Device information collection / control system, and device information collection / control method

Abstract

This device information collection / control system includes: a plurality of information collection / control target devices communicably connected to each other via a network; a system management device which includes a storage device; and an information collection / control device. The system management device receives device information which was advertised and stores the received device information in the storage device. The system management device: calculates system network load information indicating the load of a network in the system, on the basis of the device information and a collection / control pattern of information collection and / or device control by the information collection / control device; and transmits the calculated system network load information to the information collection / control device.

Description

Device information collection and control system and device information collection and control method

[0001] The present invention relates to a device information collection and control system and a device information collection and control method for collecting information from or controlling devices connected via a network.

[0002] As wireless and wired networks have become more readily available, it has become easier to collect information from devices and sensors in remote locations and operate those devices via the network. For example, by applying this technology to a factory, it becomes possible to aggregate and analyze the operating status of the factory and remotely change the operation of the devices according to the situation, thereby improving factory productivity.

[0003] To achieve this, it is necessary to somehow connect on-site devices to a system for data utilization.However, because system developers are not informed of how to connect to on-site devices or where the necessary information is located, and because the meaning of the information differs, on-site interviews and case-by-case responses are required to utilize the devices, resulting in delays and high costs in system implementation.

[0004] To improve this, Patent Document 1 simplifies the development of data collection programs by using template programs corresponding to various processes related to data collection and a device library that stores parameters of target devices. Patent Document 2 also discloses a method for building a system without being aware of excessive loads on the control network and controllers by collecting information related to the controller and sending it to a management device while taking into account the capabilities of the control network and controller.

[0005] JP 2022-162084 A JP 2019-57210 A

[0006] The invention described in Patent Document 1 assumes that a set of template programs and a set of parameters for each data acquisition target are stored in advance, so when a new data acquisition target is installed on-site, it is necessary to acquire and store these settings.

[0007] In addition, in the invention described in Patent Document 2, the intermediary device acts as a bottleneck in collecting information from multiple terminals to mediate so as not to place a burden on the controlled devices or the control network. In addition, a topology constraint arises in that all information must pass through the intermediary device.

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems. That is, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a device information collection and control system that can easily collect information from devices connected to a network and / or control the devices without affecting other collection and control operations.

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the device information collection and control system of the present invention is a device information collection and control system in which a plurality of information collection and control target devices, a system management device having a storage device, and an information collection and control device are communicably connected to each other via a network, and the device information collection and control system performs at least one of information collection to collect information held by the information collection and control target devices and device control to control the information collection and control target devices, and the information collection and control target devices indicate the procedures required for interacting with the information collection and control target devices and the load that the information collection and control target devices impose on the network in order for at least one of the information collection and device control to be performed. The system management device is configured to advertise device information including device network load information to the network, the system management device is configured to receive the advertised device information, store the received device information in the storage device, calculate system network load information indicating the load of the network within the system based on the device information and a collection / control pattern which is at least one pattern of the information collection and the device control by the information collection / control device, and transmit the calculated system network load information to the information collection / control device, and the information collection / control device is configured to receive the system network load information from the system management device.

[0010] The device information collection and control method of the present invention uses a plurality of information collection and control target devices, a system management device having a storage device, and an information collection and control device, and the plurality of information collection and control target devices, the system management device having the storage device, and the information collection and control device are communicably connected to each other via a network, and performs at least one of information collection to collect information held by the information collection and control target devices and device control to control the information collection and control target devices. In this device information collection and control method, since at least one of the information collection and the device control is performed by the information collection and control target devices, the method includes a procedure required for interacting with the information collection and control target devices and Device information including device network load information indicating the load that the information collection / control target device places on the network is advertised to the network, the advertised device information is received by the system management device, the received device information is stored in the storage device, system network load information indicating the load of the network within the system is calculated based on the device information and a collection / control pattern which is at least one pattern of the information collection and device control by the information collection / control device, the calculated system network load information is sent to the information collection / control device, and the system network load information is received from the system management device by the information collection / control device.

