Information collection apparatus and operating method thereof

Abstract

An information collection apparatus according to an embodiment disclosed in this document includes: a controller including a signal transmitting port and a signal receiving port; and a plurality of sensors connected to the signal transmitting port and the signal receiving port, in which the controller may sequentially transmit a wake-up signal, a transmission signal, and a reception signal to each of the plurality of sensors through the signal transmitting port or the signal receiving port, and sequentially receiving a wake-up signal, a transmit signal, and a receive signal from each of the plurality of sensors.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority and benefit to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0125815, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on September 20, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The embodiments disclosed in this document relate to an information collection device and its operation method. Background Technology

[0004] In recent years, research and development of rechargeable batteries have been actively underway. Here, rechargeable batteries are batteries that can be charged and discharged, and this includes all traditional Ni / Cd and Ni / MH batteries, as well as the more recent lithium-ion batteries. Among rechargeable batteries, lithium-ion batteries have the advantage of significantly higher energy density than traditional Ni / Cd and Ni / MH batteries. Furthermore, because lithium-ion batteries can be manufactured in small sizes and are lightweight, they are used as power sources for mobile devices, and recently, due to their expanding applications in electric vehicles, they have attracted attention as a next-generation energy storage medium.

[0005] Various information about the battery can be collected through sensors. Furthermore, the information collected from sensors can be integrated into upper-level control devices via I / O-link devices. I / O-link devices refer to systems that provide connections for actuators or sensors commonly used in machine automation. In the case of currently used control devices (MCUs, microcontroller units), the number of ports is limited to eight, so a maximum of eight I / O-link devices can be connected. However, since there are hundreds to thousands of sensors in real-world scenarios, a method is needed to connect a large number of I / O-link devices. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Technical issues

[0007] The purpose of the embodiments disclosed in this document is to provide an information collection device and its operating method, which can increase the number of I / O link ports that can be used by the upper-layer controller.

[0008] Another objective of the embodiments disclosed in this document is to provide an information collection device and its operating method, which can increase the number of I / O link ports available to the upper-level controller by using a multiplexer, and to provide a communication method for receiving information from multiple sensors via a multiplexer.

[0009] The technical problems of the embodiments disclosed in this document are not limited to the above-described technical problems, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art through the following description.

[0010] Technical solution

[0011] An information collection device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document may include: a controller including a signal transmitting port and a signal receiving port; and a plurality of sensors connected to the signal transmitting port and the signal receiving port, wherein the controller may sequentially transmit a wake-up signal, a transmitting signal, and a receiving signal to each of the plurality of sensors through the signal transmitting port or the signal receiving port, and sequentially receive a wake-up signal, a transmitting signal, and a receiving signal from each of the plurality of sensors.

[0012] In one embodiment, the controller may include multiple signal transmitting ports and multiple signal receiving ports, wherein each of the multiple signal transmitting ports and each of the multiple signal receiving ports may be connected to each of the multiple sensors.

[0013] In an implementation, the controller may: sequentially send the wake-up signal to each of the plurality of sensors through each of the plurality of signal sending ports; when the sending of the wake-up signal is completed, sequentially receive a response to the wake-up signal from each of the plurality of sensors through each of the plurality of signal receiving ports; and when the wake-up is completed, send information to the plurality of sensors and receive information from the plurality of sensors.

[0014] In an implementation, the controller may: when the reception of the response to the wake-up signal is completed, sequentially send the transmission signal to each of the plurality of sensors through each of the plurality of signal transmission ports; and when the transmission of the transmission signal is completed, sequentially receive the reception signal from each of the plurality of sensors through each of the plurality of signal reception ports.

[0015] In an embodiment, the information collection device may further include a protocol modification unit connected between each of the plurality of signal transmitting ports and each of the plurality of signal receiving ports and each of the plurality of sensors, to modify the protocol.

[0016] In an implementation, the plurality of signal transmitting ports and the plurality of signal receiving ports may include the UART protocol, and the protocol changing unit may change the UART protocol and the IO link protocol to each other.

[0017] In one embodiment, the information collection device may further include: a first multiplexer (MUX) connected to the signal transmission port; and a second multiplexer connected to the signal reception port, wherein the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer may be connected to the plurality of sensors.

[0018] In an implementation, the controller may: sequentially send port selection signals to the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer for selecting any one of n ports; sequentially select a port of the first multiplexer based on the port selection signals, and sequentially send a wake-up signal to each of the plurality of sensors; when the sequential transmission of the wake-up signals is complete, select a port of the second multiplexer based on the port selection signals, and sequentially receive a response to the wake-up signal from each of the plurality of sensors; and when the reception of the response to the wake-up signal is complete, send information to the plurality of sensors and receive information from the plurality of sensors based on the port selection signals through the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer.

[0019] In an implementation, the controller may: when the reception of the response to the wake-up signal is completed, select the port of the first multiplexer based on the port selection signal, and sequentially send the transmission signal to each of the plurality of sensors; and when the sequential transmission of the transmission signal is completed, select the port of the second multiplexer based on the port selection signal, and sequentially receive the reception signal from each of the plurality of sensors.

[0020] In one embodiment, the information collection device may further include a protocol modification unit connected between the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer and the plurality of sensors to modify the protocol.

[0021] In an implementation, the signal transmitting port and the signal receiving port may include the UART protocol, and the protocol changing unit may change the UART protocol and the IO link protocol to each other.

[0022] In an implementation, the controller may include multiple signal transmitting ports and multiple signal receiving ports, wherein each of the multiple signal transmitting ports and each of the multiple signal receiving ports may be connected to multiple first multiplexers and multiple second multiplexers.

[0023] An operating method of an information collection device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document may include the following operations: sequentially sending a wake-up signal to each of a plurality of sensors and sequentially receiving a response to the wake-up signal through a signal transmission port or a signal reception port; and sequentially sending a transmission signal to each of the plurality of sensors and sequentially receiving a reception signal through the signal transmission port or the signal reception port, wherein the signal transmission port and the signal reception port may be connected to the plurality of sensors.

[0024] In an implementation, the signal transmitting port may include multiple signal transmitting ports, and the signal receiving port may include multiple signal receiving ports. The operation of sequentially transmitting a wake-up signal to each of the multiple sensors and sequentially receiving a response to the wake-up signal through the signal transmitting port or the signal receiving port may include the following operations: sequentially transmitting the wake-up signal to each of the multiple sensors through each of the multiple signal transmitting ports; and when the transmission of the wake-up signal is completed, sequentially receiving a response to the wake-up signal from each of the multiple sensors through each of the multiple signal receiving ports.

[0025] In an implementation, the operation of sequentially sending a transmission signal to each of the plurality of sensors and sequentially receiving a reception signal through the signal transmission port or the signal reception port may include the following operations: when the reception of the response to the wake-up signal is completed, sequentially sending the transmission signal to each of the plurality of sensors through each of the plurality of signal transmission ports; and when the transmission of the transmission signal is completed, sequentially receiving the reception signal from each of the plurality of sensors through each of the plurality of signal reception ports.

[0026] In one embodiment, the information collection device may further include: a first multiplexer (MUX) connected to the signal transmission port; and a second multiplexer connected to the signal reception port, wherein the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer may be connected to the plurality of sensors.

[0027] In an implementation, the operation method of the information collection device may further include the following operation: sequentially sending port selection signals to the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer for selecting any one of the n ports.

[0028] In an implementation, the operation of sequentially sending a wake-up signal to each of a plurality of sensors and sequentially receiving responses to the wake-up signal via a signal transmission port or a signal reception port may include the following operations: sequentially selecting the port of the first multiplexer based on the port selection signal, and sequentially sending the wake-up signal to each of the plurality of sensors; and when the sequential transmission of the wake-up signal is completed, selecting the port of the second multiplexer based on the port selection signal, and sequentially receiving responses to the wake-up signal from each of the plurality of sensors.

[0029] In an implementation, the operation of sequentially sending a transmission signal to each of the plurality of sensors and sequentially receiving a reception signal through the signal transmission port or the signal reception port may include the following operations: when the reception of the response to the wake-up signal is completed, selecting the port of the first multiplexer based on the port selection signal, and sequentially sending the transmission signal to each of the plurality of sensors; and when the sequential transmission of the transmission signal is completed, selecting the port of the second multiplexer based on the port selection signal, and sequentially receiving the reception signal from each of the plurality of sensors.

[0030] In an embodiment, the operation method of the information collection device may further include changing the protocol.

[0031] Beneficial effects

[0032] The information collection apparatus and its operating method according to the embodiments disclosed in this document can increase the number of sensors capable of collecting information from the controller via a multiplexer.

[0033] The information collection apparatus and its operating method according to the embodiments disclosed in this document can sequentially collect information from each of a plurality of sensors connected to the multiplexer by controlling an enable signal applied to the multiplexer.

[0034] Furthermore, the information collection apparatus and its operating method according to the embodiments disclosed in this document can prevent information loss by sequentially transmitting signals through each port of a transmitting multiplexer and sequentially receiving signals through each port of a receiving multiplexer, prevent time loss by effectively performing communication, and expand the limited number of ports for I / O links.

[0035] Furthermore, this document provides insights into various effects, whether directly or indirectly. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating an information collection apparatus according to an embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0037] Figure 2 This is a view specifically illustrating an information collection apparatus according to an embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0038] Figure 3 This is a view illustrating an example of communication of multiple ports controlled by an information collection device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0039] Figure 4 This is a view illustrating an information collection apparatus according to another embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0040] Figure 5 This is a view illustrating an example of communication of multiple ports controlled by an information collection device according to another embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0041] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the operation method of the information collection device according to the embodiments disclosed in this document.

[0042] Figure 7 and Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the operation method of the information collection device according to the embodiments disclosed in this document.

[0043] Figure 9 This is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of a computing system configured to perform an operation method of an information collection device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document. Detailed Implementation

[0044] In the following, the embodiments disclosed in this document will be described in detail with reference to the exemplary accompanying drawings. When adding reference numerals to components in each drawing, it should be noted that, although components are shown in different drawings, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components whenever possible. Furthermore, in describing the embodiments disclosed in this document, detailed descriptions of relevant known configurations or functions will be omitted when it is determined that a specific description of the relevant known configuration or function would hinder the understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this document.

