CN1708953B - Communication adapter device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a communication adapter device for connecting an electric appliance, a sensor, and other devices to a network. In order to obtain a communication adapter device capable of realizing simplification of setting, simplification of construction work, reduction of power consumption, and simplification of system setting at the time of construction, the communication adapter device according to the present invention is any one of a plurality of connection object machines constituting an object of a machine including information having a function based on the machine and a control item operable respectively; a communication control device that controls transmission and reception of data to and from a network in a communication adapter that connects the connection target device to the network to which a remote controller is connected; a device communication management apparatus for storing the sequence of communication services of the communication control apparatus while duplicating and storing the device object, and using the stored data to use the device to be connected from the network; and a device interface device defined by a specification common to all the devices and capable of connecting all the plurality of connection target devices.

Description

Communication Adapter Unit

technical field

The present invention relates to a communication adapter device for connecting home appliances, sensors, and other devices to a network, an electric appliance with a built-in electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory, a ROM writer for writing data into such a nonvolatile memory, and the use of the above devices the writing method. the

Background technique

Conventional communication adapter devices are described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-44745 (page 5, paragraph number 0050, Figure 1) and ECHONET Specification Ver1.10 issued by the ECHONET Consortium (page 3-1 of Part 7) , It is only composed of a communication unit for remote control signal communication, and the interpretation of control signals and management of system information are set on the home appliance control unit in the home appliance. the

Also, as described in ECHONET Specification Ver1.10 (Part 1, Page 4-4, Figure 4-1, Form 4) issued by the ECHONET Consortium, conventional communication adapter devices have built-in The conversion function of the previous communication interface to realize remote control operation. the

In addition, in the conventional home control system, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 01-228395 (page 3, FIG. 2 ), attribute information (type name, power consumption, etc.) or when the attribute information set in the communication adapter changes due to system expansion, etc., it is necessary to set the code number of the load using the DIP code switch every time. In addition, since setting using such a DIP switch is a very complicated operation, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-68097 (FIG. 1), it is proposed to use a barcode and a barcode reader to set the code number in the communication adapter. home control system. the

In addition, the data writing method of the nonvolatile memory, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2-130799 (FIG. 1), when the ROM writer is connected to the terminal device through the connecting device, the MPU in the terminal device The STBY terminal is connected to the ground terminal in the ROM writer. Therefore, it is possible to write a program by putting the terminal device into a standby state, and it is possible to update the EEPROM without performing soldering work. the

However, since the conventional communication adapter device does not have a common interface device for the communication control device, there is a problem that the communication control device cannot be changed according to the type of network. the

In addition, there is a problem that the communication management and control programs for remote control must be built in the control device in the equipment, which increases the resource burden and cost of the microcomputer and the like. the

In addition, since the communication adapter is required to work with the equipment, there is a problem that various system settings cannot be performed if all the equipment is not in the operating state during construction. the

In addition, since the communication setting information is held in the adapter itself, there is a problem that when the adapter is replaced due to failure or the like, complicated operations such as reset of the adapter accompanied by resetting of the system must be performed. the

In addition, when a system abnormality occurs, it is difficult to determine whether it is an adapter abnormality or a device failure because the control function is built into the device. the

In addition, in order to simplify construction, when receiving power from home appliances, there is no power management function, information provision, and control equipment, and there is no equipment that limits the functions of each unit. The problem of the cost of the power circuit of large appliances. the

In addition, barcodes and barcode readers are necessary for setting attribute information such as model names and power consumption of connected home appliances and setting changes for system expansion, and using these requires time and effort. the

In addition, since only the ground terminal is arranged in the ROM writer, conventional ROM writers, electrical appliances, and writing methods using these devices are difficult for devices with built-in microcomputers that enter the writing mode when the voltage drops to the ground level. Applicable, but not applicable to devices with a built-in microcomputer that enters the write mode when the voltage of the microcomputer rises to the specified voltage. As a result, for writing, it is necessary to provide a ROM writer according to the specification of the file built in the device. the

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a communication adapter device having a common interface unit for communication control equipment and capable of changing the communication control equipment according to the type of network. the

Another object is to provide a communication adapter device for a home appliance that can be connected to a network without increasing the resource burden and cost of a microcomputer of the home appliance. the

Another object is to provide a communication adapter device that is easy to install and can perform various system settings even if it is not connected to an operating home appliance. the

In addition, it is an object to provide a communication adapter device that can be easily replaced without requiring complex system resetting when replacing the communication adapter device. the

Another object is to provide a communication adapter device capable of judging whether the adapter is abnormal or the home appliance is malfunctioning when a system abnormality occurs. the

In addition, it is an object to provide a communication adapter device for connecting a home appliance that is energy-saving and does not increase the power supply cost of the connected home appliance to a network. the

Another object is to provide a communication adapter that can automatically set the attribute information of a home appliance without using a barcode or a barcode reader, or can easily change it when it is changed without using a barcode or a barcode reader. the

Another object is to provide a highly versatile ROM writer, electrical appliances, and a writing method using these devices, which can be used regardless of the specifications of the microcomputer. the

Contents of the invention

In the communication adapter device of the present invention, any one of a plurality of connection target devices each having information based on the functions of the device and a device object consisting of operable control items, and a controller for remotely operating the connection target device The connected network is connected, and the communication adapter device is characterized in that it includes: a communication control device, which controls the transmission and reception of data to the above-mentioned network; a machine communication management device, which saves the communication related to the above-mentioned communication control device while copying and saving the above-mentioned machine object. The procedure of the service utilizes the above-mentioned connection object device from the above-mentioned network using these stored data; and the machine interface device connects all of the above-mentioned plurality of connection object devices and is defined by a standard common to the connection object devices, and the above-mentioned device communication management device uses the above-mentioned The machine interface device periodically monitors the information items of the machine object, and when a change in the information item of the machine object is detected, generates a change notification command, and sends the change notification command to the network via the communication control device. the

In addition, the configuration of the communication adapter device of the present invention further includes a power management device that manages the charging amount inside the communication adapter device, and the communication control device restricts communication according to the management status of the power management device. the

In addition, the configuration of the communication adapter device according to the present invention further includes a power management device that manages the amount of charge inside the communication adapter device, and the device communication management device controls the device object of the connection target device according to the management status of the power management device. Access Restrictions. the

In addition, in the communication adapter device of the present invention, the device communication management device includes: a device interface access unit used in a common procedure in the connection target device; and a device control access unit used in a shared procedure from the communication control device; At the same time, at least one of a permission/prohibition device that permits or prohibits access to the machine interface access unit from the communication control device and a permission/prohibition device that permits or prohibits access to the machine control access unit from the machine interface device is provided. the

In addition, in the communication adapter device of the present invention, the device communication management device includes: a device interface access unit used in a common procedure in the connection target device; and a device control access unit used in a shared procedure from the communication control device; At the same time, the above-mentioned machine interface access unit and the above-mentioned machine control access unit respectively have at least one of the following devices: an object management device that manages the creation, destruction, and addition of instances and types of the above-mentioned machine object; and is configured to obtain the above-mentioned connection object Setting value of device holding, status acquisition procedure, status change, status acquisition procedure setting device of regular notification method; setting information management device that sets and provides information on the setting or configuration of the above-mentioned connected device; setting And a network attribute management device that provides attribute information about the above-mentioned network; and a network frequency band management device that sets and provides information about the communication frequency band of the above-mentioned network. the

In addition, in the communication adapter device according to the present invention, when the connection target device is not connected, the device communication management device generates a virtual device object instead of the connection target device based on a setting command received and sent via the network. have machine objects to save. the

In addition, in the communication adapter device of the present invention, the device communication management device includes: a device interface access unit used by a common procedure in the connection target device; and a device control access unit used by a shared procedure from the communication control device, Based on the setting command received and transmitted through the network, a virtual machine is installed in the machine communication management device, and the operation and setting of the virtual machine and the acquisition of the accompanying state are performed using the machine interface access unit. Setting of running and stopping of the above-mentioned machine objects and acquisition of the accompanying states. the

In addition, in the communication adapter device of the present invention, the device communication management device includes: a device interface access unit used in a common procedure in the connection target device; and a device control access unit used in a shared procedure from the communication control device; A database holding the setting information of the machine object, and the machine interface access unit has a writing/reading device for writing and reading the setting information held in the database to the connected machine. the

In addition, the configuration of the communication adapter device of the present invention includes a device interface access unit used by a common procedure in the above-mentioned connection target device; and a device control access unit used by a shared procedure from the communication control device, and the communication adapter device is further included in The machine network interface device that sends and receives data between the network, and the above-mentioned machine interface access unit and the above-mentioned machine control access unit respectively have: an abnormality notification device, which is used to detect whether the above-mentioned machine interface device, the above-mentioned communication control device, or the above-mentioned machine network interface An abnormality occurs in any of the equipment and the above-mentioned connected equipment, and the detected abnormality information is provided to the above-mentioned network or the above-mentioned connected equipment. the

