Support system, support method, and support program

Abstract

To solve the problem in which a computer is burdened and much time is required for computation in identifying a cause of an expected event only from values measured by measuring instruments.SOLUTION: A support system 100 includes an estimation unit which estimates a cause of an event, on the basis of current log information generated by recording speeches of one or more participants, the current log information for the detected event which is expected in advance in a production facility, and past log information regarding the event. The current log information includes speeches of participants regarding estimation of a cause of the event. At least one of the one or more participants is a field person in the production facility. The estimation unit updates searches for the past log information in accordance with the progress of the speeches.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an assistance system, an assistance method, and an assistance program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 states that "FT diagrams are updated based on new trouble cases of work machines" (paragraph 0001). Patent Document 2 states that "the time and effort required to analyze the logs of each log file is reduced" (paragraph 0007). Patent Document 3 states that "data collected from various data sources is processed sequentially to grasp (detect) possible events" (paragraph 0004). Patent Document 4 states that "monitoring information according to the situation is collected before a network device fails" (abstract). [Prior art document] [Patent documents] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6667701 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 4901442 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 6315905 [Patent Document 4] JP 2005-285040 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] When an expected event occurs in a production facility controlled by a computer, if the cause of the event is identified only from the measured values ​​of instruments, the computer may perform calculations to determine whether each of many possible causes is the true cause. Therefore, if the cause of an expected event is identified only from the measured values ​​of instruments, the computer may be burdened and the calculations may take a long time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a support system, which includes an estimation unit that, when a previously anticipated event is detected in a production facility, estimates a cause of the event based on current log information relating to the event, in which comments from one or more participants are recorded, and past log information relating to the event.

[0005] The current log information may include participants' statements regarding their probable causes of the event.

[0006] In any of the above support systems, at least one of the one or more participants may be a person on-site at the production facility.

[0007] In any of the above support systems, the estimation unit may update the search for past log information in accordance with the progress of comments.

[0008] In any of the above support systems, the estimation unit may identify additional information for estimating a cause of the event based on the current log information.

[0009] In any of the above support systems, the estimation unit may estimate a cause of the event based on current log information based on the additional information and on past log information.

[0010] In any of the above support systems, the past log information may correspond to an event and a plurality of causes of the event. When an event is detected, the estimation unit may estimate at least one of the plurality of causes as the cause of the event based on the correspondence between the event and the plurality of causes.

[0011] In any of the above support systems, when an event is detected, the estimation unit may identify at least two causes as candidate causes, and, based on the identified at least two causes, identify another event that is not commonly associated with the at least two causes in the past log information for each of the at least two causes. The estimation unit may estimate that at least one of the at least two causes is the cause of the event, based on the current log information and the identified other event.

[0012] In any of the above assistance systems, the estimation unit may identify at least two causes based on the importance of the causes of the event.

[0013] In any of the above assistance systems, the estimation unit may identify another event that is not commonly associated with the at least two causes, based on an occurrence frequency of the event.

[0014] In any of the above support systems, the past log information may be associated with each of the multiple production facilities. The estimation unit may estimate a cause of an event in one of the multiple production facilities based on the past log information associated with the other production facility.

[0015] In any of the above support systems, the current log information and the past log information may be associated with each of a plurality of states in the production equipment, and the estimation unit may estimate a cause of an event of a certain state in the current log information based on the past log information associated with one of the plurality of states.

[0016] In any of the support systems described above, the estimation unit may determine a search target period for searching past log information based on an update time of the object in the production facility.

[0017] In any of the above assistance systems, the estimation unit may determine the search target period depending on the type of the object.

[0018] In any of the above support systems, the past log information may be associated with an elapsed time from an update time for each of the plurality of types of objects. The estimation unit may determine a search target period for one type of object based on the past log information associated with the one type of object among the plurality of types.

[0019] In any of the above support systems, each of the multiple production equipment may be provided in a different factory. The past log information may include common log information common to the multiple factories and individual log information for each of the multiple factories. When an event is detected in a production equipment provided in one factory, the estimation unit may estimate a cause of the event in the production equipment provided in the one factory based on the current log information, the common log information, and the individual log information of the one factory.

[0020] In a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an assistance system. The assistance system includes a storage unit in which a program is stored, and a processing unit having a processor. The program causes the processor to execute an estimation unit to estimate a cause of an event when an expected event is detected in a production facility, based on current log information related to the event, in which comments from one or more participants are recorded, and past log information related to the event.

[0021] In a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a support method, comprising the steps of: when a previously anticipated event is detected in a production facility, an estimation unit estimates a cause of the event based on current log information relating to the event, in which comments from one or more participants are recorded, and past log information relating to the event.

[0022] In a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an assistance program that causes a computer to function as an assistance system.

[0023] The above summary of the invention does not list all of the features of the present invention. Also, subcombinations of these features may also be inventions. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of support for a production facility 200 by a support system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an assistance system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 2 is a diagram showing an example of an event 220 in a production facility 200. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of current log information 110. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of current log information 110. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of past log information 120. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of past log information 120. [Figure 8] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a cause of an event 220 estimated by an estimation unit 10. FIG. [Figure 9] 13 is a diagram showing another example of the past log information 120. FIG. [Figure 10] 13 is a diagram showing another example of the past log information 120. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a flow of inferring the cause of an event 220. [Figure 12] 2 is a diagram showing an example of operations such as data transmission and reception between the support system 100, the production facility 200, and the terminal 260. FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is a diagram showing another example of an event 220 in the production facility 200. FIG. [Figure 14] 13 is a diagram showing another example of an event 220 in the production facility 200. FIG. [Figure 15] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a support method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of details of the past log information search step S94 and the estimation step S100 in FIG. [Figure 17]FIG. 22 illustrates an example of a computer 2200 in which the assistance system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented in whole or in part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention according to the claims. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of support for a production facility 200 by a support system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The production facility 200 is a facility for producing industrial products. The production facility 200 may be a facility capable of mass-producing industrial products. The industrial products may be chemical industrial products, metal industrial products, mechanical industrial products, food products, or textile products. In this example, the production facility 200 is an electrolysis device.

[0027] The support system 100 supports the operation of the production facility 200. The support system 100 includes an estimation unit 10. The support system 100 does not have to be located at the site of the production facility 200, but may be located there. In this example, the support system 100 is not located at the site of the production facility 200.

[0028] One or more participants 300 participate in the support of the production facility 200. In this example, four participants 300 (participant 300-1 to participant 300-4) participate in the support of the production facility 200. At least one of the one or more participants 300 may be a person at the site of the production facility 200. In this example, participant 300-1 to participant 300-3 are people at the site, and participant 300-4 is an administrator of the support system 100. The administrator does not have to be a person at the site of the production facility 200, and may be a person at the site. The participant 300 may be a human being, or may be a robot with artificial intelligence.

[0029] A computer 290 may be installed at the site of the production facility 200. The computer 290 may include a control unit 280. The control unit 280 may be a central processing unit (CPU) of the computer. In this example, the control unit 280 controls the operation of the production facility 200.

[0030] The production facility 200 is equipped with an instrument 270 for monitoring the operating status of the production facility 200. The instrument 270 is, for example, a flow meter, a pressure meter, a sensor for detecting liquid leakage, etc. In this example, the control unit 280 acquires information of the instrument 270 equipped in the production facility 200, and transmits the acquired information of the instrument 270 to the support system 100. The control unit 280 may transmit the information of the instrument 270 via a wireless line such as an Internet line.

