Control system and control method

Abstract

To provide a control system and control method that can improve operability. [Solution] The control system 1 according to this disclosure comprises a reception unit 11, a display control unit 12, and a target control unit 13. The reception unit 11 receives a plurality of operations of a control target, the execution order of the operations, the reverse operations of the operations, and the execution conditions which are the conditions that must be met in order to execute the operations. The display control unit 12 displays an identification image P11 of one of the operations, an identification image P12 of a forward operation which is the operation set to follow the said operation in the execution order, and an identification image P13 of the reverse operation of the said operation. The target control unit 13 causes the control target to execute the forward operation if the user selects the identification image P12 of the forward operation, and causes the control target to execute the reverse operation if the user selects the identification image P13 of the reverse operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control system and a control method.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for generating an SFC (Sequential Function Chart) program. In the method for generating an SFC program described in Patent Document 1, when a user creates an SFC program, an operation screen for sequence editing is displayed. Then, after the sequence editing operation is completed, when a program generation button is pressed, an SFC program is generated based on the content displayed on the operation screen for sequence editing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, when adopting a control system that executes device control using a program such as an SFC program, it is only possible to cause the control target to execute operations in a previously specified order, and it is not possible for the user to easily operate the device. That is, in the control system according to the prior art, there is a problem that the operability cannot be sufficiently improved.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a control system and a control method capable of improving operability.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The control system according to the present disclosure is A receiving unit that receives multiple operations to be controlled, the execution order of the operations, the reverse operations of the operations, and the execution conditions that must be met in order to perform the operations. A display control unit that displays an identification image of one of the aforementioned operations, an identification image of a sequential operation which is set to be the next operation in the execution order, and an identification image of the reverse operation of the aforementioned operation. The system includes a control unit that, when the user selects an identification image for the forward operation, causes the controlled object to perform the forward operation, and when the user selects an identification image for the reverse operation, causes the controlled object to perform the reverse operation. It is a control system.

[0007] The control system relating to this disclosure is The display control unit further displays a forced execution image near the identification images of the operation, the forward operation, and the reverse operation, indicating that it will perform one of the operations on the controlled object, ignoring the execution conditions. If the user selects the forced execution image, the target control unit causes the control target to execute the action selected by the user, while ignoring the execution conditions. It could also be a control system.

[0008] The control system relating to this disclosure is The display control unit displays a table image in which multiple operations, the reverse operations of the operations, and the execution conditions can be entered in the order of execution. The receiving unit receives the operation, the execution order of the operation, the reverse operation of the operation, and the execution conditions based on the information entered in the table image. It could also be a control system.

[0009] The control system relating to this disclosure is Based on the received operation, the execution order, the reverse operation, and the execution conditions, the display control unit displays a flowchart image of the operation. It could also be a control system.

[0010] The control method according to the present disclosure is to receive a plurality of operations of a control target, an execution order of the operations, a reverse operation of the operations, and an execution condition that is a condition to be satisfied in order to execute the operations, to display an identification image of one of the operations, an identification image of a forward operation that is an operation whose execution order is set next to the operation, and an identification image of a reverse operation of the operation, when the user selects the identification image of the forward operation, cause the control target to execute the forward operation, and when the user selects the identification image of the reverse operation, cause the control target to execute the reverse operation, which is a control method.

Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a control system and a control method capable of improving operability.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012] [Figure 1] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a schematic diagram showing a display screen according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a schematic diagram showing a display screen according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a flowchart showing a control method according to the first embodiment.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] (First Embodiment) <Configuration of Control System> Hereinafter, a first embodiment according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, the configuration of the control system according to the present embodiment will be described in detail.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the system according to the first embodiment. The control system 1 according to this embodiment is a system that controls a predetermined control target based on an instruction from a user. For example, the control system 1 according to this embodiment controls the operation of a manufacturing apparatus or the like based on an instruction from a user.

[0015] The control system 1 according to this embodiment displays a control screen to the user. More specifically, the control system 1 causes a display device such as a display device or a touch panel to display a control screen. Then, the user gives an instruction to the control system 1 by operating the displayed control screen.

[0016] The control system 1 according to this embodiment may be realized, for example, as a device, that is, a control device. The control device here may include, for example, an arithmetic unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) not shown in the figure, and a storage unit such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which programs and data for controlling its operation are stored. That is, the control device may have a function as a computer and may control its operation based on the above program.

[0017] That is, each functional block constituting the control system 1 shown in FIG. 1 can be configured hardware-wise by the above CPU, storage unit, and other circuits, and can be realized software-wise by a program for controlling the control system 1 stored in the storage unit. That is, the control system 1 can be realized in various forms by hardware, software, or a combination of both. Note that the control system 1 is not limited to being a single device, and may be realized, for example, by causing a plurality of devices to cooperate.

[0018] The control system 1 may be realized, for example, as a computer terminal or a tablet terminal used by the user. In this case, the control system 1 may be configured to communicate with the controlled object wirelessly or via a wired connection. The control screen may also be displayed on a display device of the terminal.

[0019] Furthermore, the control system 1 may be implemented, for example, as a control computer installed inside the object being controlled. In this case, the control system 1 is configured to communicate wirelessly or via wired connection with a computer terminal or tablet terminal used by the user, and may display a control screen on the terminal. Furthermore, the control system 1 may also be configured to display a control screen on a display device provided on the controlled object.

[0020] The reception unit 11 receives multiple operations of the controlled object, the execution order of those operations, the reverse operation of those operations, and the execution conditions that must be met in order to perform those operations. The reception unit 11 outputs the acquired operation, execution order, reverse operation, and execution conditions to the display control unit 12.

[0021] The reception unit 11 may, for example, cause the display control unit 12 (described later) to display a table image in which multiple operations, the reverse operations of those operations, and execution conditions can be input in the order of execution. The reception unit 11 may also accept the operation, execution order, reverse operation, and execution conditions based on the information entered in the table image. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the control system according to the first embodiment. More specifically, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a table image.

[0022] In this embodiment, the reception unit 11 causes the display control unit 12 to display, for example, a table image T as shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2, the table image T according to this embodiment has a column R1 for inputting the operation sequence, a column R2 for inputting the operation name, a column R3 for inputting the execution conditions, a column R4 for inputting the reverse operation, and a column R5 for inputting the identification information of the operation program. Of course, the items that can be entered in Table T are not limited to those listed, and it may be configured to allow input of other items as well.

[0023] Column R1 contains the execution order of the operations. The execution order listed in column R1 may be entered by the user or may be pre-filled. In the case shown in Figure 2, column R1 contains the string "START" indicating the start of the controlled operation and the string "END" indicating the end of the controlled operation, with numbers 1 through 6 representing the execution order between them. The numbers 7 through 12 written after the word "END" correspond to the reverse actions of the actions corresponding to the numbers 1 through 6 mentioned earlier. The numbers 7 through 12 do not represent the actual execution order, but are assigned as a provisional execution order to be used as identification information for the corresponding actions.

[0024] Column R2 contains the names of the operations. Note that column R2 may contain identification information for the operation instead of the operation name. The names of the operations listed in column R2 are configured to be freely determined by the user, and can be named, for example, "advancement of assembly unit" or "gripping by workpiece." The names of the actions entered in column R2 will be displayed in the control screen described later.

[0025] Column R3 contains the execution conditions. In this context, "execution conditions" refer to the conditions that must be met in order to execute the actions described on the same line. Execution conditions do not need to be defined for every action; for example, they may be set only for specific actions. Furthermore, the execution conditions described in column R3 can be any conditions relating to the controlled object. For example, the conditions may include a condition that prohibits the execution of the target operation after the execution of a predetermined operation, or the execution conditions may include a condition that allows the target operation to be executed only after the execution of a predetermined operation. For example, in Figure 2, the execution condition "7 and 8 not executed" is specified for the fourth operation in the execution order, namely "DDD". This means that the execution of the operation named "DDD" is prohibited after the execution of the operations specified as the 7th and 8th in the provisional execution order. Note that certain conditions for what to write may be defined in column R3. For example, if column R3 has a condition such as "Prohibit the execution of the target action after the described action," then column R3 only needs to contain identification information for the action, such as "7,8".

[0026] Column R4 contains the reverse operations. More specifically, column R4 contains the execution order and provisional execution order of each operation, which are listed as identifiers for the reverse operations. In this context, "reverse action" refers to an action taken to return the state after performing the target action back to the state before the target action was performed. For example, if the target operation is "moving the assembly unit forward," then the reverse operation would be "moving the assembly unit backward." Also, for example, if the target operation is "gripping the workpiece," then the reverse operation would be "releasing the grip from the workpiece."

[0027] Column R5 contains the identification information of the operating program. In this context, an "operational program" refers to a program that needs to be loaded in order to actually execute the target operation on the controlled object. Column R5 may contain, for example, the name of the program as identification information, or the location where the program is stored as identification information. In other words, column R5 can contain any information that can identify the operating program for the target operation.

[0028] Let's return to the explanation of Figure 1. The display control unit 12 displays a control screen to the user by controlling a display device or a display device such as a touch panel. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the display control unit 12 in this embodiment displays a table image as shown in Figure 2.

[0029] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a display screen according to the first embodiment. More specifically, Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a control screen according to the first embodiment. The display control unit 12 acquires the operation, execution order, reverse operation, and execution conditions of the controlled object, which are received by the reception unit 11. Based on the acquired operation, execution order, reverse operation, and execution conditions of the controlled object, the display control unit 12 outputs a control screen P1 as shown in Figure 3.

[0030] More specifically, the display control unit 12 displays, in parallel, on the control screen P1, an identification image P11 of one of the operations, an identification image P13 of a subsequent operation whose execution order is set to follow the said operation, and an identification image P13 of the reverse operation of the said operation.

[0031] The identification image P11 is an image representing an action that the controlled object is currently performing or an action that has just been performed. In this embodiment, the identification image P11 has a design reminiscent of a button and has text in the central part indicating the sequence of actions and the names of the actions.

[0032] Identification image P12 is an image representing a sequential operation, which is the operation set to be executed after the operation in question. In this embodiment, identification image P12 has a design reminiscent of a button and has text in the central part indicating the operation sequence and operation name. Furthermore, a forward action indicator image P15 is displayed near the identification image P12, indicating that the action identified by the identification image P12 is a forward action. The indicator image P15 has the text "Forward Action" in its central part.

[0033] Identification image P13 is an image representing the reverse operation of the operation identified by identification image P11. In this embodiment, identification image P13 has a design reminiscent of a button and has text in the central part indicating the operation sequence and operation name. Furthermore, near the identification image P13, a reverse action indicator image P16 is displayed to show that the action identified by the identification image P13 is the reverse action. The indicator image P16 has the text "Reverse Action" in the center.

[0034] Furthermore, on the control screen P1, the display control unit 12 displays a forced execution image P14 near the identification images P11, P12, and P13 for operation, forward operation, and reverse operation, indicating that the user-selected operation will be executed on the controlled object regardless of the execution conditions.

[0035] The display control unit 12 is configured to allow the user to select one of the following: the forward operation identification image P12, the reverse operation identification image P13, or the forced execution image P14. For example, the display control unit 12 may display a cursor on the control screen P1, allowing the user to select one of the images by clicking on it with the cursor. Furthermore, if the display device is a touch panel, the display control unit 12 may allow the user to select one of the images by tapping on it.

[0036] Furthermore, when the display control unit 12 selects either identification image P12 or identification image P13, it may enable selection by moving either identification image to the position where identification image P11 exists. In this case, the display control unit 12 may, for example, allow the user to select an identification image by tapping either of the identification images P12 or P13 with their finger and then sliding their finger to the position of identification image P11. In this case, the display control unit 12 may also display button images that are parallel to the parallel direction of the identification images P11, P12, and P13, each representing the opposite direction. In other words, in the case shown in Figure 3, the display control unit 12 may display an image indicating an upward direction and an image indicating a downward direction. When the user selects the image indicating an upward direction, the display control unit 12 may display an animation in which the identification image P12 slides upward and move the identification image P12 to the position where the identification image P11 is displayed. Also, when the user selects the image indicating a downward direction, the display control unit 12 may display an animation in which the identification image P13 slides downward and move the identification image P13 to the position where the identification image P11 is displayed.

[0037] When the user selects one of the following: the forward operation identification image P12, the reverse operation identification image P13, or the forced execution image P14, the display control unit 12 notifies the target control unit 13 which identification image has been selected.

[0038] Let's return to the explanation of Figure 1. The target control unit 13 causes the controlled object to perform a forward operation if the user selects the identification image P12 for a forward operation. It also causes the controlled object to perform a reverse operation if the user selects the identification image P13 for a reverse operation.

[0039] More specifically, when the user selects either identification image P12 or identification image P13, the target control unit 13 obtains the execution conditions for the action associated with the selected identification image, i.e., the action selected by the user. Even more specifically, the target control unit 13 obtains the execution conditions for the selected action by referring to table T shown in Figure 2.

[0040] The target control unit 13 determines whether the selected operation satisfies the execution conditions. If the target control unit 13 determines that the selected operation satisfies the execution conditions, it obtains identification information for the operation program of the selected operation by referring to table T shown in Figure 2. Then, by executing the operation program corresponding to the obtained identification information, it causes the controlled object to execute the selected operation.

[0041] Here, if the user selects a forced execution image, the target control unit 13 will execute the action selected by the user on the controlled object, ignoring the execution conditions. In other words, even if the selected action does not meet the execution conditions, if a forced execution image is selected, the target control unit 13 will execute the action selected by the user on the controlled object.

[0042] If the control unit 13 determines that the selected operation does not meet the execution conditions, it may, for example, notify the user of a warning. Furthermore, if the control unit 13 determines that the selected action does not meet the execution conditions, it may prompt the user to select the force execution button. Here, the warnings and prompts to the user mentioned above may be notified to the user, for example, via the display control unit 12 and the display device.

[0043] <Control system operation> Next, the operation of the control system, that is, the control method according to the first embodiment, will be described in detail. In the following description, Figures 1, 2, and 3 will be referred to as appropriate.

[0044] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control system according to the first embodiment. In the control method according to this embodiment, first, the receiving unit 11 receives a plurality of operations to be controlled, the execution order of those operations, the reverse operation of those operations, and the execution conditions which are the conditions that must be met in order to execute those operations (step ST11). More specifically, in step ST11, first, the display control unit 12 controls the display device to display table T. Then, the reception unit 11 acquires the multiple operations of the controlled object that have been input to table T, the execution order of those operations, the reverse operation of those operations, and the execution conditions that must be met in order to perform those operations.

[0045] Next, the display control unit 12 displays an identification image of one of the operations, an identification image of the forward operation of that operation, an identification image of the reverse operation of that operation, and a forced execution image (step ST12). In other words, in step ST12, the display control unit 12 controls the display device and displays the control image P2 shown in Figure 2.

[0046] Next, the target control unit 13 determines whether the operation selected by the user satisfies the execution conditions (step ST13). If the operation selected by the user satisfies the execution conditions (step ST13 YES), the target control unit 13 causes the controlled object to execute the operation selected by the user (step ST14), and the control system 1 according to this embodiment terminates the series of operations. More specifically, in step 14, the target control unit 13 causes the controlled object to perform a forward operation if the user selects an identification image for a forward operation, and causes the controlled object to perform a reverse operation if the user selects an identification image for a reverse operation.