Also, the communication adapter device of the present invention provides the abnormality information to the network when data can be transmitted via the network, and provides the abnormality information to the connection target device when data transmission cannot be performed via the network. the

In addition, in the communication adapter device of the present invention, the device communication management device includes: a device interface access unit used by a common procedure in the connection target device; and a device control access unit used by a shared procedure from the communication control device, According to the state of the power management device, the machine object is limited in communication by the machine interface access unit, and the communication control device is limited in communication by the machine control access unit. the

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication adapter device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. the

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a communication adapter device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. the

3 is a block diagram of a communication adapter device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. the

4 is a block diagram of a communication adapter device according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. the

5 is a block diagram of a communication adapter device according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention. the

6 is a block diagram of a communication adapter device according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention. the

7 is a block diagram of a communication adapter device according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention. the

8 is a block diagram of a communication adapter device according to Embodiment 8 of the present invention. the

FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram showing a system including a controller according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. the

10 is a system configuration diagram showing the relationship between a communication adapter, a home appliance, and a network according to Embodiment 9 of the present invention. the

Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a case where the communication adapter according to Embodiment 9 of the present invention is connected to two home appliances having different input and output formats. the

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a communication adapter according to Embodiment 10 of the present invention being connected to a household appliance having a clock-synchronized input/output interface. the

13 is a diagram showing a procedure for referring to a home appliance connected to a communication adapter according to Embodiment 11 of the present invention from a network. the

14 is a diagram showing a case where a home appliance is connected to an external network via an electric appliance (communication adapter) according to Embodiment 12 of the present invention. the

15 is a diagram for explaining a writing operation of a program in a nonvolatile memory of an electric appliance according to Embodiment 12 of the present invention. the

16 is a diagram for explaining a writing operation of a program in a nonvolatile memory of another electronic device according to Embodiment 12 of the present invention. the

17 is a diagram for explaining a writing operation of a program in a nonvolatile memory of an electric appliance according to Embodiment 13 of the present invention. the

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing the configuration of a connecting portion of an electric appliance and a ROM writer according to Embodiment 13 of the present invention. the

FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining a program writing operation of a nonvolatile memory of an electric appliance according to Embodiment 14 of the present invention. the

FIG. 20 is a diagram for explaining a program writing operation of a nonvolatile memory of an electric appliance according to Embodiment 15 of the present invention. the

FIG. 21 is a diagram for explaining a program writing operation of a nonvolatile memory of an electric appliance according to Embodiment 16 of the present invention. the

22 is a diagram for explaining a program writing operation of a nonvolatile memory of an electronic appliance according to Embodiment 17 of the present invention. the

23 is a diagram for explaining a program writing operation of a nonvolatile memory of an electric appliance according to Embodiment 18 of the present invention. the

FIG. 24 is a diagram for explaining signal generation of a ROM writer according to Embodiment 19 of the present invention. the

25 is a diagram for explaining a program writing operation of the nonvolatile memory of the electronic appliance according to Embodiment 19 of the present invention. the

26 is a diagram showing another signal example of the ROM writer according to Embodiment 19 of the present invention. the

Detailed ways

Implementation mode 1

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a communication adapter device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. the

In the drawing, a device 1 is a home appliance, a sensor device, or the like, and holds a device object 2 composed of device-specific information and operable control items. the

In addition, the communication adapter device 3 can use the machine object 2 in the machine 1 via the machine interface device 4 commonly defined in the machine 1 . the

The machine communication management device 5 has setting and operation of the machine object 2 held by the machine 1 and other management functions, and is connected to the communication control device 6 through a predetermined utilization procedure. the

The communication control device 6 has a communication control function for exchanging data between other devices connected to the network via the network interface device 7 and the network 8 . the

The operation will be described below. the

A case where an operation command is sent from another device connected to the network to the device 1 connected to the network 8 by using the communication adapter device 3 will be described. the

The network interface device 7 receives operation commands from the network 8 and transmits them to the communication control device 6 . The communication control device 6 and the network interface device 7 jointly implement various reception procedures. In order to transmit the acquired operation command to the equipment communication management device 5, it converts it into a predetermined format, performs a predetermined procedure, and transmits the operation command to the equipment communication management device 5. The machine communication management device 5 analyzes the operation command, and uses the machine interface device 4 to change the settings of the control items of the machine object 2 in the machine 1 in order to set the corresponding control items of the machine object 2 . the

After the machine 1 detects that the settings of the control items of the machine object 2 have changed and implements the corresponding operation, the machine 1 changes the information items changed by the operation and completes a series of actions according to the operation command. the

Next, the operation for notifying other devices connected to the network that the information items of the device object 2 of the device 1 have been changed will be described. the

The machine communication management device 5 uses the machine interface device 4 to regularly monitor the information items of the machine object 2, and when a change in the information item is detected, it generates a corresponding information item change notification command, which is generated in a prescribed format, A predetermined procedure is executed together with the communication control device 6, and a change notification command is transmitted. the

The communication control device 6 cooperates with the network interface device 7 to perform the procedure for transmitting the command to the network 8, and completes the transmission of the change notification command to other devices connected to the network. the

As described above, since the device communication management device 5 has the management function of the device object 2 mounted on the device 1, the processing functions realized by the control device such as a microcomputer included in the device 1 can be reduced without increasing the burden on the resources of the microcomputer. In this case, the machine that can be remotely operated from the network can be obtained by adding the communication adapter device 3. In addition, since the device communication management device 5 defines the connection device with the communication control device 6 in a prescribed format and procedure, for example, even if the communication protocol is changed, the communication control unit can also have The effect of the highly versatile communication adapter device capable of changing the protocol can be easily obtained. the

Implementation mode 2

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a communication adapter device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The same symbols are assigned to the same or corresponding parts as in FIG. 1 , and the different parts will be described. In the figure, the power management device 9 has the function of managing the state of the power supply in the communication adapter device 3, such as the available power margin, etc. impose the specified restrictions. the

The operation will be described below. the

Since the operation of receiving an operation command and the notification method of a change in information are the same, description thereof will be omitted. Operations related to power management are mainly explained. the

The power management device 9, for example, detects that the power margin that can be used by the communication adapter device is very small, and the power management device 9 instructs the network interface device 7 to transfer to a mode that suppresses its own power consumption, such as a standby mode, It also instructs the communication control device 6 to suppress the communication frequency and notifies it that the network interface device 7 has entered the standby mode. In addition, the power supply management device 9 gives the device communication management device 5 information such as the power remaining amount by a predetermined procedure. the

In this state, when other machines connected to the network send operation commands to the machine 1 connected to the network 8 by the communication adapter device 3, the network interface device 7, for example, through signal changes on the network 8, etc., When an operation command on the network 8 is detected, it returns to the normal receiving operation state from the standby mode to receive and hand over the operation command to the communication control device 6 . After the communication control device 6 and the network interface device 7 jointly carry out various reception-related procedures, after converting the obtained operation command into a specified format for delivery to the machine communication management device 5, the specified process is executed to deliver the operation command. To the machine communication management device 5. After the command handover, the network interface device 7 shifts to standby mode. The machine communication management device 5 analyzes the operation command, and uses the machine interface device 4 to change the settings of the related control items of the machine object 2 in the machine 1 in order to set the corresponding control items of the machine object 2 . the

After the machine 1 detects that the setting of the control item of the machine object 2 is changed and the machine 1 implements the corresponding operation, the changed information item is changed through the operation, and a series of actions according to the operation command are completed. the

Next, the operation for notifying other devices connected to the network that the information items of the device object 2 of the device 1 have been changed will be described. the

The machine communication management device 5 regularly monitors the information items of the machine object 2 by using the machine interface device 4, and restricts access to the machine object 2 by extending the monitoring time interval according to the power source information obtained from the power source management device 9, and restraining the access to the machine object 2. Frequency of occurrence of events within device 3. When the device communication management device detects a change in an information item, it generates a change report command of the corresponding information item in a predetermined format, executes a predetermined procedure together with the communication control device 6, and transmits the change report command. the

The communication control device 6 cooperates with the network interface device 7 after returning to the normal operation mode, and performs a procedure for sending a command to the network 8, and completes sending a change notification command to other devices connected to the network. After the transmission is completed, the network interface device 7 shifts to the standby mode again. the

In addition, when the communication control device 6 transmits and causes the network interface device 7 to send a command, it may also take measures such as delaying the communication speed to further limit power consumption according to the detection content of the power management device 9 . the

