Information processing system, information processing method, recording medium, node device, gateway device, manufacturing system, and product manufacturing method

By using multiple node devices and gateway devices in the information processing system, the problem of identifying and processing multiple sensor measurement data in a limited communication frequency band in the traditional system is solved, efficient data identification and processing is achieved, and power consumption is reduced.

CN119759441APending Publication Date: 2025-04-04CANON KK
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202411814025.5
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2020-10-27
Filing Date
2021-03-18
Publication Date
2025-04-04

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In traditional predictive maintenance systems, it is necessary to identify and process measurement data of multiple sensors, including measurement data and measurement condition data, in a limited communication frequency band, resulting in an increase in the amount of data, which may make the communication frequency band difficult to accommodate.

Method used

By introducing a plurality of node devices and gateway devices into the information processing system, the node device is connected to the sensor, performs measurement tasks, and adds node identification information and task identification information to the measurement data and sends it to the gateway device. The gateway device is responsible for storing and managing this data in order to identify node devices and measurement tasks.

Benefits of technology

It realizes efficient identification and processing of sensor measurement data in a limited communication frequency band, reducing the amount of data, improving the efficiency of the system, and reducing the power consumption of the node device.

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Abstract

The invention discloses an information processing system, an information processing method, a recording medium, a node device, a gateway device, a manufacturing system, and a product manufacturing method. An information processing system includes a plurality of node devices and a gateway device configured to communicate with the plurality of node devices. Each of the plurality of node devices is connected to a sensor configured to measure a state of the apparatus and is configured to perform a measurement task. Each of the plurality of node devices is configured to add node identification information for identifying the node device and task identification information for identifying the node device to measurement data acquired in a measurement task, and transmit the measurement data to the gateway device, the task identification information is used to identify a measurement task performed by the node device.
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Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application based on the patent application with application number 202110291853.5, application date March 18, 2021, and invention name "Information processing system, information processing method, recording medium, node device, gateway device, manufacturing system, product manufacturing method". Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to an information processing system and the like for obtaining the status of a production facility by collecting measurement data from a sensor attached to the production facility. Background Art

[0003] Generally, even if the production equipment is in an abnormal state, as long as the abnormal state does not hinder the operation of the production equipment, it is difficult to find the abnormal state of the production equipment during the maintenance of the production equipment. For this reason, preventive maintenance requiring periodic inspection, repair, and component replacement is performed. However, preventive maintenance has problems involving periodic inspection and its man-hours.

[0004] As a countermeasure to such problems, predictive maintenance has been attempted in recent years. In predictive maintenance, sensors are arranged in production equipment, and component replacement, repair, and updating are performed according to the status of the production equipment to reduce unnecessary component replacement and labor costs.

[0005] In this case, since many sensors are arranged to collect measurement data, detailed diagnosis and early detection of abnormalities can be achieved. However, if many sensors are arranged, it is necessary to identify the type of sensor and the type of measurement in the collection of measurement data.

[0006] For this reason, diagnostic systems have been proposed that identify the individual sensors and types of measurements.

[0007] For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-238082 discloses a data collection method. In this data collection method, a data collection device sends the ID number of a measuring device and the collection order of measurement data to all measuring devices. A measuring device is a device whose measurement data is required by the data collection device. Each of the measuring devices determines whether the current communication is a communication between the data collection device and a measuring device whose ID number is before the ID number of the measuring device itself, based on the collection order of measurement data; and sends the measurement data to the data collection device at an appropriate time.

[0008] However, in the conventional method, the data collection device must predetermine the collection order to determine the type of measurement data. In addition, the data collection device must specify the measurement conditions, or the sensors must send their measurement conditions to the data collection device. In this case, since the measurement condition data must be handled in addition to the measurement data, the amount of data will increase, which may make it difficult for the wireless communication band to accommodate the measurement condition data and the measurement data.

[0009] Therefore, it is desired to realize a method that can identify the measurement conditions of measurement data even in a limited communication band. Summary of the invention

[0010] According to a first aspect of the present invention, an information processing system includes a plurality of node devices and a gateway device, wherein the gateway device is configured to communicate with the plurality of node devices. Each of the plurality of node devices is connected to a sensor and configured to perform a measurement task, wherein the sensor is configured to measure the state of a device. Each of the plurality of node devices is configured to add node identification information and task identification information to measurement data acquired in a measurement task, and send the measurement data to the gateway device, wherein the node identification information is used to identify the node device, and the task identification information is used to identify the measurement task performed by the node device.

[0011] According to a second aspect of the present invention, an information processing method uses an information processing system. The information processing system includes a plurality of node devices and a gateway device, and the gateway device is configured to communicate with the plurality of node devices. Each of the plurality of node devices is connected to a sensor and configured to perform a measurement task, and the sensor is configured to measure the state of a device. The method includes adding node identification information and task identification information to measurement data acquired in a measurement task by each of the plurality of node devices, and sending the measurement data to the gateway device, the node identification information being used to identify the node device, and the task identification information being used to identify the measurement task performed by the node device.

[0012] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a node device is connected to a sensor, the sensor being configured to measure a state of a device. The node device is configured to perform a measurement task. The node device is configured to communicate with a gateway device. The node device is configured to add node identification information and task identification information to measurement data acquired in a measurement task, and send the measurement data to the gateway device, the node identification information being used to identify the node device, and the task identification information being used to identify the measurement task performed by the node device.

[0013] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a gateway device is configured to communicate with a plurality of node devices. Each of the plurality of node devices is connected to a sensor and configured to perform a measurement task, and the sensor is configured to measure the state of a device. If the gateway device receives measurement data to which node identification information and task identification information have been added from any one of the plurality of node devices, the gateway device stores the measurement data to which node identification information and task identification information have been added in a database of an information processing system, and the node identification information is used to identify the node device.

