Control device and control method

Abstract

The request category included in the input information inputted from the outside of the control device (100) is confirmed by the category confirmation section (13), and in the case where the request category confirmed by the category confirmation section (13) is a request set in advance, the state information in which the device information including the device data stored in the storage area designated by the designation information and the input information inputted to the control device are associated is stored in the state storage section (14). Thus, the required device information can be stored in accordance with the request category of the input information, and the input information corresponding to the device information can be stored. Therefore, the analysis of the factor that has an influence on the control state of the control device (100) can be easily performed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a control device and a control method that facilitate analysis of factors that affect the control state of the control device. BACKGROUND

[0002] In recent years, in the field of FA (Factory Automation), a control system using a control device for controlling devices and the like that constitute a manufacturing line is adopted. The control system adopts, for example, a PLC (Programmable logic controller) or the like as the control device, and is configured by connecting the control devices to each other and connecting the control devices to a superior computer such as a PC (Personal Computer). The control system controls the operation of devices and the like connected to the control device by inputting various kinds of data to the control device, and executing a program such as a user program by the control device.

[0003] In such a control system, the control device needs to correctly process various kinds of input information input from the outside, and control the operation of devices and the like connected to the control device. Therefore, in the control system, in a case where the control state of the control device is confirmed and a problem occurs in the control state of the control device, the problem occurring in the control state needs to be solved to make the control device normally operate. Also, it is known that, in the control system, in order to confirm the control state of the control device, information collection of control information, which is the processing result of the control device, is performed.

[0004] Currently, in order to perform the information collection of the control information, a data collection device that collects control information, which is information of the processing result stored in the inside of the control device, is used to collect the control information (for example, refer to Patent Literature 1).

[0005] The data collection device disclosed in Patent Literature 1, when collecting data as control information from a control device connected via network communication, prevents delay of the timing of data collection and the like due to the state of the network communication, and performs information collection of collecting data.

[0006] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-080286 SUMMARY

[0007] However, there is a problem that even if the information collection of the control information is implemented in the above-described data collection device, it is not easy to analyze the factor that has an influence on the control state of the control device. That is, by collecting the data as the above-described control information, it is possible to confirm the data indicating the control state according to the content of the collected data, but it is not possible to confirm the factor that has an influence on the data indicating the control information. This is because the data indicating the control information is a processing result obtained by the control device processing a variety of input information input from the outside to the control device. In order to confirm the factor that has an influence on the control state of the control device, it is necessary to analyze what kind of input information the control device has executed the control based on. However, since it is very difficult to reproduce the content and input state of the variety of input information input from the outside to the control device according to the processing result, that is, the control information, it is not easy to analyze the factor that has an influence on the control state of the control device.

[0008] The present application has been made to solve the above-described problems, and has an object to provide a control device and a control method in which it is easy to analyze the factor that has an influence on the control state of the control device.

[0009] The control device of the present application controls a controlled device using input information input from the outside, and has a device data storage section that stores device data used for the control in a storage area, a category confirmation section that confirms a request category indicating a request included in the input information, a designation information storage section that stores designation information that designates any of the storage areas, and a state storage section that stores state information in which device information including the device data stored in the storage area designated by the designation information and the input information are associated, in a case where the request category confirmed by the category confirmation section is a predetermined request.

[0010] Effects of the Invention

[0011] The control device of the present application has a category confirmation section that confirms a request category indicating a request included in input information input from the outside of the control device, and stores device information including device data stored in a storage area designated by designation information and the input information input to the control device as state information in association with each other in a state storage section, in a case where the request category confirmed by the category confirmation section is a predetermined request. Thus, it is possible to store the required device information according to the request category of the input information, and to store the input information corresponding to the device information. Therefore, it is easy to analyze the factor that has an influence on the control state of the control device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the control system to which Embodiment 1 is applied.

[0013] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the hardware structure of the control device to which Embodiment 1 is applied.

[0014] Figure 3 FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the control device to which Embodiment 1 is applied, using function blocks in relation to the information collection process.

[0015] Figure 4 FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the information collection process of the control device to which Embodiment 1 is applied.

[0016] Figure 5 FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the structure of the input information to which Embodiment 1 is applied.

[0017] Figure 6 FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the structure of the designation information to which Embodiment 1 is applied.

[0018] Figure 7 FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the device information created based on the designation information to which Embodiment 1 is applied.

[0019] Figure 8 FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the state information to which Embodiment 1 is applied.

[0020] Figure 9 FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the control device to which Embodiment 2 is applied, using function blocks in relation to the information collection process.

[0021] Figure 10 FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the information collection process of the control device to which Embodiment 2 is applied.

[0022] Figure 11 FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the log data to which Embodiment 2 is applied.

[0023] Figure 12 FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the control device to which Embodiment 3 is applied, using function blocks in relation to the information collection process.

[0024] Figure 13 FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the information collection process of the control device to which Embodiment 3 is applied.

[0025] Figure 14 FIG. 14 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the can flag, the trigger condition, and the flag update information stored in the condition storage section to which Embodiment 3 is applied. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, an embodiment of the present application will be described. Figure 1 An embodiment of the present application relates to a control device.

[0027] Embodiment 1

[0028] In Figure 1 An example of the structure of a control system 1000 including the control device 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present application is shown in FIG. 1. The control system 1000 is a system constructed in a factory for the purpose of operating a manufacturing line. The control system 1000 has: devices 30 that constitute the manufacturing line; the control device 100 that controls the devices 30 by executing a user program; and a terminal 50 that can perform setting of the control contents realized by the control device 100, and can perform display of the control contents of the control device 100.

[0029] In Figure 2 In the example shown in FIG. 1, as an example of the control system 1000, two control devices 100 are communicably connected to each other, and one of the two control devices 100 is communicably connected to the terminal 50. Also, a manner in which two devices 30 are communicably connected to each control device 100 is shown. Further, as the control system 1000, the number of control devices 100 is not limited to two, and can be one, or can be three or more. Also, the number of devices 30 connected to one control device 100 is not limited to two, and can be one, or can be three or more. Also, the number of terminals 50 is the same.

[0030] The control devices 100, the control device 100 and the terminal 50, and the control device 100 and the devices 30 are communicably connected to each other via a dedicated line or a network by wire or wirelessly. In the case of connection using a dedicated line, connection can be made via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable, for example. In the case of connection via a network, connection can be made via an open network such as the Internet, or connection can be made via a closed network such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0031] The terminal 50 is a PC (Personal Computer) typified by an IPC (Industrial Personal Computer), a tablet terminal, and other UI (User Interface) terminals. The terminal 50 provides a screen for setting a user program by a user, acquires a user program input by a user operation, and inputs the user program to the control device 100 after converting the user program into an execution format. The terminal 50 creates various parameters used when executing a user program, and inputs the various parameters to the control device 100. In addition, the terminal 50 reads out and displays various information stored in the control device 100.