[0031] The participant 300 may be provided with a terminal 260 that acquires the utterances 310 (described later) of the participant 300. The terminal 260 is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet, or the like. In this example, each of the participants 300-1 to 300-4 is provided with a terminal 260. In this example, the utterances 310 (described later) of the participants 300-1 to 300-3 acquired by the respective terminals 260 of the participants 300-1 to 300-3 are transmitted to the support system 100 via a wireless line such as an Internet line. The utterances 310 (described later) of the participant 300-4 acquired by the terminal 260 of the participant 300-4 may be transmitted to the support system 100 via a wireless line or via a wired line.

[0032] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a support system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The support system 100 includes an estimation unit 10. The support system 100 may include an acquisition unit 20, a display unit 30, a storage unit 40, and a control unit 90. The acquisition unit 20 acquires information on an instrument 270 transmitted by a computer 290 (see FIG. 1) and utterances 310 (described later) of a participant 300 acquired by a terminal 260. The display unit 30 is, for example, a display, a monitor, or the like.

[0033] A part or the whole of the assistance system 100 may be realized by a computer. The control unit 90 may be a CPU of the computer. The control unit 90 and the estimation unit 10 may be CPUs of the computer. When the assistance system 100 is realized by a computer, an assistance program for causing the computer to function as the assistance system 100 may be installed in the computer, and an assistance program for causing the computer to execute an assistance method described later may be installed in the computer.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an event 220 in the production facility 200. An event 220 that is expected in advance may occur in the production facility 200. The expected event 220 is an event related to an abnormal state of the production facility 200. The abnormal state includes trouble, as well as an abnormal state that has not yet reached trouble. The expected event 220 is, for example, an event in which the measurement data of the gauge 270 in the production facility 200 indicates an abnormal value, an event in which the change over time in the measurement data indicates abnormal behavior, a liquid leak or gas leak in the production facility 200, etc.

[0035] A search keyword 222, a site keyword 224, location information Ip, and attribute information Ia may be associated with the event 220. The event 220, and the search keyword 222, the site keyword 224, the location information Ip, and the attribute information Ia associated with the event 220 may be stored in the storage unit 40.

[0036] The on-site keywords 224 may include meter keywords 225 and visual keywords 226. The meter keywords 225 and visual keywords 226 may be included in the past log information 120 (described below) or may be included in the current log information 110 (described below).

[0037] The instrument keyword 225 is a keyword related to the instrument 270. The instrument keyword 225 may include a keyword related to the type, model, etc. of the instrument 270. In a case where the production facility 200 includes a plurality of instruments 270, the instrument keyword 225 may be a keyword for identifying which of the plurality of instruments 270 is the relevant instrument 270. The instrument keyword 225 may be a keyword that can be automatically acquired by the instrument 270.

[0038] The visual observation keyword 226 is a keyword acquired by the participants 300 (participants 300-1 to 300-3 in this example) at the site of the production facility 200 by visually observing the instrument 270. When the participants 300 at the site of the production facility 200 make a comment 310 (described later) related to the instrument 270 by visually observing the instrument 270, the visual observation keyword 226 may be a keyword included in the comment 310 (described later). The visual observation keyword 226 may be a keyword that is difficult to automatically obtain by the instrument 270.

[0039] The location information Ip is information indicating at which location in the production facility 200 an abnormal state has occurred. In the case where the production facility 200 is an electrolysis device, the location in the production facility 200 refers to, for example, an electrolytic cell, an ion exchange membrane, an electrode, an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, etc. In this example, the location information Ip is information indicating at which location in one production facility 200 an abnormal state has occurred.

[0040] The attribute information Ia may be information of the participant 300 indicating which part of the production facility 200 the participant is responsible for. In a case where there are multiple production facilities 200, the attribute information Ia may be information of the participant 300 indicating which production facility 200 the participant is responsible for. In this example, the participant 300-1 is in charge of the electrolytic cell A, the participant 300-2 is in charge of the inlet piping, and the participant 300-3 is in charge of the electrolytic cell B.

[0041] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the current log information 110. The current log information 110 is log information related to the event 220 when the event 220 is detected in the production facility 200. When an expected event 220 is detected in the production facility 200, the participants 300 may have a conversation to return the abnormal state of the production facility 200 to a normal state. The current log information 110 records the utterances 310 of the participants 300. The utterances 310 of the participants 300 may be recorded sequentially in the current log information 110.

[0042] The estimation unit 10 (see FIG. 2) may launch the bulletin board 130 for recording the current log information 110 when the event 220 is detected. The estimation unit 10 may launch the bulletin board 130 after the event 220 is detected. The estimation unit 10 may start recording the current log information 110 when the event 220 is detected. FIG. 4 is an example of the bulletin board 130 for recording the current log information 110. In the example of FIG. 4, comments 310 of multiple participants 300 are sequentially recorded on the bulletin board 130. Communication information in a conversational format by the multiple participants 300 may be recorded on the bulletin board 130. The conversational communication is, for example, a chat. The bulletin board 130 may be displayed on the display unit 30 (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 2).

[0043] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the current log information 110. The current log information 110 may further include status information Is1. The status information Is1 may be information acquired by the meter 270 (see FIG. 1). The status of the production equipment 200 is defined as status S. In the status information Is1, the date, time when the abnormal status S1 occurred in the production equipment 200, and the content of the status S1 may be associated. The associated date, time, and status S1 may be stored in the memory unit 40. The status information Is1 may be displayed on the display unit 30 (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 2).

[0044] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of past log information 120. The past log information 120 is past log information related to the event 220 when the event 220 is detected in the production facility 200. The past log information 120 is log information generated before the current event 220 is detected in the production facility 200. The past log information 120 may be the current log information 110 at a past time point, which was generated when the past event 220 was detected. FIG. 5 is an example of a bulletin board 130 on which the past log information 120 is recorded. The past log information 120 may be a report created for the past event 220. The past log information 120 may be displayed on the display unit 30 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0045] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of past log information 120. Past log information 120 may further include status information Is2. Like status information Is1, status information Is2 may be information acquired by instrument 270 (see FIG. 1). Like status information Is1, status information Is2 may be associated with the date, time, and content of status S2 that occurred in production equipment 200 when abnormal status S2 occurred. Status information Is2 may be displayed on display unit 30 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0046] The estimation unit 10 may generate on-site keywords 224 (see FIG. 3 ) based on the past log information 120. The past log information 120 may be stored in the storage unit 40. The estimation unit 10 may generate instrument keywords 225 and visual observation keywords 226 based on the past log information 120.

[0047] The current log information 110 and the past log information 120 may be characters, audio, or images. When the current log information 110 and the past log information 120 are images, the images may be moving images or still images. The images may be acquired by the terminal 260 (see FIG. 1). In this example, the current log information 110 and the past log information 120 are characters.

[0048] 8 is a diagram showing an example of the cause of the event 220 estimated by the estimation unit 10. The estimation unit 10 (see FIG. 2) estimates the cause of the event 220 based on the current log information 110 and the past log information 120. In this example, the estimation unit 10 estimates two causes. In this example, the estimated cause, the basis information Ie used to estimate the cause, and a likelihood indicating the degree of probability that the cause is the true cause are associated with each other.

[0049] As described above, the current log information 110 and the past log information 120 are log information related to the event 220. Therefore, the estimation unit 10 can estimate the cause of the event 220 based on the current log information 110 and the past log information 120. Participants 300-1 to 300-3 at the site of the production facility 200 may verify whether the estimated cause is the true cause based on the estimated cause.