[0014] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a manufacturing system includes equipment configured to manufacture products; a plurality of node devices, each of which is connected to a sensor and configured to perform a measurement task, the sensor being configured to measure the state of the equipment; and a gateway device configured to communicate with the plurality of node devices. Each of the plurality of node devices is configured to add node identification information and task identification information to measurement data acquired in a measurement task, and to send the measurement data to the gateway device, the node identification information being used to identify the node device, and the task identification information being used to identify the measurement task performed by the node device.

[0015] Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an information processing system according to an embodiment.

[0017] Figure 2 It is a block configuration diagram of the node device of the embodiment.

[0018] Figure 3 It is a block configuration diagram of the gateway device of the embodiment.

[0019] Figure 4 It is a task table of the node device of the embodiment.

[0020] Figure 5 It is an index table of the gateway device of the embodiment.

[0021] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation process of a node device of an embodiment.

[0022] Figure 7 Detailed description is a flowchart illustrating an operation process of a gateway device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an information processing system of a second example.

[0024] Fig. 9 is a block configuration diagram of a node device of the second example.

[0025] Fig.10 This is a task table of the node device of the second example.

[0026] Fig.11 is a schematic diagram of an information processing system of a third example.

[0027] Fig.12 This is a task table of the node device of the third example.

[0028] Fig.13 This is a task table of another node device of the third example.

[0029] Fig.14 is a schematic diagram of an information processing system of a fourth example.

[0030] Fig.15 This is a task table of the node device of the fourth example.

[0031] Fig.16 This is an index table of the gateway device of the fourth example.

[0032] Fig.17 is a flowchart illustrating an operation procedure of a gateway device of a fourth example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Example

[0034] Hereinafter, an information processing system (device monitoring system) of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0035] Figure 1 101 is a schematic diagram of a production device to which the information processing system of the embodiment has been applied. The production device 101 includes sensors 102 and 103 for obtaining the state of the production device 101. Each of the sensors 102 and 103 may be a vibration sensor, an acceleration sensor, a pressure sensor, a photoelectric sensor, a torque sensor, or a temperature sensor; and measures the state of the production device 101 and quantifies the state into a physical quantity. Therefore, the information processing system obtains the state of the production device 101 by using the sensors 102 and 103, thereby monitoring the production device 101.

[0036] In order to obtain the state of the production equipment 101, the node device 104 is connected to at least one of the sensors 102 and 103. The sensors 102 and 103 may be included in the node device 104. The node device 104 is one or more in number, which is determined as needed; and is arranged in the production equipment 101. The node device 104 includes a communication unit 109, which allows the node device 104 to communicate with the gateway device 105. The communication unit includes one or more communication parts, which are appropriately selected from wireless communications including low power wide area (LPWA) and wireless LAN, and wired communications including Ethernet and field networks.

[0037] The measurement data measured by the sensor is collected in the gateway device 105 from the node device 104 via the communication units 109 and 110. The gateway device 105 is connected to the in-factory network 106. Note that the in-factory network 106 may be a dedicated network (LAN) used in the factory, or may be a wide area network such as the Internet. The gateway device 105 is installed in an area where the gateway device 105 can communicate with the node device 104 via the communication units 109 and 110.

[0038] The measurement data collected in the gateway device 105 is stored in a database 107 of a data storage device connected to the network 106 in the factory. Note that the function of the gateway device 105 can be implemented as software in the database 107 or the storage part of the computer. In addition, the database 107 can be a storage device or a storage medium.

[0039] The administrator can check the result data stored in the database 107 by using the computer 108. If an abnormal state occurs in the production device 101, the computer 108 can notify the administrator of the abnormal state when necessary. For example, the computer 108 can issue an alarm or send an email to the administrator.

[0040] Figure 2 It is a graphic Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the block configuration of the node device 104. The node device 104 is connected to the sensor 203, which is one or more sensors arranged in the production equipment 101. The node device 104 includes a signal input part (A / D converter) 204, which converts the analog signal output from the sensor 203 into a digital signal. The signal input part 204 converts one or more analog input signals into a digital signal. Note that the signal input part 204 may be included in the sensor 203, and the sensor 203 may output a digital signal.

[0041] The signal digitized by the signal input section 204 is processed by the CPU 205. The CPU 205 selects one or more of the following processes: no-operation processing, FFT processing, part-integral processing, envelope processing, frequency filtering processing, differentiation processing, integration processing, wavelet processing, average value processing, standard deviation processing, maximum value processing, minimum value processing, peak-to-peak processing, peak hold processing, effective value processing, crest factor processing, waveform factor processing, pulse coefficient processing, residual coefficient processing, and machine learning model inference processing, determines the order of the selected processes, and executes them.

[0042] For example, in the no-op processing, the CPU 205 does not process the digitized input signal and delivers the digitized signal to the output portion 206. In the FFT processing, the CPU 205 decomposes the digitized input signal into frequency components. In the part-whole processing, the CPU 205 determines the frequency range and sums the frequency components processed by FFT in the determined frequency range. In the envelope processing, the CPU 205 determines the envelope of the input signal. In the frequency filtering processing, the CPU 205 sets the frequency range and passes the input signal through a low-pass filter, a high-pass filter, or a band-pass filter to eliminate undesirable signals and obtain expected signals.

[0043] In the differential processing, the CPU 205 differentiates the input signal. In the integral processing, the CPU 205 integrates the input signal. In the wavelet processing, the CPU 205 decomposes the digitized input signal into a frequency component and a time component. In the average value processing, the CPU 205 calculates the average value of the input signal. In the standard deviation processing, the CPU 205 calculates the standard deviation of the input signal. In the maximum value processing, the CPU 205 calculates the maximum value of the input signal. In the minimum value processing, the CPU 205 calculates the minimum value of the input signal. In the peak-to-peak processing, the CPU 205 calculates the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the input signal. In the peak hold processing, the CPU 205 continuously measures the input signal in a predetermined time period and calculates the maximum value of the input signal in the predetermined time period. In the effective value processing, the CPU 205 calculates the effective value of the input signal.

