Processor and processing system

Abstract

To provide a processor, a processing method, and a processing program with an improved convenience, reliability, or safety.SOLUTION: A processor 1 includes a receptor, a determiner, and an actor. The receptor generates state information showing the state of a field on the basis of operation specification information specifying the operation of the determiner. The determiner compares the state information on the basis of the operation specification information. The actor executes an operation related to the shift of the state of the field on the basis of the operation specification information and the result of determination by the determiner. The operation specification information, the receptor, and the actor are elements which can be changed without stopping the operations of the determiner.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing device, a processing method, and a processing program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a processing device that performs a predetermined process based on a program has been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a program for displaying an input mathematical expression on a display and verifying the input mathematical expression. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-119033 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In devices using conventional programs, when changing, adding, deleting, etc. conditions or functions, it was necessary to essentially stop the operation of the program once, leaving room for improvement in terms of convenience, reliability, safety, etc.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a processing device, a processing method, and a processing program with improved convenience, reliability, safety, and the like. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a processing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a determiner that performs a comparison of status information, which is information related to a status obtained from a field, and performs processing related to the determiner based on information specifying the content of the comparison in the determiner and an operation related to a state transition corresponding to the comparison result, and information related to the generation of a status information generation unit for generating status information from information related to the state of the field, and the information specifying the content of the comparison in the determiner and an operation related to a state transition corresponding to the comparison result, and the information related to the generation of a status information generation unit for generating status information from information related to the state of the field are changeable regardless of the operation of the determiner.

[0007] In addition, a processing method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure performs a comparison of state information, which is information relating to a state obtained from a field, by a determiner, and performs processing related to the determiner based on information specifying the content of the comparison in the determiner and an operation related to a state transition corresponding to the comparison result, and information related to the generation of a state information generation unit for generating state information from information related to the state of the field, and the information specifying the content of the comparison in the determiner and an operation related to a state transition corresponding to the comparison result, and the information related to the generation of a state information generation unit for generating state information from information related to the state of the field are changeable regardless of the operation of the determiner.

[0008] In addition, a processing program according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a processing program for causing a computer to function as a processing device, and realizes a judgment function of comparing status information, which is information relating to a status obtained from a field, and performs processing related to the judgment function based on information specifying the content of the comparison in the judgment function and an operation relating to a state transition according to the comparison result, and information relating to the generation of a status information generation unit for generating status information from information relating to the state of the field, and the information specifying the content of the comparison in the judgment function and an operation relating to a state transition according to the comparison result, and the information relating to the generation of a status information generation unit for generating status information from information relating to the state of the field are changeable regardless of the operation of the judgment function.

[0009] In addition, a processing device according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a determiner that performs a comparison on status information, which is information related to a status obtained from a field, and the status information includes a label related to the nature of the status and a profile indicating the state of the property identified by the label.

[0010] In addition, a processing device according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a determiner that performs a comparison on state information, which is information related to a state obtained from a field, and performs processing related to the determiner based on information specifying the content of the comparison in the determiner and an operation related to a state transition according to the comparison result, and information related to generation by a state information generation unit for generating state information from information related to the state of the field, wherein the information specifying the content of the comparison in the determiner and an operation related to a state transition according to the comparison result, and the information related to generation by a state information generation unit for generating state information from information related to the state of the field are changeable regardless of the operation of the determiner, and the state information includes a label related to the nature of the state, and a profile indicating the state of the nature identified by the label. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present disclosure, a processing device, a processing method, and a processing program with improved convenience, reliability, safety, and the like are provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional block diagram illustrating functions of a processing device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional block diagram illustrating the function of a determiner included in the processing device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of operation designation information handled in the processing device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the processing device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of a processing method by the processing device. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of a processing method using the processing device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a modified example of the configuration of the processing device. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a modified example of the configuration of the processing device. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a modified example of the configuration of the processing device. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a self-referential operation. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a self-referential operation. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a self-referential operation. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a combination of a processing device and an authentication and authorization mechanism. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of a plurality of processing devices. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of a plurality of processing devices. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system that performs transaction processing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0014] In this embodiment, a general overview of the processing apparatus and processing method will be provided, followed by a detailed description of the processing apparatus and processing method while explaining the specific steps for actually applying the processing apparatus to a desired process.

[0015] <Overview of the processing equipment> [Outline of processing equipment configuration] Fig. 1 is a diagram functionally explaining a processing device according to one embodiment. The processing device 1 explained in this embodiment includes a state transition method acquisition unit 10, a state designation acquisition unit 20, and a determiner 30. Fig. 1 also shows, for example, a receptor 40 and an actor 50 as functional units that cooperate with the determiner 30. The receptor 40 can be used, for example, as a state information generation unit. The receptor 40 and the actor 50 can add, change, or delete functions, for example, by being designated by the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and / or the state designation acquisition unit 20.

[0016] The processing device 1 described in this embodiment can be a device that transitions the state of a field. The processing device 1 may be a device that changes the state of a field. In this embodiment, the field can be all states as entities in the real world, and can be all detectable objects. The detectable objects can refer to, for example, an area (e.g., place, space, time, etc.) whose state can be detected by a receptor described later. For example, the state of the field can be detected by a receptor. For example, the field can refer to an area that the actor 50 can affect. Note that the area that the actor 50 can affect can also be the actor 50 itself. For example, from the perspective of a certain processing device 1, the field can refer to an area other than the determiner 30 belonging to that processing device 1. For example, from the perspective of a certain processing device 1, processing devices 1 other than that processing device 1 can be fields. The processing device 1 may be a device that compares the state detected in the receptor 40 with the state specified in the state transition method information D1 handled by the state transition method acquisition unit 10, and causes the actor to execute an operation related to the state transition based on the result.

[0017] The processing device 1 may be a device that performs a process of multiple steps. Performing a process of multiple steps may mean, for example, performing a process related to a judgment or comparison by the judger 30 in at least one of the multiple steps. With such a configuration, the processing device 1 may be realized as, for example, a control device that controls a device or system to be controlled. The operation of the processing device 1 described below may be performed in at least one of the multiple steps.

[0018] The state transition method acquisition unit 10 can hold state transition method information D1 and have a function of handling this. The state transition method information D1 held by the state transition method acquisition unit 10 can be a set of rules related to the operation of the processing device 1. In the processing device 1, the state of the field can be described by "state information" including at least a combination of a label (rL) and a profile (P). The label (rL) can correspond to the name of a "property" for describing the state in the state information. For example, the label can be "temperature", "humidity", etc. Also, the profile (P) can be information indicating what state the "property" specified by the label is in. When the label (rL) is "humidity", the actual humidity value (such as "50%") combining unit information and numerical value information, or when the label (rL) is "humidity (%)" including unit information, the actual humidity value excluding the unit information (such as "50") can correspond to the profile (P). In the following embodiments, a combination of a label (rL) and a profile (P) may be described as (rL, P). For example, a state in which the label is humidity and the profile is 50% may be described as (rL: humidity, P: 50%) or (rL: humidity (%), P: 50).

[0019] The state transition method information D1 held in the state transition method acquisition unit 10 may specify the content of state comparison by the processing device 1 and an action related to the state transition according to the comparison result, such as making the actor perform an action to transition the state of the field when the state of the field is a predetermined state (for example, when the label and profile included in the state information meet a predetermined condition). For example, the above description "when the label and profile meet a predetermined condition, make the actor perform a predetermined action to transition or change the state of the field" may correspond to a rule related to the action of the processing device 1. The state transition method information D1 may be configured to include two sections, the details of which will be described later.

[0020] The state designation acquisition unit 20 can hold state designation information D2 and have a function of making settings related to the operation of the processing device 1. As described above, in the processing device 1, the state of the field can be described by a combination of a label (rL) and a profile (P). The state designation acquisition unit 20 can hold state designation information D2. The state designation information D2 can be in a form that designates the label (rL) to be observed by the processing device 1 and also designates the conditions for operating the receptor, but is not limited to this.

[0021] The state designation information D2 handled by the state designation acquisition unit 20 can designate a label (rL) to be used and can designate a predetermined state of state transition in association with the label. The predetermined state may be, for example, a final state to be transitioned to, a state preceding the final state, a plurality of states preceding the predetermined state, or a combination of a final state and a previous state. Alternatively, the final state may be information that serves as a criterion for determining whether or not an actor's action is performed. Alternatively, the predetermined state may be information that serves as a criterion for determining whether or not an actor's action is not performed when the predetermined state is the final state. However, the method of designating a state by the state designation information D2 is not limited to this method, and for example, one example of a condition designated in the state designation information D2 may be "a profile (P) corresponding to a certain label (rL) is within a predetermined range." The state designation information D2 may be configured to include three sections, the details of which will be described later.