As mentioned above, since the power management device 9 is provided in the communication adapter device 3, the internal power consumption corresponding to the management state can be reduced. Since the operation is ensured within the limit when the power supply is limited, it is possible to obtain a communication adapter device capable of suppressing an increase in the power supply cost of the equipment and prolonging the battery life. the

Implementation mode 3

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a communication adapter device 3 showing a detailed internal structure of the communication adapter device 5 according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. The same symbols are assigned to the same or corresponding parts as those in FIGS. 1 and 2 , and different parts will be described. In the figure, the device control access unit 10 is configured so that it can be connected with the communication control device 6 installed in the device communication management device 5 in a prescribed format and procedure. Furthermore, a permitting device 14 and a disabling device 15 are provided so that the machine-controlled access unit 10 can be permitted or prohibited by the machine interface device 4 . the

The machine interface access unit 11 is configured to be able to connect with the machine interface device 4 installed in the machine communication management device 5 in a predetermined format and procedure. In addition, a permitting device 12 and a prohibiting device 13 are provided so that the machine interface access unit 11 can be permitted or prohibited by the communication control device 6 . the

The operation will be described below. the

In a situation where the operation from the network cannot be received while the machine 1 is being initialized, etc., and it is dangerous to perform remote operations from the network due to maintenance, etc., the machine object 2 controls the access unit 10 to the machine through the machine interface device 4 The operation prohibition device 15 makes it effective and prohibits access to the appliance control access unit 10 from the communication control device 6 . Inadvertent manipulation of the machine object 2 from the network 8 can be suppressed by inhibiting it. In addition, when initialization and maintenance are completed and the operation of the machine object 2 is permitted, the machine object 2 makes the operation permission device 14 valid for the machine control access unit 10 via the machine interface device 4, and permits access to the machine control from the communication control device 6. access unit 10. In addition, the permission device 14 and the prohibition device 15 are controlled differently, and when one is enabled in operation, the other is disabled. the

Next, the case of restriction of access from the machine object 2 to the machine communication management device 5 will be described. When the communication setting of the communication adapter device 3 is not completed, it should be prohibited to accidentally issue a command to the network or cause the operation of the machine object 2 due to receiving a command to prevent malfunction and danger of the system. the

On this occasion, the communication control device 6 prohibits access to the machine interface access unit 11 by operating the prohibition device 13 to be valid for the machine interface access unit 11 . By prohibiting, the command received by mistake in the middle of the setting process cannot reach the machine interface device 4 and the machine object 2 cannot be operated. In addition, since the machine object 2 cannot access the machine communication management device, data exchange to the communication control device 6 is blocked. Additionally, granting access may be accomplished by operatively enabling the granting device 12 . the

In addition, in the above description, it is described that the communication adapter device 3 is used to suppress illegal access, but it is also possible, for example, when the device communication management device 5 is initialized or changed from the device object 2 via the device interface device 4, To prohibit access to the machine control access unit 10 when multiple accesses from the communication device 6 are prohibited; Used when changing to disable machine interface access to the unit 11. the

As mentioned above, since the machine control access unit 10 and the machine interface access unit 11 are provided in the machine communication management device 5 of the communication adapter device 3, since respective permission and prohibition can be set separately, it is possible to obtain When initializing and maintaining the device 3, the communication adapter device 3 can perform safe and reliable setting and maintenance operations. the

Implementation Mode 4

4 is a block diagram describing in detail the functions of the machine communication management device of Embodiment 1 or 2 of the present invention. The same code|symbol is attached|subjected to the part which is the same as or corresponding to FIGS. 1-3, and a different part is demonstrated. In the figure, specific items inside the machine control access unit 10 and the machine interface access unit 11 are shown. the

The structure of the machine control access unit 10 includes an object management device for managing the generation, destruction, and addition of the instance and category of the above-mentioned machine object 2 set based on the regulations with the communication control device 6; A state acquisition procedure setting device for the method of obtaining the state of the device object 2 of the device 1; an installation information management device for managing the location information of the installed device 1 and the communication adapter device 3, etc.; a network attribute for managing network attributes such as the type of network a management device; and a network band management device that manages a communication band (communication capacity) and the like of the network. the

In addition, the machine interface access unit 11 is also a device having the same function defined by the machine interface device 4 as the machine control access unit 10 . the

In addition, FIG. 9 shows a communication node 20 or 21 composed of the communication adapter device 3 and the machine 1 of the present invention, a network sensor 22 or 23 composed of the sensor device and the communication adapter device 3, and a controller 30 connected to the network 8 to form a network The composition of the system. the

Next, based on this system diagram, the operation of the various devices described above in the initial setting will be described. the

When the communication adapter device 3 is connected to the device 1 , the communication adapter device 3 is required to disclose, for example, various information of a communication node as the controller 30 . the

In order to obtain the information of the machine object 2 in the machine 1 , the machine communication management device 5 sequentially obtains the information of the machine object 2 via the machine interface device 4 using the object management device of the machine interface access unit 11 . When the initialization is completed and the machine 1 is started, since an event change (start) in the machine object 2 is detected, in order to report this event change to the network 8, the machine communication management device 5 utilizes the object management device of the machine control access unit 10 to send The communication control device 6 transmits an event change notification command. The communication control device 6 that has received the command transmits the command to the network 8 in conjunction with the network interface device 7 . The controller 30 detects the activation of the machine 1 upon receipt of this command. After that, the controller 30 sets and acquires devices for various states of the machine object 2 . The state acquisition method can be realized by various methods, such as accepting a notification when an event occurs in the machine 1, or the communication adapter device 3 periodically accessing the machine 1 and reporting the obtained state, or the controller 30 sending a monitoring command when necessary and obtaining the state from the response. state and so on. the

Then, the controller 30 determines the acquisition method from among the above-described methods and the like, generates a setting command, and transmits it to the network. The network interface device 7 of the communication adapter device 3 receives the command and transmits the command to the communication control device 6, and the communication control device 6 uses the status set in the device control access unit 10 in the device communication management device 5 to obtain The procedure setting device sets the acquisition method specified by the controller 30 in the device communication management device 5 . The device communication management device 5 transmits the same setting content to the device object 2 via the device interface device 4 using the status acquisition procedure setting device of the device interface access unit 11 . Here, by transferring the setting content to the machine object 2, it is possible to prevent inconsistency with the communication adapter device 3. the

After that, setting of the setting information of the device 1 is performed. There are many methods for setting the setting information, and the method given by the controller 30 will be described here. the

When a user or the like inputs a setting position of the machine 1, the controller 30 generates a setting command of the position and sends it to the network. The network interface device 7 of the communication adapter device 3 receives the command and transmits the command to the communication control device 6, and the communication control device 6 utilizes the setting information set in the machine control access unit 10 in the machine communication management device 5 through prescribed procedures The management device sets the setting information instructed by the controller 30 in the machine communication management device 5 . In addition, the machine communication management device 5 may also use the installation location management device of the machine interface access unit 11 to transmit the same setting content to the machine object 2 via the machine interface device 4 as needed. the

In addition, when the installation position information is input from the equipment 1, the installation information of the equipment may be provided to the controller 30 by using a route reverse to the above. the

Next, a method of notifying the controller 30 and the device 1 of the network attribute held by the communication adapter device 3 will be described. the

Items related to the network interface device 7, such as network attributes (network type and physical address), must be shared by the controller 30 and the communication adapter device 3 for individual identification and for correcting differences in media response time in each control program. . This information can be obtained by the machine communication management device 5 from the communication control device 6 and the network interface device 7 by using the network attribute management device of the machine control access unit 10 . In order to report this information to the controller 30, the machine communication management device 5 uses the network attribute management device of the machine control access unit to transfer the attribute information to the communication control device 6, and the communication control device 6 sends corresponding commands to the network interface device 7 and sent to network 8. The controller 30 receives this command to obtain information about network attributes. In addition, based on this information, the machine communication management device 5 sets the interval for accessing the machine object 2 and the like via the machine interface device 4 . the

The following describes how to set the network frequency band. the

For the network frequency band, there are various purposes and uses in setting, such as setting the frequency band required by the system, notifying the set value specified by the limitation of the communication adapter device 3, or setting the frequency band required by the machine 1, and the like. the

In order to correspond to these different usages and purposes, the network frequency band management device sets the network frequency band management unit provided in the machine control access unit 10 as the one set by the controller 30 or the like via the communication control device 6 side, that is, via the network. In addition, in order to set the path according to the requirements of the machine 1 side, a network frequency band management unit is also provided in the machine interface access unit 11 . By installing these devices, settings via the network, constraints inside the communication control device 6 and network interface device 7, and settings from the device 1 can be handled accordingly. The method of setting the device communication management device 5 from these units is the same as the aforementioned attribute and the like. In addition, the method of accessing each unit using these setting values is also the same as that of the above-mentioned network attribute, so the description thereof will be omitted. the

