Determination system and determination method

Abstract

This determination system comprises a measurement apparatus for receiving, from a first target wire which is a target wire, a response signal based on a measurement signal that is output to the first target wire and that has a frequency component, and measuring the amplitude and / or the phase of the received response signal, a calculation apparatus for calculating, on the basis of a measurement result from the measurement apparatus, a plurality of evaluation values that correspond to a plurality of respective postures of the first target wire, and a determination apparatus for performing, on the basis of the plurality of evaluation values calculated by the calculation apparatus, a determination process regarding routing of the first target wire.

Description

Determination System and Determination Method

[0001] This disclosure relates to a determination system and a determination method. This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-192586 filed on November 1, 2024, and incorporates all of its disclosure herein.

[0002] Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2023-44388) discloses the following method for estimating the progress state of disconnection. That is, the method for estimating the progress state of disconnection is a method for estimating the progress state of disconnection of a conductor in a cable having a conductor composed of a stranded conductor obtained by twisting a plurality of strands. When a predetermined operation is repeatedly applied to the cable, the resistance value of the conductor that changes in time series due to the operation is measured. For each measurement interval delimited by a time interval longer than the time taken for the operation, the maximum value, minimum value, and average value of the resistance value in the time series change of the resistance value of the conductor are obtained, and the progress state of disconnection of the conductor is estimated based on the normalized resistance value variation width obtained by "normalized resistance value variation width = (maximum value - minimum value) / average value".

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2023-44388

[0004] The determination system of the present disclosure receives a response signal from the first target line based on a measurement signal having a frequency component output to the first target line, which is the target line, and measures at least one of the amplitude and phase of the received response signal. A measurement device, a calculation device that calculates a plurality of evaluation values corresponding to a plurality of postures of the first target line based on the measurement results by the measurement device, and a determination device that performs determination processing related to the wiring of the first target line based on the plurality of evaluation values calculated by the calculation device.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure can be realized not only as a determination system including such a characteristic processing unit, but also as a program for causing a computer to execute the steps of such characteristic processing. Also, one aspect of the present disclosure can be realized as a semiconductor integrated circuit that realizes part or all of the determination system.

[0006] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a communication system according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of a transmission line used in the communication system according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of a change in the orientation of a transmission line used in the communication system according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a cable routing determination device according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation procedure when the cable routing determination device according to the first embodiment of this disclosure performs determination processing. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of a cable routing determination device according to the second embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the numerical range stored in the storage unit of the cable routing determination device according to the second embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation procedure when the cable routing determination device according to the second embodiment of this disclosure performs determination processing.

[0007] Conventionally, technologies for predictive maintenance of transmission lines and the like have been proposed.

[0008] [Problems this disclosure aims to solve] Beyond the technology described in Patent Document 1, there is a need for a technology that can prevent premature disconnection of the target wire.

[0009] This disclosure was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a determination system and determination method that can prevent premature disconnection of the target wire.

[0010] [Effects of this disclosure] According to this disclosure, it is possible to prevent premature disconnection of the target wire.

[0011] [Description of Embodiments of the Disclosure] First, the contents of the embodiments of the disclosure will be listed and described. (1) The determination system according to the embodiment of the disclosure includes: a measuring device that receives a response signal based on a measurement signal having frequency components output to a first target line, which is a target line, from the first target line, and measures at least one of the amplitude and phase of the received response signal; a calculation device that calculates a plurality of evaluation values ​​corresponding to a plurality of attitudes of the first target line based on the measurement results from the measuring device; and a determination device that performs determination processing regarding the routing of the first target line based on the plurality of evaluation values ​​calculated by the calculation device.

[0012] In this configuration, by using multiple evaluation values ​​corresponding to multiple orientations of the target wire to perform judgment processing regarding the wiring of the target wire, it is possible to accurately determine the wiring status of the target wire while considering the changes in electrical characteristics according to the orientation of the target wire. For example, it is possible to improve the wiring status of a poorly wired target wire and improve the quality of the equipment to which the wire is routed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent premature breakage of the target wire.

[0013] (2) In (1) above, the determination device may perform the determination process using a determination criterion created in advance based on the relationship between the determination result regarding the quality of the routing of the plurality of second target lines which are the target lines and the plurality of evaluation values ​​corresponding to each of the plurality of attitudes of the second target line.

[0014] With this configuration, for example, the wiring status of the first target line can be more accurately determined using evaluation data of a second target line with good wiring. Furthermore, the wiring status of the first target line can be more accurately determined using evaluation data of a second target line with poor wiring.

[0015] (3) In the above (2), the determination device may perform the determination process using the determination model which is the determination criterion, and the determination model may output a determination result of whether the first target line is good or bad in response to the input of the plurality of evaluation values.

[0016] With this configuration, the result of determining whether the wiring of the first target line is good or bad can be obtained with a simple process.

[0017] (4) In any of (1) to (3) above, the plurality of attitudes may include the attitude of the end position in the range of attitude changes that changes due to the operation of the device to which the first target line is routed.

[0018] With this configuration, for example, the determination process can be performed based on the evaluation value in the position where the target line is subjected to the greatest load when in use, thus enabling a more accurate determination of wiring conditions that may lead to premature breakage.

[0019] (5) In (4) above, the device to which the cable is routed may be a robot arm.

[0020] With this configuration, the wiring status of the target wire in the robot arm can be accurately determined by considering the change in the electrical characteristics of the target wire according to the bending state of the robot arm. For example, this can improve the wiring status of poorly wired target wires and enhance the quality of the robot arm.

[0021] (6) In (4) above, the device to which the cable is routed may be a vehicle.

[0022] This configuration allows for accurate determination of the wiring status of target wires in a vehicle, taking into account changes in the electrical characteristics of the target wires according to the vehicle's driving conditions. For example, it can improve the wiring status of poorly wired target wires and enhance the quality of the vehicle.

[0023] (7) In any of (1) to (6) above, the measuring device may receive a plurality of response signals based on the measurement signals output to a plurality of first target lines from each of the plurality of first target lines, and measure at least one of the amplitude and phase of each of the received response signals; the calculating device may calculate the plurality of evaluation values ​​for each of the first target lines; and the determination device may calculate a feature quantity obtained by dimensionality reduction of the plurality of evaluation values ​​corresponding to each of the plurality of first target lines for each of the attitudes, and perform the determination process based on each of the calculated feature quantities.

[0024] This configuration allows for a more accurate determination of the wiring status of multiple target lines based on the correlation of multiple evaluation values ​​corresponding to each target line.

[0025] (8) In any of (1) to (7) above, the determination system may further include a signal output device that outputs the measurement signal to the first target line.

[0026] This configuration allows for easy synchronization of the transmission of measurement signals and the reception of response signals. Furthermore, the frequency of the measurement signal can be flexibly selected according to, for example, the type of target line, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the response signal.

[0027] (9) The determination method of the present disclosure is a determination method in a determination system, comprising the steps of: receiving a response signal from the first target line based on a measurement signal having frequency components output to the first target line, which is a target line; measuring at least one of the amplitude and phase of the received response signal; calculating a plurality of evaluation values ​​corresponding to a plurality of attitudes of the first target line based on the measurement result of at least one of the amplitude and phase; and performing a determination process regarding the routing of the first target line based on the calculated plurality of evaluation values.

[0028] In this way, by using multiple evaluation values ​​corresponding to multiple orientations of the target wire to perform judgment processing regarding the wiring of the target wire, it is possible to accurately determine the wiring status of the target wire while taking into account changes in electrical characteristics according to the orientation of the target wire. For example, it is possible to improve the wiring status of a poorly wired target wire and improve the quality of the equipment to which the wire is routed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent premature breakage of the target wire.