[0011] According to the present invention, at least one of information collection from devices connected to a network and control of the devices can be easily performed without affecting other collections or controls. Note that the effects described herein are not necessarily limited to those described herein, and may be any of the effects described in this disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a device information collection and control system. FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of an information collection and control device. FIG. 3 is a hardware configuration diagram of a system management device. FIG. 4 is a hardware configuration diagram of a device discovery device. FIG. 5 is a hardware configuration diagram of a device to be subject to information collection and control. FIG. 6A is a diagram showing an example of content advertised by a device to be subject to information collection and control. FIG. 6B is a diagram showing an example of content advertised by a device to be subject to information collection and control. FIG. 7A is a diagram showing an example of information held by the system management device. FIG. 7B is a diagram showing an example of information held by the system management device. FIG. 7C is a diagram showing an example of information held by the system management device. FIG. 7D is a diagram showing an example of information held by the system management device. FIG. 7E is a diagram showing an example of information held by the system management device. FIG. 7F is a diagram showing an example of information held by the information collection and control device. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing processing by the device discovery device. FIG. 9A is a flowchart showing processing by a device information storage function unit of the system management device. FIG. 9B is a flowchart showing processing by the device information storage function unit of the system management device. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing processing by a load information calculation function unit of the system management device. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing processing by a system monitoring function unit of the system management device. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of processing by the program editing function unit of the information collection and control device. Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing processing by the program editing function unit of the information collection and control device. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a presentation screen when the information collection and control device receives load information. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a collection and control information table in the second embodiment. Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing processing by the system monitoring function unit in the second embodiment.

[0013] Each embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that, in all drawings of the embodiments, the same or corresponding parts may be designated by the same reference numeral. Furthermore, when describing similar elements without distinguishing between them, the common part (the part excluding the branch number) of the reference numeral including the branch number may be used. When describing similar elements while distinguishing between them, the reference numeral including the branch number may be used. For example, when describing networks without distinguishing between them, the term "network 106" may be used, and when describing individual networks while distinguishing between them, the term "network 106-1," "network 106-2," etc. may be used. In the following description, various information may be described using expressions such as "table," but the various information may be expressed using other data structures. Furthermore, when describing identification information, the term "name" may be used, but other identification information such as an identification number may be used. Furthermore, in the following description, processing may be described using a functional block as the subject. However, the subject of the processing may be a CPU or a device instead of a functional block.

[0014] <<First Embodiment>> A first embodiment of a device information collection and control system will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 14. Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of the device information collection and control system. The apparatuses and devices within the system are connected to each other via a network 106. As shown in Figure 1, the networks 106 may be connected via a router 104, which may act as an intermediary for communication between the apparatuses and devices connected to the respective networks 106-1 and 106-2.

[0015] One or more information collection / control devices 101, a system management device 102, and one or more information collection / control target devices 105 are connected to the network 106. For convenience, the information collection / control target devices 105 may also be referred to as "information collection / control target devices." If the information advertised by the information collection / control target devices 105 (described later) is not relayed via the router 104 and a system management device 102 belonging to a different network 106 cannot receive the information advertised by the information collection / control target devices 105, a device discovery device 103 having the function of relaying the information may be connected to each network 106. "Advertising information" or "advertising information to the network 106" refers to transmitting (transmitting) specific information so that it can be received by other devices via the network 106. While the device discovery device 103 is connected in FIG. 1 , the device discovery device may be omitted, and the system management device 102 may receive the information advertised by the information collection / control target devices 105 without relaying through the device discovery device 103.

[0016] 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the information collection and control device 101. The information collection and control device 101 includes a non-volatile storage device 101a that can read and write data, a memory 101b (e.g., RAM), a CPU 101c, an input / output interface 101d, and a network interface 101e.

[0017] The storage device 101a holds (memorizes, stores) as programs a program editing function unit 201 and a device information collection and control unit 202. The storage device 101a also holds (memorizes, stores) collection and control pattern information 706. Details of the collection and control pattern information 706 will be described later.

[0018] The CPU 101c loads the program stored in the storage device 101a into the memory 101b. The CPU 101c executes the program loaded into the memory 101b to realize various functions of the program editing function unit 201 and the device information collection and control unit 202.

[0019] As described above, the memory 101b is loaded with the programs to be executed by the CPU 101c, and temporarily stores data used when the CPU 101c executes the programs.