As described above, since the configuration of the installation target management device, status acquisition procedure setting device, setting information management device, network attribute management device, and network band management device is freely accessible, information sharing with controllers such as system settings is possible. It is easy to carry out, and since the information is managed by the machine communication management device 5 in the communication adapter device 3, it is possible to obtain the communication adapter device 3 which can make the machine a node corresponding to the network without increasing the burden on the machine 1. the

Implementation Mode 5

FIG. 5 is a block diagram for describing in detail the functions of the equipment communication management device according to Embodiment 1 or 2 of the present invention, mainly explaining functions used for setting adjustments and the like. the

In the machine control access unit 10 and the machine interface access unit 11, there are devices for setting the start and stop of the operation of the machine object 2 managed by the machine communication management device 5 and the acquisition device for the operation and stop state of the machine object 2, and are provided with The machine interface access unit 11 sets the operation, stop, and state acquisition equipment of the communication control unit 6, and is provided with a virtual operation setting equipment of the machine object 2 managed by the machine communication management equipment 5 and a virtual machine setting equipment. . the

The operation will be described below. the

When the device 1 is not connected, the procedure for system setting and trial operation using only the communication adapter device 3 will be described. the

The controller 30 shown in FIG. 9 transmits a setting command of a connected device to the communication adapter device 3 . This command is interpreted by the communication control device 6 via the network interface device 7, giving information to the connected machine setting device of the machine control access unit 10. In the machine communication management device 5, a virtual machine is created based on this information. Hereinafter, the controller 30 can perform system trial operation and setting using a device for setting virtual operations of virtual machines generated in the communication adapter device 3 and installed in the machine control access unit 10 . the

In addition, when verifying the system, etc., it may be necessary to intentionally disconnect and reconnect a specific machine object from the system. For this purpose, a device for setting the operation start and stop of the managed machine object 2 and obtaining the state thereof is provided in the machine communication management device 5. When the machine object 2 is stopped, it accesses the stop device installed in the machine control access unit of the machine communication management device 5 according to a predetermined procedure, and transmits the instruction to the machine communication management device 5 . The machine communication management device 5 uses the stop device of the machine interface access unit 11 to stop the machine object 2 via the machine interface device 4 . In addition, conversely, in order to start the operation, the machine object 2 can also be brought into the running state by using the starting device instead of the above-mentioned stopping device in the same way. the

As mentioned above, since the communication adapter device 3 is configured to freely control the start and stop of the machine object 2, and the communication adapter device 3 alone performs verification of the virtual machine, it is possible to easily implement the non-operating state of the machine during construction. A communication adapter device that can be used for system settings at the time and for effective verification operations at the time of system development. the

Implementation mode 6

6 is a block diagram describing in detail the functions of the device communication management device 5 according to Embodiment 1 or 2 of the present invention, and mainly shows functions for convenience in replacement of the communication adapter device 3 and the like. the

In the device control access unit 10 and the device interface access unit 11 in the device communication management device 5, the memory write control device and the memory read device are set for devices with volatile memory. the

The operation will be described below. the

The communication adapter device 3 holds information such as an address necessary for network communication and various setting values shown in Embodiment 3, and constitutes a communication node together with the device 1 . the

When the communication adapter unit fails for some reason, the communication adapter unit 3 must be replaced. The communication adapter device 3 of the present invention stores the above-mentioned setting contents in the memory of the machine object 2 through the following steps. the

The machine communication management device 5 holds all the setting information, and when the setting is completed, the memory write control device of the machine interface access unit 11 stores the setting information in the memory of the machine object 2 via the machine interface device 4 . the

Afterwards, after the communication adapter device 3 is replaced, the machine communication management device 5 uses the memory read control device of the machine interface access unit 11 to access the memory of the machine object 2 and obtain the setting information. The equipment communication management device 5 provides necessary information to the communication control device 6 and the network interface device 7 while retaining the acquired setting contents in the equipment communication management device 5 . The method provided is to use the memory readout control device in the device control access unit 10 to notify the setting content via the communication control device 6 . In this way, the reset of the set value can be performed by the communication adapter device 3 alone. the

In addition, for the information not managed by the machine communication management device 5, for example, in order to store the information inside the communication control device and the like in the machine object 2, the memory in the machine control access unit 10 is used to write the control device via the machine communication management device 5 to write. the

As described above, since the information in the communication adapter device 3 can be temporarily stored in the machine object in the machine 1 in the configuration, it is not necessary to reset the system or the like which has been necessary when replacing the communication adapter device 3 and the like. An easily replaceable communication adapter unit 3 is available. the

Implementation Mode 7

7 is a block diagram describing in detail the functions of the machine communication management device 5 according to Embodiment 1 or 2 of the present invention. Mainly, the machine communication management device 5 is provided with a device for providing abnormal content so that it can be detected by the communication adapter device 3. In various abnormal states, it is easy to determine the abnormal part. the

The machine communication management device 5 includes a network interface abnormal device for providing abnormalities related to the network 8, a communication control abnormal device for providing abnormalities of the communication control device 6, and a machine interface abnormal device for providing abnormalities related to the machine interface device 4. And a machine anomaly device for providing machine anomalies. the

The operation will be described below. the

The machine communication management device 5 collects information detected in each component part composed of the network interface device 7, the communication control device 6, the machine interface device 4, and the machine 1 (machine object 2) via the machine control access unit 10 and the machine interface access unit 11. Abnormal information is centrally managed while being updated sequentially. For example, when the controller 30 investigates an abnormality occurring in the machine 1 of the communication node 20 shown in FIG. The communication control device 6 executes an acquisition command of machine abnormalities, and provides data on machine abnormalities managed by the machine communication management device 5 to the controller 30 via the communication control device 6 , the network interface device 7 and the network 8 . The abnormality of the machine interface device 4 can also be acquired by the same procedure by changing the access destination to the machine interface abnormal device. the

In addition, regarding the abnormality related to the network 8, since there are cases where information cannot be provided via the network, in this description, it is assumed that the device object 2 is provided with a display function. The machine object 2 uses the machine interface device 4 to access the network abnormal device or the communication control abnormal device of the machine interface access unit 11, and obtains the abnormal information of the communication control device 6 or the network interface device 7 from the machine communication management device 5 . When some kind of abnormality is detected, the machine object 2 performs display and so on corresponding to the contents of the abnormality. the

As described above, since there is a device for notifying the network 8 or the equipment 1 of an abnormal state that can be detected inside the communication adapter device 3, when a failure caused by a system defect occurs, it can be easily determined that it is caused by a failure of the equipment. It is still caused by the failure of the communication adapter device 3, and it can be easily determined whether the abnormality of the communication adapter device 3 is caused by the failure of the machine interface device 4 or the abnormality of the communication control device 6, so it can be implemented efficiently A communication adapter device that can quickly restore the system by determining the location of the defect. the

Implementation Mode 8

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a case where the device 1 is powered and operated via the device interface device 4 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The same or corresponding parts as those in FIGS. 1 to 7 are assigned the same symbols. the

In the machine control access unit 10 and the machine interface access unit 11, in addition to the equipment using the machine object 2, there are provided state providing equipment for providing various states of the power management equipment 9, and power control equipment for controlling the power management equipment 9. device and a power capability acquisition device for acquiring power supply capability, etc., and a communication restriction control device for controlling the communication control device using these information. the

The network interface device 7 has an interface function to the network 8 and a function to limit its own power consumption, for example, functions such as shifting to standby mode and recovery, changing transmission speed, and the like. (And, generally speaking, the power consumption of the known network interface device becomes larger during the transmission action). the

The power management device 9 has a charging and discharging control unit and a control unit, and has functions of receiving power from the machine interface device 4, charging the power, and supplying power to each unit as needed, and providing a power supply capacity according to the current charging amount. the

The operation will be described below. the

When the communication adapter device 3 is started, the power supply capacity acquisition device of the machine interface access unit 11 accesses the machine object 2 of the machine 1 via the machine interface device 4, and obtains the capacity of the available power from the machine 1 into the machine communication management device 5. In addition, the power supply capacity acquisition device of the equipment control access unit 10 acquires and holds the power supply capacity data necessary for the operation of the communication control device 6 and the network interface device 7 . the

The power management device 6 accesses the power supply capacity acquisition device in the device control access unit 10, obtains information on the acquired power supply capacity and the power supply capacity necessary for operation, and sets the charge and discharge duty ratio (duty) and power saving of the communication control device. way of control. the

For example, during the period when the required power for operation is 3 and the available power is 1, during the period of 1 after charging 3, the equipment control access device implements the control of allowing the operation of the communication control device 6 and the network interface device 7, etc., during the power supply The operation of the communication adapter device 3 is controlled within the range. the

