Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US4628434?dq=7,599,983
Timestamp: 2014-07-29 19:40:18
Document Index: 225777874

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 21', 'arts 22', 'art 22', 'art 602', 'art 609', 'art 602', 'art 602', 'art 602']

Patent US4628434 - Facilities control method - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign in<nobr>Advanced Patent Search</nobr>PatentsA control system employs a controller for controlling the operation of a plurality of facilities and a memory which stores information employed by the controller for controlling the operation of the facilities. The memory includes a first portion for storing facility status signals and command signals,...http://www.google.com/patents/US4628434?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US4628434 - Facilities control methodAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS4628434 APublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 06/608,164Publication dateDec 9, 1986Filing dateMay 8, 1984Priority dateMay 9, 1983Fee statusPaidAlso published asDE3416939A1, DE3416939C2Publication number06608164, 608164, US 4628434 A, US 4628434A, US-A-4628434, US4628434 A, US4628434AInventorsTsutomu Tashiro, Koichi Haruna, Norihisa KomodaOriginal AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (6), Referenced by (43), Classifications (20), Legal Events (4) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetFacilities control methodUS 4628434 AAbstract A control system employs a controller for controlling the operation of a plurality of facilities and a memory which stores information employed by the controller for controlling the operation of the facilities. The memory includes a first portion for storing facility status signals and command signals, a second portion which stores a series of rules which are triggered in response to status information from the respective facilities, a portion which converts the rules into internal codes, and a portion which stores the results of the application of the internal codes to control commands. The controller monitors facility status signals and controls the generation of facility status signals. It also controls which rule set number is to be used in accordance with information stored in memory and contains an internal code generator for generating the internal codes corresponding to generated facility status signals. The controller reads out rules from memory based upon the rule sets being employed and generates control command signals in accordance with data stored in memory. From these signals, command signals are generated for controlling the operation of the facilities.
First, the status of each of the facilities is written into the character string storing table 11 (from work <34> is the head of a queue) through (carrier <1> is empty)). Next, a pattern matching (comparison) operation between (work <X> is the head of a queue) which is the character string of the IF part of rule number 1 and character strings in the character string storing table 11 is performed (arrow 1)). This matching step is performed with respect to those parts of the character strings other than those enclosed with < >. In this step, all the character strings stored in the character string storing table 11 are checked for the presence of a match. As indicated by arrow 1 in part (c) of FIG. 1, the search range of the table for this step extends through (carrier <1> is empty). The reason for checking all the charcter strings is that a plurality of the same type of character strings might be written in the table 11. That is, character strings in which characters except the parts enclosed with <> are the same, for example, (station <1> is empty) and (station <2> is empty) are the same types of character strings.
In FIG. 1, rule number 1 has a coincident character string in the character string storing table 11 so that the condition of the IF part thereof is satisfied. Therefore, a character string (assign work <34> which corresponds to the character string of the THEN part representative of a conclusion is rewritten into the character string storing table 11 (arrow 2).
As shown at part (a) of FIG. 2, a character string, which expresses a condition and a conclusion to be described for an IF - THEN rule, is denoted as a character string enclosed by (). The character string is formed of fixed parts 21 which are fixedly handled, and parameter parts 22 which are handled as constants or variables. Each parameter part 22 is enclosed by < >. As shown in part (b) of FIG. 2, the IF part of the rule assigns, after IF, a character string of the format illustrated in part (a) of FIG. 2. For specifying a plurality of conditions, a plurality of IF (character string)'s are written in succession. The plurality of specified conditions are handled as an AND logic operation. In part (b) of FIG. 2, . . . denotes any desired character string, and signifies that a plurality of strings can be specified.
(iii) Rule of Form 3: Rule in which, in addition to the rule of Form 2, a procedure name is specified and enclosed with < > between the THEN and character string of the THEN part. Basically, the rule of this form is subjected to the same processing operation as that of the rule of Form 2. In the rule of this form, immediately before the character string of the THEN part thereon supplementarily written in the work table control shifts to the specified procedure. In this case, the variable value which satisfies an AND logic operation is the plurality of conditions of the IF part is delivered as a subtrahend. In this procedure, a processing operation such as maximum value selection and a numerical value operation, is performed, and control can be returned by changing the delivered variable. A character string to be supplementarily written in the work table is such that the variable value changed by the procedure is incorporated in the corresponding parameter part of the THEN part.
Table 71 is constructed of a status signal line entry area which stores the entry addresses of the status signal lines 604, a numerical code area which stores internal codes representative facility status corresponding to cases where signals have developed on the signal lines 604, and a parameter part area. On the basis of the data in table 71, control part 602 accesses the respective status signal lines 604 and prepares corresponding internal codes when the signals are generated. The prepared internal codes are stored in the internal code memory part 609. Here, where the signals of the status signal lines 604 are binary information representative of "on" and "off", the control part 602 derives internal codes stored in the table 71, in the form left in tact, whereby the internal codes are deemed to have been prepared. For example, the internal code of address B in part (a) of FIG. 7 indicates such a case. Where the information items of the status signal lines 604 are numerical information, such as read information of bar codes, the internal codes to be prepared are such that the numerical information items are written as values into those parameter parts of the internal codes stored in the table in which are variables (such as W, X, Y and Z). For example, the internal code of address A in part (a) of FIG. 7 indicates such a case. More specifically, in a case where numerical information 34 develops at the status signal line address A, the control part 602 prepares an internal code "1<34>". The internal code "1<34>" indicates, for example, that workpiece number 34 has appeared at the head of a workpiece providing line in an automated factory.
The table 72 contains numerical code area which stores the internal codes representative of the control commands, a parameter part area, and a command signal line entry area which stores the entry addresses of the command signal lines 605 to send the control commands. The control part 602 compares the internal code representative of the determined control command with the internal codes stored in the table 72 and delivers a signal to the command signal lines 605 corresponding to the coincident internal code. In that case, when a variable (such as W, X, Y or Z) is not specified in the parameter part in the internal code stored in the table 72, a binary signal ("on" or "off") is supplied to the corresponding signal line address. As the case of providing the binary signal, there is address D in part (b) of FIG. 7 by way of example. On the other hand, when a variable is specified, the value of the parameter corresponding to the variable in the internal code representative of the determined control command is supplied to the signal line address. For example, when the internal code representative of the determined control command is "9<1><34><1>", signal line address C is supplied with value 34 and 1 in this order. The internal code "9<1><34><1>" signifies, for example, the control command which instructs a carrier 1 in the automated factory to transfer workpiece number 34 to station 1.
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