Manufacturing system design verification apparatus

Abstract

A manufacturing system design verification apparatus capable of expanding design information that can be verified is provided. The manufacturing system design verification apparatus has a design information model, a design information input section, a verification logic storage section, and a design information verification section. The design information model is a framework that collectively represents design information. Design information is input to the design information input section. The design information input section converts the design information into an expression described by a resource description language with reference to the design information model. The verification logic storage section stores verification logic including a group of queries described by a query language corresponding to the resource description language and an expected result. The design information verification section has a query execution engine that executes a query on the expression and returns an execution result, and a comparison engine that compares the execution result with the expected result and returns a verification result.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a manufacturing system design verification device. Background Technology

[0002] When designing a manufacturing system, various designs are performed, including mechanical design, electrical design, and control design. Furthermore, techniques are known for verifying the appropriateness of the design information of a manufacturing system after such a design has been completed. For example, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, design information such as mechanical CAD drawings and control programs is input into a dedicated device simulator. The overall operation of the manufacturing system is simulated using the dedicated device simulator, thereby verifying the appropriateness of the design information of the manufacturing system.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-225419 Summary of the Invention

[0004] However, in verifying the appropriateness of previous manufacturing system design information using simulation, the manufacturing system design information that could be input into the simulator was limited to a portion of the design information, such as mechanical CAD drawings and control programs. Therefore, the content that could be verified was restricted.

[0005] This invention was proposed in view of this problem. The object of this invention is to provide a manufacturing system design verification apparatus capable of expanding verifiable design information.

[0006] The manufacturing system design verification apparatus comprises a design information model, a design information input unit, a verification logic storage unit, and a design information verification unit. The design information model is a framework that centrally represents the design information. Design information is input into the design information input unit. The design information input unit, referring to the design information model, converts the design information into an expression described by a resource description language. The verification logic storage unit stores verification logic consisting of a set of queries described by a query language corresponding to the resource description language and expected results. The design information verification unit has a query execution engine that executes queries on the expressions and returns execution results, and a comparison engine that compares the execution results with expected results and returns verification results.

[0007] The effects of the invention

[0008] According to the present invention, design information is converted into an expression described by a resource description language by referring to a framework for centrally representing design information, namely a design information model, and verification results are fed back based on this expression. Therefore, design information of various designs, such as process design, mechanical design, electrical design, and control design, can be input into the manufacturing system design verification device. This expands the types of design information that can be verified by the manufacturing system design verification device.

[0009] The objectives, features, solutions, and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a block diagram schematically illustrating the hardware structure of the manufacturing system design verification device of Embodiment 1.

[0011] Figure 2 This is a block diagram schematically illustrating the functional structure of the manufacturing system design verification device of Embodiment 1.

[0012] Figure 3 It is a flowchart showing the process related to the input of manufacturing system design information performed by the manufacturing system design verification apparatus of Embodiment 1.

[0013] Figure 4 It is a flowchart showing the process related to the verification of design information performed by the manufacturing system design verification apparatus of Embodiment 1.

[0014] Figure 5 This figure illustrates an example of the verification of design information performed by the manufacturing system design verification apparatus of Implementation 1.

[0015] Figure 6 This is an example of a screen displayed on the manufacturing system design verification device of Embodiment 1.

[0016] Figure 7 This is a block diagram schematically illustrating the functional structure of the manufacturing system design verification device of Embodiment 2.

[0017] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a verification item template input into the manufacturing system design verification device of Embodiment 2.

[0018] Figure 9 This is a diagram illustrating an example of internal specifications input into the manufacturing system design verification device of Embodiment 2.

[0019] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating the process related to the input of verification project templates and the generation and saving of verification logic performed by the manufacturing system design verification device of Embodiment 2.

[0020] Figure 11 This is a diagram illustrating an example of verification related to external specifications performed by the manufacturing system design verification apparatus of Embodiment 2.

[0021] Figure 12 This is a block diagram schematically illustrating the functional structure of the manufacturing system design verification device of Embodiment 3.

[0022] Figure 13 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the action specifications input to the manufacturing system design verification device of Embodiment 3.

[0023] Figure 14 This is a flowchart illustrating the process related to the verification of the control program using motion specifications performed by the manufacturing system design verification device of Embodiment 3.

[0024] Figure 15 This is a diagram illustrating an example of verification performed by the manufacturing system design verification apparatus of Embodiment 3.

[0025] Figure 16 This is a block diagram illustrating the functional structure of a part of the manufacturing system design verification device of Embodiment 4.