[0020] The input / output interface 101d is an interface for connecting the operation terminal 203, operation devices such as a keyboard and a mouse, and a display. The operation terminal 203 is a device equipped with a display device such as a display, and operation means such as a mouse, keyboard, and touch panel. The operation terminal 203 is equipped with software programmed to perform various operations described below, and executes programs and stores data as needed. The operation terminal 203 is, for example, a personal computer (PC), a tablet, a smartphone, etc. The operation terminal 203 may be connected to the information collection and control device 101 via the network 106 or another network (not shown) and a network interface 101e connected to another network. The network interface 101e is an interface for connecting the information collection and control device 101 to the network 106.

[0021] The information collection and control device 101 is connected to one or more networks 106 and can communicate with other devices via the networks 106. As described above, the information collection and control device 101 also includes a program editing function unit 201 and a device information collection and control unit 202. While each of the functional units depicted in this diagram is typically implemented as a program loaded from a secondary storage device (storage device 101a) into the computer's memory 101b, and the program is interpreted by a central processing unit to execute processing, only the functional units are shown here to simplify the description of the processing content. The information collection and control device 101 is also connected to an operation terminal 203, which can be operated by a program creator to issue instructions to the program editing function unit 201 of the information collection and control device 101, allowing the program editing function unit 201 to present information to the program creator.

[0022] 3 is a hardware configuration diagram of the system management device 102. The system management device 102 includes a nonvolatile storage device 102a from which data can be read and written, a memory 102b (e.g., RAM), a CPU 102c, an input / output interface 102d, and a network interface 102e.

[0023] The storage device 102a holds (memorizes, stores) as programs a device information storage function unit 301, a load information calculation function unit 302, and a system monitoring function unit 303. The storage device 102a also holds (memorizes, stores) a topology information table (network) 701, a topology information table (apparatus / device) 702, a device information table 704, and a collection and control information table 705. Details of the topology information table (network) 701, the topology information table (apparatus / device) 702, the device information table 704, and the collection and control information table 705 will be described later.

[0024] The CPU 102c loads the program stored in the storage device 102a into the memory 102b. The CPU 102c executes the program loaded into the memory 102b to realize the various functions of the device information storage function unit 301, the load information calculation function unit 302, and the system monitoring function unit 303.

[0025] As described above, the memory 102b is loaded with the programs to be executed by the CPU 102c, and temporarily stores data used when the CPU 102c executes the programs.

[0026] The input / output interface 102d is an interface for connecting operation devices such as a keyboard and a mouse, a display, etc. The network interface 102e is an interface for connecting the system management device 102 to the network 106.

[0027] As described above, the system management device 102 is connected to the network 106 and includes a device information storage function unit 301 and a load information calculation function unit 302. The system management device 102 may also include a system monitoring function unit 303 that monitors the load within the system and issues a notification when the load exceeds a predetermined value.

[0028] 4 is a hardware configuration diagram of the device discovery device 103. The device discovery device 103 includes a nonvolatile storage device 103a that can read and write data, a memory 103b (e.g., RAM), a CPU 103c, an input / output interface 103d, and a network interface 103e.

[0029] The storage device 103a holds (stores, memorizes) a device discovery function unit 401 as a program.

[0030] The CPU 103c loads the program stored in the storage device 103a into the memory 103b. The CPU 103c implements the function of the device discovery function unit 401 by executing the program loaded into the memory 103b.

[0031] As described above, the memory 103b is loaded with the programs to be executed by the CPU 103c, and temporarily stores data used when the CPU 103c executes the programs.

[0032] The input / output interface 103d is an interface for connecting operation devices such as a keyboard and a mouse, a display, etc. The network interface 103e is an interface for connecting the device discovery apparatus 103 to the network 106.

[0033] As described above, the device discovery apparatus 103 is connected to the network 106 and has a device discovery function unit 401 inside.

[0034] 5 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the collection / control target device 105. The collection / control target device 105 includes a control device 1005.

[0035] The control device 1005 includes a non-volatile storage device 105a from which data can be read and written, a memory 105b (for example, a RAM), a CPU 105c, an input / output interface 105d, and a network interface 105e.

[0036] The storage device 105a holds (stores, memorizes) an information transmission / reception function unit 501 as a program. The storage device 105a also holds (stores, memorizes) device information 601 and advertisement information 602. Details of the device information 601 and advertisement information 602 will be described later.

[0037] The CPU 105c loads the program stored in the storage device 105a into the memory 105b. The CPU 105c implements the function of the information transmitting and receiving function unit 501 by executing the program loaded into the memory 105b.

