JPH0816751A - Counter for transferred materials - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] An object detector such as a photoelectric switch is arranged in the transfer path of counting objects to prevent occurrence of counting errors due to noise intrusion in a counting device that counts the number of passing counting objects. A counting unit (2) for counting changes in the output of an object array detection unit (1) and counting the number of counting objects that have passed through the detection unit is provided when a microcomputer (3) and a measurement object are passing through the detection unit. Sampling cycle timer 5 that is set to a cycle in which the output state of the detection unit is read a plurality of times, parallel interface 6 that reads the output state of the detection unit and transfers it to the microcomputer, and calculation and processing executed in the microcomputer Is stored in a ROM, a RAM for temporarily storing codes and numerical values generated in the course of arithmetic processing, and a system clock, and counting processing is performed by a majority decision of a plurality of read output state values of the detection unit. To execute.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a counting device for counting pachinko balls or bottles of the same shape during transfer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When counting a large number of articles of the same shape such as a pachinko ball, a device for continuously transferring the objects to be counted is provided, for example, a transmission type or reflection type consisting of a light source and a light receiving element. A method is adopted in which a photoelectric switch is arranged in the middle of this transfer path and the number of times the photoelectric switch changes from ON to OFF when the measurement object passes through the photoelectric switch is counted by a counting device.

By the way, a counting device for counting the output of the photoelectric switch and the change of this output emits a false ON / OFF change signal irrespective of the passage of an object to be measured due to noise or chattering at the time of output transition. It may happen. In order to prevent the false signals from being counted, a filter is provided on the input side of the counting circuit, or the reading of the presence or absence of the object to be counted which passes through the photoelectric switch operating section is repeated in a time sufficiently shorter than the operating section passing time, When the signal of "presence" of the object to be measured is received a predetermined number of times and then the signal of "absence" of the object to be measured is received a predetermined number of times, the object to be counted truly passes through the photoelectric switch section, A method is adopted in which it is determined that the inversion of the photoelectric switch output has occurred, and counting is performed.

[0004]

If a method is adopted in which a filter is provided in the input circuit of the output signal of a sensor such as a photoelectric switch to remove the falsified signal caused by the intrusion of noise or chattering, the filter of the counting circuit is used. Since the response speed becomes slow, for the purpose of counting a large number of DUTs in a short time, it is necessary to arrange a large number of sensors side by side to configure the device, which makes the device large and requires a filter provided for each sensor. However, there is a problem that the cost will rise.

On the other hand, reading is performed a plurality of times during the period in which the object to be counted passes through a part of the sensor, a majority decision is made on the obtained data string each time data is obtained, and a signal for accidentally slipping in due to noise etc. The removal method is applied to each line of the sensor, and this determination process is performed by one microcomputer by sequentially scanning each line, and it takes a certain time to process each line. In order to prevent the drop, it is necessary not to increase the number of monitoring lines of one microcomputer or to set the transfer speed of the object to be counted to be slow.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above problems of the counting device according to the prior art and to provide a compact and low cost counting device capable of performing simultaneous counting of a large number of lines at high speed.

[0007]

SOLUTION: To solve the problem, an object array detecting section in which object sensors are arrayed, and a counting for performing a process of counting the number of counting objects that have passed through the detecting section by catching a change in the output of the object array detecting section. In order to solve the above-mentioned problems in the transferred object counting apparatus including the parts, in the transferred object counting apparatus according to the present invention, the counting section reads the output state of the microcomputer and the object array detecting section to perform the counting operation. A sampling cycle timer that gives a cycle to be executed, and the output state of each object sensor of the object array detection unit is read for each count-up signal of this sampling timer and transferred to the microcomputer as an array code indicating the object presence / absence array status in bit units. Parallel interface, and a ROM that stores the procedure of calculation and processing executed in the microcomputer RAM for temporarily storing the codes and numbers generated by the arithmetic processing step, and configured by the system clock to provide the basic timing of the operation of each component of the measuring unit.

