Fault response assistance device

Abstract

By automatically reflecting the fault response history of the elevator equipment in the fault response procedure book, the usability of the fault response procedure book is improved. The fault response assistance device that assists the maintenance personnel in the fault response work of the elevator equipment includes: a fault response procedure DB that stores the fault response steps of the elevator equipment in a searchable form; a fault response history DB that stores the fault response history of the fault response work performed by the maintenance personnel in free-form sentences; and a control device that reflects the information of the fault response history to the fault response steps stored in the fault response procedure DB. The control device includes: an extraction unit that extracts a cause statement corresponding to the cause of the elevator equipment and a treatment statement corresponding to the treatment performed for the cause from the free-form sentences of the fault response history; a comparison unit that registers the unrecorded cause statement that is not stored in the fault response procedure DB among the extracted cause statements; and a reflection unit that adds the unrecorded cause statement and the treatment statement corresponding to the cause to the fault response procedure DB.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to auxiliary devices for handling malfunctions of elevator equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a system for assisting in determining the location of equipment malfunctions. When an asset malfunctions, this system uses fault knowledge data to prompt operators with investigation steps and obtains their investigation and judgment results, thus assisting in the determination and diagnosis of the fault location. Operators select the fault location and confirm whether the investigation is appropriate, thereby ensuring a thorough investigation without omissions.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-15328 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] Maintenance personnel performing troubleshooting operations on elevator equipment sometimes refer to a troubleshooting procedure book, which is a database compiled to retrieve the causes of malfunctions and the methods of handling them. Ideally, if the maintenance personnel responsible for troubleshooting operations perform a fault response not recorded in the troubleshooting procedure book, this fault response history should be automatically reflected in the troubleshooting procedure book. In the technology of Patent Document 1, when operators resolve a fault through operations not recorded in the troubleshooting procedure book, the result cannot be automatically reflected in the fault knowledge data.

[0008] This disclosure was made to solve the aforementioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a technique that improves the ease of use of fault handling procedures by automatically reflecting the fault handling history of the elevator equipment into the fault handling procedure book.

[0009] Methods for solving problems

[0010] The fault handling assistance device disclosed herein assists maintenance personnel in handling faults in elevator equipment. It comprises: a fault handling step database storing fault handling steps for the elevator equipment in a searchable format; a fault handling history database storing fault handling history records performed by maintenance personnel in free-form statements; and a control device that reflects information from the fault handling history records into the fault handling steps stored in the fault handling step database. The control device comprises: an extraction unit that extracts a cause statement corresponding to the cause of the elevator equipment fault and a handling statement corresponding to the action taken against the cause from the free-form statements in the fault handling history records; a comparison unit that registers cause statements extracted by the extraction unit that are not stored in the fault handling step database as unrecorded cause statements; and a reflection unit that appends the unrecorded cause statements and the corresponding handling statements to the fault handling step database.

[0011] Invention Effects

[0012] According to the fault diagnosis aid device disclosed herein, the cause statement and the handling statement for the fault are extracted from the fault response history stored in free-form statements. Furthermore, if the extracted cause statement is not included in the fault response steps, the extracted unrecorded cause statement and its handling statement are incorporated into the fault response steps. This improves the ease of use of the fault response steps. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a functional block diagram of the fault response auxiliary device in the implementation method.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a fault response history database (DB).

[0015] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a device terminology library.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a situational vocabulary.

[0017] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating an example of an external factors lexicon.

[0018] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing an example of a homework vocabulary.

[0019] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating the first extraction example of retrieving cause and disposition statements from a fault response history database.

[0020] Figure 8This is a diagram illustrating a second extraction example of retrieving cause and disposition statements from a fault response history database.

[0021] Figure 9 This is a diagram illustrating a classification example of categorizing the types of action statements corresponding to the extracted cause statements.

[0022] Figure 10 This is a diagram illustrating an example of eliminating inconsistent representations.

[0023] Figure 11 This is a diagram showing a comparison example of the extracted cause statements and the cause statements in the troubleshooting steps.

[0024] Figure 12 This is a graph showing statistical examples of disposal statements corresponding to statements with undocumented reasons.

[0025] Figure 13 This is a flowchart showing the routines executed in the extraction section of the control device of the fault response auxiliary device.

[0026] Figure 14 This is a flowchart showing the routines executed in the determination section of the control device of the fault response auxiliary device.

[0027] Figure 15 This is a flowchart showing the routines executed in the determination section of the control device of the fault response auxiliary device.

[0028] Figure 16 This is a flowchart showing the routine executed in the elimination section of the control device of the fault response auxiliary device.

[0029] Figure 17 This is a flowchart showing the routines executed in the comparison section of the control device of the fault response auxiliary device.