[0050] The estimation unit 10 may estimate the cause of the event 220, and may identify basis information Ie for estimating the cause of the event 220. The estimation unit 10 may identify the basis information Ie based on the past log information 120. The estimated cause of the event 220 and the basis information Ie may be displayed on the display unit 30 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0051] The estimation unit 10 may estimate the event 220 based on information of an instrument 270 provided in the production equipment 200, the current log information 110, and the past log information 120. The information of the instrument 270 may include information that can be automatically acquired by the instrument 270.

[0052] When an expected event 220 occurs in the production facility 200, and the cause of the event 220 is identified only from the measured values ​​by the instrument 270, the control unit 90 (see FIG. 2) may perform calculations to determine whether all of the many candidate causes are the true cause. Therefore, when the cause of the event 220 is identified only from the measured values ​​by the instrument 270, an excessive burden is placed on the control unit 90, and the calculations may take time. Therefore, it may be difficult for the estimation unit 10 to identify the cause of the event 220 only from the measured values ​​by the instrument 270.

[0053] The past log information 120 may include a comment 310 related to the event 220, which is for identifying the cause of the event 220. The comment 310 of the participant 300 at the production facility 200 may include information that is difficult to obtain unless the participant 300 at the production facility 200 is at the production facility 200 (for example, visual keywords 226 obtained by visually inspecting an analog gauge 270). The information that is difficult to obtain unless the participant 300 at the production facility 200 is at the production facility 200 may be effective information for identifying the cause of the event 220. In the support system 100, the control unit 90 (see FIG. 2) selects a candidate that is highly likely to be the true cause of the event 220 from among all the candidate causes, and performs a calculation as to whether the selected candidate is the true cause. This reduces the burden on the control unit 90 and shortens the time required for the calculation. This allows the estimation unit 10 to efficiently estimate the cause of the event 220.

[0054] The estimation unit 10 (see FIG. 2) may search for past log information 120 related to the event 220 based on the current log information 110, and may identify the past log information 120 related to the event 220. The estimation unit 10 may generate a search keyword 222 (see FIG. 3) based on the current log information 110. The search keyword 222 is a keyword for searching the past log information 120.

[0055] When the current log information 110 is a character, the estimation unit 10 (see FIG. 2) may generate a search keyword 222 (see FIG. 3) based on the character. When the current log information 110 is an image, the estimation unit 10 may analyze the image and determine the instrument 270 based on the analyzed image. Determining the instrument 270 may include determining the type of the instrument 270 (pressure gauge, flow meter, etc.) and acquiring a measurement value by the instrument 270. When the current log information 110 is an image, the estimation unit 10 may acquire a phenomenon in the image. The phenomenon in the image is, for example, a liquid leak in the production facility 200. The estimation unit 10 may generate a search keyword 222 (see FIG. 3) based on the determination result of the instrument 270.

[0056] When the current log information 110 and the past log information 120 are images, the estimation unit 10 may determine an image in the past log information 120 that includes an instrument 270 of the same type as the instrument 270 based on the image of the current log information 110, may obtain a measurement value of the instrument 270 of the same type in the image of the past log information 120, or may obtain a phenomenon in the image of the past log information 120. The estimation unit 10 may determine an image in the past log information 120 that includes the same phenomenon as the phenomenon in the image of the current log information 110.

[0057] The current log information 110 and the past log information 120 may include a statement 310-1 by the participant 300 about the event 220, and a statement 310-2 by the participant 300 about an estimated cause of the event 220. The statement 310-1 by the participant 300 about the event 220 is a statement about the fact that the event 220 is occurring. In the example of Fig. 4, the statements 310 by the participant 300, such as "There is a difference in the gas differential pressure," "There is no difference in the gas differential pressure," "The thickness is thin," "There is no liquid leakage," "A voltage increase over time is observed," "There is an abnormality in the liquid flow," and "The flow rate is extremely low," are the statements 310-1 by the participant 300 about the event 220.

[0058] The statement 310-2 regarding the estimation of the cause of the event 220 is a statement that estimates the cause of the event 220, and is a statement regarding the event 220 whose true cause has not yet been verified. In the example of FIG. 4, the statement 310 by the participant 300, "...maybe touching the pressure sensor" or "maybe the salt water inlet hose is clogged," is a statement 310-2 regarding the estimation of the cause of the event 220. The statement 310-2 may be a statement for identifying the cause of the event 220, may be a statement for improving or solving the event 220, or may be a statement including a hypothesis regarding the cause of the event 220. The hypothesis may not match the cause of the event 220.

[0059] The statements 310 of the participants 300 may include multiple statements 310-2 by at least one participant 300 regarding the speculation of the cause of the event 220. In the example of FIG. 3, the statements 310 include two statements 310-2 by participant 300-4 regarding the speculation of the cause of the event 220.

[0060] The estimation unit 10 may generate a search keyword 222 (see FIG. 3 ) based on the current log information 110 including the comment 310-2. The estimation unit 10 may search the past log information 120 using the search keyword 222, and may generate an on-site keyword 224 by searching the past log information 120. The estimation unit 10 may estimate the cause of the event 220 based on the generated on-site keyword 224.

[0061] The type of the statement 310 may be associated with the content of the statement 310. The type of the statement 310 may indicate a statement 310-1 about the event 220, or a statement 310-2 about an estimation of the cause of the event 220. The type of the statement 310 and the content of the statement 310 associated with the type may be stored in the storage unit 40.

[0062] The current log information 110 (see FIG. 4) may include attribute information Ia (see FIG. 3). The estimation unit 10 may identify a participant 300 in the past log information 120 who has the same attribute information Ia as the attribute information Ia included in the current log information 110, and may generate a site keyword 224 (see FIG. 3) based on a comment 310 of the participant 300 in the past log information 120. The attribute information Ia (see FIG. 3) of the participant 300 may be associated with the content of the comment 310 of the participant 300. The attribute information Ia of the participant 300 and the content of the comment 310 associated with the attribute information Ia may be stored in the storage unit 40.

[0063] The estimation unit 10 may update the search of the past log information 120 according to the progress of the comment 310 in the current log information 110. The estimation unit 10 may update the search of the past log information 120 related to the event 220 according to the progress of the comment 310 in the current log information 110, and may identify the past log information 120 related to the event 220. The estimation unit 10 may update the search keyword 222 (see FIG. 3) according to the progress of the comment 310 in the current log information 110. The estimation unit 10 may update the search of the past log information 120 with the updated search keyword 222, and may generate the on-site keyword 224 by searching the updated past log information 120. This makes the process of estimation by the estimation unit 10 of the cause of the event 220 clear.

[0064] The update history in the search of the past log information 120 by the estimation unit 10 may be stored in the storage unit 40 (see FIG. 2). The estimation unit 10 may estimate the cause of the event 220 based on the current log information 110 and the update history in the search of the past log information 120. This makes it easier for the estimation unit 10 to estimate the cause of the event 220 quickly and accurately.

[0065] The estimation unit 10 may identify additional information If for estimating the cause of the event 220, based on the current log information 110. The additional information If refers to information that is preferably added for estimating the cause of the event 220. The additional information If may be included in the past log information 120. The current log information 110 may include comments 310 of the participants 300 regarding the estimation of the cause of the event 220. The estimation unit 10 may update the identification of the additional information If according to the progress of the comments 310.