[0038] As described above, the memory 105b is loaded with the programs to be executed by the CPU 105c, and temporarily stores data used when the CPU 105c executes the programs.

[0039] The input / output interface 105d is an interface for connecting operation devices such as a keyboard and a mouse, a display, etc. The network interface 105e is an interface for connecting the control device 1005 (data collection / control target device 105) to the network 106. The control device 1005 (data collection / control target device 105) is connected to one network 106 and includes an information transmission / reception function unit 501 inside.

[0040] The control device 1005, for example, controls a collection / control target device 105 (e.g., an industrial device such as a robot) that is the target of information collection or control via another network, and transmits and receives information to and from other devices such as the information collection / control device 101 and the system management device 102 via the network 106. Note that the control device 1005 (collection / control target device 105) may be connected to, for example, a programmable logic controller (PLC) and / or an information collection server, and may transmit and receive information to and from the programmable logic controller and / or information collection server connected to the network 106, and other devices such as the information collection / control device 101 and the system management device 102 via the network 106.

[0041] 6A and 6B show an example of device information 601 and an example of advertisement information 602, which indicate the information collection method of the collection / control target device 105, the control method accepted by the collection / control target device 105, and the load information during their interaction. The device information 601 includes device network load information indicating the procedures required for interaction with the collection / control target device 105 and the load the collection / control target device 105 places on the network 106, and device load information indicating the load on the collection / control target device 105. More specifically, the device information 601 includes a device name unique within the system, the name of the attribute from which information is to be acquired, the name of the control target, the type of each attribute and control target, the load, and the interaction method. There are two types: pull type and push type. In the pull type, the device information collection / control unit 202 of the information collection / control device 101 collects information according to a collection / control pattern specified by the program creator. In the case of the push type, the programmer selects the selected band and load, and the collection / control target device 105 sends attribute information to the information collection / control device 101 according to the designated pattern.

[0042] The example of device information 601 assumes a robot equipped with a camera for taking photos and a hand for grasping objects. The device is named "Robot A" and has the following attributes: "robotStatus," which indicates the robot's current status; "robotCamera," which holds the most recent image captured by the camera; and "closeHand," which accepts a command to close the robot's hand. The type of "robotStatus" is pull, and the value of this attribute can be obtained by sending a GET request to the URL "http: / / 192.0.2.10 / robotStatus." At this time, the amount of data flowing per data acquisition is 1024 bytes, and one acquisition per second places a 1% load on the device. This attribute can handle traffic of up to 5 kbps. The type of "robotCamera" is push, and by sending a single GET request to the URL "http: / / 192.0.2.10 / robotCamera?fmt={selected bandwidth / load}," images captured by the camera are continuously sent to the information collection and control device 101. By replacing the "{selected bandwidth / load}" part of the URL with "a," "b," or "c," the collection / control target device 105 can be instructed to generate traffic with an impact of 128 kbps network bandwidth and 0.1% device load, 1 Mbps network bandwidth and 10% device load, or 10 Mbps network bandwidth and 0.1% device load, respectively. The control "closeHand" is a pull type, and the robot's hand can be closed by sending a POST request to the URL "http: / / 192.0.2.10 / closeHand." The data volume for one control command is 16 bytes, and issuing the command once per second imposes a load of 0.1%. This control can handle traffic of up to 25.6 kbps.

[0043] The collection / control target device 105 broadcasts device information 601 onto the network 106 to advertise its existence to other devices connected to the network 106. At this time, instead of directly advertising the device information 601, it may broadcast only advertising information 602 onto the network 106 as information for acquiring the device information 601. In this case, the devices that receive the advertising information 602 acquire the device information 601 by accessing the URL included in the advertising information 602.

[0044] 7A to 7E are diagrams showing an example of information held by the system management device 102. A topology information table (network) 701 in Fig. 7A is an example of a table that holds information about the networks 106 within the device information collection and control system. For each network 106, a pair of a name that can be uniquely identified within the system and its maximum bandwidth is held.

[0045] The topology information table (apparatus / device) 702 in Fig. 7B is an example of a table that holds information about the apparatuses and devices in the device information collection and control system. For each apparatus or device, a pair of a name that allows it to be uniquely identified within the system and the name of the network 106 to which the apparatus or device is connected is held. The system configuration diagram composed of the information in the topology information table (network) 701 and the topology information table (apparatus / device) 702 is the meaning of topology information 703 in Fig. 7C.

