Multicontroller apparatus, multicontroller system, nuclear reactor protection system, inverter control system and diagnostic device

Claim 2

A multicontroller apparatus having a plurality of control units each including a controller and a diagnostic device for making a diagnosis of said controller, said diagnostic device comprising: a judging unit for judging states of other control units of said control units based on output signals of diagnostic devices of said other control units; and a diagnosing unit for executing a diagnosis of said controller which is an object of diagnosis made by said diagnostic device when said judging unit judges that more than a predetermined number of control units of said other control units are in a control state.

Claim 3

A multicontroller apparatus having a plurality of control units each including a controller and a diagnostic device for making a diagnosis of said controller, said diagnostic device comprising: a judging unit for judging states of other control units of said control units based on output signals of diagnostic devices of said other control units; and a diagnosis aborting unit for aborting a diagnosis of said controller which is an object of diagnosis made by said diagnostic device when said judging unit judges that at least a predetermined number of control units of said other control units is in a diagnosis state.

Claim 4

A multicontroller apparatus having a plurality of control units each including a controller and a diagnostic device for making a diagnosis of said controller, said diagnostic device comprising: a judging unit for judging states of other control units of said control units based on output signals of diagnostic devices of said other control units; and a diagnosis aborting unit for aborting a diagnosis of said controller which is an object of diagnosis made by said diagnostic device when said judging unit judges that at least a predetermined number of control units of said other control units is in a diagnosis state.

Claim 5

A multicontroller apparatus having a plurality of control units each including a controller and a diagnostic device for making a diagnosis of said controller, said diagnostic device comprising: a diagnosis execution signal outputting unit for outputting a diagnosis execution signal, whereby the fact that a diagnosis is being made is communicated to diagnostic devices of other control units of said control units; a judging unit for judging whether a diagnostic device of one or more control units of said other control units is outputting a diagnosis execution signal or not; and a diagnosing unit for executing a diagnosis of said controller which is an object of diagnosis made by said diagnostic device when a result of judging by said judging unit is negative.

Claim 6

A multicontroller apparatus having a plurality of control units each including a controller and a diagnostic device for making a diagnosis of said controller, said diagnostic device comprising: a diagnosis execution signal outputting unit for outputting a diagnosis execution signal, whereby the fact that a diagnosis is being made is communicated to diagnostic devices of other control units of said control units; a judging unit for judging whether a diagnostic device of one or more control units of said other control units is outputting a diagnosis execution signal or not; and a diagnosing unit for executing a diagnosis of said controller which is an object of diagnosis made by said diagnostic device when a result of judging by said judging unit is negative.

Claim 7

A multicontroller apparatus having a plurality of control units each including a controller and a diagnostic device for making a diagnosis of said controller, said diagnostic device comprising: a judging unit for judging states of other control units of said control units based on output signals of diagnostic devices of said other control units; and a diagnosing unit for executing a diagnosis of said controller which is an object of diagnosis made by said diagnostic device when said judging unit judges that at least a predetermined number of control units of said other control units are not in a diagnosis state.

Claim 8

A multicontroller apparatus having a plurality of control units each including a controller and a diagnostic device for making a diagnosis of said controller, said diagnostic device comprising: a judging unit for judging states of other control units of said control units based on output signals of diagnostic devices of said other control units; and a diagnosing unit for executing a diagnosis of said controller which is an object of diagnosis made by said diagnostic device when said judging unit judges that at least a predetermined number of control units of said other control units are not in a diagnosis state.

Claim 9

A multicontroller apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when said judging unit judges that the number of control units of said other control units which are not in the diagnosis state is less than the predetermined number, said diagnostic device prevents reopening of diagnosis made by said diagnostic device for a first predetermined time, and wherein said diagnostic device prevents reopening of diagnosis made by said diagnostic device after the diagnosis of said controller is finished for a second predetermined time longer than said first predetermined time.

Claim 10

A multicontroller apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said diagnostic device further comprises: a diagnosis notice signal outputting unit for outputting a diagnosis notice signal to other diagnostic devices of said other control units; and an answer signal outputting unit for outputting an answer signal in response to a diagnosis notice signal outputted by a diagnostic device of another control unit of said other control units; wherein said judging unit judges the state of said another control unit based on the answer signal outputted from said diagnostic device of said another control unit in response to the diagnosis notice signal outputted by said diagnostic device.