[0029] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will not be repeated. Furthermore, at least some of the embodiments described below may be combined in any way.

[0030] <First Embodiment> [Configuration and Basic Operation] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a communication system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 1, the communication system 301 comprises communication devices 111 and 121. The communication devices 111 and 121 are connected to each other via a communication transmission line 10. More specifically, the transmission line 10 includes a cable portion and connector portions provided at a first end and a second end of the cable portion, respectively. The connector portion provided at the first end of the cable portion is connected to the communication device 111. The connector portion provided at the second end of the cable portion is connected to the communication device 121. The transmission line 10 is, for example, an Ethernet® cable.

[0031] For example, the communication system 301 is used in the robot arm 201 of an industrial robot in factory automation. More specifically, the communication device 111 is installed at the tip of the robot arm 201. The transmission line 10 is routed along the robot arm 201. The communication device 121 transmits a control signal Scon via the transmission line 10 to a motor (not shown) mounted on the robot arm 201, thereby operating the joints of the robot arm 201. The communication device 121 also transmits a communication signal to the communication device 111 via the transmission line 10. The communication device 111 controls the operation of the end effector 202 installed at the tip of the robot arm 201 according to the communication signal received from the communication device 121. The communication system 301 may also be used in devices with drive units, such as elevators, foldable smartphones, and inkjet printers.

[0032] Figure 2 shows an example of a transmission line used in a communication system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the transmission line 10 when the transmission line 10 is cut by a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the transmission line 10.

[0033] Referring to Figure 2, the transmission line 10 includes a plurality of core wires 1 and a sheath 2. A core wire 1 is an example of a symmetrical wire. A core wire 1 is covered with a coating layer (not shown) and insulated from other core wires 1. The conductor portion of a core wire 1 may be a single core or a plurality of bundled strands. The plurality of core wires 1 are bundled together by the sheath 2. The sheath 2 is a tubular tube that covers the plurality of core wires 1. The space between the core wires 1 and the sheath 2 may be filled with an insulator. For example, the transmission line 10 is a cable that includes a plurality of twisted pairs in which two core wires 1 are twisted together.

[0034] The transmission line 10 may be a cable that includes multiple parallel lines in which two core wires 1 are arranged parallel to each other. The multiple parallel lines may or may not be parallel to each other. The transmission line 10 may also include a spiral tube instead of a sheath 2, or it may include multiple cable ties provided at intervals along the length of the core wires 1. Furthermore, if the robot arm 201 has a mechanism for restraining the multiple core wires 1, the transmission line 10 may not include a sheath 2.

[0035] Figure 3 shows an example of a change in the orientation of a transmission line used in a communication system according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 3 shows the orientations Pa, Pb, and Pc of the transmission line 10 and core wire 1, corresponding to states Sa, Sb, and Sc of the robot arm 201, respectively. Referring to Figure 3, for example, the robot arm 201 operates between state Sa and state Sc, with state Sb in between, on the same plane.

[0036] The orientation P of the core wire 1 in the transmission line 10 changes due to the movement of the robot arm 201. More specifically, the orientation P of the core wire 1 changes within a range Vr between orientation Pa when the robot arm 201 is in state Sa and orientation Pc when the robot arm 201 is in state Sc. Orientations Pa and Pc are examples of end positions within the range Vr.

[0037] The core wire 1 may be damaged by repeated bending during the operation of the robot arm 201, eventually leading to disconnection. The product life, or service life, of the transmission line 10 is predetermined by the manufacturer of the transmission line 10, for example, based on the results of bending tests of the transmission line 10.

[0038] The administrator of the robot arm 201 can prevent downtime of the communication system 301 due to a break in the core wire 1 by replacing the transmission line 10 before it reaches the end of its service life.

[0039] [Problem] A technology is needed that can prevent premature breakage of the core wire 1. More specifically, when routing the transmission line 10 on the robot arm 201, routing defects may occur, such as the transmission line 10 being routed under heavy load. In the case of a poorly routed transmission line 10, the core wire 1 may break before the transmission line 10 reaches its service life.

[0040] However, the conventional technology described in Patent Document 1 cannot determine whether the transmission line 10 is properly routed. Furthermore, workers routing the transmission line 10 may overlook faulty routing.

[0041] Therefore, the cable routing determination device 101 according to the embodiment of this disclosure solves the above problem with the following configuration.

[0042] (Wiring Determination Device) Figure 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a wiring determination device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 4, the wiring determination device 101 comprises a signal output unit 11, a measurement unit 12, a processing unit 13, a storage unit 14, and a communication port 15. The signal output unit 11 is an example of a signal output device. The measurement unit 12 is an example of a measurement device. The processing unit 13 is an example of a calculation device and an example of a determination device. Parts or all of the signal output unit 11, the measurement unit 12, and the processing unit 13 are realized by a processing circuit (Circuitry) including one or more processors, for example. The storage unit 14 is a non-volatile memory included in the processing circuit, for example. The wiring determination device 101 performs determination processing regarding the wiring of the core wire 1 as an inspection before shipment of the communication system 301.

[0043] The communication port 15 is, for example, a connector or a terminal. The connector portion of the transmission line 10 is connected to the communication port 15. For example, when the wiring of the transmission line 10 in the robot arm 201 is completed, the user of the wiring determination device 101 connects the end portion of the transmission line 10 on the opposite side of the communication device 111 in the transmission line 10 in parallel to the wiring determination device 101 and the communication device 121. More specifically, the user of the wiring determination device 101 connects the core wire 1A, which is a predetermined core wire 1 in the transmission line 10, to the communication port 15 in the wiring determination device 101, and connects the core wires 1 other than the core wire 1A in the transmission line 10 to the communication device 121. The core wire 1A may be a core wire 1 connected to a motor or the like in the robot arm 201, or may be a core wire 1 connected to the communication device 111.

[0044] For example, the end portion of the transmission line 𝑎10 on the communication device 111 side is impedance-matched. More specifically, the end portion of the transmission line 10 on the communication device 111 side is connected to a termination circuit (not shown) for matching the termination of the transmission line 1 . When the characteristic impedance of the transmission line 10 is 50 Ω, the termination circuit is a 50 Ω resistor equal to the characteristic impedance of the transmission line 10. Note that the termination circuit may be a load other than a 50 Ω resistor, or may not accurately match the termination of the transmission line 10. That is, the end portion of the transmission line 10 does not need to be accurately impedance-matched.

[0045] (Determination criterion Cr1) The storage unit 14 stores a determination criterion Cr1 used for the determination process. The determination criterion Cr1 is created in advance based on the relationship between the determination result regarding the quality of the wiring of a plurality of core wires 1s, which are core wires 1, and the impedances Za, Zb, Zc corresponding to the postures Pa, Pb, Pc of the respective core wires 1s. The core wire 1s are an example of the second target wire. For example, the storage unit 14 stores, as the determination criterion Cr1, numerical ranges R1a, R1b, R1c of impedances corresponding to the postures Pa, Pb, Pc, respectively. Hereinafter, each of the numerical ranges R1a, R1b, R1c is also referred to as a numerical range R1.

