What is claimed is:
1. An interface apparatus for mediating the sendingreceiving of signals between a plurality of devices that are mutually connected by a signal line having at least one pair of signal transmission lines, the interface apparatus comprising:
a signal relay section for relaying electric signals that are transferred via the signal line between the devices;
a connection determination section for determining, on the basis of signal voltage in each signal transmission line of the signal line, whether or not the devices are connected; and
a connection control section for incapacitating, when it has been determined by the connection determination section that the devices are connected, the signal relay section until the devices move to a state in which it is possible to mutually sendreceive the signals.
2. An interface apparatus for mediating the sendingreceiving of signals between a plurality of devices that are mutually connected by a signal line having at least one pair of signal transmission lines, the interface apparatus comprising:
a signal relay section for relaying electric signals that are transferred via the signal line between the devices;
a connection determination section for determining, on the basis of signal voltage in each signal transmission line of the signal line, whether or not the devices are connected; and
a connection control section for stopping, when it has been determined by the connection determination section that the devices are connected, power supply to the signal relay section until the devices move to a state in which it is possible to mutually sendreceive the signals.
3. An interface apparatus for mediating the sendingreceiving of signals between a plurality of devices that are mutually connected by a signal line having at least one pair of signal transmission lines, the interface apparatus comprising:
a signal relay section for relaying, when a differential voltage is within a predetermined value range, electric signals that are transferred via the signal line between the devices, the differential voltage value being a difference in respective signal voltages in the pair of signal transmission lines;
a connection determination section for determining, on the basis of the signal voltage in each signal transmission line of the signal line, whether or not the devices are connected; and
a connection control section for setting, when it has been determined by the connection determination section that the devices are connected, the differential voltage in each signal transmission line of the signal line to be outside the predetermined value range until the devices move to a state in which it is possible to mutually sendreceive the signals.
4. The interface apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the signal relay section, the connection determination section and the connection control section has a specification that conforms to the USB standard.
5. The interface apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the signal relay section, the connection determination section and the connection control section has a specification that conforms to the USB standard.
6. The interface apparatus of claim 3, wherein each of the signal relay section, the connection determination section and the connection control section has a specification that conforms to the USB standard.
7. The interface apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal line comprises a USB cable.
8. The interface apparatus of claim 2, wherein the signal line comprises a USB cable.
9. The interface apparatus of claim 3, wherein the signal line comprises a USB cable.
10. The interface apparatus of claim 1, wherein the devices include a host PC and at least one peripheral device, the at least one peripheral device conducting initialization processing immediately after power has been supplied thereto, with the peripheral device being unable to send signals to or receive signals from the host PC for a predetermined period of time until the initialization processing has been concluded.
11. The interface apparatus of claim 2, wherein the devices include a host PC and at least one peripheral device, the at least one peripheral device conducting initialization processing immediately after power has been supplied, with the peripheral device being unable to send signals to or receive signals from the host PC for a predetermined period of time until the initialization processing has been concluded.
12. The interface apparatus of claim 3, wherein the devices include a host PC and at least one peripheral device, the at least one peripheral device conducting initialization processing immediately after power has been supplied thereto, with the peripheral device being unable to send signals to or receive signals from the host PC for a predetermined period of time until the initialization processing has been concluded.
13. The interface apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interface apparatus is disposed in one of the devices.
14. The interface apparatus of claim 2, wherein the interface apparatus is disposed in one of the devices.
15. The interface apparatus of claim 3, wherein the interface apparatus is disposed in one of the devices.
16. The interface apparatus of claim 1, wherein the devices include a host PC and a peripheral device for sending signals to and receiving signals from the host PC, with the interface apparatus being disposed in the peripheral device.
17. The interface apparatus of claim 2, wherein the devices include a host PC and a peripheral device for sending signals to and receiving signals from the host PC, with the interface apparatus being disposed in the peripheral device.
18. The interface apparatus of claim 3, wherein the devices include a host PC and a peripheral device for sending signals to and receiving signals from the host PC, with the interface apparatus being disposed in the peripheral device.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1-2. (canceled)
3. An assembly method of a plurality of types of vehicle bodies for assembling main parts and subparts onto vehicle bodies on a single main line while conveying the vehicle bodies comprising the steps of:
assembling in a main process first main parts, which are common to all types of vehicle bodies, and second main parts, which are not common to all types of vehicles but whose assembly can be accommodated by absorbing a difference in assembly man-hours depending on the vehicle type;
assembling in a subprocess third main parts, which are not common to all types of vehicles and whose assembly cannot be accommodated by absorbing the difference in man-hour due to the vehicle type, as a unit of parts;
supplying to the main process first subparts, which can be assembled synchronously with the main line, after assembled in a sub-main process;
storing after sub-assembling in a non-synchronous process subparts, which cannot be assembled synchronously with the main line, and said third main parts, whose assembly cannot be accommodated by absorbing deviation due to the vehicle type; and
supplying said sub-assembled parts to the sub-main process and to the main process.
4. A method for assembling a plurality of types of vehicle bodies according to claim 1, wherein, the differences in assembly man-hours of the second main parts due to difference in the vehicle type, whose assembly can be accommodated while conveying on the main line, are absorbed by methods such as use of the assembly jigs, improvement of the assembly operation, and adoption of an automatic process and unification of specifications.
5. (canceled)