Extended control device and control method

Abstract

To provide an apparatus and method capable of autonomously expanding and changing control even for control apparatuses with different command formats or protocols. The present technology includes, for example, an extended control device that can be communicatively connected to a device having a control device, the extended control device including an arithmetic processing device, a memory in which a predetermined control program is stored, and a sensor, and the arithmetic processing device is configured to transmit the predetermined control program to the control device in response to receiving a predetermined signal from the sensor.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present technology relates to an extended control device that can extend the control of a device having a control device. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to sell and provide unmanned services such as beverages, food, and other items, restaurant meal tickets, transportation tickets, smartphone and electric vehicle (EV) charging, and hourly parking spaces, vending machines, automated teller machines (ATMs), money handling machines, automated service machines, and other financial devices (hereinafter collectively referred to as "vending system machines") are sometimes installed inside and outside buildings, on roads, in parking lots, etc.

[0003] In order to provide new products and services or new payment methods, old vending system machines are replaced with new vending system machines. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-123230 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2000-132737 A [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] Hachiyo Co., Ltd., "Disaster Response Vending Machine", [online], Internet<url: http: / / www.hachiyoh.co.jp / master / products / disaster / index.html> [Non-Patent Document 2] Dydo DRINCO, Inc., "Disaster Relief Vending Machine", [online], Internet<url: https: / / www.dydo.co.jp / jihanki / saigaikyuuen / > [Non-Patent Document 3] ITO EN Co., Ltd., "About vending machines in times of disaster", [online], Internet,<url: https: / / www.itoen.co.jp / company / vender / emergency / > Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] What is desired is a more earth-friendly and sustainable apparatus and method that can reduce the disposal of obsolete equipment associated with the replacement of equipment, such as vending system machines.

[0007] What is desired is an apparatus and method that can extend the functionality of older equipment at low cost.

[0008] What is desired is an apparatus and method that allows for easy and immediate expansion of the functionality of older equipment.

[0009] What is needed is an apparatus and method that allows for the reliable functionality of older devices while still allowing for enhanced functionality.

[0010] There is a demand for an apparatus and method that can be autonomously controlled even during a disaster or when communications are cut off.

[0011] What is needed is an apparatus and method that can autonomously expand and change control even when the control apparatus has a different command format or protocol.

[0012] What is desired is an apparatus and method that allows the functionality of older equipment to be remotely extended and modified.

[0013] What is desired is an apparatus and method that can measure, store, and transmit information about a given location on a continuous or on-demand basis. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] The present technology includes, for example, an extended control device that can be communicatively connected to a device having a control device, the extended control device including an arithmetic processing device, a memory in which a predetermined control program is stored, and a sensor, and the arithmetic processing device is configured to transmit the predetermined control program to the control device in response to receiving a predetermined signal from the sensor. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an extended control system in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 illustrates an extended control method according to an embodiment of the present technology. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] 1 shows an extended control system 100 according to an embodiment of the present technology. The extended control system 100 includes a device 110, a control device 120, and an extended control device 130.

[0017] The device 110 may be any machine to be controlled, such as a cash device, a storage and processing device, or a vending device in a vending system machine.

[0018] The control device 120 may be a device that is communicatively connected to the device 110 and electrically or mechanically controls the operation or state of the device 110 by a control program stored therein, or may be a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). The control device 120 may be, for example, an instruction device for a vending system machine, and may employ a communication method / standard for the vending system machine, such as JVMA or VCCS (24V serial communication), as a communication protocol.

[0019] Extended control device 130 may be a device that is communicatively connected to device 110, either directly or via control device 120, and electrically or mechanically controls the operation or state of device 110. Device 110, control device 120, and extended control device 130 may be in the same housing, or some of them may be in different housings.

[0020] The extended control device 130 may include a central processing unit (CPU) 132 , memory 134 , sensors 136 , communication devices 138 , and secondary storage devices 140 .

[0021] The CPU 132 may control the device 110 by executing a control program stored in the memory 134, or may transmit the control program stored in the memory 134 to the control device 120 for storage. The extended control device 130 may employ, for example, the IEBus system as a communication protocol.

[0022] If the control program stored in memory 134 and the control program stored in control device 120 have different protocols or command formats, for example, and control device 120 is unable to interpret the control program stored in memory 134 or part of it, CPU 132 may convert the protocol and command format into one that control device 120 can interpret and transmit them to control device 120.