[0066] The additional information If may be information including the on-site keywords 224 (see FIG. 3) in the past log information 120. The additional information If may be information for a participant 300 at the on-site of the production facility 200 to manually investigate the production facility 200. The additional information If may be displayed on the display unit 30 (see FIG. 2).

[0067] The estimation unit 10 may estimate the cause of the event 220 based on the current log information 110 based on the additional information If and the past log information 120. When the additional information If is information for the on-site participant 300 of the production facility 200 to manually investigate the production facility 200, the current log information 110 based on the additional information If may be a statement 310 in the process of the on-site participant 300 of the production facility 200 manually investigating the production facility 200 based on the additional information If, or may be a statement related to the result of the manual investigation.

[0068] The estimation unit 10 may generate search keywords 222 (see FIG. 3 ) based on the current log information 110 based on the additional information If and the past log information 120. The estimation unit 10 may add new search keywords 222 to the existing search keywords 222 based on the current log information 110 based on the additional information If and the past log information 120, or may delete a part of the existing search keywords and add the new search keywords 222.

[0069] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another example of the past log information 120. The events 220 may be associated with the causes of the events 220. In the example of FIG. 9, the past log information 120 associates each of the causes of the events 220 with at least one event 220. In the example of FIG. 9, the cause A is associated with three events 220 (events 220-1 to 220-3), the cause B is associated with two events 220 (events 220-2 and 220-4), and the cause C is associated with two events 220 (events 220-1 and 220-5). In the past log information 120, each of the causes of the events 220 may be further associated with the contents of the cause and the importance D of the cause. The importance D is the importance of solving the cause of the event 220 for the production facility 200. In this example, the importance level D indicates the severity of the event 220 for the electrolytic cell in the production facility 200. The past log information 120 shown in FIG.

[0070] The causes of the multiple events 220 shown in Fig. 9 may be causes estimated by the estimation unit 10 at a past time point, and may be causes verified as true causes by the on-site participant 300 of the production facility 200 based on the estimated causes. When the estimation unit 10 estimates the cause of the event 220 at the current time point, the multiple causes shown in Fig. 9 are candidate causes. The candidate cause is referred to as candidate cause Cp.

[0071] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the past log information 120. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing details of the event 220 in the past log information 120 of FIG. 9. In the past log information 120, each of the multiple events 220, a confirmation method for the event 220, a confirmation target Sb for the event 220, the contents of the event 220, and an occurrence frequency Q of the event 220 may be associated with each other. The occurrence frequency Q may be divided into multiple levels. For example, an event 220 that occurs once a month may be level 3 (large), an event 220 that occurs once every three months may be level 2 (medium), and an event 220 that occurs once a year may be level 1 (small). The past log information 120 shown in FIG. 10 may be stored in the storage unit 40.

[0072] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an estimation flow of the cause of the event 220. FIG. 11 shows the estimation flow in the case of the examples of FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 together. In the example of FIG. 11, the occurrence of the event 220-2 is detected based on the fact that the meter 270 detects that each pair voltage is 50 mV or more higher than the average voltage. The pair (pair) refers to the pair of an anode chamber and a cathode chamber in the electrolytic cell when the production facility 200 is an electrolytic cell. An ion exchange membrane is disposed between the anode chamber and the cathode chamber. The pair voltage refers to the voltage between the anode in the anode chamber and the cathode in the cathode chamber.

[0073] When an event 220 is detected in the production facility 200, the estimation unit 10 may estimate that at least one of the multiple causes is the cause of the event 220 based on the correspondence between the event 220 and the multiple causes. The correspondence between the event 220 and the multiple causes is, for example, the correspondence between the event 220 and the cause of the event 220 shown in FIG.

[0074] When an event 220 is detected in the production facility 200, the estimation unit 10 may identify at least two causes associated with the detected event 220. In this example, the estimation unit 10 identifies cause A and cause B (see FIG. 9 ) associated with the event 220-2 as the causes.

[0075] The estimation unit 10 may identify at least two causes based on the importance D of the cause of the event 220 (see FIG. 9). The estimation unit 10 may identify at least two causes in descending order of the importance D of the cause of the event 220. The estimation unit 10 may identify one of the at least two causes associated with the event 220 having the greatest importance D as the cause. In the example of FIGS. 9 and 10, the importance of cause A is greater than the importance of cause B. Therefore, in the example of FIGS. 9 and 10, the estimation unit 10 may identify cause B as the cause.

[0076] Other events 220 that are not commonly associated with at least two causes in the past log information 120 are set as cause estimation events 221. The estimation unit 10 may identify a cause estimation event 221 for each of the at least two causes based on the identified at least two causes. In this example, the estimation unit 10 identifies events 220-1 and 220-3 for cause A and event 220-4 for cause B as cause estimation events 221 that are not commonly associated with cause A and cause B identified as causes.

[0077] The estimation unit 10 may identify the cause estimation event 221 based on the occurrence frequency Q (see FIG. 10 ) of the event 220. The estimation unit 10 may identify the cause estimation event 221 in descending order of occurrence frequency Q. The estimation unit 10 may identify the cause estimation event 221 with the highest occurrence frequency Q.

[0078] The estimation unit 10 may estimate that one of at least two causes is the cause of the event 220 based on the current log information 110 and the identified cause estimation event 221. The estimation unit 10 may generate a search keyword 222 or a site keyword 224 (see FIG. 3) based on the identified cause estimation event 221. The estimation unit 10 may generate a confirmation target Sb (see FIG. 10) associated with the identified cause estimation event 221 as the search keyword 222 or the site keyword 224. In the example of FIGS. 9 and 10, the estimation unit 10 generates "salt water outlet pH meter" as the site keyword 224 based on the event 220-1, and generates "salt water inlet pH meter" as the site keyword 224 based on the event 220-4.

[0079] The estimation unit 10 may estimate the cause of the event 220 based on the generated search keyword 222 or on-site keyword 224 and the current log information 110. The estimation unit 10 may estimate the cause of the event 220 by searching the current log information 110 with the generated search keyword 222 or on-site keyword 224. In the example of FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the estimation unit 10 obtains that the saltwater outlet pH value is 5 by searching the current log information 110 with the on-site keyword 224 "saltwater outlet pH meter", and obtains that the saltwater inlet pH value is 10 by searching the current log information 110 with the on-site keyword 224 "saltwater inlet pH meter". The estimation unit 10 may obtain the measured value of the meter 270 related to the search keyword 222 or on-site keyword 224 based on the remarks 310 related to the search keyword 222 or on-site keyword 224 of the participant 300 in the current log information 110, or may directly obtain the measured value of the meter 270 related to the search keyword 222 or on-site keyword 224.

[0080] The estimation unit 10 may identify the occurring event 220 based on the acquired measurement value of the meter 270. The estimation unit 10 may identify additional information If for identifying the occurring event 220 based on the generated search keyword 222 or on-site keyword 224. In the example of Fig. 10, the additional information If is "contents of the event 220".

[0081] The estimation unit 10 may identify the occurring event 220 based on the acquired measurement value of the meter 270 and the additional information If. In the example of FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the estimation unit 10 acquires that the saltwater outlet pH value is 5 and the saltwater inlet pH value is 10. In the example of FIG. 10, the additional information If related to the saltwater outlet pH value is "pH value exceeds 4", and the additional information If related to the saltwater inlet pH value is "pH value less than 9". From FIG. 10, it is determined that the saltwater outlet pH value is 5 is abnormal, and that the saltwater inlet pH value is 10 is normal. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the estimation unit 10 estimates that the event 220-1 has occurred and the event 220-4 has not occurred. As a result, the estimation unit 10 can estimate that the cause A associated with the event 220-1 has occurred.

