Patent ID: 6411856
Filing Date: 2002-06-25
Classification: G05B

Abstract:
A control unit provided, in order to generally control a group of a plurality of operating units performing a certain operation formed connectable in series or in parallel as a whole to enable regular operation control, on each of said plurality of operating units, said control unit comprising:communication means for communicating with an adjacent of said operating units; start position determination means for determining whether or not the operating unit is located on a predetermined start position as the most significant position of control order in the series connection or the parallel connection serving as a start point of general control in said operating unit group on the basis of relative positional relation obtained as a result of performing a communicating operation by said communication means; and master/slave decision means for deciding that said operating unit provided with said control unit is to be a master operating unit when it is determined by said start position determination means that the operating unit is located on the start position and deciding that the operating unit provided with said control unit is to be a slave operating unit operating dependently on said master operating unit when it is determined by said start position determination means that the operating unit is not located on the start position, wherein said communication means includes: first signal output means for outputting a first signal toward the control unit of the operating unit connectable in series, second signal output means for outputting a second signal toward the control unit of the operating unit connectable in series or in parallel, first signal input means for receiving, when connected in series to the control unit of the operating unit directed to said connection, said first signal from the control unit, and second signal input means for receiving, when connected in series or in parallel to the control unit of the operating unit directed to said connection, said second signal from the control unit; said start position determination means determines whether or not said first signal input means has received said first signal and determines whether or not said second signal input means has received said second signal, and said master/slave decision means decides that the operating unit is to be either said master operating unit or said slave operating unit on the basis of a determination result of the start position determination means, wherein said start position determination means further makes a determination of the type of a signal received by said first signal input means and further makes a determination of the type of a signal received by said second signal input means, said control unit further comprising erroneous connection determination means for making a determination as to whether or not an erroneous connection is present in the manner of connection with the control unit of the operating unit as the object of said connection on the basis of a determination result of the signal received by said first signal input means and a determination result of the signal received by said second signal input means.