JPH09244810A - Touch panel controller and process monitor and control equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the touch panel controller and process monitor and control equipment which do not repeat the same process even when the same place is touched repeatedly. SOLUTION: The touch panel controller 10 confirms the state of a flag each time a touch is made, and sends touch information converted into coordinate information to a central controller 11 when the flag is off and also sets the flag on, or does not perform conversion to the coordinate information even when a touch is made until a flag-off request is sent from the central controller 11 when the flag is on. The central controller 11, on the other hand, sends the flag-off request to the touch panel controller 10 once generating monitor information.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a touch panel controller and a process monitoring control device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a process monitor control apparatus for monitoring and controlling a plant employs a graphic screen for displaying the process of the plant in graphic form.
A pointing device such as a touch panel or a mouse is used for developing a screen or selecting a device,
In particular, the touch panel has the advantage of high operability because various instructions can be input simply by touching the graphic symbol on the screen. There are optical type and capacitance type touch panels.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional process monitoring and controlling apparatus having a touch panel. As shown in this figure, the process monitoring and control apparatus includes CRT1 and CRT.
The RT control device 2, the touch panel 3, the touch panel controller 4, and the central control device 5 are included.

The CRT 1 displays a graphic screen under the display control of the CRT controller 2. The touch panel 3 is a transparent touch panel and is arranged on the screen of the CRT 1 to expand the screen and select devices on the graphic screen. The touch panel controller 4 converts an electric signal (hereinafter referred to as touch information) corresponding to a touched portion on the touch panel 3 into coordinate information and outputs the coordinate information.

The central controller 5 comprises a touch processing section 6 and a monitoring processing section 7. The touch processing unit 6 includes a reception buffer 8 and a function determination processing unit 9. The reception buffer 8 stores the coordinate information from the touch panel controller 4, and the function determination processing unit 9 determines whether or not the monitoring function is assigned corresponding to the touched coordinate information, and the function is assigned. If it is determined that the function is present, the function is notified to the monitoring processing unit 7. Monitoring processing unit 7
Creates screen information (hereinafter, monitoring information) of the monitoring function corresponding to the function notified from the function determination processing unit 9 and supplies the screen information to the CRT control device 2. The CRT control device 2 has a monitoring processing unit 7
A graphic screen is displayed on the CRT 1 based on the monitoring information from.

FIG. 8A shows a touch panel controller 4
8B is a flowchart showing the operation of the central control device 5.

The touch panel controller 4 first determines whether there is touch information (step S10), repeats this step if there is no touch information, and converts it to coordinate information if there is touch information (step S1).
2). After converting the touch information into coordinate information, the coordinate information is transmitted to the central controller 5 (step S14). This coordinate information is stored in the reception buffer 8 of the central controller 5.

On the other hand, the central control unit 5 first reads the reception buffer 8 (step S20) and determines whether or not there is coordinate information (step S22). If there is no coordinate information, the process returns to step S20, and if there is coordinate information, the monitoring function corresponding to the coordinate information is determined (step S20).
24), and performs monitoring processing based on the monitoring function,
Create monitoring information and display it on the CRT 1 (step S
26).

The receiving buffer 8 is generally F
The IFO (First In / First Out) method is adopted, and while data is stored in the order of writing, reading is sequentially performed from the oldest data.

[0010]

By the way, the above-mentioned conventional process monitoring and controlling apparatus has the following problems.

That is, although the coordinate information is exchanged by interposing the reception buffer 8 between the touch panel controller 4 and the central control unit 5, since the synchronous exchange is not performed, the coordinate information is not transferred. There may be a time delay before the central control device 5 actually starts processing, and in such a case, the same location may be touched by mistake many times. In this case, since all the coordinate information is stored in the reception buffer 8, the same screen is displayed many times, resulting in extremely poor workability and possibly mental stress.

In view of the above circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a touch panel controller and a process monitoring control device which are excellent in workability and do not repeat the same processing even if the same place is touched many times.

[0013]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 is a conversion means for converting an electric signal from a touch sensor into coordinate information in a conversion permission state, and the conversion means. Coordinate information supplying means for supplying the converted coordinate information to an external device; conversion prohibiting means for putting the coordinate information into the conversion prohibited state when the supply of the coordinate information to the external device by the coordinate information supplying means is completed; When there is a conversion permission request from the conversion prohibition means, the conversion prohibition state is canceled by the conversion prohibition means and the conversion prohibition state is canceled.

According to this structure, in the conversion permitted state, the electric signal from the touch sensor is converted into coordinate information and supplied to the external device. Then, when the supply of the coordinate information to the external device is completed, the conversion is prohibited. This state continues until there is a conversion permission request from an external device.