Claim 11

A multicontroller apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said diagnostic device further comprises: a diagnosis notice judging unit for judging whether or not a number of other diagnostic devices of said other control units outputting the diagnosis notice signal is less than a predetermined number; and a diagnosis notice signal outputting preventing unit for preventing said diagnosis notice signal outputting unit of said diagnostic device from reoutputting the diagnosis notice signal for a predetermined time based on a result of judging by said diagnosis notice judging unit, said predetermined time being different for each of said diagnostic devices of said control units.

Claim 12

A multicontroller apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said diagnostic device further comprises an abnormality judging unit for judging whether an abnormality is present or not in a diagnostic device of another control unit of said other control units based on an output signal of the diagnostic device of said another control unit.

Claim 13

A multicontroller apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said diagnostic device outputs a first changeover signal when said judging unit judges that at least the predetermined number of control units of said other control units are not in the diagnosis state; said diagnostic device outputs a second changeover signal after a diagnosis of said controller is finished; and each of said control units further includes a changeover unit which assumes a state preventing control performed by a signal outputted from the controller in response to said first changeover signal, and which assumes a state allowing control performed by the signal outputted from the controller in response to said second changeover signal.

Claim 14

A multicontroller apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the controller which is an object of diagnosis made by said diagnostic device is outputting a signal for controlling an object of control, said diagnostic device is prevented from executing a diagnosis of the controller.

Claim 15

A multicontroller apparatus according to claim 4, wherein each of said control units further comprises: a switching unit for preventing transmission of an output signal from the controller to an object of control; and a detecting unit for detecting a switching state of said switching unit.

Claim 16

A multicontroller system comprising: a plurality of control units each including: a controller for outputting a control signal on the basis of inputted process information, a diagnostic device for outputting a test signal to the controller and for judging presence/absence of an abnormality in said controller on the basis of an answer signal outputted by the controller in response to the test signal, and a switching unit for preventing the control signal outputted by the controller from being received by a signal selection device when the diagnostic device is making a diagnosis of the controller; and a signal selection device for receiving the control signals outputted by the controllers of the control units, selecting one of the received control signals, and outputting the selected control signal to an object of control; wherein said diagnostic device includes: a judging unit for judging states of other control units of said control units based on output signals of diagnostic devices of said other control units, and a diagnosing unit for executing a diagnosis of said controller which is an object of diagnosis made by said diagnostic device when said judging unit judges that at least a predetermined number of control units of said other control units are not in a diagnosis state.

Claim 17

A multicontroller system comprising: a plurality of control units each including: a controller for outputting a control signal on the basis of inputted process information, a diagnostic device for outputting a test signal to the controller and for judging presence/absence of an abnormality in said controller on the basis of an answer signal outputted by the controller in response to the test signal, and a switching unit for preventing the control signal outputted by the controller from being received by a signal selection device when the diagnostic device is making a diagnosis of the controller; and a signal selection device for receiving the control signals outputted by the controllers of the control units, selecting one of the received control signals, and outputting the selected control signal to an object of control; wherein said diagnostic device includes: a judging unit for judging states of other control units of said control units based on output signals of diagnostic devices of said other control units, and a diagnosing unit for executing a diagnosis of said controller which is an object of diagnosis made by said diagnostic device when said judging unit judges that at least a predetermined number of control units of said other control units are not in a diagnosis state.

Claim 18

A nuclear reaction protection apparatus comprising: a plurality of control units each including: a controller for outputting a control signal on the basis of inputted process information of a nuclear reactor plant, a diagnostic device for outputting a test signal to the controller and for judging presence/absence of an abnormality in said controller on the basis of an answer signal outputted by the controller in response to the test signal, and a switching unit for preventing the control signal outputted by the controller from being received by a signal selection device when the diagnostic device is making a diagnosis of the controller; and a signal selection device for receiving the control signals outputted by the controllers of the control units, selecting one of the received control units, and outputting the selected control signal to an object of control; wherein said diagnostic device includes: a judging unit for judging states of other control units of said control units based on output signals of diagnostic devices of said other control units, and a diagnosing unit for executing a diagnosis of said controller which is an object of diagnosis made by said diagnostic device when said judging unit judges that at least a predetermined number of control units of said other control units are not in a diagnosis state.

