Control device, control system, and control method

Abstract

A CPU unit (10) is provided with: an auxiliary power supply (12); a power receiving unit (11); a storage unit (14); an abnormality detection unit (101) that detects an abnormality occurring in at least one of a plurality of external devices including the main power supply unit (20) and the CPU unit (10), and that stores, in the storage unit (14), abnormality data including data indicating which of the devices has occurred an abnormality; a notification control unit (102) that, on the basis of the abnormality data, notifies, by means of a notification unit (15), information indicating which device has occurred an abnormality; and a power supply unit (13) that supplies power to the storage unit (14) and the notification control unit (102), the storage unit (14) and the notification control unit (102) operating on the basis of the power supplied by the power supply unit (13), and the power supply unit (14) supplies power from the main power supply unit (20) when the power reception unit (11) can receive power from the main power supply unit (20), and supplies power from the auxiliary power supply (12) when the power reception unit (11) cannot receive power.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a control device, a control system, and a control method. BACKGROUND

[0002] There is known a technology in which, in a control system, a site at which an abnormality has occurred is shown in order to assist a maintenance work at the time of the abnormality. For example, a programmable logic controller (PLC) that notifies a site at which an abnormality has occurred when a system abnormality is detected is disclosed in Patent Literature 1.

[0003] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-008496 SUMMARY

[0004] Further, the maintenance work at the time of the abnormality is sometimes performed in a state in which power supply from a main power source to the device is cut off. For example, it is conceivable that, at the time of inspection of the device, the main power source is turned off in order to prevent electric shock, prevent abnormal operation, and the like. Or, it is also conceivable that power supply to the device is not performed due to a failure of the main power source device.

[0005] In the technology described in Patent Literature 1, when power supply from the main power source is cut off, there is a problem that a site at which an abnormality has occurred is not notified, and a maintenance work cannot be sufficiently assisted.

[0006] The present application has an object to provide a control device and the like in which, in view of the above-described circumstances, a site at which an abnormality has occurred can also be notified when power supply from a main power source is cut off.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a control device according to the present application includes: an auxiliary power source; a power receiving unit that receives power from a main power source device; a storage unit; an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality generated in at least one of the control device and a plurality of external devices including the main power source device, and saves, in the storage unit, abnormality data including data indicating which device has generated the abnormality in association with the abnormality; a notification control unit that notifies, by a first notification unit, information indicating which device has generated the abnormality, on the basis of the abnormality data saved in the storage unit; and a power supply unit that supplies power to the storage unit and the notification control unit. The storage unit and the notification control unit operate on the basis of power supplied from the power supply unit. The power supply unit supplies power from the main power source device when the power receiving unit can receive power from the main power source device, and supplies power from the auxiliary power source when the power receiving unit cannot receive power from the main power source device.

[0008] EFFECT OF THE INVENTION

[0009] According to the present application, even when the power supply from the main power source is cut off, the part where the abnormality has occurred can be notified. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the overall structure of the control system to which Embodiment 1 of the present application relates.

[0011] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing one example of the power supply operation by the CPU unit to which Embodiment 1 of the present application relates.

[0012] Figure 3 is a diagram showing the overall structure of the control system to which Embodiment 2 of the present application relates. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] Hereinafter, the control system to which the embodiments of the present application relate will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each of the drawings, the same or equivalent parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0014] (Embodiment 1)

[0015] Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figure 1 , in addition, the thick dotted arrow in Figure 1 shows the connection relationship of the power supply line and the flow of power, and the thin dotted line shows the connection relationship of the communication line.

[0016] The control system 1 is a control system realized by a programmable logic controller (PLC) including various units. The control system 1 controls a sensor, an actuator, and the like, which are not illustrated. The control system 1 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) unit 10, a main power source unit 20, and one or more extension units 30. The main power source unit 20 supplies power to the CPU unit 10 and the extension units 30. The CPU unit 10 is communicably connected to the main power source unit 20 and the extension units 30. The PLC is constructed by the CPU unit 10, the main power source unit 20, and the extension units 30. The control system 1 is one example of the control system to which the present application relates.