Therefore, even if there is an electric signal from the touch sensor between the time when one coordinate information is completely supplied to the external device and the conversion permission request is issued from the external device, it is excluded. The same process is not repeated even if the same place is touched many times.

The invention according to claim 2 is a monitor for displaying the operating condition of the plant, a touch sensor arranged on the screen of the monitor for outputting an electric signal corresponding to the touched portion, and the touch sensor according to claim 1. Touch panel controller,
Monitoring function determination means for determining a corresponding monitoring function based on the coordinate information from the touch panel controller, monitoring information creation means for creating monitoring information of the monitoring function determined by the monitoring function determination means, and this monitoring information creation Display control means for displaying the monitoring information created by the means on the monitor, and a conversion permission request for supplying a conversion permission request to the touch panel controller when display control of the monitoring information by the display control means on the monitor is completed. And a supply means.

According to this structure, when the coordinate information is supplied from the touch panel controller, the corresponding monitoring function is determined based on the coordinate information, and the monitoring information of the determined monitoring function is created and displayed on the monitor. Is displayed. When the process of displaying the monitoring information on the monitor is completed, the conversion request is supplied to the touch panel controller.

Therefore, after the processing for one touch information is completed with the touch panel controller, the processing for the touch information generated thereafter is performed, and the touch information is processed during the processing for one touch information. Even if it occurs, it is eliminated, so that the same processing is not repeated even if the same location is touched many times during that time.

[0019]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<Structure of Process Monitoring and Controlling Device> FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of a process monitoring and controlling device according to the present invention. Note that, in this figure, the same parts as those in FIG.

In FIG. 1, the touch panel controller 10 converts the first touch information into coordinate information, waits for the monitor processing unit 13 to finish creating the monitor information, and then converts the touch information generated thereafter into coordinate information. . That is,
Every time the monitoring processing unit 13 of the central controller 11 finishes creating the monitoring information based on the coordinate information, the touch information obtained after that time is converted into the coordinate information. However, since the coordinate information is not supplied to the monitoring processing unit 13 when the power is turned on,
The first touch information is directly converted into coordinate information.

The conversion timing of the touch panel controller 10 is determined by turning the flag on / off. No conversion is performed while the flag is on, and the monitoring processor 13 of the central control unit 11 issues a request to turn off the flag. The conversion starts from the point when you did.

Thus, the touch panel controller 10
Does not perform conversion while the flag is on, starts conversion when it is off, and the central control unit 11 issues a request to turn off the flag immediately after creating the monitoring information.

Each time the central controller 11 creates monitoring information, the touch panel controller 10 causes the central controller 1
Since one piece of coordinate information is supplied to 1, the receiving buffer 14 of the central control unit 1 need only have a small capacity. This also enables cost reduction.

The CRT control device 2 corresponds to display control means, and the touch panel 3 corresponds to a touch sensor. Further, the touch panel controller 10 corresponds to a conversion means, a coordinate information supply means, a conversion prohibition means, and a conversion prohibition state cancellation means. The function determination processing unit 9 corresponds to the monitoring function determination unit, and the monitoring processing unit 13 corresponds to the monitoring information creation unit and the conversion permission request supply unit.

<Operation of Process Monitoring and Control Device> FIG. 2
2A is a flowchart showing the operation of the touch panel controller 10, and FIG. 2B is a flowchart showing the operation of the central controller 11.

The touch panel controller 10 first reads flag information (step S30).
In this case, the central controller 11 issues a flag-off request immediately after the power is turned on. After reading the flag information, it is determined whether there is touch information (step S32). If there is no touch information, step S32 is performed.
Returning to step 30, if there is touch information, the process proceeds to step S34 to determine whether the flag is off. If it is determined in step S34 that the flag is on, no processing is performed and the process returns to step S30. If the flag is off, the process proceeds to step S36. In this case, since the central controller 11 issues a flag-off request immediately after the power is turned on to the apparatus as described above, the process directly proceeds to step S36 when the power is turned on.

In step S36, the touch information is converted into coordinate information. Next, the coordinate information is sent to the central controller 1
1 (step S38). This coordinate information is stored in the reception buffer 14 of the central controller 11. After transmitting the coordinate information to the central controller 11, the flag is turned on and the process returns to step S30 (step S40).

On the other hand, the central controller 11 first requests the touch panel controller 10 to turn off the flag (step S50). This process is performed only immediately after the device is powered on as described above. Next, in step S52, the reception buffer 14 is read, and in step S54, it is determined whether or not there is coordinate information. In this determination, if there is no coordinate information, no processing is performed and the process returns to step S52. If there is coordinate information, the process proceeds to step S56.

