CONTROLLER

A controller includes a display control unit configured to switch information to be displayed in each of a plurality of split regions due to splitting of a display screen, an editing-screen display unit configured to display an editing screen displaying, for each of the plurality of split regions, as a list, a first displaying and a second displaying in association, the first displaying enabling visual specification of a position of the corresponding split region on the display screen, the second displaying indicating a list of information types displayable in the split region, and an editing unit configured to receive an editing operation to the second displaying, and edit, based on the editing operation, the list of information types displayable in the split region.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a controller.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In order to operate an industrial machine, such as a machine tool or a robot, for example, in order to carry out operations in setup work before processing, an operator works while checking different types of information. In order to enable a plurality of different types of information to be referred to in a single screen, in some cases, a controller for controlling an industrial machine has, for example, a function of dividing the display screen of a display device into tile-shaped split regions and displaying respective different types of information in the split regions resulting from the division (e.g., Patent Literature 1).

However, such a display device has limits on the size and the number of pixels of its display screen. Thus, in particular, in a case where an amount of information, difficult to display at a time in a single screen, requires displaying for setup work or the like, such work requires carrying out with switching of information to be displayed in each split region due to division in the screen. Such switching in display is carried out by operating, for example, a longitudinal move softkey, a lateral move softkey, or a machine operation board.

PATENT LITERATURE

Patent Literature 1: JP 2000-066709 A

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As above, for display with switching of a plurality of information types to a plurality of split regions, it is necessary in advance to define what information type is displayable in each split region. Work requiring reference to a lot of information is often carried out not only with viewing of a single information type but also with reference to a plurality of information types arranged side by side. Thus, in consideration of industrial details, it is necessary to define what information type is displayable in which split region. In addition, it is desirable to give a definition, for example, in consideration of a respect as to what information type should be displayed at which position on the screen for easy viewing.

Thus, required is a means for enabling a definition with an entire grasp as to what information type is displayable by switching in each split region.

A controller according to the present invention enables a display screen to be split into a plurality of split regions and display of a different information type to each split region and provides a user interface screen enabling editing of an information type to be displayed to each split region. On the screen, the position of each split region on the display screen and a list of information types displayable in the corresponding split region are displayed in combination. Due to the display, an operator can grasp, at a glance, an information type displayable in each split region. From among all information types displayable by the controller, a predetermined information type can be added to the list of information types displayable in each split region, for example, by a drag-and-drop operation.

According to one aspect of the present invention, provided is a controller enabling a display screen to be split into a plurality of split regions, the controller including: a display control unit configured to switch information to be displayed in each of the plurality of split regions; a display-info-type editing-screen display unit configured to display a display-info-type editing screen displaying, for each of the plurality of split regions, as a list, a first displaying and a second displaying in association, the first displaying enabling visual specification of a position of the corresponding split region on the display screen, the second displaying indicating a list of information types displayable in the split region; and a display-info-type editing unit configured to receive an editing operation to the second displaying, the display-info-type editing unit being configured to edit, based on the editing operation, the list of information types displayable in the split region, in which the display control unit performs, based on the list of information types displayable associated with each split region edited by the display-info-type editing unit, control of switching the information to be displayed in each of the plurality of split regions.

According to the one aspect of the present invention, information types displayable in each split region can be displayed as a list and furthermore an information type to be displayed in each split region can be freely selected, leading to an improvement in visibility to an operator, a reduction in the burden of the operator in work, and a reduction in operating time.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with the drawings.

FIG.1illustrates a schematic hardware configuration of main parts of a controller according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The controller1according to the present invention can be implemented, for example, as a controller configured to control an industrial machine3, based on a control program.

A CPU11included in the controller1according to the present embodiment serves as a processor that controls the entirety of the controller1. The CPU11reads a system program stored in a ROM12through a bus22and controls the entirety of the controller1in accordance with the system program. A RAM13temporarily stores, for example, temporary calculation data and display data, and various types of data that are input from outside.