Claim 19

A nuclear reaction protection apparatus comprising: a plurality of control units each including: a controller for outputting a control signal on the basis of inputted process information of a nuclear reactor plant, a diagnostic device for outputting a test signal to the controller and for judging presence/absence of an abnormality in said controller on the basis of an answer signal outputted by the controller in response to the test signal, and a switching unit for preventing the control signal outputted by the controller from being received by a signal selection device when the diagnostic device is making a diagnosis of the controller; and a signal selection device for receiving the control signals outputted by the controllers of the control units, selecting one of the received control units, and outputting the selected control signal to an object of control; wherein said diagnostic device includes: a judging unit for judging states of other control units of said control units based on output signals of diagnostic devices of said other control units, and a diagnosing unit for executing a diagnosis of said controller which is an object of diagnosis made by said diagnostic device when said judging unit judges that at least a predetermined number of control units of said other control units are not in a diagnosis state.

Claim 20

An inverter control system comprising: a plurality of control units each including: a controller for outputting a frequency control signal on the basis of inputted information, a diagnostic device for outputting a test signal to the controller and for judging presence/absence of an abnormality in said controller on the basis of an answer signal outputted by the controller in response to the test signal, and a switching unit for preventing the frequency control signal outputted by the controller from being received by an inverter device when the diagnostic device is making a diagnosis of the controller; wherein said diagnostic device includes: a judging unit for judging states of other control units of said control units based on output signals of diagnostic devices of said other control units, and a diagnosing unit for executing a diagnosis of said controller which is an object of diagnosis made by said diagnostic device when said judging unit judges that at least a predetermined number of control units of said other control units are not in a diagnosis state.

Claim 21

An inverter control system comprising: a plurality of control units each including: a controller for outputting a frequency control signal on the basis of inputted information, a diagnostic device for outputting a test signal to the controller and for judging presence/absence of an abnormality in said controller on the basis of an answer signal outputted by the controller in response to the test signal, and a switching unit for preventing the frequency control signal outputted by the controller from being received by an inverter device when the diagnostic device is making a diagnosis of the controller; wherein said diagnostic device includes: a judging unit for judging states of other control units of said control units based on output signals of diagnostic devices of said other control units, and a diagnosing unit for executing a diagnosis of said controller which is an object of diagnosis made by said diagnostic device when said judging unit judges that at least a predetermined number of control units of said other control units are not in a diagnosis state.

Claim 22

A multicontroller apparatus having a plurality of control units each including a controller and a diagnostic device for making a diagnosis of said controller, said diagnostic device comprising: a judging unit for judging a state of each of other control units of said plurality of control units based on an output signal of a diagnostic device of said each of said other control units; and a diagnosing unit for executing a diagnosis of the controller in the control unit including said diagnostic device when said judging unit judges that more than a predetermined number of control units of said other control units are in a control state.

Claim 23

A multicontroller apparatus having a plurality of control units each including a controller and a diagnostic device for making a diagnosis of said controller, said diagnostic device comprising: a judging unit for judging a state of each of other control units of said plurality of control units based on an output signal of a diagnostic device of said each of said other control units; and a diagnosing unit for executing a diagnosis of the controller in the control unit including said diagnostic device when said judging unit judges that more than a predetermined number of control units of said other control units are in a control state.

Claim 24

A multicontroller apparatus having a plurality of control units each including a controller and a diagnostic device for making a diagnosis of said controller, said diagnostic device comprising: a judging unit for judging a state of each of other control units of said plurality of control units based on an output signal of a diagnostic device of said each of said other control units; and a diagnosis aborting unit for aborting a diagnosis of the controller in the control unit including said diagnostic device when said judging unit judges that at least a predetermined number of control units of said other control units is in a diagnosis state.

Claim 25

A multicontroller apparatus having a plurality of control units each including a controller and a diagnostic device for making a diagnosis of said controller, said diagnostic device comprising: a judging unit for judging a state of each of other control units of said plurality of control units based on an output signal of a diagnostic device of said each of said other control units; and a diagnosis aborting unit for aborting a diagnosis of the controller in the control unit including said diagnostic device when said judging unit judges that at least a predetermined number of control units of said other control units is in a diagnosis state.