[0082] When the estimation unit 10 searches the current log information 110 with the generated search keyword 222 or site keyword 224, if neither the search keyword 222 nor the site keyword 224 is found, the estimation unit 10 may identify one search keyword 222 or one site keyword 224 excluding the search keyword 222 and the site keyword 224 as additional information If. The display unit 30 may display information prompting the participant 300 to obtain the additional information If. The estimation unit 10 may prompt the participant 300 to obtain the additional information If by recording information prompting the participant 300 to obtain the additional information If on the bulletin board 130. The information prompting the participant 300 to obtain the additional information If is, for example, a message such as "Please check the value of the pH meter at the saltwater outlet."

[0083] When the estimation unit 10 searches the current log information 110 using the generated search keyword 222 or the on-site keyword 224, if neither the search keyword 222 nor the on-site keyword 224 is found, the estimation unit 10 may stop searching the current log information 110. The estimation unit 10 may search the current log information 110 again based on the generated search keyword 222 or the on-site keyword 224 after a certain time has elapsed since the estimation unit 10 stopped searching the current log information 110. The certain time may be determined in advance by a user of the support system 100 or the production facility 200. The display unit 30 may present one or more cause candidates Cp estimated at the time when the search keyword 222 or the on-site keyword 224 is not found.

[0084] 12 is a diagram showing an example of operations such as data transmission and reception between the support system 100, the production facility 200, and the terminal 260. In this example, an instrument 270 provided in the production facility 200 measures data, and a control unit 280 (see FIG. 1) acquires the data of the instrument 270, transmits the acquired data of the instrument 270 to a control unit 90 (see FIG. 2) of the support system 100, and the control unit 90 acquires the data. In this example, the estimation unit 10 of the support system 100 generates an instrument keyword 225 based on the acquired information of the instrument 270, and launches a bulletin board 130.

[0085] In this example, the estimation unit 10 searches for the instrument keywords 225 and the site keywords 224 in the past log information 120. In this example, the estimation unit 10 estimates the cause of the event 220 based on the past log information 120 and the current log information 110 related to the event 220. The current log information 110 records comments 310 from participants 300-1 to 300-4. Participants 300-1 to 300-3 are participants 300 at the site. Participant 300-4 is a participant 300 who is an administrator of the support system 100. The estimation unit 10 may estimate multiple candidates for the cause of the event 220.

[0086] In this example, the control unit 90 (see FIG. 2) estimates the cause of the event 220, and then transmits the additional information If to the terminal 260. On-site participants 300-1 to 300-3 equipped with the terminals 260 conduct an investigation of the production facility 200 based on the additional information If. The investigation may be conducted manually by the on-site participant 300.

[0087] In this example, the estimation unit 10 estimates the cause of the event 220 based on the current log information 110 based on the additional information If and the past log information 120. The estimation unit 10 may generate search keywords 222 (see FIG. 3) based on the current log information 110 based on the additional information If and the past log information 120, and estimate the cause of the event 220 based on the generated search keywords 222. The current log information 110 based on the additional information If is the current log information 110 while the on-site participants 300-1 to 300-3 are conducting or after they have conducted an investigation of the production facility 200.

[0088] In this example, when the estimation unit 10 identifies the cause of the event 220, the control unit 90 (see FIG. 2) transmits a control signal to the control unit 280 (see FIG. 1) for solving the identified cause of the event 220. In this example, the computer 290 (see FIG. 1) controls the production equipment 200 based on the control signal.

[0089] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of the event 220 in the production facility 200. This example is an example of the event 220 in a plurality of production facilities 200. The plurality of production facilities 200 may be provided in the same factory. The same factory may refer to a state in which one production facility 200 may be affected by another production facility 200 due to the piping and the like of the plurality of production facilities 200 being shared with each other. In the case where there are a plurality of production facilities 200, the location information Ip may be information indicating which production facility 200 has an abnormal state. In this example, the electrolytic cell of the production facility 200-1 shows an abnormality in differential pressure and pressure, the inlet piping of the production facility 200-2 shows an abnormality in flow rate, and the electrolytic cell of the production facility 200-3 shows an abnormality in cell voltage.

[0090] The past log information 120 may be associated with each of the multiple production facilities 200. The associated relationship between the production facilities 200 and the past log information 120 may be stored in the storage unit 40 (see FIG. 3). The estimation unit 10 may estimate the cause of the event 220 in one of the multiple production facilities 200 based on the past log information 120 associated with the other production facilities 200. For example, the estimation unit 10 may estimate the cause of the event 220 in the other production facilities 200-2 based on the past log information 120 associated with the one production facility 200-1. The past log information 120 associated with the one production facility 200-1 may be useful in estimating the cause of the event 220 in the other production facility 200-2.

[0091] The past log information 120 associated with one production facility 200-1 is referred to as past log information 120-1. The past log information 120 associated with the other production facility 200-2 is referred to as past log information 120-2. When the estimation unit 10 cannot generate the site keyword 224 by searching the past log information 120-1 with the search keyword 222, the estimation unit 10 may generate the site keyword 224 by searching the past log information 120-2 with the search keyword 222. The estimation unit 10 may estimate the cause of the event 220 in the one production facility 200-1 based on the generated site keyword 224. When the estimation unit 10 cannot generate the site keyword 224 by searching the past log information 120-1 with the search keyword 222, it refers to a case where the site keyword 224 (see FIG. 3) associated with the search keyword 222 does not exist.

[0092] The one production facility 200-1 and the other production facility 200-2 may be the same type of production facility 200. The same type of production facility 200 may refer to production facilities 200 that produce the same type of products. For example, the same type of production facility 200 refers to a case where the one production facility 200-1 and the other production facility 200-2 are electrolytic baths. The estimation unit 10 may estimate the cause of the event 220 in the one production facility 200-1 based on the past log information 120 associated with the one production facility 200-1 among the multiple production facilities 200.

[0093] The estimation unit 10 may associate the current log information 110 with each of a plurality of states S1 (see FIG. 5) in the production facility 200. The estimation unit 10 may associate each of the utterances 310 of the participants 300 in the current log information 110 with each of the plurality of states S1 (see FIG. 5).

[0094] The past log information 120 may be associated with each of a plurality of states S2 (see FIG. 7) in the production facility 200. The comment 310 of the participant 300 in the past log information 120 may be associated with each of a plurality of states S2 (see FIG. 7) in the production facility 200. For example, the comment 310-1 of the participant 300-3 in the past log information 120 in FIG. 6, "There is an abnormality in the pressure of the #A electrolytic cell," may be associated with the state S2 of "aaa voltage High" dated January 16, 2023, 13:15 in FIG. 7.

[0095] The estimation unit 10 may estimate the cause of the event 220 in one state S1 in the current log information 110 based on the past log information 120 associated with one state S2 among the multiple states S2. For example, the estimation unit 10 may estimate the cause of the event 220 in the state S1 of “bbb voltage High” dated February 13, 2023, 17:58 in the current log information 110 of FIG. 5 based on the past log information 120 associated with the state S2 of “aaa voltage High” dated January 16, 2023, 13:15 in FIG. The past log information 120 associated with one state S2 may be useful in estimating the cause of the event 220 in one state S1.

[0096] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing another example of the event 220 in the production facility 200. This example is an example of the event 220 in a case where each of the multiple production facilities 200 is installed in a different factory. The different factories may refer to factories in different geographical locations, or may refer to a case where multiple factories are independent of each other in the same geographical location. The independent factories may refer to a state in which the production facility 200 installed in one factory is not affected by the production facility 200 installed in the other factory, for example, because the piping of one factory is independent from the piping of another factory. In a case in which each of the multiple production facilities 200 is installed in a different factory, the location information Ip may be information indicating which factory the production facility 200 is in.

[0097] The past log information 120 may include common log information Ic common to a plurality of factories and individual log information Id for each of the plurality of factories. In the example of FIG. 14, an example of the common log Ic is surrounded by a thick dashed line, and an example of the individual log information Id is surrounded by a thick dashed line. In the example of FIG. 14, the common log information Ic is log information common to the factories A and B, and is log information related to the differential pressure of the electrolytic bath. In the example of FIG. 14, the electrolytic bath in the factory A and the electrolytic bath in the factory B may have the same model, model number, etc. In the example of FIG. 14, the individual log information Id is log information for each of the factories A and B, and is log information related to the hose. In the example of FIG. 14, the hose in the factory A and the hose in the factory B may have different models, model numbers, etc.

[0098] The estimation unit 10 may estimate the cause of the event 220 in the production equipment 200 provided in one factory based on the current log information 110 when the event 220 is detected in the production equipment 200 provided in the one factory, the common log information Ic, and the individual log information Id of the one factory. In the example of FIG. 14, the estimation unit 10 estimates the cause in the production equipment 200 provided in the factory A based on the current log information 110 when the event 220 is detected in the production equipment 200 of the factory A, the common log information Ic (indicated by a thick dashed line in FIG. 14) common to the factories A and B, and the individual log information Id of the factory A (individual log information Id related to the hose of the factory A indicated by a thick dashed line in FIG. 14). The common log information Ic is common to a plurality of factories, and therefore may be useful in estimating the cause of the event 220 in the production equipment 200 provided in the one factory.

[0099] The common log information Ic and the individual log information Id may be stored in the storage unit 40 (see FIG. 2). The estimation unit 10 may count the number of times that the individual log information Id has been used to estimate the cause of the event 220. The control unit 90 (see FIG. 2) may erase, from among the individual log information Id stored in the storage unit 40, the individual log information Id that has been used to estimate the cause of the event 220 less than a threshold value. This makes it less likely that the amount of storage of the past log information 120 will exceed the storage capacity of the storage unit 40.

[0100] The estimation unit 10 may determine a search target period for searching the past log information 120 based on the update time of the object in the production facility 200. The object in the production facility 200 is defined as the object Ob. The object Ob may be a component of the production facility 200, and may be a component for which periodic update is recommended. When the production facility 200 is an electrolysis device, the object Ob is, for example, an ion exchange membrane, an electrode, or the like. The update of the object Ob may refer to the replacement of the object Ob, or may refer to the rehabilitation of the object Ob. The rehabilitation of the object Ob refers to the recovery of the function of the object Ob without replacing the object Ob. When the object Ob is an ion exchange membrane, the rehabilitation of the object Ob refers to the recovery of the ion exchange function of the ion exchange membrane by cleaning the ion exchange membrane, or the like.

[0101] The time when the event 220 is likely to occur in the production facility 200 may differ depending on the object Ob. Therefore, the estimation unit 10 can easily estimate the cause of the event 220 by determining the search target period for searching the past log information 120 based on the update time of the object Ob.

[0102] The estimation unit 10 may determine the search target period according to the type of the object Ob. The estimation unit 10 may determine the period before the update time of the object Ob as the search target period, or may determine the period after the update time as the search target period, according to the type of the object Ob. For example, when the production equipment 200 is an electrolysis device and the object Ob is an ion exchange membrane and a gasket, an abnormality is likely to occur in the gasket supporting the ion exchange membrane after a certain period has elapsed since the replacement of the ion exchange membrane. When the object Ob is an ion exchange membrane, an abnormality such as damage to the ion exchange membrane is likely to occur before the replacement of the ion exchange membrane. In such an example, the estimation unit 10 sets the search target period in the case of an abnormality in the gasket to a period after a certain period has elapsed since the replacement of the ion exchange membrane, and sets the search target period in the case of an abnormality in the ion exchange membrane to a period before the replacement of the ion exchange membrane. The estimation unit 10 determines the search target period for searching the past log information 120 according to the type of the object Ob, which makes it easier for the estimation unit 10 to estimate the cause of the event 220.

[0103] The past log information 120 may be associated with the elapsed time from the update time of each of the multiple types of objects Ob. The estimation unit 10 may determine a search target period for one type of object Ob based on the past log information 120 associated with the object Ob of one of the multiple types. In the production facility 200, the time when the event 220 occurs after the object Ob is updated may differ depending on the type of object Ob. When the production facility 200 is an electrolysis device, an abnormality is likely to occur in the gasket immediately after the replacement of the ion exchange membrane, and an abnormality such as damage to the ion exchange membrane is likely to occur after a certain time has passed after the replacement of the ion exchange membrane. The estimation unit 10 determines the search target period for the one type of object Ob based on the past log information 120 associated with the one type of object Ob, so that the estimation unit 10 can determine the optimal search target period for each type of object Ob. This makes it easier for the estimation unit 10 to quickly and accurately estimate the cause of the event 220.

[0104] Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of a support method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The support method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described by taking the support system 100 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as an example. The support method includes an estimation step S100. The support method may include an instrument information acquisition step S80, a bulletin board launching step S82, a current log information acquisition step S90, a search keyword generation step S92, a past log information search step S94, a judgment step S102, a judgment step S104, a control signal transmission step S106, and a judgment step S108.

[0105] The estimation step S100 is a step in which the estimation unit 10 estimates a cause of an event 220 that is expected in advance in the production facility 200, based on the current log information 110 and the past log information 120. The current log information 110 is log information related to the event 220 when the event 220 is detected, and is log information in which comments 310 of one or more participants 300 are recorded. The past log information 120 is past log information related to the event 220.

[0106] The instrument information acquisition step S80 is a step in which the control unit 280 acquires information on the instruments 270 provided in the production equipment 200, and transmits the acquired information on the instruments 270 to the support system 100. The bulletin board launch step S82 is a step in which the estimation unit 10 launches the bulletin board 130 for recording the current log information 110 when the event 220 is detected. The bulletin board launch step S82 may be a step in which the estimation unit 10 launches the bulletin board 130 after the event 220 is detected.

[0107] The current log information acquisition step S90 is a step in which the estimation unit 10 acquires the current log information 110. The current log information acquisition step S90 may be a step in which the estimation unit 10 starts recording the current log information 110.

[0108] The past log information search step S94 is a step in which the estimation unit 10 searches for past log information 120 related to the event 220 based on the current log information 110. The search keyword generation step S92 is a step in which the estimation unit 10 generates a search keyword 222 based on the current log information 110. The past log information search step S94 may be a step in which the past log information 120 is searched for by the search keyword 222.

[0109] The past log information search step S94 may include a site keyword generation step S95. The site keyword generation step S95 is a step in which the estimation unit 10 generates a site keyword 224 based on the past log information 120. The site keyword generation step S95 may include an instrument keyword generation step S96 and a visual keyword generation step S97. The instrument keyword generation step S96 is a step in which the estimation unit 10 generates an instrument keyword 225 based on information of the instrument 270. The visual keyword generation step S97 is a step in which the estimation unit 10 generates a visual keyword 226 based on the past log information 120.