[0026] Figure 17 It is a flowchart illustrating the process related to the acquisition of design guidelines and the generation of verification logic performed by the manufacturing system design verification apparatus of Embodiment 4. Detailed Implementation

[0027] Implementation Method 1

[0028] Figure 1 This is a block diagram schematically illustrating the hardware structure of the manufacturing system design verification device of Embodiment 1.

[0029] like Figure 1 As illustrated, the manufacturing system design verification device 1 of Embodiment 1 includes a processor 92, a memory 93, a hard disk drive 94, an input device 95, an output device 96, and a system bus 97.

[0030] Processor 92 is a central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), digital signal processing unit (DSP), etc. Memory 93 is random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), etc. Hard disk drive 94 can also be replaced by auxiliary storage devices other than hard disk drive 94. For example, hard disk drive 94 can be replaced by solid-state drive (SSD), RAM disk, etc. Input device 95 is a keyboard, pointing device, microphone, scanner, camera, communication interface, sensor, etc. Output device 96 is a display, lamp, speaker, communication interface, etc.

[0031] The system bus 97 connects the processor 92, memory 93, hard disk drive 94, input device 95 and output device 96 to each other in a communicative manner.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a block diagram schematically illustrating the functional structure of the manufacturing system design verification device of Embodiment 1.

[0033] like Figure 2 As illustrated, the manufacturing system design verification device 1 includes a design information model 10, a design information input unit 12, a verification logic storage unit 13, a design information storage unit 14, and a design information verification unit 15. These elements are configured by a program loaded from a hard disk drive 94 into a memory 93 and executed by a processor 92. Some or all of these elements may also be configured by hardware that does not execute a program.

[0034] The manufacturing system design information 20 is input into the manufacturing system design verification device 1. Additionally, the manufacturing system design verification device 1 outputs the verification result 21 of the manufacturing system design information 20.

[0035] Manufacturing system design information 20 represents the design content of the manufacturing system used to manufacture the product. Manufacturing system design information 20 includes design information representing the process design, mechanical design, electrical design, control design, and other design elements included in the manufacturing system design. This design information representing the design content is output by the design tools used in this design process.

[0036] The information that constitutes the design information is referred to as the design project.

[0037] Design Information Model 10 is a framework for the centralized representation of design information. Design Information Model 10 represents design information in a centralized manner by defining rules for representing design information in specific forms of expression. The defined rules include the definition of categories and the definition of relationships between design items. The definition of categories refers to classifying the design items contained in the design information. The definition of relationships indicates the relationship between a design item and other design items related to it.

[0038] The manufacturing system design information 20 is input into the design information input unit 12. Thus, the design information contained in the manufacturing system design information 20 is input into the design information input unit 12.

[0039] Furthermore, the design information input unit 12, referring to the design information model 10, converts the input design information into an expression described by a resource description language. At this time, the design information input unit 12 uses the categories and relationships defined by the referenced design information model 10 to convert the design information into an expression described by a resource description language. The resource description language is AutomationML (Automation Markup Language), Resource Description Framework (RDF), etc. Hereinafter, the expression described by the resource description language is referred to as a design information resource.

[0040] Here, we consider the case where the design information model 10 defines categories such as "process" and "device" and relationships such as "device used by the process". In this case, as far as the design information resource is concerned, when it includes "process A" and "device B" as instances of categories such as "process" and "device", and there is a relationship of "device used by the process" between "process A" and "device B", the design information resource shows the case that "the device used by process A is device B".

[0041] The design information storage unit 14 stores both the input design information and the design information resources obtained by converting the design information. At this time, the design information storage unit 14 stores the design information and the design information resources in the design information database (DB).

[0042] The verification logic storage unit 13 stores at least one verification logic 130. The verification logic storage unit 13 then stores at least one verification logic 130 in the verification project DB. The stored at least one verification logic 130 is used to verify the matching of design information. Each verification logic 130 contains a set of queries 1300 and expected results 1301.

[0043] Query 1300 is at least one query. Query 1300 is described by a query language corresponding to the resource description language described above. The query language is SPARQL, etc. Query 1300 is a query that retrieves information contained in the design information using the categories and relationships defined by the design information model 10. For example, query 1300 is a query that retrieves the value of a specific design item, a query that checks whether a specific relationship exists between two design items, etc.

[0044] Expected result 1301 is compared with the execution result of its paired query 1300. Expected result 1301 is represented by a function definition using a programming language, which sets the execution result of query 1300 as the argument and outputs a truth value. Thus, expected result 1301 represents the constraints that the execution result of query 1300 should satisfy.