Then, the period of the sampling period timer is set to a time interval at which the detection / presence of the presence / absence of the counting object can be executed a plurality of times during the period in which the counting object passes through the object array detecting section. In addition, the RAM has a sensor output buffer that stores a plurality of sensor output state codes transferred from the parallel interface in the order of transfer, and a sensor output true value that indicates the object array status determined by the calculation and processing in the previous sampling cycle. The sensor true value buffer that stores the values, and the output state code data of the multiple sensors stored in the sensor output buffer that includes the output state code data of the object array detection unit each sensor that was read in the next sampling cycle Count corresponding to each of the inspection value buffer that stores the inspection result of the output state code data of the sensor obtained by the inspection process used and the counting object transfer path that repeats addition of one unit each time the counting object is detected A counter and an auxiliary buffer that stores code values that need to be temporarily stored in the process of arithmetic processing. To secure the area.

On the other hand, every time the sampling period timer counts up, the microcomputer calls the process from the ROM to perform a comparison inspection of a plurality of sensor output state data stored in the sensor output buffer and information stored in the sensor true value buffer. Performs the state inspection process of storing the data that matches the predetermined number of times in the inspection value buffer among the predetermined sampling times, and then compares the sensor true value buffer storage data and the inspection value buffer storage data for each bit digit. However, when the sensor true value buffer stored value has an object and the inspection value buffer stored value has no object, it is provided in the RAM as if the object actually passed through the transfer path corresponding to the bit digit indicating this change. The counting process is performed by adding 1 unit to the counting counter corresponding to the transfer path.

[0010]

The cycle of the sampling period timer provided in the counting unit is set to a time interval at which detection / presence of the presence or absence of the counting object can be executed a plurality of times during the period in which the counting object passes through the object array detecting unit. Therefore, the sensor output buffer stores a plurality of code data representing the object presence / absence state corresponding to the passage of the object to be counted in the object array detection unit.

Then, each time the sampling cycle timer counts up, the process called by the microcomputer compares and inspects a plurality of pieces of code data representing the object presence / absence state fetched in the sensor output buffer, and determines that a predetermined plurality of data match. Since the process determines the state of the presence or absence of an object, a false signal that is accidentally mixed due to noise or the like is excluded.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a schematic structure of an embodiment of a counting device according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is arranged in each of the guide paths of the transfer path 100 in which the guide paths 101 to 108 for individually transferring the counting objects as illustrated in FIG. 2 are arranged in parallel,
It is an object array detection unit including a photoelectric sensor 11 for detecting the presence or absence of an object 109 passing through the transfer path 100, and a level discriminator 12 connected to the output stage of this sensor.

The number of sensors arranged in the object arrangement detection unit 1 is determined by the width of the data bus of the microcomputer 3 provided in the counting unit 2 which receives the output signal of the object arrangement detection unit 1 and performs the calculation processing of counting. This is the upper limit unit, and when an 8-bit microcomputer is used, 8 or 16 sensors can be provided. In the counting unit 2 that monitors the output data of the object array detection unit 1 and counts the number of objects that have passed through the transfer path 100, 4 is a system clock that gives the timing of the step operation of the microcomputer 3, and 5 is , A sampling cycle timer that gives sampling timing for reading the output of each sensor of the object array detection unit 1. This sampling cycle timer 5
The period ST is set to a time interval at which reading is performed a plurality of times while the counting target 109 passes through the detection area of the sensor of the object array detection unit 1.