[0017] The CPU unit 10 is a unit that centrally controls the control system 1 as a PLC. The CPU unit 10 operates by power supplied from the main power source unit 20 at ordinary times. The CPU unit 10 performs a program to communicate with the extension units 30, and performs acquisition of a sensor value from a sensor which is not illustrated, control of an actuator which is not illustrated, and the like.

[0018] The CPU unit 10 communicates with the main power supply unit 20 and the extension unit 30, and detects abnormalities of the main power supply unit 20 and the extension unit 30. If the CPU unit 10 detects an abnormality of the main power supply unit 20 and the extension unit 30, the CPU unit 10 notifies the user of information related to the abnormality. The information related to the abnormality at least includes information indicating which unit has an abnormality. In addition, the notification is made even in a state where the power supply from the main power supply unit 20 is cut off. Details of the functional configuration of the CPU unit 10 and the abnormality detection, notification, and the like will be described later. The CPU unit 10 is one example of the control device to which the present application relates.

[0019] The main power supply unit 20 supplies power to the CPU unit 10 and the extension unit 30. The main power supply unit 20 is communicably connected to the CPU unit 10. Through the communication, the CPU unit 10 is able to detect an abnormality of the main power supply unit 20. The power supply by the main power supply unit 20 can be appropriately stopped by the user. For example, the user turns off a not-illustrated power switch provided in the main power supply unit 20 at the time of maintenance work, in order to prevent electric shock, prevent abnormal operation, and the like, whereby the power supply by the main power supply unit 20 can be stopped. The main power supply unit 20 is one example of the main power supply device and the external device to which the present application relates.

[0020] The extension unit 30 operates by power supplied from the main power supply unit 20. The extension unit 30 is communicably connected to the CPU unit 10. The extension unit 30 operates based on the control of the CPU unit 10. In addition, through the communication, the CPU unit 10 is able to detect an abnormality of the extension unit 30. The extension unit 30 is a unit such as an input / output unit, a network communication unit, and the like. The extension unit 30 is one example of the external device to which the present application relates.

[0021] Next, the functional configuration of the CPU unit 10 will be described. The CPU unit 10 has a power receiving unit 11, an auxiliary power supply 12, a power supply unit 13, a storage unit 14, a notification unit 15, and a control unit 100.

[0022] The power receiving unit 11 receives power supplied by the main power supply unit 20. The power receiving unit 11 supplies the received power to the power supply unit 13. When the power receiving unit 11 cannot receive power from the main power supply unit 20, the power supply from the power receiving unit 11 to the power supply unit 13 of course also stops. For example, when the main power supply unit 20 has an abnormality and the power supply is cut off, or when the power switch of the main power supply unit 20 is turned off, the power supply from the power receiving unit 11 to the power supply unit 13 stops. The power receiving unit 11 is one example of the power receiving unit to which the present application relates.

[0023] The auxiliary power supply 12 has a power source such as a dry cell battery, a storage battery, or a supercapacitor (not shown). The auxiliary power supply supplies power obtained from the power source to the power supply unit 13. The auxiliary power supply 12 is an example of the auxiliary power supply involved in this invention.

[0024] The power supply unit 13 supplies power to the storage unit 14, the notification unit 15, and the control unit 100. When power is available from the power receiving unit 11, i.e., when the power receiving unit 11 can receive power from the main power supply unit 20, the power supply unit 13 supplies power from the power receiving unit 11 to the storage unit 14, the notification unit 15, and the control unit 100. When there is no power supply from the power receiving unit 11, i.e., when the power receiving unit 11 cannot receive power from the main power supply unit 20, the power supply unit 13 supplies power from the auxiliary power supply 12 to the storage unit 14, the notification unit 15, and the control unit 100. In other words, the power supply unit 13 switches the power supply source for supplying power to the storage unit 14, the notification unit 15, and the control unit 100 based on whether the power receiving unit 11 can receive power from the main power supply unit 20. The power supply unit 13 is an example of the power supply unit involved in the present invention.

[0025] The storage unit 14 stores the abnormal data created by the abnormality detection unit 101, which will be described later. The storage unit 14 operates using power supplied from the power supply unit 13. The storage unit 14 is implemented, for example, using flash memory. The storage unit 14 is an example of the storage cell involved in the present invention.