[0045] The design information verification unit 15 verifies whether the design information satisfies the verification logic 130 stored in the verification logic storage unit 13 and the design information resources stored in the design information storage unit 14. The design information verification unit 15 has a query execution engine 150 and a comparison engine 151. The query execution engine 150 executes a query 1300 written in a query description language on the design information resources written in a resource description language and returns the execution result of the query 1300. The query execution engine 150 is, for example, a SPARQL execution engine. The comparison engine 151 compares the execution result of the returned query 1300 with the expected result 1301 and returns a verification result. The comparison engine 151 then applies the expected result 1301, i.e., a function, to the execution result of the query 1300 and returns a verification result. Thus, the design information verification unit 15 outputs verification results for each verification logic 130. The output verification results are given as True or False and are included in the verification result 21 output by the manufacturing system design verification device 1. Therefore, the design information verification unit 15 can verify the matching of the manufacturing system design information 20 by executing the verification logic 130.

[0046] Figure 3 It is a flowchart showing the process related to the input of manufacturing system design information performed by the manufacturing system design verification apparatus of Embodiment 1.

[0047] Design Information Input Unit 12 Figure 3 Steps S1 to S4 are shown.

[0048] In step S1, the design information contained in the manufacturing system design information 20 is input into the design information input unit 12.

[0049] In the next step S2, the design information input unit 12 reads in the design information model 10.

[0050] In the next step S3, the design information input unit 12 uses the read design information model 10 to convert the input design information into an expression described by the resource description language, namely, design information resources.

[0051] In the next step S4, the design information input unit 12 saves the design information and design information resources in the design information storage unit 14.

[0052] Figure 4 It is a flowchart showing the process related to the verification of design information performed by the manufacturing system design verification apparatus of Embodiment 1.

[0053] Design Information Verification Department 15 Execution Figure 4 Steps S21 to S26 are shown.

[0054] In step S21, the design information verification unit 15 reads the design information resources from the design information DB constructed by the design information storage unit 14.

[0055] In the next step S22, the design information verification unit 15 reads at least one verification logic 130 from the verification project DB constructed by the verification logic storage unit 13.

[0056] In the next step S23, the query execution engine 150 executes each verification logic 130 to obtain the execution results of the queries 1300 contained in each verification logic 130. At this time, the query execution engine 150 executes the queries 1300 contained in each verification logic 130 on the read design information resources to obtain the execution results of the queries 1300.

[0057] In the next step S24, the comparison engine 151 compares the obtained execution result with the expected result 1301, i.e., the expected value, contained in each verification logic 130 to obtain the verification result.

[0058] In the next step S25, the design information verification unit 15 determines whether at least one verification logic 130 has been fully executed. If at least one verification logic 130 has been fully executed, the design information verification unit 15 proceeds to step S26; if at least one verification logic 130 has not been fully executed, the process returns to step S23. When the process returns to step S23, in step S23, the comparison engine 151 obtains the verification result for the verification logic 130 for which no verification result has been obtained.

[0059] In step S26, the design information verification unit 15 outputs a verification result 21 containing the verification results obtained for at least one verification logic 130.

[0060] According to Embodiment 1, the design information is converted into an expression described by a resource description language by referring to the design information model 10, which centrally represents the design information, and the verification results are sent back based on this expression. Therefore, design information of various designs such as process design, mechanical design, electrical design, and control design can be input into the manufacturing system design verification device 1. As a result, the types of design information that can be verified by the manufacturing system design verification device 1 can be expanded.

[0061] Furthermore, according to Embodiment 1, the design information verification unit 15 provides a mechanism that allows the computer to perform the verification by representing the content to be verified in form. Thus, the matching of the manufacturing system design information 20 can be verified by a machine.

[0062] Therefore, according to Implementation Method 1, the cost of the design phase of the manufacturing system can be reduced.

[0063] Figure 5 This figure illustrates an example of the verification of design information performed by the manufacturing system design verification apparatus of Implementation 1.

[0064] In the Figure 5 In the illustrated example, by verifying the apparatus that implements all the processes included in the design information, it is confirmed whether the design information contains defects. Therefore, in the case of... Figure 5 In the illustrated example, the state in which the design information is matched is the state in which there is a device that can implement all the processes contained in the design information.