[0044] In the crest factor processing, the CPU 205 calculates the crest factor of the input signal by dividing the maximum value of the input signal by the effective value of the input signal. In the waveform factor processing, the CPU 205 calculates the waveform factor of the input signal by dividing the effective value of the input signal by the average value of the input signal. In the pulse coefficient processing, the CPU 205 calculates the pulse coefficient of the input signal by dividing the maximum value of the input signal by the absolute average value of the input signal. In the residual coefficient processing, the CPU 205 calculates the residual coefficient of the input signal by dividing the maximum value of the input signal by the value of the input signal. This value is obtained by calculating the square root of the average value of the input signal and then calculating the square of the square root value. In the machine learning model inference processing, the computer pre-creates a machine learning model (learned model) by reading and analyzing learning data. In the machine learning model, rules for classification and recognition are defined. The machine learning model is implemented in the node device 104, and the CPU 205 determines the output based on the input signal and the machine learning model.

[0045] Note that, although the various types of signal processing described above are executed by the CPU 205 , they may be executed by dedicated hardware such as a PLA.

[0046] The node device 104 includes an output part 206 that outputs a signal processed by the CPU 205. The output part 206 operates under the control of the CPU 205 and includes at least one of a wireless communication unit 207 and a wired communication unit 208. In addition to the wireless communication unit 207 and / or the wired communication unit 208, the output part 206 can also select at least one of a storage part 209 and a general input / output part 211, and can output the measurement data to the selected part. Specifically, the output part 206 can add a node number (node ​​identification information) and a measurement task number (task identification information) to the measurement data, and output the measurement data. The node number is used as identification information for identifying the node device 104 as an individual device. The output part 206 uses wireless communication or wired communication, and outputs the node number, the measurement task number, and the measurement data in this order to the gateway device 105. The wired communication unit 208 is connected to the gateway device 105 via the sensor network 210.

[0047] The node device 104 includes an event generating section 202, which is activated at a diagnostic interval or diagnostic time that is predetermined as a timer trigger, or is activated by a trigger input via the general input / output section 211. The event conditions of the event generating section 202 include a predetermined measurement interval, time, an external trigger input signal, a change in the state of the node device, a call from another task of the node device, a call from a gateway device, and a call from another node device. If multiple event generating conditions are selected, measurement is started when any one of the selected conditions is met.

[0048] The event generating section 202 may be dedicated hardware such as a PLA, or may be software as a control program for controlling the operation of the CPU 205 .

[0049] For example, if the event condition is a measurement interval, an event is generated at a predetermined interval. If the event condition is time, an event is generated, for example, at a predetermined time on a predetermined day of the week. If the event condition is an external trigger input signal, an event is generated when a signal from the general input / output part 211 changes. If the event condition is a change in the state of a node device, an event is generated when the remaining battery power of the node device changes, or when a signal from a temperature sensor of the node device changes. If the event condition is a call from another task of the node device, an event is generated when the event generation part 202 is called from another task of the node device under the output condition of another task. If the event condition is a call from a gateway device, an event is generated when the node device receives a task execution command from the gateway device. If the event condition is a call from another node device, an event is generated when the event generation part 202 is called from another node device under the output condition of another node device.

[0050] The event conditions of the event generating section 202, the signal input conditions of the signal input section 204, the signal processing conditions of the CPU 205, and the output conditions of the output section 206 are stored as components of the measurement task in the task table of the storage section 209. Note that although the task table is stored in the storage section 209, the task table may be stored in another storage device.

[0051] Figure 3 It is a graphic Figure 1Schematic diagram of a block configuration of the gateway device 105 illustrated in . The gateway device 105 includes a wired communication unit 304 for communicating with the node device 104 via a wire via the sensor network 303 (210). In addition, the gateway device 105 includes a wireless communication unit 302 for communicating with the node device 104 wirelessly. Depending on the environment in which the node device 104 is installed, the unit that allows the gateway device 105 and the node device 104 to communicate with each other may be the wired communication unit 304 or the wireless communication unit 302.

[0052] The gateway device 105 includes a CPU 308 that controls the operation of each unit. The gateway device 105 has an index table stored in the storage device 305. The index table is used to associate the measurement data with the database 107 ( Figure 1 ) is associated with a corresponding table of the node device 104. The node number is used to identify the node device 104 as an individual device. The CPU 308 of the gateway device 105 determines the table of the database 107 where the measurement data is to be stored by using the node number of the node device 104, the measurement task number, and the information of the index table. The gateway device 105 receives the measurement data from the node device 104 via the wired communication unit 304 or the wireless communication unit 302, and stores the measurement data in the table of the database 107 via the in-plant network 307 (106) connected to the wired communication unit 306. Note that the sensor network 303 and the in-plant network 307 can be the same network.

[0053] Figure 4 The table shown in is a task table 401 of the node device 104. The node device 104 has the task table 401, which is stored as information in the storage part 209. The task table 401 includes a task number 402 assigned to a corresponding task, an event condition 403 of the event generating part 202, a signal input condition 404 of the signal input part 204, a signal processing condition 405 of the CPU 205, an output processing condition 406 of the output part 206, and a node number 407. In the task table 401 of the node device 104, one or more measurement tasks are pre-registered according to the measurement items and the sensors connected to the node device 104. The measurement tasks registered in the task table 401 are sequentially executed from the measurement tasks whose event conditions 403 have been satisfied. The tasks whose event conditions 403 have been satisfied are executed under the signal input condition 404, the signal processing condition 405, and the output processing condition 406.