[0032] The control device 100 is, for example, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) that links devices 30 by centrally controlling the devices 30, and realizes a series of manufacturing lines. The control device 100 receives a user program from the terminal 50, and controls the devices 30 by executing a control process specified by the user program. Then, the control device 100 executes a firmware stored in the control device 100, and executes an information collection process.

[0033] The devices 30 are, for example, sensors, actuators, robots, inspection devices, and other FA devices provided on a manufacturing line. The devices 30 act in accordance with an execution result of a user program in the control device 100. As one example, in a case where the device 30 is a sensor, sensing is performed at a cycle specified by a user program, and a sensing result is input to the control device 100. In addition, in a case where the device 30 is an inspection device, a pass / fail inspection of a workpiece is performed in accordance with a pass / fail determination criterion specified by a user program, and an inspection result is input to the control device. The device 30 is one example of a controlled device controlled by the control device 100.

[0034] An example of a hardware structure of the control device 100 according to the present embodiment 1 is schematically shown in Figure 2 As shown in Figure 2 , the control device 100 has a processor 41, a main storage unit 42, an auxiliary storage unit 43, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 44, and a communication unit 45. The main storage unit 42, the auxiliary storage unit 43, the ROM 44, and the communication unit 45 are connected to the processor 41 via an internal bus 46.

[0035] The processor 41 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro Processing Unit). The processor 41 realizes various functions of the control device 100 by executing a user program stored in the auxiliary storage section 43 and a firmware stored in the ROM 44, and executes each process described later. Further, the user program is, for example, a program described in a ladder language, and is a program for controlling the device 30 by the control device 100. In addition, the firmware is, for example, a program described in an arbitrary programming language such as C language, for executing the functions of the control device 100.

[0036] The main storage section 42 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory). The user program is read from the auxiliary storage section 43, and the firmware is read from the ROM 44. Further, the main storage section 42 is used as a work area of the processor 41.

[0037] The auxiliary storage section 43 and the ROM 44 each include a nonvolatile memory typified by an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and a memory card. The auxiliary storage section 43 stores various data used for the process of the processor 41 in addition to the user program. The auxiliary storage section 43 and the ROM 44 supply data used by the processor 41 to the processor 41 according to an instruction of the processor 41. In addition, the auxiliary storage section 43 stores data supplied from the processor 41.

[0038] The main storage section 42, the auxiliary storage section 43, and the ROM 44 each have a storage area for storing various data. In addition, the storage areas are assigned memory addresses for specifying each area.

[0039] The communication section 45 includes a communication interface circuit for communicating with an external device. The communication section 45 receives a signal from the outside, and outputs data indicated by the signal to the processor 41. In addition, the communication section 45 transmits a signal indicating data output from the processor 41 to the external device. Further, in the embodiment, one communication section 45 is shown as a representative example, but is not limited thereto. For example, the control device 100 can have a communication section 45 for communicating with the terminal 50 and a communication section 45 for communicating with the device 30, respectively. Figure 3

[0040] The control device 100 exhibits various functions by the cooperative action of the above-described hardware structure.

[0041] ​The control device 100 according to Embodiment 1 receives input information from the outside of the control device 100, such as the terminal 50, other control devices 100, and the device 30, which can communicate with the control device 100, and performs control processing for controlling the device 30 using the input information. Further, controlling the device 30 using the input information includes performing control processing using at least a part of information included in the input information to determine a user program used at the time of control, performing control processing using at least a part of information included in the input information to write and read device data used in the control of the device 30, and the like. Then, the control device 100 performs information collection processing using the input information input from the outside.

[0042] In Figure 3 Embodiment 1, a structure related to information collection processing in the control device 100 is shown using a functional module. As Figure 4 shown in FIG. 1, the control device 100 according to Embodiment 1 has a storage section 101 including a device data storage section 11 that stores device data used in the control of the device 30 in a storage area, and a designation information storage section 12 that stores designation information designating any of the storage areas, and a data collection section 102 including a category confirmation section 13 that confirms a request category indicating a category of a request included in input information input from the outside, and a state storage section 14 that stores state information based on the request category confirmed by the category confirmation section 13. In addition, the control device 100 has an external I / F (Interface) section 103 including a communication processing section 17 for inputting the input information, and a user setting section 18 for inputting the designation information.

[0043] The device data storage section 11 is a part of the storage section 101 in the control device 100, and is constituted by a region of at least a part of the main storage section 42 and the auxiliary storage section 43, and stores device data in the storage area constituting the device data storage section 11. The device data stored in the device data storage section 11 is data used at the time of execution of a user program by the control device 100. The device data is written, read, and the like in accordance with input information by inputting the input information to the control device 100.

[0044] The designation information storage section 12 is a part of the storage section 101 in the control device 100, is constituted by a region of at least a part of the main storage section 42 and the auxiliary storage section 43, and stores designation information. Here, the designation information includes information that designates any of the storage regions that constitute the device data storage section 11. More specifically, the designation information is information that causes a request category corresponding to a request category that indicates a category of a request included in the input information to correspond to a designated storage region. That is, the designation information is constituted so as to also include a request category that becomes a request that is set in advance for storing the state information described later in the state storage section 14 described later. As one example of the designation information, in the case where the request category is a write request, it is information that corresponds to a memory address that specifies one or a plurality of storage regions, such as a memory address that indicates a write request, a memory address that specifies a target storage region that is a target of writing of device data by processing the input information, and a memory address that specifies a storage region in which device data is stored, which device data designates a user program corresponding to a manufacturing process to be executed. Further, the storage region designated by the designation information can be arbitrarily designated by a user, and it is preferable to designate a storage region in which device data that can affect a control state of the control device 100 is stored. In addition, the storage region can be designated using a memory address that specifies a storage region, or can be designated by another method.

[0045] The category confirmation section 13 is a part of the data collection section 102 in the control device 100, and is executed by the processor 41. The category confirmation section 13 extracts category information that indicates a category of a request included in input information that is input, and confirms the request category.

[0046] The state storage section 14 is a part of the data collection section 102 in the control device 100, and is constituted by a region of at least a part of the main storage section 42 and the auxiliary storage section 43. The state storage section 14 stores state information that associates device information included in device data stored in a storage region designated by designation information and input information input to the control device 100, in the case where the request category confirmed by the category confirmation section 13 described above is a request that is set in advance. The state storage section 14 can store state information as long as it can store state information, and is not limited to a form of storage, but in order to more efficiently perform control of the device 30 in the control device 100, it is preferable to adopt a form of a ring buffer. The reason for this is that, if the state storage section 14 is in the form of a ring buffer, even if the end of the storage region of the state storage section 14 is reached, it is possible to spontaneously return to the beginning and store, and thus it is not necessary to stop the control device 100 to delete state information.

[0047] The data collection section 102 has a data extraction section 15 and a data transmission section 16 in addition to the category confirmation section 13 and the state storage section 14. The data extraction section 15 and the data transmission section 16 are executed by the processor 41.

