Slave units and network system as well as slave unit processing method and device information collecting method

A method of processing a slave unit connected to a network to execute:

• a collecting process for collecting information on devices connected to the particular slave unit;
• a process of storing in a device information storage means of said slave unit said information obtained by executing said collecting process;
• and
• a process of transmitting through said network the information stored in said device information storage means to a controller connected to the network, wherein the information includes individual information for specifying the devices and status information indicating the status of the devices.

A device information collecting method for a network system constructed by connecting a controller and a slave unit through a network, wherein said slave unit executes:

• a collecting process for collecting information on devices connected to the slave unit;
• a process of storing in the device information storage means said device information obtained by executing said collecting process;
• and
• a process of transmitting through said network to the controller connected to the network the information stored in said device information storage means, and
• wherein said controller acquires and stores said information output from said slave unit, wherein the information includes individual information for specifying the devices and status information indicating the status of the devices.

A device information collecting method for a network system constructed by connecting a controller and a slave unit through a network, wherein said network system is connected with a monitoring device, said controller and said slave unit perform a control operation by transmitting and receiving control information,

• wherein said slave unit executes:
• a collecting process for collecting information on the devices connected to the slave unit;
• a process of storing in a device information storage means of the slave unit said information obtained by executing said collecting process, and
• a process of transmitting, through said network to the monitoring device connected to the network, the information stored in said device information storage means;
• and
• wherein said monitoring device acquires and stores said device information output from said slave unit, wherein the information includes individual information for specifying the devices and status information indicating the status of the devices.