[0022] The determiner 30 may be a device that makes a decision to execute an action of an actor depending on the state of the field. The determiner 30 may acquire a label (rL) and a profile (P) indicating the state of the field designated by the state transition method information D1 held in the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation information D2 held in the state designation acquisition unit 20. The determiner 30 may have a function of acquiring the state (rL, P) of the field from a receptor provided for acquiring the state (rL, P) of the field. The determiner 30 may also have a function of comparing the acquired state (rL, P) of the field with the condition designated by the state transition method information D1 in the state transition method acquisition unit 10 to activate or operate the actor.

[0023] The above-mentioned state transition method acquisition unit 10 and state designation acquisition unit 20 may have a function of retaining information related to condition settings for executing a judgment in the decision unit 30. Furthermore, when either or both of the state transition method information D1 retained in the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation information D2 retained in the state designation acquisition unit 20 are changed, the operation of the decision unit 30 may be changed. When the state transition method information D1 or the state designation information D2 is changed, the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation acquisition unit 20 may have a function of detecting the change and promptly changing the processing in the decision unit 30.

[0024] Next, the receptor 40 and the actor 50 associated with the determiner 30 will be described.

[0025] The receptor 40 may have a function of acquiring the field state (rL,P) to be provided to the determiner 30. For example, a label (rL) may be used as an identification name of the receptor 40. For example, a profile (P) may be used as information received by the receptor 40. The receptor 40 may be linked to an object X, such as an external sensor, to acquire the field state (rL,P), and may provide information acquired from the object X, etc., to the determiner 30 as the field state (rL,P). The receptor 40 may be configured to acquire information from the object X at any time, or may be configured to detect changes in the object X. The receptor 40 may be required to have a function of appropriately grasping changes in the object X when the object X changes.

[0026] The receptor 40 may be added, deleted, or the function may be changed according to the "field state (rL,P)" to be handled by the determiner 30. In FIG. 1, two receptors 40 (a solid-line receptor 40 and a dashed-line receptor 40) are illustrated. In this manner, the determiner 30 may acquire the field state (rL,P) from a plurality of receptors 40. The receptor 40 is controlled (generated, changed, or deleted) by, for example, a receptors platform 33 of the determiner 30, based on the state transition method information D1 held in the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation information D2 held in the state designation acquisition unit 20. When the receptor 40 acquires information related to the change from the object X (such as the measured value of the sensor in the case where the object X is a sensor), the receptor 40 can provide the information to the determiner 30 as the "field state (rL,P)" with an appropriate label (rL) corresponding to the acquired information. As described above, the receptor 40 can convert the information acquired from the object X into status information (rL, P) and provide it to the determiner 30. The receptor 40 may have a function as a status information generating unit that generates status information based on the state of the field. It goes without saying that only one receptor 40 can be used.

[0027] In addition, the combination (rL,P) of information (state information) indicating the state of the field may be a combination of the label (rL) and the profile (P) as a state (rL,P) when the information acquired from the object X or the like reaches the receptor 40, and may be used as state information indicating the state of the field. For example, the information before reaching the receptor 40 may be a combination (rL,P), and the receptor 40 may generate information combining the label (rL) and the profile (P) as state information. Since there is no restriction on the content of the profile (P), for example, the profile (P) may be in a state (rL',P') including information similar to a label and information similar to a profile. In this case, the receptor 40 also forms state information (rL,P)=(rL,(rL',P')) to which an appropriate label (rL) based on the description in the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 is added. In this way, for example, information similar to a label (rL) may be assigned at a stage prior to the receptor 40 (such as the target X), but the receptor 40 can acquire information from the target X, etc. as at least a profile (P), associate it with a label (rL) based on the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2, and provide it to the determiner 30 as state information.

[0028] The receptor 40 may be defined by the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2, and the types (e.g., functions) of the receptor 40 may include, for example, the following. The type of receptor to be used may be determined depending on the type of object X. Note that the types of receptors are not limited to the examples below, and may be expanded depending on the type of object X. File receptor: A function that detects changes in values ​​contained in a specific file (including changes in content and timestamps). Note that the file may be one that directly manipulates memory, such as RAMFS. FIFO receptor: A function that detects the insertion of a value into a device (such as a memory) that has FIFO (First In First Out) characteristics. Network Receptor: A function that monitors a specific port and detects the reception of packets. Device receptor: A function that detects changes in the characteristics of a specific device (sensor, etc.) DB Receptor: A function that detects changes in a specific record of a specific database.