Since the sampling cycle ST is set as described above, when the object passes through the detection range of each sensor of the object array detection unit 1, a plurality of object-existing signals continuous with time are obtained. In a device for detecting and counting an object having a circular cross section, such as a pachinko ball or a round bottle, the upper determination level DL with an object and the lower determination without an object in the level determiner 12 connected to the sensor output stage. When the level NL is set to a different level value of the sensor output and hysteresis is given, the sensor output becomes the upper level DL.
Since the signal with the object is output after exceeding, and the signal without the object is output after the sensor output falls below the lower level NL, the circular cross-section objects as illustrated in FIG. 3 are connected. Even when passing through the detection area of the sensor, two groups of object-existing signals D composed of plural object-existing signals sandwiching a plurality of object-less signals NS2 corresponding to consecutive circular objects
S1 and DS2 are obtained.

In the counting section 2, the sampling period timer 5 counts up 6 to generate an interrupt request signal INT.
1 is a parallel interface PIO that is called by this interrupt signal and reads the output signal of the object array detection unit 1 when the microcomputer 1 is input to the microcomputer 3.
The ROM 8 is a read-only storage means for storing the operation program of the microcomputer 3, and is called when the sampling cycle timer counts up and the interrupt request signal 1NT1 is input to the microcomputer in the storage program. Status determination program (NEP) for inspecting the output status of the detection unit 1
And a counting program (TCP) that counts the number of objects that have passed through the detection unit 1 based on the inspection result.

On the other hand, the RAM 7 is a storage means capable of writing and reading at any time, and the read data is shifted to the RAM 7 each time the output data of the object array detection unit 1 read by the input port of the parallel interface 6 is read. Sensor output buffers SO1 to SOn that hold a plurality of registers in the reading order, counting counters OC1 to OC8 that store the number of counted objects in correspondence with the sections of the guide path, and arithmetic processing of the microcomputer 3 A storage area for the code and the count value that requires temporary storage in the execution process of is secured. As the temporary storage holding area, a sensor true value buffer STB that stores a code indicating a sensor output state determined by inspection, an inspection value buffer IRB that stores a sensor output state inspection result for each sensor output sampling, an inspection process Calculation buffers EB1 to EB as temporary storage areas for intermediate values of the course
n and a bit counter BTC for counting the inspected digits of the sensor output state code are secured.

Next, FIG. 4 shows a flow of the state judgment program NEP and the counting program TCP executed and executed in the counting unit 2 described above. The operation of the counting apparatus according to the present invention illustrated in FIG. Will be explained. When the initial conditions are set and the standby unit 2 of the parallel transfer material counting apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 is in standby, the buffer and the counter of the RAM 7 are cleared to zero and the sampling period timer 5 waits for an interrupt.

When the sampling timer 5 counts up the cycle ST, a count-up signal is output to the interrupt terminal 1NT1 of the microcomputer 3, and when the microcomputer 3 receives this interrupt signal, the state judgment program NEP stored in the ROM 8 is stored. Call
The parallel interface 6 is instructed to read the output state of the object array detection unit 1 at this time point into the input port.

The state data of the object array detection unit 1 read into the input port of the parallel interface 6 is subsequently stored in the RAM 7 as a sensor output buffer FIFO.
Is transferred to the first data cell SO1 of the first row, the data already stored in SO1 at this time is transferred to the adjacent SO2, the data of SO2 is transferred to SO3 in a shift register manner, and is transferred to the last data cell SOn. Stored data is pushed out and rejected.

Subsequent to the above-mentioned data reading and transfer processing, the status inspection program NEP executes the following SI1 to S
The process of I3 is sequentially executed. SI1; data of the FIFO head data cell SO1 and
The data stored in a plurality of predetermined data cells SO2 to SOn preceding SO1 are collated and inspected for each digit Bit, and the state value of the digit in which the state value matches a predetermined number of times in advance matches. The data value obtained by this processing is stored in one of the operation buffers, for example, EB1.

SI2; Regarding the digit whose state value does not match a predetermined number of times in the processing of SI1, it is decided in the counting processing execution in the previous sampling cycle, and the stored value of the digit stored in the sensor true value buffer STB is extracted. Then, place this value and place the state value zero in the digit where the state value matches a predetermined number of times, and then obtain the data obtained from the other 1 in the operation buffer.
For example, it is stored in EB2.