A nonvolatile memory14is achieved, for example, with a memory or solid state drive (SSD) backed up by a battery (not shown) and retains its memory state even when the power of the controller1is turned off. The nonvolatile memory14stores, for example, a control program and data that are read from an external device72through an interface15, a control program and data input from an input device71through an interface18, and a control program or data acquired from a different device, such as a fog computer6or a cloud server7, through a network5. Data to be stored in the nonvolatile memory14may include, for example, data according to the position, rate, acceleration, and load of each motor included in the industrial machine3and respective physical quantities detected by sensors (not shown) attached to the industrial machine3. The control program and data stored in the nonvolatile memory14may be developed on the RAM13at the time of execution or utilization. The ROM12has various types of system programs, such as a publicly known analysis program, written therein in advance.

The interface15serves as an interface for connecting the CPU11in the controller1and the external device72, such as an external storage medium. For example, a control program and setting data for use in control of the industrial machine3is read from the side on which the external device72is located. For example, the control program and setting data edited in the controller1can be stored in an external storage medium (not shown), such as a CF card or a USB memory, through the external device72. A programmable logic controller (PLC)16executes a ladder program to output, through an I/O unit19, signals to the industrial machine3and peripheral devices of the industrial machine3(e.g., a tool exchanger, an actuator, such as a robot, and sensors, such as a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor, attached to the industrial machine3), resulting in control. The PLC16receives, for example, signals from various types of switches on an operation board with which the body of the industrial machine3is provided and signals from peripheral devices and performs signal processing necessary to the signals. Then, the PLC16sends, to the CPU11, the signals subjected to the signal processing.

An interface20serves as an interface for connecting the CPU11in the controller1and the network5that is wired or wireless. The network5may achieve communication with a technology, such as serial communication, for example, based on RS-485, Ethernet (registered trademark) communication, optical communication, a wireless LAN, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark). Other machines and higher-level management devices, such as the fog computer6and the cloud server7, are connected to the network5, enabling mutual data exchange with the controller1.

A display device70displays, for example, each piece of data read onto a memory and data acquired due to execution of a program, which are output through an interface17. Desirably, the display70is allowed to acquire information according to its display performance (e.g., display size and the number of pixels) from the controller1. The acquired information according to the display performance may be sequentially acquired or may be stored in the RAM13or the nonvolatile memory14, similarly to other information. The input71including, for example, a keyboard and a pointing device sends a command and data based on an operation by a worker through the interface18to the CPU11.

A shaft control circuit30configured to control a shaft included in the industrial machine3receives a command for the amount of movement of the shaft from the CPU11and outputs a command for the shaft to a servo amplifier40. When receiving the command, the servo amplifier40drives a servo motor50for moving, along the shaft, a drive unit included in the industrial machine3. The servo motor50for the shaft has a built-in position/rate detector (not shown) and feeds back a position/rate feedback signal from the position/rate detector to the shaft control circuit30, leading to position/rate feedback control. Note that, referring to the hardware configuration illustrated inFIG.1, the shaft control circuit30, the servo amplifier40, and the servo motor50are each one in number. However, in practice, provided are shaft control circuits30, servo amplifiers40, and servo motors50of which the numbers are identical to the number of shafts to be controlled included in the industrial machine3.

FIG.2is a schematic block diagram of functions included in the controller1according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The CPU11included in the controller1shown inFIG.1executes a system program to control the operation of each part of the controller1, leading to achievement of each function included in the controller1according to the present embodiment.

The controller1according to the present embodiment includes a display control unit100, a display-info-type editing-screen display unit110, a display-info-type editing unit120, and a split-pattern designating unit130. The RAM13and the nonvolatile memory14in the controller1is provided with an information-type storage200that stores at least information for identifying an information type displayable by the controller1(e.g., the name of the information type and a pointer to a display program for displaying information according to the information type), a split-region display-info-type storage210serving as an area for storing an information type displayable due to allocation to each split region, in association with the corresponding split region, and a split-pattern storage220serving as an area in which a split pattern indicating how to split the display screen of the display70is stored in advance.