[0065] Design information model 10 includes definitions of design project categories and relationships between design projects or categories. Additionally, design information resource 140 is obtained by converting design information into an expression written in a resource description language using the definitions of categories and relationships from design information input unit 12. Design information resource 140, for example, is written in RDF format and consists of three lists containing two elements as design projects or categories and one relationship. Figure 5 In the illustrated example, the "is_a" relation in line 1 of design information resource 140 indicates that "process A" belongs to the category "process". Additionally, the "hasEquipment" relation in line 5 of design information resource 140 indicates that "process A" is implemented by "device B".

[0066] Verification logic 130 includes query 1300 and expected result 1301. Query 1300 is at least one query, described using the categories and relationships defined by the design information model 10 and expressed in the query language SPARQL. Expected result 1301 can be a simple expected value, or it can be a procedure described by a programming language. When expected result 1301 is a procedure described by a programming language, even if query 1300 consists of multiple queries, expected result 1301 can still describe the constraints that the execution result 153 of query 1300 should satisfy.

[0067] Here, the construction method of verification logic 130, query 1300 and expected result 1301 is explained.

[0068] exist Figure 5 In the example shown, the content to be verified is "the existence of an apparatus that implements all the steps included in the design information". This content to be verified can be represented as follows: A query 1300 is prepared that includes a query to extract all steps and a query to extract all steps implemented by the apparatus, with the expected result 1301 being that the number of steps extracted by the former query and the number of steps extracted by the latter query are equal. Figure 5 In the example described, query 1300 is prepared, which includes "Query 1" containing a group of processes and related devices, and "Query 2" containing a list of processes. Furthermore, the expected result 1301 has a function that evaluates whether the size of the execution result of "Query 1" and the size of the execution result of "Query 2" are equal.

[0069] The design information verification unit 15 causes the query execution engine 150 to execute verification logic 130 against the design information resource 140 to verify the design information. This yields the execution results 153 of each query 1300. The execution results 153 of each query 1300 and the expected result 1301 are input to the comparison engine 151. The comparison engine 151 applies the expected result 1301 (i.e., a function) to the input execution results 153 of each query 1300, and returns a truth value given as "True" or "False". A truth value of "True" indicates that the execution result 153 of each query 1300 satisfies the expected result 1301. Conversely, a truth value of "False" indicates that the execution result 153 of each query 1300 does not satisfy the expected result 1301. Figure 5 In the example provided, since the size of the result of "Query 1" and the size of the result of "Query 2" are both "2", the returned true / false value is assigned to "True".

[0070] In the Figure 5 In the illustrated example, if design information resource 140 lacks ""Process C" has "Equipment D"", the execution result of "Query 1" is only "Process A Equipment B". Therefore, the magnitude of the execution result of "Query 1" and the magnitude of the execution result of "Query 2" are different from each other, and the returned truth value is assigned to "False". Therefore, in this case, there is a defect in the design information.

[0071] Alternatively, a different method of constructing the verification logic 130, query 1300, and expected result 1301 may be used.

[0072] Figure 6 This is an example of a screen displayed on the manufacturing system design verification device of Embodiment 1.

[0073] Figure 6 The screen 190 shown in the figure is displayed on the output device 96, i.e., the display. The screen 190 is displayed by software that performs the function of inputting and verifying design information in the manufacturing system design verification device 1.

[0074] The "Design Information Overview" area 191 on screen 190 displays a overview of the design information, i.e., the design files, stored in the design information DB. With screen 190 displayed, by selecting a design file in the file selection dialog box that appears in response to pressing the "Design Information Input" button 192, one can proceed according to... Figure 3 The processing flow shown appends and saves the selected design file, i.e., the design information, to the design information storage unit 14. Additionally, when screen 190 is displayed, pressing the "Verify" button 193 allows verification according to... Figure 4 The processing flow shown verifies the design information stored in the design information storage unit 14. The results of the verification are displayed in the "Verification Result Overview" area 194. In the "Verification Result Overview" area 194, the verification result is displayed for each verification item corresponding to one verification logic 130. Each verification result is given as "True" or "False". If the verification result is assigned "False", the reason why the execution result differs from the expected result is shown.

[0075] The design information verification unit 15 can verify the verification logic 130 stored in the verification logic storage unit 13 and the design information stored in the design information storage unit 14 at any time. For example, the design information verification unit 15 can perform the verification when the user presses the "verify" button 193, but it can also perform the verification when the design information is updated, or when the verification logic 130 is updated along with the update of the design information model 10.

[0076] The verification items verified by the manufacturing system design verification device 1 can be freely selected by the user. Therefore, it is also possible to verify only any number of verification logics 130 selected by the user from the verification logics 130 stored in the verification logic storage unit 13. As a method for the user to select verification items, a setting dialog box can be displayed, through which the user selects the verification items.

