Sensor system

Abstract

To provide a sensor system capable of reducing time and effort to reach a desired setting item.SOLUTION: Each of the setting items belongs to one of a plurality of categories and belongs to one of a first transition system and a second transition system, and the control section causes the setting items belonging to the first transition system to sequentially transition in accordance with a button operation when the setting items belonging to the first transition system are displayed, causes the categories to sequentially transition in accordance with the button operation when the setting items belonging to the second transition system are displayed, causes the setting items belonging to a selected category to sequentially transition in accordance with the button operation, and causes an index indicating information for specifying the category of the setting item to be displayed when the setting items are displayed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sensor system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, when configuring a sensor system, a desired setting item is selected from a plurality of setting items, and desired content is set for the selected setting item.

[0003] The following Patent Document 1 discloses a sensor unit that has multiple setting menus, such as a simple setting menu and a detailed setting menu, and allows the user to select a desired setting item from multiple setting items selectable in the selected setting menu. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7248847 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the sensor unit of Patent Document 1, the user must repeatedly select a setting item from multiple setting menus to find the setting item they want, and then register or change the setting content of the setting item they found. In this case, unless the user is familiar with the order of the many setting items in the multiple setting menus, it will take time for the user to find the setting item they want, which creates a problem of time-consuming setting work.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a sensor system that can reduce the effort required to reach a desired setting item. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A sensor system according to one embodiment of the present invention is a sensor system comprising a display unit that displays information regarding a setting item selected by operating an operation button, and a control unit that controls the content to be displayed on the display unit, wherein each of the setting items belongs to one of a plurality of categories and to at least one of a first transition system and a second transition system, and when the control unit causes the display unit to display setting items belonging to the first transition system, the control unit sequentially transitions the setting items belonging to the first transition system in accordance with an operation on the operation button, and when the control unit causes the display unit to display setting items belonging to the second transition system, the control unit sequentially transitions the categories in accordance with an operation on the operation button, and when one of the categories is selected, the control unit sequentially transitions the setting items belonging to the selected category in accordance with an operation on the operation button, and when displaying the setting items on the display unit, the control unit further displays an indicator representing information for identifying the category to which the setting item belongs.

[0008] According to this aspect, when the setting items belonging to the first transition system are displayed on the display unit, the setting items belonging to the first transition system are sequentially transitioned in accordance with the operation of the operation button, while when the setting items belonging to the second transition system are displayed on the display unit, the categories are sequentially transitioned in accordance with the operation of the operation button, and when one of the categories is selected, the setting items belonging to the selected category can be sequentially transitioned in accordance with the operation of the operation button.In addition, when the setting items are displayed on the display unit, an indicator representing information for identifying the category to which the setting item belongs can also be displayed.

[0009] This allows the user to shorten the time it takes to reach the desired setting item by using the indicators that represent information for identifying the category displayed alongside each setting item on the display unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a sensor system that can reduce the effort required to reach a desired setting item. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the appearance of a displacement sensor that is an example of a sensor system according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a displacement sensor. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a transition system of screens displayed on a display of a displacement sensor. [Figure 4A] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the content displayed on a display. [Figure 4B] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the content displayed on a display. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between setting items belonging to basic settings and setting items belonging to detailed settings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, components with the same reference numerals have the same or similar configurations.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the appearance of a sensor system according to an embodiment. In this embodiment, a case where the sensor system is configured using an optical displacement sensor will be described. Note that the detection principle of the sensors that make up the sensor system does not need to be limited to optical displacement sensors. For example, a linear proximity sensor, an ultrasonic displacement sensor, or a contact-type displacement sensor may be used, as long as the sensor has setting items to be set and detects a physical quantity.

[0014] The displacement sensor 1 is an optical displacement sensor, and includes a sensor head 10 and a sensor amplifier 20. The sensor head 10 and the sensor amplifier 20 are connected via a cable.

[0015] The displacement sensor 1 projects laser light from the sensor head 10 onto the object and receives the light reflected from the object, thereby measuring the amount of displacement of the object's surface based on the principle of triangulation. Note that the amount of displacement measured is the distance from the sensor head 10 to the object's surface, and the distance can be output as detection data.

[0016] Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the displacement sensor 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the displacement sensor 1 includes a light projecting unit 11, a light receiving unit 12, a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a display unit 23, an operation unit 24, and an input / output interface 25.