[0023] The memory 134 may store a control program executed by the CPU 132. The sensor 136 may be an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a seismic sensor, a GPS sensor, a heart rate sensor, a thermographic camera, a power meter, a real-time clock (RTC), or the like, or a combination thereof.

[0024] The sensor 136 may be located within the same housing as the rest of the extended controller 130, or may be removably attached to the outside of the housing of the extended controller 130.

[0025] The communication device 138 may communicatively connect the CPU 132 to a server 160, a client 170, or a terminal device such as a smartphone, via a network 150 or directly.

[0026] The auxiliary storage device 140 stores the signals received by the CPU 132 from the sensor 136. The auxiliary storage device 140 may be a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD).

[0027] The network 150 may be the Internet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or the like, or may be a short-range wireless communication network such as Bluetooth (trademark).

[0028] The server 160 includes a processor and a memory, and receives requests from the client 170 via the network 150 and returns the results to the client 170 .

[0029] FIG. 2 illustrates an enhanced control method 200 in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology.

[0030] The extended control method starts in step 202, and in step 204, the CPU 132 receives a predetermined signal from the sensor 136. The signal from the sensor 136 may be a signal indicating a measurement value by the sensor, a signal processed by a smart sensor or the like, and may be a voltage-free contact or a voltage-applied contact. Furthermore, the reception of the signal from the sensor 136 may be continuous or discrete (e.g., once an hour), when the sensor 136 outputs a specific signal, or when the CPU 132 requests a signal from the sensor 136.

[0031] For example, if the sensor 136 is an inertial measurement unit (IMU), the predetermined signal from the sensor 136 may be a signal indicating that a predetermined vibration has been detected.

[0032] For example, if the sensor 136 is a seismic detector, the predetermined signal from the sensor 136 may be a volt-free contact.

[0033] For example, if the sensor 136 is a GPS, the predetermined signal from the sensor 136 may be location information measured by the GPS sensor.

[0034] For example, if the sensor 136 is a heart rate sensor, the predetermined signal from the sensor 136 may be the heart rate measured by the heart rate sensor.

[0035] For example, if the sensor 136 is a thermographic camera, the predetermined signal from the sensor 136 may be temperature distribution information measured by the thermographic camera.

[0036] For example, if the sensor 136 is a power meter or an electricity meter, the predetermined signal from the sensor 136 may be power consumption information or power consumption amount information measured by the power meter or the electricity meter.

[0037] For example, if the sensor 136 is a real-time clock, the predetermined signal from the sensor 136 may be time information measured by a thermographic camera.

[0038] Next, in response to receiving a predetermined signal from the sensor in step 204, the CPU 132 transmits a predetermined control program to the controller 120 in step 206.

[0039] Receipt of a specified signal from a sensor is not limited to a signal from a single sensor, but may be a combination of signals received from multiple sensors, and a response may be made when the combination of multiple signals satisfies a specified condition.

[0040] The CPU 132 may transmit a predetermined control program to the control device 120 in response to receiving a predetermined signal from the server via the communication device 138 .

[0041] In addition, the CPU 132 may transmit a predetermined signal to the server 160 via the communication device 138 in response to receiving a predetermined signal from the sensor 136 .

[0042] The predetermined control program may be a control program pre-stored in memory 134, or may be a control program received from server 160 via communication device 138. In addition, the control program stored in memory 134 may be updated by receiving an update program from server 160 via communication device 138.

[0043] The control program may include instructions or protocols that cannot be interpreted by the control device 120 as is. In this case, the CPU 132 may convert at least a part of the instruction set of the predetermined control program into instructions that can be interpreted by the control device 120 and transmit them, or may delete at least a part of the instruction set of the predetermined control program. The CPU 132 may convert an IEBus-based program into a program that complies with the JVMA or VCCS-based system, or may convert it so that the same function or similar control is realized.