[0030] Figure 18 This is a flowchart showing the routines executed in the statistics and response sections of the control unit of the fault response auxiliary device.

[0031] Figure 19 This is a diagram illustrating a variation of the storage format of a device terminology library.

[0032] Figure 20 This is a diagram illustrating a variation of the hardware resources of a fault-fighting auxiliary device. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, common elements in all figures will be labeled with the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions will be omitted.

[0034] Implementation method.

[0035] 1. Structure of the fault response auxiliary device

[0036] Figure 1 This is a functional block diagram of the fault response assistance device according to the embodiment. The fault response assistance device 10 is a device used to assist maintenance personnel in fault response operations for elevator equipment. Here, elevator equipment includes elevators, escalators, and their associated equipment installed in buildings such as buildings. In fault response operations, maintenance personnel refer to information stored in the fault response steps DB (described later). The fault response steps DB is a database of fault response steps, storing in a searchable format the causes of elevator equipment malfunctions and the measures taken to resolve those malfunctions. The fault response assistance device 10 of this embodiment functions as a device for automatically reflecting new information to the fault response steps DB.

[0037] The fault response assistance device 10 includes a control device 20 and a storage device 30. The control device 20, for example, consists of one or more processors, and performs various processes for reflecting the fault response history, described later, into the fault response steps DB.

[0038] Storage device 30 is a storage medium combined with control device 20, configured to be able to be written to or read from control device 20. Storage device 30 includes multiple databases, including fault response history DB31, dictionary DB32, and fault response steps DB37. Figure 2 This diagram illustrates an example of a fault response history database (DB). After fault response work, maintenance personnel report the fault status, etc., of the elevator equipment that was addressed. The fault response history database (DB31) is a database that stores these fault statuses, etc., entered by maintenance personnel in a searchable format. Figure 2 The fault response history DB31 shown includes fault codes and fault response history records. Fault codes are coded information that categorizes and refines fault information. Fault response history records are information entered by maintenance personnel in free-form statements, containing details of the fault cause and the actions taken. Such fault response history records are continuously accumulated in the fault response history DB31.

[0039] The dictionary database DB32 is a database referenced when performing various processes in the control device 20. The dictionary database DB32 includes an equipment terminology database 33, a status terminology database 34, an external factor terminology database 35, and an operation terminology database 36.

[0040] Equipment nomenclature database 33 is a database that stores the names of equipment that make up the equipment of the elevator equipment and their relationships with other equipment in a searchable format. Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a device terminology database. In Figure 3In the equipment terminology database shown, terms 1, representing the names of equipment constituting the elevator, are stored in a corresponding manner with terms 2, representing the names of other equipment. These relationships include, for example, "superior" and "subordinate" relationships, and "synonyms" relationships. Figure 3 The "superior-inferior" relationship shown indicates that device name 1 is the superior and device name 2 is the inferior.

[0041] Condition Thesaurus 34 is a database that stores the causes of malfunctions of elevator equipment in a searchable format. Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a situational vocabulary. In Figure 4 In the condition terminology shown, condition terms indicating causes are stored corresponding to categories. Here, in the extraction process described later, condition terms extracted in combination with equipment name terms are labeled as category "1", condition terms extracted in combination with equipment name terms and external factor terms are labeled as category "2", and condition terms extracted alone are labeled as category "3". In category 1, for example, terms such as "defect" and "malfunction" are categorized. In category 2, terms such as "mixed in" are categorized. In category 3, terms such as "heavy rain" and "door opening / closing malfunction" are categorized.

[0042] External Factors Thesaurus 35 is a database that stores external factors that cause malfunctions of elevator equipment in a searchable format. Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating an example of an external factors vocabulary. In Figure 5 The external factor lexicon shown contains terms such as foreign objects, plastic pieces, garbage, and water droplets.

[0043] The operation terminology 36 is a database that stores handling terms in a searchable format, where the handling terms represent the operation content for handling the causes of elevator equipment failures. Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a homework vocabulary. Figure 6 In the operational terminology shown, handling terms are stored corresponding to categories. Here, in the extraction process described later, handling terms extracted in combination with equipment name terms are labeled as category "1", handling terms extracted in combination with equipment name terms and external factor terms are labeled as category "2", and handling terms extracted alone are labeled as category "3". In category 1, for example, terms such as replacement, confirmation, and inspection are categorized. In category 2, terms such as removal are categorized. In category 3, terms such as observation are categorized.

[0044] Troubleshooting Procedures DB37 is a database of troubleshooting procedures that maintenance personnel refer to. During troubleshooting operations, maintenance personnel refer to the information stored in Troubleshooting Procedures DB37, which is described later. Troubleshooting Procedures DB37 stores, in a searchable format, the causes of elevator equipment malfunctions and the measures taken to resolve those malfunctions.