In step S56, the monitoring function corresponding to the read coordinate information is determined, monitoring processing based on this monitoring function is performed, monitoring information is created and displayed on the CRT 1 (step S58). After performing this monitoring process, the flag off is requested in step S60, and step S60 is performed.
Return to 52. After that, the monitoring information is created every time the coordinate information is supplied from the touch panel controller 10, and the monitoring information is created by C
It is displayed on RT1.

As described above, in this embodiment, the touch panel controller 10 confirms the state of the flag each time a touch is made, and when the flag is off, the touch information converted into coordinate information is transmitted to the central control unit 11. And the flag is turned on, and when the flag is turned on, the central control unit 1
Even if the touch is performed until the flag is turned off from 1, the conversion into the coordinate information is not performed. On the other hand, the central controller 11
Issues a flag-off request to the touch panel controller 10 when the monitor information is created.

Therefore, once a touch is made, the next touch is not accepted until the process for that touch is completed, so that the same process can be prevented from being repeated no matter how many times the same part is touched.

Further, since the central controller 11 is supplied with one coordinate information from the touch panel controller 10 every time the flag off request is issued, the receiving buffer 14 may have a small capacity, so that the cost can be reduced accordingly. Is.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment,
Various embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention. Specifically, the following may be performed.

(A) As shown in FIG. 3, a liquid crystal display 20 is provided between the CRT 1 and the touch panel 3.
FIG. 5 shows a CRT 1, a touch panel 3 and a liquid crystal display 20.
Is an enlarged side view, and FIG. 6 is a plan view thereof. The liquid crystal display 20 is controlled by the touch panel controller 21 so that the area 22 corresponding to the position touched by the finger 30 of the touch panel 3 is turned on.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the touch panel controller 21, and as shown in this figure, the process of lighting the area corresponding to the location touched by the operation shown in FIG. 8 (a) (step S70). It is the same except that is added.

In this way, the area corresponding to the touched area is lit to notify the supervisor that the input has been made. Therefore, the observer can confirm that the input has been made, and therefore the same portion is not accidentally touched continuously.

(B) Conventional touch panel controller 4
The following functions may be added to. That is, if the time difference between the front and back touches is detected and the difference is within the response time (that is, the time from when the touch is made until the central control device 5 actually starts the processing), the subsequent touch request is excluded. To do.
In this way, even if the user mistakenly touches the same area continuously for a short time, all the areas within the response time can be eliminated.

(C) In addition to the process monitoring and control device, it can be applied to cash dispensers and the like provided in financial institutions such as banks.

[0040]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, after one touch information is converted into the coordinate information and the coordinate information is completely supplied to the external device, the external device permits the conversion. Even if touch information is generated until the request is made, the touch information is eliminated, so that the same processing is not repeated even if the same portion is touched many times.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, processing for one touch information (conversion to coordinate information, determination of monitoring function, creation of monitoring information, display of monitoring information on monitor) is performed with the touch panel controller. After finishing, the touch information that occurs after that is processed, and while touch information is generated, even if touch information occurs, it is eliminated, so the same place is touched many times during that time. Even if it is performed, the same process is not repeatedly performed, and a process monitoring and control device having excellent workability can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a process monitoring control apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the process monitoring control apparatus of the same embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a process monitoring control apparatus according to another embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation of a process monitoring control device according to another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of a part of the process monitoring control apparatus according to the other embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view of a part of the process monitoring control apparatus of the other embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional process monitoring control device.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of a conventional process monitoring control device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Monitor 2 CRT Control Device 3 Touch Panel 9 Function Discrimination Processing Unit 10 Touch Panel Controller 13 Monitoring Processing Unit

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A conversion means for converting an electric signal from a touch sensor into coordinate information in a conversion enabled state, a coordinate information supply means for supplying the coordinate information converted by this conversion means to an external device, and this coordinate information. A conversion prohibition unit that sets the conversion prohibition state when the supply of the coordinate information to the external device is completed, and a conversion prohibition state that is canceled by the conversion prohibition unit when a conversion permission request is issued from the external device. A touch panel controller, comprising: a conversion prohibition state canceling means for converting into a conversion permission state. 2. A monitor for displaying the operation status of the plant, a touch sensor arranged on the screen of the monitor for outputting an electric signal corresponding to the touched portion, the touch panel controller according to claim 1, Monitoring function determining means for determining a corresponding monitoring function based on coordinate information from the touch panel controller, monitoring information creating means for creating monitoring information of the monitoring function determined by the monitoring function determining means, and this monitoring information creating means Display control means for displaying the monitoring information created by the monitor on the monitor, and a conversion permission request is supplied to the touch panel controller when the display control of the monitor information on the monitor is completed by the display control means. A process monitoring and control device comprising: