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In a configuration where a main control unit and various peripheral modules are bus-connected on a communication line, the communication line includes a control line in addition to signal lines serving as a differential pair. The control line is, for example, a bus of the logical AND. When the main

In a configuration where a main control unit and various peripheral modules are bus-connected on a communication line, the communication line includes a control line in addition to signal lines serving as a differential pair. The control line is, for example, a bus of the logical AND. When the main control unit drives the control line to a ‘L’ level for a certain period of time or more, the peripheral modules detect that and carry out a hardware reset for itself. When the main control unit issues a command to output a value of a particular bit of own identification number to the peripheral modules via the signal lines, the peripheral modules output the result to the control line, and the control line performs an AND operation. By utilizing the AND operation result, automatic address allocation to the peripheral modules is carried out.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An automatic vending machine in which a main control module and a plurality of functional modules which carry out predetermined operations under control of the main control module are connected via a communication line, wherein the plurality of functional modules include:a communication module wh

1. An automatic vending machine in which a main control module and a plurality of functional modules which carry out predetermined operations under control of the main control module are connected via a communication line, wherein the plurality of functional modules include:a communication module which acquires contents data from outside of the automatic vending machine by using wired or wireless communication;a contents processing module which carries out a predetermined processing by using the contents data acquired by the communication module; anda basic module which carries out a processing which accompanies money insertion and merchandise purchase by a user, whereinthe communication line includes a serial bus signal line and a control line which transmit a command signal or a data signal between the main control module and each of the functional modules, and whereineach of the main control module and, in accordance with needs, the functional modules comprises:an input/output buffer circuit which carries out transmission and reception of a command signal or a data signal by using the serial bus signal line;a switch circuit which drives an electric potential of the control line to a logical level of ‘L’ or ‘H’; andan input buffer circuit which retrieves the logical level of the control line, andthe automatic venting machine having a configuration to execute:a function of resetting all of the functional modules connected to the communication line when the electric potential of the control line is maintained at the predetermined logical level of ‘L’ or ‘H’ by the main control module for a certain period of time or more; andupon initial setting, after the functional module is added or changed or after the reset, a function of automatically allocating an addresses sequentially to each of the functional modules by, based on the logical level which is outputted from each of the functional modules to the control line and obtained from the control line to which an operation result of an AND logic or an OR logic of logical levels in an identification number unique to each of the functional modules is reflected, sequentially carrying out specification of the unique identification number of the functional module and allocation of an address to the functional module of the specified unique identification number by the main control module. 2. The automatic vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the signal line comprises a first signal line and a second signal line serving as a differential pair and a shield line which electromagnetically shields the first and second signal lines and is connected to a ground voltage, andthe signal line and the control line are electromagnetically arranged in mutually different environments. 3. The automatic vending machine according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of functional modules has a unique identification number of N bits,the main control module has a first function of issuing a first command, which causes the logical level of an M-th bit (N≧M) of the identification number to be outputted to the plurality of functional modules via the signal line, and whereineach of the plurality of functional modules has:a second function of outputting the logical level of the M-th bit of the functional module's own identification number to the control line in response to the first command; anda third function of comparing the logical level of the M-th bit of the identification number outputted by the functional module itself with the logical level of the control line driven by the plurality of functional modules and, if unmatched, carrying out control so as not to accept the first command issued thereafter. 4. The automatic vending machine according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of functional modules always monitors the electric potential level of the control line and, if the electric potential of the control line is at the predetermined logical level for a certain period of time or more, carries out a reset operation of the functional module itself. 5. The automatic vending machine according to claim 1, wherein each of the main control module and the plurality of functional modules has a first port and a second port connected to each other inside the module itself; and,if any three modules of the main control module and the plurality of functional modules are named a module A, a module B, and a module C, the communication line connects the second port of the module A to the first port of the module B and connects the second port of the module B to the first port of the module C. 6. The automatic vending machine according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the communication lines not mutually electrically connected are provided;the communication module, the contents processing module, and the main control module are electrically connected to any of the plurality of communication lines; andthe basic module and the main control module are electrically connected to any of the other plurality of communication lines. 7. A serial bus system used when electrically connected to a communication line having a serial bus configuration installed in an electronic device such as an automatic vending machine and comprising a main control module and a plurality of functional modules which execute predetermined operations under control of the main control module, wherein the communication line includes a serial bus signal line and a control line which transmit a command signal or a data signal between the main control module and each of the functional modules,the main control module has:a first port which is configured to be electrically connectable with the plurality of functional modules via the communication line;an interface circuit which transmits/receives a signal to or from the plurality of functional modules connected to the communication line via the first ports; anda control circuit which carries out input/output of a signal with respect to the interface circuit, wherein the interface circuit comprises:an input/output buffer circuit which transmits/receives a command signal or a data signal to or from the plurality of functional modules, which are connected to the communication line, via the serial bus signal line;a switch circuit which drives the electric potential of the control line to a logical level of ‘L’ or ‘H’; andan input buffer circuit which transmits the logical level of the control line to the control circuit, andthe serial bus system having a configuration to execute:a function of resetting all the functional modules which monitor the electric potential level of the control line and are connected to the communication line by driving the switch circuit so as to maintain the electric potential of the control line to the predetermined logical level of ‘L’ or ‘H’ for a certain period of time or more; and,upon initial setting of the electronic device, after the functional module is added or changed or after the reset, a function of automatically allocating a sequential address to each of the functional modules by, based on the logical level which is outputted from each of the functional modules to the control line and obtained from the control line to which an operation result of an AND logic or an OR logic of logical levels of an identification number unique to each of the functional modules is reflected, sequentially carrying out specification of the unique identification number of the functional module and allocation of an address to the functional module of the specified unique identification number by the main control module. 