[0045] The control device 20 includes an extraction unit 21, a determination unit 22, an elimination unit 23, a comparison unit 24, a statistics unit 25, and a reflection unit 26 as multiple functional blocks for retrieving fault response history records stored in the fault response history record DB31 and automatically reflecting them in the fault response step DB37. The features of the functional blocks of the control device 20 will be described below.

[0046] 2. Features of the control device 20

[0047] 2-1. Extraction Unit 21

[0048] Extraction unit 21 is a function block used to extract terms corresponding to the cause and handling of a fault from the fault response history. The processing performed in extraction unit 21 is hereinafter referred to as "extraction processing". Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating the first extraction example of retrieving cause and disposition statements from a fault response history database. Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating a second extraction example of retrieving cause and disposition statements from a fault response history database. (See diagram for example.) Figure 7 As shown, since the fault response history is recorded in free-form statements, free-form statement analysis is required to extract the causes and actions contained in the records. In the extraction process, the extraction unit 21 first reads the fault response history from fault response step DB37 and divides the free-form statements into individual statements. Next, the extraction unit 21 refers to the equipment terminology database 33, the status terminology database 34, the external factor terminology database 35, and the operation terminology database 36 to extract the equipment name terms, status terms, external factor terms, and operation terms recorded in these terminologies from the free-form statements. Figure 7 In the example shown, solid circles are used to circle the obtained equipment names, dashed circles are used to circle the obtained status terms, single-dot dashes are used to circle the obtained operation terms, and double-dot dashes are used to circle the obtained external factor terms.

[0049] Extraction unit 21 combines adjacent device name terms when those terms are included in the device name terminology database 33. Figure 7 In the example shown, “substrate 2 swB contact”, which is formed by combining “substrate 2” and “swB contact”, and “substrate 1 connector”, which is formed by combining “substrate 1” and “connector”, are respectively included in the device name terms in the device terminology library 33. Therefore, these terms are combined separately.

[0050] Extraction unit 21 extracts "reason statements" from free-form statements according to the classification of situational terms. Figure 7In the example shown, the condition term "defect" fits category 1. Therefore, the extraction unit 21 extracts the condition term and the term "substrate 2swB contact" as the device name, and obtains the extraction result "substrate 2swB contact defect".

[0051] Furthermore, the extraction unit 21 extracts "disposal statements" from free-form statements according to the classification of operational terms. Figure 7 In the example shown, the terms "adjustment" and "inspection" used in the work terminology library correspond to category 1. Therefore, the extraction unit 21 extracts the terminology library for this condition and the terms "contact" and "board 1 connector" used as names of the aforementioned equipment, and obtains the extraction results of "adjust contact" and "inspect board 1 connector".

[0052] exist Figure 8 In the example shown, the extraction unit 21 and Figure 7 Similarly, in the example shown, the fault response history of fault response step DB37 is read in, and the free-form statements are divided into individual statements. Next, the extraction unit 21 refers to the equipment terminology database 33, the status terminology database 34, the external factor terminology database 35, and the operation terminology database 36, and retrieves the equipment name terms, status terms, external factor terms, and operation terms recorded in these terminologies from the free-form statements.

[0053] Extraction unit 21 extracts "reason statements" from free-form statements according to the classification of terms in the situation lexicon. Figure 8 In the example shown, the condition term "mixed in" fits category 2. Therefore, the extraction unit 21 extracts the condition term, the term "sill" as the name of the aforementioned equipment, and the term "plastic sheet" as an external factor, to obtain the extraction result "plastic sheet mixed in with the sill".

[0054] In addition, Figure 8 In the example shown, the condition term "door not opening or closing properly" fits category 3. Therefore, the extraction unit 21 extracts only this condition term, resulting in the extraction result "door not opening or closing properly".

[0055] Furthermore, the extraction unit 21 extracts "disposal statements" from free-form statements according to the classification of operational terms. Figure 8 In the example shown, the term "removal" as used in the work process corresponds to category 2. Therefore, the extraction unit 21 extracts the term "condition", the term "sill" as used in the equipment name, and the term "plastic sheet" as used in the external factor, and obtains the extraction result "plastic sheet removed from sill".

[0056] In addition, Figure 8In the example shown, the terms "cleaning" and "inspection" used as operational terms correspond to category 1. Therefore, the extraction unit 21 extracts the condition term and the terms for each of the aforementioned equipment names to obtain the extraction results of "cleaning the sill", "inspecting the floor station", and "inspecting the door panel".