[0077] The method of outputting the verification result 21 is not limited. For example, the verification result 21 can be displayed to the user through a graphical user interface (GUI). Alternatively, the verification result 21 can be notified to the user via email.

[0078] Implementation Method 2

[0079] Figure 7 This is a block diagram schematically illustrating the functional structure of the manufacturing system design verification device of Embodiment 2.

[0080] The following is an explanation. Figure 7 The manufacturing system design verification device 2 of embodiment 2 shown in the figure and Figure 1 The differences between the manufacturing system design verification apparatus 1 of Embodiment 1 shown in the figure are as follows. Regarding points not described, the same structure as that used in the manufacturing system design verification apparatus 1 is also adopted in the manufacturing system design verification apparatus 2.

[0081] like Figure 7 As illustrated, the manufacturing system design verification device 2 also has a verification logic generation unit 11.

[0082] The verification item template 40 is input into the verification logic generation unit 11. Furthermore, the verification logic generation unit 11 generates verification logic 130 based on the input verification item template 40.

[0083] The verification project template 40 has an input field associated with at least one of the external specification 401 and the internal specification 402. Therefore, by entering at least one of the external specification 401 and the internal specification 402 into this input field, the user can record at least one of the external specification 401 and the internal specification 402 in the verification project template 40. The specification recorded in the verification project template 40 is the project to be verified.

[0084] External specification 401 indicates the specifications of the manufacturing system. The specifications of the manufacturing system include its dimensions, weight, power consumption, and thermal capacity.

[0085] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a verification item template input into the manufacturing system design verification device of Embodiment 2.

[0086] Figure 8 The verification project template 40 shown in the figure has input fields for the weight of the manufacturing system, the dimensions of the manufacturing system, and the overall power consumption of the manufacturing system as input fields for external specifications 401.

[0087] Internal specification 402 represents the internal design information of the manufacturing system used when designing the manufacturing system. The internal design information of the manufacturing system includes connection tables showing the connection relationships between the programmable logic controller (PLC) and the contacts of various devices, and a list of components used in the construction of the manufacturing system, i.e., a parts list.

[0088] Figure 9 This is a diagram illustrating an example of internal specifications input into the manufacturing system design verification device of Embodiment 2.

[0089] Figure 9The internal specification 402 shown in the figure is the connection table mentioned above. This connection table indicates cases such as "Sensor A" being connected to a PLC-side contact with the PLC-side contact number "X100". When this connection table is recorded in the verification item template 40, each item in the connection table becomes an input field.

[0090] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating the process related to the input of verification project templates and the generation and saving of verification logic performed by the manufacturing system design verification device of Embodiment 2.

[0091] Verification logic generation unit 11 execution Figure 10 Steps S101 to S103 are shown.

[0092] In step S101, a verification item template 40 is input into the verification logic generation unit 11. The user inputs at least one of the external specifications 401 and the internal specifications 402 into the input field of the input verification item template 40. Therefore, the user has recorded at least one of the external specifications 401 and the internal specifications 402 in the input verification item template 40.

[0093] In the next step S102, the verification logic generation unit 11 generates verification logic 130 based on the input verification item template 40. The generated verification logic 130, like in Embodiment 1, includes a set of queries 1300 and expected results 1301. The query 1300 retrieves values ​​contained in the design information, the presence or absence of relationships contained in the design information, etc. The expected result 1301 is a function that compares the values ​​input into the input fields of the verification item template 40 with the execution result of the query 1300. Basically, when generating the verification logic 1300, queries 1300 corresponding to each input field of the verification item template 40 are prepared, and the values ​​in the expected result 1301 function change according to each input field.

[0094] In step S103, the verification logic generation unit 11 stores the generated verification logic 130 in the verification project DB constructed by the verification logic storage unit 13.

[0095] According to Implementation 2, by describing the items that the user wants to verify in the verification item template 40, it is possible to verify the design of multiple verification items related to external specifications 401, internal specifications 402, etc.

[0096] Figure 11 This is a diagram illustrating an example of verification related to external specifications performed by the manufacturing system design verification apparatus of Embodiment 2.

[0097] In the Figure 11In the illustrated example, the verification checks whether the weight of the manufacturing system is less than or equal to the weight of the manufacturing system entered into the input field of the verification project template 40. Figure 11 In the illustrated example, design information resource 140 shows the weight of the apparatus constituting the manufacturing system using the hasWeight relationship. Additionally, external specification 401 is input to the verification logic generation unit 11, and this external specification 401 is entered into the input field of the verification item template 40.