SI3: The logical sum of the data stored in the operation buffers EB1 and EB2, which is the result of the processing of SI1 and SI2, is obtained, and the result is checked value buffer IRB.
To be stored. By the processing of SI1 to SI3 described above, when the reading results of the object array detection unit output values that have been determined a plurality of times match, including the reading in the previous sampling processing, are stored in the inspection value buffer IRB, the matched data value is stored. Will be done.

When the processing of the above state inspection program NEP is completed, the following OC1 and OC2 of the counting program TCP are performed.
Is performed. OC1; The stored value of the sensor true value buffer STB and the stored value of the inspection value buffer IRB are compared and inspected for each bit digit using the bit counter BTC as an index, and STB
When the change of the state 0 is detected for the same bit digit of IRB with respect to the state 1 (there is an object) of 1), the number of the count counter OCi corresponding to the bit digit is incremented.

OC2: The stored value of the sensor true value buffer STB is rewritten with the stored value of the inspection value buffer IRB. In this rewriting process, substantial rewriting is executed only when there is a difference between the STB stored value and the IRB stored value. Next, FIG. 5 shows a flow after the state inspection program in the embodiment in which the sensor output buffer FIFO has two stages and the data of twice coincidence is used for counting, and the FIFO has three stages and the data of three times coincidence is counted. The flow after the state inspection program in the embodiment used for FIG. 6 is shown in FIG. 6, and the content of the present invention will be described more specifically.

The steps of FIG. 5 operate as follows. SI1; a and b are obtained by the logical product process a × b of the sensor output state data a read in the current sampling cycle stored in the SO1 segment of the sensor output buffer FIFO and the previous sampling cycle read data b in the SO2 segment. The value of the non-matching digit in each bit of 0 becomes 0, and the value of the matching digit remains as it is.

On the other hand, by the exclusive OR processing a ○ b of a and b, the value 1 is placed in the digit where the read values in the subsequent two samplings do not match, and the value 0 is placed in the other digits. SI2; AND operation of the exclusive OR processing a ○ b of a and b and the sensor output state value T stored in the sensor true value buffer and confirmed at the previous sampling time (a
Due to ◯ b) × T, the value determined at the time of the previous sampling is placed in the digit whose read value does not match in the two readings, and the state value of the other digits becomes zero.

SI3: By the logical sum processing a × b + (a∘b) × T of the processing results of SI1 and SI2, the same state value is obtained in the subsequent two samplings, and that value is arranged and matched. Since the state value determined in the previous sampling cycle is placed in the missing digit to obtain data, this data is stored in the inspection value buffer. Following the above processing, the following counting program processing is executed.

OC1: The bit counter is cleared to zero. OC12; The bit counter is incremented, and it is checked whether the numerical value of the incremented result is within the number of sensors or not, and if it exceeds the number of sensors, the inspection for state change detection has been completed, so the process proceeds to step OC2 for ending the counting process. jump. OC13; When the incremented numerical value i of the bit counter BTC is within the number of sensors, it is determined that the state change detection inspection is in progress, and the state value of the i-th digit of the sensor true value buffer STB and the inspection value buffer IRB is checked. ST
When the state value of B is 1 indicating that there is an object and the value of IRB is 0 that indicates that there is no object, it is determined that the object has passed the i-th sensor detection area of the object array detection unit 1.

When both the i-th digit of STB and IRB are zero, it is determined that the object does not exist in the detection area, and when both are 1, it is determined that the object is currently passing through the detection area. When the STB side is 0 and the IRB is 1, it is determined that the object has just entered the detection area, and in order to prevent double counting, this state is not targeted for counting increment, and ST
Return to the step of OC12 except when B is 1 and 1RB is 0.