[0057] Thus, according to the extraction processing of the extraction unit 21, the fault response history input in free-form statements can be analyzed, and the cause statements and handling statements of the fault can be extracted with high precision. Furthermore, in the above extraction processing method, the terms extracted are determined according to the classification of situation terms or operation terms, but the extraction processing of the extraction unit 21 is not limited to the above method. That is, the extraction processing of the extraction unit 21 can also be, for example, the following method: by performing known modification relationship analysis on the free-form statements of the fault response history, extracting equipment name terms or external factor terms that modify situation terms or operation terms, thereby extracting the cause statements and handling statements.

[0058] 2-2. Judgment Section 22

[0059] The decision unit 22 is a function block used to determine whether an extracted action statement is a mandatory action or a preventative action. The processing performed in the decision unit 22 is hereinafter referred to as "decision processing." Here, "mandatory action" refers to action that is directly related to the cause stated in the cause statement, while "preventative action" refers to action that is not directly related to the cause stated in the cause statement. Mandatory action is action that must be taken to resolve the cause, while preventative action is not necessarily required.

[0060] Figure 9 This diagram illustrates a classification example of categorizing the types of action statements corresponding to the extracted cause statements. In the determination process, the determination unit 22 refers to a device terminology database to determine whether the relationship between the device name terms in the extracted cause statement and the device name terms in the extracted action statement is a hierarchical relationship or a synonym relationship. As a result, if the device names are hierarchical or synonymous, it can be determined that action has been taken against the device that is the cause, and therefore, the content of the action statement is determined to be subject to mandatory action. On the other hand, if the relationship between the extracted device name that is the cause and the extracted device name that is the action is not hierarchical or synonymous, the determination unit 22 determines that, for the sake of caution, an investigation has been conducted against a device other than the device that is the cause, and therefore, the content of the action statement is determined to be a preventative action.

[0061] exist Figure 9In the example shown, since the device name term "board 2swB contact" (the cause) and the device name term "contact" (the action) are in a superior-subordinate relationship, the action statement "adjust the contact" is determined to be a necessary action. On the other hand, since the device name term "board 2swB contact" (the cause) and the device name term "board 1 connector" (the action) are not in a superior-subordinate relationship, the action statement "inspect board 1 connector" is determined to be a preventative action.

[0062] In addition, Figure 9 In another example, since the device name term "floor sill" as the cause and the device name term "floor sill" as the action are synonyms, the actions of "removing the plastic sheet from the floor sill" and "cleaning the floor sill" are determined to be necessary actions. On the other hand, since the device name term "floor sill" as the cause and the device name terms "floor station" or "door panel" as the action are not in a superior-subordinate or synonymous relationship, the action statements of "inspecting the floor station" and "inspecting the door panel" are determined to be preventive actions.

[0063] Thus, according to the determination unit 22, it is possible to determine with high precision whether the content of the handling statement is necessary handling or preventive handling based on the relationship between the device name terms of the extracted cause statement and the device name terms of the handling statement.

[0064] 2-3. Elimination section 23

[0065] Elimination unit 23 is a function block used to eliminate inconsistencies in the expressions contained in the extracted cause statements and disposition statements. The processing performed in elimination unit 23 is hereinafter referred to as "elimination processing". Figure 10 This is a diagram illustrating the elimination of inconsistent expressions. In the situation lexicon 34, the external factor lexicon 35, and the task lexicon 36, associations were established for the superordinate terms, subordinate terms, and their relationships with synonyms.

[0066] When the device name term in the extracted cause statement and the device name term in the disposal statement have a hierarchical relationship, the elimination unit 23 unifies them into the hierarchical device name term. Figure 10 In the example shown, the word "switch" in the processing statement #1 is replaced with the subordinate term "switch A". The word "contact" in the processing statement #4 is replaced with the subordinate term "board 2 switch B contact".

[0067] Furthermore, the elimination unit 23 replaces synonyms in the extracted cause and action statements with common terms. In the equipment terminology database 33, for example, "swB contact" and "swB contact" are associated as synonyms. In the condition terminology database 34, "defect," "fault," "damage," and "deformation" are associated as synonyms. Additionally, in the operation terminology database 36, "replace" and "substitute," and "confirmation" and "inspection" are associated as synonyms. Figure 10 In the example shown, "defective" in the cause statement of #1 is replaced with the synonym "defective", and "board 2 swB contact" in the cause statement of #4 is replaced with the synonym "board 2 switch B contact". In addition, "replace" in the action statement of #3 is replaced with the synonym "replace", and "confirm" in the action statement of #5 is replaced with the synonym "inspect".

[0068] Thus, according to the elimination section 23, since the inconsistency in terminology is eliminated, more accurate comparison and statistical processing can be performed in the subsequent comparison section 24 or statistics section 25. Furthermore, the structure of the elimination section 23 is not mandatory.

[0069] 2-4. Comparison Section 24

[0070] Comparison Unit 24 is a function block used to compare the extracted cause statements with the cause statements recorded in the fault response history. The processing performed in Comparison Unit 24 is hereinafter referred to as "comparison processing". Figure 11 This is a diagram showing a comparison example between the extracted cause statements and the cause statements in the fault response procedure. The comparison unit 24 considers a cause statement to be recorded if the extracted cause statement uses the same equipment name or is in a superior-subordinate relationship with the cause statement recorded in the fault response history, or if the condition terminology and external factor terminology are the same, and therefore excludes it from the statistical objects. Figure 11 In the example shown, the extracted cause statements #1 "Switch A fault" and #2 "Substrate 1 defective" are consistent with the cause statements in the fault handling procedure. Therefore, in Figure 11 In the example shown, comparison unit 24 excludes #1-#2 from the statistical objects and determines #3-#5 as statistical objects. The reason statements for the statistical objects are registered as unrecorded reason statements in the unrecorded reason list.

[0071] In this way, the comparison unit 24 can prevent the repeated recording of fault response procedures.

[0072] 2-5. Statistics Department 25

[0073] Statistics Unit 25 is a function block used to statistically analyze the registration frequency of handling statements corresponding to undocumented cause statements not recorded in the fault response procedure manual. The processing performed in Statistics Unit 25 is hereinafter referred to as "statistical processing". Figure 12 This is a graph showing statistical examples of disposal statements corresponding to statements with undocumented reasons. Figure 12 In the example shown, the number of registrations was counted as an indicator of the frequency of action statements executed on each unrecorded reason statement in the unrecorded reason list. The statistical results were sent to the feedback department 26.

[0074] 2-6. Reflection Department 26

[0075] The Response Unit 26 is a function block used to reflect the cause statements and action statements selected from the statistical results according to predetermined rules into the fault response procedure book DB. The processing performed in the Response Unit 26 is hereinafter referred to as "Response Processing". The content of the rules is not limited. Figure 12 In the example shown, for each cause statement, the most frequently registered mandatory action is selected, and a maximum of three preventative actions are selected starting from the side with the most frequent registrations. According to this rule, in... Figure 12 In this process, the cause statements and handling statements recorded in #1, #3, #4, #5, #7, and #8 are added to the fault response procedure book DB.

[0076] Based on the functions of the control device 20 of the fault response auxiliary device 10 described above, the following effects and functions can be achieved.

[0077] By analyzing the free-form statements in the fault response history, cause statements and handling statements not recorded in the fault response procedure database (DB) are extracted. This allows these unrecorded cause statements and handling statements to be incorporated into the DB, thus improving its quality. Consequently, maintenance personnel referring to the DB can reduce their work time and improve the quality of their work.

[0078] 3. Specific procedures performed in the fault response auxiliary device

[0079] Figures 13 to 17 This is a flowchart showing the routines executed in the control device 20 of the fault response assistance device 10 in this embodiment. Figure 13 The routine shown is executed in the extraction unit 21 of the control device 20.

[0080] exist Figure 13In step S100 of the illustrated routine, fault response history is obtained from fault response history DB31. In step S102, free-form statements of the fault response history for the specified fault code are obtained from the obtained fault response history. In step S104, a cause statement and a disposition statement are extracted from the obtained free-form statements. Here, the above extraction process is performed by the extraction unit 21. The cause statement and disposition statement extracted by the extraction unit 21 are sent to the determination unit 22.

[0081] After the processing in step S104 is executed, the processing proceeds to... Figure 14 Step S110 of the routine shown. Figure 14 The illustrated routine is executed in the determination unit 22 of the control device 20. In step S110, variable i is set to 0. Here, variable i corresponds to the identifier used to sequentially determine the obtained cause statements, and is an integer greater than or equal to 0. In step S112, it is determined whether variable i is less than the number of cause statements extracted in step S104. As a result, if no determination is found to be true, processing proceeds to... Figure 15 The routine shown proceeds to step S114 after confirming that the determination is valid.

[0082] In step S114, variable j is set to 0. Here, variable j acts as an identifier used to sequentially determine the obtained disposal statements, and is an integer greater than or equal to 0. In step S116, it is determined whether variable j is less than the number of disposal statements extracted in step S104. As a result, if the determination is not confirmed, the process proceeds to step S124; if the determination is confirmed, the process proceeds to step S118.

[0083] In step S118, it is determined whether the device name term in cause statement i and the device name term in disposal statement j have a hierarchical relationship. If they have a relationship, the process proceeds to step S120; otherwise, it proceeds to step S122.

[0084] In step S120, disposal statement j is registered as a necessary disposal for cause statement i. When the processing in step S120 is completed, the process proceeds to step S122. In step S122, variable j is incremented, and the process returns to step S116. Thus, the processing from step S116 to step S122 is repeatedly executed until the number of disposal statements obtained exceeds the number of variable j.

[0085] If, in step S116, it is determined that variable j exceeds the number of acquired disposal statements, the process proceeds to step S124. In step S124, variable i is incremented, and the process returns to step S112. Thus, the processes from steps S112 to S124 are repeatedly executed until variable i exceeds the number of acquired cause statements. If, in step S112, it is determined that the number of acquired cause statements exceeds variable i, the process proceeds to... Figure 15 The step S130 shown.

[0086] for Figure 15 The routine shown is also executed in the determination unit 22 of the control device 20. In step S130, as in step S110, variable i is set to 0. In step S132, it is determined whether variable i is less than the number of reason statements extracted in step S104. As a result, if the determination is not confirmed to be true, processing proceeds... Figure 16 The routine shown proceeds to step S134 after confirming that the determination is valid.

[0087] In step S134, similar to step S114, variable j is set to 0. In step S136, it is determined whether variable j is less than the number of processing statements extracted in step S104. As a result, if the determination is not confirmed, the process proceeds to step S146; if the determination is confirmed, the process proceeds to step S138.

[0088] In step S138, it is determined whether the processing statement j is not a necessary processing condition for any cause statement. As a result, if the determination is not confirmed, the process proceeds to step S142; if the determination is confirmed, the process proceeds to step S140.

[0089] In step S140, disposal statement j is registered as a preventative disposal for cause statement i. When the processing in step S120 is completed, the process proceeds to step S142. In step S142, variable j is incremented, and the process returns to step S136. Thus, the processing from step S136 to step S142 is repeatedly executed until the number of disposal statements obtained exceeds the number of variable j.

[0090] When it is determined in step S136 that the number of acquired disposal statements exceeds variable j, the process proceeds to step S146. In step S146, variable i is incremented, and the process returns to step S132. Thus, the processes from steps S132 to S146 are repeatedly executed until the number of acquired cause statements exceeds variable i. In step S132, when variable i exceeds the number of acquired cause statements, the process proceeds to... Figure 16 Step S150 of the routine shown.

[0091] Figure 16 The routine shown is executed by the elimination unit 23 of the control device 20. In step S150, by performing elimination processing in the elimination unit 23, inconsistencies in the expressions contained in the cause statement and the disposition statement are eliminated. The cause statement and disposition statement with the inconsistencies eliminated are sent to the comparison unit 24. When the processing of step S150 is completed, the process enters... Figure 17 Step S160.

[0092] Figure 17 The routine shown is executed by the comparison unit 24 of the control device 20. In step S160, a fault response step for obtaining the specified fault code is performed from the fault response step DB37. In the next step S162, as in step S110, variable i is set to 0. In step S164, it is determined whether the number of cause statements extracted in step S104 is greater than variable i. As a result, if the determination is not confirmed to be true, processing proceeds to... Figure 18 The routine shown proceeds to step S166 after confirming that the determination is valid.

[0093] In step S166, variable k is set to 0. Here, variable k is equivalent to an identifier used to sequentially determine the cause statements recorded in the acquired fault response steps, and is an integer greater than or equal to 0. In step S168, it is determined whether variable k is less than the number of cause statements recorded in the acquired fault response steps. As a result, if the determination is not confirmed, the process proceeds to step S176; if the determination is confirmed, the process proceeds to step S170.

[0094] In step S170, it is determined whether the obtained cause statement i is the same as the cause statement k in the fault handling step. As a result, if the determination is not confirmed to be true, the process proceeds to step S174; if the determination is confirmed to be true, the process proceeds to step S172.

[0095] In step S172, it is determined that the obtained cause statement i has been recorded in the fault response step. When the processing in step S172 is completed, the process proceeds to step S174. In step S174, the variable k is incremented, and the process returns to step S168. Thus, the processing from step S168 to step S174 is repeatedly executed until the variable k exceeds the number of cause statements recorded in the fault response step.

[0096] In step S168, if the number of cause statements recorded in the fault response steps exceeds the number of cause statements recorded in the fault response steps, the process proceeds to step S176. In step S176, it is determined whether cause statement i is not recorded in the fault response steps. As a result, if the determination is confirmed to be true, the process proceeds to step S178; if the determination is not confirmed to be true, the process proceeds to step S180.

[0097] In step S178, the unrecorded cause statement i is added to the unrecorded cause list. When the processing in step S178 is complete, the process proceeds to step S180. In step S180, the variable i is incremented, and the process returns to step S168. Thus, the processing from steps S164 to S180 is repeatedly executed until the variable i becomes more than or equal to the number of obtained cause statements. When the variable i becomes more than or equal to the number of obtained cause statements in step S164, the process proceeds to... Figure 18 Step S190 of the routine shown.