[0098] Verification logic generation unit 11 according to Figure 10 The processing flow shown generates validation logic 130 based on the input external specification 401. The queries 1300 included in the generated validation logic 130 are prepared unit by unit based on the input fields of the validation item template 40. Figure 11 In the illustrated example, query 1300 retrieves the weights of the devices constituting the manufacturing system. The expected result 1301 included in the verification logic 130 is generated as a function that compares whether the total weight of the devices constituting the manufacturing system, the execution result of query 1300, is less than the weight of the manufacturing system entered into the input field related to external specification 401. Thus, the verification logic generation unit 11 can generate verification logic 130 based on external specification 401.

[0099] The verification logic generation unit 11 can also generate verification logic 130 based on internal specification 402. When generating verification logic 130 based on internal specification 402, for example, it verifies whether wiring has been performed in the design information according to the connection relationship table in the input field related to internal specification 402, which is entered into the verification item template 40. In this case, the query 1300 included in the verification logic 130 can be a query to obtain the contacts of the target device for each PLC terminal included in the manufacturing system. Furthermore, the expected result 1301 included in the verification logic 130 can be a function that compares the execution result of query 1300 with the connection relationship table.

[0100] exist Figure 10 In the processing flow shown, the verification logic 130 generated based on the verification project template 40 is added to and saved in the verification logic storage unit 13. However, it is also possible to modify or delete the verification logic 130 already saved in the verification logic storage unit 13 based on the verification project template 40.

[0101] Implementation Method 3

[0102] Figure 12 This is a block diagram schematically illustrating the functional structure of the manufacturing system design verification device of Embodiment 3.

[0103] The following is an explanation. Figure 12The manufacturing system design verification device 3 of embodiment 3 illustrated in the figure and Figure 1 The differences between the manufacturing system design verification apparatus 1 of Embodiment 1 shown in the figure are as follows. Regarding points not described, the same structure as that used in the manufacturing system design verification apparatus 1 is also adopted in the manufacturing system design verification apparatus 3.

[0104] The manufacturing system design verification device 3 can perform the verification described above, but when the manufacturing system design information 20 includes a control program 201, it can perform verifications different from those described above. When the manufacturing system design information 20 includes a control program 201, the control program 201 is input to the design information input unit 12. The control program 201 is created in the control design included in the design of the manufacturing system.

[0105] like Figure 12 As illustrated, the manufacturing system design verification device 3 also has a verification logic generation unit 11.

[0106] Input the verification project template 40 into the verification logic generation unit 11.

[0107] The verification project template 40 has an input field related to action specification 403. Users can record action specification 403 in the verification project template 40 by entering it into this input field. The action specification 403 recorded in the verification project template 40 is the item to be verified.

[0108] Action Specification 403 describes the actions of a manufacturing system. Action Specification 403 is a timing diagram or similar document that records the timing of the actions of devices, equipment, etc., that constitute the manufacturing system.

[0109] Figure 13 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the action specifications input to the manufacturing system design verification device of Embodiment 3.

[0110] Figure 13 The illustrated action specification 403 is a timing diagram. The timing diagram shows the time-series changes in the values ​​of the PLC's input contacts (with PLC-side contact numbers starting with "X") and output contacts (with PLC-side contact numbers starting with "Y"). Figure 13 In the illustrated action specification 403, the value varies between two values: the ON value corresponding to "ON" and the OFF value corresponding to "OFF". The value can also vary between three values. The value can also be a simulated value. If action specification 403 is a timing diagram, enter the timing diagram into the input field of the verification item template 40.

[0111] The verification logic generation unit 11 sets the action specification 403 to the verification logic 130 stored in the verification logic storage unit 13.

[0112] like Figure 12 As illustrated, the design information verification unit 15 has a simulation execution environment 152. When the control program 201 is input to the design information input unit 12, the simulation execution environment 152 simulates the execution of the control program 201 using the information contained in the action specification 403 and outputs the execution result. Figure 13 When the action specification 403 shown in the figure is a timing diagram, the simulation execution environment 152 reads the combination of time-varying values ​​of the input contacts contained in the timing diagram and the control program 201, uses the read combination of time-varying values ​​of the input contacts to simulate the execution of the control program 201, and sends back the combination of time-varying values ​​of the output contacts.

[0113] Comparison engine 151 compares the output execution result with the expected result contained in action specification 403 and sends back the verification result.