8. The serial bus system according to claim 7, wherein the signal line comprises a first signal line and a second signal line serving as a differential pair and a shield line which electromagnetically shields the first and second signal lines and is connected to a ground voltage; andthe signal line and the control line are electromagnetically arranged in mutually different environments. 9. The serial bus system according to claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of functional modules has a unique identification number of N bits, and wherein,when allocating the sequential address automatically, the main control module executes:a first processing of issuing a first command, which causes the logical level of an M-th bit (N≧M) of the identification number to be outputted, to the plurality of functional modules via the signal line; anda second processing of retrieving the logical level of the M-th bit of the identification number outputted via the control line from each of the plurality of functional modules which has received the first command via the input buffer circuit, and detecting an AND operation result or an OR operation result in the control circuit. 10. The serial bus system according to claim 7, wherein, when each of the plurality of functional modules detects the fact that the electric potential level of the control line is driven by the switch circuit to the predetermined logical level for a certain period of time or more, the functional module executes a reset operation. 11. The serial bus system according to claim 7, wherein the main control module further has a second port; and the first and second ports and the interface circuit are mutually connected by a branched wiring. 12. The serial bus system according to claim 7, wherein the electric potential level of the control line is controlled in accordance with the AND logic; and the predetermined logical level is the ‘L’ level. 13. A serial bus system comprising: a communication line including a signal line and a control line;a first module electrically connected to the communication line; anda plurality of second modules which are electrically connected to the communication line and carry out predetermined operations in response to a command signal from the first module via the signal line, wherein the control line has a bus structure of the AND logic or the OR logic, whereineach of the first module and the plurality of second modules has:an input/output buffer circuit which carries out transmission/reception of a command signal or a data signal by using the signal line;a switch circuit which drives the control line to a first logical level; andan input buffer circuit which retrieves the logical level of the control line, and whereinthe signal line comprises a first signal line and a second signal line serving as a differential pair and a shield line serving as a ground voltage for the first and second signal lines; and the control line comprises one first control line and a ground line serving as the ground voltage for the first control line. 14. A serial bus system comprising: a communication line including a signal line and a control line;a first module electrically connected to the communication line; anda plurality of second modules which are electrically connected to the communication line and carry out predetermined operations in response to a command signal from the first module via the signal line, wherein the control line has a bus structure of the AND logic or the OR logic, whereineach of the first module and the plurality of second modules has:an input/output buffer circuit which carries out transmission/reception of a command signal or a data signal by using the signal line;a switch circuit which drives the control line to a first logical level; andan input buffer circuit which retrieves the logical level of the control line, and whereineach of the plurality of second modules has a unique identification number of N bits, the first module has a first function of issuing a first command, which causes the logical level of an M-th bit (N≧M) of the identification number to be outputted, to the plurality of second modules via the signal line, andthe plurality of second modules have:a second function of outputting a logical level of the M-th bit of the second module's own identification number to the control line in response to the first command; anda third function of comparing the result of an AND operation or an OR operation carried out on the control line along with the second function with the logical level of the M-th bit of the identification number outputted by the second module itself and, in accordance with the comparison result, carrying out control so as to accept or not to accept the first command issued thereafter. 15. A serial bus system comprising: a communication line including a signal line and a control line;a first module electrically connected to the communication line; anda plurality of second modules which are electrically connected to the communication line and carry out predetermined operations in response to a command signal from the first module via the signal line, wherein the control line has a bus structure of the AND logic or the OR logic, whereineach of the first module and the plurality of second modules has:an input/output buffer circuit which carries out transmission/reception of a command signal or a data signal by using the signal line;a switch circuit which drives the control line to a first logical level; andan input buffer circuit which retrieves the logical level of the control line, and whereinthe first module has a fourth function of driving the control line to the first logical level for a certain period of time or more; andthe plurality of second modules always monitor the control line and, if the control line is at the first logical level for the certain period of time or more, carry out a reset operation of the second module itself. 16. A serial bus system comprising: a communication line including a signal line and a control line;a first module electrically connected to the communication line; anda plurality of second modules which are electrically connected to the communication line and carry out predetermined operations in response to a command signal from the first module via the signal line, wherein the control line has a bus structure of the AND logic or the OR logic, whereineach of the first module and the plurality of second modules has:an input/output buffer circuit which carries out transmission/reception of a command signal or a data signal by using the signal line;a switch circuit which drives the control line to a first logical level; andan input buffer circuit which retrieves the logical level of the control line, and whereineach of the main control module and the plurality of functional modules has a first port and a second port which are mutually connected inside the module itself; and,when any three modules of the main control module and the plurality of functional modules are named a module A, a module B, and a module C, the communication line connects the second port of the module A to the first port of the module B and connects the second port of the module B to the first port of the module C.