[0045] When describing components of the embodiments disclosed in this document, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. These terms are used only to distinguish components from other components, and the nature, order, sequence, etc., of the components are not limited by these terms. Furthermore, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art. Terms defined in common dictionaries should be interpreted as having the same meaning as they have in the context of the prior art, and unless expressly defined in this application, these terms should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense.

[0046] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating an information collection apparatus according to an embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0047] Reference Figure 1 The information collection device 100 according to the embodiments disclosed in this document may include a controller 110 and a plurality of sensors 120.

[0048] The controller 110 may include a signal transmitting port and a signal receiving port. For example, the controller 110 may include a first signal transmitting port 111 and a first signal receiving port 116. For example, the controller 110 may transmit signals through the first signal transmitting port 111 and receive signals through the first signal receiving port 116.

[0049] The controller 110 can sequentially send a wake-up signal, a send signal, and a receive signal to each of the plurality of sensors 120 via a signal sending port and a signal receiving port, and sequentially receive a wake-up signal, a send signal, and a receive signal from each of the plurality of sensors 120. For example, the controller 110 can sequentially execute a series of processes for sending a wake-up signal to each of the plurality of sensors 120, sending a send signal, and receiving a receive signal from each of the plurality of sensors 120.

[0050] Signal transmitting ports and signal receiving ports can be connected to multiple sensors 120. For example, a first signal transmitting port 111 and a first signal receiving port 116 can be connected to multiple sensors 120. As another example, signal transmitting ports may include multiple signal transmitting ports, signal receiving ports may include multiple signal receiving ports, and each of the multiple signal transmitting ports and each of the multiple signal receiving ports can be connected to each of the multiple sensors 120.

[0051] According to the implementation, the multiple signal transmitting ports and the multiple signal receiving ports can correspond to each other and can be connected to any one of the multiple sensors 120.

[0052] According to embodiments, the plurality of sensors 120 can sense various types of information. For example, the plurality of sensors 120 can sense various types of information related to the battery. According to embodiments, the plurality of sensors 120 can sense various types of information such as voltage, current, temperature, pressure, SOC, SOH, and the amount of gas produced. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the plurality of sensors 120 can sense various types of information that are related to or not related to the battery.

[0053] The controller 110 can send signals to multiple sensors 120 through the signal transmission port. For example, the controller 110 can send various signals through the signal transmission port, such as signals to wake up multiple sensors 120, signals to collect information, signals to collect identification information, signals to determine whether a fault exists, etc.

[0054] The controller 110 can receive signals from multiple sensors 120 via a signal receiving port. For example, the controller 110 can receive various signals from the multiple sensors 120 via the signal receiving port, such as response signals responding to wake-up signals, response signals responding to signals for collecting information, response signals responding to signals for collecting identification information, response signals responding to signals for determining whether a fault exists, and so on. According to an embodiment, the response signal responding to the wake-up signal may include a signal indicating that wake-up is complete; the response signal responding to the signal for collecting information may include target information for collection; the response signal responding to the signal for collecting identification information may include sensor identification information; and the response signal responding to the signal for determining whether a fault exists may include fault information.

[0055] In other words, the controller 110 can send one or more types of information to multiple sensors 120 through the signal sending port and the signal receiving port, and receive one or more types of information from multiple sensors 120.

[0056] Figure 2 This is a view specifically illustrating an information collection apparatus according to an embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0057] Reference Figure 2 The controller 110 may include multiple signal transmitting ports 111 and 112 and multiple signal receiving ports 116 and 117. Furthermore, the multiple sensors 120 may include a first sensor 121 and a second sensor 122. Figure 2 In the diagram, the signal transmitting port, the signal receiving port, and the multiple sensors are shown as including two signal transmitting ports, two signal receiving ports, and two sensors, respectively, but they are not limited to this, and may include m signal transmitting ports, m signal receiving ports, and m sensors (m is a natural number).

[0058] The controller 110 can sequentially send wake-up signals, send signals, and receive signals to each of the plurality of sensors 120 through signal sending ports 111 and 112 and signal receiving ports 116 and 117, and sequentially receive wake-up signals, send signals, and receive signals from each of the plurality of sensors 120.

[0059] The controller 110 can sequentially send a wake-up signal to each of the plurality of sensors 120 through each of the plurality of signal transmission ports 111 and 112, and when the transmission of the wake-up signal is complete, the controller 110 can sequentially receive a response to the wake-up signal from each of the plurality of sensors 120 through the plurality of signal receiving ports 116 and 117. According to an embodiment, the controller 110 can send a wake-up signal to the first sensor 121 through the first signal transmission port 111, send a wake-up signal to the second sensor 122 through the second signal transmission port 112, and then receive a response to the wake-up signal from the first sensor 121 through the first signal receiving port 116, and receive a response to the wake-up signal from the second sensor 122 through the second signal receiving port 117. Through the operation described above, the controller 110 can reduce the time spent waiting until a response is received after sending a wake-up signal to each of the plurality of sensors 120.