[0098] Figure 18 The illustrated routine is executed by the statistics unit 25 and the response unit 26 of the control device 20. In step S190, the statistics unit 25 performs statistical processing to count the number of times each action statement corresponding to each unrecorded cause statement in the unrecorded cause list is registered. The statistical results from the statistical processing are sent to the response unit 26. In step S192, the response unit 26 performs response processing to add the unrecorded cause statements and action statements to the fault response procedure book DB. Here, the response unit 26 selects the cause statements and action statements to be added to the record according to predetermined rules.

[0099] According to the fault response assistance device 10 described above, by analyzing the free-form statements in the fault response history that represent the fault response results of maintenance personnel, it is possible to extract cause statements and handling statements that are not recorded in the fault response procedure book DB. Therefore, it is possible to add records of fault causes that have not been anticipated so far, thus improving the ease of use of the fault response procedure book DB.

[0100] Furthermore, according to the fault response assistance device 10, the handling of fault causes can be classified into necessary handling and preventive handling and additional records can be made, thus further improving the ease of use of the fault response procedure book DB.

[0101] 4. Variations of this embodiment

[0102] The fault response auxiliary device 10 of this embodiment can also be applied in a modified manner as described below.

[0103] 4-1. Equipment Terminology Database 33

[0104] The storage format of the device terminology database 33 is not limited. Figure 19 This is a diagram illustrating a variation of the storage format of a device terminology database. For example... Figure 19 As shown, the equipment terminology library 33 is not limited to establishing a one-to-one correspondence between equipment names; it can also establish a correspondence between superior and subordinate terms across multiple levels.

[0105] 4-2. Judgment Unit 22

[0106] In addition, such as Figure 19 As shown, when the hierarchical relationship between device names in the device terminology database 33 is established across multiple levels, the determination unit 22 limits the number of levels used in determining whether a hierarchical relationship exists to no more than a predetermined N levels. Alternatively, when the physical distance relationship between devices is established in the device terminology database 33, the determination unit 22 considers the physical distance when determining whether a relationship exists. With this structure, the error rate of the determination unit 22 can be reduced, thereby improving the determination accuracy.

[0107] 4-3. Statistics Department

[0108] The statistics department 25 can also reflect information about the maintenance personnel responsible for troubleshooting in the statistical processing. That is, the experience level of the maintenance personnel responsible for troubleshooting varies from skilled to less experienced. The more skilled the maintenance personnel, the more knowledge they have related to troubleshooting, and the more likely they are to be familiar with components that should be checked for prevention.

[0109] Therefore, the statistics department 25 can also be configured to weight the statistical results using the experience values ​​of the maintenance personnel during statistical processing. Typically, the fault response history DB31 contains information about the maintenance personnel responsible for each fault response history. Furthermore, for each maintenance personnel, a ranking value corresponding to their respective experience value is associated. Such ranking values ​​can be set based on factors such as the maintenance personnel's years of experience and performance record. The ranking values ​​of the maintenance personnel are also correlated with the cause statements not recorded in the cause list. The statistics department 25 uses the ranking values ​​for weighting during statistical processing, increasing the weight of the registration count for actions taken by maintenance personnel with higher experience values ​​and decreasing the weight of the registration count for actions taken by maintenance personnel with lower experience values. Based on this statistical processing, actions performed by skilled maintenance personnel are prioritized for inclusion in the fault response procedure book, allowing maintenance personnel using this information to prioritize the equipment that skilled personnel have checked for preventative purposes.

[0110] After fault handling operations are performed, sometimes the same fault code is reported again after a certain period of time. In such cases, it is possible that the handling during the fault handling operations was inappropriate. When the list of unrecorded causes compiled in the statistics department 25 includes handling statements based on such inappropriate fault handling history, the incorrect handling for the cause may be added to the fault handling step DB37. Therefore, it is also possible that the statistics department 25 performs statistical processing by reducing the weighting of handling statements based on inappropriate fault handling history. Based on such statistical processing, the correctness of the handling can be taken into account to improve the fault handling step DB.

[0111] 4-4. Storage device 30

[0112] The structure and functional configuration of the storage device 30 are not limited. That is, the fault response history DB31, the dictionary DB32, and the fault response steps DB37 of the storage device 30 can also be configured as separate storage devices. In addition, the fault response history DB31, the dictionary DB32, and the fault response steps DB37, which are storage devices, can also be configured on a server connected to the control device 20 via a communication line.

[0113] 4-4. Control device 20

[0114] The control device 20 may also include a prompting unit that displays information recorded in the fault handling steps DB based on requests from maintenance personnel performing fault handling operations. The prompting unit displays the associated fault cause statement and handling statement based on a search query entered by the maintenance personnel. Alternatively, the prompting unit's function can also be configured on a server or a maintenance personnel's terminal.