[0048] The data extraction section 15 creates the device information included in the state information stored in the state storage section 14 described above. Specifically, the data extraction section 15 acquires information indicating the request category confirmed by the category confirmation section 13, and extracts the specified information from the specified information storage section 12 based on the request category confirmed by the category confirmation section 13. That is, the data extraction section 15 acquires information indicating the request category confirmed by the category confirmation section 13, and extracts the specified information from the specified information storage section 12, the specified information having information indicating the request category identical to the request category confirmed by the category confirmation section 13. The data extraction section 15 extracts the device data stored in the storage area specified by the specified information included in the extracted specified information using information indicating the storage area specified by the specified information, from the device data storage section 11. Also, the data extraction section 15 creates the storage area determined by the specified information as the device information in association with the device data stored in the storage area specified by the specified information.

[0049] The data transmission section 16 transmits the input information for which the request category has been confirmed by the category confirmation section 13 described above and the device information created by the data extraction section 15 described above to the state storage section 14. The input information and the device information transmitted are stored in the state storage section 14 as the state information. That is, the state storage section 14 stores information including the device data stored in the storage area specified by the specified information, the storage area storing the device data, and the input information for which the request category has been confirmed by the category confirmation section 13, as the state information.

[0050] The communication processing section 17 and the user setting section 18 are part of the external I / F section 103 in the control device 100, and are configured using the communication section 45. The communication processing section 17 outputs input information input from the outside of the control device 100 to the control section (not shown) that controls the processing device 30 and the category confirmation section 13 described above. The user setting section 18 outputs the specified information input to the control device 100 by the user to the specified information storage section 12 described above.

[0051] Hereinafter, the operation of the control device 100 related to the information collection processing and the control method related to the information collection processing according to the present embodiment 1 will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. 2. Figure 4 The operation of the control device 100 related to the information collection processing and the control method related to the information collection processing according to the present embodiment 1 will be described. Figure 4is one example of a flowchart showing the operation of the control device 100 related to the information collection process and the control method related to the information collection process. Further, the information collection process can be executed in parallel with the control process that controls the device 30.

[0052] The user inputs the specification information to the control device 100 before executing the information collection process in the control device 100. The specification information is pre-stored in the specification information storage section 12 via the user setting section 18. Here, the control device 100 can be configured to execute the information collection process together with the execution of the control process, or can be configured to be able to execute the information collection process at an arbitrary timing of the user by providing a start button or the like for executing the information collection process. Further, the above-described step of pre-storing the specification information in the specification information storage section 12 via the user setting section 18 corresponds to one example of a specification information storage step.

[0053] The control device 100 executes the control method shown in the following steps S101 to S106 to realize the operation related to the information collection process.

[0054] As shown in Figure 5 , the control device 100 outputs the input information input from the outside to the category confirmation section 13. The category confirmation section 13 that has acquired the input information extracts the request category from the input information and performs confirmation of the request category (step S101). The category confirmation section 13 outputs information indicating the confirmed request category to the data extraction section 15. The data extraction section 15 acquires the information indicating the request category (step S102). The data extraction section 15 acquires the specification information extracted from the specification information storage section 12, the specification information having information indicating the request category in common with the acquired information indicating the request category (step S103). The data extraction section 15 creates device information by extracting the device data stored in the storage area designated by the acquired specification information from the device data storage section 11 (step S104). The data transmission section 16 acquires the input information from the category confirmation section 13 and acquires the device information from the data extraction section 15. Then, the data transmission section 16 transmits the acquired information to the state storage section 14 (step S105). The state storage section 14 stores the input information transmitted from the data transmission section 16 as the state information in association with the device information (step S106). Hereinafter, each step will be described.

[0055] In step S101, the category confirmation section 13 confirms the request category indicating the category of the request included in the input information. Figure 5 One example of the structure of the input information is schematically shown. As shown in Figure 5As shown, the input information includes transmission source information indicating an IP (Internet Protocol) address of a transmission source or the like, and category information indicating a request category such as a write request or a read request to the control device 100. Further, the input information includes parameter information including device data such as a device value or a device name used for control performed by the control device 100, and a memory address for specifying a storage area of an object of execution of the above request. That is, the input information includes various information used for control by the control device 100. The transmission source information includes an IP address of the terminal 50 as the transmission source information in the case where the input information is information transmitted from the terminal 50, an IP address of the control device 100 as the transmission source information in the case where the input information is information transmitted from another control device 100, and an IP address of the device 30 as the transmission source information in the case where the input information is information transmitted from the device 30.

[0056] Further, in Figure 5 , as one example of the structure of the input information, the transmission source information is shown by "AA", the case where the category information is a write request, i.e., "write", is shown, and the parameter information is shown by a memory address for specifying a storage area, i.e., "D100", and device data, i.e., "(100)". That is, the input information shown in Figure 6 shows a process of writing the device data "100" to a storage area specified by the memory address "D100" in the storage area of the device data storage section 11 by being input to the control device 100. Therefore, the category confirmation section 13 performs confirmation of the request category by performing extraction of the category information included in the input information if the input information is acquired. Further, the category confirmation section 13 outputs the extracted category information to the data extraction section 15 as information indicating the request category. In addition, the category confirmation section 13 outputs the input information for which the confirmation of the request category is performed to the data transmission section 16. Here, the step S101 corresponds to one example of a category confirmation step.

[0057] In the step S102, the data extraction section 15 acquires the category information output from the category confirmation section 13 as information indicating the request category. In the step S103, the data extraction section 15 extracts and acquires the specification information from the specification information storage section 12 (step S103: YES) which has information indicating the request category in common with the acquired category information. Further, in the case where the specification information having information indicating the request category in common with the acquired information indicating the request category is not stored in the specification information storage section 12 (in the case of step S103: NO), the control device 100 ends the information collection process.

[0058] Figure 6One example of the structure of the designation information stored in the designation information storage section 12 is schematically shown. As shown in Figure 6 The designation information stores information indicating "write" which is information indicating a request category in association with information of three memory addresses, i.e., "D10", "D20", "D100" (designated memory addresses) which are information of memory addresses designated in correspondence with the request category, as shown in Figure 7 The designation information shown in (a) shows a case where the memory addresses which determine the memory areas from which the device data extracted by the data extraction section 15 is read out are "D10", "D20", "D100" in the case where the request category is "write". Therefore, the data extraction section 15 extracts and acquires the designation information having information indicating the request category in agreement with the category information from the designation information stored in the designation information storage section 12 on the basis of the category information acquired from the category confirmation section 13 in step S103.

[0059] In step S104, the data extraction section 15 reads out the designated memory addresses which determine the memory areas designated by the designation information acquired in step S103, extracts the device data stored in the memory areas determined by the designated memory addresses from the device data storage section 11, and creates the device information in association of the designated memory addresses with the device data stored at the designated memory addresses. One example of the structure of the device information is schematically shown in Figure 7 In (a) in Figure 6 In (a) in Figure 8 The device information created on the basis of the designation information shown in (a) is shown in (b) in (a) in

[0060] In step S105, the data transmission section 16 transmits the input information acquired from the category confirmation section 13 and the device information acquired from the data extraction section 15 to the state storage section 14. Then, in step S106, the state storage section 14 stores the input information transmitted from the data transmission section 16 in association with the device information as state information. That is, in the present embodiment 1, the state storage section 14 stores the state information including the device information created on the basis of the specification information including the information indicating the request category coinciding with the request category included in the input information, in the case where the request category confirmed by the category confirmation section 13 is a request previously set by the specification information. Here, step S106 corresponds to one example of a state storage step.

[0061] As described above, the control device 100 executes the above-described steps S101 to S106 to store the state information each time the input information is inputted from the outside. Figure 8 One example of the structure of the state information stored in the state storage section 14 is schematically shown.

[0062] In Figure 8 Three pieces of the state information stored in the state storage section 14 in the case where the input information is inputted three times to the control device 100 are shown in Figure 8For convenience, the three status information entries are represented as status information X, Y, and Z. Status information X stores input information and device information in association. The input information is source information "AA", category information "write", and parameter information is represented by the memory address "D100" and device data "100" that defines the storage area. The device information specifies memory addresses "D10", "D20", and "D100", and the device data stored in the storage area defined by the specified memory address is represented by "1", "10", and "100" respectively. Status information Y stores input information and device information in association. The input information is source information "AA", category information "write", and parameter information is represented by the memory address "D100" and device data "500" that defines the storage area. The device information specifies memory addresses "D10", "D20", and "D100", and the device data stored in the storage area defined by the specified memory address is represented by "2", "10", and "500" respectively. In addition, the status information Z stores input information and device information in association. The input information is “BB”, which is different from the status information X and Y. The category information is “write”. The parameter information is shown by the memory address “D100” that determines the storage area and the device data “200”. The device information is specified by the memory addresses “D10”, “D20”, and “D100”. The device data stored in the storage area determined by the specified memory address is shown by “1”, “10”, and “200” respectively.

[0063] like Figure 9 As shown, the control device 100 stores input information and device information together as status information. Therefore, it becomes easier to analyze the factors affecting the control state of the control device 100. For example, regarding the control state of the control device 100, the following explains the following situation: when the device data stored in the memory area determined by memory address "D10" is "1", it is a correct control state when the device data stored in the memory areas determined by memory addresses "D20" and "D100" is "10" and "100".

[0064] In the above case, the state storage section 14 stores the case where the device data stored in each storage area determined by the memory addresses "D10", "D20", and "D100" of the device information is "1", "10", and "200" as the state information Z. Thus, the user can confirm that the control state of the control device 100 has a problem by analyzing the state information, based on the case where the device data of the storage area determined by the memory address "D100" is "200". Also, the state storage section 14 stores the case where there is a request from the transmission source "BB" to write the device data "200" to the storage area determined by the memory address "D100" as the input information included in the state information Z. Thus, the user can confirm that the cause of the device data "200" being stored as the device data in the storage area determined by the memory address "D100" is the input information transmitted from the transmission source BB, by analyzing the state information. Therefore, the control device 100 can easily analyze the cause of the control state of the control device 100 being affected, by storing the state information.

[0065] Thus, according to the control device 100 and the control method according to Embodiment 1, the request category indicating the category of the request included in the input information input from the outside of the control device 100 is confirmed by the category confirmation section 13, and the state information in which the device information and the input information input to the control device are associated, the device information including the specified memory address specifying the storage area determined by the specified information and the device data stored in the storage area determined by the specified memory address, is stored in the state storage section 14 based on the request category confirmed by the category confirmation section 13. That is, in the case where the request category confirmed by the category confirmation section 13 is a request set in advance, the state information in which the device information including the device data stored in the storage area specified by the specified information and the input information are associated is stored in the state storage section 14. Thus, the device information required by the request category of the input information can be stored, and the input information corresponding to the device information can be stored. Therefore, the cause of the control state of the control device 100 being affected can be easily analyzed.

[0066] Embodiment 2

[0067] The control device 100a and the control method according to Embodiment 2 of the present application will be described using the accompanying drawings. In addition, the same reference numerals are used to describe the same structures as those of Embodiment 1 described above, and detailed description will be omitted. Hereinafter, the structures different from those of Embodiment 1 will be described in detail.

[0068] The control device 100a according to Embodiment 2 is realized by the same hardware configuration as that of Embodiment 1. In the control device 100a according to Embodiment 2, the control processing and the information collection processing are executed using the input information as described above. Figure 9 An example of a configuration related to the information collection processing in the control device 100a according to Embodiment 2 is shown using a functional module.

[0069] As shown in Figure 10 The control device 100a according to Embodiment 2 has a trigger determination section 201 including a system observation section 21 that notifies observation information indicating a control state of the control device 100a and a condition comparison section 22 that compares a trigger condition specified by a user with the observation information, and a log data storage section 202 including a log data storage section 23 that stores state information stored in the state storage section 14 as log data in a case where the observation information satisfies the trigger condition. In addition, the control device 100a has the same data collection section 102 as that of Embodiment 1, and a storage section 101a and an external I / F section 103a different from those of Embodiment 1.

[0070] The system observation section 21 is a part of the trigger determination section 201 in the control device 100a and is executed by the processor 41. The system observation section 21 notifies observation information indicating a control state of the control device 100a. The observation information is information obtained from the control state at the time when the control processing in the control device 100a is executed. As the observation information, for example, there is information indicating that device data stored at a prescribed memory address has been changed, information indicating that an abnormality has occurred in an operation in the control processing, information indicating the number of times of execution of a user program in the control processing, and the like.

[0071] More specifically, the control device 100a executes a user program using device data, performs the control processing, and thereby updates the device data for each execution of the user program in order to reflect the result of the control processing in the device data. At such an update of the device data, a change in the device data is made based on the result of the control processing. The system observation section 21 is able to observe whether the device data stored at a memory address as an observation object has been changed by setting the prescribed memory address storing the device data as the observation object, and is able to output information indicating that the device data stored at the prescribed memory address has been changed as the observation information in a case where the device data has been changed.

[0072] In addition, when the control device 100a executes the user program using the device data and performs the control processing, if there is a problem in the read device data, sometimes the operation in the control processing stops. In such a case, the control device 100a stops the control processing by notifying of the operation error. The system observation section 21 is able to output information indicating that the operation in the control processing has generated an abnormality as observation information by taking the operation error notification as an observation object.

[0073] Further, when the control device 100a executes the user program using the device data and performs the control processing, the number of times of execution of the user program is counted by the counter. In such a case, the system observation section 21 is able to output information indicating the number of times of execution of the user program in the control processing as observation information by taking the count value obtained by the counter as an observation object. Further, the system observation section 21 is able to be set in a manner that observation information is output based on arbitrary information obtainable from the control device 100a.

[0074] The condition comparison section 22 is a part of the trigger determination section 201 in the control device 100a and is executed by the processor 41. The condition comparison section 22 compares a trigger condition specified by a user operation and the observation information. The trigger condition is information that becomes a condition for obtaining the state information stored in the state storage section 14 shown in Embodiment 1 described above and is stored as log data in the log data storage section 23 described later, and is specified in advance by a user operation. The trigger condition is information set in correspondence with the observation information described above, for example, a case where the device data stored at a prescribed memory address has changed, a case where an abnormality has occurred in the operation in the control processing, a case where the user program has been executed more than or equal to a prescribed number of times in the control processing, and the like. Further, the condition comparison section 22 notifies of the fact that the observation information satisfies the trigger condition in a case where the observation information satisfies the trigger condition. In addition, the condition comparison section 22 outputs the observation information that satisfies the trigger condition in accordance with the notification, in comparison with the trigger condition. Here, the condition comparison section 22 can also output a tag indicating the observation information when the observation information is output to obtain the observation information itself.

[0075] The log data storage section 23 is a part of the log data storage section 202 in the control device 100a and is constituted by a region of at least a part of the main storage section 42 and the auxiliary storage section 43. The log data storage section 23 stores the state information stored in the state storage section 14 of the data collection section 102 as log data in a case where the observation information notified from the system observation section 21 satisfies the trigger condition at the time of comparison by the condition comparison section 22 described above. Further, the log data is information including the state information, and can also include other information. For example, the observation information output from the condition comparison section 22 can also be stored in association with the state information.

[0076] The log data storage section 202 has a log data transmission section 24 in addition to the log data storage section 23. The log data transmission section 24 is executed by the processor 41. The log data transmission section 24 acquires a notification that the observation information satisfies the trigger condition at the time of comparison in the condition comparison section 22 described above. If the log data transmission section 24 acquires the notification, the log data transmission section 24 acquires the state information stored in the state storage section 14. Then, the log data transmission section 24 outputs the acquired state information to the log data storage section 23. In addition, the log data transmission section 24 can acquire the observation information compared with the trigger condition at the same time as the notification that the observation information satisfies the trigger condition is acquired. In this case, the log data transmission section 24 outputs the acquired observation information and the state information to the log data storage section 23.

[0077] The storage section 101a has a condition storage section 25 in addition to the device data storage section 11 and the specification information storage section 12 shown in Embodiment 1 described above. The condition storage section 25 is constituted by a region of at least a part of the main storage section 42 and the auxiliary storage section 43. The condition storage section 25 stores the trigger condition compared with the observation information in the condition comparison section 22. The condition storage section 25 can store one or a plurality of trigger conditions.

[0078] The external I / F section 103a has the communication processing section 17 and the user setting section 18a shown in Embodiment 1 described above. The user setting section 18a is constituted using the communication section 45. The user setting section 18a has a function of outputting the trigger condition specified by the user operation to the condition storage section 25 in addition to the same function of outputting the specification information to the specification information storage section 12 as in Embodiment 1.

[0079] Hereinafter, the flowchart shown in FIG. 9 will be described. Figure 10 The operation of the control device 100a related to the information collection processing and the control method related to the information collection processing according to the present embodiment 2 will be described. Figure 4 is one example of a flowchart showing the operation of the control device 100a related to the information collection processing and the control method related to the information collection processing. In addition, in the present embodiment 2, the control processing of controlling the device 30 can be executed in parallel with the information collection processing as in Embodiment 1 described above.

[0080] The user inputs the specification information and the trigger condition to the control device 100a before executing the information collection processing in the control device 100a. The specification information and the trigger condition are set by being prestored to the specification information storage section 12 and the condition storage section 25 via the user setting section 18a.

[0081] If the information collection processing is started in the control device 100a, the steps S101 to S106 shown in Embodiment 1 are executed. Then, the control device 100a executes the control method shown in the steps S201 to S205 below to realize the action related to the information collection processing.

[0082] Here, the information collection processing shown by the steps S101 to S106 in the above-described Figure 10 may be executed in parallel with the information collection processing shown by the steps S201 to S205 in the above-described Figure 10 may be executed after the steps S101 to S106 are executed. Further, in the above-described Figure 10 , the steps S101 to S106 are the same as Embodiment 1 described above, and thus the illustration is omitted, and the steps S201 to S205 are illustrated and described.

[0083] As shown in Figure 11 , if the information collection processing in the control device 100a is started, the condition comparison section 22 acquires the trigger condition stored in the condition storage section 25 (step S201). Then, the system observation section 21 observes the control state of the control device 100a, and outputs the observation information to the condition comparison section 22 (step S202). The condition comparison section 22 compares the observation information with the trigger condition if the observation information is acquired (step S203). The condition comparison section 22 notifies the log data transmission section 24 that the observation information satisfies the trigger condition in a case where the result of comparing the observation information with the trigger condition is that the observation information satisfies the trigger condition. The log data transmission section 24 acquires the state information from the state storage section 14 if the notification is received, and transmits the acquired state information to the log data storage section 23 (step S204). The log data storage section 23 stores the state information acquired from the log data transmission section 24 as the log data (step S205). The steps are described below.

[0084] In the step S201, the condition comparison section 22 acquires the trigger condition from the condition storage section 25. In this Embodiment 2, a case where the condition comparison section 22 acquires the situation that an abnormality occurs in the operation in the control processing as the trigger condition is described.

[0085] In step S202, the system observation unit 21 observes the control state of the control device 100a, and outputs the observation information to the condition comparison unit 22. That is, the processing result in the control processing of the control device 100a is observed as the control state of the control device 100a, and the output of the observation information is performed. In this Embodiment 2, a case where the system observation unit 21 sets the operation error notification as the observation object, and outputs the information indicating that the abnormality has occurred in the operation in the control processing as the observation information will be described. Further, step S202 corresponds to one example of a system observation step.

[0086] In step S203, the condition comparison unit 22 compares the trigger condition acquired from the condition storage unit 25 with the observation information acquired from the system observation unit 21. The condition comparison unit 22, in a case where the observation information satisfies the trigger condition (YES in step S203), notifies the log data transmission unit 24 of the fact that the observation information satisfies the trigger condition. Here, the condition comparison unit 22, in accordance with the notification, compares the trigger condition, and outputs the observation information that satisfies the trigger condition. The condition comparison unit 22, in a case where the observation information does not satisfy the trigger condition (NO in step S203), returns to step S202, and repeatedly performs the processing. In this Embodiment 2, as described above, the condition comparison unit 22 acquires the fact that the abnormality has occurred in the operation in the control processing as the trigger condition from the condition storage unit 25, and acquires the information indicating the fact that the abnormality has occurred in the operation in the control processing as the observation information from the system observation unit 21. Therefore, the condition comparison unit 22 notifies the log data transmission unit 24 of the fact that the observation information satisfies the trigger condition, and outputs the observation information that satisfies the trigger condition. Further, step S203 corresponds to one example of a condition comparison step.

[0087] In step S204, the log data transmission unit 24, if receiving the notification from the condition comparison unit 22, acquires all the state information stored in the state storage unit 14 at the point of time when the notification is received from the state storage unit 14. Then, the state information acquired from the state storage unit 14 and the observation information acquired from the condition comparison unit 22 are transmitted to the log data storage unit 23.

[0088] In step S205, the log data storage unit 23 stores the state information transmitted from the log data transmission unit 24 as the log data in association with the observation information. Further, step S205 corresponds to one example of a log data storage step.

[0089] In Figure 11 An example of the structure of the log data stored in the log data storage unit 23 is shown in FIG. 12. As shown in FIG. 12, the log data stores the state information and the observation information in association with each other. Figure 8 Figure 12 ​The state information is stored in association with the "operation error" as a label indicating the observation information. Therefore, the control device 100a can easily analyze the cause that has an influence on the control state of the control device 100a by storing the state information, as in Embodiment 1. Further, the state information is stored as log data using the trigger condition that is set in advance by the user operation, and thus, the analysis of the cause that has an influence on the control state of the control device 100a can be easily performed at an arbitrary timing of the control state of the control device 100a that is set as the trigger condition by the user. In addition, the log data stores the observation information that satisfies the trigger condition in association with the state information, and thus, it is possible to determine that the state information stored as the log data is the state information at the time when the operation error occurs in the control processing of the control device 100a.

[0090] Thus, according to the control device 100a and the control method according to Embodiment 2, since the state information is collected in the data collection section 102, the analysis of the cause that has an influence on the control state of the control device 100a can be easily performed as in Embodiment 1. Further, in a case where the observation information indicating the control state of the control device 100a satisfies the trigger condition that is set in advance by the user operation, the state information stored in the state storage section 14 is stored as log data by the log data storage section 23. Thus, the state information that associates the device information with the input information can be stored as log data at an arbitrary timing specified by the user. Therefore, the analysis of the cause that has an influence on the control state of the control device 100a can be easily performed at an arbitrary timing of the control state of the control device 100a that is specified as the trigger condition by the user.

[0091] Further, the log data storage section 23 stores the observation information that satisfies the trigger condition in association with the state information as log data, and thus, it is possible to determine that the state information stored as the log data is the state information at an arbitrary timing specified by the user in the control processing of the control device 100a.

[0092] Embodiment 3

[0093] The control device 100b and the control method according to Embodiment 3 of the present application will be described using the drawings. Further, the same reference numerals are used to describe the same structures as those of Embodiments 1 and 2, and detailed description will be omitted. Hereinafter, the structures different from those of Embodiments 1 and 2 will be described in detail.

[0094] The control device 100b according to Embodiment 3 is realized by the same hardware configuration as that of Embodiment 1. In the control device 100b according to Embodiment 3, the control processing and the information collection processing are executed using the input information as described above. In the control device 100b according to Embodiment 3, the information collection processing is executed using the input information as described above. Figure 12 One example of the structure related to the information collection processing in the control device 100b according to Embodiment 3 is shown using a functional module.

[0095] Figure 13 The control device 100b according to Embodiment 3 has a storage section 101b having a condition storage section 25b which is different from the condition storage section 25a in part of the function, a user setting section 18b, and a trigger determination section 201b having a condition comparison section 22b. The other structures are the same as those of Embodiments 1 and 2.

[0096] The condition storage section 25b is a part of the storage section 101b in the control device 100b and is constituted by a region of at least a part of the main storage section 42 and the auxiliary storage section 43. The condition storage section 25b stores the trigger condition and the possibility flag indicating the possibility of the comparison between the observation information and the trigger condition by the condition comparison section 22b described later. In the condition comparison section 22b described later, the comparison between the trigger condition and the observation information is performed, and when the observation information satisfies the trigger condition, the condition storage section 25b stores the flag update information for updating the possibility flag stored in the condition storage section 25b in association with the trigger condition. The flag update information is information for changing the possibility flag to "comparable" or "non-comparable". Further, the possibility flag corresponds to one example of the possibility information indicating the possibility of the comparison between the observation information and the trigger condition in the condition comparison section, and the flag update information corresponds to one example of the update information for changing the possibility information.

[0097] Further, the condition storage section 25b stores the flag update information in correspondence with each trigger condition when a plurality of trigger conditions are stored. Further, when a plurality of trigger conditions are stored in the condition storage section 25b, the user can determine the content of the flag update information in accordance with the importance of the trigger condition.

[0098] The condition comparison section 22b is a part of the trigger determination section 201b in the control device 100b and is executed by the processor 41. The condition comparison section 22b performs the determination of the flag update information in addition to the function shown in Embodiment 2. The condition comparison section 22b performs the determination of the flag update information and the update of the possibility flag stored in the condition storage section 25b.

[0099] The user setting unit 18b is part of the external I / F unit 103b in the control device 100b and is configured using the communication unit 45. In addition to the functions described in Embodiment 2 above, the user setting unit 18b also outputs flag update information corresponding to the trigger condition to the condition storage unit 25b when the trigger condition is output.

[0100] The following uses Figure 13 The operations related to information collection and processing, and the control methods related to information collection and processing of the control device 100b according to Embodiment 3 will be described. Figure 4 This is an example of a flowchart illustrating the operations related to information collection and processing of the control device 100b and the control methods related to information collection and processing. Furthermore, in this embodiment 3, similar to embodiments 1 and 2 described above, the information collection and processing can perform control processing to control the device 30 in parallel.

[0101] Before performing information collection and processing in the control device 100b, the user inputs specified information, trigger conditions, flag update information, and approval / disapproval flags into the control device 100b. The specified information, trigger conditions, flag update information, and approval / disapproval flags are pre-stored in the specified information storage unit 12 and the condition storage unit 25b via the user setting unit 18b. Furthermore, the step of pre-stored the specified information, trigger conditions, flag update information, and approval / disapproval flags in the specified information storage unit 12 and the condition storage unit 25b via the user setting unit 18b is equivalent to an example of a condition storage step.

[0102] If the control device 100b starts information collection processing, it executes steps S101 to S106 shown in Embodiment 1. Then, the control device 100b executes the control method shown in steps S301 to S308 below to realize the operation related to information collection processing.

[0103] Here, in the above Figure 13 The information collection and processing shown in steps S101 to S106 are as follows: Figure 13 The information collection process shown in steps S301 to S308 can be executed in parallel, or steps S301 to S308 can be executed after steps S101 to S106. Furthermore, in Figure 13 In this embodiment, steps S101 to S106 are the same as in embodiment 1 above, so the illustrations are omitted. Steps S301 to S308 will be illustrated and explained.

[0104] like Figure 14As shown, if information collection processing begins in the control device 100b, the condition comparison unit 22b acquires the trigger condition and the corresponding flag update information stored in the condition storage unit 25b (step S301). Then, the system observation unit 21 observes the control state of the control device 100b and outputs the observation information to the condition comparison unit 22b (step S302). If the condition comparison unit 22b acquires the observation information, it determines whether the comparison between the observation information and the trigger condition is valid (step S303). If the comparison between the observation information and the trigger condition is valid, the condition comparison unit 22b compares the observation information with the trigger condition (step S304). If the observation information satisfies the trigger condition, the condition comparison unit 22b determines the flag update information corresponding to the trigger condition for which the observation information satisfies the condition (step S305). If the condition comparison unit 22b determines that the flag update information is information that changes the valid flag to "not comparable", it updates the valid flag stored in the condition storage unit 25b to "not comparable" (step S306). Furthermore, if the condition comparison unit 22b determines that the flag update information is information that changes the comparability flag to "comparable", it skips step S306. Then, the condition comparison unit 22b notifies the log data transmission unit 24 that the observation information meets the triggering condition. If the log data transmission unit 24 receives the notification, it obtains the status information from the status storage unit 14 and transmits the obtained status information to the log data storage unit 23 (step S307). The log data storage unit 23 stores the status information obtained from the log data transmission unit 24 as log data (step S308). The steps will be explained below.

[0105] In step S301, the condition comparison unit 22b obtains the trigger condition and the flag update information corresponding to the trigger condition from the condition storage unit 25b. Figure 14 The diagram illustrates an example of an enable / disable flag, trigger condition, and flag update information stored in the condition storage unit 25b.

[0106] like Figure 14 As shown, the condition storage unit 25b stores condition 1 and condition 2 as trigger conditions, and stores the flag update information associated with condition 1 and condition 2 respectively. Figure 14 In the code, the flag update information corresponding to condition 1 is stored as "×" to change the yes / no flag to "not comparable," and the flag update information corresponding to condition 2 is stored as "○" to change the yes / no flag to "comparable." Additionally, in... Figure 14In this embodiment, "○" is stored as a flag indicating "comparable" as a valid / unqualified flag. Furthermore, in this embodiment 3, the condition comparison unit 22b explains the case where condition 1 and condition 2 are obtained as trigger conditions, and flag update information is obtained together. Furthermore, in... Figure 14 In this text, "comparable" is indicated by "○" and "incomparable" is indicated by "×". However, "comparable" and "incomparable" are not limited to "○" and "×", and can also be other symbols or text information.

[0107] In step S302, the system observation unit 21 observes the control state of the control device 100b and outputs the observation information to the condition comparison unit 22b. Step S302 is the same process as step S202 in Embodiment 2 described above, so its description is omitted. Furthermore, step S302 is equivalent to an example of the system observation step.

[0108] In step S303, if the condition comparison unit 22b obtains the observation information, it reads the approval / disapproval flag from the condition storage unit 25b, confirms the approval / disapproval flag, and thus determines whether the comparison between the observation information and the triggering condition is valid. If the approval / disapproval flag is "○ (comparable)" in step S303 (indicated by step S303: YES), the control device 100b proceeds to step S304. If the approval / disapproval flag is "× (not comparable)" in step S303 (indicated by step S303: NO), the control device 100b executes steps S101 to S106 as described in Embodiment 1 above, and terminates the process without executing steps S304 to S308.

[0109] In step S304, if the comparison between the observation information and the triggering condition in step S303 is "○ (comparable)," the condition comparison unit 22b compares the observation information with the triggering condition. In this embodiment 3, the condition comparison unit 22b obtains... Figure 14 Conditions 1 and 2 shown are used as triggering conditions. Furthermore, as explained in Embodiment 2 above, the triggering conditions can be any conditions that are arbitrarily determined by the user.

[0110] In this Embodiment 3, the condition comparison section 22b performs the comparison between the observation information and the condition 1 as the trigger condition and the comparison between the observation information and the condition 2 as the trigger condition, respectively, for 1 piece of observation information in step S304. In the comparison between the observation information and the trigger condition in the condition comparison section 22b, in a case where the observation information satisfies at least one of the condition 1 and the condition 2 (YES in step S304), step S305 described later is performed. In addition, in a case where the observation information does not satisfy both of the condition 1 and the condition 2 (NO in step S304), the process returns to step S302 and is repeated.

[0111] In step S305, in a case where the observation information satisfies the trigger condition in step S304, the condition comparison section 22b performs the determination of the flag update information corresponding to the trigger condition with which the observation information satisfies the condition. That is, in a case where the observation information satisfies the condition 1, the flag update information corresponding to the condition 1 as the trigger condition is confirmed, and it is determined whether the flag update information is information that changes the possibility flag to either "O (comparable)" or "X (non-comparable)". In addition, in a case where the observation information satisfies the condition 2, the flag update information corresponding to the condition 2 as the trigger condition is determined in the same manner as above.

[0112] In step S306, in a case where it is determined in step S305 that the flag update information is information that changes the possibility flag to "X (non-comparable)" (a case where YES is indicated by step S305), the possibility flag stored in the condition storage section 25b is updated to "X (non-comparable)". That is, in this Embodiment 3, as described above, in a case where the observation information satisfies the condition 1 or the condition 2, the possibility flag is changed to "X (non-comparable)". ​The flag update information corresponding to condition 1 as the trigger condition is information that changes the possibility flag to "X (not comparable)", and the flag update information corresponding to condition 2 is information that changes the possibility flag to "O (comparable)". Therefore, when the determination of the flag update information corresponding to condition 1 is made in step S305, the condition storage section 22b updates the possibility flag stored in the condition storage section 25b to "X (not comparable)". Then, after the update of the possibility flag is performed, the condition storage section 22b notifies the log data transmission section 24 that the observation information satisfies the trigger condition. Here, the condition comparison section 22b outputs the observation information that satisfies the trigger condition in step S304 in accordance with the notification. Further, when the determination of the flag update information corresponding to condition 2 is made in step S305, the condition storage section 22b skips this step S306 (indicated by NO in step S305). In the case where step S306 is skipped, the condition comparison section 22b notifies the log data transmission section 24 that the observation information satisfies the trigger condition after step S305 is performed, and outputs the observation information that satisfies the trigger condition in step S304 in accordance with the notification. Further, the above-described steps S303 to S306 correspond to one example of the condition comparison step.

[0113] In step S307, the log data transmission section 24 acquires all the state information stored in the state storage section 14 from the state storage section 14 at the point of time when the notification is received, if the notification from the condition comparison section 22b is received. Then, the state information acquired from the state storage section 14 and the observation information acquired from the condition comparison section 22b are transmitted to the log data storage section 23.

[0114] In step S308, the log data storage section 23 stores the state information transmitted from the log data transmission section 24 as the log data in association with the observation information. Further, in this embodiment 3, the stored log data is the same structure as the log data shown in the above-described embodiment 2, and thus the description is omitted. Further, step S308 corresponds to one example of the log data storage step.

[0115] According to the control device 100b and the control method involved in this embodiment 3, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment 1 and embodiment 2 can be obtained.

[0116] Further, according to the control device 100b and the control method according to Embodiment 3, the condition storage section 25b stores a possibility flag indicating the possibility of comparison between the observation information and the trigger condition and flag update information for updating the possibility flag stored in the condition storage section 25b when the observation information satisfies the trigger condition. Further, the condition comparison section 22b performs determination of the flag update information corresponding to the trigger condition with which the observation information satisfies the condition when the observation information satisfies the trigger condition, and updates the possibility flag stored in the condition storage section 25b to "X (not possible to compare)" when it is determined that the flag update information is information for changing the possibility flag to "X (not possible to compare)". That is, the condition comparison section 22b can store the log data and stop comparison between the subsequent observation information and the trigger condition when the observation information satisfies the trigger condition. Therefore, the log data can be stored when the prescribed trigger condition specified by the user is satisfied, and disappearance of the stored log data due to rewriting can be suppressed.

[0117] The structure shown in the above embodiments represents one example of the gist of the present application, and can be combined with other known techniques, and a part of the structure can be omitted or changed without departing from the gist of the present application.

[0118] In Embodiment 1 described above, the case where the category information indicating the request category included in the input information is "write" is described as an example, but the control device of the present application can perform the information collection process with respect to input information including other category information as well. For example, in the case of the information collection process where the request category included in the input information is "read" as the category information, which is a request to read out device data stored at a prescribed memory address, the information indicating the read request "read", which is the information indicating the request category, and the information indicating the memory address specified in correspondence with the request category can be stored as the specified information in association with each other.

[0119] Further, in Embodiment 1 described above, the case where three storage areas are specified as the specified information is described as an example, but the number of storage areas specified by the specified information can be one or two, or can be four or more.

[0120] In Embodiments 1 to 3 described above, the manner in which the state storage section 14 stores the state information via the data extraction section 15 and the data transmission section 16 is explained, but the control device of the present application can store the state information by the state storage section 14 through other structures. For example, the data collection section 102 can be configured in a manner that the category confirmation section 13 performs the confirmation of the request category and realizes the functions of the data extraction section 15 and the data transmission section 16. In addition, other functional modules realizing the functions of the data extraction section 15 and the data transmission section 16 can be provided.

[0121] In Embodiments 2 and 3 described above, the manner in which the log data is stored by the log data storage section 23 via the log data transmission section 24 is explained, but the control device of the present application can store the log data by the log data storage section 23 through other structures. For example, the log data transmission section 24 can be realized by the condition comparison section 22, 22b performing the comparison between the observation information and the trigger condition. In addition, the log data storage section 23 can be configured by a storage medium which can be attached to and detached from the control device.

[0122] In Embodiments 2 and 3 described above, the manner in which the condition comparison section 22, 22b compares the notification that the observation information satisfies the trigger condition with the trigger condition and outputs the observation information satisfying the trigger condition is explained, but the condition comparison section 22, 22b can not necessarily output the observation information satisfying the trigger condition, but can notify the fact that the observation information satisfies the trigger condition.

[0123] Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0124] 1000 control system, 100 100a 100b control device, 101 101a 101b storage section, 102 data collection section, 103 103a 103b external I / F section, 201 201b trigger determination section, 202 log data storage section, 11 device data storage section, 12 specification information storage section, 13 category confirmation section, 14 state storage section, 15 data extraction section, 16 data transmission section, 17 communication processing section, 18, 18b user setting section, 21 system observation section, 22 22b condition comparison section, 23 log data storage section, 24 log data transmission section, 25 25b condition storage section, 30 device, 41 processor, 42 main storage section, 43 auxiliary storage section, 44 ROM, 45 communication section, 46 internal bus, 50 terminal.

Claims

1. A control device that controls a controlled device using input information inputted from outside, the input information including transmission source information, a request category, device data including a device value and a device name for control, and a memory address for specifying a storage area of an object of a request, wherein the control device having: a device data storage section that stores the device data in a storage area and stores; a category confirmation section that confirms the request category; a designation information storage section that stores designation information indicating a correspondence relationship between the request category and the memory address for specifying the storage area; a data extraction section that extracts designation information having a request category coinciding with the request category confirmed by the category confirmation section from the designation information storage section, and extracts device data stored in a storage area specified by a memory address included in the extracted designation information, creates device information associating the memory address included in the extracted designation information with the extracted device data; and a state storage section that stores state information associating the created device information with the input information.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein having: a system observation section that observes a control state of the control device, and outputs observation information indicating the control state; a condition comparison section that compares a trigger condition set in advance with the observation information; and a log data storage section that, in the comparison by the condition comparison section, stores the state information stored in the state storage section as log data in a case where the observation information satisfies the trigger condition.

3. The control device according to claim 2, wherein the log data storage section, in the comparison by the condition comparison section, stores the observation information satisfying the trigger condition as the log data in association with the state information.

4. The control device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein having a condition storage section that stores update information associated with the trigger condition, permission information indicating a possibility of the comparison in the condition comparison section, and the trigger condition, the update information being used to change the permission information, the condition comparison section performs the comparison based on the permission information, and in a case where the observation information satisfies the trigger condition in the comparison, changes the permission information based on the update information associated with the trigger condition satisfied by the observation information.

5. The control device according to claim 4, wherein the condition comparison section, in a case where the observation information satisfies the trigger condition in the comparison, judges the update information associated with the trigger condition satisfied by the observation information, and in a case where the update information judged changes the permission information to be an information that is not comparable, changes the permission information to be the information that is not comparable. ​ ​ 6. A control method executed by a control device that controls a controlled device using input information inputted from the outside, the input information including transmission source information, a request category, device data including a device value and a device name used for control, and a memory address used for specifying a storage area of an object of a request, wherein the control method having the steps of: a device data storage step of storing the device data in a storage area of a device data storage section and storing; a specification information storage step of storing specification information indicating a correspondence relationship between the request category and the memory address used for specifying the storage area in a specification information storage section; a category confirmation step of confirming the request category; a data extraction step of extracting specification information having a request category coinciding with the confirmed request category from the specification information storage section, and extracting device data stored in a storage area specified by a memory address included in the extracted specification information, creating device information associating the memory address included in the extracted specification information with the extracted device data; and a state storage step of storing state information associating the created device information with the input information.

7. The control method according to claim 6, wherein having the steps of: a system observation step of observing a control state of the control device, outputting observation information indicating the control state; a condition comparison step of comparing a trigger condition set in advance with the observation information; and a log data storage step of storing the state information stored in the state storage step as log data in a case where the observation information satisfies the trigger condition in the comparison of the condition comparison step.

8. The control method according to claim 7, wherein having a condition storage step of storing update information associated with the trigger condition, permission information indicating a possibility of the comparison in the condition comparison step, and the trigger condition, the update information being used for changing the permission information, the condition comparison step performing the comparison based on the permission information, changing the permission information based on the update information associated with the trigger condition satisfied by the observation information in a case where the observation information satisfies the trigger condition in the comparison.

9. The control method according to claim 8, wherein in the condition comparison step, when the observation information satisfies the trigger condition in the comparison, the update information associated with the trigger condition satisfied by the observation information is judged, and in a case where the update information judged is information changing the permission information to be not comparable, the permission information is changed to be not comparable.

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