Control system, control device, and control method

A control device for controlling a plurality of actuators by executing a plurality of functions based on sensor values from a plurality of external sensors, comprising:

• a function accepting unit configured to accept a function from an external function providing device, wherein the function has as an input argument an identifier of at least one of:
• the external sensors and other functions than said each of the functions such that the functions in the program are to be executed in a stepwise fashion, and has as an output argument an identifier of at least one of the actuators;
• a function storage configured to store functions accepted by the function accepting unit;
• a function executing unit configured to receive an input argument of each of the functions stored in the function storage, and execute each of the functions based on the input argument of each of the functions;
• a first channel managing unit configured to manage a plurality of first channels corresponding to the external sensors, receive the sensor values via the first channels from the external sensors, and transmit each of the sensor values received for each of the first channels to the function executing unit as an input argument of each of the functions that is pre-instructed for each of the first channels;
• a second channel managing unit configured to manage each of a plurality of second channels corresponding to each of the actuators, and transmit each of values received via each of the second channels to each of the actuators corresponding to each of the second channels;
• an output argument transmission processor configured to transmit a value of the output argument obtained by execution of a function that contains the output argument among the functions executed by the function executing unit, to the second channel managing unit with designation of the second channel that corresponds to the actuator designated by the output argument;
• a third channel generating unit configured to generate a third channel correspondingly to the function accepted by the function accepting unit when the function accepting unit accepts the function from the external function providing device;
• a third channel managing unit configured to manage a plurality of third channels generated by the third channel generating unit, and transmit each of values received via each of the third channels to the function executing unit as an input argument of each of the functions that is pre-instructed for each of the third channels;
• a function output transmission processor configured to transmit an output value of each of the functions in the function storage that results from execution thereof to the third channel managing unit with designation of each of the third channels that corresponds to each of the functions;
• and
• a transmission instructing unit configured to identify a first or third channel corresponding to one of the external sensors or one of the other functions that is designated as the input argument of the function accepted by the function accepting unit, and instruct the first channel managing unit or the third channel managing unit to transmit a value received from the external sensor via the identified first channel or from the function output transmission processor via the identified third channel to the function executing unit as the input argument of the function.

A control method for controlling a plurality of actuators by executing a plurality of functions based on sensor values from a plurality of external sensors, comprising:

• accepting a program containing a plurality of functions, from a user device wherein each of the functions in the program has as an input argument an identifier of at least one of:
• the external sensors and other functions than said each of the functions such that the functions in the program are to be executed in a stepwise fashion, and at least one of the functions in the program has as an output argument an identifier of at least one of the actuators;
• searching an identifier storage which stores a plurality of identifiers of functions in correspondence to respective channel information for each identifier of a function, and detecting a function for which a matching identifier is not stored in the identifier storage among the functions contained in the program;
• newly registering the identifier of the detected function in the identifier storage;
• and
• storing the detected function in a function storage;
• receiving an input argument of each of functions stored in the function storage, and performing execution processing on each of the functions based on the input argument of each of the functions;
• performing first management processing on a plurality of first channels corresponding to the external sensors, receiving the sensor values via the first channels from the external sensors, and transmitting each of the sensor values received for each of the first channels to the execution processing as an input argument of each of the functions that is pre-instructed for each of the first channels;
• performing second management processing on each of a plurality of second channels corresponding to each of the actuators, and transmit each of values received via each of the second channels to each of the actuators corresponding to each of the second channels;
• transmitting a value of the output argument obtained by execution of a function that contains the output argument among the functions executed by the execution processing, to the second management processing with designation of the second channel that corresponds to the actuator designated by the output argument;
• generating, when the function for which a matching identifier is not stored in the identifier storage is detected, a third channel correspondingly to the detected function;
• performing third management processing on a plurality of third channels generated, and transmitting each of values received via each of the third channels to the execution processing as an input argument of each of the functions that is pre-instructed for each of the third channels;
• transmitting an output value of each of the functions in the function storage that results from execution thereof to the third management processing with designation of each of the third channels that corresponds to each of the functions;
• and
• identifying a first or third channel corresponding to one of the external sensors or one of the other functions that is designated as the input argument of the detected function, and instruct the first management processing or the third management processing to transmit a value received via the identified first or identified third channel to the execution processing as the input argument of the function.