[0060] When the wake-up is complete, the controller 110 can send information to and receive information from multiple sensors 120. For example, when the reception of the response to the wake-up signal is complete, the controller 110 can sequentially send a transmission signal to each of the multiple sensors 120 through each of the multiple signal transmission ports 111 and 112, and when the transmission of the transmission signal is complete, the controller 110 can sequentially receive a reception signal from each of the multiple sensors 20 through each of the multiple signal reception ports 116 and 117. According to an embodiment, when the reception of the response to the wake-up signal is complete, the controller 110 can send a transmission signal to the first sensor 121 through the first signal transmission port 111, send a transmission signal to the second sensor 122 through the second signal transmission port 112, receive a reception signal from the first sensor 121 through the first signal reception port 116, and receive a reception signal from the second sensor 122 through the second signal reception port 117. Through the operation described above, the controller 110 can reduce the time spent waiting until a response is received after sending a transmission signal to each of the multiple sensors 120.

[0061] According to the implementation method, although Figure 2 The invention illustrates and describes a scenario with two signal transmitting ports, two signal receiving ports, and two sensors, but the invention is not limited thereto. The controller 110 can sequentially transmit wake-up signals to multiple sensors 120 through multiple signal transmitting ports, sequentially receive responses to the wake-up signals from multiple sensors through multiple signal receiving ports, sequentially transmit transmission signals to multiple sensors 120 through multiple signal transmitting ports, and sequentially receive reception signals from multiple sensors 120 through multiple signal receiving ports.

[0062] According to an embodiment, the information collection device 100 may further include a protocol modification unit 130, which is connected between each of the plurality of signal transmission ports 111, 112 and the plurality of signal reception ports 116, 117 and each of the plurality of sensors 120 to modify the protocol. For example, the plurality of signal transmission ports and the plurality of signal reception ports may include the UART protocol, and the protocol modification unit 130 can modify the UART protocol and the IO link protocol to each other. Therefore, even when the controller 110 and the plurality of sensors 120 use different protocols, the protocol modification unit 130 can modify the protocol to efficiently send and receive information.

[0063] According to one embodiment, multiple protocol modification units 130 may exist, and each protocol modification unit 130 may be connected to each of the multiple sensors 120. According to another embodiment, the protocol modification unit 130 may include an I / O link transceiver.

[0064] Figure 3 This is a view illustrating an example of communication of multiple ports controlled by an information collection device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0065] Reference Figure 3 According to the embodiments disclosed in this document, the controller 110 of the information collection device 100 can send a wake-up signal (310) to the first sensor and a wake-up signal (320) to the second sensor through the signal transmission port. Furthermore, when the transmission of the wake-up signal is completed, the controller 110 can sequentially receive responses to the wake-up signal from the first sensor and the second sensor through the signal receiving port.

[0066] When the response to the wake-up signal is received, the controller 110 can send a transmission signal (330) to the first sensor through the first signal transmission port and send a transmission signal (340) to the second sensor through the second signal transmission port.

[0067] When the transmission signal to each sensor is completed through each signal transmission port, the controller 110 can receive the reception signal from the first sensor through the first signal reception port (350) and receive the reception signal from the second sensor through the second signal reception port (360).

[0068] Figure 4 This is a view illustrating an information collection apparatus according to another embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0069] The information collection device 400 according to another embodiment disclosed in this document may include a controller 410, a plurality of sensors 420, a first multiplexer 430 and a second multiplexer 440. According to an embodiment, the information collection device 400 may also include a protocol modification unit 450.

[0070] The controller 410 may include a signal transmitting port 411 and a signal receiving port 412. For example, the controller 410 may transmit signals through the signal transmitting port 411 and receive signals through the signal receiving port 412.

[0071] The first multiplexer 430 may be connected to the signal transmission port 411. For example, the first multiplexer 430 may include multiple ports. As another example, the first multiplexer 430 may include n ports (n is a natural number). According to an embodiment, when a signal is received from the signal transmission port 411, the first multiplexer 430 may send the received signal to any one of the multiple ports. According to an embodiment, the first multiplexer 430 may determine the port for sending the signal via an enable signal, and this enable signal may be received from the controller 410.

[0072] The second multiplexer 440 can be connected to the signal receiving port 412. For example, the second multiplexer 440 may include multiple ports. As another example, the second multiplexer 440 may include n ports (n is a natural number). According to an embodiment, when a signal is received from any of the multiple ports, the second multiplexer 440 can send a signal to the signal receiving port 412 of the controller 410. According to an embodiment, the second multiplexer 440 can determine the port for receiving signals via an enable signal, and this enable signal can be received from the controller 410.

[0073] According to the implementation, the first multiplexer 430 and the second multiplexer 440 may include the same number of ports.

[0074] Multiple sensors 420 can be connected to a first multiplexer 430 and a second multiplexer 440. For example, each of the multiple sensors 420 can be connected to each of a plurality of ports of the first multiplexer 430, and each of the multiple sensors 420 can be connected to each of a plurality of ports of the second multiplexer 440. According to an embodiment, each port of the first multiplexer 430 and the second multiplexer 440 can correspond to each other and can be connected to any one of the multiple sensors 420.

