EP0094800A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Production control system, especially for garment manufacture
Assignee: Production Control Information PCI Ltd
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Filing: 1983-05-12
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2003-05-12
Abstract
Abstract A production control system is provided, especially for use in a works environment, in which a microsequencer controlled by a Z80 microcomputer board (MUXC) performs continuous high-speed scanning of a multiplicity of operator input devices (OIDs) located at the work stations of individual human operatives. The microsequencer is essentially a single-level pipelined microprocessor communicating with the OIDs via channels and sub-channels, each OID being connected to a respective sub-channel by a single twisted- pair cable. The cable lines are maintained at 24 volts d.c. to supply power to the OID, and the OID, which has a card-reader for reading bar code on cards or tickets passed through it by the operative, transmits data to its sub-channel, and hence the microprocessor, over the same cable by shorting out the two cable lines for short and long pulse periods. The microsequencer checks the validity of each read and responds to the OID to indicate a good read or otherwise - this response is sent in a morse-type code to audio and visual responders in the OID by temporarily reversing the polarity of the same two lines of the communicating cable. The Z80 microcomputer loads microcode into the microsequencer and thereafter supervises the scanning and data- reception and checking functions. Good reads are stored in short-term storage in the MUXC and can be transmitted to up-date the data base of a host minicomputer. Serial link communication between the MUXC and the host computer is via channels incorporating adapters having optical isolating devices to ensure compatibility and satisfactory transmission over distances in a factory environment.
Inventors
- 👤 Keith Benson
- 👤 John Mccormack
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 11:16
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/06; G05; G05B; G05B19/00; G05B19/02; G05B19/418; G05B19/4183; G07; G07C; G07C3/00; G07C3/08; G07C3/10; Y; Y02; Y02P; Y02P90/00; Y02P90/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
163 words
An operator input device (OID) for use in a system of production or work control, comprising a card reader for scanning a card or ticket bearing encoded data when said card is placed in the card reader and generating electrical signals representative of said encoded data, a cable for supplying low-voltage external electrical power to the OID over a pair of electrical lines, pulse train-generating-circuitry responsive to the card reader output signals to derive a stream of pulses of at least two different durations representing the encoded data, said pulse train-generating circuitry taking its electrical supply fran said pair of lines, and short-circuiting means powered fran said pair of lines and responsive to said stream of pulses to substantially short together said lines for a succession of time periods corresponding to the time durations of said pulses, whereby the data fran the card or ticket is transmitted by the OID on the same cable pair as supplies the OID with its electrical power.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
163 words
An operator input device (OID) for use in a system of production or work control, comprising a card reader for scanning a card or ticket bearing encoded data when said card is placed in the card reader and generating electrical signals representative of said encoded data, a cable for supplying low-voltage external electrical power to the OID over a pair of electrical lines, pulse train-generating-circuitry responsive to the card reader output signals to derive a stream of pulses of at least two different durations representing the encoded data, said pulse train-generating circuitry taking its electrical supply fran said pair of lines, and short-circuiting means powered fran said pair of lines and responsive to said stream of pulses to substantially short together said lines for a succession of time periods corresponding to the time durations of said pulses, whereby the data fran the card or ticket is transmitted by the OID on the same cable pair as supplies the OID with its electrical power.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
An OID according to claim 1, wherein said short-circuiting means is driven by an optical isolator having a radiation emitter to which said stream of pulses is applied, and a receiver responsive to the radiation from said emitter and electrically isolated therefran, such as by diodes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
An OID according to claim 2, wherein said emitter is a light-emitting diode fed by a switching transistor to which the pulse stream is applied, said receiver is a photo-transistor, and said short-circuiting means is a switching transistor connected as a Darlington pair with said photo-transistor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
An OID according to claim 1 or claim 2 or claim 3, wherein each card or ticket to be read bears black and white bar code, and the card reader comprises scanning means to illuminate the bar code tracks and sense the reflections therefrom.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
78 words
An OlD according to claim 4, wherein each card or ticket bears two parallel bar code tracks, the first being a clock track of regularly spaced thin bars, and the second a data track having either a thick bar or a space opposite each thin bar bit of the clock track to indicate 'ones' and 'zeroes', and the scanning means comprises a first emitter/receiver combination scanning the clock track and a second emitter/receiver combination scanning the data track.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
An OID according to claim 5, wherein each emitter/receiver combination comprises an infra red emitting diode and a photo-transistor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
68 words
An OID according to claim 5 or claim 6, comprising two monostable circuits having different time periods to generate pulses of different widths, and logic circuitry responsive to the signals from the receives of the scanning emitter/receivers to direct each clock bit to the triggering input of one or other of the monostable circuits according to whether the data track is simultaneously showing a bar or a space.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
An OID according to claim 7, wherein the outputs of the two monostable circuits are gated together to provide the stream of pulses that is applied to the transistor feeding the light-emitting diode of the optical isolator.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
An OID according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising audio and/or visual response means which is energized by the external power supply cable when the polarity of the voltage on the cable line pair is reversed.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
82 words