[0110] The estimation step S100 may be a step in which the estimation unit 10 updates the search of the past log information 120 according to the progress of the utterance 310. In a case where the past log information 120 is associated with each of the multiple production facilities 200, the estimation step S100 may be a step in which the estimation unit 10 estimates the cause of the event 220 in one of the multiple production facilities 200 based on the past log information 120 associated with the other production facilities 200. In a case where the current log information 110 and the past log information 120 are associated with each of the multiple states S in the production facility 200, the estimation step S100 may be a step in which the estimation unit 10 estimates the cause of the event 220 in the one state S in the current log information 110 based on the past log information 120 associated with the one state S of the multiple states S.

[0111] The estimation step S100 may be a step in which the estimation unit 10 determines a search target period for searching the past log information 120 based on the update time of the object Ob in the production facility 200. The estimation step S100 may be a step in which the estimation unit 10 determines a search target period for searching the past log information 120 according to the type of the object Ob. The estimation step S100 may be a step in which the estimation unit 10 determines a period before the update time of the object Ob as the search target period, or determines a period after the update time as the search target period, according to the type of the object Ob.

[0112] In a case where the past log information 120 is associated with the elapsed time from each update time for multiple types of objects Ob, the estimation step S100 may be a step in which the estimation unit 10 determines a search target period for one type of object Ob among the multiple types, based on the past log information 120 associated with the one type of object Ob.

[0113] In a case where the multiple production facilities 200 are installed in different factories, the past log information 120 may include common log information Ic common to the multiple factories and individual log information Id for each of the multiple factories. The estimation step S100 may be a step in which the estimation unit 10 estimates the cause of the event 220 in the production facility 200 installed in one factory based on the current log information 110 when the event 220 is detected in the production facility 200 installed in the one factory, the common log information Ic, and the individual log information If of the one factory.

[0114] In the determination step S102, the control unit 90 determines whether the estimation unit 10 identifies additional information If for estimating the cause of the event 220 based on the current log information 110. If it is determined that the additional information If is to be identified, the support method returns to the current log information acquisition step S90. If it is not determined that the additional information If is to be identified, the support method proceeds to the determination step S104.

[0115] When the support method returns from the estimation step S100 to the current log information acquisition step S90, the current log information acquisition step S90 may be a step in which the estimation unit 10 acquires the current log information 110 based on the additional information If. The estimation step S100 may be a step in which the cause of the event 220 is estimated based on the current log information 110 based on the additional information If and the past log information 120.

[0116] In the determination step S104, the control unit 90 determines whether the estimation unit 10 has identified the cause of the event 220. If it is determined that the cause of the event 220 has not been identified, the support method returns to the current log information acquisition step S90. If it is determined that the cause of the event 220 has not been identified, the support method proceeds to the control signal transmission step S106.

[0117] The control signal sending step S106 is a step in which the control unit 90 sends a control signal to the control unit 280 to solve the cause of the identified event 220. The computer 290 may control the production equipment 200 based on the control signal.

[0118] In the judgment step S104, the control unit 90 judges whether the cause of the event 220 has been identified. If it is judged that the cause of the event 220 has not been identified, the support method returns to the current log information acquisition step S90. If it is judged that the cause of the event 220 has been identified, the support method is terminated.

[0119] Fig. 16 is a diagram showing an example of details of the past log information search step S94 and the estimation step S100 in Fig. 15. The past log information search step S94 may include a cause identification step S942, an event identification step S944, and a keyword generation step S946. The past log information search step S94 and the estimation step S100 in Fig. 16 will be described based on the examples in Figs. 9 and 10.

[0120] The cause identification step S942 is a step in which, when the event 220 is detected in the production facility 200, the estimation unit 10 estimates at least one of the multiple causes as the cause of the event 220 based on the correspondence between the event 220 and the multiple causes. The cause identification step S942 may be a step in which, when the event 220 is detected in the production facility 200, the estimation unit 10 identifies at least two causes associated with the detected event 220. The cause identification step S942 may be a step in which the estimation unit 10 identifies at least two causes based on the importance D of the cause of the event 220.

[0121] The event identification step S944 is a step in which the estimation unit 10 identifies at least two causes as cause candidates Cp, and identifies the cause identification event 221 for each of the at least two causes based on the identified at least two causes. The event identification step S944 may be a step in which the estimation unit 10 identifies the cause identification event 221 based on the occurrence frequency Q of the event 220.

[0122] The keyword generating step S946 may include a search keyword generating step S9462 and a site keyword generating step S95. The search keyword generating step S9462 is a step in which the estimation unit 10 generates a search keyword 222 based on the other events 220 identified in the event estimation step S944.

[0123] The estimation step S100 may be a step in which the estimation unit 10 estimates one of at least two causes as the cause of the event 220 based on the current log information 110 and another event 220 identified in the event estimation step S944. The estimation step S100 may be a step in which the estimation unit 10 estimates the cause of the event 220 based on the search keyword 222 generated in the search keyword generation step S9462 or the on-site keyword 224 generated in the on-site keyword generation step S95, and the current log information 110.

[0124] Fig. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a computer 2200 in which the assistance system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be entirely or partially embodied. A program installed in the computer 2200 may cause the computer 2200 to function as an operation associated with the assistance system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, or one or more sections of the assistance system 100, or to execute the operation or one or more sections, or to execute each step of the method of the present invention (see Figs. 12, 15, and 16). The program may be executed by the CPU 2212 to cause the computer 2200 to execute specific operations associated with some or all of the blocks in the flowcharts (see Figs. 12, 15, and 16) and block diagrams (Fig. 2) described herein.

[0125] A program installed in the computer 2200 may cause a virtual computer generated by the computer 2200 to perform operations related to the support system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, may cause the virtual computer to function as one or more sections of the support system 100, or may cause the virtual computer to execute the operations or the one or more sections, or may cause the virtual computer to execute each step of the method of the present invention (see Figs. 12, 15, and 16). The virtual computer generated by the computer 2200 may exist on a cloud.

[0126] The program that can cause the computer 2200 to perform an operation associated with the support system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be stored in the storage unit 40 (see FIG. 2). The control unit 90 (see FIG. 2) may have a processor. The processor is, for example, a CPU 2212. The program that can cause the computer 2200 to perform an operation associated with the support system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention causes the processor of the control unit 90 to execute an estimation of the cause of the event 220 based on the current log information 110 related to the event 220, in which the utterances 310 of one or more participants 300 are recorded, and the past log information 120 related to the event 220, when the estimation unit 10 detects the event 220 that is expected in advance in the production facility 200.

[0127] A computer 2200 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a CPU 2212, a RAM 2214, a graphic controller 2216, and a display device 2218. The CPU 2212, the RAM 2214, the graphic controller 2216, and the display device 2218 are connected to each other by a host controller 2210. The computer 2200 further includes input / output units such as a communication interface 2222, a hard disk drive 2224, a DVD-ROM drive 2226, and an IC card drive. The communication interface 2222, the hard disk drive 2224, the DVD-ROM drive 2226, and the IC card drive are connected to the host controller 2210 via an input / output controller 2220. The computer further includes legacy input / output units such as a ROM 2230 and a keyboard 2242. The ROM 2230, the keyboard 2242, and the like are connected to the input / output controller 2220 via an input / output chip 2240.