[0017] For example, the light-emitting unit 11 and the light-receiving unit 12 may be provided in the sensor head 10 shown in Fig. 1, and the control unit 21, the memory unit 22, the display unit 23, the operation unit 24, and the input / output interface 25 may be provided in the sensor amplifier 20. However, the sensor head 10 and the sensor amplifier 20 do not necessarily need to be separate, and all of the components shown in Fig. 2 may be provided in a single housing.

[0018] The light-projecting unit 11 projects light onto an object. The light-projecting unit 11 includes, for example, a light-projecting element and a light-projection control circuit. The light-projecting element is, for example, a laser diode. The light-projection control circuit controls the driving of the light-projecting element based on a command from the control unit 21. Specifically, the light-projection control circuit outputs a drive signal to the light-projecting element based on a control signal from the control unit 21 to control, for example, the intensity (power) of the light, the light-projection period, the light-projection cycle or interval, and the timing. The light-projecting element is driven by the drive signal to emit light.

[0019] The light receiving unit 12 receives light reflected by an object and outputs a received light waveform (electrical signal). The light receiving unit 12 includes, for example, an imaging element, a signal processing circuit, and an A / D conversion circuit. The imaging element is, for example, a CMOS image sensor and includes a plurality of pixels. Each pixel outputs a received light waveform according to the amount of light it receives. The signal processing circuit controls the operation timing of the imaging element based on instructions from the control unit 21, and outputs the received light waveform output from the imaging element to the A / D conversion circuit. The A / D conversion circuit analog-to-digital converts the input received light waveform and outputs it to the control unit 21.

[0020] The control unit 21 is, for example, a CPU. Based on the programs stored in the storage unit 22 and information related to the setting items, the control unit 21 causes the light projecting unit 11 to emit laser light, and operates the light receiving unit 12 in synchronization with the emission timing to receive the light reflected from the target. Then, the control unit 21 executes various processes based on the received light waveform output from the light receiving unit 12, and measures values ​​such as the displacement of the target.

[0021] The control unit 21 controls the content to be displayed on the display unit 23 in accordance with the results of various processes executed and operations on the operation unit 24 .

[0022] The storage unit 22 is, for example, a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM, etc. Specifically, the storage unit 22 stores information related to the setting items, such as the program executed by the control unit 21, the setting items of the displacement sensor 1, and the setting contents.

[0023] The display unit 23 includes a display 23a such as an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, and a plurality of indicator lights 23b such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The display 23a displays information to be presented to the user, such as the detection results of the displacement sensor 1, setting items of the displacement sensor 1, and information related to the setting items including the setting contents.

[0024] Specifically, when the operation mode of the displacement sensor 1 is the driving mode, the display 23a displays the detection results of the displacement sensor 1. On the other hand, when the operation mode of the displacement sensor 1 is the setting mode, the display 23a displays the setting items and setting contents stored in the memory unit 22.

[0025] Here, the operation modes of the displacement sensor 1 include an operation mode and a setting mode, which can be switched according to the user's operation. The operation mode is a mode in which the displacement sensor 1 is operated and a mode in which a physical quantity is detected according to the settings set in the setting items of the displacement sensor 1. The setting mode is a mode in which the settings are set in the setting items of the displacement sensor 1.

[0026] The arrangement of the plurality of indicator lights 23b and the role of each indicator light 23b can be designed appropriately for each displacement sensor 1.

[0027] The operation unit 24 is configured by a plurality of buttons and allows the user to input information and instructions to the displacement sensor 1. Specifically, operation for selecting setting items and setting contents is accepted by button (operation button) 24a, setting operation and operation for transitioning from basic setting to detailed setting, which will be described later, are accepted by button (operation button) 24b, and operation for switching operation modes and operation for transitioning from detailed setting to basic setting are accepted by button (switch button, operation button) 24c. The arrangement of the plurality of buttons and the functions assigned to each button can be designed as appropriate for each displacement sensor 1.

[0028] The input / output interface 25 is an interface with an external device of the displacement sensor 1. An example of the external device is a programmable logic controller (PLC). The input / output interface 25 is configured to exchange data and signals with the external device, and controls communication with the external device.

[0029] With reference to FIG. 3, a transition system of screens displayed on the display 23a of the displacement sensor 1 in the setting mode will be described.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 3, the displacement sensor 1 has a large number of setting items that can be selected in the setting mode. Each setting item has a plurality of setting contents available as options. The user selects the setting content to be set for each setting item and sets the setting item.

[0031] Each setting item belongs to one of a plurality of pre-defined categories 232, and is classified to belong to either basic settings 231 consisting of a first transition system or detailed settings 233 consisting of a second transition system.

[0032] The category 232 groups the setting items by function, and may include, for example, measurement settings, input / output settings, display operation settings, bank settings, language or initialization, and system.