An OID according to claims 3, 5 and 9, wherein the OID circuits associated with the scanning emitter/receivers, generating the pulse stream and feeding the emitter diode of the optical isolator are powered fran lines maintained at a predetermined voltage by a storage capacitor and voltage regulator, the storage capacitor on the one hand and the audio and/or visual response means on the other hand being supplied from the common line pair of the external supply cable via reversely poled isolating diodes.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
151 words
A production or work control system for a works environment, comprising a multiplicity of operator input devices (OIDs) situated at the work stations of human operatives and each having a card reader; and a multiplexor/concentrator consisting of the combination of a microcomputer and a microprocessor, the microprocessor comprising a microsequencer repeatedly scanning the OIDs in a continuous operation to acquire data therefrom which is passed to the microcomputer, the microcomputer carrying out validity checking on the data input from the OIDs by the microsequencer, storing good data in short-term store and returning to the microsequencer signals indicative of the validity or otherwise of each data input consequent upon a card reading at an OID, the microsequencer returning to the individual OIDs the signals indicative of the validity or otherwise of their data inputs, and the microcomputer having input and output ports for comnunication with a host computer, such as a minicomputer.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
151 words
A production or work control system for a works environment, comprising a multiplicity of operator input devices (OIDs) situated at the work stations of human operatives and each having a card reader; and a multiplexor/concentrator consisting of the combination of a microcomputer and a microprocessor, the microprocessor comprising a microsequencer repeatedly scanning the OIDs in a continuous operation to acquire data therefrom which is passed to the microcomputer, the microcomputer carrying out validity checking on the data input from the OIDs by the microsequencer, storing good data in short-term store and returning to the microsequencer signals indicative of the validity or otherwise of each data input consequent upon a card reading at an OID, the microsequencer returning to the individual OIDs the signals indicative of the validity or otherwise of their data inputs, and the microcomputer having input and output ports for comnunication with a host computer, such as a minicomputer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
A system according to claim 11 wherein the microprocessor/ microsequencer is a bipolar bit-slicing microprocessor of the single-level pipelined type.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the microcomputer is a Z80 computer board.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
43 words
A system according to claim 11 or claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the microsequeneer communicates with the multiplicity of OIDs via a group of channels each of which services a respective group of sub-channels, there being an individual sub-channel for each OID.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
35 words
A system according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the card reader of each OID reads bar code tracks printed on cards or tickets passed through the card reader by the operative.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
42 words
A system according to claim 15, wherein there are three types of card or ticket: i) operator cards or badges identifying individual operatives ii) operation cards indicating particular work operations being performed iii) job lot cards or tickets identifying batches of work.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
48 words
A system according to any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein the communication between an OID and a respective sub-channel of the microsequencer is via a single twisted pair cable over which the OID also receives its power supply at a safe voltage parasitically from the microsequencer.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
53 words
A system according to any one of claims 11 to 17, wherein the microsequencer supplies power to each individual OID by maintaining a voltage on a respective pair of lines, and the OID communicates data to the microsequencer by substantially shorting out said lines temporarily for pulse periods having two different time durations.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
49 words
A system according to claim 18, wherein after receiving the data on a card read by an OID the microsequencer transmits the signals from the microcomputer indicative of the validity of the data to the respective OID by pulses generated by momentarily reversing the polarity of the power lines.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
51 words
A system according to any one of claims 11 to 19, wherein the validity checking of data from an individual OID includes a check as to whether the operative at the work station of the OID has inserted a plurality of different cards in the card reader in the correct order.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
28 words
A system according to any one of claims 11 to 20, wherein each OID is an operator input device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
33 words
A serial link for communication over distances between a host canputer and a microcomputer or a terminal, comprising a two-pair cable each pair providing a one-way communication channel and including an optical isolator.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
33 words
A serial link for communication over distances between a host canputer and a microcomputer or a terminal, comprising a two-pair cable each pair providing a one-way communication channel and including an optical isolator.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
51 words
A link according to claim 22, wherein the host to microcomputer terminal channel comprises a chain including, in succession, a balanced differential receiver-driver-cable pair-clamped optical isolator- operational amplifier; and the microcomputer/terminal to host channel comprises a chain including, in succession, an operational amplifier- optical isolator-line-shorting transistor-cable pair-operational amplifier decoder-clamped output circuit.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
40 words
A link according to claim 22 or claim 23, including a third cable pair for supplying power from the host to the microcomputer/ terminal, the power supply chain including, in succession, a host power source-cable pair-oscillator-transfomer- rectifying and stabilising circuit.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
42 words
A system according to any one of claims 11 to 21, including a microcomputer to host minicomputer link according to any one of claims 22 to 24, the microcomputer and microprocessor also having electric battery supply back-up to overcome mains power interruptions.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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