[0046] The numerical ranges R1a, R1b, and R1c are created in advance based on the impedance of the core wires 1s in the plurality of transmission lines 10 routed in the robot arm 201 and the determination result regarding the quality of the routing of the core wires 1s in the robot arm 201, and are stored in the storage unit 14. Specifically, the numerical ranges R1a, R1b, and R1c are set in advance based on the impedances Za, Zb, and Zc corresponding to the attitudes Pa, Pb, and Pc of the plurality of core wires 1s with good routing and the impedances Za, Zb, and Zc corresponding to the attitudes Pa, Pb, and Pc of the plurality of core wires 1s with poor routing, respectively. Here, the core wire 1s with good routing are the core wires 1s that did not break when a bending test was performed in which a bending operation BM of a predetermined number of times was applied after the routing of the core wire 1s, and the core wires 1s with poor routing are the core wires 1s that broke when the bending test was performed.

[0047] (Control of Attitude P) The communication device 121 controls the attitude P of the core wire 1. For example, the communication device 121 controls the attitude P of the core wire 1 to the attitudes Pa, Pb, and Pc, respectively.

[0048] More specifically, the communication device 121 generates a control signal Scon for transitioning the state of the robot arm 201 to the state Sa, and transmits the generated control signal Scon to a motor or the like in the robot arm 201 via the core wire 1. When the communication device 121 transitions the state of the robot arm 201 to the state Sa, it transmits a state transition notification MSa to the processing unit 13.

[0049] Further, the communication device 121 generates a control signal Scon for transitioning the state of the robot arm 201 to the state Sb, and transmits the generated control signal Scon to a motor or the like in the robot arm 201 via the core wire 1. When the communication device 121 transitions the state of the robot arm 201 to the state Sb, it transmits a state transition notification MSb to the processing unit 13.

[0050] Furthermore, the communication device 121 generates a control signal Scon to transition the state of the robot arm 201 to state Sc, and transmits the generated control signal Scon to the motors, etc., of the robot arm 201 via the core wire 1. When the state of the robot arm 201 transitions to state Sc, the communication device 121 transmits a state transition notification MSc to the processing unit 13.

[0051] The processing unit 13 sets multiple measurement periods T corresponding to multiple orientations P of the core wire 1. For example, the processing unit 13 sets measurement periods T1, T2, and T3 of predetermined lengths corresponding to orientations Pa, Pb, and Pc, respectively. Measurement periods T1, T2, and T3 are the measurement periods T when the orientation P of the core wire 1 is orientation Pa, Pb, and Pc, respectively.

[0052] More specifically, the processing unit 13 receives a state transition notification MSa from the communication device 121, sets the measurement period T1, and outputs a measurement instruction indicating the set measurement period T1 to the signal output unit 11 and the measurement unit 12.

[0053] Furthermore, the processing unit 13 receives a state transition notification MSb from the communication device 121, sets the measurement period T2, and outputs a measurement instruction indicating the set measurement period T2 to the signal output unit 11 and the measurement unit 12.

[0054] Furthermore, the processing unit 13 receives a state transition notification MSc from the communication device 121, sets the measurement period T3, and outputs a measurement instruction indicating the set measurement period T3 to the signal output unit 11 and the measurement unit 12.

[0055] The communication device 121 may be configured not to transmit state transition notifications MSa, MSb, and MSc. In this case, the processing unit 13 acquires an image of the robot arm 201 generated by, for example, a camera (not shown), and determines the state of the robot arm 201 based on the acquired image.

[0056] (Transmission of measurement signal) The signal output unit 11 outputs a measurement signal having frequency components to the core wire 1A of the transmission line 10. For example, the signal output unit 11 outputs an AC signal, a pulse signal, or a frequency sweep signal to the core wire 1A as the measurement signal. The core wire 1A is an example of the first target line. Here, the period of the measurement signal is sufficiently small compared to the measurement period T.

[0057] For example, the memory unit 14 stores a digital signal D1 with N samples, which is obtained by digitally converting a sine wave for M periods. M is an integer greater than or equal to 1. N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, for example, an integer multiple of M.

[0058] The signal output unit 11 receives a measurement instruction from the processing unit 13 and, for each measurement period T indicated by the received measurement instruction, uses N digital signals D1 in the storage unit 14 to output M cycles of measurement signals to the core wire 1A. More specifically, the signal output unit 11 includes a DA (Digital to Analog) conversion unit. At an output timing according to the period Cy of the operating clock of the DA conversion unit, the signal output unit 11 acquires a digital signal D1 from the storage unit 14 and outputs a measurement signal generated by converting the digital signal D1 to analog using the DA conversion unit to the core wire 1A via the communication port 15. The signal output unit 11 also outputs the digital signal D1 acquired from the storage unit 14 at the same output timing to the measurement unit 12 and the processing unit 13.

[0059] The signal output unit 11 may include, for example, a signal generating unit such as a DDS (Direct Digital Synthesizer), and may be configured to output the signal generated by the signal generating unit to the core wire 1A via the communication port 15.

[0060] (Reception of response signal) The measurement unit 12 receives a response signal based on the measurement signal. For example, the measurement unit 12 receives a response signal from the core wire 1A that includes the signal that has been reflected from the measurement signal. That is, the measurement unit 12 receives a response signal that includes the measurement signal output by the signal output unit 11 and the reflected signal, which is the signal that has been reflected from the measurement signal. The measurement unit 12 then measures the amplitude and phase of the received response signal.

[0061] More specifically, the measurement unit 12 receives measurement instructions from the processing unit 13 and receives response signals from the core wire 1A via the communication port 15 during each measurement period T indicated by the received measurement instructions. For example, the measurement unit 12 performs preprocessing to remove noise contained in the response signal using a low-pass filter or the like.

[0062] The measurement unit 12 includes an AD (Analog to Digital) conversion unit that samples the response signal at sampling timings according to the period Cy. The measurement unit 12 generates digital signals D2A1, D2A2, and D2A3, which are time-series data consisting of N sample values ​​representing the response signals in measurement periods T1, T2, and T3, by sampling the response signal received from the core wire 1A and pre-processed during each measurement period T using the AD conversion unit.

[0063] For example, the measurement unit 12 generates digital signals D3A1, D3A2, and D3A3, which are time-series data representing the reflected signals during measurement periods T1, T2, and T3, by subtracting the digital signal D1 received from the signal output unit 11 for each sample from the generated digital signals D2A1, D2A2, and D2A3.

[0064] The measurement unit 12 generates amplitude data DAa1, which is time-series data of the amplitude of the reflected signal during the measurement period T1, and phase data DAp1, which is time-series data of the phase of the reflected signal during the measurement period T1, based on the generated digital signal D3A1, and outputs the generated amplitude data DAa1 and phase data DAp1 to the processing unit 13.

[0065] Furthermore, the measurement unit 12 generates amplitude data DAa2, which is time-series data of the amplitude of the reflected signal during the measurement period T2, and phase data DAp2, which is time-series data of the phase of the reflected signal during the measurement period T2, based on the generated digital signal D3A2, and outputs the generated amplitude data DAa2 and phase data DAp2 to the processing unit 13.

[0066] Furthermore, the measurement unit 12 generates amplitude data DAa3, which is time-series data of the amplitude of the reflected signal during the measurement period T3, and phase data DAp3, which is time-series data of the phase of the reflected signal during the measurement period T3, based on the generated digital signal D3A3, and outputs the generated amplitude data DAa3 and phase data DAp3 to the processing unit 13.

[0067] Hereinafter, amplitude data DAa1, DAa2, and DAa3 will each be referred to as amplitude data DAa, and phase data DAp1, DAp2, and DAp3 will each be referred to as phase data DAp.

[0068] (Calculation of evaluation value Ev) The processing unit 13 calculates multiple evaluation values ​​Ev corresponding to multiple orientations P of the core wire 1A based on the measurement results from the measurement unit 12. For example, the processing unit 13 calculates impedances ZAa, ZAb, and ZAc as multiple evaluation values ​​Ev, corresponding to orientations Pa, Pb, and Pc of the core wire 1A. Impedances ZAa, ZAb, and ZAc represent the impedance of the core wire 1A in orientations Pa, Pb, and Pc, respectively. Hereinafter, each of impedances ZAa, ZAb, and ZAc will also be referred to as impedance ZA.

[0069] More specifically, the processing unit 13 generates amplitude data Da1, Da2, and Da3, which are time-series data of the amplitude of the measurement signal during the measurement periods T1, T2, and T3, respectively, based on the digital signal D1 received from the signal output unit 11.

[0070] The processing unit 13 calculates a value V1 by dividing the amplitude data DAa1 received from the measurement unit 12 by the amplitude data Da1. More specifically, the processing unit 13 calculates a value V1 by dividing the average of N sample values ​​of the amplitude data DAa1 by the average of N sample values ​​of the amplitude data Da1. Based on the calculated value V1, the processing unit 13 calculates the reflection coefficient rcA1. Then, the processing unit 13 calculates the impedance ZAa according to the following equation (1).

[0071] Here, Zout is the output impedance of the cable routing determination device 101. For example, the output impedance Zout is stored in the memory unit 14 beforehand.

[0072] Furthermore, the processing unit 13 calculates a value V2 by dividing the amplitude data DAa2 received from the measurement unit 12 by the amplitude data Da2. More specifically, the processing unit 13 calculates a value V2 by dividing the average of N sample values ​​of the amplitude data DAa2 by the average of N sample values ​​of the amplitude data Da2. Based on the calculated value V2, the processing unit 13 calculates the reflection coefficient rcA2. Then, the processing unit 13 calculates the impedance ZAb according to the following equation (2).

[0073] Furthermore, the processing unit 13 calculates a value V3 by dividing the amplitude data DAa3 received from the measurement unit 12 by the amplitude data Da3. More specifically, the processing unit 13 calculates a value V3 by dividing the average of N sample values ​​of the amplitude data DAa3 by the average of N sample values ​​of the amplitude data Da3. Based on the calculated value V3, the processing unit 13 calculates the reflection coefficient rcA3. Then, the processing unit 13 calculates the impedance ZAc according to the following equation (3).

[0074] (Decision Processing) The processing unit 13 performs a decision processing regarding the routing of the core wire 1A based on the calculated impedances ZAa, ZAb, and ZAc. For example, the processing unit 13 performs the decision processing using the decision criterion Cr1 in the storage unit 14.

[0075] More specifically, the processing unit 13 calculates the impedances ZAa, ZAb, and ZAc, and then compares the calculated impedances ZAa, ZAb, and ZAc with the numerical ranges R1a, R1b, and R1c in the storage unit 14.

[0076] The processing unit 13 determines that the wiring of the core wire 1A is good if impedance ZAa is within the numerical range R1a, impedance ZAb is within the numerical range R1b, and impedance ZAc is within the numerical range R1c. On the other hand, the processing unit 13 determines that the wiring of the core wire 1A is poor if impedance ZAa is outside the numerical range R1a, impedance ZAb is outside the numerical range R1b, or impedance ZAc is outside the numerical range R1c.

[0077] Then, the processing unit 13 performs a notification process to notify the user of the wiring determination device 101 of the result of determining whether the core wire 1A is properly routed.

[0078] [Operation Flow] Figure 5 is a flowchart that shows an example of the operation procedure when the cable routing determination device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure performs determination processing. For example, the cable routing determination device 101 receives a user operation for performing determination processing from the user of the cable routing determination device 101 and executes the process shown in Figure 5.

[0079] Referring to Figure 5, first, the wiring determination device 101 outputs a measurement signal to the core wire 1A and receives a response signal from the core wire 1A during measurement periods T1, T2, and T3 when the orientation P of the core wire 1A is orientation Pa, Pb, or Pc (step S11).

[0080] Next, the cable routing determination device 101 measures the amplitude and phase of the response signal. More specifically, the cable routing determination device 101 generates amplitude data DAa1 and phase data DAp1 of the reflected signal during the measurement period T1, amplitude data DAa2 and phase data DAp2 of the reflected signal during the measurement period T2, and amplitude data DAa3 and phase data DAp3 of the reflected signal during the measurement period T3 (step S12).

[0081] Next, the wiring determination device 101 calculates the impedances ZAa, ZAb, and ZAc corresponding to the orientations Pa, Pb, and Pc of the core wire 1A, respectively, based on the generated amplitude data DAa1, DAa2, and DAa3 and the amplitude data Da1, Da2, and Da3 of the measurement signals (step S13).

[0082] Next, the cable routing determination device 101 compares the calculated impedances ZAa, ZAb, and ZAc with the numerical ranges R1a, R1b, and R1c in the storage unit 14 (step S14).

[0083] Next, the wiring determination device 101 determines that the wiring of the core wire 1A is good if the impedance ZAa is within the numerical range R1a, the impedance ZAb is within the numerical range R1b, and the impedance ZAc is within the numerical range R1c (YES in step S15) (step S16).

[0084] On the other hand, the wiring determination device 101 determines that the wiring of the core wire 1A is faulty if the impedance ZAa is outside the numerical range R1a, the impedance ZAb is outside the numerical range R1b, or the impedance ZAc is outside the numerical range R1c (NO in step S15) (step S17).

[0085] Next, the wiring determination device 101 performs a notification process to notify the user of the wiring determination device 101 of the result of determining whether the wiring of the core wire 1A is good or bad (step S18).

[0086] Although the communication system 301 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure is configured for use in a robot arm 201, it is not limited thereto. The communication system 301 may also be configured for use in an in-vehicle network. When the communication system 301 is used in an in-vehicle network, the attitude P of the core wire 1 in the in-vehicle network changes within the range Vcar due to the vehicle driving on rough roads or the brakes being applied. In this case, the test device controls the attitude P of the core wire 1A to attitudes Pd, Pe, and Pf, respectively, which include the end position within the range Vcar. The test device may control the attitude P of the core wire 1A by driving the vehicle, or it may control the attitude P of the core wire 1A by extending or retracting the suspension of the vehicle. The processing unit 13 then calculates the impedances ZAd, ZAe, and ZAf, respectively, which correspond to the attitudes Pd, Pe, and Pf of the core wire 1A.

[0087] Furthermore, in the wiring determination device 101 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure, the storage unit 14 is configured to store numerical ranges R1a, R1b, and R1c as determination criteria Cr1, but is not limited to this. The storage unit 14 may be configured to store, for example, a determination model M1 that follows a support vector machine, instead of numerical ranges R1a, R1b, and R1c as determination criteria Cr1. The determination model M1 is a pattern recognition model that outputs a determination result of whether the wiring of the core wire 1A is good or bad in response to the input impedances ZAa, ZAb, and ZAc of the core wire 1A. The determination model M1 is generated by performing machine learning using the impedances Za, Zb, and Zc corresponding to the attitudes Pa, Pb, and Pc of a plurality of core wires 1 with good wiring, and the impedances Za, Zb, and Zc corresponding to the attitudes Pa, Pb, and Pc of a plurality of core wires 1 with poor wiring, as training data. In this case, the processing unit 13 calculates the impedances ZAa, ZAb, and ZAb, and provides the calculated impedances ZAa, ZAb, and ZAb to the judgment model M1 to obtain a judgment result on whether the core wire 1A is properly routed.