[0054] Figure 5The table shown in is an index table 501 of the gateway device 105. The gateway device 105 has the index table 501 which is stored as information in the storage device 305. The index table 501 includes a node number 502 of the node device 104, a task number 503 indicating a number of a corresponding task assigned to the node device 104 registered in the task table 401, a receiving part 505, a database name 504 indicating a data storage device to store data, and a table name 506 defining an area of ​​the database to store data. The index table 501 is pre-registered, associated with the node device 104 connected to the gateway device 105, and the task table 401 of the node device 104. When receiving measurement data from the node device 104, the gateway device 105 searches the index table 501 for the node number 502 and the task number 503 included in the received measurement data. The gateway device 105 then registers the measurement data by using information on the database name 504 and the table name 506 corresponding to the node number 502 and the task number 503 of the index table 501 .

[0055] Figure 6 104 is a flowchart of a process of obtaining the status of the production equipment 101 by the node device 104. The process of obtaining the status of the production equipment 101 by using the task table will be described below.

[0056] In step S1, the CPU 205 of the node device 104 starts obtaining the status of the production equipment 101. In step S2, the CPU 205 reads the tasks that have been registered in advance from the task table 401 of the storage section 209.

[0057] In step S3 , the CPU 205 registers the event condition 403 of each task registered in the task table 401 in the event generating section 202 .

[0058] In step S4, the CPU 205 of the node device 104 refers to the event registered in step S3, and checks whether an event such as a designated time, a designated interval, or an external input has occurred.

[0059] If the event has occurred, the CPU 205 executes the task corresponding to the event. In step S5, the CPU 205 sets the signal input section 204 by selecting the signal input condition 404, which includes the physical quantity input channel, sampling frequency, input range, number of samples and amplification factor registered in the task table 401.

[0060] In step S6, the CPU 205 performs signal input processing, such as analog-to-digital conversion, under the set signal input condition 404. In step S7, the CPU 205 selects the signal processing condition 405 registered in the task table 401, and performs the setting of the CPU 205. In step S8, the CPU 205 performs signal processing on the digitized measurement data. In step S9, in order to handle the signal-processed measurement data, the CPU 205 sets the output section 206 under the output processing condition 406 registered in the task table 401.

[0061] In step S10, the CPU 205 adds the node number 407 of the node device 104 and the task number 402 corresponding to the event to the measurement data. Note that if the output condition (output destination) is a storage device, then since the node number is known, only the task number can be added to the measurement data. In step S11, the measurement data to which the node number and the measurement task number have been added is output to the gateway device, the general input / output part of the output part 206, or the storage device of the output part 206 under the output processing condition 406. When step S11 is completed, the CPU 205 returns to step S4 and checks whether the event occurs again.

[0062] Figure 7 1 is a flowchart for illustrating a process in which the gateway device 105 collects and processes measurement data for obtaining the status of production equipment. The following description will be made of a process in which the gateway device 105 registers measurement data transmitted from the node device 104 in a database for obtaining the status of production equipment.

[0063] In step S51, the CPU 308 of the gateway device 105 starts to obtain the status of the production equipment 101. In step S52, the CPU 308 reads the index table 501 that has been registered in the storage device 305 in advance.

[0064] In step S53, the CPU 308 of the gateway device 105 selects a receiving unit for receiving measurement data from the node device 104 according to the receiving components 505 registered in the index table 501. If a plurality of receiving components are registered in the index table 501, the gateway device 105 selects the plurality of receiving units.

[0065] In step S54, the CPU 308 of the gateway device 105 checks whether a receiving unit has received measurement data from the node device 104. If the receiving unit receives measurement data from the node device 104, the gateway device 105 proceeds to step S55 and extracts the node number and task number of the node device from the measurement data.

[0066] In step S56, the CPU 308 searches for an index in the index table 501 by using the node number and the task number. Then, the CPU 308 determines the table of the database in which the measurement data is to be stored according to the index that the CPU 308 has found. In step S57, the CPU 308 creates a query for storing the measurement data. In step S58, the CPU 308 of the gateway device 105 executes the query and stores the measurement data in the table of the database. When step S58 is completed, the CPU 308 returns to step S54 and checks whether the receiving unit has received the measurement data again.

[0067] In this embodiment, since communication is performed efficiently, the gateway device can easily determine from which node device a piece of measurement data has been sent or in which measurement task a piece of measurement data has been measured even in a limited communication frequency band. In addition, since communication is performed efficiently, the power consumption of the node device can be reduced.

[0068] Next, some specific examples will be described. In the first example, measurement is performed according to a recipe, and the measurement result is stored in a data storage device. In the second example, in an abnormal state, measurement is performed according to another recipe. In the third example, in an abnormal state, measurement is performed by another node device according to the recipe of another node device. In the fourth example, if the gateway device receives measurement data from a node device that is not registered in the index table, the gateway device stores the measurement data in the database as test data.

[0069] First example

[0070] A first example of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a production facility including an information processing system of a first example.

[0071] A pump is used as a production device 101, and includes vibration sensors 102 and 103 for obtaining an operating state. The vibration sensors 102 and 103 convert the intensity of vibration into a voltage signal as a physical quantity. The vibration sensors 102 and 103 are connected to a node device 104, and obtain the state of the pump used as the production device 101. The node device 104 includes a communication unit 109 that allows the node device 104 to communicate with a gateway device 105. For example, the node device 104 includes an LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) wireless communication unit.

[0072] The node device 104 performs measurement according to the task table 401 pre-stored in the storage section 209. Specifically, the node device 104 performs measurement under the event condition 403, which is set Figure 4 In the task table 401.

[0073] In Task 1 where Task Number 402 is 1, since Event Condition 403 is set so that the event occurs at intervals of 60 minutes, Task 1 is executed every 60 minutes. Specifically, when the power of the node device 104 is turned on, the elapsed time is reset, and Task 1 is executed every 60 minutes. When Task 1 is executed, analog-to-digital conversion is performed under the following signal input conditions 404: the analog-to-digital conversion channel is 1; the sampling frequency is 54 kHz; the input range is from 0 to 5 V; the number of samples is 10,000; and the amplification factor is 50. In Task 1, after the analog-to-digital conversion, the CPU 205 performs FFT processing under the signal processing conditions 405 and then performs partial overall processing. Since wireless communication is selected under the output processing conditions 406 of Task 1, the CPU 205 adds the number of the node device 104 and the task number 1 to the measurement data, and sends the measurement data to the gateway device 105 via the wireless communication unit 207.

[0074] In task 2 whose task number 402 is 2, task 2 is executed at 15:00 every Monday under event condition 403. When task 2 is executed, analog-to-digital conversion is performed under the following signal input condition 404: analog-to-digital conversion channel is 2; sampling frequency is 54 kHz; input range is from 0 to 5 V; number of samples is 10000; and amplification factor is 50. In measurement task 2, after analog-to-digital conversion, CPU 205 performs FFT processing under signal processing condition 405. Since wired communication is selected under output processing condition 406 of measurement task 2, CPU 205 adds the number of node device 104 and task number 2 to the measurement data, and sends the measurement data to gateway device 105 via wired communication unit 208.

[0075] Whenever Task 1 is executed at intervals of 60 minutes, the gateway device 105 receives the measurement data to which the node number 104 and Task number 1 have been added from the node device 104 via the wireless communication unit 302. The gateway device 105 extracts the number of the node device 104 and Task number 1 from the measurement data, and searches the index table 501 ( Figure 5 ).

[0076] If the node number is 104 and the task number is 1, the gateway device 105 finds the database name 504 of DB1 and the table name 506 of TBL3 that have been pre-registered in the index table 501. The gateway device 105 creates a query for storing the measurement data in the table TBL3 of the database DB1, and stores the measurement data in the table TBL3 of the database 107 (DB1) via the in-plant network 307.

[0077] Similarly, when the measurement task 2 is performed at 15:00 every Monday, the gateway device 105 receives the measurement data to which the node number 104 and the task number 2 have been added from the node device 104 via the wired communication unit 304. The gateway device 105 creates a query for storing the measurement data in the table TBL4 of the database 107 (DB1), and stores the measurement data in the table TBL4 of the database 107 (DB1) via the in-plant network 307.

[0078] The node device 104 has a plurality of measurement tasks. Therefore, if the gateway device receives only the measurement data, the gateway device cannot distinguish the measurement task from other measurement tasks. Therefore, the gateway device cannot store the measurement data in the corresponding table of the corresponding database specified for the measurement task. In addition, if the node device 104 specifies a database and a table for storing the measurement data, the amount of data to be sent will increase, which may shorten the battery life of the node device and make it difficult for the communication band to accommodate the sent data.

[0079] In this example, since the node device adds the node number and the task number to the measurement data, the battery life of the node device can be ensured, and each measurement data can be recognized by the gateway device. In addition, this example can provide a measurement component that can set a plurality of measurement conditions.

[0080] Second example

[0081] A second example of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an information processing system. A description will be given below of a process for performing detailed measurements when, for example, a blade of a pump of a production facility is damaged and abnormal vibration is occurring.

[0082] To obtain the operating state of pump 801, channel 1 of node device 802 is connected to vibration sensor 803, and channel 2 of node device 802 is connected to temperature sensor 804. In the task table of node device 802, measurement task 1, measurement task 2, and measurement task 3 are pre-registered.

[0083] Fig. 9 A block diagram of a node device is shown, and Fig.10 The task table 1001 of the node device is shown.

[0084] Node device 802 is connected to vibration sensor 803 and temperature sensor 804, which are Fig. 9 Node device 802 is illustrated as sensor 903. Node device 802 includes a signal input section 904, which converts the analog signal output from sensor 903 into a digital signal. That is, signal input section 904 converts the analog input signal into a digital signal. Note that signal input section 904 may be included in sensor 903.

[0085] The signal digitized by the signal input section 904 is processed by the CPU 905. The CPU 905 selects one or more of the following processes: no-operation processing, FFT processing, part-integral processing, envelope processing, frequency filtering processing, differentiation processing, integration processing, wavelet processing, average value processing, standard deviation processing, maximum value processing, minimum value processing, peak-to-peak processing, peak hold processing, effective value processing, crest factor processing, waveform factor processing, pulse coefficient processing, residual coefficient processing, and machine learning model inference processing, and determines the order of the selected processes.

[0086] The node device 802 includes an output section 906 that outputs a signal processed by the CPU 905. The output section 906 includes a threshold determination section 912 that selects an output destination according to the result of the processing performed by the CPU 905. In addition, the output section 906 includes at least one of a wireless communication unit 907 and a wired communication unit 908. Under the control of the CPU 905, the output section 906 selects at least one of the wireless communication unit 907, the wired communication unit 908, the storage section 909, and the general input / output section 911 as an output destination. The CPU 905 compares the result of the processing performed by the CPU 905 with the node number 1007 and the task number 1002 ( Fig.10 ) and outputs the result as measurement data. The node number 1007 is a number for identifying the node device 802 as an individual device.

[0087] The wired communication unit 908 is connected to the gateway device 851 via the sensor network 910. The node device 802 includes an event generating section 902 which is activated at a diagnostic interval or diagnostic time predetermined as a timer trigger or by a trigger input via a general input / output section 911.

[0088] The event conditions of the event generating section 902 are stored as components of the measurement task in a task table of the storage section 909 together with the signal input conditions of the signal input section 904, the signal processing conditions of the CPU 905, and the output conditions of the output section 906. Note that although the task table is stored in the storage section 909, the task table may be stored in another storage device.