The CPU11included in the controller1shown inFIG.1executes the system program read from the ROM12to perform mainly arithmetic processing with the RAM13and the nonvolatile memory14and display output processing with the interface17, resulting in achievement of the display control unit100. The display control unit100splits the display screen of the display70into a plurality of split regions and displays information according to a designated information type in each split region. The display control unit100usually treats the display screen of the display70as a single display region and displays information according to a predetermined information type determined by an operation from an operator to the display region. In response to a predetermined operation from the operator, the display control unit100splits the display screen into a plurality of split regions, based on the split pattern designated by the split-pattern designating unit130. Then, the unit100displays, in each split region, information according to a predetermined information type stored in the split-region display-info-type storage210.

The CPU11included in the controller1shown inFIG.1executes the system program read from the ROM12to perform mainly arithmetic processing with the RAM13and the nonvolatile memory14and display output processing through the interface17, resulting in achievement of the display-info-type editing-screen display unit110. The display-info-type editing-screen display unit110displays a display-info-type editing screen on the display screen of the display device70.

FIG.3illustrates an exemplary display-info-type editing screen. In the example ofFIG.3, given is an exemplary split pattern in which the display screen is split into four split regions for display by left-and-right two-way splitting and up-and-down two-way splitting.

The display-info-type editing screen300includes at least a first displaying310enabling visual specification of the position of each split region on the display screen. The first displaying310may further enable visual specification of the size of each split region on the display screen. In the example ofFIG.3, the first displaying310is given in an icon format in which the entire display screen is split with parting lines (dotted lines) and the position of a split region on the display screen is black.

The display-info-type editing screen300includes at least a second displaying320indicating a list of information types displayable in each split region. The second displaying320may be highlighted in display such that the information type currently displayed in the corresponding split region can be grasped. In the example ofFIG.3, the second displaying320is given in an icon format in which the name of an information type is displayed.

As shown inFIG.3, icons displayed with double frames indicate that information according to the information type “relative coordinates” is displayed in the upper left split region, information according to the information type “modal” is displayed in the upper right split region, information according to the information type “main shaft, feed rate” is displayed in the lower left split region, and information according to the information type “machining program” is displayed in the lower right split region. The first displaying310and the second displaying320identical in split region are displayed such that the correspondence relationship therebetween can be grasped. The first displaying310and the second displaying320are displayed based on the correspondence relationship between each split region and an information type allocated to the corresponding split region, stored in the split-region display-info-type storage210. In the example ofFIG.3, for example, the first displaying310and the second displaying320identical in split region are displayed side by side in the same row. In this example, in the upper left split region, the information types “absolute coordinates”, “relative coordinates”, “machine coordinates”, and “comprehensive display” are displayable. Such a display-info-type editing screen as above enables a grasp at a glance as to what information type is displayable in which split region.

The display-info-type editing screen300may further include a third displaying330for displaying, as a list, information types displayable on the display screen. The third displaying330displays, as a list, information types stored in the information-type storage200. In the example ofFIG.3, each information type is given in an icon format in which its name is displayed. The third displaying330is used for selection of an information type to be allocated to a split region by an editing operation to be described below. As exemplified inFIG.3, the third displaying330may display, as a list, all the information types displayable. Separately, a user interface for search narrowing, not illustrated, may be provided, and some information types resulting from search narrowing may be displayed as a list. In a case where an information type to be displayed is out of the range of display, scroll display may be performed with, for example, a scroll bar340.

The CPU11included in the controller1shown inFIG.1executes the system program read from the ROM12to perform mainly arithmetic processing with the RAM13and the nonvolatile memory14and input/output processing through the interfaces17and18, resulting in achievement of the display-info-type editing unit120. The display-info-type editing unit120receives an editing operation to the second displaying320and edits the list of information types displayable due to allocation to the split region, based on the editing operation. In a case where, as a result of editing by the display-info-type editing unit120, a change is made in the allocation of an information type to the split region, the change in the allocation is updated to the split-region display-info-type storage210. An editing operation that the display-info-type editing unit120receives may be, for example, a drag-and-drop operation with the input71.