[0114] Figure 14 This is a flowchart illustrating the process related to the verification of the control program using motion specifications performed by the manufacturing system design verification device of Embodiment 3.

[0115] Design Information Verification Department 15 Execution Figure 14 Steps S201 to S205 are shown.

[0116] Assume that during the execution of the initial steps S201 to S205, the verification logic 130 (i.e., the sequence diagram) is already stored in the verification logic storage unit 13. Additionally, assume that the control program 201, which serves as design information for the control design, is already stored in the design information storage unit 14.

[0117] In step S201, the design information verification unit 15 reads the design information, i.e., the control program 201, from the design information DB constructed by the design information storage unit 14.

[0118] In the next step S202, the design information verification unit 15 reads the verification logic 130, i.e., the sequence diagram, from the verification project DB constructed by the verification logic storage unit 13.

[0119] In the next step S203, the simulation execution environment 152 simulates the execution of the control program 201 based on the read control program 201 and timing diagram, and obtains the execution result. The obtained execution result includes the time-varying changes in the values ​​of the PLC output contacts.

[0120] In the next step S204, the comparison engine 151 compares the historical changes of the PLC output contact values ​​contained in the obtained execution results with the historical changes of the PLC output contact values ​​contained in the obtained timing diagram and sends back the verification results.

[0121] In step S205, the design information verification unit 15 outputs verification result 21. The output verification result 21 includes the verification result returned in step S204.

[0122] According to embodiment 3, the machine can verify whether the action implemented by the control program 201 is consistent with the action shown by the action specification 403, i.e., the sequence diagram.

[0123] Figure 15 This is a diagram illustrating an example of verification performed by the manufacturing system design verification apparatus of Embodiment 3.

[0124] In the Figure 15 In the illustrated example, timing diagram 154 is input by the user into the input field related to action specification 403 of the verification project template 40. The time-varying values ​​of the PLC input contacts included in timing diagram 154 become input data input to the simulation execution environment 152. The time-varying values ​​of the PLC output contacts included in timing diagram 154 become the expected result 1301 input to the comparison engine 151.

[0125] The simulation execution environment 152 inputs the time-varying values ​​of the PLC's input contacts. The simulation execution environment 152 outputs the time-varying values ​​of the PLC's output contacts as the execution result. The output time-varying values ​​of the PLC's output contacts are input to the comparison engine 151. The comparison engine 151 compares the time-varying values ​​of the PLC's output contacts input from the simulation execution environment 152 with the expected result 1301, i.e., the time-varying values ​​of the PLC's output contacts, and sends back the verification result. At this time, because the time-varying values ​​of the output contacts with the PLC-side contact number "Y102" are different from the time-varying values ​​of the output contacts with the same PLC-side contact number, the comparison engine 151 sets the verification result to "No".

[0126] The resulting verification results contain information related to the time-varying values ​​of the PLC's output contacts. Therefore, these verification results can also be visualized as a timing diagram on the GUI. This allows users to easily compare the time-varying values ​​of the PLC's output contacts.

[0127] Implementation Method 4

[0128] Figure 16 This is a block diagram illustrating the functional structure of a part of the manufacturing system design verification device of Embodiment 4.

[0129] The following is an explanation. Figure 16 The manufacturing system design verification device 4 of embodiment 4 shown in the figure and Figure 1The differences between the manufacturing system design verification apparatus 1 of Embodiment 1 shown in the figure are as follows. Regarding points not described, the same structure as that used in the manufacturing system design verification apparatus 1 is also adopted in the manufacturing system design verification apparatus 4.

[0130] In the manufacturing system design verification device 4, the design information storage unit 14 can accumulate multiple design information related to the manufacturing system. The design information storage unit 14 saves the design information input to the design information input unit 12 and incorporates it into the accumulated design information. Thus, the design information storage unit 14 can accumulate design information including design information from past designs.

[0131] like Figure 16 As illustrated, the manufacturing system design verification device 4 also has a design guide learning unit 17.

[0132] The design guide learning unit 17 learns the design guide based on the multiple design information stored in the design information storage unit 14. The learned design guide represents the desired design. The design guide represents the relationship between two design items included in the design information contained in the manufacturing system design information 20. These two design items are two design items whose values ​​will be determined when the value of one of the two design items has been determined. These two design items are, for example, the number of PLC contacts and the size of the control panel. Since the size of the control panel is determined when the number of PLC contacts has been determined, the number of PLC contacts and the size of the control panel can be considered as these two design items.