[0089] Task 1 is executed every 60 minutes under event condition 1003. When Task 1 is executed, analog-to-digital conversion is performed under the following signal input condition 1004: analog-to-digital conversion channel is 1; sampling frequency is 54 kHz; input range is from 0 to 5 V; number of samples is 10000; and amplification factor is 50. In Task 1, after analog-to-digital conversion, CPU 905 performs frequency filtering processing under signal processing condition 1005 and then performs average processing. In Task 1, wireless communication and conditional measurement tasks 2 and 3 are selected under output condition 1006. CPU 905 adds node number 802 and task number 1 to the measurement data, and transmits the measurement data to gateway device 851 via wireless communication unit 907. Gateway device 851 registers the measurement data to which node number 1007 (802) and task number 1002 (1) have been added in database 853 via network 852.

[0090] For example, if the blade 805 of the pump 801 is damaged and is vibrating abnormally, the average value of the measured data in Task 1 exceeds 50.0 m / s 2 , and the threshold determination section 912 of the output section 906 determines that the average value has exceeded the threshold value (the predetermined condition has been satisfied). Then, the node device sends the measurement data to the gateway device 851, and performs measurement tasks 2 and 3. The node device 802 then sends the results of measurement tasks 2 and 3 to the gateway device 851 under the output condition 1006.

[0091] In task 2, detailed measurement is performed by using a vibration sensor. In measurement task 2, analog-to-digital conversion is performed under the following signal input conditions 1004: analog-to-digital conversion channel is 1; sampling frequency is 54 kHz; input range is from 0 to 5V; number of samples is 10000; and amplification factor is 50. In measurement task 2, after analog-to-digital conversion, CPU 905 performs FFT processing under signal processing conditions 1005. Since wireless communication is selected under output conditions 1006, CPU 905 adds node number 802 and task number 2 to the measurement data, and sends the measurement data to gateway device 851 via the wireless communication unit. Gateway device 851 registers the measurement data to which node number 1007 (802) and task number 1002 (2) have been added in database 853 via network 852.

[0092] In measurement task 3, measurement is performed by using a temperature sensor. In measurement task 3, analog-to-digital conversion is performed under the following signal input conditions 1004: analog-to-digital conversion channels are 2; sampling frequency is 54 kHz; input range is from 0 to 5 V; number of samples is 10000; and amplification factor is 1. In measurement task 3, after analog-to-digital conversion, CPU 905 performs frequency filtering processing under signal processing conditions 1005 and then performs average processing. Since wireless communication is selected under output conditions 1006, CPU 905 adds node number 802 and task number 3 to the measurement data, and sends the measurement data to gateway device 851 via the wireless communication unit. Gateway device 851 registers the measurement data to which node number 1007 (802) and task number 1002 (3) have been added in database 853 via network 852.

[0093] In this example, the output section includes a threshold determination section that selects an output condition according to the determination result. Therefore, the battery life can be ensured, and detailed measurement can be performed according to the result of the task in a limited communication band.

[0094] Third Example

[0095] A third example of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig.11 The following description will be made of a process of calling a task of one node device according to a measurement result of another node device when a blade of a pump of a production facility is damaged and abnormal vibration is occurring.

[0096] In order to obtain the operating status of the pump 1101 , channel 1 of the node device 1102 is connected to the vibration sensor 1104 , and channel 1 of the node device 1103 is connected to the temperature sensor 1105 . Fig.12 The task table 1201 of the node device 1102 is shown. In the task table 1201, the measurement task 1 has been pre-registered. In addition, in the task table 1301 of the node device 1103, the measurement task 1 and the measurement task 2 have been pre-registered. The output section 906 ( Fig. 9 ) includes a threshold determination part 912.

[0097] Fig.13 The task table 1301 of the node device 1103 is illustrated. In the task table 1301, task 1 is set to be executed at 15:00 every Monday under event condition 1303. In addition, measurement task 2 is set to be executed under event condition 1303 when called from another node device.

[0098] like Fig.12As shown in FIG. 1 , task 1 of node device 1102 is executed once every 60 minutes under event condition 1203. When task 1 is executed, analog-to-digital conversion is performed under the following signal input conditions 1204: analog-to-digital conversion channel is 1; sampling frequency is 54 kHz; input range is from 0 to 5 V; number of samples is 10,000; and amplification factor is 50. In task 1, after analog-to-digital conversion, CPU 905 ( Fig. 9 ) Perform frequency filtering processing under signal processing condition 1205 and then perform averaging processing.

[0099] In Task 1, wireless communication and conditional call of measurement Task 2 of node device 1103 are selected under output condition 1206. CPU 905 adds node number 1102 and task number 1 to the measurement data of Task 1, and transmits the measurement data from node device 1102 to gateway device 1151 via wireless communication unit 907. Gateway device 1151 registers the measurement data to which node number 1207 (1102) and task number 1202 (1) have been added in database 1153 via network 1152. In addition, if the condition is satisfied, node device 1102 calls measurement Task 2 of node device 1103 via wireless communication unit 907 under output condition 1206.

[0100] For example, if the blade 1106 of the pump 1101 is damaged and is vibrating abnormally, the average value of the measured data in Task 1 exceeds 50.0 m / s 2 , and the threshold determination section 912 of the output section 906 determines that the average value has exceeded the threshold value (the predetermined condition has been satisfied). If the node device 1102 determines that abnormal vibration is occurring, the node device 1102 sends an instruction to the node device 1103 via the wireless communication unit 907 to cause the node device 1103 to perform the measurement task 2 to measure the temperature immediately.

[0101] Upon receiving an instruction to perform measurement task 2 from node device 1102 via wireless communication unit 907, node device 1103 performs measurement task 2. Node device 1103 is connected to the temperature sensor attached to pump 1101. When performing measurement task 2, analog-to-digital conversion is performed under the following signal input conditions 1304: analog-to-digital conversion channel is 1; sampling frequency is 54 kHz; input range is from 0 to 5 V; number of samples is 10000; and amplification factor is 1. After the analog-to-digital conversion, CPU 905 of node device 1103 performs frequency filtering processing under signal processing conditions 1305 and then performs average processing. Since wireless communication is selected under output processing conditions 1306, CPU 905 adds node number 1103 and task number 2 to the measurement data, and sends the measurement data to gateway device 105 via the wireless communication unit. The gateway device 1151 registers the measurement data to which the node number 1307 ( 1103 ) and the task number 1302 ( 2 ) have been added in the database 1153 via the network 1152 .

[0102] In this example, since a call to a task of another node device is set in the output condition, if an error occurs in a pump, one node device can perform detailed measurements in cooperation with another node device.

[0103] Fourth Example

[0104] A fourth example of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description will be made of a process in which, when a gateway device receives measurement data from a node device that has been newly installed in a production facility and has not yet been registered in an index table of the gateway device, the gateway device stores the measurement data in a database separately from normal measurement data as test data.

[0105] Fig.14 A schematic diagram of the information processing system of this example is illustrated. In order to obtain the state of the production equipment 1401 , a vibration sensor 1404 is arranged in the production equipment 1401 , and is connected to the node device 1402 .

[0106] In order to obtain the detailed status of the production equipment 1401, the temperature sensor 1405 has been newly attached to the production equipment 1401, and the node device 1403 has been newly installed. Fig.15 The figure shows a task table 1501 of a newly installed node device 1403. In the task table 1501, task 1 is pre-registered. Task 1 is executed at 15:00 every Monday under event condition 1503.

[0107] When executing Task 1, analog-to-digital conversion is performed under the following signal input conditions 1504: the analog-to-digital conversion channel is 1; the sampling frequency is 54 kHz; the input range is from 0 to 5 V; the number of samples is 10,000; and the amplification factor is 1. In Task 1, after the analog-to-digital conversion, the CPU of the node device 1403 performs frequency filtering processing under signal processing conditions 1505 and then performs average processing.

[0108] like Fig.15 As shown in , in task 1, wireless communication is selected under output condition 1506. The CPU adds the node number 1403 and the task number 1 to the measurement data, and transmits the measurement data to the gateway device 1451 via the wireless communication unit 907.

[0109] Fig.16 The index table 1601 of the gateway device 1451 is shown. In the index table 1601, tasks with node numbers 1602 of 1402 and 1450 are pre-registered. Fig.16 The newly installed node device 1403 illustrated by the dotted box in FIG. 140 has not yet been registered in the index table 1601 .

[0110] Fig.17 14 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the processing of this example. In step S71, the gateway device 1451 starts to obtain the status of the production equipment 1401. In step S72, the gateway device 1451 reads the index table 1601 that has been registered in the storage device 305 in advance.

[0111] In step S73, the gateway device 1451 selects a unit for receiving measurement data from the node device 1402 according to the receiving unit 1605 registered in the index table 1601. If a plurality of receiving units 1605 are registered in the index table 1601, the gateway device 1451 selects the plurality of receiving units 1605.

[0112] In step S74, the gateway device 1451 checks a receiving unit 1605 ( Fig.16 ) Whether the measurement data has been received from the node device. If the receiving unit 1605 registered in the index table 1601 receives the measurement data from the node device, the gateway device 1451 proceeds to step S75 and extracts the node number and the task number from the measurement data sent from the node device.

[0113] In step S76, the gateway device 1451 refers to the node number and the task number, and searches for the index of the index table 1601. If the gateway device 1451 finds the node number and the task number in the index table 1601, the gateway device 1451 proceeds to step S77 and creates a query, and in step S78, registers the measurement data in the database 1453 via the network 1452. That is, the gateway device 1451 registers the measurement data to which the node number 1602 (1402) and the task number 1603 have been added in the registration destination identified by the database name 1604 and the table name 1606 of the index table 1601.

[0114] If the gateway device 1451 receives measurement data from the newly installed node device 1403, the gateway device 1451 cannot find the node number and the task number in step S76 because they have not been registered in the index table 1601. In this case, the gateway device 1451 proceeds to step S79 and creates a query for storing the measurement data in a predetermined measurement test table of the database. In step S80, the gateway device 1451 stores the test measurement data in a table of the database 1453 via the network 1452 in the factory. That is, the gateway device 1451 stores the measurement data to which the unregistered node number and the unregistered task number 1603 have been added in the registration destination identified by the database name 1604 and the table name 1606 of the index table 1601.

[0115] Note that, although the case where the node number of the node device has not been registered has been described in this example, if the node number has been registered but the task number has not been registered, the measurement data is also handled as test data and registered in the database 1453. That is, the gateway device 1451 registers the measurement data to which the node number 1602 has been added and the unregistered task number in the registration destination identified by the database name 1604 and the table name 1606 of the index table 1601.

[0116] In this example, if the gateway device receives measurement data from a node device that has been newly installed in a production device, or from a task that has been newly installed on an existing node device, and the newly installed node device or the newly installed task has not yet been registered in the index table of the gateway device, the gateway device stores the measurement data separately from the normal measurement data in the database as test data. With this operation, it is possible to check whether the newly installed node device is operating normally and whether the newly installed task is being executed normally. Note that since the term "test data" is conveniently used in the above description, any other term may also be used as long as the term means data related to an unregistered node device or an unregistered task.

[0117] Revise

[0118] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and examples, and various modifications can be made within the technical concept of the present invention.

[0119] The information processing system of the present invention can be used to monitor the status of not only production equipment but also various machines and equipment (such as industrial robots, service robots, and processing machines digitally controlled by computers). Mechanical equipment and information processing devices can be combined into the information processing system, or the information processing device can be installed as a part of the mechanical equipment.

[0120] The present invention also includes a method of manufacturing a product by using a production facility while allowing the information processing system of the present invention to obtain the status of the production facility. The present invention also includes a production facility including the information processing system of the present invention as a manufacturing system with a high operating rate.

[0121] The above-mentioned information processing system of the embodiment can be implemented as a system: the system obtains the status of various devices including robots operating in a production line and monitors these devices. For example, the device is a mechanical equipment that can automatically perform telescoping, flexion and extension, up and down movement, left and right movement, pivoting or a combination thereof according to the information stored in the storage device of the control device.

[0122] The embodiments of the present invention also include the above-mentioned information processing method (control method) for obtaining the state of the device, and a computer-readable recording medium storing a control program that can execute the information processing method (control method). The recording medium for providing the control program may be a ROM, a disk, or an external storage device. Specifically, the computer-readable non-transitory recording medium may be a floppy disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a magnetic tape, a non-volatile memory such as a USB memory, an SSD, etc.

[0123] Other embodiments

[0124] Embodiments of the present invention may also be implemented by reading out and executing computer executable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on a storage medium (which may also be more completely referred to as a 'non-transitory computer-readable storage medium') to perform one or more of the functions of the above-mentioned embodiments and / or a computer of a system or device including one or more circuits (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) for performing one or more of the functions of the above-mentioned embodiments, and by a method performed by a computer of the system or device by, for example, reading out and executing computer executable instructions from a storage medium to perform one or more of the functions of the above-mentioned embodiments and / or controlling one or more circuits to perform one or more of the functions of the above-mentioned embodiments. The computer may include one or more processors (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessing unit (MPU)), and may include a network of separate computers or separate processors to read out and execute computer executable instructions. Computer executable instructions may be provided to the computer, for example, from a network or a storage medium. The storage medium may include, for example, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a storage device of a distributed computing system, an optical disk (such as a compact disk (CD), a digital versatile disk (DVD), or a Blu-ray disk (BD)) TM ), one or more of flash memory devices, memory cards, etc.

[0125] The embodiments of the present invention may also be implemented by providing software (program) for executing the functions of the above-mentioned embodiments to a system or device via a network or various storage media, and a computer or a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessing unit (MPU) of the system or device reads and executes the program.

[0126] While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments.The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

Claims

1. An information processing system, comprising: a node device connected to a sensor and configured to perform a measurement task, wherein the sensor is configured to measure a state of a device; as well as a gateway device, the gateway device being configured to communicate with the node device, The node device is configured to add task identification information to measurement data acquired in a measurement task and send the measurement data to the gateway device, wherein the task identification information is used to identify an execution condition when executing the measurement task.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein: If the gateway device receives the measurement data to which the task identification information has been added, the gateway device stores the measurement data to which the node identification information and the task identification information have been added in a database.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: If a result of a measurement task performed by the node device meets a predetermined condition, the node device is configured to perform another measurement task.

4. The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: If a result of a measurement task performed by the node device satisfies a predetermined condition, the node device is configured to send an instruction to enable another node device to perform another measurement task.

5. An information processing method using an information processing system, the information processing system comprising: a node device connected to a sensor and configured to perform a measurement task, wherein the sensor is configured to measure a state of a device; as well as a gateway device, the gateway device being configured to communicate with the node device, The information processing method comprises: The node device adds node identification information and task identification information to the measurement data obtained in the measurement task, and sends the measurement data to the gateway device, wherein the node identification information is used to identify the node device and the task identification information is used to identify the execution conditions when executing the measurement task.

6. The information processing method according to claim 5, wherein: If the gateway device receives the measurement data to which the task identification information has been added, the gateway device stores the measurement data to which the task identification information has been added in a database.

7. The information processing method according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising: If a result of a measurement task performed by the node device meets a predetermined condition, another measurement task is performed by the node device.

8. The information processing method according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising: If a result of a measurement task performed by the node device meets a predetermined condition, the node device sends an instruction to make another node device perform another measurement task. 9 . A computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing a control program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method according to claim 5 or 6 .

10. A node device, the node device being connected to a sensor, the sensor being configured to measure a state of a device, the node device being configured to perform a measurement task, in, The node device is configured to communicate with the gateway device, and The node device is configured to add task identification information to measurement data acquired in a measurement task and send the measurement data to the gateway device, wherein the task identification information is used to identify an execution condition when executing the measurement task.

11. The node device according to claim 10, wherein: If a result of one task performed by the node device satisfies a predetermined condition, the node device is configured to perform another task.

12. The node device according to claim 10, wherein: If a result of a task performed by the node device satisfies a predetermined condition, the node device is configured to send an instruction to cause another node device to perform another measurement task.

13. A gateway device, the gateway device being configured to communicate with a node device, the node device being connected to a sensor and being configured to perform a measurement task, the sensor being configured to measure a state of a device, in, If the gateway device receives the measurement data to which the task identification information has been added from the node device, the gateway device stores the measurement data to which the task identification information has been added in a database of the information processing system, wherein the task identification information is used to identify the execution condition when the measurement task is executed.

14. A manufacturing system comprising: Equipment configured to manufacture products; a node device, the node device being connected to a sensor and being configured to perform a measurement task, the sensor being configured to measure a state of the device; as well as a gateway device, the gateway device being configured to communicate with the node device, The node device is configured to add task identification information to measurement data acquired in a measurement task and send the measurement data to the gateway device, wherein the task identification information is used to identify an execution condition when executing the measurement task.

15. The manufacturing system according to claim 14, wherein: If the gateway device receives the measurement data to which the task identification information has been added, the gateway device stores the measurement data to which the task identification information has been added in a database.

16. The manufacturing system according to claim 14 or 15, wherein: If a result of one measurement task performed by the node device satisfies a predetermined condition, the node device performs another measurement task.

17. The manufacturing system according to claim 14 or 15, wherein: If a result of one measurement task performed by the node device satisfies a predetermined condition, the node device sends an instruction to cause another node device to perform another measurement task.

18. A method of manufacturing a product, the method comprising: Use of the manufacturing system according to claim 14 or 15; as well as While the equipment is manufacturing products, the node device is performing measurement tasks.

Citation Information

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