[0044] In addition, if the device 110 is a vending system machine, when an earthquake sensor detects shaking of a predetermined magnitude or greater, a specified control program may switch the power source of the vending system machine to an emergency power source, make beverages available free of charge, or otherwise switch to a disaster-response sales method. [Industrial Applicability]

[0045] This technology makes it possible to autonomously expand and change control even for control devices with different command formats and protocols. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 100 Extended Control System 110 Equipment 120 Control device 130 Extended Control Device 132 CPU 134 Memory 136 Sensors 138 Communication Equipment 140 Auxiliary storage 150 Network 160 Servers 170 clients

Claims

1. An extended control device that can be communicatively connected to a device having a control device, A processing unit and A memory containing a predetermined control program, The system includes sensors, one or a combination of an inertial measurement unit (IMU), an earthquake detector, a heart rate sensor, and a thermal imaging camera. The aforementioned arithmetic processing unit, The system is configured to transmit the predetermined control program to the control device in response to receiving a predetermined signal from the sensor. Extended control unit.

2. The aforementioned arithmetic processing unit, The predetermined control program is configured to be converted into an instruction that the control device can interpret and transmitted to the control device, The extended control device according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned extended control device includes a communication device capable of communicating with a server connected to a network, The aforementioned arithmetic processing unit, The device is configured to transmit a predetermined control program to the control device in response to receiving a predetermined signal from the server via the communication device. The extended control device according to claim 1.

4. The aforementioned processing unit The system is configured to transmit a predetermined signal to the server via the communication device in response to receiving a predetermined signal from the sensor. The extended control device according to claim 1.

5. The sensor includes an inertial measurement unit (IMU) or an earthquake sensor. The aforementioned predetermined signal includes a signal indicating that a predetermined vibration or earthquake has been detected, The extended control device according to claim 1.

6. The aforementioned sensor further includes a GPS sensor, The processing unit is configured to transmit location information measured by the GPS sensor to the server via the communication device. The extended control device according to claim 1.

7. The aforementioned sensor includes a heart rate sensor, The processing unit is configured to transmit the heart rate measured by the heart rate sensor to the server via the communication device. The extended control device according to claim 1.

8. The sensor includes a thermographic camera, The processing unit is configured to transmit temperature distribution information measured by the thermographic camera to the server via the communication device. The extended control device according to claim 1.

9. The sensor further includes a power meter, The arithmetic processing unit is configured to transmit power consumption information measured by the power meter to the server via the communication device. The extended control device according to claim 1.

10. The aforementioned sensor further includes a real-time clock, The arithmetic processing unit is configured to transmit time information measured by the real-time clock to the server via the communication device. The extended control device according to claim 1.

11. The aforementioned device includes an automatic vending system machine, The predetermined control program includes switching the power supply of the vending machine, The extended control device according to claim 1.

12. The aforementioned device includes an automatic vending system machine, The predetermined control program includes switching the sales method of the automatic vending machine, The extended control device according to claim 1.

13. Converting the predetermined control program into instructions that the control device can interpret includes converting at least a portion of the instruction set of the predetermined control program into an instruction set that the control device can interpret. The extended control device according to claim 2.

14. Converting the predetermined control program into instructions that the control device can interpret includes deleting at least a portion of the instruction set of the predetermined control program. The extended control device according to claim 13.

15. The arithmetic processing unit is configured to receive a control program from the server via the communication device and store it in the memory. The extended control device according to claim 3.

16. The processing unit is configured to receive an update program from the server via the communication device and update the control program stored in the memory. The extended control device according to claim 15.

17. The aforementioned extended control device includes a plurality of sensors, The processing unit is configured to transmit a predetermined control program to the control device in accordance with the combination of signals received from the plurality of sensors. The extended control device according to claim 1.

18. The aforementioned extended control device includes an auxiliary storage device, The processing unit is configured to store the signal received from the sensor in the auxiliary storage device. The extended control device according to claim 1.

19. A method for controlling a device having a processing unit, a memory storing a predetermined control program, a sensor including one or a combination of an inertial measurement unit (IMU), an earthquake detector, a heart rate sensor, a thermographic camera, and a control device, The aforementioned processing unit The sensor receives a predetermined signal, This includes controlling the device using the predetermined control program in response to receiving the predetermined signal, Control method.

20. A computer-readable medium storing a program for controlling a device having a processing unit, a memory storing a predetermined control program, a sensor including one or a combination of an inertial measurement unit (IMU), an earthquake detector, a heart rate sensor, a thermographic camera, and a control device, To the aforementioned computer, The sensor receives a predetermined signal, In response to receiving the predetermined signal, the device is controlled by the predetermined control program. Computer-readable media.

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