Identifying apparatus

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD [Detailed description of the invention]

【0001】

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to an individual identification device applied in the FA field.

【0002】

[Conventional technology]

In recent years, as a management method for information on processing, assembly, etc. in an automatic product manufacturing line, a wireless communication type individual identification device, which is one step ahead of the conventional barcode method, has tended to be widely used. In this wireless communication type individual identification device, for example, an IC card responder called a tag is attached to a component mounting pallet that moves on the manufacturing line, and RF is performed between the interrogator and the responder installed at the station of the manufacturing line. Using radio waves, microwaves, etc. as communication media, the response device is written and read out as necessary management data for processing and assembling parts, and parts are identified and process controlled in each process of the manufacturing line. is there.

【0003】

Here, the above-mentioned interrogator and responder are internally equipped with a microcomputer and a communication means for transmitting and receiving data between the interrogator and the responder, especially at the station at the start and end points of the production line. The installed interrogator is connected to the host computer and exchanges necessary information according to the instructions from the host computer.

【0004】

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

By the way, when data is communicated between the interrogator and the responder, communication failure often occurs due to a failure of the responder or the like. Therefore, in the conventional individual identification device, the interrogator has a function of judging the success or failure of the communication each time the communication is performed with each responder and transmitting the result from the interrogator to the host computer for maintenance. In terms of management, the detection information of the failed responder in the entire system is taken out from the host computer when necessary.

【0005】

Therefore, if the information processing of the above-mentioned communication determination result is performed by the upper computer, the burden on the upper computer is increased, and therefore, improvement measures are strongly desired. The present invention has been considered in view of the above points, and the purpose of the present invention is to record the data communication determination result between the interrogator and each responder in the internal memory of the interrogator, and to record each responder when necessary. It is an object of the present invention to provide an individual identification device capable of reducing the processing load of the host computer required for detecting a failure responder by reading a record of a communication determination result and transmitting it to a host computer.

【0006】

[Means for solving problems]

In order to solve the above problems, in the individual identification device of the present invention, a means for registering and storing the number assigned to each responder by the interrogator in the internal memory, and a response of the responder to a call from the interrogator. A means for determining the presence / absence of a response error and a means for determining the presence / absence of a response error, a means for updating the communication determination result for each registration number of the other party's responder and storing it in the internal memory each time communication with the responder, and a command from a higher-level computer. A means for transmitting the content of the communication determination result corresponding to each responder to a higher-level computer is provided, and the responder is provided with a means for storing a designated registration number transmitted via the interrogator in an internal memory. To do.

【0007】

Further, the interrogator of the individual identification device may be provided with a display means for displaying a communication determination result with the registered responder.

【0008】

[Action]

In the above configuration, the interrogator determines the success or failure of data communication with each responder, and records the determination results in the internal memory organized by the registration number assigned to each responder. .. Then, in response to an inquiry command from the host computer, the interrogator transmits a record of the communication determination result to the host computer. As a result, the processing load of the host computer required for detecting the fault responder can be significantly reduced.

【0009】

[Example]

Hereinafter, examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of an individual identification device. In the figure, 1 is a questioner installed at the start point of the production line, and 2 is a responder attached to a pallet moving on the production line. Here, the interrogator 1 is a transmission circuit 11, a transmission antenna 12, and a reception circuit 13, a reception antenna 14 that communicates between the microcomputer 10 that is the center of control and the response device 2 using RF radio waves or the like as a transmission medium. The interface circuit 15 that communicates with the host computer 3, the number setting circuit 16 that registers the number assigned to each individual responder 2 newly added by the present invention, and the responder described later. It is provided with a display 17 that displays the contents of the communication determination result between the two. Further, the responder 2 is composed of a transmitting circuit 21, a transmitting antenna 22, a receiving circuit 23, a receiving antenna 24, a battery 25 for power supply, etc., which communicates between the microcomputer 20 and the interrogator 1. ..

【0010】

Further, the microcomputer 10 of the interrogator 1 has a function of registering and storing the number specified for each responder 2 in the internal memory, whether or not the responder 2 responds to a call from the interrogator 1, and whether or not there is a response error. The communication judgment function for judgment, the function for updating the communication judgment result for each registration number of the other party's responder and storing it in the internal memory each time communication with the responder, and the above-mentioned corresponding to each responder by a command from a higher-level computer. It has a function to send the contents of the communication judgment result to the upper computer. Further, the microcomputer 20 of the responder 2 has a function of storing the designated registration number transmitted via the interrogator 1 in the internal memory.

【0011】

Next, FIGS. 2 to 4 show timing charts at the time of communication between the interrogator 1 and the host computer 3 and at the time of data communication between the interrogator 1 and the responder 2. First, FIG. 2 is a timing chart when transmitting the registration number assigned to each responder 2 from the upper computer 3 to the interrogator 1 to each responder used in the system of the individual identification device. The call command CALL1 from the computer 3 is composed of the registration command C1, the registration number N1, N2, ..., And the parity P1. In addition, the response ANS2 sent from the interrogator 1 to the host computer 3 in response to the call command from the host computer 3 is the response command C2, and the registration number N1, N2 of each responder 2 sent for confirmation ..., And parity P2.