[0046] The device information 601 received by the system management device 102 from the collection / control target devices 105 or the device discovery device 103 is stored in a device information table 704 shown in Fig. 7D. The device information table 704 stores, for each collection / control target device 105, a pair of the device name and device information.

[0047] 7E holds patterns in which each information collection / control device 101 interacts with the collection / control target device 105. For each collection / control pattern, the table holds a set of the name of the information collection / control device 101 that performs the collection / control, the name of the collection / control target device 105 that is the target of collection / control, the name of the attribute or control that is the target of collection / control, and the frequency of collection / control or selected band.

[0048] 7F is a diagram showing an example of information held by the information collection and control device 101. The collection and control pattern information 706 includes the name of the information collection and control device 101, the name of the collection and control target device 105 that performs collection and control, the name of the attribute or control that performs collection and control, frequency or selected band information, and "provisional registration" or "full registration" indicating whether the information is provisionally registered information or is a final registration.

[0049] The processing of the device discovery device 103 will be described with reference to FIG. 8. When a message advertised by a collection / control target device 105 is received from the network 106 (step 802), the device discovery device 103 determines whether an advertisement from the same device has already been forwarded within a predetermined period of time (step 803). If the message has already been forwarded, the same device information 601 is likely to have been sent to the system management device 102 again, which would result in a waste of network bandwidth. Therefore, the device information 601 is not forwarded, and the process returns to waiting for reception of advertisement information in step 802. If the message has not been forwarded, the device discovery device 103 references the URL included in the advertisement message and acquires the device information 601 (step 804). The acquired device information 601 is then paired with the network name of the network 106 that received the advertisement message and transmitted to the system management device 102 (step 805). By repeating this process, the device discovery device 103 can relay the device information 601 of the collection / control target devices 105 connected to each network 106 and deliver it to the system management device 102. Here, if the device information 601 acquired in step 804 has already been transferred to the system management device 102, the device information 601 may not be sent in step 805. This reduces the load on the network 106 and the system management device 102.

[0050] 9A and 9B, the processing of the device information storage function unit 301 in the system management device 102 will be described. As shown in FIG. 9A, when the system management device 102 receives device information and network information from the collection / control target device 105 or the device discovery device 103 (step 902), the device information storage function unit 301 stores the device information 601 in the device information table 704 (step 903). Next, the device and its connected network name are stored in the topology information table (apparatus / device) 702 (step 904). Note that, in step 904, information about the network may also be stored in the topology information table (network) 701. This processing allows the system topology to be grasped within the system management device 102.

[0051] 9B, when a device information search request is received from the information collection and control device 101 (step 952), the device information table 704 is searched for information that matches the search criteria (step 953). Examples of search criteria include device name, attribute name, control name, or a combination thereof. Then, the device information 601 of each device 105 to be collected and controlled is returned to the information collection and control device as the search result (step 954). Through this process, the information collection and control device 101 can obtain information on the devices 105 to be collected and controlled that exist within the system.

[0052] The processing of the load information calculation function unit 302 in the system management device 102 will be described using FIG. 10 . The system management device 102 receives the collection and control pattern information 706 (FIG. 7F) from the information collection and control device 101 (step 1002). As described above, the collection and control pattern information 706 includes the name of the information collection and control device 101, the name of the collection and control target device 105 that performs collection and control, the name of the attribute or control that performs collection and control, frequency or selected bandwidth information, and whether the information is provisionally registered information. Next, the received information is added to the collection and control information table 705 (step 1003), and the load of the collection and control target device 105 and the network bandwidth consumed on the network 106 that serves as the path, which are generated by all collection and control patterns in the collection and control information table 705, are added up (step 1004). The calculated load of all collection and control target devices 105 and the network bandwidth consumption are then returned to the information collection and control device 101 (step 1005). For convenience, the calculated load (information indicating the load) of all collection / control target devices 105 may also be referred to as "system device load information," and the calculated network bandwidth consumption may also be referred to as "system network load information."