[0133] The verification logic generation unit 11 generates verification logic 130 based on the learned design guidelines.

[0134] Figure 17 It is a flowchart illustrating the process related to the acquisition of design guidelines and the generation of verification logic performed by the manufacturing system design verification apparatus of Embodiment 4.

[0135] Verification Logic Generation Department 11 and Design Guide Learning Department 17 Execution Figure 17 The steps S301 to S303 are shown.

[0136] In step S301, the design guide learning unit 17 reads design information from the design information DB composed of the design information storage unit 14.

[0137] In the next step S302, the design guide learning unit 17 derives a design guide based on the read-in design information. The design guide is represented by a function that returns the value of one design item in response to the input value of another design item. For example, if the design guide related to two design items A and B is represented by function f, function f returns the value f(a) of design item B in response to the input value a of design item A. The returned value f(a) is the recommended value for design item B. This function can be obtained by using statistical methods, machine learning, etc., to set the values ​​of the design items contained in the known design information as input.

[0138] In the next step S303, the verification logic generation unit 11 generates verification logic 130 according to the design guidelines and stores the generated verification logic 130 in the verification item DB constructed by the verification logic storage unit 13. The stored verification logic 130, similar to that in Embodiment 1, is a combination of query 1300 and expected result 1301. Query 1300 retrieves the values ​​of two design items from the design information. Expected result 1301 is a function that compares the execution result of query 1300 with the design guidelines.

[0139] According to implementation method 4, the design guidelines are learned based on the accumulated design information, and verification logic 130 is generated based on the learned design guidelines. Furthermore, the design information is verified based on the generated verification logic 130. Thus, it is possible to verify whether the design information deviates from the design information of multiple other designs.

[0140] Furthermore, it is possible to freely combine the various implementation methods and to appropriately modify or omit them.

[0141] The invention has been described in detail, but the foregoing description is illustrative in all respects and not limiting. It is to be understood that numerous variations not shown can be conceived.

[0142] Explanation of the label

[0143] 1 Manufacturing system design verification device, 2 Manufacturing system design verification device, 3 Manufacturing system design verification device, 4 Manufacturing system design verification device, 10 Design information model, 11 Verification logic generation unit, 12 Design information input unit, 13 Verification logic storage unit, 14 Design information storage unit, 15 Design information verification unit, 17 Design guide learning unit, 150 Query execution engine, 151 Comparison engine, 152 Simulation execution environment.

Claims

1. A manufacturing system design verification device, comprising: A design information model is a framework for centrally representing design information. The design information input unit receives the design information and converts the design information into an expression described by the resource description language with reference to the design information model. The verification logic storage unit stores the verification logic, which includes a set of queries and expected results described by a query language corresponding to the resource description language. as well as The design information verification unit has a query execution engine that executes the query on the expression and returns the execution result, and a comparison engine that compares the execution result with the expected result and returns the verification result.

2. The manufacturing system design verification device according to claim 1, wherein, The system includes a verification logic generation unit, to which a verification item template is input, having an input field related to at least one of an external specification representing the specification value of the manufacturing system and an internal specification representing the internal design information of the manufacturing system. The verification logic generation unit generates the verification logic based on the verification item template.

3. The manufacturing system design verification device according to claim 1, wherein, The system includes a verification logic generation unit. A verification item template with input fields related to the action specifications representing the actions of the manufacturing system is input into this unit. The verification logic generation unit then sets the action specifications as the verification logic. The design information verification unit has a simulation execution environment. This simulation execution environment simulates the execution of the control program using the information contained in the action specification when the control program is input to the design information input unit, and outputs the execution result. The comparison engine compares the execution results output by the simulated execution environment with the expected results contained in the action specification and sends back the verification results.

4. The manufacturing system design verification device according to claim 2, wherein, The system includes a verification logic generation unit. A verification item template with input fields related to the action specifications representing the actions of the manufacturing system is input into this unit. The verification logic generation unit then sets the action specifications as the verification logic. The design information verification unit has a simulation execution environment. This simulation execution environment simulates the execution of the control program using the information contained in the action specification when the control program is input to the design information input unit, and outputs the execution result. The comparison engine compares the execution results output by the simulated execution environment with the expected results contained in the action specification and sends back the verification results.

5. The manufacturing system design verification apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, have: The design information storage unit saves the design information and imports it into the accumulated design information; The Design Guidelines Learning Department studies the design guidelines based on the accumulated design information. as well as The verification logic generation unit generates the verification logic according to the design guidelines.

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