[0088] Furthermore, in the wiring determination device 101 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure, the storage unit 14 is configured to store a predetermined determination criterion Cr1 based on the relationship between the determination result regarding the quality of the wiring of a plurality of core wires 1 and the impedances Za, Zb, and Zc corresponding to the attitudes Pa, Pb, and Pc of each core wire 1, respectively. However, the device is not limited to this configuration. The storage unit 14 may also be configured to store a predetermined determination criterion Cr1 without using the above-mentioned relationship.

[0089] Furthermore, in the wiring determination device 101 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure, the storage unit 14 is configured to store preset numerical ranges R1a, R1b, and R1c based on the impedances Za, Zb, and Zc corresponding to the orientations Pa, Pb, and Pc of a plurality of core wires 1s with good wiring, and the impedances Za, Zb, and Zc corresponding to the orientations Pa, Pb, and Pc of a plurality of core wires 1s with poor wiring, but is not limited to this. The storage unit 14 may be configured to store preset numerical ranges R1a, R1b, and R1c based on the impedances Za, Zb, and Zc of a plurality of core wires 1s with good wiring, without using the impedances Za, Zb, and Zc of a plurality of core wires 1s with poor wiring.

[0090] Furthermore, in the wiring determination device 101 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure, the processing unit 13 controls the orientation P of the core wire 1 during the measurement period T1, T2, and T3 to orientations Pa, Pb, and Pc, respectively, which include the end position in the change range Vr, and calculates impedances ZAa, ZAb, and ZAc, respectively, corresponding to orientations Pa, Pb, and Pc of the core wire 1A, but is not limited to this. The processing unit 13 may also control the orientation P of the core wire 1 during the measurement period T1, T2, and T3 to orientations Pg, Ph, and Pi, respectively, which are different from orientations Pa, Pb, and Pc, and calculates impedances ZAg, ZAh, and ZAi, respectively, corresponding to orientations Pg, Ph, and Pi of the core wire 1A, respectively.

[0091] Furthermore, in the wiring determination device 101 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure, the measurement unit 12 is configured to receive a response signal from the core wire 1A that includes a measurement signal output by the signal output unit 11 and a reflected signal which is a signal that has been reflected from the measurement signal, but the device is not limited to this. The measurement unit 12 may be configured to receive a response signal that does not include the measurement signal. That is, the measurement unit 12 may be configured to receive a reflected signal as the response signal. More specifically, for example, the signal output unit 11 outputs a measurement signal to the core wire 1A via a directional coupler and a communication port 15. The measurement unit 12 receives a response signal that does not include the measurement signal from the core wire 1A via the communication port 15 and the directional coupler.

[0092] Furthermore, in the wiring determination device 101 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure, the measurement unit 12 is configured to generate digital signals D3A1, D3A2, and D3A3, which represent reflected signals, by subtracting the digital signal D1 from the digital signals D2A1, D2A2, and D2A3, respectively, but the device is not limited to this configuration. The measurement unit 12 may also be configured to receive a measurement signal from the signal output unit 11, generate an analog signal representing the reflected signal in each measurement period T by subtracting the measurement signal from the response signal received in each measurement period T, and generate digital signals D3A1, D3A2, and D3A3 by converting the generated analog signal to digital.

[0093] Furthermore, in the wiring determination device 101 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure, the measurement unit 12 is configured to receive a response signal from the core wire 1A that includes a signal reflected from the measurement signal output to the core wire 1A, but the device is not limited to this. The measurement unit 12 may also be configured to receive a return signal of the measurement signal from another core wire 1 as the response signal.

[0094] Furthermore, in the wiring determination device 101 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure, the processing unit 13 is configured to calculate impedances ZAa, ZAb, and ZAc as evaluation values ​​Ev, but is not limited to this. The processing unit 13 may also be configured to calculate reactances Xa, Xb, and Xc corresponding to the attitudes Pa, Pb, and Pc of the core wire 1A, respectively, instead of impedances ZAa, ZAb, and ZAc as evaluation values ​​Ev, or to calculate resistances ra, rb, and rc corresponding to the attitudes Pa, Pb, and Pc of the core wire 1A, respectively, or to calculate absolute values ​​Ara, Arb, and Arc of the reflection coefficients corresponding to the attitudes Pa, Pb, and Pc of the core wire 1A, respectively. In addition, the processing unit 23 may be configured to calculate phase differences pda, pdb, and pdc between the measurement signal and the reflected signal corresponding to the attitudes Pa, Pb, and Pc of the core wire 1A, respectively, using the phase data DAp described above. Furthermore, the processing unit 23 may be a vector network analyzer or a digital multimeter, and may be configured to calculate S parameters Spa, Spb, and Spc corresponding to the attitudes Pa, Pb, and Pc of the core wire 1A, respectively, as evaluation values ​​Ev.

[0095] Furthermore, the processing unit 13 may be configured to calculate capacitances Ca, Cb, and Cc, corresponding to the orientations Pa, Pb, and Pc of the core wire 1A, respectively, as evaluation values ​​Ev, when the end of the transmission line 10 on the communication device 111 side is open.

[0096] Furthermore, the processing unit 13 may be configured to calculate the inductances La, Lb, and Lc corresponding to the orientations Pa, Pb, and Pc of the core wire 1A, respectively, as an evaluation value Ev when the end of the transmission line 10 on the communication device 111 side is connected to the ground node.

[0097] Furthermore, although the wiring determination device 101 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure is configured to be connected to core wire 1A among a plurality of core wires 1, it is not limited to this configuration. The wiring determination device 101 and the communication device 121 may be configured to be connected to all core wires 1 in the transmission line 10 via a switch. In this case, the communication device 121 controls the attitude P of core wire 1A by transmitting a control signal Scon to the motor or the like in the robot arm 201 via the switch. The wiring determination device 101 also transmits a measurement signal to core wire 1A and receives a response signal from core wire 1A via the switch.

[0098] Alternatively, the cable routing determination device 101 and the communication device 121 may be connected in parallel to the core wire 1A without the need for a switch. In this case, the control signal Scon transmitted by the communication device 121 and the measurement signal transmitted by the cable routing determination device 101 are frequency-division multiplexed or time-division multiplexed.

[0099] Furthermore, the cable routing determination device 101 may also be configured to include a communication device 121. In this case, the communication device 121 controls the posture P of the core wire 1A by transmitting a control signal Scon to the motor or other components of the robot arm 201 via the communication port 15.

[0100] Furthermore, although the cable routing determination device 101 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure is configured to include a signal output unit 11, it is not limited thereto. The cable routing determination device 101 may be configured without a signal output unit 11. In this case, the communication device 121 functions as the signal output unit 11. More specifically, for example, the communication device 121 receives a measurement instruction from the processing unit 13 and outputs a control signal Spls, which is a pulse signal for controlling the robot arm 201, to the core wire 1A as a measurement signal during the measurement period T indicated by the received measurement instruction. The control signal Spls does not have to be a signal for transitioning the state of the robot arm 201. The measurement unit 12 in the cable routing determination device 101 receives a response signal from the core wire 1A, which includes the signal in which the control signal Spls has been reflected, during the measurement period T indicated by the measurement instruction received from the processing unit 13, and measures the amplitude and phase of the received response signal. With this configuration, the measurement accuracy of the amplitude and phase of the response signal can be improved and the power consumption of the AD conversion unit in the measurement unit 12 can be reduced by synchronously transmitting the measurement signal and receiving the response signal during the measurement period T determined by the processing unit 13. The communication device 121 may also transmit the control signal Spls to the measurement unit 12 in the wiring determination device 101 during the measurement period T. In this case, the measurement unit 12 measures the amplitude and phase of the control signal Spls received from the signal output unit 11 and outputs the control signal Spls to the core wire 1A. The measurement unit 12 then receives the response signal, which includes the signal in which the control signal Spls has been reflected, from the core wire 1A and measures the amplitude and phase of the received response signal. Based on the measurement results of the amplitude and phase of the control signal Spls and the measurement results of the amplitude and phase of the response signal, the measurement unit 12 generates amplitude data DAa and phase data DAp of the reflected signal.

[0101] Furthermore, although the cable routing determination device 101 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure is configured to include a measurement unit 12 and a processing unit 13, it is not limited thereto. Instead of the cable routing determination device 101, the communication device 111 may be configured to include a measurement unit 12 and a processing unit 13. In this case, the measurement unit 12 in the communication device 111 receives a response signal, which is a measurement signal transmitted through the core wire 1A, from the core wire 1A, and measures the amplitude and phase of the received response signal. The processing unit 13 in the communication device 111 calculates impedances ZAa, ZAb, ZAc or reactances Xa, Xb, Xc based on the measurement results from the measurement unit 12.

[0102] Next, other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will not be repeated.

[0103] <Second Embodiment> [Configuration and Basic Operation] This embodiment relates to a wiring determination device 102 that outputs measurement signals to multiple core wires 1, compared to the wiring determination device 101 according to the first embodiment. Except for the contents described below, it is the same as the wiring determination device 101 according to the first embodiment.

[0104] Figure 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of a cable routing determination device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 6, the cable routing determination device 102, compared to the cable routing determination device 101, is equipped with a signal output unit 21 instead of a signal output unit 11, a measurement unit 22 instead of a measurement unit 12, a processing unit 23 instead of a processing unit 13, and a storage unit 24 instead of a storage unit 14. The signal output unit 21 is an example of a signal output device. The measurement unit 22 is an example of a measurement device. The processing unit 23 is an example of a calculation device and an example of a determination device.

[0105] For example, once the routing determination device 102 has finished routing the transmission line 10 on the robot arm 201, the user of the routing determination device 102 connects the end of the transmission line 10 opposite to the communication device 111 to the routing determination device 102 and the communication device 121 in parallel. More specifically, the user of the routing determination device 102 connects the predetermined core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C of the transmission line 10 to the communication port 15 of the routing determination device 102, and connects the core wires 1 other than core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C of the transmission line 10 to the communication device 121. Core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C may be core wires connected to the motor or the like on the robot arm 201, or core wires connected to the communication device 111.

[0106] (Judgment Criteria Cr2) The memory unit 24 stores the judgment criteria Cr2 used for judgment processing. The judgment criteria Cr2 is created in advance based on the judgment result regarding the quality of the wiring of multiple core wires 1s and the relationship between the impedances Za, Zb, and Zc that correspond to the orientations Pa, Pb, and Pc of each core wire 1s. For example, the memory unit 24 stores numerical ranges R2a, R2b, and R2c of the impedance feature quantities that correspond to the orientations Pa, Pb, and Pc as judgment criteria Cr2. Hereinafter, each of the numerical ranges R2a, R2b, and R2c will also be referred to as numerical range R2.

[0107] The numerical ranges R2a, R2b, and R2c are created in advance based on the impedance of the multiple core wires 1s in each of the multiple transmission lines 10 routed in the robot arm 201 and the judgment result regarding the quality of the routing of the core wires 1s in the robot arm 201, and are stored in the storage unit 24.

[0108] Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of a numerical range stored in the storage unit of a wiring determination device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. In Figure 7, the vertical axis is feature quantity PC1 and the horizontal axis is feature quantity PC2. Figure 7 shows plot PRa showing feature quantities PC1 and PC2 of impedance Za corresponding to the orientation Pa of multiple core wires 1s with good wiring, plot PRb showing feature quantities PC1 and PC2 of impedance Zb corresponding to the orientation Pb of multiple core wires 1s with good wiring, and plot PRc showing feature quantities PC1 and PC2 of impedance Zc corresponding to the orientation Pc of multiple core wires 1s with good wiring.

[0109] Referring to Figure 7, the numerical ranges R2a, R2b, and R2c are the numerical ranges of the two-dimensional impedance feature quantities PC1 and PC2. The numerical range R2a is predetermined based on the feature quantities PC1 and PC2 of the impedance Za of a core wire 1s with good wiring and the feature quantities PC1 and PC2 of the impedance Za of a core wire 1s with poor wiring. The feature quantities PC1 and PC2 of impedance Za are generated by calculating multiple impedances ZaP by subtracting the average value of each of the multiple impedances Za corresponding to each of the multiple core wires 1s, and then compressing the dimensions of the multiple impedances ZaP.

[0110] Furthermore, the numerical range R2b is pre-set based on the feature quantities PC1 and PC2 of the impedance Zb of core wire 1s with good wiring and the feature quantities PC1 and PC2 of the impedance Zb of core wire 1s with poor wiring. The feature quantities PC1 and PC2 of impedance Zb are generated by calculating multiple impedances ZbP by subtracting the average value of the multiple impedances Zb corresponding to each of the multiple core wires 1s, and then compressing the dimensions of the multiple impedances ZbP.

[0111] Furthermore, the numerical range R2c is predetermined based on the feature quantities PC1 and PC2 of the impedance Zc of core wire 1s with good wiring and the feature quantities PC1 and PC2 of the impedance Zc of core wire 1s with poor wiring. The feature quantities PC1 and PC2 of impedance Zc are generated by calculating multiple impedances ZcP by subtracting the average value of the multiple impedances Zc corresponding to each of the multiple core wires 1s, and then compressing the dimensions of the multiple impedances ZcP.

[0112] (Control of posture P) The processing unit 23 sets measurement periods T1, T2, and T3 in the same manner as the processing unit 13, and outputs measurement instructions indicating the set measurement periods T1, T2, and T3 to the signal output unit 21 and the measurement unit 22.

[0113] (Transmission of measurement signal) The signal output unit 21 outputs a measurement signal having frequency components to the core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C of the transmission line 10. Core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C are examples of the first target lines. More specifically, the signal output unit 21 receives a measurement instruction from the processing unit 23 and outputs a measurement signal to the core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C via the communication port 15 during each measurement period T indicated by the received measurement instruction.

[0114] (Reception of response signals) The measurement unit 22 receives response signals based on the measurement signals output to the core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C. For example, the measurement unit 22 receives response signals from the core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C, each containing the signal that has been reflected from the measurement signal. The measurement unit 22 then measures the amplitude and phase of each received response signal.

[0115] More specifically, the measurement unit 22 receives measurement instructions from the processing unit 23 and receives response signals from the core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C via the communication port 15 during each measurement period T indicated by the received measurement instructions. For example, the measurement unit 22 performs preprocessing to remove noise contained in each response signal using a low-pass filter or the like.

[0116] The measurement unit 22 generates amplitude data DAa1 and phase data DAp1 of the reflected signal of the core wire 1A during the measurement period T1, amplitude data DAa2 and phase data DAp2 of the reflected signal of the core wire 1A during the measurement period T2, and amplitude data DAa3 and phase data DAp3 of the reflected signal of the core wire 1A during the measurement period T3, in the same manner as the measurement unit 12, and outputs the generated amplitude data DAa1, DAa2, DAa3 and phase data DAp1, DAp2, DAp3 to the processing unit 23.

[0117] Furthermore, the measurement unit 22 generates amplitude data DBa1 and phase data DBp1 of the reflected signal of the core wire 1B during the measurement period T1, amplitude data DBa2 and phase data DBp2 of the reflected signal of the core wire 1B during the measurement period T2, and amplitude data DBa3 and phase data DBp3 of the reflected signal of the core wire 1B during the measurement period T3, in the same manner as the amplitude data DAa and phase data DAp. The measurement unit 22 outputs the generated amplitude data DBa1, DBa2, DBa3 and phase data DBp1, DBp2, DBp3 to the processing unit 23. Hereinafter, each of the amplitude data DBa1, DBa2, DBa3 will also be referred to as amplitude data DBa, and each of the phase data DBp1, DBp2, DBp3 will also be referred to as phase data DBp.

[0118] Furthermore, the measurement unit 22 generates amplitude data DCa1 and phase data DCp1 of the reflected signal of the core wire 1C during the measurement period T1, amplitude data DCa2 and phase data DCp2 of the reflected signal of the core wire 1C during the measurement period T2, and amplitude data DCa3 and phase data DCp3 of the reflected signal of the core wire 1C during the measurement period T3, in the same manner as the amplitude data DAa and phase data DAp. The measurement unit 22 outputs the generated amplitude data DCa1, DCa2, DCa3 and phase data DCp1, DCp2, DCp3 to the processing unit 23. Hereinafter, each of the amplitude data DCa1, DCa2, and DCa3 will also be referred to as amplitude data DCa, and each of the phase data DCp1, DCp2, and DCp3 will also be referred to as phase data DCp.

[0119] (Calculation of evaluation value Ev) The processing unit 23 calculates multiple evaluation values ​​Ev for each core wire 1 based on the measurement results from the measurement unit 22. More specifically, the processing unit 23 calculates impedances ZAa, ZAb, and ZAc corresponding to the orientations Pa, Pb, and Pc of the core wire 1A, respectively, as multiple evaluation values ​​Ev, in the same manner as the processing unit 13.

[0120] Furthermore, the processing unit 23 calculates the impedances ZBa, ZBb, and ZBc corresponding to the orientations Pa, Pb, and Pc of the core wire 1B, respectively, and the impedances ZCa, ZCb, and ZCc corresponding to the orientations Pa, Pb, and Pc of the core wire 1C, respectively, in the same manner as the impedances ZAa, ZAb, and ZAc. Hereinafter, each of the impedances ZBa, ZBb, and ZBc will also be referred to as impedance ZB, and each of the impedances ZCa, ZCb, and ZCc will also be referred to as impedance ZC.

[0121] (Determination process) For each orientation P, the processing unit 23 calculates feature quantities PC1 and PC2 by dimensionality-reducing the impedances ZA, ZB, and ZC corresponding to the core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C, respectively, and performs a determination process based on the calculated feature quantities PC1 and PC2.

[0122] More specifically, the processing unit 23 calculates the pre-processed impedances ZAaP, ​​ZBaP, and ZCaP by subtracting the average value of the impedances ZAa, ZBa, and ZCa from the impedances ZAa, ZBa, and ZCa corresponding to the core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C in orientation Pa, respectively. The processing unit 23 generates feature quantities PC1a and PC2a, which are two-dimensional feature quantities PC1 and PC2, by dimensionality reduction of the calculated impedances ZAaP, ​​ZBaP, and ZCaP.

[0123] Furthermore, the processing unit 23 calculates the pre-processed impedances ZABP, ZBbP, and ZCbP by subtracting the average value of the impedances ZAB, ZBb, and ZCb from the impedances ZAB, ZBb, and ZCb corresponding to the core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C in orientation Pb, respectively. The processing unit 23 generates feature quantities PC1b and PC2b, which are two-dimensional feature quantities PC1 and PC2, by dimensionality reduction of the calculated impedances ZABP, ZBbP, and ZCbP.

[0124] Furthermore, the processing unit 23 calculates the pre-processed impedances ZAcP, ZBcP, and ZCcP by subtracting the average value of the impedances ZAc, ZBc, and ZCc from the impedances ZAc, ZBc, and ZCc corresponding to the core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C in orientation Pc, respectively. The processing unit 23 generates feature quantities PC1c and PC2c, which are two-dimensional feature quantities PC1 and PC2, by dimensionality reduction of the calculated impedances ZAcP, ZBcP, and ZCcP.

[0125] The processing unit 23 compares the generated feature quantities PC1 and PC2 with the numerical range R2 in the storage unit 24. More specifically, the processing unit 23 compares the feature quantities PC1a and PC2a with the numerical range R2a, compares the feature quantities PC1b and PC2b with the numerical range R2b, and compares the feature quantities PC1c and PC2c with the numerical range R2c.

[0126] The processing unit 23 determines that the wiring of core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C is good if the feature quantities PC1a and PC2a are within the numerical range R2a, the feature quantities PC1b and PC2b are within the numerical range R2b, and the feature quantities PC1c and PC2c are within the numerical range R2c. On the other hand, the processing unit 23 determines that the wiring of core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C is poor if the feature quantities PC1a and PC2a are outside the numerical range R2a, the feature quantities PC1b and PC2b are outside the numerical range R2b, or the feature quantities PC1c and PC2c are outside the numerical range R2c.

[0127] Then, the processing unit 23 performs a notification process to notify the user of the wiring determination device 102 of the result of determining whether the wiring of the core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C is good or bad.

[0128] [Operation Flow] Figure 8 is a flowchart that shows an example of the operation procedure when the cable routing determination device according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure performs determination processing. For example, the cable routing determination device 102 receives a user operation for performing determination processing from the user of the cable routing determination device 102 and executes the process shown in Figure 8.

[0129] Referring to Figure 8, first, the cable routing determination device 102 outputs a measurement signal to the core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C, and receives a response signal from the core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C, during measurement periods T1, T2, and T3, when the attitude P of the core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C is attitude Pa, Pb, and Pc, respectively (step S21).

[0130] Next, the cable routing determination device 102 measures the amplitude and phase of each response signal. More specifically, the cable routing determination device 102 generates amplitude data DAa1, DBa1, DCa1 and phase data DAp1, DBp1, DCp1 of the reflected signals during the measurement period T1, amplitude data DAa2, DBa2, DCa2 and phase data DAp2, DBp2, DCp2 of the reflected signals during the measurement period T2, and amplitude data DAa3, DBa3, DCa3 and phase data DAp3, DBp3, DCp3 of the reflected signals during the measurement period T3 (step S22).

[0131] Next, the wiring determination device 102 calculates the impedances ZAa, ZAb, ZAc corresponding to the orientations Pa, Pb, and Pc of core wire 1A, ZBa, ZBb, and ZBc corresponding to the orientations Pa, Pb, and Pc of core wire 1B, and the impedances ZCaa, ZCb, and ZCc corresponding to the orientations Pa, Pb, and Pc of core wire 1C, respectively, based on the generated amplitude data DAa, DBa, DCa and the amplitude data Da1, Da2, and Da3 of the measurement signals (step S23).

[0132] Next, the cable routing determination device 102 generates feature quantities PC1 and PC2 by dimensionality reduction of the impedances ZA, ZB, and ZC corresponding to the core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C, respectively, for each orientation P (step S24).

[0133] Next, the routing determination device 102 compares the feature quantities PC1 and PC2 with the numerical range R2 in the storage unit 24 (step S25).

[0134] Next, the wiring determination device 102 determines that the wiring of core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C is good if the feature quantities PC1a and PC2a are values ​​within the numerical range R2a, the feature quantities PC1b and PC2b are values ​​within the numerical range R2b, and the feature quantities PC1c and PC2c are values ​​within the numerical range R2c (YES in step S26) (step S27).

[0135] On the other hand, the wiring determination device 102 determines that the wiring of the core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C is defective if the feature quantities PC1a and PC2a are outside the numerical range R2a, the feature quantities PC1b and PC2b are outside the numerical range R2b, or the feature quantities PC1c and PC2c are outside the numerical range R2c (NO in step S26) (step S28).

