving a large amount of information, it's common to observe not only a single information category but also multiple information categories being viewed side-by-side. Therefore, it's necessary to consider the industry content when defining which information category can be displayed in which segmented area. Furthermore, it's preferable to also consider factors such as the ease of observation when displaying which information category on the screen.

[0009] Therefore, the goal is to have a way to grasp the overall picture while defining the methods for switching the types of information to be displayed in each segmented area.

[0010] Methods for solving problems

[0011] The control device of the present invention divides a display screen into multiple segmented areas, enabling the display of different information categories in each segmented area, and provides a user interface screen that allows editing of the information categories displayed in each segmented area. In this screen, the position of each segmented area on the display screen is correlated with a list of information categories that can be displayed in that segmented area. Through this display, the operator can easily grasp the information categories that can be displayed in each segmented area. Furthermore, specified information categories can be added to the list of information categories that can be displayed in each segmented area from all information categories that can be displayed by the control device, for example, through drag-and-drop operations.

[0012] Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is a control device capable of dividing a display screen into multiple segmented regions, wherein the control device comprises: a display control unit that switches information displayed in each of the multiple segmented regions; a display information category editing screen display unit that displays a display information category editing screen that associates a first display and a second display for each of the multiple segmented regions, wherein the first display can visually determine the position of the segmented region on the display screen, and the second display represents a list of information categories that can be displayed in the segmented region; and a display information category editing unit that accepts editing operations for the second display and edits the list of information categories that can be displayed in the segmented region according to the editing operations, wherein the display control unit controls the switching of information displayed in each of the multiple segmented regions according to the list of displayable information categories associated with each segmented region edited by the display information category editing unit.

[0013] Invention Effects

[0014] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to display at a glance the information categories that can be displayed in each segmented area, and in addition, it is possible to freely select the information categories to be displayed in each segmented area, thereby improving the operator's visual confirmation, reducing the workload of the operation, and reducing the operation time. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic hardware structure diagram of the control device according to the first embodiment.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic block diagram illustrating the function of the control device in the first embodiment.

[0017] Figure 3 This is an example of a screen showing the information category editing interface.

[0018] Figure 4This is a diagram illustrating an example of editing a list of information categories that can be displayed in a segmented area using drag-and-drop operations.

[0019] Figure 5 This is another example of a diagram showing how to edit a list of information categories that can be displayed in a segmented area through drag-and-drop operations.

[0020] Figure 6 This is another example of how drag-and-drop operations can be used to edit a list of information categories that can be displayed in a segmented area.

[0021] Figure 7 This is a diagram representing an example of a segmentation pattern. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic hardware structure diagram showing the main parts of the control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The control device 1 of the present invention can, for example, be installed as a control device for controlling industrial machinery 3 based on a control program.

[0024] The CPU 11 of the control device 1 in this embodiment is a processor that performs overall control of the control device 1. The CPU 11 reads the system program stored in RAM via bus 22 and controls the control device 1 as a whole according to the system program. Temporary calculation data, display data, and various data input from external sources are temporarily stored in RAM 13.

[0025] The non-volatile memory 14 is composed of, for example, a memory that is backed up using a battery (not shown), an SSD (Solid State Drive), etc., and maintains its storage state even when the power supply to the control device 1 is disconnected. The non-volatile memory 14 stores control programs and data read from the external device 72 via the interface 15, control programs and data input from the input device 71 via the interface 18, and control programs and data obtained from other devices such as the cloud computer 6 and cloud server 7 via the network 5. The data stored in the non-volatile memory 14 may include, for example, the position, speed, acceleration, load of each motor of the industrial machine 3, and other data related to various physical quantities detected by sensors (not shown) installed on the industrial machine 3. The control programs and data stored in the non-volatile memory 14 can also be expanded in the RAM 13 during execution / use. Furthermore, various system programs, such as known parsing programs, are pre-written in the ROM 12.

[0026] Interface 15 is used to connect the CPU 11 of the control device 1 to an external device 72, such as an external storage medium. Control programs and setting data used in the control of the industrial machinery 3 are read from the external device 72. Furthermore, control programs and setting data edited within the control device 1 can be stored on an external storage medium (not shown) such as a CF card or USB memory via the external device 72. The programmable logic controller (PLC) 16 executes a ladder diagram program and outputs signals to the industrial machinery 3 and its peripheral devices (e.g., tool changers, actuators such as robots, and sensors such as temperature and humidity sensors mounted on the industrial machinery 3) via the I / O unit 19, and performs control. Additionally, it receives signals from various switches and peripheral devices on the control panel of the main body of the industrial machinery 3, performs the necessary signal processing, and then transmits them to the CPU 11.

[0027] Interface 20 is used to connect the CPU 11 of control device 1 to a wired or wireless network 5. Network 5 can communicate using technologies such as RS-485 serial communication, Ethernet communication, optical communication, wireless LAN, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Network 5 connects to other higher-level management devices such as machinery, cloud computers 6, and cloud servers 7, and exchanges data with control device 1.

[0028] In the display device 70, data such as data read into the memory and the results of executing programs are output and displayed via the interface 17. The display device 70 preferably obtains information related to the display capability (e.g., display size, number of pixels) from the control device 1. The obtained information related to the display capability can be obtained sequentially or stored in the RAM 13 or non-volatile memory 14, along with other information. Furthermore, the input device 71, consisting of a keyboard, indicator devices, etc., transmits instructions and data based on operations performed by the operator to the CPU 11 via the interface 18.

[0029] The axis control circuit 30, used to control the axes of the industrial machinery 3, receives axis movement commands from the CPU 11 and outputs these commands to the servo amplifier 40. The servo amplifier 40 receives these commands and drives the servo motors 50, which move the drive units of the industrial machinery 3 along the axes. Each servo motor 50 has a built-in position / speed detector (not shown), and the position / speed feedback signals from these detectors are fed back to the axis control circuit 30 for position / speed feedback control. Furthermore, in... Figure 1In the hardware structure diagram, only one axis control circuit 30, servo amplifier 40 and servo motor 50 are shown, but in reality, the number of axes of the industrial machinery 3 that becomes the controlled object is prepared.

[0030] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates the functions of the control device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention as a schematic block diagram. The functions of the control device 1 in this embodiment are described by... Figure 1 The control device 1 shown is implemented by having a CPU 11 that executes system programs and controls the actions of each part of the control device 1.

[0031] The control device 1 of this embodiment includes a display control unit 100, a display information category editing screen display unit 110, a display information category editing unit 120, and a segmentation mode specifying unit 130. Furthermore, the RAM 13 or non-volatile memory 14 of the control device 1 is provided with: an information category storage unit 200, which stores at least information that can identify information categories that can be displayed by the control device 1 (e.g., the name of the information category, a pointer to the display program for displaying information related to the information category); a segmentation area display information category storage unit 210, which is a region for associating and storing information categories that can be displayed with each segmentation area; and a segmentation mode storage unit 220, which is a region that pre-stores segmentation modes indicating how to segment the display screen of the display device 70.

[0032] The display control unit 100 passes through Figure 1 The CPU 11 of the control device 1 shown executes the system program read from the ROM 12. This is mainly achieved by the CPU 11 performing arithmetic processing using the RAM 13 and non-volatile memory 14, and display output processing using the interface 17. The display control unit 100 divides the display screen of the display device 70 into multiple segments, displaying information related to a specified information category in each segment. The display control unit 100 typically treats the display screen of the display device 70 as a single display area, displaying information related to a predetermined information category determined by the operator's actions. Furthermore, when the operator performs a specified operation, the display control unit 100 divides the display screen into multiple segments according to the segmentation mode specified by the segmentation mode designation unit 130. Then, information related to a predetermined information category stored in the segmentation area display information category storage unit 210 is displayed in each segment.

[0033] The information category editing screen display unit 110 displays information via... Figure 1The CPU 11 of the control device 1 shown executes the system program read from the ROM 12. This is mainly achieved by the CPU 11 performing arithmetic processing using the RAM 13 and non-volatile memory 14, and display output processing via the interface 17. The display information category editing screen display unit 110 displays the display information category editing screen on the display screen of the display device 70.

[0034] Figure 3 This shows an example of a screen displaying information category editing. Figure 3 The example shows a segmentation mode where the display screen is divided into four sections: left and right, top and bottom.

[0035] The display information category editing screen 300 includes at least a first display 310 capable of visually determining the position of each segmented area on the display screen. The first display 310 may also be a display capable of visually determining the size of each segmented area on the display screen. Figure 3 In the example, the entire display screen is divided by a dividing line (dashed line), and the first display 310 is represented by an icon that marks the location of the divided area on the display screen.

[0036] Additionally, the information category editing screen 300 includes at least a second display 320 showing a list of information categories that can be displayed in each segmented area. The second display 320 can also emphasize the information category displayed in the currently corresponding segmented area. Figure 3 In the example, the second display 320 is represented by an icon that shows the name of the information category.

[0037] In addition, in each segmented region, such as Figure 3 As shown, information related to the information categories displayed in the upper left corner ("relative coordinates"), the upper right corner ("modal"), the lower left corner ("spindle, feed rate"), and the lower right corner ("machining program") is represented by icons displayed in double boxes. The first display 310 and the second display 320, corresponding to the same segmented area, are displayed in a way that allows for understanding their correspondence. The first display 310 and the second display 320 display information according to the correspondence between each segmented area and the information category assigned to that segmented area, stored in the segmented area display information category storage unit 210. For example, in... Figure 3 In this example, the first display 310 and the second display 320, corresponding to the same segmented area, are arranged horizontally in the same row. In this example, the segmented area in the upper left corner can display information categories such as "absolute coordinates," "relative coordinates," "mechanical coordinates," and "comprehensive display." Thus, in the information category editing screen, it is configured so that one can immediately determine which information category is displayed in which segmented area.

[0038] The information category editing screen 300 may also include a third display 330 that provides a overview of the information categories that can be displayed on the screen. The third display 330 provides a overview of the information categories stored in the information category storage unit 200. Figure 3 In the example, each information category is represented by an icon with its display name. The third display 330 is used to select the information category assigned to the segmented area during the editing operations described later. The third display 330 can also be used as follows... Figure 3 As shown in the example, all displayable information categories are displayed at a glance. Alternatively, a separate user interface (not shown) can be set up for filtering and searching, displaying a list of information categories that are part of the results of the filtered search. If the desired information categories cannot be fully displayed within the display area, a scroll bar (340) can be used for scrolling.

[0039] Display Information Category Editorial Department 120 passed Figure 1 The control device 1 shown has a CPU 11 that executes the system program read from the ROM 12. This is mainly achieved by the CPU 11 performing arithmetic operations using RAM 13 and non-volatile memory 14, and input / output operations via interfaces 17 and 18. The display information category editing unit 120 handles editing operations on the second display 320, and edits the overview of information categories that can be displayed in the segmented areas based on these editing operations. As a result of the editing performed by the display information category editing unit 120, if the allocation of information categories in the segmented areas is changed, this change is reflected in the segmented area display information category storage unit 210. The editing operations handled by the display information category editing unit 120 can be, for example, drag-and-drop operations using the input device 71.

[0040] Figure 4 This is an example of editing a list of information categories that can be displayed in a segmented area using drag-and-drop operations. Figure 4 The example shows that in Figure 3 In the illustrated display information category editing screen 300, an operation is performed to reassign the information category of tool information assigned to the upper right segment to the lower left segment. In this case, the operator operates the instruction device to drag and drop the icon of the information category of the tool information displayed in the second display 320 corresponding to the upper right segment to the position of the second display 320 corresponding to the lower left segment. Thus, the information category of the tool information assigned to the upper right segment is reassigned to the lower left segment.

[0041] Figure 5 This is another example of editing a list of information categories that can be displayed in a segmented area using drag-and-drop operations. Figure 5 The example shows that in Figure 3In the illustrated display information category editing screen 300, the operation of assigning the information category of the program restart information displayed on the third display 330 to the lower right segmented area is described. In this case, the operator operates the instruction device to drag and drop the icon of the information category of the program restart information displayed on the third display 330 to the position on the second display 320 corresponding to the lower right segmented area. This allows the information category of the program restart information to be assigned to the lower right segmented area.

[0042] Figure 6 This is yet another example of using drag-and-drop operations to edit a list of information categories that can be displayed in a segmented area. Figure 6 The example shows that in Figure 3 The illustrated display information category editing screen 300 demonstrates the operation of deleting the information category assigned to the upper left segment of the overall display. In this case, the operator operates the instruction device to drag and drop the icon of the information category assigned to the upper left segment to the appropriate position on the third display 330. This allows the information category assigned to the upper left segment to be deleted.

[0043] Segmentation mode specified by part 130 Figure 1 The control device 1 shown has a CPU 11 that executes the system program read from the ROM 12. This is mainly achieved by the CPU 11 performing arithmetic processing using RAM 13 and non-volatile memory 14. The segmentation mode specifying unit 130 specifies the segmentation mode indicating how to segment the display screen of the display device 70. The segmentation mode specifying unit 130 can also allow the operator to select a segmentation mode pre-stored in the segmentation mode storage unit 220 (e.g., ...). Figure 7 As shown, the segmentation mode can be specified through various methods, including a 2-segment horizontal division, a 2-segment horizontal division plus a 2-segment vertical division, a 3-segment horizontal division, a 2-segment vertical division plus a 2-segment lower left and right division, etc. Alternatively, the segmentation mode specification unit 130 can also specify the segmentation mode by having the operator specify at least one of the vertical or horizontal divisions of the display screen.

[0044] The control device 1, equipped with the above structure, can display all information categories that can be displayed in each segmented area at a glance. Furthermore, it allows for free selection of the information categories displayed in each segmented area, thus improving the operator's visual visibility, reducing the workload, and shortening operation time. In particular, by enabling a clear view of the position of each segmented area on the display screen and the information categories that can be displayed in each segmented area, it can effectively manage the relationship between the position of the segmented areas and the information categories that can be displayed, especially in situations such as setting up tasks where switching between and displaying a large amount of information is necessary, and where multiple related information categories need to be arranged as required.

[0045] The present invention has been described above as an embodiment of the invention, but the present invention is not limited to the example of the above embodiment and can be implemented in various ways by applying appropriate modifications.

[0046] For example, the segmentation mode designation unit 130 can limit the segmentation modes that can be specified based on the display size and pixel count of the display device 70. Typically, the screen size (in inches) and pixel count of the display device 70 vary. For example, in the control device 1 of a display device 70 with a length of 9:16, when a 4-segment split mode is selected, each segmented area is elongated vertically, making it impossible to see information without scrolling while drawing programs or simulated images. Furthermore, if the pixel count of a single segmented area is small, the amount of information that can be displayed on the screen also decreases, resulting in poor readability. To avoid such problems, the segmentation mode designation unit 130 can also disable the selection if the segmentation mode chosen by the operator is unsuitable for the display size and pixel count of the display device 70. Similarly, when the operator specifies at least one number of segments in the vertical and horizontal directions of the display screen, the specification can be disabled if the size and pixel count of the segmented areas become too small under the specified number of segments.

[0047] Symbol Explanation

[0048] 1 Control device

[0049] 3 Industrial machinery

[0050] 5 Networks

[0051] 6 Fog Computer

[0052] 7 cloud servers

[0053] 11 CPU

[0054] 12ROM

[0055] 13 RAM

[0056] 14 Non-volatile memory

[0057] Interfaces 15, 17, 18, and 20

[0058] 16 PLC

[0059] 19 I / O Units

[0060] 22 bus

[0061] 30-axis control circuit

[0062] 40 servo amplifier

[0063] 50 servo motors

[0064] 70 display devices

[0065] 71 Input Device

[0066] 72 External Devices

[0067] 100 Display Control Unit

[0068] 110 Display Information Category Editing Screen Display Section

[0069] 120 Display Information Category Editorial Department

[0070] 130-segmentation mode specified part

[0071] 200 Information Category Storage Department

[0072] 210 segmented area display information category storage department

[0073] 220-segment storage unit.

Claims

1. A control device capable of dividing a single display screen into multiple segmented regions, characterized in that, The control device has: The display control unit switches the information displayed in each of the multiple segmented regions; The display information category editing screen display unit displays a list of information categories that associate a first display, a second display, and a third display for each of the plurality of segmented regions. The first display visually determines the position of the corresponding segmented region on the display screen; the second display represents a list of information categories displayed in the same column of the display information category editing screen and that can be displayed independently of the displays in the corresponding segmented regions; the third display lists some or all of the information categories that can be displayed on the display screen. The information category editing department accepts editing operations for the second display and edits the overview of information categories that can be displayed in the segmented area according to the editing operations. The display control unit controls the switching of information displayed in each of the multiple segmented regions based on a list of displayable information categories associated with each segmented region, as edited by the display information category editing unit. The display information category editing screen display unit displays the first display and the second display according to the correspondence between each of the segmented regions and the information categories assigned to each of the segmented regions. The display information category editing department accepts a first selection operation for the information category displayed in the third display and a second selection operation for the second display related to a defined segmented area. It then adds the information category selected by the first selection operation to the segmented area corresponding to the second display selected by the second selection operation. When the display information category editing department receives a first selection operation for the information category of the second display associated with a specified segmented area and a second selection operation for the second display associated with a segmented area different from the specified segmented area, it will reassign the information category selected by the first selection operation to the other segmented area. When the display information category editing department receives a first selection operation for the information category displayed in the second display that is related to the specified segmented area and a second selection operation for the third display, it deletes the information category selected by the first selection operation from the specified segmented area.

2. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control device further includes a segmentation mode specifying unit, which is capable of specifying the segmentation mode of the display screen.

3. The control device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The control device further includes: a displayable information category determination unit, which determines the displayable information category for each segmented region according to the segmentation mode specified by the segmentation mode designation unit.

4. The control device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The segmentation mode designator can specify the segmentation mode of the display screen from a plurality of pre-prepared segmentation modes.

5. The control device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The segmentation mode specifying unit can specify the segmentation mode of the display screen by specifying the number of segments in at least one of the vertical and horizontal directions of the display screen.

6. The control device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The segmentation mode specifying unit limits the segmentation modes that can be specified based on at least one of the display size and the number of pixels of the display screen.

7. The control device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The segmentation mode designator limits the number of segments based on at least one of the display size and the number of pixels of the display screen.

8. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first display is an icon indicating the location of the segmented area on the display screen.

9. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second display emphasizes the information displayed in the segmented area in a way that allows the display control unit to grasp the categories of information displayed in the segmented area.

Images