[0053] This allows the information collection and control device 101 to grasp the load on the system due to the collection and control performed by the device, and to present this to the program creator. If the information registered here is provisionally registered information (step 1006), the content registered in step 1003 is deleted from the collection and control information table 705 (step 1007). If it is not provisionally registered information, the collection and control pattern is retained as permanently registered information.

[0054] The processing of the system monitoring function unit 303 in the system management device 102 will be described using FIG. 11 . The system management device 102 periodically queries the load status and network utilization rate of each device / apparatus included in the topology information table (network) 701 and the topology information table (apparatus / device) 702 (step 1102). If the load on a collection / control target device 105 exceeds 90%, the system management device 102 sends the load information of that device to the information collection / control device 101 that is collecting and controlling data for that collection / control target device 105 (step 1103). Similarly, if the network utilization rate exceeds 90%, the system management device 102 sends the load information of the network 106 to the information collection / control device 101 that is using that route for information collection / control (step 1106). This processing allows the information collection / control device 101 and its program creator to know the latest device and network load status, allowing the program creator to adjust the collection / control pattern based on this information. While 90% is used as the threshold in this example, a notification threshold may also be set in the system management device 102.

[0055] FIG. 12 is an example screen of the program editing function unit 201 of the information collection and control device 101. Screen 1201 shows a program in which a module corresponding to the collection and control target device 105 has not yet been placed. This example shows that a program is being written to perform product inspection using image information received from the collection and control target device 105 and display the results. The program creator issues a command to search for the collection and control target device 105 in the system via the operation terminal 203. Screen 1202 is an example of the screen displayed at this time. Here, "robot" is entered as the search term, and information about the collection and control target device 105 containing that term is displayed. The program creator selects the appropriate collection and control target device 105 from this screen 1202 and requests the generation of a module for operating that collection and control target device 105. Screen 1203 shows an example screen after the module has been generated and incorporated into the program. A module that interacts with the collection and control target device 105 is added before the product inspection, and logic for performing product inspection using the results is written.

[0056] The processing of the program editing function unit 201 of the information collection and control device 101 will be described using FIG. 13 . When a search request for collection and control target devices 105 is received from the program creator via the operation terminal 203, the search request for collection and control target devices 105 is sent to the system management device 102 (step 1302). The search results are then displayed on the operation terminal 203, allowing the program creator to select the collection and control target devices 105 they require (step 1303). Once the program creator has made their selection, a module that can be handled by a programming language processing system is generated corresponding to the collection and control target devices 105 (step 1304). Then, once the program creator registers a collection and control pattern in the module, the collection and control pattern is sent to the system management device 102 as provisional registration information (step 1305). As a result, load information for all collection and control target devices 105 and the entire network 106 is received, and the load information is presented on the operation terminal 203 (step 1306). The program creator may refer to the presented load information and, if the load is too high, change the collection and control pattern, such as by reducing the collection frequency. If the collection and control pattern needs to be changed, the program creator returns to step 1305 and recalculates the load (step 1307). The program creator then sends the finally determined collection and control pattern to the system management device 102 as the final registration information (step 1308). As a result, the program creator receives load information for all collection and control target devices 105 and the entire network 106 (i.e., system device load information and system network load information), and presents the load information on the operation terminal 203 (step 1309). This process allows the program creator to treat the collection and control target devices 105 as virtually represented modules within the program, simplifying program creation. Furthermore, the program creator can set the collection and control pattern after checking the load at that time in advance, preventing the program creator from imposing a load on the system contrary to his or her intention.

[0057] FIG. 14 shows an example screen of the operation terminal 203 when load information is received from the system management device 102. Screen 1401 shows the stage of step 1301 in FIG. 13 . Screen 1402 shows an example screen of the operation terminal 203 in the state after the collection / control target device 105 is searched from this state, a collection / control pattern is set, the collection / control pattern is provisionally registered in the system management device 102, and load information is received (step 1306). In this example, a warning (displaying an exclamation mark) is displayed for the module virtually representing the collection / control target device 105. Furthermore, a network topology diagram is displayed with lines of a thickness proportional to the bandwidth, and a speech bubble displays "5 kbps shortfall" for the network 106 where bandwidth is constrained. By viewing this screen, the program creator can adjust the collection / control pattern. For example, if the program creator intends to temporarily exceed the load on the network 106, they can permanently register this collection / control pattern and start collection / control.