【0012】

FIG. 3 is a timing chart of communication between the interrogator 1 and the responder 2. The call command CALL3 from the interrogator 1 to the responder 2 is composed of a read command C3 and a parity P3, and the responder to the call command CALL3. Response from 2 ANS4 consists of response command C4, responder registration number Nj, and parity P4.

【0013】

Further, FIG. 4 is a timing chart of communication when transmitting the communication determination result with the responder 2 recorded in the questioner 1 to the upper computer 3 based on the inquiry from the upper computer 3, and is from the upper computer 3. The call command CALL5 to the interrogator 1 is composed of the transmission request command C5 and the parity P5 corresponding to the registration number of the responder. The response ANS6 from the interrogator 1 is composed of the response command C6, the responder registration numbers N1, N2, ..., And the parity P2.

【0014】

Next, FIG. 5 is an example of a diagram showing the result of communication with the responder 2 stored in the memory of the interrogator 1, and the registered responder number specified for each responder 2. And the result of communication with the questioner 1 (number of successes, number of errors) is recorded for each item. The figure shows the state immediately after the number of the responder 2 is registered by the instruction from the host computer 3, and the number of times of the communication result items is 0.

【0015】

Next, FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of an operation of writing and recording the communication determination result between the interrogator 1 and the responder 2 in the internal memory of the interrogator 1. First, in step S1, the microcomputer 10 of the interrogator 1 calls the responder 2 to instruct the responder 2 to transmit the data stored in the responder and the registration number. In step S2, the interrogator 1 receives the response including the data DR and registration number sent by the responder 2.

【0016】

Next, in step S3, the microcomputer 10 of the interrogator 1 determines whether or not there is a response from the responder 2, and when there is no response and when there is an error in the response, the process proceeds to step S5. On the other hand, if there is no error, it is determined that the communication is successful and the process proceeds to step S4. Then, in step S4, the data recorded in the memory is rewritten so that the microcomputer 10 updates the value of the number of successful communications corresponding to the registration number transmitted from the responder 2 on the diagram shown in FIG. finish.

【0017】

On the other hand, in step S5, the questioner 1 to the responder 2 are called again (second time) instructing the transmission of the data and the registration number. After that, proceed to steps S6 to S9 in the same process as the first communication, update the number of successful communications and the number of errors corresponding to the registration number of each responder 2, and rewrite to the memory of the interrogator 1 for a series. Ends the processing of. When the registration number received from the responder 2 and the number set in the number setting circuit 16 of the interrogator 1 (see FIG. 1) match in steps S4 and S8, the microcomputer 10 displays a signal of successful communication. It is output to the device 17 and displayed.

【0018】

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the response operation of the responder 2 to the transmission instruction from the questioner 1. That is, when the call command from the questioner 1 is received in step S11, the parity included in the call command is checked, and if it is determined that there is no error, the process proceeds to step S12, and when it is determined that there is an error. Sends a communication failure to Questioner 1 and proceeds to step S14 (end). On the other hand, in step S12, the microcomputer 20 of the responder 2 creates a response including the data DR and the registration number from the memory, further sends the response to the interrogator 1 in step 13, and then proceeds to step S14 for processing. finish.

【0019】

[Effect of the invention]

As described above, according to the individual identification device of the present invention, when a plurality of responders used in the system of the individual identification device have a mixture of responders in which a failure or abnormality has occurred. , Based on the communication result performed between the interrogator and the responder, the record of the communication judgment result stored in the memory of the interrogator is read out at any time and transmitted to the host computer, so that the host computer has complicated information. It is possible to immediately detect a faulty or abnormal responder without any processing. As a result, the maintenance personnel can promptly take necessary maintenance measures such as replacing the failed responder to maintain the soundness of the individual identification device.

[Simple explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1]

System configuration diagram of the embodiment of the present invention [Figure 2]

Timing chart diagram of data communication for assigning the registration number of the responder performed between the host computer, the interrogator, and the transfer source. [Fig. 3]

Timing chart of data communication between the interrogator and the responder [Fig. 4]

Timing chart of communication when sending data from the interrogator to the host computer [Fig. 5]

A table showing the results of communication determination with the responder recorded in the interrogator. [Fig. 6]

Flow chart diagram showing the operation of the interrogator writing the result of communication with the responder to the memory [Fig. 7]

Flow chart showing the operation of the responder to the call command from the interrogator [Explanation of symbols]

1 Questioner 2 responder 3 High-end computer 10 microcomputer 11 Transmission circuit 13 Receiving circuit 16 Number setting circuit 17 Display 20 microcomputer 21 Transmission circuit 23 Receiving circuit