FIG.4illustrates exemplary editing of a list of information types displayable in a split region, due to a drag-and-drop operation. In the example ofFIG.4, illustrated is an operation to reallocate, to the lower left split region, the information type of tool information allocated to the upper right split region on the display-info-type editing screen300exemplified inFIG.3. In such a case, the operator operates the pointing device to drag and drop, to the position of the second displaying320corresponding to the lower left split region, an icon for the information type of tool information displayed on the second displaying320corresponding to the upper right split region. Thus, the information type of tool information allocated to the upper right split region is reallocated to the lower left split region.

FIG.5illustrates other exemplary editing of a list of information types displayable in a split region, due to a drag-and-drop operation. In the example ofFIG.5, illustrated is an operation to allocate, to the lower right split region, the information type of program resumption information displayed on the third displaying330on the display-info-type editing screen300exemplified inFIG.3. In such a case, the operator operates the pointing device to drag and drop, to the position of the second displaying320corresponding to the lower right split region, an icon for the information type of program resumption information displayed on the third displaying330. Thus, the information type of program resumption information can be allocated to the lower right split region.

FIG.6illustrates still other exemplary editing of a list of information types displayable in a split region, due to a drag-and-drop operation. In the example ofFIG.6, illustrated is an operation to delete the information type of comprehensive display allocated to the upper left split region on the display-info-type editing screen300exemplified inFIG.3. In such a case, the operator operates the pointing device to drag and drop, to an appropriate position on the third displaying330, an icon for the information type of comprehensive display allocated to the upper left split region. Thus, the information type of comprehensive display allocated to the upper left split region can be deleted.

The CPU11included in the controller1illustrated inFIG.1executes the system program read from the ROM12to perform mainly arithmetic processing with the RAM13and the nonvolatile memory14, resulting in achievement of the split-pattern designating unit130. The split-pattern designating unit130designates a split pattern indicating how to split the display screen of the display device70. The split-pattern designating unit130may allow the operator to select any of the split patterns (as illustrated inFIG.7, for example, a left-and-right two-way split pattern, a split pattern resulting from left-and-right two-way splitting and up-and-down two-way splitting, a left-and-right three-way split pattern, and a split pattern resulting from up-and-down two-way splitting and then left-and-right two-way splitting of the lower portion) stored in advance in the split-pattern storage220and then may designate the split pattern. The split-pattern designating unit130may allow the operator to designate the number of splits in at least either the vertical direction or horizontal direction of the display screen and then may designate a split pattern.

The controller1having the above configuration enables display of a list of information types displayable in each split region and free selection of an information type to be displayed in each split region, leading to an improvement in visibility to the operator, a reduction in the burden of the operator in work, and a reduction in operating time. In particular, the position of each split region on the display screen and an information type displayable in each split region can be grasped at a glance. Thus, in a case where a lot of information is displayed while being switched for setup work or the like and as necessary, for example, a plurality of information types mutually relevant requires side-by-side displaying, the relationship between the position of a split region enabling efficient work and an information type displayable can be arranged.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the examples in the embodiment described above. Thus, the present invention can be achieved in various aspects with appropriate alterations.

For example, the split-pattern designating unit130may set a limit on designable split patterns, based on the display size or the number of pixels of the display70. In general, such display devices70are different in the size of the screen (inches) or the number of pixels of the display screen. For example, in the controller1to which a vertically long display70with an aspect ratio of 9:16 is attached, selection of a left-and-right four-way split pattern causes each split region to be vertically elongated. Thus, for viewing of information regarding a program or a drawn simulation image, left-and-right scrolling is required. A reduction in the number of pixels of one split region causes a reduction in the amount of information displayable on the screen, leading to lack of information in browsing. In order to avoid such problems, in a case where the split pattern selected by the operator is unsuitable to the display size or the number of pixels of the display70, the split-pattern designating unit130may prohibit the selection. Similarly, in a case where the operator designates the number of splits in at least either the vertical direction or horizontal direction of the display screen and the designated number of splits causes an excessive reduction in the size or the number of pixels of each split region, the split-pattern designating unit130may prohibit the designation.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST