Operation display system, information processing method, and recording medium storing information processing program

Abstract

An operation display system constituting at least part of a control system for controlling a controlled object includes: a display unit; an input unit that accepts user operations; a control unit that causes the display unit to display a page selected from one or more pre-prepared pages; an acquisition unit that acquires historical information that records user operations and events in a time sequence; and a generation unit that extracts a pattern composed of multiple user operations contained in the acquired historical information and generates an operation target corresponding to the user operations contained in the extracted pattern.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to assistance for user operation in a control system for controlling a controlled object. Background Technology

[0002] In various production sites, user operations are provided to control devices through devices called HMIs (Human Machine Interfaces), and various information is provided to users through HMIs.

[0003] For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-506559 (Patent Document 1) discloses a method for changing the target used on the display screen of an HMI device, etc.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-506559 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] The user interface screen displayed on the HMI is designed with manufacturing equipment and operations in mind. However, with continuous improvements being made on the production floor, there is a need to flexibly modify and change the user interface screen in response to these improvements.

[0009] One object of the present invention is to provide a structure that can improve operability by utilizing insights embodied in daily user operations.

[0010] Methods for solving problems

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, an operation display system constituting at least a part of a control system for controlling a controlled object is provided. The operation display system includes: a display unit; an input unit that receives user operations; a control unit that causes the display unit to display a page selected from one or more pre-prepared pages; an acquisition unit that acquires historical information that records user operations and events in a time sequence; and a generation unit that extracts a pattern composed of multiple user operations contained in the acquired historical information and generates an operation target corresponding to the user operations contained in the extracted pattern. According to this structure, an operation target can be generated based on a pattern contained in the historical information that records user operations and events in a time sequence. Thus, it is possible to generate operation targets utilizing insights from user operations specific to each day.

[0012] Alternatively, the generation unit can determine a session based on explicit or implicit features contained in historical information or phenomena occurring in the controlled object, and extract patterns on a per-session basis. Based on this structure, it is possible to generate operation targets corresponding to appropriate user actions for specific events.

[0013] Alternatively, the generation unit extracts multiple user actions common across multiple sessions as patterns. Based on this structure, by extracting the same user actions as patterns across multiple sessions, it is possible to generate operation targets corresponding to frequently occurring user actions.

[0014] Explicit features can also include the occurrence of an alarm. The generation unit can also define a session as the interval from the occurrence of a specific alarm to its recovery, which is contained in historical information. Based on this structure, it is possible to generate operation targets corresponding to user actions from the occurrence of an alarm for a certain anomaly to its recovery.

[0015] Alternatively, the generation unit, based on predetermined criteria, determines the pattern of the object to be the target of the generation operation from patterns extracted from multiple sessions. According to this structure, it is possible to extract valid patterns that conform to predetermined criteria from the various patterns contained in historical information.

[0016] The predetermined benchmarks may also include at least one of the following: the frequency of pattern occurrence, the importance of the event corresponding to the pattern, the proficiency of users who have performed the operation corresponding to the pattern, the importance of the operation surface corresponding to the pattern, and the redundancy of the pattern. Based on this structure, patterns with higher usefulness can be extracted.

[0017] The operation display system may also include an analysis unit that extracts implicit features by analyzing historical information and / or measured values ​​of controlled objects. By employing such an analysis unit, it is possible to extract sessions containing a series of operations that the user may not have noticed.

[0018] The generation unit can also extract operations that output instructions for controlling the controlled object from the operation content contained in the historical information. Therefore, operations other than controlling the controlled object can be excluded from the generated operation targets.

[0019] The page may also contain one or more second operation targets that indicate predetermined processes. These operation targets may also indicate the same process as the second operation target that is the object of user interaction. Based on this structure, it is possible to collect the history of user interactions with the second operation targets contained on the page as historical information.

[0020] The operation target can also be a copy of the corresponding second operation target. Based on this structure, the operation target is independent of the second operation target, thus allowing for further editing of the generated operation target.

[0021] Each operational target can also contain commands for accessing the corresponding second operational target. According to this structure, operational targets can be substantially integrated with the second operational target, so even if the second operational target is changed, the changes can be automatically reflected in the operational targets.

[0022] According to another embodiment of the present invention, an information processing method is provided in a control system for controlling a controlled object. The information processing method includes the following steps: displaying a page selected from one or more pre-prepared pages on a display unit; acquiring historical information that records user operations and events in a time sequence; and extracting a pattern composed of multiple user operations contained in the acquired historical information, and generating an operation target corresponding to the user operations contained in the extracted pattern.

[0023] According to another embodiment of the present invention, an information processing program is provided, executed by a computer constituting at least a part of a control system for controlling a controlled object. The information processing program causes the computer to perform the following steps: displaying a page selected from one or more pre-prepared pages on a display unit; acquiring historical information that records user operations and events in a time sequence; and extracting a pattern composed of multiple user operations contained in the acquired historical information, and generating an operation target corresponding to the user operations contained in the extracted pattern.

[0024] The effects of the invention

[0025] According to the present invention, a structure can be provided that can improve operability by utilizing insights embodied in daily user operations. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the main parts of the control system of this embodiment.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the overall structure of the control system in this embodiment.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware structure of the HMI of the control system in this embodiment.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware structure of the PLC in the control system of this embodiment.

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the exchange between the HMI and PLC in the control system of this embodiment.

[0031] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating an example of user operation in the control system of this embodiment.

[0032] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram showing the outline of the automatic generation process of the control system of the present embodiment.

[0033] Figure 8 It is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the automatic generation process of the control system of the present embodiment.

[0034] Figure 9 It is a schematic diagram showing the outline of the automatic extraction process of the control system of the present embodiment.

[0035] Figure 10 It is a schematic diagram showing the functional structure for implementing the automatic generation process and the automatic extraction process of the control system of the present embodiment.

[0036] Figure 11 It is a diagram showing an example of the page of the manual generation process of the control system of the present embodiment.

[0037] Figure 12 It is a diagram for explaining the processing procedure of the manual generation process of the control system of the present embodiment.

[0038] Figure 13 It is a diagram for explaining the processing procedure of the manual generation process of the control system of the present embodiment.

[0039] Figure 14 It is a schematic diagram showing the functional structure for implementing the manual generation process of the control system of the present embodiment.

[0040] Figure 15 It is a diagram for explaining an example of filtering in the manual generation process of the control system of the present embodiment.

[0041] Figure 16 It is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the manual generation process of the control system of the present embodiment.

[0042] Figure 17 It is a diagram for explaining an example of the shortcut target generated by the control system of the present embodiment.

[0043] Figure 18 It is a schematic diagram showing an example of the layout of the shortcut target generated by the control system of the present embodiment. Specific Embodiments

[0044] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the same or corresponding parts in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description will not be repeated.

[0045] <A. Application Example>

[0046] First, an example of the scenario where the present invention is applied will be described.

[0047] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram showing the main part of the control system 1 of the present embodiment. Refer to Figure 1 , the control system 1 for controlling a control object includes an operation display system.

[0048] As a structure related to the operation display system, the control system 1 includes an input unit 126 for accepting user operations, a display unit 128, an operation acceptance unit 150, a display control unit 152, a shortcut target generation unit 154, and a page storage unit 156.

[0049] The display control unit 152 causes the display unit 128 to display a page selected from one or more pages 130 prepared in advance.

[0050] The operation acceptance unit 150 acquires historical information 160 that records user operations and events in time series.

[0051] The shortcut target generation unit 154 extracts a pattern composed of a plurality of user operations included in the acquired historical information 160, and generates a shortcut target 142 (operation target) corresponding to the user operations included in the extracted pattern. The page 140 including the generated shortcut target 142 is stored in the page storage unit 156.

[0052] In this way, the control system 1 of the present embodiment extracts a pattern composed of a plurality of user operations included in the historical information 160, and generates a shortcut target 142 corresponding to the user operations included in the extracted pattern. Thus, even without an explicit instruction, a shortcut target 142 for realizing a more efficient user operation can be generated.

[0053] <B. Example of the overall structure of the control system 1>

[0054] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram showing an example of the overall structure of the control system 1 of the present embodiment. Refer to Figure 2 , the control system 1 can control the entire factory, or can control specific manufacturing equipment and manufacturing devices provided in the factory. In this way, the control system 1 is configured to control any control object.

[0055] The control system 1 includes one or more HMIs 100, and a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) 200, which is a typical example of a control device for controlling a control object, as main components.

[0056] The control system 1 includes an operation display system. The HMI 100 constitutes at least a part of the operation display system of this embodiment. The operation display system of this embodiment constitutes at least a part of the control system 1, and can be implemented by only the HMI 100, or by multiple HMIs 100, or by the HMI 100 and other processing entities.

[0057] In this specification, the term "operation display system" includes any device that provides user prompts and accepts user input.

[0058] exist Figure 2 In the example shown, HMI 100 and PLC 200 are connected via information system network 6. Information system network 6 can use common communication protocols such as Ethernet (registered trademark).

[0059] The HMI 100 accepts user operations, provides corresponding instructions to the PLC 200, and displays various information from the PLC 200 graphically.

[0060] The PLC 200 is also connected to the field device group 10. The field device group 10 includes any devices necessary for controlling the controlled object. More specifically, the field device group 10 includes devices for exchanging information with the controlled object (e.g., manufacturing equipment, manufacturing apparatus, sensors and actuators included in the manufacturing equipment or apparatus). Figure 2 In the example shown, the field device group 10 includes a remote I / O (Input / Output) device 12, a relay group 14, a servo driver 16, and a servo motor 18.

[0061] The PLC 200 obtains information from the field device group 10 and performs control calculations according to the pre-created user program, thereby generating information to be given to the field device group 10. Hereinafter, the information obtained by the PLC 200 from the field device group 10 will be referred to as "input data", and the information given to the field device group 10 will be referred to as "output data".

[0062] Figure 2 In the example shown, PLC 200 and field device group 10 are connected via control system network 4. Industrial communication protocols are preferably used in the control system network 4. Known communication protocols include EtherCAT (registered trademark), EtherNet / IP (registered trademark), DeviceNet (registered trademark), and CompoNet (registered trademark).

[0063] However, it is not limited to control system network 4; it can also be connected via hardwire.

[0064] <C. Hardware Structure>

[0065] Next, an example of the hardware structure of the devices constituting the control system 1 of this embodiment will be described.

[0066] (c1: HMI 100)

[0067] Figure 3 It is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware structure of the HMI 100 of the control system of this embodiment. Refer to Figure 3 , the HMI 100 includes a processor 102 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), an optical drive 104, a main memory 106, a storage 110, a network controller 120, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) controller 124, an input unit 126, and a display unit 128. These components are connected via a bus 108.

[0068] The processor 102 reads various programs stored in the storage 110, expands and executes them in the main memory 106, thereby implementing necessary processing in the HMI 100.

[0069] The storage 110 is typically composed of an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Flash Solid State Drive), etc. In the storage 110, typically, an OS (Operating System) 111, a system program 112 for implementing basic processing, and a user program 113 pre-created according to the control object are stored. In addition, in the storage 110, required programs other than the programs shown in Figure 3 may also be stored.

[0070] The HMI 100 may also have an optical drive 104. The optical drive 104 reads a program from a recording medium 105 (e.g., an optical recording medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)) that non-temporarily stores computer-readable programs, and stores it in the storage 110, etc.

[0071] Various programs executed by the HMI 100 can be installed via a computer-readable recording medium 105, but can also be installed in the form of being downloaded from an arbitrary server on the network.

[0072] The network controller 120 controls data exchange with the PLC 200, etc. via the information system network 6.

[0073] USB controller 124 controls data exchange with external devices (e.g., support devices) via a USB connection.

[0074] The input unit 126 comprises a touch panel, mouse, keyboard, etc., and accepts user operations. The display unit 128 comprises a display, various indicators, etc., and outputs processing results from the processor 102. Alternatively, a touch panel display that integrates the input unit 126 and the display unit 128 can also be used.

[0075] exist Figure 3 The diagram illustrates a structural example of providing the required processing by executing a program through processor 102, but some or all of these provided processes can also be installed using dedicated hardware circuitry (e.g., ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array)).

[0076] (c2: PLC 200)

[0077] Figure 4 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware structure of the PLC 200 in the control system of this embodiment. (Refer to...) Figure 4 The PLC200 includes a processor 202 such as a CPU or MPU, a chipset 204, a main memory 206, a storage device 210, a control system network controller 220, an information system network controller 222, a USB controller 224, and a memory card interface 226.

[0078] The processor 202 reads various programs stored in the memory 210, expands and executes them in the main memory 206, thereby realizing control operations for controlling the controlled object. The chipset 204 controls data transmission between the processor 202 and various components.

[0079] The memory 210 stores a system program 212 for implementing basic processing and a user program 213 for implementing control operations.

[0080] The control system network controller 220 controls the data exchange between the control system network 4 and the field device group 10.

[0081] The information system network controller 222 controls the data exchange between the information system network 6 and the HMI 100, etc.

[0082] USB controller 224 controls data exchange with external devices (e.g., support devices) via a USB connection.

[0083] The memory card interface 226 is configured to be able to load and unload a memory card 228, write data to the memory card 228, and read various data (user programs, trace data, etc.) from the memory card 228.

[0084] In Figure 4 , a structural example of providing required processing by executing a program by the processor 202 is shown, but a dedicated hardware circuit (such as an ASIC or FPGA, etc.) can also be used to install a part or all of these provided processes. Alternatively, hardware following a general architecture (such as an industrial personal computer based on a general personal computer) can also be used to implement the main part of the PLC 200. In this case, virtualization technology can also be used to execute multiple operating systems with different uses in parallel, and execute required application programs on each operating system.

[0085] <D. Processing Outline>

[0086] Next, an example of the processing executed by the HMI 100 of the control system 1 of the present embodiment will be described.

[0087] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the exchange between the HMI 100 and the PLC 200 in the control system 1 of the present embodiment. Referring to Figure 5 , the HMI 100 selectively displays one or more pages 130-1, 130-2,... (hereinafter also collectively referred to as "page 130") according to the user program 113. Each page 130 includes one or more operation targets 132-1, 132-2, 132-3,... (hereinafter also collectively referred to as "operation target 132").

[0088] The operation target 132 (the second operation target) includes any target that accepts a user operation. Typically, the operation target 132 instructs the PLC 200 to perform a predetermined process according to the user operation. The operation target 132 includes, for example, a button that is instructed to be turned on or off according to the user operation, a lever or slider that is changed or updated to an arbitrary value according to the user operation.

[0089] The user program 213 executed by the PLC 200 includes, for example, process execution commands 230-1, 230-2, 230-3,... (hereinafter also collectively referred to as "process execution commands 230"). Variables 232-1, 232-2, 232-3 representing execution conditions are respectively associated with the process execution commands 230-1, 230-2, 230-3 (hereinafter, also collectively referred to as "variables 232").

[0090] The operation target 132 included in the page 130 changes the value of the variable of the corresponding PLC 200 in advance according to the user operation. In Figure 5 In the example shown, the operation target 132-1 of page 130-1 is associated with variable 232-1, the operation target 132-2 of page 130-1 is associated with variable 232-2, and the operation target 132-3 of page 130-2 is associated with variable 232-3.

[0091] In this way, HMI 100 selectively displays page 130 containing one or more operation targets 132, and accepts user operations on the displayed page 130, providing corresponding instructions to PLC 200. As an installation method for providing instructions to PLC 200, as described above, it is also possible to change or update the value of variable 232 held by PLC 200.

[0092] Next, we will explain an example of user operation.

[0093] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating an example of user operation in the control system 1 of this embodiment. Figure 6 This refers to an example of a series of operations (job sequence) used to restore normal operation from the occurrence of an anomaly in a manufacturing facility that continuously processes workpieces.

[0094] Suppose an abnormality such as workpiece jamming occurs in the manufacturing equipment (status ST1). At this time, in addition to the page 130A indicating the operating status, a warning message 136 is also displayed on the display unit 128 of the HMI 100.

[0095] The user (operator) notices the anomaly through warning message 136. They then visually inspect the manufacturing equipment and take steps to eliminate the anomaly (in this example, removing the workpiece) (state ST2).

[0096] When handling the anomaly, the user selects warning message 136, confirms the warning content, and then performs an operation to remove the workpiece. This operation includes, for example, releasing the safety guard for accessing the manufacturing equipment and closing the safety guard after workpiece removal. After workpiece removal, operations such as origin restoration (initialization) and anomaly reset are performed. Within this series of operations, for example, the page is sequentially switched to page 130A, page 130B, and page 130C, and the operation targets of the objects contained in each page 130 are accessed.

[0097] After a series of anomalies were eliminated and the user confirmed the safety of the manufacturing equipment, operation resumed by manipulating the target object on page 130D of HMI 100.

[0098] When the manufacturing equipment returns to normal operation (status ST3), the user refers to page 130A of HMI 100 to confirm that the manufacturing equipment is functioning normally.

[0099] In the process of sequentially switching between multiple pages 130 to operate on the target 132, unnecessary operations and waiting times may occur, such as page transitions. On the other hand, in manufacturing equipment where various anomalies may occur, it is difficult to determine during the design phase what processing steps should be taken to recover from each anomaly. Furthermore, whenever an anomaly actually occurs, most studies focus on determining the most efficient processing procedure.

[0100] Here, the characteristics of a series of operations (job sequences) performed by the user (operator) are explained. When operating the HMI 100 to control manufacturing equipment, the sequence of operations becomes important. Although operations must be performed in a specific order, it is recommended to perform them in a predetermined specific order to prevent errors, etc.

[0101] Furthermore, highly reproducible work sequences have a higher potential for improving work efficiency. As a result, by performing operations according to highly reproducible work sequences, the likelihood of reducing the time required to complete a task can be increased.

[0102] Here, "tasks" refers to tasks that should be accomplished through user (operator) operations on HMI 100. Examples of "tasks" include anomaly recovery, operation start-up, shutdown processing, changeover adjustments, and daily report creation.

[0103] Furthermore, it's important to consider not only the frequency of identical or similar tasks but also the effectiveness of achieving those tasks through efficient execution. If a task is a critical path impacting production throughput, then the efficiency of its execution becomes crucial.

[0104] Furthermore, work sequences frequently generated in the same type of manufacturing equipment can often be applied to other manufacturing equipment of the same type. Therefore, by standardizing frequently generated work sequences, it is highly likely that work efficiency can be improved.

[0105] Furthermore, each user (operator) has varying levels of experience and proficiency, and each user (operator) sometimes has their own habits regarding the operation of HMI 100. Due to this trend, operational efficiency may be reduced.

[0106] In view of such a problem, the control system 1 of the present embodiment provides a function of summarizing one or more operation objectives 132 required to achieve a target task on a single page 130. By summarizing the required operation objectives 132 on a single page 130, in the case of an abnormality of an object or the like, more efficient operation can be achieved, and even a user with little knowledge and experience can execute a predetermined processing procedure. For the sake of convenience of explanation, the process of summarizing the required operation objectives 132 on a single page 130 provided by the control system 1 of the present embodiment is also referred to as "shortcut generation process".

[0107] The control system 1 of the present embodiment can execute a process (automatic generation process and automatic extraction process) of generating a shortcut target 142 based on historical information that records user operations and events in time series, and / or a process (manual generation process) of generating a shortcut target 142 according to an explicit operation of the user. However, the control system 1 only needs to install at least one of the automatic generation process, the automatic extraction process, and the manual generation process. That is, it is not necessary to install all of the automatic generation process, the automatic extraction process, and the manual generation process. According to the situation and requirements, etc., at least one process can be installed.

[0108] <E. Shortcut generation process: Automatic generation process>

[0109] First, an example of the automatic generation process executed by the control system 1 of the present embodiment will be described.

[0110] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram showing an outline of the automatic generation process of the control system 1 of the present embodiment. Figure 7 It shows an example of a process of generating a shortcut target 142 for coping with the occurrence of a specific event (for example, an alarm) and a page 140 including the shortcut target 142.

[0111] Refer to Figure 7 , the HMI 100 acquires historical information 160 that records user operations and events in time series. The historical information 160 includes, in time series: operation information 162, which includes the content of the user's operation or the event that has occurred; and processing information 164, which includes the content of the processing executed in the HMI 100.

[0112] When the generation of the shortcut target 142 for a specific alarm (Alarm1) is instructed, the HMI 100 extracts a series of historical information 160 from the occurrence to the解除 of the target alarm as a session (step S1). In Figure 7In the example shown, because two alerts occurred, two sessions, 166-1 and 166-2 (session A and session B), were extracted (hereinafter, they are sometimes collectively referred to as "session 166").

[0113] In this specification, a "session" refers to a period of time in which an object is used to generate one or more shortcut targets 142. That is, a "session" refers to the beginning and end of a series of operations (job sequences) required to achieve the target task.

[0114] like Figure 7 As shown, for example, the interval from the occurrence of a certain alarm to the cancellation of that alarm is equivalent to a "session". Thus, when the occurrence of a specific event is taken as the occurrence of an alarm, HMI 100 defines the interval contained in historical information 160 from the occurrence of the specific alarm to the cancellation of that alarm as session 166. Furthermore, the start and end points of the "session" can be arbitrarily determined according to the purpose.

[0115] Next, HMI 100 filters the extracted sessions 166 (step S2). In this filtering, operations that output instructions for controlling the controlled object are extracted from the operations contained in the history information 160. Thus, only information used to generate shortcut target 142 can be extracted. For example, the "ShowPage" operation in sessions 166-1 and 166-2 indicates a page transition. Therefore, since this is an operation not needed for generating shortcut target 142, it is excluded from the filter. Similarly, the "ShowDoc" operation in session 166-2 refers to the display of documents such as manuals. Therefore, since this is an operation not needed for generating shortcut target 142, it is excluded from the filter.

[0116] As a result, in Figure 7 In the example shown, only the information in bold from the time series information contained in Session 166-1 and Session 166-2 is extracted.

[0117] Next, HMI 100 extracts a common pattern 168 from multiple sessions 166 (step S3). That is, HMI 100 extracts multiple user operations common to multiple sessions 166 as pattern 168.

[0118] exist Figure 7 In the example shown, a common pattern 168 containing four user operations is extracted. HMI 100 generates one or more shortcut targets 142 based on the operations contained in the extracted common pattern 168 and the corresponding processing content. Figure 7In the example shown, four shortcut targets 142 are generated, and the output page 140 contains the four generated shortcut targets 142.

[0119] In this way, HMI 100 extracts a pattern consisting of multiple user operations contained in the acquired historical information 160, and generates a shortcut target 142 (operation target) corresponding to the user operations contained in the extracted pattern. At this time, HMI 100 determines session 166 based on the explicit or implicit features (in the above example, the occurrence of a specific event) contained in the historical information 160 or the phenomena occurring in the controlled object, and extracts pattern 168 on a unit of determined session 166.

[0120] Shortcut target 142 indicates the same processing as operation target 132, which is the object of user operation. As described later, shortcut target 142 may be a copy of the corresponding operation target 132, or it may be installed in the form of a command containing access to the corresponding operation target 132.

[0121] In this way, HMI 100 extracts information (session 166) of the specified event range (e.g., from the occurrence of the alarm to its cancellation) contained in historical information 160 according to the event specification, and generates shortcut target 142 after filtering the extracted information.

[0122] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the automatic generation process of the control system 1 in this embodiment. Figure 8 The steps shown are typically executed by the processor 102 of the HMI 100 through system program 112. Figure 3 To achieve this.

[0123] Reference Figure 8 HMI 100 determines whether the generation of shortcut target 142 has been initiated (step S10).

[0124] If the generation of shortcut target 142 is not indicated ("No" in step S10), the process of step S10 is repeated.

[0125] If the generation of shortcut target 142 is indicated to begin ("Yes" in step S10), HMI 100 accepts the specification of the generated object (step S12).

[0126] HMI 100 acquires historical information that records user operations and events in a time series (step S14), and determines the specified generated object contained in the acquired historical information (step S16). Then, HMI 100 extracts the portion associated with the specified generated object from the historical information as session 166 (step S18). Typically, multiple sessions 166 are extracted.

[0127] Next, the HMI 100 filters each of the extracted sessions 166 (step S20), and extracts a common pattern 168 based on the information extracted by the filtering (step S22).

[0128] Next, the HMI 100 generates one or more shortcut targets 142 based on the operations and corresponding processing contents included in the extracted common pattern 168 (step S24). Finally, the HMI 100 saves the page including the generated shortcut targets 142 (step S26). Through the above steps, the automatic generation process ends.

[0129] <F. Shortcut Generation Process: Automatic Extraction Process>

[0130] Next, an example of the automatic extraction process executed by the control system 1 of the present embodiment will be described.

[0131] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the automatic extraction process of the control system 1 of the present embodiment. Refer to Figure 9 , the HMI 100 determines one or more sessions 166 included in the historical information 160 that records user operations and events in time series (step S31).

[0132] Next, the HMI 100 filters the determined sessions 166 (step S32). Then, the HMI 100 extracts patterns from the filtered sessions 166 (step S33).

[0133] Finally, the HMI 100 generates one or more shortcut targets 142 based on the extracted patterns (step S34).

[0134] In this way, the HMI 100 extracts a pattern composed of multiple user operations included in the acquired historical information 160, and generates a shortcut target 142 (operation target) corresponding to the user operations included in the extracted pattern.

[0135] Hereinafter, the details of each step will be described.

[0136] (f1: Determination of Sessions (S31))

[0137] As a method for determining sessions, explicit or implicit features (in the above example, the occurrence of a specific event) included in the historical information 160 or phenomena occurring in the controlled object can be used as a reference.

[0138] As an example of explicit features, as shown in reference to Figure 7 and Figure 8As explained, a session can also be defined as a series of historical information from the occurrence of an event such as an alarm until it is deactivated.

[0139] In this scenario, the user (operator) recovers the exception that is the object of the alarm. The determined session contains a series of operations (job sequences) involved in this recovery. The content of the job sequence differs depending on the content of the alarm (i.e., the exception that is the object of the alarm). On the other hand, for the same alarm, the job sequence is considered to be the same, thus allowing pattern extraction.

[0140] As another method for defining a session, the user's (operator's) daily report creation action can also be used as a trigger. The daily report creation action is a predetermined action performed within a specific time period. For example, the daily report creation action might include, after a day's work is completed, sequentially displaying pages representing object information to retain production information, various sensor values, etc., as reports. In this case, a shortcut target 142 is generated for sequentially displaying pages representing object information.

[0141] As another method for determining a session, the status managed by the PLC 200 can also be used. For example, status information such as the start and stop of manufacturing equipment operation, as well as the switching to operation mode or maintenance mode, can be used to determine the session.

[0142] In addition to the explicit features mentioned above, the following implicit features may also be used, or the following implicit features may be used instead of the explicit features mentioned above.

[0143] For example, any warning signs occurring in the controlled object, even if they do not reach the level required to trigger an alarm (such as increased temperature, unusual noises, or increased failure rates), can be used as implicit information to determine a session. Furthermore, any explicit or implicit characteristics contained in the phenomena occurring in the controlled object can be used to determine a session. In this case, by analyzing any measured values ​​of the controlled object, implicit characteristics can be extracted or discovered.

[0144] Alternatively, historical information can be analyzed to use periodically occurring events (e.g., any event occurring at the start of operation, any event occurring every Tuesday, etc.) as implicit information for determining a session. By using such information to determine a session, it is possible to record phenomena that frequently occur at the start of operation and their avoidance strategies, as well as phenomena that frequently occur every Tuesday and their avoidance strategies.

[0145] Implicit features contained in historical information or phenomena occurring in the controlled object can be extracted or discovered by analyzing historical information (information recorded in a time series) and / or the measured values ​​of the controlled object (information recorded in a time series) using known analytical methods. That is, the control system 1 of this embodiment can also have the function of extracting implicit features by analyzing historical information and / or the measured values ​​of the controlled object.

[0146] By using such an analysis method, it is possible to provide useful information (insights) that even the user (operator) may not notice. As a result, by generating useful information that may not be noticed, such as shortcut target 142, it is possible to explicitly know the importance of the generated shortcut target 142 or the pattern shown by shortcut target 142.

[0147] (f2: Filtering (S32))

[0148] In the filtering process, information with low relevance to achieving the target task is excluded from historical information. Alternatively, low-relevance information can be retained as supplementary information instead of being completely excluded.

[0149] For example, at least one of the following operations can be excluded from historical information: page transition operation, alarm viewer confirmation operation, fault diagnosis information display operation, and manual display operation.

[0150] (f3: Pattern extraction (S33))

[0151] By searching for similarities between sessions that have been filtered to exclude information with low relevance, patterns are extracted, and highly useful patterns are selected from the extracted patterns. In other words, multiple patterns are extracted by searching for similarities between multiple sessions.

[0152] In this way, HMI 100 determines sessions based on explicit or implicit characteristics (e.g., the occurrence of alarms, statuses, etc.) contained in historical information 160 or phenomena occurring in the controlled object, and extracts patterns on a per-session basis. Furthermore, HMI 100 determines the pattern of the object to be used as the target for generating shortcut 142 from the patterns extracted from multiple sessions according to a predetermined benchmark.

[0153] The predetermined benchmark may also include at least one of the following: the frequency of occurrence of the pattern, the importance of the event corresponding to the pattern, the proficiency of the user who performed the operation corresponding to the pattern, the importance of the operation surface corresponding to the pattern, and the redundancy of the pattern.

[0154] These factors can also be used to determine benefit. That is, the pattern with the highest benefit among the extracted patterns can be determined as the generated object of shortcut target 142.

[0155] More specifically, the usefulness can also be determined based on the generation frequency of patterns (the application frequency of each pattern in historical information), the importance of alerts (or anomalies of objects), the proficiency of users (operators), the stop time of operations, the importance of workpieces / processes / devices, the redundancy of operation sequences, and the like.

[0156] Regarding these elements for determining usefulness, for example, operations by users with high proficiency are more likely to be preferred operation sequences with less waste. It can be inferred that the higher the proficiency of the responsible user (operator) in a session, the higher the usefulness of the patterns extracted from that session. Depending on the user (operator), for operation sequences with large content deviations, efficiency can be improved through standardization.

[0157] In the case of extracting patterns with high occurrence frequencies, extract multiple user operations (operation sequences) common among multiple sessions.

[0158] In addition, for alerts with a large cumulative stop time of operations and alerts with relatively large losses when an anomaly occurs, by making the operation sequence more efficient and shortening the time to recovery, productivity can be more effectively improved.

[0159] In addition, the importance of workpieces / processes / devices can also be determined based on whether they are on the critical path that affects the production throughput. That is, in the case of a certain anomaly occurring, for objects that immediately affect production, by making the operation sequence more efficient and shortening the time to recovery, the impact on production can be further limited.

[0160] In addition, the redundancy of an operation sequence can also be determined, for example, based on the number of pages switched in one operation. That is, in the case where one operation sequence consists of operations on an operation target 132 that are displayed by sequentially switching multiple pages, by aggregating the operation target 132 as the object on one page, the operation can be made more efficient.

[0161] (f4: Generation of shortcut targets)

[0162] Based on the patterns extracted through the above-mentioned processing, generate one or more shortcut targets 142. In the case of extracting multiple patterns, the extracted patterns can also be displayed in the user list. At this time, considering the above-mentioned usefulness, patterns with higher usefulness can be displayed higher.

[0163] It can also be that when the user selects an arbitrary pattern or agrees to use it as a generation object, generate one or more shortcut targets 142 according to the object pattern.

[0164] <G. Functional structure>

[0165] Figure 10This is a schematic diagram illustrating the functional structure of the automatic generation and automatic extraction processes of the control system 1 used to implement this embodiment. Figure 10 The functional structures shown typically execute system program 112 via processor 102 of HMI 100. Figure 3 To achieve this.

[0166] Reference Figure 10 The HMI 100 includes an operation receiving unit 150, a display control unit 152, a shortcut target generation unit 154, and a page saving unit 156.

[0167] The operation receiving unit 150 receives user operations provided via the input unit 126, etc. The operation receiving unit 150 outputs information, etc., to the shortcut target generation unit 154 to determine the operation target 132 selected by the user operation.

[0168] The display control unit 152 causes the display unit 128 to display a page selected from one or more pre-prepared pages. More specifically, the display control unit 152 selects a page stored in the page storage unit 156 according to user operation and causes the display unit 128 to display it.

[0169] Based on the acquired historical information, the shortcut target generation unit 154 generates one or more shortcut targets 142. The shortcut target generation unit 154 saves the information of the page 140 containing the one or more generated shortcut targets 142 in the page storage unit 156.

[0170] More specifically, the shortcut target generation unit 154 includes an analysis unit 1540, a conversion processing unit 1542, a prompting unit 1544, and a layout determination unit 1546.

[0171] The analysis unit 1540 is responsible for the main processes involved in the aforementioned automatic generation and automatic extraction processes. More specifically, the analysis unit 1540 extracts patterns composed of multiple user operations contained in the acquired historical information. Typically, the analysis unit 1540 determines the sessions contained in the historical information according to user operations, etc., and extracts patterns from the determined sessions.

[0172] The conversion processing unit 1542 generates shortcut targets 142 (operation targets) corresponding to the user operations contained in the pattern extracted by the analysis unit 1540. That is, the conversion processing unit 1542 generates one or more corresponding shortcut targets 142 based on the pattern extracted by the analysis unit 1540.

[0173] The prompting unit 1544 prompts the user with one or more patterns extracted by the analysis unit 1540. The prompting unit 1544 may also display the patterns in a list according to their usefulness.

[0174] The layout determination unit 1546 determines the layout of one or more shortcut targets 142 generated by the conversion processing unit 1542. Details of the layout will be described later.

[0175] The page saving unit 156 saves the page 140 including one or more shortcut targets 142 generated by the shortcut target generation unit 154. The page 140 saved in the page saving unit 156 is selectively displayed together with the pre-generated page 130 according to a user operation.

[0176] <H. Shortcut Generation Processing: Manual Generation Processing>

[0177] Next, an example of the manual generation processing executed by the control system 1 of the present embodiment will be described.

[0178] Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of the page 140 of the manual generation processing of the control system 1 of the present embodiment. Refer to Figure 11 , the page 140 includes one or more shortcut targets 142 generated by the manual generation processing. The shortcut target 142 corresponds to an arbitrary operation target 132 included in an arbitrary page 130. As described later, the shortcut target 142 may be a copy of the corresponding operation target 132 or may be installed in a form including a command for accessing the corresponding operation target 132.

[0179] In this way, in the manual generation processing, a new page 140 including one or more shortcut targets 142 can also be generated. However, the shortcut target 142 can also be generated in a form appended to an existing page 130.

[0180] As Figure 11 shown, a page 140 that does not include operation targets other than one or more shortcut targets 142 may also be displayed to the user. By displaying such a page 140, the possibility of the user performing unnecessary operations or the like can be reduced, and the operation can be made more efficient.

[0181] In addition, for the sake of easy explanation, a page 130 including only operation targets 132 and a page 140 including only shortcut targets 142 are illustrated, but in the page 130 or the page 140, the operation targets 132 and the shortcut targets 142 may also coexist.

[0182] According to the selection of the page switching target 141, the shortcut targets 142 displayed in the page 140 are sequentially switched.

[0183] The page 140 switches the content of the displayed page 140 according to the selection of one or more page selection targets 143. In Figure 11In the example shown, page 140 is displayed and is labeled "Shortcut_1".

[0184] Page 140 contains an append start target 144 and an append end target 145. When append start target 144 is selected, the record to be appended to shortcut target 142 (corresponding operation target 132) on the selected page 140 begins. Furthermore, when append end target 145 is selected, the record to be appended to shortcut target 142 (corresponding operation target 132) on the selected page 140 ends.

[0185] Page 140 contains an editing target 146 for performing changes, additions, deletions, etc., on shortcut target 142.

[0186] Figure 12 and Figure 13 This is a diagram illustrating the manual generation process of the control system 1 in this embodiment.

[0187] Reference Figure 12 When the user selects "Add Start Target 144" on page 140, the process of generating (adding) shortcut target 142 begins. In response to the selection of "Add Start Target 144," a dialog box 147 is displayed to set the label name for page 140. The user enters any label 148 in dialog box 147 and selects a start target 149. Then, the user proceeds as follows... Figure 13 Any operation shown.

[0188] Finally, when the append end target 145 of page 140 is selected, page 140 is generated, consisting of shortcut target 142 corresponding to the user's operation.

[0189] Additionally, on page 140, set the label for input in dialog box 147. Figure 13 The example shown is of a user arbitrarily entering a label on page 140, but it is not limited to this. The label can also be automatically determined based on the date and time of the exception.

[0190] Reference Figure 13 The user can perform any operation corresponding to the shortcut target 142 to be generated. Figure 13 The illustration shows an example where an operation target contained in page 130-10, which displays main information, is selected, thus transitioning to page 130-11, and an operation target contained in page 130-11 is selected, thus displaying page 130-12. The user selects the desired operation target on page 130-12.

[0191] After the initial display, the user returns to page 130-11 and selects another action target contained on page 130-11, thus displaying the example on page 130-13. The user then selects another action target on page 130-13. For example... Figure 13 As shown, the user performs a series of operations.

[0192] Through the processing described later, typically, shortcut targets 142 are generated corresponding to the operation targets contained in pages 130-12 and 130-13, respectively. That is, the operations performed from page 130-10 through page 130-11 to the display of page 130-12, and the operations performed from page 130-12 through page 130-11 to the display of page 130-13, are page transition operations, not operations that give instructions to the PLC 200. Therefore, they do not need to be generated as shortcut targets 142. Thus, the control system 1 of this embodiment extracts operations that conform to predetermined rules from the user's operations and generates shortcut targets 142 corresponding to the extracted operations.

[0193] In addition, Figure 12 and Figure 13 The example shown illustrates how a shortcut target 142 can be generated by the user explicitly selecting to add a start target 144 and an end target 145. However, it is not limited to this example; the generation of the shortcut target 142 can also begin when predetermined conditions are met.

[0194] For example, the occurrence of an anomaly or alarm can be used as the starting trigger, and the return to normal operation can be used as the ending trigger. In this case, during the period from start to finish, the user performs a series of operations such as confirming the abnormal content, resolving the anomaly, restoring to the origin (initialization), resetting the abnormal state, and confirming that normal operation can be achieved. However, this series of operations can also be recorded to generate the corresponding shortcut target 142.

[0195] in addition, Figure 13 The series of operations shown can also be performed when an exception occurs, during the recovery process. However, in actual exception situations, it is usually required to recover from the exception as quickly as possible, so the following method can also be used.

[0196] For example, a simulator (e.g., provided by a support device) can be prepared to reproduce part or all of the control system 1. The user operates on the simulator, records the series of operations, and generates the corresponding shortcut target 142.

[0197] Alternatively, after invalidating the instructions from HMI 100 to PLC 200, the user can operate HMI 100, record the series of operations, and generate the corresponding shortcut target 142.

[0198] Alternatively, for example, in the context of educating inexperienced users, if any exception occurs and the user responsible for education teaches the correct actions for the exception, a series of actions by the user responsible for education can be recorded to generate a corresponding shortcut target 142.

[0199] Alternatively, in the event of an unforeseen exception, a series of operations to recover from the exception can be recorded, generating a corresponding shortcut target 142. In this case, the page 140 containing the generated shortcut target 142 can also be edited (by selecting Edit Target 146 (see...)). Figure 11 (And can be edited), and shortcuts corresponding to unnecessary operations can be deleted afterwards. Target 142.

[0200] Alternatively, arbitrary information can be attached to the page 140 containing the generated shortcut target 142. Examples of such attached information include: information indicating the content of the exception, the username of the user who performed the operation when the exception occurred, the date and time of generation, information used to identify the workpiece that caused the exception, and environmental information such as temperature or humidity.

[0201] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the functional structure of the manual generation process of the control system 1 used to implement this embodiment. Figure 14 The functional structures shown typically execute system program 112 via processor 102 of HMI 100. Figure 3 To achieve this.

[0202] Reference Figure 14 The HMI 100 includes an operation receiving unit 150, a display control unit 152, a shortcut target generation unit 158, and a page saving unit 156.

[0203] The operation receiving unit 150 receives user operations provided via the input unit 126, etc. The operation receiving unit 150 outputs information, etc., to the shortcut target generation unit 158 ​​for determining the operation target 132 selected by the user operation.

[0204] As described above, the operation receiving unit 150 accepts a predetermined specific user operation (selection of start target 144) to begin acquiring historical information. Additionally, the operation receiving unit 150 accepts a predetermined specific user operation (selection of end target 145) to end acquiring historical information.

[0205] The display control unit 152 causes the display unit 128 to display a page selected from one or more pre-prepared pages. More specifically, the display control unit 152 selects a page stored in the page storage unit 156 according to user operation and causes the display unit 128 to display it.

[0206] The shortcut target generation unit 158 ​​generates one or more shortcut targets 142 based on user operations. The shortcut target generation unit 158 ​​saves the information of the page 140 containing the one or more generated shortcut targets 142 in the page storage unit 156.

[0207] Here, the shortcut target generation unit 158 ​​extracts operations that conform to the predetermined generation rules 1584 from the acquired historical information, and generates one or more shortcut targets 142 that indicate the same processing as one or more operation targets 132 operated by the user based on the extracted operations.

[0208] More specifically, the shortcut target generation unit 158 ​​includes a filtering unit 1580 and a conversion processing unit 1582.

[0209] The filtering unit 1580, referring to the generation rule 1584, extracts only the information from the user's operations used to generate the shortcut target 142. Typically, the filtering unit 1580 extracts the operations that output instructions for controlling the controlled object from the content of operations contained in the historical information.

[0210] In addition, the filtering unit 1580 also determines whether the start conditions and end conditions (start trigger and end trigger) related to the generation of the shortcut target 142 are met.

[0211] The conversion processing unit 1582 generates the required shortcut target 142 based on the information extracted by the filtering unit 1580. More specifically, the conversion processing unit 1582 can generate the shortcut target 142 by copying the corresponding operation target 132, or it can generate the shortcut target 142 in the form of a command containing access to the object operation target 132.

[0212] The page saving unit 156 assigns a specified label to the page 140 containing one or more shortcut targets 142 generated by the shortcut target generation unit 158 ​​and saves it. The page 140 saved in the page saving unit 156, together with the pre-generated page 130, is selectively displayed according to user operations.

[0213] Here, an example of generation rule 1584 is explained. Generation rule 1584 mainly sets the rules used to extract the operation target 132 to be operated.

[0214] For example, operations such as setting a variable (bit) of PLC 200 to TRUE / FALSE (instantaneous button (triggered only once to be driven to TRUE)) and changing a variable (bit) of PLC 200 to TRUE or FALSE are extracted as generated objects of shortcut target 142. These operations are equivalent to outputting instructions for controlling the controlled object.

[0215] In contrast, user operations related to page transitions, since they do not provide any instructions to the PLC 200, can also be excluded from the generated objects of shortcut target 142. That is, the filtering unit 1580 excludes user operations related to page transitions from the content of operations contained in the historical information.

[0216] Furthermore, one or more of the following operations—the alarm viewer confirmation operation, the fault diagnosis information display operation, and the manual display operation—are not operations that provide any instruction to the PLC 200, and therefore can be excluded from the generated objects of shortcut target 142. That is, the filtering unit 1580 excludes at least one of the alarm viewer confirmation operation, the fault diagnosis information display operation, and the manual display operation from the content of the operations contained in the historical information.

[0217] Figure 15 This is a diagram illustrating an example of filtering in the manual generation process of the control system 1 of this embodiment. Figure 15 The historical information 170 shown records user operations in chronological order.

[0218] History information 170 includes user action 171 indicating the selection of append start target 144 (instant button) and user action 174 indicating the selection of append end target 145 (instant button). One or more user actions generated between the selection of append start target 144 and the selection of append end target 145 become the generated object of shortcut target 142.

[0219] Among these user operations, user operations 172 and 173, representing the selection of operation targets 132 (both instantaneous buttons) of "Button 101" and "Button 102", are extracted as generated objects of shortcut target 142. Then, two shortcut targets 142 corresponding to the operation targets 132 of "Button 101" and "Button 102" are generated respectively.

[0220] On the other hand, user operations 175 representing page display and user operations 176 representing page closing are excluded from the generated object of shortcut target 142.

[0221] Figure 16It is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the manual generation process of the control system 1 of the present embodiment. Figure 16 Each of the steps shown is typically implemented by the processor 102 of the HMI 100 executing the system program 112 ( Figure 3 ).

[0222] Refer to Figure 16 , the HMI 100 determines whether the generation start condition of the shortcut target 142 is satisfied (step S50). As the generation start condition of the shortcut target 142, examples include the selection of the additional start target 144, the occurrence of a predetermined event, etc.

[0223] If the generation start condition of the shortcut target 142 is not satisfied ( "No" in step S50), the process of step S50 is repeated.

[0224] If the generation start condition of the shortcut target 142 is satisfied ( "Yes" in step S50), the HMI 100 determines the label of the page including the shortcut target 142 (step S52). Additionally, the label of the page can also be determined by accepting the user's designation of the label. Then, the HMI 100 records the content of the user operation (step S54). That is, the HMI 100 executes the process of obtaining the historical information that records the user operation and events in time series.

[0225] Next, the HMI 100 determines whether the generation end condition of the shortcut target 142 is satisfied (step S56). As the generation end condition of the shortcut target 142, examples include the selection of the additional end target 145, the recovery of a predetermined abnormality, etc.

[0226] If the generation end condition of the shortcut target 142 is not satisfied ( "No" in step S56), the processes from step S54 onwards are repeated.

[0227] If the generation end condition of the shortcut target 142 is satisfied ( "Yes" in step S56), the HMI 100 filters the content of the recorded user operation (step S58), and generates the shortcut target 142 based on the content of the user operation extracted by the filtering (step S60). Then, the HMI 100 saves the page including the generated shortcut target 142 (step S62).

[0228] Thus, the manual generation process ends.

[0229] <I. Shortcut Target 142>

[0230] Next, the shortcut target 142 is described.

[0231] Figure 17This is a diagram showing an example of the shortcut target 142 generated by the control system 1 of the present embodiment. Refer to Figure 17 , the setting information 1320 associated with the operation target 132 includes, for example, identification information 1321, variable specification 1322 for the button target, action specification 1323 set for the button target, variable specification 1324 for changing the display mode of the operation target 132, and label specification 1325 of the operation target 132.

[0232] When generating the shortcut target 142A which is a copy of the operation target 132, setting information 1420 having the same content as the setting information 1320 is generated. The setting information 1420 includes, for example, identification information 1421, variable specification 1422 for the button target, action specification 1423 set for the button target, variable specification 1424 for changing the display mode of the shortcut target 142, and label specification 1425 of the shortcut target 142.

[0233] The shortcut target 142A which is a copy of the operation target 132 exists independently of the operation target 132. Therefore, even if a certain change is made to one of the targets, it will not affect the other.

[0234] When generating the shortcut target 142B installed in the form including a command for accessing the operation target 132, as the setting information 1420 of the shortcut target 142B, it includes a reference specification 1427 indicating the identification information 1321 included in the access destination operation target 132. That is, the reference specification 1427 corresponds to the command for accessing the operation target 132.

[0235] In the shortcut target 142B installed in the form including a command for accessing the operation target 132, the two targets are substantially integrated, and changes to the target are reflected in both targets.

[0236] In addition, as the shortcut target 142, it can be a target including a single button, a compound target including multiple buttons, or a compound target including buttons and components other than buttons. <000​​​​​​​​​​​​In the extracted pattern, if the order of a series of operations (job sequence) is meaningful, one or more shortcut targets 142 can also be configured on page 140 in the order of a series of operations.

[0241] Alternatively, the position of shortcut target 142 can be adjusted based on frequency and importance. For example, although it does not depend on the order of operations, frequently used buttons can be grouped together. In addition, shortcut targets 142 with high frequency and importance can be placed in more easily accessible and highly visible locations.

[0242] Reference Figure 18 In section (B), on page 140, shortcut groups 180 consisting of high-importance shortcut targets are positioned in the upper left corner for better operability and visibility. On the other hand, in shortcut groups 182 with lower importance, the shortcut targets themselves are displayed relatively small. In this way, for shortcut targets with lower frequency and importance, the objects themselves can be displayed smaller, or a list can be used to display more shortcut targets.

[0243] In this way, the layout of the generated shortcut target on the page can be appropriately changed based on the extracted pattern. Furthermore, it's also possible to change more than just the layout. Figure 18 The display size of the shortcut target, as shown in (B), is adjusted according to the evaluation results of the extracted pattern (frequency, importance, etc.) to appropriately change the display method (display color, font, etc.) of the shortcut target.

[0244] Furthermore, the display method can be adjusted based on the attributes of the user targeted by the shortcut.

[0245] For example, users with administrator privileges may be shown a page containing shortcut targets for maintaining HMI 100, while general users (operators, etc.) may be shown a page containing shortcut targets for performing normal operations.

[0246] Additionally, the types of shortcut targets displayed on the page can differ based on the department. For example, a page displaying shortcut targets for debugging and troubleshooting purposes can be shown for departments responsible for production technology and equipment design, while a page displaying only shortcut targets for general users (operators, etc.) can be shown for general users.

[0247] In addition, for the source of the device, the parameters are part of the technical know-how in the device development, so it is not necessary to provide a page displaying the parameters to the destination user.

[0248] In addition, the size and display mode of the shortcut target can vary according to the user's physical characteristics (such as the dominant arm, finger size, etc.). Additionally, regarding the comments displayed in the same shortcut target, they can also be shown in the selected language (e.g., Japanese, English, etc.). Furthermore, it is also possible to be suitable for a display method considering universal design, and regarding the sound output, it can also be set according to the user's attributes.

[0249] <K. Modified Example>

[0250] In the above-described embodiment, an example of performing shortcut generation processing on the HMI 100 has been mainly described, but it is also possible that the HMI 100 cooperates with other processing entities or other processing entities execute the shortcut generation processing instead of the HMI 100. As other processing entities, for example, a PLC 200, a support device, and an upper-level server device, etc. are envisioned. Additionally, it is also possible to use cloud computing on the network to execute all or part of the processing.

[0251] <L. Supplementary Note>

[0252] The present embodiment as described above includes the following technical ideas.

[0253] [Structure 1]

[0254] An operation display system (100) that constitutes at least a part of a control system (1) for controlling a control object, wherein the operation display system (100) has:

[0255] A display unit (128);

[0256] An input unit (126) that accepts user operations;

[0257] A control unit (152) that causes the display unit to display a page selected from one or more pages prepared in advance;

[0258] An acquisition unit (150) that acquires historical information recording user operations and events in time series; and

[0259] A generation unit (154) that extracts a pattern (168) composed of a plurality of user operations included in the acquired historical information (160) and generates an operation target (142) corresponding to the user operations included in the extracted pattern.

[0260] [Structure 2]

[0261] In the operation display system described in Structure 1,

[0262] The generation unit determines a session (166) based on explicit or implicit features contained in the historical information or phenomena occurring in the controlled object, and extracts the pattern in units of the determined session.

[0263] [Structure 3]

[0264] In the operation display system described in Structure 2

[0265] The generation unit extracts multiple user operations common to the multiple sessions as the pattern.

[0266] [Structure 4]

[0267] In the operation display system described in structure 2 or 3

[0268] The explicit feature is the occurrence of an alarm.

[0269] The generation unit defines the period from the occurrence of a specific alarm to the recovery of that alarm, which is contained in the historical information, as the session.

[0270] [Structure 5]

[0271] In the operation display system described in Structure 2

[0272] The generation unit determines, based on a predetermined benchmark, the pattern to be used as the target of the operation from patterns extracted from multiple sessions.

[0273] [Structure 6]

[0274] In the operation display system described in Structure 5

[0275] The predetermined benchmark includes at least one of the following: the frequency of occurrence of the pattern, the importance of the event corresponding to the pattern, the proficiency of the user who performed the operation corresponding to the pattern, the importance of the operation surface corresponding to the pattern, and the redundancy of the pattern.