[0075] According to embodiments, the multiple sensors 420 can sense various types of information. For example, the multiple sensors 420 can sense various battery-related information. According to embodiments, the multiple sensors 420 can sense various types of information such as voltage, current, temperature, pressure, SOC, SOH, and power generation. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the multiple sensors 420 can sense various types of information that are related to or not related to the battery.

[0076] The controller 410 can send signals to multiple sensors 420 through the signal transmission port and the first multiplexer 430. For example, the controller 410 can send various signals through the signal transmission port and the first multiplexer 430, such as signals for waking up multiple sensors 420, signals for collecting information, signals for collecting identification information, signals for determining whether a fault exists, etc.

[0077] The controller 410 can receive signals from multiple sensors 420 via a signal receiving port and a second multiplexer 440. For example, the controller 410 can receive various signals from the multiple sensors 420 via the signal receiving port and the second multiplexer 440, such as response signals responding to wake-up signals, response signals responding to signals for collecting information, response signals responding to signals for collecting identification information, response signals responding to signals for determining whether a fault exists, and so on. According to an embodiment, the response signal responding to the wake-up signal may include a signal indicating wake-up completion; the response signal responding to the signal for collecting information may include target information for collection; the response signal responding to the signal for collecting identification information may include sensor identification information; and the response signal responding to the signal for determining whether a fault exists may include fault information.

[0078] In other words, the controller 410 can send one or more types of information to multiple sensors 420 through the signal transmission port, the first multiplexer 430, the signal reception port, and the second multiplexer 440, and receive one or more types of information from multiple sensors 420.

[0079] The protocol modification unit 450 can be connected between the first multiplexer 430 and the second multiplexer 440 and the plurality of sensors 420, and can modify the protocol. For example, multiple protocol modification units 450 can exist, and each protocol modification unit 450 can be connected to each of the plurality of sensors 420. According to an embodiment, the protocol modification unit 450 may include an I / O link transceiver.

[0080] According to the implementation, the signal transmitting port and the signal receiving port include the UART protocol, and the protocol changing unit 450 can change the UART protocol and the IO link protocol to each other. Therefore, the protocol changing unit 450 can change the protocol so that information can be effectively transmitted and received even when the controller 410 and the multiple sensors 420 use different protocols.

[0081] According to an embodiment, the controller 410 may include a plurality of signal transmitting ports and a plurality of signal receiving ports. In this case, each of the plurality of signal transmitting ports and each of the plurality of signal receiving ports may be connected to a plurality of first multiplexers and a plurality of second multiplexers. For example, the controller 410 may include four signal transmitting ports and four signal receiving ports, and each of these four signal transmitting ports and four signal receiving ports may be connected to four first multiplexers and four second multiplexers. That is, when each of the first multiplexers and second multiplexers includes eight ports, a total of 32 sensors may be connected to the controller 410. In other words, according to the embodiments disclosed in this document, the information collection device 400 can effectively extend the limited number of ports for I / O links.

[0082] The controller 410 can send a port selection signal to the first multiplexer 430 and the second multiplexer 440 to select one of n ports. For example, the port selection signal may include an enable signal. As another example, the controller 410 can send a signal to the first multiplexer 430 and the second multiplexer 440 via an enable signal line 460 to select one of the n ports. For example, the first multiplexer 430 and the second multiplexer 440 can determine the port among the n ports to be used for transmitting or receiving signals based on the signal received via the enable signal line 460. That is, the controller 410 can control the port to be used by the first multiplexer 430 and the second multiplexer 440 via the enable signal line 460.

[0083] The controller 410 can transmit signals to the first multiplexer 430 via the signal transmission port 411 and the first transmission line 465. The first multiplexer 430 can transmit signals to at least any one of the plurality of sensors 420 via a port selected by an enable signal and a second transmission line 470. According to an embodiment, before the signal is transmitted to the plurality of sensors 420, the protocol change unit 450 can change the protocol for transmitting the signal and transmit the signal to at least any one of the plurality of sensors 420.

[0084] At least any one of the multiple sensors 420 can transmit a response signal in response to a received signal to the second multiplexer 440 via the second receiving line 475. In this case, the second multiplexer 440 can receive the response signal transmitted from the at least one sensor via a port selected by an enable signal. The second multiplexer 440 can transmit the received response signal via the first receiving line 480, and the controller 410 can receive the response signal from at least one of the multiple sensors 420 via the signal receiving port 412 and the first receiving line 480. According to an embodiment, when at least one of the multiple sensors 420 transmits a signal, the protocol change unit 450 can change the protocol of the transmitted signal and transmit the signal to the second multiplexer 440.

[0085] According to the implementation, the controller 410 can sequentially wake up each of the n ports included in the first multiplexer 430 and the second multiplexer 440, and sequentially send signals to and receive signals from the sensors connected to the n ports based on the wake-up order.

[0086] According to the implementation, the controller 410 can send a port selection signal to the first multiplexer 430 and the second multiplexer 440 to select one of n ports. The controller 410 can sequentially select the port of the first multiplexer 430 based on the port selection signal and sequentially send a wake-up signal to each of the plurality of sensors 420. Furthermore, when the sequential transmission of the wake-up signals is complete, the controller 410 can select the port of the second multiplexer 440 based on the port selection signal and sequentially receive responses to the wake-up signals from each of the plurality of sensors 420.