[0115] 4-5. Fault handling auxiliary devices 10

[0116] Figure 20 This is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the hardware resources of the fault response auxiliary device 10. Figure 20 In the example shown, the fault response assistance device 10 includes a processing circuit 42, which includes, for example, a control device 20 containing a processor, a storage device 30, and dedicated hardware 40. Figure 20This illustration shows an example of a portion of the functions of the fault response aid 10 implemented by dedicated hardware 40. All the functions of the fault response aid 10 can also be implemented by dedicated hardware 40. The dedicated hardware 40 can be a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programming processor, a parallel programming processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof.

[0117] Label Explanation

[0118] 10: Fault response auxiliary device; 20: Control device; 21: Extraction unit; 22: Judgment unit; 23: Elimination unit; 24: Comparison unit; 25: Statistics unit; 26: Response unit; 30: Storage device; 31: Fault response history database; 32: Thesaurus database; 33: Equipment terminology database; 34: Status thesaurus database; 35: External factor thesaurus database; 36: Operation thesaurus database; 37: Fault response steps database; 40: Dedicated hardware; 42: Processing circuit.

Claims

1. A fault response assistance device, which assists maintenance personnel in handling faults of elevator equipment, wherein: The fault response auxiliary device comprises: a fault coping procedure database storing the fault coping procedures of the elevator equipment in a retrievable form; a fault response history database storing, in free-form statements, fault response history records of the fault response operations performed by maintenance personnel; and a control device that reflects the information of the fault response history record into the fault response procedure stored in the fault response procedure database, The control device comprises: an extracting unit that extracts a cause sentence corresponding to a cause of the failure of the elevator equipment and a treatment sentence corresponding to a treatment performed for the cause from free-form sentences in the failure response history; a comparing unit that registers, among the cause sentences extracted by the extracting unit, cause sentences that are not stored in the failure handling procedure database as unrecorded cause sentences; a reflecting unit configured to add the unrecorded cause statement and a handling statement corresponding to the unrecorded cause statement to the fault handling procedure database; as well as A determination unit determines whether the treatment of the treatment statement is a necessary treatment directly related to the cause of the cause statement or a preventive treatment not directly related to the cause, based on the relationship between the device name term included in the cause statement and the device name term included in the treatment statement.

2. The fault response assistance device according to claim 1, wherein: The fault response auxiliary device includes an equipment noun database, which stores the equipment name of the elevator equipment and the superordinate and subordinate relationships or synonym relationships with other equipment in a searchable form. The determination unit is configured to use the device terminology database to determine whether the device name term included in the cause statement and the device name term included in the treatment statement have a superordinate or subordinate relationship or a synonym relationship. If the determination is established, the treatment of the treatment statement is determined to be the necessary treatment. If the determination is not established, the treatment of the treatment statement is determined to be the preventive treatment.

3. The fault response assistance device according to claim 2, wherein: The equipment noun database stores the superordinate and subordinate relationships between the other equipment across multiple floors. The determination unit is configured to determine whether or not the superordinate and subordinate relationship exists within a range in which the number of floors of the plurality of floors does not exceed a predetermined number of floors.

4. The failure response support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The control device includes an eliminating unit that eliminates inconsistent expressions of the cause sentence or the action sentence extracted by the extracting unit using a vocabulary database.

5. A fault response assistance device, which assists maintenance personnel in handling faults of elevator equipment, wherein: The fault response auxiliary device comprises: a fault coping procedure database storing the fault coping procedures of the elevator equipment in a retrievable form; a fault response history database storing, in free-form statements, fault response history records of the fault response work performed by maintenance personnel; and a control device that reflects the information of the fault response history record into the fault response procedure stored in the fault response procedure database, The control device comprises: an extracting unit that extracts a cause sentence corresponding to a cause of the failure of the elevator equipment and a treatment sentence corresponding to a treatment performed for the cause from free-form sentences in the failure response history; a comparing unit that registers, among the cause sentences extracted by the extracting unit, cause sentences that are not stored in the failure handling procedure database as unrecorded cause sentences; a reflecting unit configured to add the unrecorded cause statement and a handling statement corresponding to the unrecorded cause statement to the fault handling procedure database; as well as a statistics unit for collecting statistics on the registration frequency of the action statement corresponding to the non-recorded cause statement, The reflection unit is configured to select a countermeasure statement to be reflected in the failure handling procedure database based on the registration frequency.

6. The fault response assistance device according to claim 5, wherein: The control device includes an eliminating unit that eliminates inconsistent expressions of the cause sentence or the action sentence extracted by the extracting unit using a vocabulary database.

7. The fault response assistance device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein: The statistical unit weights the registration frequency based on the information of the maintenance personnel corresponding to the non-recordation reason statement.

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