Screen display generation device, factory automation system and screen display generation method

Abstract

Screen display generation device (101) connected to a programmable logic controller (PLC) (102) to which a plurality of equipment (103) are connected, the screen display generation device comprising: an input unit (220) to receive input from a user; a communication unit (250) to carry out communication with the PLC (102); a display unit (210) for displaying a screen; and a control unit (240) comprising a display content setting unit (244), a layout setting unit (245), and a screen generation unit (246), wherein the display content setting unit displays a display content setting screen to the display unit (210) which contains a candidate list of a display element based on an equipment information file (232) and linked with mapping information taken from equipment mapping information (233), and sets display content based on input information coming from the input unit (220), wherein the equipment information file relates to the plurality of equipment (103) and is created in advance by another device, and the equipment mapping information relates to an equipment mapping of the plurality of equipment and the PLC (102) and is created in advance by another device that is different from the device that created the equipment information file.The layout setting unit displays a layout setting screen with a candidate list of screen layouts for the display unit and sets a screen layout based on the input information coming from the input unit; the screen generation unit generates a screen display based on the display content set by the display content setting unit, the screen layout set by the layout setting unit, and information acquired via the communication unit (250) relating to the PLC.

Description

Technical area

[0001] The present invention relates to a screen display generating apparatus for generating various types of screens in association with connected equipment in a factory automation system (hereinafter referred to as FA system). State of the art

[0002] In recent years, the development man-hours of FA systems have increased due to the expansion of the system. In such a situation, a screen display of a screen display generation device for an FA system becomes complicated, and the work of creating this screen display increases the development man-hours, which places a burden on the user. Reference list

[0003] In order to solve the problems described above, Patent Literature 1 proposes a screen generation method that automatically generates a setting screen of a target equipment based on an equipment profile, screen display message information, and screen configuration information. Patent literature

[0004] Patent Literature 1: JP 2006-72396 A ( Fig. 1)

[0005] WO 2016 / 098 168 A1, also known as DE 11 2014 007 254 T5, discloses an information system design support tool and an information system design support program that generate screen data and various types of setting data for the purposes intended by the user when designing an information system to improve productivity and equipment utilization at a production facility.To this end, a support tool is described that generates screen data for displaying data of a PLC on a display unit and setting data for a database that stores data for the PLC therein, and a storage unit that is capable of being read by a screen display editing tool that displays and edits a screen to almost further includes a setting input unit for obtaining a data type of the data of the PLC, a screen type unit for obtaining a screen type of the screen data, and a data generation unit for generating, in the storage unit, data that links the screen data of the screen type with the setting data for the database on a data type by data type basis.

[0006] DE 103 94 010 T5 discloses a data integration system for use in a processing plant having a plurality of data source applications. This data integration system comprises a database and a display application. The database is configured to store the data of various identities in the processing plant, which data relates to the one or more identities in the processing plant and is collected or generated by the plurality of data source applications.

[0007] DE 10 2014 103 442 A1 discloses a method for initiating or continuing a mobile control session in a process plant. For this purpose, a session request is received from a first small device. The user profile associated with the session request is identified, and it is determined whether a previous session exists. If no previous session exists, a new session with a default session configuration is instantiated. If a previous session exists, a new session is instantiated according to the previous session. Brief description of the inventionTechnical problem

[0008] However, in a screen generation method of Patent Literature 1, an equipment profile and screen display message information as the basis for an automatically generated screen display must be information generated for the screen display and cannot be shared with another device. In a factory operating a large number of equipment, there is a problem that the development man-hours increase due to the creation of information for this screen display.

[0009] The present invention has been created to solve the above-mentioned problems and aims to realize a screen display generating device capable of generating a screen display for an FA system based on information shared with a device other than equipment information other than screen configuration information. Solution to the problem

[0010] The above problems are solved by the devices and methods according to the claims. A screen display generation device according to the present invention is connected to a programmable logic controller (PLC) to which a variety of equipment is connected. The screen display generation device comprises: an input unit to accept inputs from a user; a communication unit to carry out communication with the PLC; a display unit for displaying a screen; and a control unit comprising a display content setting unit, a layout setting unit, and a screen generation unit, wherein the display content setting unit displays a display content setting screen having a candidate list of a display item based on at least one of network configuration information, an equipment information file, and device allocation information to the display unit, and sets display contents based on input information coming from the input unit, wherein the network configuration information is created in advance and relates to a network configuration of the plurality of pieces of equipment and the PLC, the equipment information file relates to the plurality of pieces of equipment, the device allocation information relates to a device allocation of the plurality of pieces of equipment and the PLC,the layout setting unit displays a layout setting screen with a candidate list of a screen layout for the display unit and sets a screen layout based on the input information coming from the input unit, the screen generation unit generates a screen display based on the display content set by the display content setting unit, the screen layout set by the layout setting unit, and information acquired via the communication unit and concerning the PLC., Advantageous effects of the invention

[0011] With a screen display generating apparatus according to the present invention, due to the configuration described above, a screen display for an FA system can be generated based on information shared with a device other than the information about equipment, which is information other than the screen configuration information. Brief description of the drawings Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of an FA system in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a structural diagram illustrating an example of a screen display generating apparatus in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the screen display generating apparatus in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 4 shows explanatory diagrams each illustrating an example of a screen frame corresponding to a screen type in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 5 shows explanatory drawings each illustrating an example of a screen layout in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of screen display generation processing in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 7 shows explanatory diagrams each illustrating an example of a display content setting screen in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a layout setting screen in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 9 is an explanatory diagram each illustrating an example of a screen display of a case in Embodiment 1 of the present invention where a screen type is an input / output information screen. Fig. 10 is an explanatory diagram each illustrating an example of a screen display of a case in Embodiment 1 of the present invention where the screen type is an operation information screen. Fig. 11 is an explanatory diagram each showing an example of a screen display of a case where the screen type is a command display screen in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a confirmation screen in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 13 shows explanatory diagrams each illustrating an example of a screen layout in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 14 shows explanatory diagrams each illustrating an example of the screen display in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 15 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a screen display generating apparatus in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Fig. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of screen display generation processing in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Fig. 17 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a screen display generating apparatus in Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Fig. 18 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a display content setting screen in Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Fig. 19 is an explanatory diagram each illustrating an example of a display content setting screen of the second setting and beyond in Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Fig. 20 is an explanatory drawing illustrating an example of a layout setting screen in Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0012] Embodiments of a screen display generation device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to drawings. In the following drawings, the same or equivalent portions are designated by the same reference numerals. Note that the present invention is not limited by the embodiments. Embodiment 1.