[0087] When the reception of a wake-up signal response is complete, the controller 410 can send information to and receive information from multiple sensors via the first multiplexer 430 and the second multiplexer 440 based on a port selection signal. For example, when the reception of a wake-up signal response is complete, the controller 410 can select a port of the first multiplexer 430 based on the port selection signal and sequentially send a transmission signal to each of the multiple sensors 420. In this case, when the transmission of the transmission signal is complete, the controller 410 can select a port of the second multiplexer 440 based on the port selection signal and sequentially receive a signal from each of the multiple sensors 420.

[0088] Figure 5 This is a view illustrating an example of communication of multiple ports controlled by an information collection device according to another embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0089] Reference Figure 5 The controller 410 may send a signal (505) to select a first port of the first multiplexer 430. In this case, the controller 410 may send a signal (510) to wake up the first sensor. Subsequently, the controller 410 may send a signal (515) to select a second port of the first multiplexer 430 and a signal (520) to wake up the second sensor. According to the embodiment, the controller 410 can sequentially send wake-up signals to all sensors by performing the above operations.

[0090] The controller 410 can apply a port selection signal to the second multiplexer 440 in the same manner, and the second multiplexer 440 can sequentially receive responses to wake-up signals.

[0091] When the reception of the wake-up signal is complete, the controller 410 may send a signal (525) to select a first port of the first multiplexer 430, and send a transmit signal (530) to the first sensor through the first port of the first multiplexer 430. When the transmission of the transmit signal to the first sensor is complete, the controller 410 may send a signal (535) to select a second port of the first multiplexer 430, and send a transmit signal (540) to the second sensor through the second port of the first multiplexer 430. According to the embodiment, the controller 410 can sequentially send transmit signals to all sensors by performing the above operations.

[0092] When the transmission of the transmission signal is completed, the controller 410 may send a signal (545) for selecting the first port of the second multiplexer 440, and receive a reception signal from the first sensor through the first port of the second multiplexer 440 (550). When the reception signal from the first sensor is completed, the controller 410 may send a signal (555) for selecting the second port of the second multiplexer 440, and receive a reception signal from the second sensor through the second port of the second multiplexer 440 (560). According to the embodiment, the controller 410 can sequentially receive reception signals from all sensors by performing the above operations.

[0093] The information collection device 100 according to the embodiments disclosed in this document can sequentially collect information from each of a plurality of sensors connected to the multiplexer by controlling the enable signal applied to the multiplexer.

[0094] Furthermore, the information collection apparatus 100 according to the embodiments disclosed in this document can prevent information loss by sequentially transmitting signals through each port of the transmitting multiplexer and sequentially receiving signals through each port of the receiving multiplexer, prevent time loss by effectively performing communication, and expand the limited number of ports of the IO link.

[0095] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of an information collection apparatus according to an embodiment disclosed in this document. According to the embodiment, Figure 6 The operations shown can be performed by Figure 1 or Figure 2 The information collection device 100 shown is used to perform this function.

[0096] Reference Figure 6 In operation 610, the controller 110 can sequentially send a wake-up signal to each of the multiple sensors through the signal sending port and the signal receiving port, and sequentially receive responses to the wake-up signals.

[0097] In operation 620, the controller 110 can sequentially send a transmission signal to each of the multiple sensors through the signal transmission port and the signal reception port, and sequentially receive a reception signal.

[0098] According to the implementation method, the signal transmitting port and the signal receiving port can be connected to multiple sensors 120.

[0099] According to an embodiment, the signal transmitting port may include multiple signal transmitting ports, and the signal receiving port may include multiple signal receiving ports. In this case, each of the multiple signal transmitting ports and each of the multiple signal receiving ports can be connected to each of the multiple sensors 120.

[0100] In operation 630, the protocol change unit 150 can change the protocol. For example, when the protocols between multiple sensors 120 and controller 110 are different, the protocol change unit 150 can change the protocol to send and receive signals to each other.

[0101] Figure 7 and Figure 8 This is a flowchart specifically illustrating an operation method of an information collection apparatus according to an embodiment disclosed in this document. According to the embodiment, Figure 7 The operations shown can be performed by Figure 1 or Figure 2 The information collection device 100 shown is used to perform this function. According to the embodiment, Figure 8 The operations shown can be performed by Figure 4 The information collection device 400 shown in the figure performs this function.

[0102] Reference Figure 7 In operation 710, the controller 110 can sequentially send a wake-up signal to each of the multiple sensors 120 through each of the multiple signal transmission ports.

[0103] In operation 720, when the wake-up signal is sent, the controller 110 can sequentially receive the response to the wake-up signal from each of the multiple sensors 120 through each of the multiple signal receiving ports.

[0104] In operation 730, when the reception of the response to the wake-up signal is complete, the controller 110 can sequentially send a transmission signal to each of the multiple sensors 120 through each of the multiple signal transmission ports.