[0047] If the action selected by the user does not meet the execution conditions (step ST13 NO), the target control unit 13 determines whether or not a forced execution image has been selected by the user (step ST15). If a forced execution image is selected (step ST15 YES), the target control unit 13 causes the control target to execute the operation selected by the user, ignoring the execution conditions (step ST16), and the control system 1 according to this embodiment terminates the series of operations.

[0048] If no forced execution image is selected (step ST15 NO), the target control unit 13 executes step ST15 again. In other words, the control system 1 according to this embodiment waits without executing the selected operation until a forced execution image is selected. If no forced execution image is selected, the target control unit 13 may notify the user of a warning or the like.

[0049] As described above, the control system 1 according to this embodiment displays a control screen P1 having an identification image P11 of one of the actions of the controlled object, an identification image P12 of the forward action, an identification image P13 of the reverse action, and a forced execution image P14. The control system 1 according to this embodiment is configured to control the controlled object using the control screen P1 described above. With this configuration, the control system 1 according to this embodiment can improve operability.

[0050] (Other embodiments) In the first embodiment, the control system 1 may output a flowchart image of the operation of the controlled object based on the operation received by the reception unit 11, the execution order, the reverse operation, and the execution conditions. The display control unit 12 may then control the display device to display the flowchart image. With such a configuration, the user can easily confirm the flow of the operation of the controlled object.

[0051] In the first embodiment, the control system 1 may output a function block dialog image of the controlled operation based on the operation received by the reception unit 11, the execution order, the reverse operation, and the execution conditions. The display control unit 12 may then control the display device to display the function block dialog image. With such a configuration, the user can easily confirm the control method of the controlled operation.

[0052] Although the present invention has been described above in reference to the embodiments described above, the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiments described above, and of course includes various modifications, alterations, and combinations that can be made by a person skilled in the art within the scope of the claims of the present patent application. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0053] 1 Control system, 11 Reception unit, 12 Display control unit, 13 Target control unit, P1 Control screen, P11 Operation identification image, P12 Forward operation identification image, P13 Reverse operation identification image, P14 Forced execution image, P15 Forward operation indicator image, P16 Reverse operation indicator image

Claims

1. A receiving unit that receives multiple operations to be controlled, the execution order of the operations, the reverse operations of the operations, and the execution conditions that must be met in order to perform the operations. A display control unit that displays an identification image of one of the aforementioned operations, an identification image of a sequential operation which is set to be the next operation in the execution order, and an identification image of the reverse operation of the said operation. The system includes a control unit that, when the user selects an identification image for the forward operation, causes the controlled object to perform the forward operation, and when the user selects an identification image for the reverse operation, causes the controlled object to perform the reverse operation. Control system.

2. The display control unit further displays a forced execution image near the identification images of the operation, the forward operation, and the reverse operation, indicating that it will perform one of the operations on the controlled object, ignoring the execution conditions. If the user selects the forced execution image, the target control unit causes the control target to execute the action selected by the user, while ignoring the execution conditions. The control system according to claim 1.

3. The display control unit displays a table image in which multiple operations, the reverse operations of the operations, and the execution conditions can be entered in the order of execution. The receiving unit receives the operation, the execution order of the operation, the reverse operation of the operation, and the execution conditions based on the information entered in the table image. The control system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. Based on the received operation, the execution order, the reverse operation, and the execution conditions, the display control unit displays a flowchart image of the operation. The control system according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The system accepts a set of operations to be controlled, the execution order of the operations, the reverse operation of the operations, and the execution conditions that must be met in order to perform the operations. The system displays an identification image of one of the aforementioned operations, an identification image of a forward operation which is set to be the next operation in the execution order, and an identification image of the reverse operation of the aforementioned operation. If the user selects the identification image for the forward operation, the controlled object is made to perform the forward operation; if the user selects the identification image for the reverse operation, the controlled object is made to perform the reverse operation. Control method.

Images