[0276] [Structure 7]

[0277] In any of the operation display systems described in structures 2 to 6

[0278] The operation display system also has an analysis unit that extracts the implicit features by analyzing the historical information and / or the measured values ​​of the controlled object.

[0279] [Structure 8]

[0280] In any of the operation display systems described in structures 1 to 7

[0281] The generation unit extracts and outputs instructions for controlling the controlled object from the operation content contained in the historical information.

[0282] [Structure 9]

[0283] In any of the operation display systems described in structures 1 to 8

[0284] The page contains one or more second operational targets (132) that indicate predetermined processing.

[0285] The operation target indicates the same processing as the second operation target, which is the object of user operation.

[0286] [Structure 10]

[0287] In the operation display system described in Structure 9

[0288] The operation target is a copy of the corresponding second operation target.

[0289] [Structure 11]

[0290] In the operation display system described in Structure 9

[0291] Each of the operation targets includes a command for accessing the corresponding second operation target.

[0292] [Structure 12]

[0293] An information processing method is used in a control system (1) for controlling a controlled object, wherein the information processing method has the following characteristics:

[0294] Step (152) involves displaying a page selected from one or more pre-prepared pages on the display unit;

[0295] Step (S14): Obtain historical information that records user operations and events in a time sequence; and

[0296] Steps (S18, S20, S22, S24; S31, S32, S33, S34) extract a pattern composed of multiple user operations contained in the obtained historical information, and generate an operation target corresponding to the user operations contained in the extracted pattern.

[0297] [Structure 13]

[0298] An information processing program (112) executed by a computer constituting at least a part of a control system (1) for controlling a controlled object, wherein the information processing program (112) causes the computer to perform:

[0299] Step (152), causing the display unit to display a page selected from one or more pre-prepared pages;

[0300] Step (S14), obtaining historical information that records user operations and events in time series; and

[0301] Steps (S18, S20, S22, S24; S31, S32, S33, S34), extracting a pattern composed of a plurality of user operations included in the obtained historical information, and generating an operation target corresponding to the user operations included in the extracted pattern.

[0302] <M. Advantage>

[0303] Although an ordinary user (operator) performs operations as daily work, he / she is not aware of which operations occur frequently in a series of operations or which operations are effective for improvement. The control system 1 of the present embodiment extracts a series of operations (operation sequence) from the obtained historical information and generates a shortcut target corresponding to the extracted operation sequence. At this time, by determining a pattern with high beneficiality among the extracted multiple patterns, a shortcut target beneficial to the improvement of the production site can be generated, and know-how in operations can be embodied in the form of a shortcut target. In addition, the generated shortcut target can also be used to educate users with little experience.

[0304] The disclosed embodiment should be considered illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is represented by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include meanings equivalent to the claims and all modifications within the scope.

[0305] Reference Numeral Explanation

[0306] 1: Control system; 4: Control system network; 6: Information system network; 10: Field device group; 12: Remote I / O device; 14: Relay group; 16: Servo driver; 18: Servo motor; 100: HMI; 102, 202: Processor; 104: Optical driver; 105: Recording medium; 106, 206: Main memory; 108: Bus; 110, 210: Memory; 112, 212: System program; 113, 213: User program; 120: Network controller; 124, 224: U SB controller; 126: Input section; 128: Display section; 130, 130A, 130B, 130C, 130D, 140: Page; 132: Operation target; 136: Warning message; 141: Page switching target; 142, 142A, 142B: Shortcut target; 143: Page selection target; 144: Add start target; 145: Add end target; 146: Edit target; 147: Dialog box; 148: Label; 149: Start target; 150: Operation receiving section; 152: Display control 154, 158: Shortcut target generation unit; 156: Page saving unit; 160, 170: Historical information; 162: Operation information; 164: Processing information; 166: Session; 168: Mode; 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176: User operation; 180, 182: Shortcut group; 200: PLC; 204: Chipset; 220: Control system network controller; 222: Information system network controller; 226: Memory card interface; 228: Memory card; 230: Processing... Execution command; 232: Variable; 1320, 1420: Setting information; 1321, 1421: Identification information; 1322, 1324, 1422, 1424: Variable specification; 1323, 1423: Action specification; 1325, 1425: Label specification; 1427: Reference specification; 1540: Analysis unit; 1542, 1582: Conversion processing unit; 1544: Prompt unit; 1546: Layout determination unit; 1580: Filtering unit; 1584: Rule generation; ST1, ST2, ST3: Status.

Claims

1. An operation display system which constitutes at least a part of a control system for controlling a control object, wherein, The system displays the following features: Display section; The input section handles user operations; A control unit that causes the display unit to display a page selected from one or more pre-prepared pages; The acquisition department acquires historical information about user operations and events in chronological order; as well as The generation unit extracts a pattern composed of multiple user operations contained in the historical information and generates an operation target corresponding to the user operations contained in the extracted pattern. The generation unit defines a session as the interval from the occurrence of a specific alarm to the recovery of the alarm contained in the historical information, and extracts the pattern on a unit of the defined session. The generation unit excludes user operations related to page transitions from the user operations included in the mode, and extracts user operations that output instructions for controlling the controlled object.

2. The operation display system according to claim 1, wherein, The generation unit extracts multiple user operations common to the multiple sessions as the pattern.

3. The operation display system according to claim 1, wherein, The generation unit determines, based on a predetermined benchmark, the pattern to be used as the target of the operation from patterns extracted from multiple sessions.

4. The operation display system according to claim 3, wherein, The predetermined benchmark includes at least one of the following: the frequency of occurrence of the pattern, the importance of the event corresponding to the pattern, the proficiency of the user who performed the operation corresponding to the pattern, the importance of the operation surface corresponding to the pattern, and the redundancy of the pattern.

5. The operation display system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The operation display system also includes an analysis unit, which extracts implicit features by analyzing the historical information and / or the measured values ​​of the controlled object. The generation unit determines the session based on the implicit features contained in the historical information or the phenomena occurring in the controlled object.

6. The operation display system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The page contains one or more second operational objectives that indicate predetermined processing. The operation target indicates the same processing as the second operation target, which is the object of user operation.

7. The operation display system according to claim 6, wherein, The operation target is a copy of the corresponding second operation target.

8. The operation display system according to claim 6, wherein, Each of the operation targets includes a command for accessing the corresponding second operation target.

9. An information processing method, which is an information processing method in a control system for controlling a control target, wherein This information processing method includes the following steps: To display a page selected from one or more pre-prepared pages; Retrieves historical information that records user operations and events in a time-series format; as well as Extract patterns composed of multiple user operations contained in the historical information, and generate operation targets corresponding to the user operations contained in the extracted patterns. The generation process includes the following steps; The interval from the occurrence of a specific alarm to the recovery of the alarm contained in the historical information is defined as a session, and the pattern is extracted in units of the defined sessions; as well as Among the user operations included in the mode, user operations related to page transitions are excluded, and user operations that output instructions for controlling the controlled object are extracted.

10. A recording medium storing an information processing program, the information processing program being executed by a computer constituting at least a part of a control system for controlling a control object, wherein, The information processing program causes the computer to perform the following steps: To display a page selected from one or more pre-prepared pages; Retrieve historical information that records user actions and events in a time-series format; and Extract patterns composed of multiple user operations contained in the historical information, and generate operation targets corresponding to the user operations contained in the extracted patterns. The generation process includes the following steps; The interval from the occurrence of a specific alarm to the recovery of the alarm contained in the historical information is defined as a session, and the pattern is extracted in units of the defined sessions; as well as Among the user operations included in the mode, user operations related to page transitions are excluded, and user operations that output instructions for controlling the controlled object are extracted.

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