[0128] The CPU 2212 controls each unit by operating according to programs stored in the ROM 2230 and the RAM 2214. The graphic controller 2216 acquires image data generated by the CPU 2212 into a frame buffer or the like provided in the RAM 2214 or into the RAM 2214, thereby causing the image data to be displayed on the display device 2218.

[0129] The communication interface 2222 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The hard disk drive 2224 stores programs and data used by the CPU 2212 in the computer 2200. The DVD-ROM drive 2226 reads programs or data from the DVD-ROM 2201 and provides the read programs or data to the hard disk drive 2224 via the RAM 2214. The IC card drive reads programs and data from an IC card or writes programs and data to an IC card.

[0130] The ROM 2230 stores a boot program or the like that is executed by the computer 2200 upon activation, or a program that depends on the hardware of the computer 2200. The input / output chip 2240 may connect various input / output units to the input / output controller 2220 via a parallel port, a serial port, a keyboard port, a mouse port, or the like.

[0131] The programs are provided by a computer-readable medium such as a DVD-ROM 2201 or an IC card. The programs are read from the computer-readable medium, installed in the hard disk drive 2224, the RAM 2214, or the ROM 2230, which are also examples of computer-readable media, and executed by the CPU 2212. Information processing described in these programs is read by the computer 2200, and brings about cooperation between the programs and the various types of hardware resources described above. An apparatus or method may be constructed by implementing information manipulation or processing according to the use of the computer 2200.

[0132] For example, when communication is performed between the computer 2200 and an external device, the CPU 2212 may execute a communication program loaded in the RAM 2214 and instruct the communication interface 2222 to perform communication processing based on the processing described in the communication program. Under the control of the CPU 2212, the communication interface 2222 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer processing area provided in the RAM 2214, the hard disk drive 2224, the DVD-ROM 2201, or a recording medium such as an IC card, and transmits the read transmission data to a network, or writes reception data received from the network to a reception buffer processing area or the like provided on the recording medium.

[0133] The CPU 2212 may cause all or a necessary portion of a file or database stored in an external recording medium such as the hard disk drive 2224, the DVD-ROM drive 2226 (DVD-ROM 2201), an IC card, etc. to be read into the RAM 2214. The CPU 2212 may perform various types of processing on the data on the RAM 2214. The CPU 2212 may then write back the processed data to the external recording medium.

[0134] Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored in the recording medium and processed. The CPU 2212 may execute various types of processing on the data read from the RAM 2214, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional decisions, conditional branches, unconditional branches, information searches or replacements, etc., specified by the instruction sequences of the programs described in this disclosure. The CPU 2212 may write back the results to the RAM 2214.

[0135] CPU2212 may search for information in a file, database, etc. in the recording medium. For example, when a plurality of entries each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute are stored in the recording medium, CPU2212 may search for an entry that matches a condition in which the attribute value of the first attribute is specified from among the plurality of entries, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the entry, and obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies a predetermined condition by reading the second attribute value.

[0136] The above-mentioned program or software module may be stored on the computer 2200 or in a computer-readable medium of the computer 2200. A recording medium such as a hard disk or a RAM provided in a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as the computer-readable medium. The program may be provided to the computer 2200 by the recording medium.

[0137] Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the description of the claims that such modifications and improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0138] It should be noted that the order of execution of each process, such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages, in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not specifically stated as "before," "prior to," etc., and may be realized in any order unless the output of a previous process is used in a later process. Even if the operational flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is explained using "first," "next," etc. for convenience, it does not mean that it is essential to perform the process in this order. [Explanation of symbols]

[0139] 10 Estimation unit, 20 Acquisition unit, 30 Display unit, 40 Memory unit, 90 Control unit, 100 Support system, 110 Current log information, 120 Past log information, 130 Bulletin board, 200 Production equipment, 220 Event, 221 Event for cause estimation, 222 Search keyword, 224 Site keyword, 225 Instrument keyword, 226 Visual keyword, 260 Terminal, 270 Instrument, 280 Control unit, 290 Computer, 300 ·Participant, 310···Speaker, 2200···Computer, 2201···DVD-ROM, 2210···Host controller, 2212···CPU, 2214···RAM, 2216···Graphics controller, 2218···Display device, 2220···Input / output controller, 2222···Communication interface, 2224···Hard disk drive, 2226···DVD-ROM drive, 2230···ROM, 2240···Input / output chip, 2242···Keyboard

Claims

1. A support system comprising an estimation unit that, when a previously anticipated event is detected in a production facility, estimates the cause of the event based on current log information related to the event, in which comments from one or more participants are recorded, and past log information related to the event.

2. The support system according to claim 1 , wherein the current log information includes comments of the participants regarding a cause of the event.

3. The support system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the one or more participants is a person working at the production facility.

4. The support system according to claim 1 , wherein the estimation unit updates the search for the past log information in accordance with the progress of the comments.

5. The support system according to claim 1 , wherein the estimation unit identifies additional information for estimating a cause of the event based on the current log information.

6. The support system according to claim 5 , wherein the estimation unit estimates a cause of the event based on current log information based on the additional information and the past log information.

7. The past log information associates the event with a plurality of causes of the event; When the event is detected, the estimation unit estimates that at least one of the plurality of causes is a cause of the event based on a correspondence relationship between the event and the plurality of causes. Assistance system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. When the event is detected, the estimation unit identifies at least two of the causes as candidates for the cause, and identifies an event for cause estimation for each of the at least two causes based on the identified at least two causes, the event for cause estimation being another event that is not commonly associated with the at least two causes in the past log information; The estimation unit estimates, based on the current log information and the identified other event, that at least one of the at least two causes is a cause of the event. The support system according to claim 7.

9. The assistance system according to claim 8 , wherein the estimation unit identifies the at least two causes based on the importance of the causes of the event.

10. The assistance system according to claim 8 , wherein the estimation unit identifies the other events not commonly associated with at least two of the causes based on an occurrence frequency of the events.

11. The past log information is associated with each of the plurality of production facilities, The estimation unit estimates a cause of the event in one of the production facilities based on the past log information associated with the other production facilities. Assistance system according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. the current log information and the past log information are associated with each of a plurality of states of the production equipment; the estimation unit estimates a cause of the event of one state in the current log information based on the past log information associated with one state among the plurality of states; Assistance system according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The support system according to claim 1 , wherein the estimation unit determines a search target period for searching the past log information based on an update time of the object in the production facility.

14. The assistance system according to claim 13 , wherein the estimation unit determines the search target period depending on a type of the object.

15. the past log information is associated with an elapsed time from an update time for each of the plurality of types of objects; The estimation unit determines the search target period for the one type of the object based on the past log information associated with the one type of the object among the plurality of types. Assistance system according to claim 13 or 14.

16. Each of the plurality of production facilities is provided in a different factory, the past log information includes common log information common to the plurality of factories and individual log information for each of the plurality of factories, the estimation unit estimates a cause of the event in the production equipment provided in one of the factories based on the current log information, the common log information, and the individual log information of the one of the factories when the event is detected in the production equipment provided in the one of the factories; Assistance system according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. An assistance system comprising: a memory unit storing a program; and a processing unit having a processor, the program causing the processor to execute an estimation unit to estimate the cause of an event when an anticipated event is detected in production equipment, based on current log information related to the event, the current log information recording comments from one or more participants, and past log information related to the event.

18. A support method comprising a step in which, when a previously anticipated event is detected in a production facility, an estimation unit estimates the cause of the event based on current log information related to the event, the current log information recording comments from one or more participants, and past log information related to the event.

19. A support program for causing a computer to function as the support system according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

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