OC14; Bit counter B only when STB is 1 and IRB is 0 is detected in the above OC13 step.
1 is added to the number of the counting counter OCi having the number of the number i of TC. In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the sensor output buffer is SO1,
The flow of the state determination program part in the embodiment in which the data of three stages of SO2 and SO3 and three times coincidence is used for counting is shown, and it functions in the same manner as the flow of FIG. That is,
By the logical product processing a × b × c of the subsequent three read values a, b, and c stored in the sensor output buffer, the value that matches the three data is set to the matched value, and the digit that does not match is set to zero.

On the other hand, the exclusive OR processing between two sets of data and the processing for obtaining the sum of the processing results c ○ b + a ○ b + a
The data EB4 in which 1 is placed in the digit where the data does not match and 0 is placed in the other digits by c is obtained. Therefore, the EB4 and the previous sampling cycle stored in the sensor true value buffer STB are determined. Object array detector 1
When the logical product is obtained with the value T of the state, the data EB6 is replaced with the state value of the digit whose state detection value does not match in three consecutive samplings and becomes 0 of the other digits.
Is obtained. Then, if the logical sum of EB6 and the result of a × b × c which is the data of three times matching is obtained, the data of three times sampling matching including the processing in the previous sampling cycle is obtained, and this is stored in the inspection value buffer. After the state inspection process is completed, OC11 to OC2, which detect the presence or absence of an object that has passed through the detection unit described with reference to FIG. 5 and add it to the count value, are executed to return to the sampling timer interrupt process.

If three times coincidence is used as the determination condition of the sensor output state, the accuracy is high, but the processing speed is slow and high-speed measurement cannot be performed. Therefore, the state data a, b, and c that are read in three consecutive sampling cycles and stored in the SO1, SO2SO3 data segments of the sensor output buffer are used, but processing is performed by adopting twice coincident data as a true value. An embodiment of a state determination program for reducing the number of steps is shown in FIG. 7, and this program will be described below.

In FIG. 7, by the process of obtaining the exclusive OR b ○ c of the sensor output state value c obtained in the previous sampling period and the sensor output state value b in the previous sampling period, it is determined that the digits b and c do not match. Since the data EB1 in which the value 1 is placed and 0 otherwise is obtained, the logical product EB3 of this data and the data a obtained in the sampling period this time is taken, and the digit which does not match between b and c is a
For the data replaced by the value of the corresponding digit, that is, for the digit that does not match between b and c, the state value of the binary match that matches either one of a, b, and c is selected.

Then, if the logical product of the logical product b × c of b and c and the above-mentioned data of EB3 is obtained, only the binary coincidence data between b and c and the a, b and c data are in agreement. Since the data consisting of the state value is obtained, it is stored in the inspection value buffer IRB, and the counting processing program is executed. In this three-period sampling two-person coincidence data extraction processing method, the collation process with the data stored in the sensor true value buffer STB determined in the previous sampling processing becomes unnecessary.

[0035]

In the counting apparatus for parallel transported objects according to the present invention, the presence or absence of an object is read and inspected a plurality of times during a time interval in which the transported object passes through the detection area of the object sensor of the object array detection unit. Data that matches the readings of multiple times is counted as the output value of the object sensor, so even if an erroneous signal may enter the output of the object sensor due to noise, etc., the erroneous signal is removed and the correct counting is performed. The result can be obtained.

Further, the reading of the output of the object array detection unit and the processing of the read data are performed in word units with the bit width of the data bus of the microcomputer provided in the counting unit as a unit. The effect that the device can be configured simply compared to the case of processing for each road is obtained. Then, the sensor output buffer is composed of two-stage memory segments, and the counting device that uses the two data coincidence as the inspection pass condition simplifies the configuration and processing steps of the device, and configures the sensor output buffer with three-stage memory segments. A device that uses data matching as a condition for passing an inspection can obtain a counting result with high reliability.

Further, in an apparatus in which the sensor output buffer is three stages and the width of three data is the condition of passing the inspection for two data, the inspection processing contents are simple and the number of steps is small, so that an effect that a high counting processing speed can be obtained can be obtained. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment of a parallel moving object counting apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of an array of parallel transfer paths and object sensors.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the presence / absence reading status of circular cross-section objects that are connected and transferred.

[Figure 4] Basic data processing flow chart

FIG. 5 is a logic flow diagram of a 2-data coincidence check counting process.

FIG. 6 is a logic flow diagram of 3 data coincidence check counting processing.

FIG. 7 is a logic flow diagram of 2 data coincidence check counting processing out of 3 data.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Object Array Detection Unit 11 Sensor 2 Counting Unit 3 Microcomputer 4 System Clock 5 Sampling Cycle Timer 6 Parallel Interface 7 RAM 8 ROM

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An object array detecting section in which an object sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the counting object is arranged in each of the transfer paths along which the counting object is transferred in parallel, and a change in the output of the object array detecting section. Is a counting device for counting the number of objects to be counted that have passed through the detection unit, and the counting unit is a microcomputer, and the output state of the object array detection unit. Sampling cycle timer that gives a cycle for reading and performing a counting operation, and an array code that indicates the object presence / absence array status in bit units by reading the output state of each object sensor of the object array detection unit for each count-up signal of this sampling timer A parallel interface for transferring data to the microcomputer as an RO and a RO storing the procedure of calculation and processing executed in the microcomputer. M, a RAM that temporarily stores a code and a numerical value generated in the process of arithmetic processing, and a system clock that gives a basic timing of the operation of each component of the measurement unit, and the cycle of the sampling cycle timer is It is a time interval at which the detection / presence of the presence / absence of the counting object can be executed a plurality of times during the period in which the counting object passes through the object array detection / detection unit. A sensor output buffer that stores a plurality of codes in the order of transfer, and a sensor true value buffer that stores the true value of the sensor output that represents the object array state determined by the calculation and processing in the previous sampling cycle,
Output of the sensor obtained by the inspection process using the output state code data of the plurality of sensors stored in the sensor output buffer including the output state code data of each sensor of the object array detection unit read in the subsequent next sampling cycle An inspection value buffer for storing the inspection result of the state code data, a counting counter corresponding to each counting object transfer path that repeats addition of one unit each time the counting object is detected, and temporary storage in the course of arithmetic processing The area of the auxiliary buffer for storing the coded value required for is stored, and the processing that the microcomputer calls from the ROM every time the sampling period timer counts up is stored in the sensor output buffer. Preliminary testing is performed by comparing the output data of multiple sensors and the information stored in the sensor true value buffer. Of the predetermined number of sampling times, a state inspection process of storing data that matches a predetermined number of times in the inspection value buffer, and then compares the sensor true value buffer storage data and the inspection value buffer storage data bit by bit. However, when the sensor true value buffer stored value has an object and the inspection value buffer stored value has no object, it is provided in the RAM as if the object actually passed through the transfer path corresponding to the bit digit indicating this change. An apparatus for counting transferred objects, which is a counting process for adding one unit to a counter corresponding to the transfer path. 2. A sensor output state data stored in a sensor output buffer is data read from an object array detection unit in two consecutive sampling cycles, and a state inspection process performed every time the sampling period timer counts up. 2. The transported object counting device according to claim 1, wherein the inspection processing is a data matching test. 3. The sensor output state data stored in the sensor output buffer is data read from the object array detection unit in three consecutive sampling periods, and the state inspection process performed every time the sampling period timer counts up. 3. The counting apparatus for transported objects according to claim 1, wherein the inspection processing is a data matching test. 4. The sensor output state data stored in the sensor output buffer is data read from the object array detection unit in three consecutive sampling cycles, and the state inspection processing is performed every time the sampling cycle timer counts up. Is an inspection process for matching 2 data out of 3 data, and the sensor true value data stored in the sensor true value buffer, which is determined by the process of the previous sampling cycle, is not used for the inspection process. The counting device for the transported material according to claim 1.