[0105] In operation 740, when the transmission of the signal is completed, the controller 110 can sequentially receive the signal from each of the multiple sensors 120 through each of the multiple signal receiving ports.

[0106] Reference Figure 8 In operation 810, the controller 410 may sequentially send port selection signals to the first multiplexer 430 and the second multiplexer 440 for selecting any one of the n ports.

[0107] In operation 820, controller 410 can select the port of first multiplexer 430 based on port selection signal and sequentially send wake-up signal to each of the plurality of sensors 420.

[0108] In operation 830, when the sequential transmission of wake-up signals is complete, controller 410 can select the port of second multiplexer 440 based on port selection signals and sequentially receive responses to the wake-up signals from each of the plurality of sensors 420.

[0109] In operation 840, when the reception of the response to the wake-up signal is complete, the controller 410 can select the port of the first multiplexer 430 based on the port selection signal and sequentially send a transmit signal to each of the plurality of sensors 420.

[0110] In operation 850, when the sequential transmission of the transmitted signals is completed, the controller 410 can select the port of the second multiplexer 440 based on the port selection signal and sequentially receive the received signals from each of the plurality of sensors 420.

[0111] Figure 9 This is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of a computing system configured to perform an operation method of an information collection device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0112] Reference Figure 9 The computing system 1000 according to the embodiments disclosed in this document may include an MCU 1010, a memory 1020, an input / output I / F 1030, and a communication I / F 1040.

[0113] The MCU 1010 can be a processor that executes various programs stored in the memory 1020 (e.g., enable signal transmission / reception program, information transmission / reception program, multiplexer control program, etc.), processes various information including enable signals, communication signals, and transmitted / received information through these programs, and executes the aforementioned... Figure 1 The information collection device shown includes the functions of a controller.

[0114] The memory 1020 can store various programs such as enable signal transmission / reception programs, information transmission / reception programs, and multiplexer control programs. Furthermore, the memory 1020 can store various information, including enable signals, communication signals, and transmitted / received information.

[0115] Multiple memory units 1020 can be provided as needed. The memory units 1020 can be volatile or non-volatile. As volatile memory, memory units 1020 such as RAM, DRAM, SRAM, etc., can be used. As non-volatile memory, memory units 1020 such as ROM, PROM, EAROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, etc., can be used. The examples of memory units 1020 listed above are merely examples, and they are not limited to these examples.

[0116] The Input / Output I / F 1030 provides an interface that allows data to be sent and received between the MCU 1010 and input devices (not shown) such as keyboards, mice, touch panels, etc., and output devices (not shown) such as displays, etc.

[0117] The communication I / F 1040 is a component capable of sending and receiving various types of data from a server, and can be any device that supports wired or wireless communication. For example, an information collection device can use the communication I / F 1040 to send various types of information, including enable signals, communication signals, and information to and from a separately provided external server, and receive the same information from the external server.

[0118] Thus, since the computer program according to the embodiments disclosed in this document is recorded in the memory 1020 and processed by the MCU 1010, the computer program can be implemented to, for example, execute... Figure 1 The module for each function shown.

[0119] The above description is merely an example illustrating the technical spirit disclosed in this document, and various changes and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the essential features of the embodiments disclosed in this document.

[0120] Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in this document are not intended to limit but rather to interpret the technical spirit of the embodiments disclosed in this document, and the scope of the technical spirit disclosed in this document is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection of the technical spirit disclosed in this document should be interpreted by the claims provided below, and all technical spirit within the equivalent scope should be interpreted as included within the scope of this document.

Claims

1. An information collection device, the information collection device comprising: The controller includes a signal transmitting port and a signal receiving port; as well as Multiple sensors are connected to the signal transmitting port and the signal receiving port, wherein... The controller sequentially sends a wake-up signal, a transmission signal, and a reception signal to each of the plurality of sensors through the signal transmission port or the signal reception port, and sequentially receives a wake-up signal, a transmission signal, and a reception signal from each of the plurality of sensors.

2. The information collection device according to claim 1, wherein, The controller includes multiple signal transmitting ports and multiple signal receiving ports, wherein each of the multiple signal transmitting ports and each of the multiple signal receiving ports is connected to each of the multiple sensors.

3. The information collection device according to claim 2, wherein, The controller: sequentially sends the wake-up signal to each of the plurality of sensors through each of the plurality of signal sending ports; when the sending of the wake-up signal is completed, sequentially receives the response to the wake-up signal from each of the plurality of sensors through each of the plurality of signal receiving ports; and when the wake-up is completed, sends information to the plurality of sensors and receives information from the plurality of sensors.

4. The information collection device according to claim 3, wherein, The controller: when the reception of the response to the wake-up signal is completed, sequentially sends the transmission signal to each of the plurality of sensors through each of the plurality of signal transmission ports; and when the transmission of the transmission signal is completed, sequentially receives the reception signal from each of the plurality of sensors through each of the plurality of signal reception ports.

5. The information collection device according to claim 2, further comprising a protocol modification unit connected between each of the plurality of signal transmitting ports and each of the plurality of signal receiving ports and each of the plurality of sensors, for modifying the protocol.