When such intermittent operation is not allowed due to the application, the communication control device 6 obtains the status of the charge and discharge control unit managed by the power management device 9 from the device communication management device 5 through the device control access unit 10, whenever there is an event requiring data transmission At this time, the communication control device 6 monitors the information of the above-mentioned power management device 9, determines whether the charging state for transmission operation is reached, and controls the mode of the network interface device 7. When the transmission is not possible, the equipment communication management device 5 provides the transmission source of the transmission event with information that the content is on standby through the communication restriction device. In addition, regarding the receiving operation, the operation of the machine communication management device 5 is to control the network interface device 7 to the standby mode and to start the receiving operation by controlling the network interface device 7 to the normal mode or the like through the network 8, for example, a signal change or the like. However, in the case of such reception, the state of charge of the charging and discharging control unit in the power management device 9 may not be sufficient to perform the receiving operation, and may shift to the normal mode via the communication limiting device. the

In addition, the machine communication management device 5 provides the power state of the power management device to the machine object 2 by using the state providing device provided in the machine interface access unit 11. When the machine object 2 has the function of spontaneously generating a sending event, This restriction can also suppress the power to be sent. the

In addition, when the machine communication management device 5 manages access to the machine object 2, the frequency of access to the machine object 2 is adjusted via the machine interface device 4 by using the communication restriction device of the machine interface access unit 11 based on the grasped power state. The degree and time interval, so that the frequency of sending events can be adjusted according to the power capacity. the

As mentioned above, in the case where only a limited power supply is received from the equipment 1, using the power supply management device 9 provided in the communication adapter device 3 and the various information providing equipment and communication restriction control equipment provided in the equipment communication management equipment 5, The communication adapter device 3 can be operated within the range of power supply, and when the communication adapter device is added to connect the home appliance to the network, the communication adapter device can be easily constructed because no power engineering is required. the

Implementation Mode 9

Fig. 10 is a configuration diagram of a system using the communication adapter according to Embodiment 9 of the present invention. the

In the drawing, a connector A31 is disposed on the home appliance 38, and exchange of attribute information with the communication adapter 32 is performed via the connector A31. Hereinafter, this connector is called an input/output interface (input/output I/F). the

In addition, the communication adapter 32 includes input and output interfaces A37 and B33 for exchanging attribute information with the home appliance 38, and for exchanging information with other home appliances and electronic appliances 40 such as personal computers via a network 39 such as Ethernet (registered trademark). The network interface 35, the CPU 36 that exchanges information between the input and output interfaces A37 and B33 and the network interface 35 and processes the information together, and stores the corresponding control input for the input and output methods used in the household appliances connected to the input and output interfaces A37 and B33 The storage device 34 of the driver software A, B of the hardware of the output interface. the

The input and output interfaces A and B are all connectors of the same type, and the format corresponding to the input and output method of the connected home appliance is selected. Here, for the sake of simplicity, it is assumed that one of serial I/O and contact I/O is selected. the

Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a case where the communication adapter 32 is connected to two home appliances 38, 38' having different input and output formats. In the figure, the input and output interfaces of household appliances 38 and 38' correspond to the serial input and output format and the contact input and output format, respectively. the

In addition, in the home appliance 38 having an interface of the serial input/output format, a power supply for the interface is prepared, and a power supply voltage signal is supplied to a specific terminal of the input/output interface (hereinafter referred to as a specific terminal). the

Next, the operation of the communication adapter 32 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11 . the

The CPU 36 checks for each of the plurality of input/output interfaces (in the case of FIG. 11 , two input/output interfaces A37 and B33 ) whether or not the power supply voltage signal is supplied. Then, when the input/output interface is connected with the home appliance and a power supply voltage signal is detected from the specific terminal to be checked, the CPU 36 determines that the input/output format of the connected home appliance 38 is a serial input/output format, and starts the control stored in the storage device 34. Driver software A for the interface hardware of the serial input and output format. By starting this driver software A, communication is performed between the connected home appliances 38 and attribute information is read from the home appliances 38 . This attribute information is stored in the storage device 34 via the CPU 36 . Then, the stored attribute information is used to access the home appliance 38 to obtain or control various information. the

On the other hand, when the input/output interface is connected to the home appliance and no power supply voltage signal is detected from the checked specific terminal, the CPU 36 determines that the input/output format of the connected home appliance 38' is the contact input/output format. Then, the CPU 36 activates the driver software B stored in the storage device 34 for controlling the interface hardware of the contact input/output format to the connected input/output interface. By activating the driver software B, communication is performed between connected home appliances 38', and attribute information such as device type and power consumption is read out from the home appliances 38. This attribute information is stored in the storage device 34 via the CPU 36 . Then, the stored attribute information is used to access the home appliance 38' to obtain or control various information. the

With such a configuration, the format of the input/output interface corresponding to the home appliance connected to the communication adapter 32 is determined, and the driver software for controlling the corresponding interface hardware is activated. the

Then, by starting this driver software, the attribute information about the connected home appliance is stored in the storage device 34 via the CPU 36. In this way, attribute information can be automatically set in the communication adapter 32 without using a barcode or a barcode reader. the

In addition, in the figure, the case where two input/output interfaces A37 and B33 are provided in the communication adapter 32 has been described, but the same applies to the case where there are two or more. In addition, the same method can be used to determine the I/O format other than the serial I/O format and the contact I/O format. the

Implementation Mode 10

In Embodiment 9, a case will be described in which it is determined that the input/output format of the connected home appliance is either serial I/O or contact I/O, and the attribute information of the home appliance is acquired. the

In this embodiment, a case will be described in which it is determined that the I/O format of the connected home appliance is only one of the serial I/O format, clock synchronous type or clock asynchronous type, and the attribute information of the home appliance is acquired. the

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a state where a communication adapter 32 is connected to a home appliance 38 having a clock synchronization type serial input/output interface. In the figure, VCC, TX, RX, GND, and CLK represent a power supply voltage signal terminal, a transmission signal terminal, a reception signal terminal, a ground terminal, and a clock signal terminal, respectively. the

Here, among home appliances with the serial input and output format, clock synchronous home appliances cannot perform serial communication when no clock signal is supplied from the communication adapter 32, and clock asynchronous home appliances cannot perform serial communication even if the clock signal is not supplied from the communication adapter 32. Serial communication is also possible when a clock signal is used. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, even when the I/O interface is connected to a clock-synchronized serial I/O interface, a specific CLK terminal for supplying a clock signal is set so that the communication sequence is established. the

Next, the operation of the communication adapter 32 will be described. the

In the method shown in Embodiment 9, after judging the serial input/output format of the home appliance, the CPU 36 starts the clock asynchronous driver software that can communicate with the home appliance when there is no clock signal, and does not supply the CLK terminal. Try to communicate with home appliances by clock signal. the

As a result, if it is confirmed that the normal communication sequence can be realized, it is determined that the clock asynchronous type is used, and the communication is continued without changing the driver software. the

On the other hand, when communication cannot be performed, the clock synchronization type driver software on the communication adapter side is changed, and a clock signal is supplied to the home appliance via the CLK terminal to try communication. In this way, the communication adapter 32 automatically switches between the clock synchronization type and the clock asynchronous type of the serial input/output format. the

After switching between the clock synchronous type and the clock asynchronous type, communication is performed between the household appliances 38' connected to the communication adapter 32, and attribute information such as the appliance type and power consumption is read out. The attribute information is stored in the storage device 34 via the CPU 36 . Then, the stored attribute information is used to access the home appliance 38' to obtain or control various information. In this way, attribute information can be automatically set in the communication adapter 32 without using a barcode or a barcode reader. the

In addition, in the figure, the case where two input/output interfaces A37 and B33 are provided in the communication adapter 32 has been described, but the same applies to the case where there are two or more. the

Implementation Mode 11

In Embodiments 9 and 10, the case where the attribute information of the home appliance is acquired after judging the input/output format or clock synchronization/clock asynchrony of the home appliance connected to the communication adapter 32 is described. the

In this embodiment, the case where attribute information must be changed or monitoring and control must be performed due to system expansion or the like after acquisition of attribute information will be described. the

This is the case of changing the attribute information from an electrical appliance such as a personal computer via the network 39 without using a barcode and a barcode reader. That is, in the connection form shown in FIG. 10, the attribute information and driver software for the home appliance 38 are changed from the electric appliance 40 connected to the network 39, and monitoring and control are performed. The operation will be described below. the

First, a change in the case where attribute information and drivers stored in the storage device 34 are known from the perspective of the electric appliances connected to the network will be described. the

In this case, it is sufficient to transmit a transmission frame (message) describing the changed attribute information and driver software from the electronic device connected to the network to the communication adapter 32 . the

The CPU 36 that has received this message, for example, immediately terminates the driver software in use, and reads and starts the driver software specified from the driver software group stored in the storage device 34. the

In this way, if the attribute information and driver software stored in the storage device 34 are known, they can be changed simply by sending a message from an electrical appliance connected to the network without using a barcode or a barcode reader. the

The change in the case where the attribute information and driver software stored in the storage device 34 are unknown from the perspective of the electrical appliances connected to the network will be described below. the

In this case, in order for the electrical appliance 40 to be able to change, monitor, and control the attribute information of the home appliance 38, the communication adapter 32 must investigate and disclose to the network 39 what the home appliance 38 connected to the communication adapter 32 is and what information it receives. What kind of monitoring and control can be performed. the

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a procedure for disclosing the attribute information of the connected home appliance 38 to the network 39 . the

Next, the sequence of control programs of various home appliances stored in the storage device 34 of the communication adapter 32 will be described. the

First, after the home appliance 38 is connected to the communication adapter 32, a request frame 1 (household appliance information acquisition request 1) composed of a request for acquiring information on the home appliance 38 is generated and sent to the home appliance 38 via the input/output interface A37, and waits for a response from the home appliance 38. A response to this request frame (step S1). the

When the household appliance 38 receives the request frame 1, it returns the name (code number) of itself (the household appliance 38 ) to the communication adapter 32 . The communication adapter receives the code number returned from the home appliance (step S2 ), and based on the code number, extracts the control program of the corresponding home appliance from the control program group stored in the storage device 34 for setting. the

Through this step, the communication adapter 32 can know what the home appliance 38 connected to the input/output interface A37 is, and can set attribute information and monitorable and controllable information about the home appliance 38 . the

Therefore, such steps are executed in parallel for all the input and output interfaces of the communication adapter, and the communication adapter can set attribute information and monitorable and controllable information of all home appliances connected to itself. the

Then, it is considered that the attribute information of the home appliance connected to the communication adapter 32 is changed from the electric appliance 40 connected to the network 39 to monitor and control the communication adapter 32 having information set in this way. the

In this case, the electric appliance 40 first generates a request frame 2 (household appliance information acquisition request 2 ) including a request to acquire information on a home appliance connected to the communication adapter, and sends it to the communication adapter 32 . the

The communication adapter 32 generates and returns a response frame (home appliance attribute information response) based on attribute information and monitorable and controllable information of all connected home appliances as a response to the request frame 32 (home appliance information acquisition request). Through the response frame from this communication adapter, the electric appliance 40 can judge what kind of home appliance 38 is connected to the network 39, and can obtain attribute information on this point and information that can be monitored and controlled (step S3). Then, in order to change the attribute information and monitoring and control of the home appliance based on the obtained information, it is sufficient to send only a message describing the content of the change, as in the above-mentioned known case. the

In this way, without using a barcode or a barcode reader, based on the acquired information, the attribute information of the home appliance connected to the communication adapter can be changed and monitored and controlled from the electric appliance 40 connected to the network 39 . the

In addition, it is described here that the storage device 34 of the communication adapter 32 stores control program groups for various home appliances, and the home appliance connected to the communication adapter is determined via the input/output interface between the communication adapter and the home appliance. However, a frame for setting a home appliance connected to the input/output interface of the communication adapter may be transmitted from an electronic appliance such as a personal computer connected to the network 39 to the communication adapter 32 . In this way, based on the transmitted frame, the control program of the corresponding home appliance can be set and changed, and a response frame can be constructed. the

Implementation Mode 12

As an electric appliance, a communication adapter for connecting a home appliance to an external network will be taken as an example. the

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a case where a home appliance is connected to an external network via an electric appliance (communication adapter) 41 according to an embodiment of the present invention. the

In the figure, an electrical appliance (communication adapter) 41 includes an external network interface connected to an external network such as Ethernet (registered trademark), a microcomputer with a built-in non-volatile memory, and a serial interface 47 connected to a home appliance 46. In addition, a serial interface 47 for connecting to the electric appliance (communication adapter) 41 is arranged in the home appliance 46 . the

Based on this configuration, the electric appliance (communication adapter) 41 operates the home appliance 46 connected to itself according to the control signal from the external network interface, monitors the state of the home appliance 46, and notifies the information to other electric appliances connected to the external network. . the

FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining a writing operation of a program built into the nonvolatile memory of the electronic device 41 . In the figure, connected to the serial interface 47 of the electric appliance 41 is a ROM writer 42 for writing a program in a nonvolatile memory instead of the home appliance 46 . the

In addition, a writing control terminal CNVss44 is arranged in the electronic device (communication adapter) 41, and when it is pulled down to the low potential level "L", the mounted microcomputer switches to the writing mode. the

The program writing to the non-volatile memory will be described below according to the accompanying drawings. the

The writing control terminal CNVss44 of the electric appliance 41 is normally pulled up to the voltage VCC. Then, this pulled-up write control terminal CNVss44 and a ground terminal (hereinafter referred to as "GND terminal") are output to the serial interface. the

On the other hand, when the serial interface 47' of the ROM writer 42 is connected to the electric appliance 41 and the ROM writer 42, the write control terminal CNVss44 and the GND terminal are short-circuited to form a short circuit 45. the

Therefore, by connecting the electrical appliance 41 and the ROM writer 42, the writing control terminal CNVss44 can be short-circuited to a low potential level "L", and the microcomputer enters the writing mode, and the TXT (Transmitted The Data (abbreviated for transmission data) terminal and RXD (abbreviated for Received Data) can write new programs to the non-volatile memory. the

In addition, in this embodiment, the case where the writing control terminal CNVss44 is pulled down to the low potential level "L" to make the microcomputer enter the writing mode is described, but it is also possible to set the voltage of the writing control terminal CNVss44 to The same applies to switching the microcomputer to the writing mode by applying a predetermined voltage such as the operating voltage (5V) of the microcomputer and the common power line (12V) on the circuit board. the

That is, in this case, as shown in FIG. 16, the write control terminal CNVss44 is normally grounded. Then, a terminal outputting a predetermined voltage is arranged on the serial interface 47 on the electronic device 41 side together with the writing control terminal CNVss44. On the other hand, on the serial interface 47' on the side of the ROM writer 42, when the electrical appliance 41 and the ROM writer 42 are connected, a short-circuit circuit for short-circuiting a terminal of a predetermined voltage and the writing control terminal CNVss44 is provided. . With such a configuration, the ROM writer 42 can be used to switch to the write mode as described above. the

In this way, the electronic device 41 incorporating the nonvolatile memory of the present invention is configured by arranging the write control terminal CNVss44 and a voltage terminal outputting a predetermined voltage for switching it on the serial interface 47 . Therefore, in terms of configuration, when the serial interface 47' of the ROM writer 42 is connected to the electric appliance 41, the write control terminal CNVss44 is short-circuited with the voltage terminal. the

As a result, when the serial interfaces 47 and 47' are connected, regardless of the specifications (voltage pull-down, voltage pull-up) of the microcomputer, it must be switched to the write mode, and a new program can be written via the TXD terminal and the RXD terminal. state. Thus, it is possible to provide a highly versatile ROM writer 42 and electrical appliances, and a writing method using these devices. the

In addition, in this embodiment, a communication adapter is taken as an example of an electronic appliance and described, but it is not limited thereto. For example, the electrical appliances are home appliances such as air conditioners and microwave ovens. In order to write a new program in the nonvolatile memory of the microcomputer built in the home appliance, the serial interface 47 arranged in the home appliance is connected to the ROM writer 42 to write the program. The same applies to programs. the

In addition, in the present embodiment, the case where there is one writing control terminal CNVss44 is described, but the case where there are a plurality of them is also the same. A circuit capable of short-circuiting the GND terminal and the write control terminal is provided on the ROM writer 42 side. the

In addition, in this embodiment, the case where a circuit is provided in which the write control terminal CNVss44 and the GND terminal are directly short-circuited is described, but as long as the electric appliance 41 and the ROM writer 42 are connected, the write control terminal CNVss44 of the electric appliance 41 is connected to the low voltage. The potential level "L" is short-circuited, and of course any configuration is possible. the

In the following embodiments, various cases in which the writing control terminal CNVss44 is short-circuited at the time of connection will be described. the

Implementation Mode 13

In Embodiment 12, the writing control terminal CNVss44 and the GND terminal are short-circuited via the short-circuit circuit 45, and the microcomputer is set to the writing mode. However, as shown in FIG. Connect, put LED49 in ROM writer 42, connect ROM writer 42 and serial interface 47 of electric appliance 41, when writing new program, make LED49 light up, make photocurrent flow through photodiode 48 , so that the writing control terminal CNVss44 is at the low potential level "L". the

In addition, as the structure of the connecting part of the ROM writer 42 and the serial interface 47 of the electric appliance 41, for example, as shown in FIG. Covered with rubber 50 etc., when the ROM writer 42 writes, the LED 49 on the side of the ROM writer 42 pushes away the masking rubber so that the light from the LED 49 becomes light received by the photodiode 48 . the

As described above, the electric appliance of this embodiment has a structure in which the low potential level "L" for switching the microcomputer to the writing mode is changed to the low potential level "L" after the photodiode receives light. 12, as long as the ROM writer 42 has light-emitting elements such as LEDs, it is not necessary to change the ROM writer 42 according to the specifications of the microcomputer of the electrical appliance 41, so that a highly versatile ROM writer 42 and electrical appliances can be provided. Write method for these devices. the

Implementation Mode 14

In Embodiment 13, a light coupling structure using the photodiode 48 was described, but as shown in FIG. 19 , a phototransistor 51 may be used as the light receiving element. It is a structure in which the writing control terminal CNVss44 is brought to the GND level by turning on the LED 49 to cause a photocurrent to flow into the phototransistor 51 instead of the photodiode 48 . The effects in this case are the same as those described in Embodiment 12. the

Implementation Mode 15

In Embodiment 12, the write control terminal CNVss44 is short-circuited via the short-circuit circuit 45, and the write control terminal CNVss44 is set to the voltage level of the write mode. However, as shown in FIG. When the control terminal CNVss44 is connected to the mechanism switch 52 turned ON, it is exposed from the serial interface 47, and the ROM writer 42 is provided with a protrusion that can press the switch, and the ROM writer 42 is connected to the main body. When the serial interface is connected, the switch can be turned ON by using the protrusion provided on the ROM writer 42 side. The effect at this time is the same as that described in Embodiment 12, and its description is omitted. the

Implementation Mode 16

In Embodiment 12, the write control terminal CNVss44 is short-circuited via the short-circuit circuit 45 to set the write control terminal CNVss44 to the voltage level of the write mode, but as shown in FIG. The open contact is connected to the write control terminal CNVss44, and the coil control line of the relay is output as a terminal on the side of the serial interface 47. When the ROM writer 42 is connected to the serial interface 47 of the electrical appliance 41, the coil A voltage for the operation of the relay is applied to the control line, the control relay is turned ON, and the writing control terminal CNVss44 is brought to GND level. the

The effect at this time is the same as that described in Embodiment 12. the

Implementation Mode 17

In Embodiment 12, the write control terminal CNVss44 is short-circuited via the short-circuit circuit 45, and the write control terminal CNVss44 is set to the voltage level of the write mode. However, as shown in FIG. The open thermoelectric pilot switch 55 is connected to the write control terminal CNVss44, and a heater 54 is provided on the ROM writer 42 side. When the ROM writer 42 is connected to the serial interface 47 of the electrical appliance 41, the heater ON, using the heat of the heater at the time of connection, by setting the thermoelectric pilot switch 55 in the short-circuit mode and connecting the writing control terminal CNVss44 to GND, the microcomputer of the electric appliance 41 is set in the writing mode. The effect at this time is the same as that described in Embodiment 12. the

Implementation Mode 18

In Embodiment 17, the write control terminal CNVss44 is controlled using the thermoelectric pilot switch 55 as shown in FIG. On the side of the ROM writer 42, a permanent magnet or an electromagnet 57 is provided. When the ROM writer 42 is connected to the serial interface 47 of the electrical appliance 41, the permanent magnet 57 is used to make the electrical appliance 41 in a short-circuit mode. The microcomputer is set to write mode. the

In addition, when the ROM writer 42 side is not a permanent magnet but an electromagnet, when the ROM writer 42 is connected to the serial interface 47 of the electrical appliance 41, the coil is energized to generate magnetic force and Magnetic pilot switch shorted. The effect at this time is the same as that described in Embodiment 12. the

Implementation Mode 19

In the twelfth to eighteenth embodiments, the direct short-circuit method was described, but in this embodiment, the write control terminal CNVss44 is superimposed on the data signal sent from the ROM writer 42 to the TXD terminal to make the GND level The short-circuit control signal will be described by separating and extracting the control signal in the electric device 41 to perform short-circuit. the

First, the configuration and function of the ROM writer 42 of this embodiment will be described. the

FIG. 24 is a diagram for explaining signal generation of the ROM writer 42 . the

In the figure, the signal 61 is generated from the counting circuit based on a clock source that is sufficiently faster than the transmission speed of the data sent to the TXD terminal (for example, the clock source The speed is 1 bit/1μs, etc.). Then, the signal 61 and the data signal sent to the TXD terminal are input to the AND circuit, and a logical product (AND signal) of the two signals is generated. the

Next, the configuration and functions of the electric appliance 41 of this embodiment will be described. the

25 is a diagram for explaining components added to the electric appliance 41 and their functions (separation of the signal sent from the ROM writer 42 into a data signal and a control signal, and short-circuiting of the writing control terminal CNVss44). the

Compared with FIG. 14 , a low-pass filter (hereinafter referred to as "LPF") and a D flip-flop with enable (ENA) (hereinafter referred to as "DFF") are newly added to the electric device 41 . the

The following describes the operation along the signal flow. the

As described above, the AND signal (signal 58) generated by the ROM writer 42 is divided into two signals, one of which is input to the LPF. In the signal 58 input to the LPF, a pulse having a small width, which is a high-frequency component, and the like are removed. As a result, the signal output from the LPF returns to the original signal before being input to the AND circuit, as shown in signal 59, although the rising edge (pulse leading edge) and falling edge (pulse trailing edge) are slightly rounded. Then, this signal 59 is input to the TXD terminal. the

On the other hand, the branch signal passing through the LPF is branched again, and input to the ENA (abbreviated as ENABLE) terminal and the data input terminal (D terminal) of the DFF respectively. Also, the signal branched before passing through the LPF is input to the CLK terminal as it is. the

Here, in the DFF, the input of the ENA terminal is at a high potential level "H", and the first rising edge of the waveform input from the CLK terminal is captured to lock the input of the D terminal. That is, the high potential level "H" input to the D terminal at this time is output as the output of the output terminal (Q terminal: not shown) as it is. Therefore, the output from the inverting output terminal (Qn terminal) is inverted from the high potential level "H" to the low potential level "L" as indicated by the signal 60 . This means that after capturing the first rising edge of the waveform input from the CLK terminal, the output of the Qn terminal switches from a high potential level "H" to a low potential level "L", and when writing to the control terminal CNVss44 and Qn When the terminals are connected, it can be switched to write mode. the

Then, when a change occurs, since the inverted output of the DFF (output from the Qn terminal) remains at a low potential level "L" until reset, the DFF is reset after writing is completed. the

In this way, structurally, a flip-flop may be used to short-circuit the write control terminal CNVss44 to ground level (low potential level "L"), and set the microcomputer of the electric device 41 to the write mode. the

In addition, as another method of generating the waveform input to the A terminal of FIG. 25, as shown in FIG. 26, at the beginning of writing from the ROM writer 42, the transmission speed of the serial interface is set to 115Kbps , in the composition of the UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter) output format of "start bit + 8-bit DATA", all DATA is set to "1" so that only the first start bit can be detected, generating A part of the data for the first time, after that, the data for program writing, by switching the transmission speed of the serial interface to 9.6Kbps for communication, it is also possible to generate the data from the ROM that is sent to the electrical appliance 41 as described above. Writer 42 data. In this case, use the first rising edge of the start bit to lock the D terminal. In addition, the ratio of transmission speed (115Kbps:9.6Kbps) can be appropriately changed according to the performance of the LPF. the

Because of the above-mentioned configuration, as in the twelfth embodiment, the data signal from the ROM writer 42 is separated from the electric device 41 while obtaining the low potential level "L" for switching the microcomputer to the write mode. By extracting the control signal for operating the short-circuit circuit constituted by the flip-flop circuit DFF, it is not necessary to change the ROM writer 42 according to the specifications of the microcomputer of the electric appliance 41, and it is possible to provide a highly versatile ROM writer 42 and electric appliances and to use these devices. the writing method. the

According to the communication adapter device of the present invention, since the machine communication management device has the management function of the machine object installed in the machine, the processing function realized by the control device such as a microcomputer possessed by the machine can be reduced, and the burden on the resources of the microcomputer can be reduced. A machine that can be remotely operated from the network is obtained by adding a communication adapter device. In addition, since the machine communication management device is connected with the communication control device in a prescribed format and procedure, for example, even if the communication protocol changes, it can be obtained by creating a communication control unit according to the prescribed interface. It is easy to obtain the effect of a highly versatile communication adapter device capable of changing protocols. In addition, since the power management device is installed in the communication adapter device, the internal power consumption corresponding to the management status is reduced. Since the operation is ensured within the limit, it is possible to obtain a communication adapter device that can obtain effects such as suppressing an increase in the power supply cost of the device and prolonging the battery life. the

In addition, because in the communication adapter, when the input/output interface of the communication adapter is connected to the input/output interface of the home appliance, the CPU of the communication adapter sets and controls the storage according to the power supply voltage information supplied from the home appliance via the specific terminal of the input/output interface. The driver software of the interface hardware in the storage device, so the attribute information can be automatically set without using the barcode and the barcode reader. the

In addition, when the voltage of the writing control terminal is pulled down or pulled up to a predetermined voltage, in an electric appliance with built-in data rewritable nonvolatile memory and a method of writing data to this nonvolatile memory, because Structurally, while the electric appliance has a generating circuit that generates a predetermined voltage, the ROM writer has a device that connects the predetermined voltage generated by the generating circuit to the write control terminal, and it is not necessary to make the ROM writer side conform to the specifications of the microcomputer of the electric appliance. However, it is possible to provide highly versatile ROM writers, electrical appliances, and writing methods using these devices. the

Claims (9)

1. communication adapter device; Make in a plurality of connecting object machines that have the machine object that constitutes based on the information of the function of machine and by exercisable control project respectively any one, be connected with the network that controller was connected that above-mentioned connecting object machine is carried out straighforward operation, said communication adapter device is characterised in that and comprises:

Communication control unit, control is to the transmitting-receiving of the data of above-mentioned network;

The machine communication management equipment is preserved the order of the communication service of closing above-mentioned communication control unit in the above-mentioned machine object of copying and saving, utilize these to preserve data, from the above-mentioned connecting object machine of above-mentioned network utilisation; And

Machine interface equipment connects all above-mentioned a plurality of connecting object machines, and stipulates with the shared specification of connecting object machine, wherein,

Above-mentioned machine communication management equipment possesses:

The machine interface addressed location that in above-mentioned connecting object machine, utilizes with shared formality; And

Control addressed location from above-mentioned communication control unit with the machine that shared formality utilizes,

Possess simultaneously permission at least or forbid visiting the permission of above-mentioned machine interface addressed location/forbid equipment and permission or forbidding the equipment of permission/forbid from the above-mentioned machine control of above-mentioned machine interface device access addressed location from above-mentioned communication control unit.

2. communication adapter device; Make in a plurality of connecting object machines that have the machine object that constitutes based on the information of the function of machine and by exercisable control project respectively any one, be connected with the network that controller was connected that above-mentioned connecting object machine is carried out straighforward operation, said communication adapter device is characterised in that and comprises:

Communication control unit, control is to the transmitting-receiving of the data of above-mentioned network;

The machine communication management equipment is preserved the order of the communication service of closing above-mentioned communication control unit in the above-mentioned machine object of copying and saving, utilize these to preserve data, from the above-mentioned connecting object machine of above-mentioned network utilisation; And

Machine interface equipment connects all above-mentioned a plurality of connecting object machines, and stipulates with the shared specification of connecting object machine, wherein,

Above-mentioned machine communication management equipment possesses:

The machine interface addressed location that in above-mentioned connecting object machine, utilizes with shared formality; And

Control addressed location from above-mentioned communication control unit with the machine that shared formality utilizes,

The addressed location of above-mentioned machine interface addressed location and above-mentioned machine control simultaneously possesses in the following equipment respectively at least:

The Object Management group equipment of the management that the instance and the classification of above-mentioned machine object generated, eliminates, adds;

Setting is used to obtain the state of the method that obtains formality, state variation, Periodic Notice of set point that above-mentioned connecting object machine possesses, state and obtains the formality set device;

Set and provide the information management apparatus that is provided with of the setting of closing above-mentioned connecting object machine or information configured;

Set and provide the network attribute management equipment of the attribute information that closes above-mentioned network; And

Set and provide the network bands management equipment of the information of the communication band of closing above-mentioned network.

3. communication adapter device; Make in a plurality of connecting object machines that have the machine object that constitutes based on the information of the function of machine and by exercisable control project respectively any one, be connected with the network that controller was connected that above-mentioned connecting object machine is carried out straighforward operation, said communication adapter device is characterised in that and comprises:

Communication control unit, control is to the transmitting-receiving of the data of above-mentioned network;

The machine communication management equipment is preserved the order of the communication service of closing above-mentioned communication control unit in the above-mentioned machine object of copying and saving, utilize these to preserve data, from the above-mentioned connecting object machine of above-mentioned network utilisation; And

Machine interface equipment connects all above-mentioned a plurality of connecting object machines, and stipulates with the shared specification of connecting object machine, wherein,

Above-mentioned machine communication management equipment possesses:

The machine interface addressed location that in above-mentioned connecting object machine, utilizes with shared formality; And

Control addressed location from above-mentioned communication control unit with the machine that shared formality utilizes,

And; Based on accepted the setting command that sends via above-mentioned network; In above-mentioned machine communication management equipment, virtual machine is set; When the operation of carrying out this virtual machine and setting and obtaining the state of following with it, utilize above-mentioned machine interface addressed location to carry out the operation of above-mentioned machine object and the setting that stops and obtaining the state of following with it.

4. communication adapter device; Make in a plurality of connecting object machines that have the machine object that constitutes based on the information of the function of machine and by exercisable control project respectively any one, be connected with the network that controller was connected that above-mentioned connecting object machine is carried out straighforward operation, said communication adapter device is characterised in that and comprises:

Communication control unit, control is to the transmitting-receiving of the data of above-mentioned network;

The machine communication management equipment is preserved the order of the communication service of closing above-mentioned communication control unit in the above-mentioned machine object of copying and saving, utilize these to preserve data, from the above-mentioned connecting object machine of above-mentioned network utilisation; And

Machine interface equipment connects all above-mentioned a plurality of connecting object machines, and stipulates with the shared specification of connecting object machine, wherein,

Above-mentioned machine communication management equipment possesses:

The machine interface addressed location that in above-mentioned connecting object machine, utilizes with shared formality;

Control addressed location from above-mentioned communication control unit with the machine that shared formality utilizes; And

The database of possessing the set information of above-mentioned machine object,

Above-mentioned machine interface addressed location has simultaneously:

Write/readout equipment, the set information that above-mentioned database is possessed writes and reads above-mentioned connecting object machine.

5. communication adapter device; Make in a plurality of connecting object machines that have the machine object that constitutes based on the information of the function of machine and by exercisable control project respectively any one, be connected with the network that controller was connected that above-mentioned connecting object machine is carried out straighforward operation, said communication adapter device is characterised in that and comprises:

Communication control unit, control is to the transmitting-receiving of the data of above-mentioned network;

The machine communication management equipment is preserved the order of the communication service of closing above-mentioned communication control unit in the above-mentioned machine object of copying and saving, utilize these to preserve data, from the above-mentioned connecting object machine of above-mentioned network utilisation; And

Machine interface equipment connects all above-mentioned a plurality of connecting object machines, and stipulates with the shared specification of connecting object machine, wherein,

Above-mentioned machine communication management equipment possesses:

The machine interface addressed location that in above-mentioned connecting object machine, utilizes with shared formality; And

Control addressed location from above-mentioned communication control unit with the machine that shared formality utilizes,

Above-mentioned communication adapter device also be included in and network between the machine Network Interface Unit of transceive data,

The addressed location of above-mentioned machine interface addressed location and above-mentioned machine control simultaneously possesses respectively:

Abnormity notifying equipment; Whether be any generation unusual above-mentioned machine interface equipment, above-mentioned communication control unit, above-mentioned machine Network Interface Unit, above-mentioned connecting object machine in, and detected this abnormal information is offered above-mentioned network or above-mentioned connecting object machine if being used for detecting.

6. according to each the described communication adapter device in the claim 1 to 5, it is characterized in that also comprising:

Power supply management device is managed the inner charge volume of above-mentioned communication adapter device,

Above-mentioned communication control unit communicates restriction according to the management condition of above-mentioned power supply management device.

7. according to each the described communication adapter device in the claim 1 to 5, it is characterized in that also comprising:

Power supply management device, the charge volume that the supervisory communications adapter apparatus is inner,

The restrict access of the above-mentioned machine object that above-mentioned machine communication management equipment carries out according to the management condition of above-mentioned power supply management device above-mentioned connecting object machine is had.

8. communication adapter device according to claim 5 is characterized in that:

In the time can sending data, to above-mentioned network above-mentioned abnormal information is provided, and in the time cannot sending data, above-mentioned abnormal information is provided to above-mentioned connecting object machine via above-mentioned network via above-mentioned network.

9. communication adapter device according to claim 6 is characterized in that:

Above-mentioned machine communication management equipment utilizes above-mentioned machine interface addressed location that machine object is communicated restriction according to the state of above-mentioned power supply management device, utilizes above-mentioned machine control addressed location that above-mentioned communication control unit is communicated restriction.

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