[0026] The notification unit 15, based on a notification from the notification control unit 102 (described later), notifies the user of information related to an anomaly generated by the control system 1. Specifically, the notification unit 15 notifies the user of information indicating which unit has generated the anomaly. The notification unit 15 operates using power supplied from the power supply unit 13. The notification unit 15 may be, for example, a display capable of showing the anomaly-related information as an image. Alternatively, the notification unit 15 may be a plurality of lights indicating the unit that generated the anomaly and the type of anomaly. Alternatively, the notification unit 15 may be a speaker capable of notifying the user of the anomaly-related information as sound. The notification unit 15 is an example of the first notification unit of the present invention.

[0027] The control unit 100 centrally controls the CPU unit 10. The CPU unit 10 operates using power supplied from the power supply unit 13. The CPU unit 10 includes an error detection unit 101 and a notification control unit 102.

[0028] The anomaly detection unit 101 communicates with the main power supply unit 20 and the expansion unit 30 to detect anomalies in the main power supply unit 20 and the expansion unit 30. The anomaly detection unit 101 also detects anomalies in the CPU unit 10 itself. When the anomaly detection unit 101 detects anomalies in the main power supply unit 20, the expansion unit 30, and the CPU unit 10, it creates anomaly-related data, i.e., anomaly data, and stores it in the storage unit 14. The anomaly data at least includes data indicating which unit generated the anomaly. The anomaly detection unit 101 operates using power supplied from the power supply unit 13. The anomaly detection unit 101 is an example of the anomaly detection unit of the present invention.

[0029] For example, when communication with one of the main power supply unit 20 or one or more expansion units 30 fails, the anomaly detection unit 101 detects a communication-related anomaly in the unit that cannot communicate. In this case, the anomaly detection unit 101 creates anomaly data and stores it in the storage unit 14. This anomaly data includes data indicating that the unit that cannot communicate has experienced an anomaly. Furthermore, the anomaly detection unit 101 can also perform diagnostic communication with each unit, detecting anomalies based on the diagnostic results. Additionally, for example, when a signal that should be emitted from a part of the circuitry of the CPU unit 10 is interrupted, the anomaly detection unit 101 detects an anomaly in that circuitry. In this case, the anomaly detection unit 101 creates anomaly data and stores it in the storage unit 14. This anomaly data includes data indicating that the circuit has experienced an anomaly.

[0030] Furthermore, if the anomaly detection unit 101 does not specifically detect an anomaly and the storage unit 14 has stored past anomaly data, it deletes the anomaly data.

[0031] The notification control unit 102 refers to the abnormal data stored in the storage unit 14, and based on the abnormal data, controls the notification unit 15 to notify information related to the abnormality. Specifically, the notification control unit 102 notifies the notification unit 15 of information indicating which unit has generated the abnormality. The notification control unit 102 operates using power supplied from the power supply unit 13. The notification control unit 102 is an example of a notification control unit according to the present invention.

[0032] Furthermore, the notification control unit 102 does not issue a special notification if the storage unit 14 does not store any abnormal data. Therefore, no notification is sent from the CPU unit 10 when no abnormality is detected.

[0033] Next, while referring to Figure 2 Here is an example of the power supply operation performed by the CPU unit 10. Figure 2 The actions shown are performed continuously during the startup of CPU unit 10.

[0034] The power supply unit 13 of the CPU unit 10 determines whether the power receiving unit 11 can receive power from the main power supply unit 20 (step S101). As described above, this is determined by whether there is a power supply from the power receiving unit 11 to the power supply unit 13.

[0035] When power can be received from the main power supply unit 20 (step S101: Yes), the power supply unit 13 supplies the power received from the power receiving unit 11, i.e., the power from the main power supply unit 20, to the storage unit 14, the notification unit 15, and the control unit 100 (step S102). Then, the operation from step S101 is repeated.

[0036] When power cannot be received from the main power supply unit 20 (step S101: No), the power supply unit 13 supplies power from the auxiliary power supply 12 to the storage unit 14, the notification unit 15, and the control unit 100 (step S103). Then, the operation from step S101 is repeated.