[0013] Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of an FA system in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In Fig. 1, an FA system 100 is equipped with a screen display generation device 101, a programmable logic controller (PLC) 102, equipment 103 (103a to 103f), and transmission lines 104. The FA system 100 is composed of two equipment networks, that is, a network composed of the PLC 102 and the equipment 103a to 103c, and a network composed of the PLC 102 and the equipment 103d to 103f. Although an example is described in which the FA system 100 is equipped with six equipment 103s, the number of equipment 103s is not limited to this. The FA system 100 may be equipped with any number of equipment 103s.

[0014] The screen display generation device 101 is a device that generates a screen display for the FA system 100 and displays the generated screen display on a display unit such as a monitor.

[0015] The PLC 102 is a controller that controls the equipment 103. The PLC 102 is connected to the screen display generation device 101 and the equipment 103, and outputs input values ​​from the equipment 103 to the screen display generation device 101.

[0016] Each piece of equipment 103 is a device that performs processing according to an instruction from the PLC 102 and outputs status information about the current processing status and an execution result, which is a result of the processing, to the PLC 102 as an output value. Each piece of equipment 103 is a commonly used processing piece of equipment, such as a servo, a servo amplifier, and a processing robot. Each piece of equipment 103 is equipped with an input unit, such as a switch and a sensor, and outputs an input value expressing a status, obtained from the input unit, to the PLC 102.

[0017] The transmission lines 104 are transmission lines that connect the screen display generation device 101 and the PLC 102 to each other, and the PLC 102 and the equipment 103 to each other. The transmission lines 104 are wired lines such as coaxial cables and optical cables. The devices connected via the transmission lines 104 can send and receive data to and from each other. Referring to Fig. In Figure 1, the connection between the screen display generation device 101 and the PLC 102 and the connection between the PLC 102 and the equipment 103 are each described as a wired connection using the transmission lines 104. However, the connection may be a wireless connection via Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or the like.

[0018] With reference to Fig. 1, a case was described where the network composed of the equipment 103a to 103c together with the PLC 102 and the network composed of the equipment 103d to 103d together with the equipment 103 are different networks. However, the network configuration is not limited to this. The PLC 102 and the equipment 103 may constitute a single network or three or more networks.

[0019] A hardware structure of the screen display generating device 101 will now be described with reference to Fig. 2 described. Fig. 2 is a structural diagram illustrating an example of the screen display generating device in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In Fig. 2, the screen display generation device 101 is equipped with a display unit 210, an input unit 220, a recording unit 230, a control unit 240, and a communication unit 250. The display unit 210 displays a screen of a monitor or the like. The input unit 220 accepts input from a user via a keyboard, touch panel, or the like. The recording unit 230 records information. The control unit 240 controls the display in the display unit 210. The communication unit 250 performs communication with the PLC 102.

[0020] The recording unit 230 records a control program accessed by the control unit 240, as well as various types of databases. Note that the recording unit 230 may be a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory, a read-only memory (ROM), a magnetic disk, and an optical disk, or a volatile memory such as a random access memory (RAM).

[0021] The control unit 240 controls the display in the display unit 210 based on the input value from the input unit 220, the control program and database recorded in the recording unit 230, and an input value input from the PLC 102 via the communication unit 250. How the display in the display unit 210 is performed is described in detail below. The control unit 240 can be a processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) or an electronic circuit such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and a large-scale integration (LSI).

[0022] The communication unit 250 consists of a receiver that receives data and a transmitter that transmits data. The communication unit 250 is, for example, a communication chip or a network interface card (NIC).

[0023] A functional configuration of each of the recording unit 230 and the control unit 240 in the screen display generating device 101 is described with reference to Fig. 3 described. Fig. Figure 3 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the screen display generation device in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The display unit 210, the input unit 220, and the communication unit 250 are similar to those shown in Figure 1. Fig. 2, and therefore their description is omitted.

[0024] With reference to Fig. 3, the recording unit 230 has network configuration information 231, an equipment information file 232, device allocation information 233, screen type information 234, and screen layout information 235. The network configuration information 231, the equipment information file 232, and the device allocation information 233 are each information about equipment other than the screen configuration information. The screen type information 234 and the screen layout information 235 are each screen configuration information.

[0025] The network configuration information 231 is information indicating network configurations of the PLC 102 and the equipment 103 in the FA system 100.

[0026] The equipment information file 232 represents information including input / output information about the input to the equipment 103 and the output from the equipment 103, equipment information such as specification information of the equipment 103, parameter information about preset parameters of the equipment 103, command information for executing processing operations by the equipment 103, and communication information about the communication conditions of the equipment 103. The equipment information file 232 represents equipment profile information described by CPS+ (Control and Communication System Profile) or the like, or designated by CC-Link (registered trademark).

[0027] Device mapping information 233 is information indicating the mapping relationship between devices of PLC 102 and devices of equipment 103. Here, a device refers to a coil, a contact, etc., in a ladder diagram used for PLC control. For example, a device is a bit device whose value is either only 0 or only 1, or a word device whose value is a numeric value falling within a range of -32768 to 32767.

[0028] The network configuration information 231, the equipment information file 232, and the device allocation information 233 are each information that the screen display generation device 101 can share with another device, and are information generated in association with a device other than the screen display generation device 101, for example, when a device other than the screen display generation device 101 is set up or operated. For example, the network configuration information 231 and the device allocation information 233 are each preset information created when establishing a network between the PLC 102 and the equipment 103.The equipment information file 232 represents information created by an equipment vendor for each piece of equipment 103, and can subsequently be acquired along with the equipment 103 or via the network. The network configuration information 231, the equipment information file 232, and the device allocation information 233 are recorded in the PLC 102 or a PLC operating device that operates the PLC 102. By combining the network configuration information 231, the equipment information file 232, and the device allocation information 233, the PLC 102 accesses the devices of the equipment 103 and performs the operation of the equipment 103.

[0029] Therefore, the information recorded in the recording unit 230 of the screen display generation device 101 is the network configuration information 231, the equipment information file 232, and the device allocation information 233 that have already been recorded by the PLC 102 or a PLC operation device that operates the PLC 102, and is information to be shared with the PLC 102.

[0030] The network configuration information 231, the equipment information file 232, and the device allocation information 233 can be recorded in the recording unit 230 according to any one of the following. The user can manually copy the information recorded in the PLC 102 using a storage medium such as a digital versatile disk (DVD: registered trademark). The screen display generation device 101 can automatically acquire the information from the PLC 102 or the PLC operation device that operates the PLC 102 via the communication unit 250. Alternatively, the screen display generation device 101 can be provided with a function of the PLC operation device and record information generated when creating an operation program for operating the PLC 102.

[0031] Back to Fig. 3, the screen type information 234 is information on a screen frame representing a screen type and a screen configuration corresponding to the screen type. The screen type indicates a type of screen display for each equipment 103 displayed on the display unit 210. The screen type includes, for example, an input / output information screen that displays input / output information of the equipment 103, an operation information screen that displays operation information about whether the operating state of the equipment 103 is normal or abnormal, and a command display screen that displays a command for executing an operation for the equipment 103. The screen type is arbitrarily created according to the type of the equipment 103 or according to the user's request.

[0032] Fig. 4 shows explanatory diagrams each illustrating an example of a screen frame corresponding to a screen type in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In Fig. 4 shows (a) a screen frame of the input / output information screen for displaying the input / output information. In Fig. 4 (b) shows a screen frame of the operation information screen for displaying the operation information. In Fig. 4 shows (c) a screen frame of the command display screen for displaying a command.

[0033] The screen frame of the image shown in (a) of Fig. 4 is a screen frame in which: a displayed equipment 103 is indicated at the top left; and an item name to be displayed and a current value representing current input / output information are indicated in a table as a relationship to each other. As the item name to be displayed, the name of a device with an input / output value in the equipment 103, the name acquired from the equipment information file 232, or the input / output item names are displayed. As the current value, the input / output information of the equipment 103 acquired from the PLC 102 via the communication unit 250 is displayed. The screen display generation device 101 acquires the input / output information of the equipment 103 from the PLC 102 as follows. The displayed item name is linked to the allocation information acquired from the device allocation information 233.The linked mapping information is transmitted from the screen display generation device 101 to the PLC 102 via the communication unit 250. The PLC 102 acquires the current value according to the transmitted information and outputs the acquired current value to the screen display generation device 101. The screen display generation device 101 acquires the current value via the communication unit 250.

[0034] The screen frame of the image shown in (b) of Fig. 4 is a screen frame in which: the displayed equipment 103 is indicated at the top left; and a code that is an error code and an error name corresponding to the code are shown in a table as a relationship to each other. As a code to be displayed, an error code of an error occurring in the equipment 103, which is acquired from the PLC 102 via the communication unit 250, is displayed. As the error name, the error name of the equipment 103 acquired from the equipment information file 232 is displayed. The screen display generation device 101 acquires the error code of the equipment 103 from the PLC 102 as follows. The screen display generation device 101 sends a command to the PLC 102 via the communication unit 250 to transmit an occurring error code.The PLC 102 detects the error code according to the transmitted command and outputs the detected error code to the screen display generation device 101. The screen display generation device 101 detects the error code via the communication unit 250. The screen frame of the display shown in (b) of FIG. Fig. The operation information screen illustrated in Figure 4 is also provided with an explanation button and an information update button. The explanation button is used to transition to a fault details screen containing details of the fault content acquired from the equipment information file 232. The information update button is used to update the operation information. With this configuration, confirmation of the fault details and updating of the operation information can be easily performed. On the screen frame of the screen shown in (b) of Fig. 4, when the information update button is pressed, the displayed code is updated with a code of the current time of the equipment 103, which is acquired from the PLC 102 via the communication unit 250.

[0035] The screen frame of the image shown in (c) of Fig. The command display screen shown in Figure 4 is a screen frame in which the displayed equipment 103 is shown at the top left, a command setting area is shown at the top, and an execution result area is shown at the bottom. The command setting area tabulates the name and the write value of the command to be set as a relationship between them. The execution result area tabulates the name and the read value of an execution result, which is an execution result of the preset command, as a relationship between them. As the command name, a name acquired from the equipment information file 232 or an input value input by the user via the input unit 220 is displayed. As the execution result name, a name acquired from the equipment information file 232 is displayed. As the write value, an input value input by the user via the input unit 220 is displayed.As a read value, a read value of the execution result in the displayed equipment 103, obtained when processing is executed under a condition specified in the command setting area, is acquired from the PLC 102 via the communication unit 250, and the acquired read value is displayed. The input value to be input by the user via the input unit 220 can be either the name of the command or the command itself.

[0036] The screen frame of the image shown in (c) of Fig. The command display screen indicated in Figure 4 is provided with an explanation button for transitioning to a command detail screen or an execution result detail screen, and an execution button for executing the processing of a set command. The command detail screen lists details of a command acquired from the equipment information file 232. The execution result detail screen lists details of the execution result. This configuration facilitates the detailing of the command, the detailing of the execution result, and the processing of the preset command.

[0037] On the screen frame of the image in (c) of Fig. 4, when the execute button is pressed, a name and read value of the displayed execution result are updated with a name and read value of an execution result obtained when processing is executed under a condition acquired from the PLC 102 via the communication unit 250 and displayed in a command setting area. Specifically, the displayed command name is linked to the association information acquired from the device association information 233. When the user inputs a write value of the command via the input unit 220 and presses the execute button, a command corresponding to the name of the command whose write value was input, the input write value, and the linked association information are transmitted from the screen display generation device 101 to the PLC 102 via the communication unit 250.The PLC 102 executes the processing according to the transmitted information. The PLC 102 then outputs the execution result to the screen display generation device 101. The screen display generation device 101 acquires the execution result via the communication unit 250.

[0038] Back to Fig. 3, the screen layout information 235 is information indicating a screen layout regarding an arrangement of a screen frame corresponding to an on-screen screen type of the screen display displayed on the display unit 210.

[0039] Fig. 5 shows explanatory drawings each illustrating an example of a screen layout in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In Fig. Figure 5 shows (a) a screen layout in which a screen frame is arranged on an upper part. In Fig. Figure 5 (b) shows a screen layout in which a screen frame is located in the center.

[0040] Back to Fig. 3, the control unit 240 is equipped with an information acquisition unit 241, a network setting unit 242, a screen type setting unit 243, a display content setting unit 244, a layout setting unit 245, and a screen generation unit 246. The information acquisition unit 241 acquires the network configuration information 231, the equipment information file 232, the device allocation information 233, the screen type information 234, and the screen layout information 235 from the recording unit 230. The information acquisition unit 241 also acquires information about the equipment 103 from the PLC 102 via the communication unit 250.The information related to the equipment 103 is, for example, an input / output value which is an input value and output value of the equipment 103, an error code of an error occurring in the equipment 103, and the read value of the execution result obtained when the equipment 103 executes the instruction.

[0041] The network setting unit 242 sets a target network as a screen display target to be generated according to the network configuration information 231 acquired by the information acquisition unit 241 and the input value input via the input unit 220. How the network setting unit 242 sets the target network will be described in detail later.