6. The information collection device according to claim 5, wherein, The plurality of signal transmitting ports and the plurality of signal receiving ports include the UART protocol, and the protocol changing unit changes the UART protocol and the IO link protocol to each other.

7. The information collection device according to claim 1, wherein the information collection device further comprises: A first multiplexer (MUX) is connected to the signal transmission port; as well as A second multiplexer is connected to the signal receiving port. The first multiplexer and the second multiplexer are connected to the plurality of sensors.

8. The information collection device according to claim 7, wherein, The controller: Port selection signals for selecting any one of the n ports are sequentially sent to the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer; based on the port selection signals, the ports of the first multiplexer are sequentially selected, and a wake-up signal is sequentially sent to each of the plurality of sensors; When the sequential transmission of the wake-up signal is completed, the port of the second multiplexer is selected based on the port selection signal, and the response to the wake-up signal is received sequentially from each of the plurality of sensors; as well as When the response to the wake-up signal is received, information is sent to and received from the plurality of sensors through the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer based on the port selection signal.

9. The information collection device according to claim 8, wherein, The controller: when the reception of the response to the wake-up signal is completed, selects the port of the first multiplexer based on the port selection signal, and sequentially sends the transmission signal to each of the plurality of sensors; and when the sequential transmission of the transmission signal is completed, selects the port of the second multiplexer based on the port selection signal, and sequentially receives the reception signal from each of the plurality of sensors.

10. The information collection apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a protocol modification unit connected between the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer and the plurality of sensors, for modifying the protocol.

11. The information collection device according to claim 10, wherein, The signal transmitting port and the signal receiving port include the UART protocol, and the protocol changing unit changes the UART protocol and the IO link protocol to each other.

12. The information collection device according to claim 7, wherein, The controller includes multiple signal transmitting ports and multiple signal receiving ports, wherein each of the multiple signal transmitting ports and each of the multiple signal receiving ports is connected to multiple first multiplexers and multiple second multiplexers.

13. A method of operating an information collection device, the method of operating the information collection device comprising the following operations: A wake-up signal is sequentially sent to each of a plurality of sensors via a signal transmitting port or a signal receiving port, and responses to the wake-up signal are sequentially received; and Transmit signals are sequentially sent to each of the plurality of sensors through the signal transmitting port or the signal receiving port, and received signals are sequentially received. in, The signal transmitting port and the signal receiving port are connected to the plurality of sensors.

14. The method of operating the information collection device according to claim 13, wherein, The signal transmitting port includes multiple signal transmitting ports, and the signal receiving port includes multiple signal receiving ports. The operation of sequentially sending a wake-up signal to each of the multiple sensors and sequentially receiving responses to the wake-up signal through the signal transmitting or receiving ports includes the following operations: The wake-up signal is sequentially sent to each of the plurality of sensors through each of the plurality of signal transmission ports; as well as When the wake-up signal is sent, a response to the wake-up signal is received sequentially from each of the plurality of sensors through each of the plurality of signal receiving ports.

15. The method of operating the information collection device according to claim 14, wherein, The operation of sequentially sending a transmission signal to each of the plurality of sensors and sequentially receiving a reception signal through the signal transmission port or the signal reception port includes the following operations: When the reception of the response to the wake-up signal is completed, the transmission signal is sequentially transmitted to each of the plurality of sensors through each of the plurality of signal transmission ports. as well as When the transmission of the transmitted signal is completed, the received signal is received sequentially from each of the plurality of sensors through each of the plurality of signal receiving ports.

16. The method of operating the information collection device according to claim 13, wherein, The information collection device further includes: A first multiplexer (MUX) is connected to the signal transmission port; and A second multiplexer is connected to the signal receiving port. The first multiplexer and the second multiplexer are connected to the plurality of sensors.

17. The method of operating the information collection device according to claim 16, the method of operating the information collection device further comprising the following operations: sequentially sending a port selection signal for selecting any one of n ports to the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer.

18. The method of operating the information collection device according to claim 17, wherein, The operation of sequentially sending a wake-up signal to each of a plurality of sensors and sequentially receiving responses to the wake-up signal through the signal transmission port or signal reception port includes the following operations: Based on the port selection signal, the ports of the first multiplexer are selected sequentially, and a wake-up signal is sent sequentially to each of the plurality of sensors; as well as When the sequential transmission of the wake-up signal is completed, the port of the second multiplexer is selected based on the port selection signal, and the response to the wake-up signal is received sequentially from each of the plurality of sensors.

19. The method of operating the information collection device according to claim 18, wherein, The operation of sequentially sending a transmission signal to each of the plurality of sensors and sequentially receiving a reception signal through the signal transmission port or the signal reception port includes the following operations: When the reception of the response to the wake-up signal is completed, the ports of the first multiplexer are selected sequentially based on the port selection signal, and the transmission signal is sent sequentially to each of the plurality of sensors; as well as When the sequential transmission of the transmitted signals is completed, the port of the second multiplexer is selected based on the port selection signal, and the received signals are received sequentially from each of the plurality of sensors.

20. The method of operating the information collection device according to claim 13, wherein the method of operating the information collection device further includes the operation of changing the protocol.

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