[0033] The setting items belonging to the basic settings 231 are, of all setting items, basic setting items that are mainly required to be set when operating the displacement sensor 1. The setting items belonging to the detailed settings 233 are, of all setting items, setting items other than the setting items belonging to the basic settings 231.

[0034] Here, it is preferable to make the number of setting items belonging to the basic settings 231 smaller than the number of setting items belonging to the detailed settings 233. This allows the user to narrow down the setting work to only the necessary setting items, thereby reducing the setting work of the user.

[0035] The setting items belonging to the basic settings 231 can be displayed in sequence on the display 23a by the user operating the button 24a.

[0036] Among the setting items belonging to the basic settings 231, when a setting item 2312 for transitioning to the detailed settings 233 is selected and the button 24b is pressed, transition occurs to a screen displaying the categories 232. The screen displaying the categories 232 can be displayed sequentially on the display 23a by the user operating the button 24a.

[0037] When the user briefly presses button 24b on any of the screens displaying category 232, the screen transitions to a setting item that belongs to that category 232 and also to detailed settings 233. When the user operates button 24a, the setting items that belong to detailed settings 233 in the same category can be displayed sequentially on display 23a.

[0038] When the user briefly presses the button 24c for any of the setting items belonging to the detailed settings 233, the screen returns to the screen displaying the category 232 to which the setting item belongs.

[0039] Here, when the operation mode of the displacement sensor 1 is switched from the driving mode to the setting mode, it is preferable to display the setting items belonging to the basic setting 231 on the display 23a. This allows the user to perform the setting work by prioritizing the setting of the basic setting items when switching the operation mode to the setting mode.

[0040] The contents displayed on the display 23a will be described with reference to Figures 4A and 4B. The display contents of the setting items belonging to basic settings 231 and the setting items belonging to detailed settings 233 are similar. On the other hand, the display contents of the screen displaying category 232 are different from the display contents of the above setting items.

[0041] 4A is a diagram showing an example of a screen displaying a setting item 2311 belonging to basic settings 231. On this screen, "Sampling Rate" is displayed as the item name of setting item 2311, and "1 ms" is displayed as the setting content.

[0042] Icons 2311a and 2311b are displayed at the top and bottom of the setting item 2311 near the left edge of the screen. The positions of icons 2311a and 2311b may be reversed. Icon 2311a at the top is an indicator representing the category to which setting item 2311 belongs. If there is a group of setting items whose settings are updated collectively, icons 2311a of setting items belonging to that group may be replaced with icons representing that group and displayed.

[0043] The icon 2311b at the bottom is an indicator showing an identification number that identifies the setting item 2311. It is preferable that this identification number matches the identification number of the setting item written in the manual. This makes it possible to easily refer to the relevant section of the manual when, for example, one wishes to check the details of a setting item displayed on the display 23a in the manual. It is preferable that the identification number be expressed as a numeric value such as a two-digit decimal number.

[0044] It is preferable that the identification numbers of setting items are managed by, for example, registering identification numbers that can be assigned to setting items belonging to each category. Specifically, the correspondence between categories and identification numbers is registered and managed. For example, the identification numbers that can be assigned to the measurement setting category are managed as 1 to 30, the identification numbers that can be assigned to the input / output setting category are managed as 31 to 60, and the identification numbers that can be assigned to the display operation setting category are managed as 61 to 70.

[0045] By managing the identification numbers in this way, if the identification number of a setting item is known, it becomes possible to identify the category corresponding to that identification number. Specifically, when identification numbers from 1 to 30 are assigned to setting items belonging to the measurement setting category, if the number displayed on icon 2311b is "1", it can be identified that the setting item belongs to the measurement setting category.

[0046] A vertical bar is displayed as indicator 2311c near the right edge of the screen for setting item 2311. This indicator 2311c is an index that indicates the relative position of setting item 2311 within the same category. For example, if a category contains setting items with identification numbers from 1 to 30, indicator 2311c for the setting item with identification number 1 will indicate the top end position of the vertical bar. On the other hand, indicator 2311c for the setting item with identification number 30 will indicate the bottom end position of the vertical bar.

[0047] By displaying such an indicator 2311d, the user can visually recognize the relative position within the category of the setting item displayed on the display 23a.

[0048] 4B is a diagram showing an example of a screen 2321 that displays the category 232. On this screen 2321, "Measurement" is displayed as the name of the category 232, indicating that it is a measurement setting category.

[0049] An icon 2321a is displayed near the left edge of the screen 2321. This icon 2321a is an indicator that indicates the type of category.

[0050] A horizontal dot serving as an indicator 2321b is displayed near the bottom of the screen 2321. This indicator 2321b is an index that indicates the relative position of the displayed category among all categories.

[0051] The indicator 2321b displays a number of dots according to the number of categories. In Fig. 4B, the leftmost dot is marked, which indicates that the measurement settings category is the first category among all categories.

[0052] By displaying such an indicator 2321b, the user can visually recognize the relative position of the category displayed on the display 23a among all the categories.

[0053] With reference to Fig. 5, it will be described how the setting items belonging to basic settings 231 do not overlap with the setting items belonging to detailed settings 233. Fig. 5 shows, as setting items belonging to the measurement setting category, setting item 2311 belonging to basic settings 231 and setting items 2331, 2332, and 2333 belonging to detailed settings 233. It is also assumed that the setting items belonging to the measurement setting category are managed so that they can be assigned identification numbers from 1 to 30.

[0054] The setting item 2311 with the identification number "1" is displayed only in the basic settings 231, and is not displayed in the detailed settings 233. On the other hand, the setting items 2331, 2332, and 2333 with the identification numbers "2," "3," and "17" are displayed only in the detailed settings 233, and are not displayed in the basic settings 231.

[0055] In this way, setting items are displayed in only one of the basic settings 231 and the detailed settings 233. This means that setting items whose setting contents are registered in the basic settings 231 are not displayed in the detailed settings 233, which makes it possible to improve the efficiency of the setting work performed by the user.

[0056] As described above, according to the displacement sensor 1 according to the embodiment, when displaying setting items belonging to the basic settings 231 on the display 23a, the control unit 21 sequentially transitions the setting items belonging to the basic settings 231 in accordance with the operation of the buttons on the operation unit 24, while when displaying setting items belonging to the second transition system on the display 23a, the control unit 21 sequentially transitions the categories in accordance with the operation of the buttons on the operation unit 24, and when one of the categories is selected, the control unit 21 can sequentially transition the setting items belonging to the selected category in accordance with the operation of the buttons on the operation unit 24. Accordingly, when displaying each setting item on the display 23a, the control unit 21 can display on the display 23a an icon representing information for identifying the category to which the setting item belongs and an indicator representing the relative position of the setting item within the category.

[0057] This allows the user to shorten the time it takes to reach the desired setting item by using the icons representing information for identifying the category that are displayed alongside the setting items displayed on display 23a as a clue.

[0058] Therefore, the displacement sensor 1 according to this embodiment can reduce the time and effort required to reach a desired setting item.

[0059] The above-described embodiments are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The elements of the embodiments, as well as their arrangement, materials, conditions, shapes, sizes, etc., are not limited to those exemplified and can be modified as appropriate.

[0060] For example, in the above-described embodiment, a mode has been described in which the setting items belonging to the basic settings 231 and the setting items belonging to the detailed settings 233 do not overlap, but this is not limiting. Some of the setting items belonging to the basic settings 231 and some of the setting items belonging to the detailed settings 233 may overlap.

[0061] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, if an error is detected in the setting content when setting content for a setting item, an error notification screen may be generated based on the detected error, a solution to the error may be read from the storage unit 22 to generate a solution screen, and the error notification screen and the solution screen may be displayed on the display 23a. In this case, it is preferable to alternately display the error notification screen and the solution screen at a predetermined interval. Furthermore, if an error is detected, the color or lighting state of each indicator lamp 23b may be changed according to the type of the detected error.

[0062] [Note] Aspects of this embodiment include the following disclosure.

[0063] (Appendix 1) a display unit (23) that displays information about a setting item selected by operating an operation button (24); a control unit (21) that controls the content to be displayed on the display unit (23); A sensor system (1) comprising: Each of the setting items belongs to one of a plurality of categories (232) and to at least one of a first transition system (231) and a second transition system (233); the control unit (21) sequentially transitions the setting items belonging to the first transition system (231) in accordance with an operation on the operation button (24) when displaying the setting items belonging to the first transition system (231) on the display unit (23); When the control unit (21) displays the setting items belonging to the second transition system (233) on the display unit (23), the control unit (21) sequentially transitions the categories (232) in accordance with an operation on the operation buttons (24), and when one of the categories (232) is selected, the control unit (21) sequentially transitions the setting items belonging to the selected category (232) in accordance with the operation on the operation buttons (24); When the control unit (21) displays the setting item on the display unit (23), the control unit (21) further displays an indicator representing information for identifying the category (232) to which the setting item belongs. Sensor system (1).