[0037] Through these actions, even when the power supply from the main power supply unit 20 is cut off, the storage unit 14, notification unit 15, and control unit 100 operate using power from the auxiliary power supply 12. Therefore, the anomaly detection unit 101 detects anomalies, stores the anomaly data in the storage unit 14, and notifies the control unit 102 and notification unit 15 of anomaly-related information, particularly information indicating which unit has an anomaly. In other words, the CPU unit 10 can notify the part that has an anomaly even when the power supply from the main power supply is cut off.

[0038] (Implementation Method 2)

[0039] While referring to Figure 3 The control system 1 according to Embodiment 2 will be described below. The control system 1 according to Embodiment 2 is roughly the same as... Figure 1 The embodiment shown is the same as that of embodiment 1, except that the CPU unit 10 and the terminal 40 are communicatively connected. According to the control system 1 of embodiment 2, information related to anomalies can be notified not only through the notification unit 15 of the CPU unit 10, but also through the terminal 40.

[0040] In Embodiment 2, the notification control unit 102 of the control unit 100 outputs information related to anomalies to the terminal 40 via communication, thereby notifying the terminal 40 of the anomaly-related information. When the power receiving unit 11 can receive power from the main power supply unit 20, the power supply unit 13 supplies power from the auxiliary power supply unit 20 to the control unit 100 and the storage unit 14, thus enabling the notification control unit 102 to output information related to anomalies to the terminal 40. Furthermore, when the power receiving unit 11 cannot receive power from the main power supply unit 20, the power supply unit 13 supplies power from the auxiliary power supply 12 to the control unit 100 and the storage unit 14, thus enabling the notification control unit 102 to similarly output information related to anomalies to the terminal 40.

[0041] Terminal 40 is communicatively connected to CPU unit 10 and notifies the user of information related to anomalies based on communication with notification control unit 102. Terminal 40 is, for example, an industrial personal computer, a display, a smartphone, or other terminal device. Terminal 40 is an example of the second notification unit involved in this invention.

[0042] (Modified example)

[0043] In various embodiments, the control system 1 is implemented by a PLC, but the control system 1 can also be implemented by components other than a PLC. For example, the control system 1 can also be a master-slave system comprising multiple slave devices and a master device receiving power from a main power supply. In this case, the master device is an example of the control device of the present invention, and the slave devices and the main power supply are examples of the external devices of the present invention.

[0044] In various embodiments, the auxiliary power supply 12 internally includes power sources such as dry cell batteries, storage batteries, and supercapacitors. However, the power supply source to the auxiliary power supply 12 can also be located externally to the CPU unit 10. For example, in Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment 2, the auxiliary power supply 12 can also configure the terminal 40 as a power source, receiving power from the terminal 40. In this case, when the power supply from the main power supply unit 20 is cut off and the terminal 40 is not connected to the CPU unit 10, no notification of abnormal information is given. However, if it is necessary to connect the terminal 40 to the CPU unit 10 during maintenance operations, no major problems will occur.

[0045] In various embodiments, the control unit 100 of the CPU unit 10 includes an anomaly detection unit 101, which operates using power from the power supply unit 13. However, the anomaly detection unit 101 does not necessarily have to operate using power from the power supply unit 13; it can operate only when power is supplied from the main power supply unit 20. Even in such a case, as long as the anomaly data is saved while power is supplied from the main power supply unit 20, even if the power supply from the main power supply unit 20 is subsequently cut off, the storage unit 14, the notification unit 15, and the notification control unit 102 will operate using power from the auxiliary power supply 12. Therefore, the CPU unit 10 can notify users of information related to the anomaly.

[0046] In various embodiments, the fault detection unit 101 of the control unit 100 of the CPU unit 10 detects faults in the main power supply unit 20, the expansion unit 30, and the CPU unit 10 itself. Alternatively, the fault detection unit 101 may only detect faults in a subset of the aforementioned units. For example, the fault detection unit 101 may not detect faults in the CPU unit 10 itself. In this case, no notification is given even if the CPU unit 10 experiences a fault, but this approach can be adopted, for example, so that when the CPU unit 10 experiences a fault, the user is aware that the CPU unit 10 has experienced a fault, even without notification. Furthermore, for example, the fault detection unit 101 may only detect faults in the CPU unit 10 itself.