[0058] According to the first embodiment of the device information collection and control system described above, information collection from devices connected to a network and control of the devices can be performed easily and without affecting other collection and control.

[0059] <<Second Embodiment>> A second embodiment of the device information collection and control system will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0060] In the first embodiment, based on the premise that all collection and control patterns are equally important, when the load exceeds a threshold, a notification is sent to all affected information collection and control devices 101. In this embodiment, by prioritizing the collection and control patterns, it is possible to send a notification only to the information collection and control devices 101 that are executing a collection and control pattern with a low priority.

[0061] 15 shows a collection and control information table 1505 according to this embodiment. The system management device 102 holds (memorizes, stores) the collection and control information table 1505 instead of the collection and control information table 705. The collection and control information table 1505 has a priority column added to the collection and control information table 705 according to the first embodiment.

[0062] 16, the processing of the system monitoring function unit 303 of the system management device 102 of this embodiment will be described. The system management device 102 periodically queries each device / apparatus included in the topology information table (network) 701 and the topology information table (apparatus / device) 702 about its load status and network utilization rate (step 1602). If the load on a device 105 subject to data collection and control exceeds 90%, the system management device 102 sends the load information of the device to the information collection and control device 101 with the lowest priority that is collecting and controlling data from the device 105 (step 1603). Similarly, if the network utilization rate exceeds 90%, the system management device 102 sends the load information of the network 106 to the information collection and control device 101 with the lowest priority that is using the path for information collection and control (step 1604).

[0063] This prevents unnecessary notifications from being sent to the information collection / control device 101 that is running with a high priority, and allows notifications to be sent only to the necessary and sufficient information collection / control device 101 and the program creator who uses that device.

[0064] <<Third Embodiment>> In the third embodiment, an example will be shown in which a bandwidth of the network 106 is secured in accordance with the registration of a collection / control pattern.

[0065] In the explanation of the processing of the system management device 102 of the first embodiment, if the information found in step 1006 is not provisionally registered, an instruction to reserve a bandwidth is sent to each network 106 according to the integrated load of each network 106. This enables each network 106 to secure a bandwidth for the collection and control traffic flowing through that network, thereby improving the reliability of collection and control.

[0066] <<Modifications>> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments can be combined with each other without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0067] The present invention can also have the following configuration.

[0068] [1] In a device information collection and control system in which a plurality of information collection and control target devices, a system management device having a storage device, and an information collection and control device are communicatively connected to each other via a network, and which performs at least one of information collection to collect information held by the information collection and control target devices and device control to control the information collection and control target devices, the information collection and control target devices are configured to advertise to the network device information including device network load information indicating a procedure required for interacting with the information collection and control target devices and a load imposed by the information collection and control target devices on the network in order to perform at least one of the information collection and the device control, the system management device is configured to receive the advertised device information and store the received device information in the storage device, calculate system network load information indicating a load on the network within the system based on the device information and a collection and control pattern which is at least one pattern of the information collection and the device control by the information collection and control device, and transmit the calculated system network load information to the information collection and control device, and the information collection and control device receives the system network load information from the system management device. A device information collection and control system configured as follows.

[0069] [2] A device information collection and control method using a plurality of information collection and control target devices, a system management device having a storage device, and an information collection and control device, wherein the plurality of information collection and control target devices, the system management device having the storage device, and the information collection and control device are communicably connected to each other via a network, and at least one of information collection to collect information held by the information collection and control target devices and device control to control the information collection and control target devices is performed, the method comprising: advertising device information to the network, the device information including device network load information indicating a procedure required for interacting with the information collection and control target devices and a load that the information collection and control target devices impose on the network, by the information collection and control target devices in order to perform at least one of the information collection and the device control; receiving the advertised device information by the system management device, and storing the received device information in the storage device; A device information collection and control method, comprising: calculating system network load information indicating the load on the network within a system based on the device information and a collection and control pattern, which is at least one pattern of the information collection and device control by the information collection and control device; transmitting the calculated system network load information to the information collection and control device; and receiving the system network load information from the system management device by the information collection and control device.