[0064] (Appendix 2) When the control unit (21) displays the setting item on the display unit (23), the control unit (21) further displays an indicator indicating a relative position of the setting item within the category (232). 1. The sensor system (1) of claim 1.

[0065] (Appendix 3) the number of the setting items belonging to the first transition system (231) is less than the number of the setting items belonging to the second transition system (233); The sensor system (1) according to appendix 1 or 2.

[0066] (Appendix 4) a sensor unit (10) for detecting a physical quantity; A switching button (24) for switching the operation mode of the sensor unit; Furthermore, The operation modes include an operation mode in which the physical quantity is detected in accordance with the setting contents set in the setting items, and a setting mode in which the setting contents are set in the setting items. A sensor system (1) according to any one of appendices 1 to 3.

[0067] (Appendix 5) when the operation mode is switched from the driving mode to the setting mode in accordance with an operation on the switching button (24), the control unit (21) causes the display unit (23) to display the setting items belonging to the first transition system (231). Attachment 4. The sensor system (1).

[0068] (Appendix 6) The indicator includes an icon representing information for identifying the category (232) to which the setting item belongs. A sensor system (1) according to any one of appendices 1 to 5.

[0069] (Appendix 7) The icon represents information for identifying the category (232) in numerical form. 6. The sensor system (1) according to claim 6.

[0070] (Appendix 8) The indicator includes an indicator that indicates the relative position of the setting item displayed on the display unit (23) within the category (232). A sensor system (1) according to any one of appendices 1 to 7.

[0071] (Appendix 9) The index includes an indicator that indicates the relative position of the category displayed on the display unit (23) among all categories. A sensor system (1) according to any one of appendices 1 to 8.

[0072] (Appendix 10) The setting items belonging to the first transition system (231) do not overlap with the setting items belonging to the second transition system (233). A sensor system (1) according to any one of appendices 1 to 9.

[0073] (Appendix 11) The detection principle of the sensor unit (10) is an optical displacement sensor. 6. The sensor system (1) according to claim 4 or 5. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1...displacement sensor, 10...sensor head, 11...light-emitting unit, 12...light-receiving unit, 20...sensor amplifier, 21...control unit, 22...storage unit, 23...display unit, 23a...display, 23b...indicator light, 24...operation unit, 24a...button, 24b...button, 24c...button, 25...input / output interface, 231...basic settings, 232...category, 233...detailed settings

Claims

1. a display unit that displays information about a setting item selected by operating the operation button; a control unit that controls the content to be displayed on the display unit; A sensor system comprising: each of the setting items belongs to one of a plurality of categories and to at least one of a first transition system and a second transition system; the control unit, when causing the display unit to display the setting items belonging to the first transition system, sequentially transitions the setting items belonging to the first transition system in accordance with an operation on the operation button; the control unit, when displaying the setting items belonging to the second transition system on the display unit, sequentially transitions the categories in accordance with an operation on the operation button, and when any of the categories is selected, sequentially transitions the setting items belonging to the selected category in accordance with the operation on the operation button; the control unit, when displaying the setting item on the display unit, further displays an indicator representing information for identifying the category to which the setting item belongs; Sensor system.

2. the control unit, when displaying the setting item on the display unit, further displays an indicator indicating a relative position of the setting item within the category. The sensor system of claim 1 .

3. the number of the setting items belonging to the first transition system is smaller than the number of the setting items belonging to the second transition system; The sensor system of claim 1 .

4. a sensor unit for detecting a physical quantity; a switching button for switching the operation mode of the sensor unit; Furthermore, The operation modes include an operation mode in which the physical quantity is detected in accordance with the setting contents set in the setting items, and a setting mode in which the setting contents are set in the setting items. The sensor system of claim 1 .

5. the control unit, when the operation mode is switched from the driving mode to the setting mode in accordance with the operation of the switching button, causes the display unit to display the setting items belonging to the first transition system. The sensor system of claim 4 .

6. The indicator includes an icon representing information for identifying the category to which the setting item belongs. The sensor system of claim 1 .

7. The icon represents information for identifying the category in numerical form. The sensor system of claim 6 .

8. The indicator includes an indicator that indicates a relative position within the category of the setting item displayed on the display unit. The sensor system of claim 2 .

9. The index includes an indicator that indicates the relative position of the category displayed on the display unit among all categories. The sensor system of claim 1 .

10. The setting items belonging to the first transition system do not overlap with the setting items belonging to the second transition system. The sensor system of claim 1 .

11. The detection principle of the sensor unit is an optical displacement sensor. The sensor system of claim 4 .

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