[0136] Next, the wiring determination device 102 performs a notification process to notify the user of the wiring determination device 102 of the determination result regarding the quality of the wiring of the core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C (step S29).

[0137] In the wiring determination device 102 according to the second embodiment of this disclosure, the storage unit 24 is configured to store numerical ranges R2a, R2b, and R2c as determination criteria Cr2, but is not limited to this. The storage unit 24 may be configured to store, for example, a determination model M2 that follows a support vector machine, instead of numerical ranges R2a, R2b, and R2c as determination criteria Cr2. The determination model M2 is a pattern recognition model that outputs a determination result of whether the wiring of core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C is good or bad in response to the input impedances ZA, ZB, and ZC of the core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C. The determination model M2 is generated by performing machine learning using the impedances Za, Zb, and Zc corresponding to the attitudes Pa, Pb, and Pc of a plurality of core wires 1 with good wiring, and the impedances Za, Zb, and Zc corresponding to the attitudes Pa, Pb, and Pc of a plurality of core wires 1 with poor wiring, as training data. In this case, the processing unit 23 calculates the impedances ZA, ZB, and ZC, and provides the calculated impedances ZA, ZB, and ZC to the judgment model M2 to obtain a judgment result on the quality of the wiring of the core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C.

[0138] Furthermore, in the wiring determination device 102 according to the second embodiment of this disclosure, the processing unit 23 is configured to calculate feature quantities PC1 and PC2 obtained by dimensionally compressing the impedances ZA, ZB, and ZC corresponding to the core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C, respectively, for each orientation P, but is not limited to this. The processing unit 23 may be configured not to calculate feature quantities PC1 and PC2 obtained by dimensionally compressing the impedances ZA, ZB, and ZC. More specifically, the processing unit 23 may be configured to perform determination processing using the pre-processed impedances ZAaP, ​​ZBaP, ZCaP, ZAbP, ZBbP, ZCbP, ZAcP, ZBcP, and ZCcP calculated for each orientation P as feature quantities.

[0139] Furthermore, in the wiring determination device 102 according to the second embodiment of this disclosure, the signal output unit 21 is configured to output the measurement signal to the core wires 1A, 1B, and 1C, but it is not limited to this. The signal output unit 21 may be configured to output the measurement signal to two or more core wires 1.

[0140] Furthermore, in the wiring determination device 102 according to the second embodiment of this disclosure, the processing unit 23 is configured to calculate two-dimensional feature quantities PC1 and PC2 for each orientation P, but it is not limited to this. The processing unit 23 may be configured to calculate m-dimensional feature quantities based on the impedances of n core wires 1 corresponding to n core wires 1. Here, n is an integer of 1 or more, and m is an integer less than or equal to n.

[0141] Furthermore, in the second embodiment of the cable routing determination device 102 of this disclosure, the processing unit 23 is configured to calculate feature quantities PC1 and PC2 obtained by dimensionality reduction of impedances ZA, ZB, and ZC for each orientation P, and to perform determination processing based on each feature quantity PC1 and PC2, but is not limited to this. The processing unit 23 may also be configured to calculate the Euclidean distance of impedances ZA, ZB, and ZC for each orientation P instead of the feature quantities PC1 and PC2, and to perform determination processing based on each Euclidean distance.

[0142] The embodiments described above should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the above description, and all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims are intended to be included.

[0143] Each process (each function) of the above-described embodiment is implemented by a processing circuit (Circuitry) including one or more processors. The processing circuit may consist of an integrated circuit, etc., which combines one or more memories, various analog circuits, and various digital circuits in addition to the one or more processors. The one or more memories store programs (instructions) that cause the one or more processors to execute each of the above processes. The one or more processors may execute each of the above processes according to the programs read from the one or more memories, or they may execute each of the above processes according to logic circuits that have been designed in advance to execute each of the above processes. The above-mentioned processor may be various processors suitable for computer control, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Furthermore, multiple physically separated processors may cooperate with each other to perform the above-mentioned processes. For example, processors installed in multiple physically separated computers may cooperate with each other via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), and the Internet to perform the above-mentioned processes. The above program may be installed on the above memory via the above network from an external server device, or it may be distributed on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), or semiconductor memory, and then installed on the above memory from the above recording medium.

[0144] The above description includes the following features: [Addendum 1] A cable routing determination device comprising a processing circuit, the processing circuit outputs a measurement signal having frequency components to a first target line which is a target line, receives a response signal based on the measurement signal, measures at least one of the amplitude and phase of the received response signal, calculates a plurality of evaluation values ​​corresponding to a plurality of attitudes of the first target line based on the measurement result of at least one of the amplitude and phase, and performs determination processing regarding the cable routing of the first target line based on the calculated plurality of evaluation values.

[0145] 1, 1A, 1B, 1C Core wire 2 Sheath 10 Transmission line 11, 21 Signal output unit (signal output device) 12, 22 Measurement unit (measurement device) 13, 23 Processing unit (calculation device, determination device) 14, 24 Memory unit 15 Communication port 101, 102 Routing determination device 111, 121 Communication device 201 Robot arm 202 End effector 301 Communication system Sa, Sb, Sc State P, Pa, Pb, Pc Posture R2, R2a, R2b, R2c Numerical range PRa, PRb, PRc Plot

Claims

1. A determination system comprising: a measuring device that receives a response signal from a first target line based on a measurement signal having frequency components output to a first target line, which is a target line, and measures at least one of the amplitude and phase of the received response signal; a calculation device that calculates a plurality of evaluation values ​​corresponding to a plurality of attitudes of the first target line based on the measurement results from the measuring device; and a determination device that performs determination processing regarding the routing of the first target line based on the plurality of evaluation values ​​calculated by the calculation device.

2. The determination system according to claim 1, wherein the determination device performs the determination process using a determination criterion created in advance based on the relationship between the determination result regarding the quality of the routing of the plurality of second target lines which are the target lines and the plurality of evaluation values ​​corresponding to each of the plurality of attitudes of each second target line.

3. The determination system according to claim 2, wherein the determination device performs the determination process using the determination model which is the determination criterion, and the determination model outputs a determination result of whether the routing of the first target line is good or bad in response to the input of the plurality of evaluation values.

4. The determination system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the plurality of attitudes include the attitude of the end position in a range of attitude changes that changes due to the operation of the device to which the first target line is routed.

5. The determination system according to claim 4, wherein the device to which the cable is routed is a robot arm.

6. The determination system according to claim 4, wherein the device to which the cable is routed is a vehicle.

7. The determination system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the measuring device receives a plurality of response signals based on the measurement signals output to a plurality of first target lines from each of the plurality of first target lines, measures at least one of the amplitude and phase of each of the received response signals, the calculation device calculates the plurality of evaluation values ​​for each of the first target lines, and the determination device calculates a feature quantity obtained by dimensionality reduction of the plurality of evaluation values ​​corresponding to each of the plurality of first target lines for each of the attitudes, and performs the determination process based on each of the calculated feature quantities.

8. The determination system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a signal output device that outputs the measurement signal to the first target line.

9. A determination method in a determination system, comprising the steps of: receiving a response signal from a first target line based on a measurement signal having frequency components output to a first target line, which is a target line; measuring at least one of the amplitude and phase of the received response signal; calculating a plurality of evaluation values ​​corresponding to a plurality of attitudes of the first target line based on the measurement result of at least one of the amplitude and phase; and performing a determination process regarding the routing of the first target line based on the calculated plurality of evaluation values.

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