[0070] 101...information collection and control device, 102...system management device, 103...device discovery device, 104...router, 105...device to be collected and controlled, 201...program editing function unit, 202...device information collection and control unit, 203...operation terminal, 301...device information storage function unit, 302...load information calculation function unit, 303...system monitoring function unit, 401...device discovery function unit, 501...information transmission and reception function unit

Claims

1. A device information collection and control system in which a plurality of information collection and control target devices, a system management device having a storage device, and an information collection and control device are communicatively connected to each other via a network, and which performs at least one of information collection to collect information held by the information collection and control target devices and device control to control the information collection and control target devices, wherein the information collection and control target devices are configured to advertise to the network device information including device network load information indicating a load exerted by the information collection and control target devices on the network and a procedure required for interaction with the information collection and control target devices in order to perform at least one of the information collection and the device control, the system management device is configured to receive the advertised device information and store the received device information in the storage device, calculate system network load information indicating a load on the network in the system based on the device information and a collection and control pattern which is at least one of the patterns of the information collection and the device control by the information collection and control device, and transmit the calculated system network load information to the information collection and control device, and the information collection and control device is configured to: A device information collection and control system configured to receive the system network load information from the system management device.

2. A device information collection and control system as described in claim 1, wherein the information collection and control target device is configured to advertise to the network the device information including, in addition to the necessary procedures and the device network load information, further device load information indicating the load of the information collection and control target device; the system management device is configured to calculate, in addition to the system network load information, system device load information indicating the load of the information collection and control target device in the system, and transmit the calculated system network load information and system device load information to the information collection and control device; and the information collection and control device is configured to receive the system network load information and the system device load information.

3. A device information collection and control system as described in claim 2, wherein the device subject to information collection and control advertises advertising information for allowing the device information to be acquired before advertising the device information, and when the device information is requested in accordance with the advertising information, transmits the device information via the network to a source of the request for the device information.

4. A device information collection and control system as described in claim 2, wherein the information collection and control device is connected to an operation terminal of a program creator, and the information collection and control device generates processing blocks necessary for writing an information collection and control program from the device information received from the system management device, presents the processing blocks to the operation terminal of the program creator, and also has the system management device calculate the system network load information and the system device load information based on a collection and control pattern instructed by the program creator to the information collection and control device via the operation terminal, and presents the calculated system network load information and the system device load information to the operation terminal of the program creator.

5. A device information collection and control system as described in claim 4, wherein the information collection and control device is configured to interact with the device subject to information collection and control based on the collection and control pattern instructed by the program creator's operation terminal, and to perform at least one of the information collection and device control.

6. A device information collection and control system as described in claim 2, further comprising a device discovery device which receives the device information advertised by the device to be subject to information collection and control via a network, and transfers the device information and information about the network through which the device information was received to the system management device, when the system management device is unable to directly receive the advertised device information.

7. A device information collection and control system as described in claim 4, wherein the system management device is configured to collect the device network load information and the device load information of the information collection and control target devices that constitute the system, and to notify the collected device network load information and device load information to the information collection and control device.

8. A device information collection and control system as described in claim 7, wherein the system management device is configured to, when the device load information or the device network load information collected of the information collection and control target devices that constitute the system exceeds a predetermined value, notify the information collection and control device that is performing at least one of the information collection and device control using a collection and control pattern with a lower priority based on the priority set in the collection and control pattern, of at least one of the device network load information and the device load information.

9. A device information collection and control system as described in claim 1, wherein the system management device is configured to set up bandwidth reservation for the network in order to reserve the network bandwidth required to perform at least one of the information collection and device control in accordance with the collection and control pattern.

10. A device information collection and control method using a plurality of information collection and control target devices, a system management device having a storage device, and an information collection and control device, the plurality of information collection and control target devices, the system management device having the storage device, and the information collection and control device being communicably connected to each other via a network, and performing at least one of information collection to collect information held by the information collection and control target devices and device control to control the information collection and control target devices, the method comprising: advertising device information to the network, the device information including device network load information indicating a procedure required for interaction with the information collection and control target devices and a load imposed by the information collection and control target devices on the network, in order for at least one of the information collection and the device control to be performed by the information collection and control target devices; receiving the advertised device information by the system management device, and storing the received device information in the storage device; A device information collection and control method, comprising: calculating system network load information indicating the load of the network within a system based on the device information and a collection and control pattern, which is at least one pattern of the information collection and device control by the information collection and control device; transmitting the calculated system network load information to the information collection and control device; and receiving the system network load information from the system management device by the information collection and control device.

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