[0042] The screen type setting unit 243 sets a screen type of a screen display to be generated according to the screen type information 234 acquired by the information acquisition unit 241 and an input value input via the input unit 220. How the screen type setting unit 243 sets the screen type will be described in detail later.

[0043] The display content setting unit 244 sets the display content according to the network configuration information 231, the equipment information file 232, and the device allocation information 233 acquired by the information acquisition unit 241, and the input value input via the input unit 220. Note that each item of display content is information created based on the network configuration information 231, the equipment information file 232, and the device allocation information 233 recorded in the recording unit 230. How the display content setting unit 244 sets a display content will be described in detail later.

[0044] The layout setting unit 245 sets the screen layout according to the screen layout information 235 acquired by the information acquisition unit 241 and the input value input via the input unit 220. How the layout setting unit 245 sets the screen layout will be described in detail later.

[0045] The screen generation unit 246 generates the screen according to the network, screen type, display content, and screen layout, which are respectively set by the network setting unit 242, the screen type setting unit 243, the display content setting unit 244, and the layout setting unit 245. How the screen generation unit 246 generates the screen will be described in detail later.

[0046] A flow of screen generation processing in the control unit 240 will now be described with reference to Fig. 6 described. Fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of screen display generation processing in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0047] First, the user starts processing by requesting the start of automatic screen generation processing. The user can request the start of processing in any way. For example, a screen generation button can be provided as the input unit 220, and the user can press the screen generation button. Alternatively, the screen displayed by the display unit 210 can have screen generation buttons as the input unit 220, and the user can select a corresponding button.

[0048] In step S101, the information acquisition unit 241 acquires the network configuration information 231, the equipment information file 232, the device allocation information 233, the screen type information 234, and the screen layout information 235 from the recording unit 230.

[0049] In step S102, the network setting unit 242 sets a target network. Specifically, the network setting unit 242 extracts network information included in the acquired network configuration information 231 and displays the extracted network information on the display unit 210 as a list of a target candidate. Via the input unit 220, the user selects a target network for which a screen display is to be generated. For the sake of clarity, the following description assumes that the network setting unit 242 selects a network in which the equipment 103a to 103c are connected as the target network in step S102.

[0050] Subsequently, in step S103, the screen type setting unit 243 sets a screen type of the screen display to be generated. Specifically, the screen type setting unit 243 displays a list of a screen frame corresponding to the Fig. 4 and acquired from the screen type information 234 of the recording unit 230, on the display unit 210. The screen type setting unit 243 sets a screen type corresponding to the screen frame selected by the user via the input unit 220 as the screen type for which a screen display is to be generated.

[0051] In step S104, the display content setting unit 244 sets the display content of the screen display to be generated according to the screen type set in step S103. Specifically, according to the screen type set by the screen type setting unit 243, the display content setting unit 244 displays a display content setting screen including: a candidate list of a display item as a candidate; and a selection section on the display unit 210. The display item is the candidate to be displayed based on information acquired from the network configuration information 231, the equipment information file 232, or the device allocation information 233. The selection section selects whether or not to set each display item. The display content setting unit 244 sets a display item selected by the user via the input unit 220 as the display content. Fig. 7 shows explanatory diagrams each illustrating an example of the display content setting screen in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In Fig. Fig. 7 (a) shows a display content setting screen of a case where the screen type is an input / output information screen. In Fig. 7 (b) shows a display content setting screen of a case where the screen type is an operation information screen. In Fig. 7 (c) shows a display content setting screen of a case where the screen type is a command display screen.

[0052] In Fig. Figure 7 shows (a) a display content setting screen that displays the display item candidate list including the input / output information of the equipment 103a to 103c. This screen displays the device name and input / output values ​​of each equipment 103 as candidates for display items. Note that the device name and input / output values ​​of each displayed equipment 103 are information acquired from the equipment information file 232 and are linked to the mapping information acquired from the device mapping information 233 as the device mapping information of the corresponding PLC 102 and equipment 103. Fig. 7, in (a), each symbol expressed as "plus" in a square represents another expandable display element, and each symbol expressed as "minus" in a square represents an already expanded display element. Each symbol expressed as a white square (□) and each symbol expressed as a black square (▪) that correlates with the corresponding display elements are selection sections. Each white square means that it is not selected, and each black square means that it is selected. In Fig. 7 indicates (a) that the first monitor value and the second monitor value of the equipment 103a are selected as the display content. The first monitor value and the second monitor value of the equipment 103a appear as item names on the screen frame of the Fig. 4 shown input / output information screen.

[0053] In Fig. 7 (b) shows a display content setting screen on which a selection can be made from the equipment 103a to 103c. This display content setting screen displays the equipment 103 that are candidates for the display item indicating the operating status. The displayed equipment 103 is the equipment 103 included in the target network acquired from the network configuration information 231 and set by the network setting unit 242 in step S102. Also in the display content setting screen of (b) in Fig. 7 selection sections are displayed, which are shown as in (a) in Fig. 7 are to be correlated with corresponding display elements.

[0054] In Fig. 7 (c) shows a display content setting screen, in which an equipment selection area for selecting from the equipment 103a to 103c is indicated at the upper part, and a command selection area for selecting an operation command is indicated at the lower part. The equipment selection area displays the equipment 103 to be operated, which are also candidates for the display item. The command selection area displays the candidates of an operation command, which are also candidates for the display item. The command information acquired from the equipment information file 232 is displayed as a candidate for the operation command and is linked with the allocation information acquired from the device allocation information 233 as device allocation information of the corresponding PLC 102 and the equipment 103.

[0055] The command selection area shown in the lower part can change its display depending on the equipment 103 selected in the equipment selection area in the upper part. Fig. 7 (c) shows a case where an equipment selection area and a command selection area are displayed on one screen. Alternatively, an equipment selection area and a command selection area may be formed as separate screens. When an equipment 103 is selected, transition to a command selection display content setting screen with a command selection area may occur.

[0056] Back to Fig. 6, in step S105, the layout setting unit 245 sets a screen layout. Specifically, the layout setting unit 245 displays on the display unit 210 a layout setting screen that displays a list of screen layouts acquired from the screen layout information 235 and stored in Fig. 5 is displayed. The layout selected by the user via the input unit 220 is set as the screen layout. Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a layout setting screen in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 8 shows a screen on which the Fig. 5 are arranged vertically. A selection section indicating a selection state of the screen layout is shown in the upper left of each screen. A white square (□) means it is not selected, and a black square (■) means it is selected. Fig. Figure 6 describes a case where two screen layouts can be selected. Note that the number of selectable screen layouts is not limited to two. Three or more screen layouts can be selected.

[0057] After setting the screen layout, the determined screen layout is no longer changed frequently. Therefore, in step S105, information set during execution of this step can be recorded in the recording unit 230. Then, in the next processing and beyond, step S105 can be omitted.

[0058] In step S106, the screen generation unit 246 generates the screen according to the network, screen type, display content, and screen layout set by the network setting unit 242, the screen type setting unit 243, the display content setting unit 244, and the layout setting unit 245, respectively. Specifically, the screen generation unit 246 generates the screen by arranging a screen frame according to the screen type set according to the preset screen layout and displaying the preset display content according to the display elements of the arranged screen frame. The screen display to be generated varies greatly depending on the preset screen type.Therefore, a case where the preset screen type is an input / output information screen, a case where the preset screen type is an operation information screen, and a case where the preset screen type is a command display screen are determined based on the . Fig. 9, Fig. 10 and 11 respectively.

[0059] Fig. 9 shows explanatory diagrams each illustrating an example of a screen display of a case in Embodiment 1 of the present invention, where the screen type is an input / output information screen. In Fig. 9 shows (a) a selection state of the display content of the display content setting screen. In Fig. 9 (b) shows a selection state of a screen layout on a layout setting screen. In Fig. Fig. 9 (c) shows a screen display generated by the screen generation unit 246 when the display content and the screen layout are as in (a) of Fig. 9 and (b) of Fig. 9 are set.

[0060] In Fig. 9 shows (a) a display content setting screen of a case where the screen type is an input / output information screen, and shows that, in the display item list acquired from the equipment information file 232, the first monitor value and the second monitor value of the equipment 103a are set as the display content. Fig. 9 (b) shows a layout setting screen on which only one screen type is arranged, and indicates that a screen layout is set that displays the screen type in its upper part. In Fig. Fig. 9 (c) shows a screen display generated by the screen generation unit 246 according to the first monitor value and the second monitor value of the equipment 103a and the screen layout, which is the display content generated as in (a) of Fig. 9 and (b) of Fig. 9 is set. The current value 120 of the first monitor value and the current value 200 of the second monitor value are the current value of the first monitor value and the current value of the second monitor value of the equipment 103a, respectively, which are acquired by the information acquisition unit 241 from the PLC 102 via the communication unit 250. Specifically, based on an instruction from the screen generation unit 246, the information acquisition unit 241 sends the device allocation information 233 associated with the displayed item names to the PLC 102 via the communication unit 250. The PLC 102 acquires the current value of the first monitor value and the current value of the second monitor value according to the transmitted information and outputs the acquired current values ​​to the screen display generation device 101. The information acquisition unit 241 acquires the current values ​​via the communication unit 250.

[0061] Fig. 10 shows explanatory diagrams each illustrating an example of a screen display of a case in Embodiment 1 of the present invention, wherein the screen type is an operation information screen. In Fig. 10 shows (a) a selection state of the display content of the display content setting screen. In Fig. 10 (b) shows a selection state of a screen layout on the layout setting screen. In Fig. Fig. 10 (c) shows a screen display generated by the screen generation unit 246 when the display content and the screen layout are as in (a) of Fig. 10 and (b) of Fig. 10 are set.

[0062] In Fig. 10 shows (a) a display content setting screen of a case where the screen type is an operation information screen, and indicates that the equipment 103b from the list of equipment included in the target network 103, which is acquired from the network configuration information 231 and set by the network setting unit 242, is set as the equipment for displaying the operation information. In Fig. 10 (b) shows a layout setting screen on which only one screen type is arranged, and indicates that a screen layout is set that displays the screen type in the upper part. In Fig. Fig. 10 (c) shows a screen display generated by the screen generation unit 246 according to a code which is an error code of an error occurring in the equipment 103b, an error name corresponding to the error code acquired from the equipment information file 232, and the screen layout, in which the display content is as in (a) of Fig. 10 and (b) of Fig. 10 is set. The error code of the error occurring in the equipment 103b is acquired by the information acquisition unit 241 from the PLC 102 via the communication unit 250. Specifically, based on a command from the screen generation unit 246, the information acquisition unit 241 sends a command to transmit an error code occurring in the PLC 102 via the communication unit 250. The PLC 102 acquires the error code according to the transmitted command and outputs the acquired error code to the screen display generation device 101. The information acquisition unit 241 acquires the error code via the communication unit 250.

[0063] Fig. 11 shows explanatory diagrams each illustrating an example of a screen display of a case in Embodiment 1 of the present invention, wherein the screen type is a command display screen. In Fig. 11 shows (a) a selection state of the display content on the display content setting screen. In Fig. 11 (b) shows a selection state of a screen layout on the layout setting screen. In Fig. Fig. 11 (c) shows a screen display generated by the screen generation unit 246 when the display content and the screen layout are as in (a) of Fig. 11 and (b) of Fig. 11 are set.

[0064] In Fig. 11 (a) shows a display content setting screen of a case where the screen type is a command display screen, and shows that the equipment 103b is selected as the equipment to be operated in the list of equipment 103 included in the target network 103 acquired from the network configuration information 231 and set by the network setting unit 242, and that a command execution is selected as the command to be operated in the candidate list of commands to be operated acquired from the equipment information file 232. In Fig. 11 (b) shows a layout setting screen on which only one screen type is arranged, and shows that a screen layout is set that indicates the screen type in the upper part. In Fig. Fig. 11 shows (c) a screen display generated by the screen generation unit 246 according to the command, which is the display content shown in (a) of Fig. 11, an execution result as a result of the execution of the command and a screen layout shown in (b) of Fig. 11 is set. In (c) of Fig. 11, the name of the command corresponding to the preset command and the name of an output item of the execution result are information acquired from the equipment information file 232. A write value, which is a preset value for processing the execution of the preset command by the equipment 103b, is an input value that the user inputs via the input unit 220. A read value, which is an output value of the execution result, which is the result of the execution of the preset command by the equipment 103b, is acquired by the information acquisition unit 241 from the PLC 102 via the communication unit 250.

[0065] How a read value is acquired will be described specifically. The name of the displayed command is linked to the mapping information acquired from the device mapping information 233. Suppose the user inputs the write value of the command via the input unit 220 and presses the execute button. Then, based on the command from the screen generation unit 246, the information acquisition unit 241 sends a command corresponding to the name of the command for which the write value was input, the input write value, and the linked mapping information to the PLC 102 via the communication unit 250. The PLC 102 executes processing according to the transmitted information. After that, the PLC 102 outputs the execution result to the screen display generation device 101. The information acquisition unit 241 acquires the execution result via the communication unit 250.

[0066] Back to Fig. 6, in step S107, the screen generation unit 246 generates a confirmation screen for the user to confirm the generated screen, and displays the generated confirmation screen to the display unit 210. Fig. Fig. 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the confirmation screen in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Note that Fig. 12 shows a confirmation screen of a case where the screen type is an input / output information screen. When the screen type is an operation information screen, the confirmation screen is the same as when the screen type is an input / output information screen, except that the screen type to be displayed is an operation information screen. Accordingly, a description of the confirmation screen is omitted. When the screen type is a command display screen, the confirmation screen is the same as when the screen type is an input / output information screen, except that the screen type to be displayed is a command display screen. Accordingly, a description of the confirmation screen is omitted.

[0067] In Fig. 12, the confirmation screen is composed of a generation screen generated by the screen generation unit 246 and five processing buttons, which are a generation completion button, a network switching button, a screen type switching button, a display content switching button, and a layout switching button. The generation completion button is a processing button for instructing the completion of screen generation. The network switching button is a processing button for instructing a switching of the target network on the generation screen. The screen type switching button is a processing button for instructing a screen type change on the generation screen. The display content switching button is a processing button for instructing a display content change on the generation screen.The layout change button is a processing button for instructing a change in the screen layout on the generation screen. Each processing button is a button for transitioning to the corresponding processing when the button is pressed by the user via the input unit 220.

[0068] In step S108, the screen generation unit 246 determines which button is pressed by the user. If the network switching button is pressed, the screen generation unit 246 jumps to step S109. If the screen type changing button is pressed, the screen generation unit 246 jumps to step S110. If the display content changing button is pressed, the screen generation unit 246 jumps to step S111. If the layout changing button is pressed, the screen generation unit 246 jumps to step S112. If the screen generation completion button is pressed, the screen generation unit 246 jumps to step S113.

[0069] In step S109, the screen generation unit 246 determines that a network change is instructed and jumps to step S102.

[0070] In step S110, the screen generation unit 246 determines that a change of the screen type is instructed and jumps to step S103.

[0071] In step S111, the screen generation unit 246 determines that a change of the display content is instructed and jumps to step S104.

[0072] In step S112, the screen generation unit 246 determines that a layout change is instructed and jumps to step S105.

[0073] In step S113, the screen generation unit 246 determines that completion of the screen generation is instructed, displays a generated screen display to the display unit 210, and ends the processing.

[0074] As described above, with the screen display generation device 101 of Embodiment 1, the screen display can be automatically generated based on the network configuration information 231, the equipment information file 232, and the device allocation information 233 generated when setting up the PLC 102. This causes the screen display for the FA system 100 to be generated based on information shared with the PLC 102 as equipment information other than the screen configuration information.

[0075] An example of a screen layout has been described where only one screen frame is arranged according to the screen type. However, the number of screen frames is not limited to one. Two or more screen frames can be arranged. Fig. 13 shows explanatory diagrams each illustrating an example of a screen layout in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In Fig. Figure 13 shows (a) a screen layout of an arrangement in which two screen frames are arranged vertically. In Fig. Fig. 13 (b) shows a screen layout of an arrangement in which two screen frames are arranged horizontally. Fig. Figure 13 illustrates cases where the screen layout includes two screen frames. Note that the number of screen frames is not limited to two. Three or more screen frames can be arranged. In each screen layout of Fig. 13, the screen frames are arranged side by side. However, the arrangement of the screen frames is not limited to adjacent screen frames. Screen frames can be arranged separately, partially overlapped, or diagonally adjacent to each other.

[0076] With reference to Fig. 14, a description will now be given of screen displays generated by the screen generation unit 246 when the screen layout comprises two arranged screen frames which correspond to the Fig. 13 illustrated screen types. Fig. 14 shows explanatory diagrams each illustrating an example of the screen display in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. Figure 14 shows screen displays of a case where the screen type is an input / output information screen. If the screen type is an operation information screen or a command display screen, the screen display differs from the Fig. 10 and Fig. 11. This is the same as a case where the screen type is an input / output information screen, and therefore no description is required. Fig. 14 shows (a) a selection state of the display content on the display content setting screen. In Fig. 14 (b) shows a selection state of a screen layout on the layout setting screen. In Fig. Fig. 14 (c) shows a screen display generated by the screen generation unit 246 when the display content and the screen layout are as in (a) of Fig. 14 and (b) of Fig. 14 are set.

[0077] In Fig. 14 (a) shows a display content setting screen of a case where the screen type is an input / output information screen, and indicates that the first monitor value and the second monitor value of the equipment 103a and the first monitor value and the second monitor value of the equipment 103b are set as the display content from the display item list acquired from the equipment information file 232. In Fig. 14 (b) shows a layout setting screen on which two screen frames corresponding to the screen types are arranged, and shows that a screen layout displaying two vertically arranged screen frames is set. In Fig. Fig. 14 (c) shows a screen display generated by the screen generation unit 246 according to the first monitor value and the second monitor value of the equipment 103a, the first monitor value and the second monitor value of the equipment 103b and the screen layout that corresponds to the screen display shown in (a) of Fig. 14 and (b) of Fig. 14. The current value 120 of the first monitor value and the current value 200 of the second monitor value of the equipment 103a are the current value of the first monitor value and the current value of the second monitor value of the equipment 103a, respectively, acquired by the information acquisition unit 241 from the PLC 102 via the communication unit 250. The current value 24 of the first monitor value and the current value 888 of the second monitor value of the equipment 103b are the current value of the first monitor value and the current value of the second monitor value of the equipment 103b, respectively, acquired by the information acquisition unit 241 from the PLC 102 via the communication unit 250.Specifically, based on an instruction from the screen generation unit 246, the information acquisition unit 241 transmits the device allocation information 233 associated with the displayed item names to the PLC 102 via the communication unit 250. The PLC 102 acquires the current value of the first monitor value and the current value of the second monitor value of each of the equipment 103a and 103b according to the transmitted information and outputs the acquired current values ​​to the screen display generation device 101. The information acquisition unit 241 acquires the current values ​​via the communication unit 250.

[0078] Fig. 14 illustrates a case where the screen display generation device 101 displays the display content setting screen, the layout setting screen, and the screen display as separate screens. How the display content setting screen, the layout setting screen, and the screen display are displayed is not limited to this. The display content setting screen, the layout setting screen, and the screen display may all be displayed on the same screen. In this case, the display content setting screen, the layout setting screen, and the screen display are displayed horizontally side by side on one displayed screen, for example, as shown in Fig. 9, Fig. 10, Fig. 11 and Fig. 14 is shown.

[0079] Cases of Embodiment 1 have been described in which the screen display generated by the screen display generation device 101 is displayed on the display unit 210 of the screen display generation device 101. However, the present invention is not limited to displaying the screen display on the display unit 210. The screen display may be displayed on a separate screen different from the screen display generation device 101.

[0080] A separate screen 105 is provided with a recording unit composed of a display unit such as a monitor and a non-volatile memory. The separate screen 105 is connected to the screen display generation device 101 via a transmission line. The screen 105 receives data of a screen display generated by the screen display generation device 101 via the transmission line, records data of the received screen display on the recording unit, and displays the screen display on the display unit based on the data of the recorded screen display. The connection between the screen display generation device 101 and the separate screen is not limited to a wired connection via a transmission line. A wireless connection via Wi-Fi (registered trademark) may be used.Alternatively, the separate display unit may be equipped with an input unit, and the display unit 105 and the PLC 102 may be connected via a wired connection, a transmission line, or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The user can then input an instruction to a screen displayed on the display unit via the input unit, thereby instructing the PLC 102 to perform processing. The display unit of the separate display unit may be a display unit with a touch panel, and the display unit may also have a function of an input unit. Embodiment 2.

[0081] In Embodiment 1, an embodiment was described in which each time the screen generation unit 246 generates a screen display, a target network, a screen type, a display content, and a screen layout need to be set by the network setting unit 242, the screen type setting unit 243, the display content setting unit 244, and the layout setting unit 245, respectively. In Embodiment 2, an embodiment is described in which a screen generation unit 246 generates a screen display according to preset information. A configuration of an FA system 100 and a structure of a screen display generation device 101 are similar to those of Embodiment 1, so their descriptions are omitted.

[0082] Fig. 15 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a screen display generation device in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The screen display generation device in Embodiment 2 differs from the screen display generation device 101 in Embodiment 1 in that a network setting unit 242 and a screen type setting unit 243 are not provided. The network configuration information 231 recorded in a recording unit 230 includes a target network for generating a screen display. An equipment information file 232 recorded in the recording unit 230 includes display contents for generating a screen display. The screen type information 234 recorded in the recording unit 230 includes a screen type and screen layout information used to generate the screen display.The screen type information 234 is information generated when configuring a PLC 102. The target network, display content, screen type, and screen layout used to generate the screen display are also information generated when configuring the PLC 102.

[0083] Furthermore, an information acquisition unit 241 sets the target network, screen type, display content, and screen layout in advance based on the information acquired by the recording unit 230. Other configurations are similar to those of Embodiment 1, and therefore, detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0084] Fig. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of screen display generation processing in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0085] First, the user starts processing by requesting to start automatic image generation processing. In step S201, the information acquisition unit 241 acquires the network configuration information 231, the equipment information file 232, the device allocation information 233, and the screen type information 234 from the recording unit 230, extracts a target network, a screen type, a display content, and a screen layout from the acquired information, and sets the extracted information as screen display generation information.

[0086] In step S202, the screen generation unit 246 generates a screen based on the preset screen display generation information. The screen display generated by the screen generation unit 246 is similar to that of Embodiment 1, and therefore, its detailed description is omitted.

[0087] In step S203, the screen generation unit 246 generates a confirmation screen for the user to confirm the generated screen and displays the generated confirmation screen on the display unit 210. The only difference between the confirmation screen generated by the screen generation unit 246 and the one shown in Fig. 12 is that the confirmation screen of Embodiment 2 is not connected to the network switching button and the screen type changing button of the confirmation screen of Fig. 12. Accordingly, a detailed description of the difference is omitted.

[0088] In step S204, the screen generation unit 246 determines which button is pressed by the user. If the display content change button is pressed, the screen generation unit 246 jumps to step S205. If the layout change button is pressed, the screen generation unit 246 jumps to step S206. If the generation completion button is pressed, the screen generation unit 246 jumps to step S207.

[0089] In step S205, the screen generation unit 246 determines that a change of the display content is instructed and performs a transition to the screen shown in Fig. 7. Subsequently, the display content setting unit 244 sets the display content set by the user via the input unit 220 as the display content for generating the screen display and jumps to step S206.

[0090] In step S206, when a jump is made from step S204, the screen generation unit 246 determines that the change of the layout content is instructed and makes a transition to the screen shown in Fig. 8. When a jump is made from step S205, the display content setting unit 244 determines that the change of the layout content is instructed and makes a transition to the Fig. 8. Next, the layout setting unit 245 sets the screen layout set by the user via the input unit 220 as the screen layout for generating the screen display and jumps to step S202.

[0091] In step S207, the screen generation unit 246 determines that completion of the screen generation is instructed, displays a generated screen display to the display unit 210, and ends the processing.

[0092] As described above, with the screen display generation device 101 of Embodiment 2, the screen display is generated by presetting information for generating the screen display. This has the effect of eliminating a step for setting information for generating the screen display, so that the development workload can be reduced to less than that in Embodiment 1.

[0093] Since the confirmation screen transitions to the display content setting screen for changing the display content and the layout setting screen for changing the screen layout, information can be changed to generate a preset screen display. This also achieves the effect of customizing the screen display to suit the user's needs.

[0094] A case has been described where the screen type and screen layout, which are screen configuration information for generating a preset screen display, are generated when setting up the PLC 102. However, how the screen type and screen layout are generated is not limited to this. The screen type and screen layout may be generated by the user at the time of initial setting up the screen display generation device 101 and recorded in the recording unit 230. In this case, the user only needs to generate the screen display generation information once. This provides the effect of eliminating the need to set the screen display generation information every time the screen display is to be generated. Embodiment 3.

[0095] In Embodiment 1, an embodiment was described in which each time the screen generation unit 246 generates a screen display, the display content needs to be completely set. In Embodiment 3, an embodiment is described in which: on the display content setting screen, the setting of a part of the display content and the setting of a part of the screen configuration information are fixed; and in the next processing and beyond, the fixed display content does not need to be set by individual setting units, but is continuously displayed on the screen display. A configuration of an FA system 100 and a structure of a screen display generation device 101 are similar to those in Embodiment 1, and accordingly, detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0096] Fig. 17 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a screen display generation device in Embodiment 3 of the present invention. It differs from the screen display generation device 101 of Embodiment 1 in that a recording unit 230 has fixed display information 236. The fixed display information 236 is information indicating the display content to be continuously displayed on the screen display. This information concerns the display content and screen configuration, which are fixed. The fixed display information 236 is screen configuration information, just like the screen type information 234 and the screen layout information 235. The other configurations are similar to those of Embodiment 1, and therefore, detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0097] Fig. 18 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a display content setting screen in Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Fig. 18 is a display content setting screen of a case where the screen type is an input / output information screen. When the screen type is an operation information screen, the display content setting screen differs from that of Embodiment 1 in the same way as when the screen type is an input / output information screen, and accordingly, a detailed description of the difference is omitted. When the screen type is a command display screen, the display content setting screen differs from that of Embodiment 1 in the same way as when the screen type is input / output information, and accordingly, a detailed description of the difference is omitted.

[0098] Fig. 18 shows a display content setting screen that displays a list of a display item with input / output information of the equipment 103a to 103c. Selection sections corresponding to the first monitor value and the second monitor value of the equipment 103a and selection sections corresponding to the first monitor value and the second monitor value of the equipment 103b indicate that they are selected from the display item list acquired from an equipment information file 232. The display content setting screen of Fig. 18 is different from the display content setting screen of Embodiment 1, which is shown in Fig. 7, in that the selection sections corresponding to the first monitor value and the second monitor value of the equipment 103a are represented as check marks indicating they are fixed, instead of black squares (■) indicating they are selected. When a selection section is fixed, it means that the corresponding display item is a display item that will not be changed in the next processing and beyond. A selected or fixed selection section can be arbitrarily changed. For example, a display content setting unit 244 may count the number of times the user has selected the selection section via an input unit 220 and change the selection section depending on the counted number. The display content setting unit 244 records information of the fixed display item to the fixed display information 236.

[0099] Fig. 19 is an explanatory diagram each illustrating an example of a display content setting screen in the second processing and further in Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Fig. 19 differs from that in Fig. 18 in that a display item in the content setting screen cannot be changed if it has been selected for display as fixed. In Fig. Figure 19 shows (a) a display content setting screen in which a display item selected to be displayed as fixed is displayed in a different color. In Fig. 19 (b) shows a display content setting screen on which a display item selected for display as fixed is expressed by the presence or absence of a selection section. (a) of Fig. 19 and (b) of Fig. 19 are each provided with a reset button, which is a processing button for canceling the fixed status. When the user presses the preset button via the input unit 220, the display content setting unit 244 cancels the fixed status of a display item selected for display as fixed, so that this display item becomes selectable.

[0100] How a display position of a display element selected for display as fixed is fixed in a screen layout is also determined by Fig. 20 described. Fig. 20 is an explanatory drawing illustrating an example of a layout setting screen in Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Fig. 20 differs from the layout setting screen shown in Embodiment 1 in that screen frames corresponding to each displayed screen type each have selection sections. Fig. 20 shows that a screen frame is selected corresponding to a selection section marked with a check mark.

[0101] In Fig. 20, the user can mark a selection section with a check mark by operating the selection section of each screen type via the input unit 220. The layout setting unit 245 is set so that a display item selected for display as fixed is displayed at the position of a screen frame marked with a check mark. When the layout setting unit 245 determines that the user has selected a screen type to be fixed, the layout setting unit 245 records the selected screen layout and the position of a screen frame marked with a check mark as fixed display information 236 and has this record reflected on the layout setting screen of the next processing and beyond.

[0102] As described above, with a screen display generation device 101 of Embodiment 3, part of the once-set display content and part of the once-set screen configuration information are recorded as fixed settings, so that a user reset step can be eliminated in the next processing and beyond. This results in the development workload being reduced to less than in Embodiment 1. List of reference symbols

[0103] 100: FA system; 101: Screen display generation device; 102: PLC; 103: Equipment; 104: Transmission lines; 210: Display unit; 220: Input unit; 230: Recording unit; 231: Network configuration information; 232: Equipment information file; 233: Device allocation information; 234: Screen type information; 235: Screen layout information; 236: Fixed display information; 240: Control unit; 241: Information acquisition unit; 242: Network setting unit; 243: Screen type setting unit; 244: Display content setting unit; 245: Layout setting unit; 246: Screen generation unit; 250: Communication unit

Claims

[1] A screen display generating device (101) connected to a programmable logic controller (PLC) (102) to which a plurality of equipments (103) are connected, the screen display generating device comprising: an input unit (220) for receiving inputs from a user; a communication unit (250) for carrying out communication with the PLC (102); a display unit (210) for displaying a screen; and a control unit (240) comprising a display content setting unit (244), a layout setting unit (245), and a screen generation unit (246), wherein the display content setting unit displays a display content setting screen to the display unit (210) comprising a candidate list of a display item based on an equipment information file (232) and linked with allocation information extracted from device allocation information (233), and sets display contents based on input information coming from the input unit (220), wherein the equipment information file relates to the plurality of equipments (103) and is created in advance by another device, the device allocation information relates to a device allocation of the plurality of equipments and the PLC (102) and is created in advance by another device different from the device that created the equipment information file,the layout setting unit displays a layout setting screen with a candidate list of a screen layout for the display unit and sets a screen layout based on the input information coming from the input unit, the screen generation unit generates a screen display based on the display content set by the display content setting unit, the screen layout set by the layout setting unit, and information acquired via the communication unit (250) and concerning the PLC., [2] The screen display generating device (101) according to claim 1, wherein the control unit (240) comprises a screen type setting unit (243) for setting a display screen type indicating a type of screen display, and the screen layout represents information about an arrangement of a screen frame corresponding to an on-screen screen type of the screen display. [3] The screen display generating apparatus (101) according to claim 1, wherein the display unit (210) displays the display content setting screen, the layout setting screen, and the screen display on one screen. [4] The screen display generating device (101) according to claim 1, wherein the display content setting unit (244) determines the setting of at least a part of the display content based on the input information coming from the input unit (220) and appearing on the display content setting screen, so that the setting of the fixed display content cannot be changed. [5] Factory automation system comprising: the screen display generating device (101) according to any one of claims 1 to 4; a display for displaying the screen display generated by the screen display generating device (101); a variety of equipment (103); and a PLC (102) to which the plurality of equipments (103) are connected. [6] A screen display generation method for generating a screen display in a display device (105) connected to a programmable logic controller (PLC) (102) to which a plurality of equipments (103) are connected, the screen display generation method comprising: an information acquiring step for acquiring an equipment information file (232) and device allocation information (233), wherein the equipment information file relates to the plurality of equipments (103) and is created in advance by another device, the device allocation information relates to a device allocation of the plurality of equipments and the PLC (102) and is created in advance by another device different from the device that created the equipment information file; a display content setting step for setting the display content based on the input information of a user that comes via an input unit (220) and appears on a display content setting screen that displays a candidate list of a display item based on the equipment information file (232) and linked with association information extracted from device association information (233), wherein the equipment information file and the device association information are acquired in the information acquisition step; and a layout setting step of setting a screen layout of the screen display based on the user's input information coming via the input unit (220) and appearing on a layout setting screen displaying a candidate list of a screen layout.

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