[0047] In embodiment 2, the CPU unit 10 has a notification unit 15, and the notification control unit 102 notifies the abnormality-related information through both the notification unit 15 and the terminal 40. Alternatively, the CPU unit 10 may not have a notification unit 15, and the notification control unit 102 may only notify the abnormality-related information through the terminal 40. In this case, the terminal 40 is an example of the first notification unit of the present invention.

[0048] In various embodiments, the power supply unit 13 of the CPU unit 10 always supplies power from the auxiliary power supply 12 to the storage unit 14, the notification unit 15, and the control unit 100 when the power supply from the main power supply unit 20 is cut off. However, the power supply unit 13 can also switch between supplying or not supplying power from the auxiliary power supply 12 when the power supply from the main power supply unit 20 is cut off, based on user settings. For example, if the main power supply unit 20 is kept off for an extended period during normal operation, the power stored in the auxiliary power supply 12 may be unnecessarily consumed. Therefore, it is convenient to switch this according to user settings. This switching setting can be, for example, implemented by a DIP switch provided in the CPU unit 10. Alternatively, inFigure 3 In the case of Embodiment 2 shown, an engineering design tool program can also be installed on the terminal 40, and settings can be made through the engineering design tool.

[0049] Furthermore, when configuring the CPU unit 10 via engineering design tools, it is possible not only to switch the power supply but also to configure what information should be notified as information related to the anomaly. For example, it can be configured to only show the unit that caused the anomaly, or it can be configured to display the anomaly details.

[0050] This invention allows for various implementations and modifications without departing from its broad spirit and scope. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. That is, the scope of the invention is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Moreover, various modifications implemented within the scope of the claims and their equivalents are considered to be included within the scope of this invention.

[0051] Explanation of the label

[0052] 1 Control system, 10 CPU unit, 11 Power receiving unit, 12 Auxiliary power supply, 13 Power supply unit, 14 Storage unit, 15 Notification unit, 20 Main power supply unit, 30 Expansion unit, 40 Terminal, 100 Control unit, 101 Anomaly detection unit, 102 Notification control unit.

Claims

1. A control device comprising: Auxiliary power supply; The power receiving unit receives power from the main power supply unit; Storage unit; An anomaly detection unit detects anomalies generated by at least one of the control device and a plurality of external devices including the main power supply device, and stores anomaly data, including data related to the anomaly indicating which device generated the anomaly, in the storage unit. The notification control unit, based on the abnormal data stored in the storage unit, notifies the first notification unit of information indicating which device has generated an abnormality; as well as The power supply unit supplies power to the storage unit and the notification control unit. The storage unit and the notification control unit operate based on the power supplied by the power supply unit. The power supply unit supplies power from the main power supply device when the power receiving unit is able to receive power from the main power supply device, and supplies power from the auxiliary power supply device when the power receiving unit is unable to receive power from the main power supply device.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein, It also has the first notification unit, The power supply unit also supplies power to the first notification unit.

3. The control device according to claim 2, wherein, The notification control unit also sends notifications through a second notification unit outside the control device.

4. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The power supply unit, based on user settings, switches between supplying or withholding power from the auxiliary power source when the receiving unit is unable to receive power from the main power supply device.

5. A control system comprising a control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and the plurality of external devices.

6. A control method, which is a control method for a control device, wherein, The control device has: Auxiliary power supply; The power receiving unit receives power from the main power supply unit; Storage unit; An anomaly detection unit detects anomalies generated by at least one of the control device and a plurality of external devices including the main power supply device, and stores anomaly data, including data related to the anomaly indicating which device generated the anomaly, in the storage unit. as well as The notification control unit, based on the abnormal data stored in the storage unit, notifies the first notification unit of information indicating which device has generated an abnormality. When the power receiving unit is able to receive power from the main power supply device, power from the main power supply device is supplied to the storage unit and the notification control unit; when the power receiving unit is unable to receive power from the main power supply device, power from the auxiliary power supply device is supplied to the storage unit and the notification control unit.

Images