[0029] The number of receptors 40 may be increased or decreased depending on the number of objects X. For example, when detecting changes in multiple objects X of the same type, a receptor 40 may be provided for each of the multiple objects X. When there are multiple objects X, how the receptors 40 are provided can be changed according to the provisions of the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation acquisition unit 20.

[0030] As described above, the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation acquisition unit 20 may also have a function to detect changes in the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 present in the field. Therefore, the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation acquisition unit 20 may also have a function to detect the state of the field. In this respect, the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation acquisition unit 20 may have the same kind of function as the receptor 40. In this case, the state information (rL, P) provided by the state transition method acquisition unit 10 to the determiner 30 can also be referred to as (D1, "content after change"). Also, the state information (rL, P) provided by the state designation acquisition unit 20 to the determiner 30 can be (D2, "content after change").

[0031] The actor 50 can be a combination of an operating entity (e.g., a program, a circuit, a device, etc.) associated with the Actor's Platform 34, or an operating entity (e.g., a program, a circuit, a device, etc.) existing in the field, and its operating method. The operating entity may include the processing device 1 itself. The actor 50 may have its control content changed (started, changed, ended, etc.) by the determiner 30 (here, the Actor's Platform 34 described later as an example) based on the state transition method information D1 held in the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation information D2 held in the state designation acquisition unit 20. In the processing device 1, when the determiner 30 determines that the actor 50 is to be started based on the state (rL, P) of the field, the operating entity based on the information described in the state transition method information D1 may be operated by the operating method specified by the state transition method information D1. When the actor 50 is started or operated, the state of the field may be changed (transitioned).

[0032] The actor 50 is defined by the state transition method information D1 (as an example, the second section D92 described below), but a supplementary part may also be defined in the state designation information D2 (as an example, the fifth section D95 described below). The types of the actor 50 (such as functions) are, for example, as follows. The types of actors are not limited to the examples below, and may be changed as appropriate depending on the state to which they are to be transitioned. At least some of the functions of the actor may be incorporated as fixed elements in the Actors Platform 34. However, the target of the actor may be in a field. For example, in the following example, a "specific file", a "device having FIFO characteristics", a "specific node / port", a "specific database", an "actual entity that executes commands", etc. may be in a field. File actor: A function that changes values ​​(e.g., content, timestamp, etc.) contained in a specific file. Note that the file may also be one that directly manipulates memory, such as RAMFS. FIFO actor: A function that inserts values ​​into a device (such as a memory) that has FIFO (First In First Out) characteristics. Network actor: The ability to send packets to a specific node port Device actor: A function that transmits features to a specific device (e.g., actuator, etc.). DB Actor: Ability to modify a specific record in a specific database ·Exec Actor: Function to execute specified commands Shell actor: Ability to execute specified commands in a shell Specific Action Actor: A function that executes a specific action, such as terminating the decision unit 30

[0033] Also, a plurality of actors 50 may be capable of coordinating with one processing device 1. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which a plurality of actors 50 operate in response to a result of a judgment made by the judge 30. Although a plurality of actors 50 are illustrated in FIG. 1, this number can be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the operations of a plurality of actors 50 may be coordinated with respect to one judgment result. Depending on the contents specified by the state transition method information D1 (and possibly also the state designation information D2), the number, order of operations, etc. of actors 50 operated as a result of a judgment made by the judge 30 may be changed as appropriate.

[0034] The processing device 1 may have a function of executing desired processing by the functioning of each of the above-mentioned units. As described above, the receptor 40 may be created, deleted, or changed based on the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2. Also, for the actor 50, an operation corresponding to the determination result by the determiner 30 may be determined based on the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2. Thus, the receptor 40 and the actor 50 may be changed according to the processing content in the processing device 1.

[0035] In addition, when the receptor 40 and the actor 50 perform an operation in cooperation with the determiner 30, the receptor 40 and the actor 50 may both operate in parallel with the operation of the determiner 30. For example, the receptor 40 may be configured to provide state information to the determiner 30, independent of the determination operation by the determiner 30. The actor 50 may also be configured to perform an operation based on the determination result in the determiner 30, independent of the determination operation of the determiner 30.

[0036] Each functional unit that executes a desired process in the processing device 1, such as a program, circuit, device, etc. for realizing that function, can be classified as either a fixed element or a variable element. Among the units of the processing device 1, the determiner 30 may be a fixed element. As described above, most of the processing device 1 can be treated as variable elements, but the determiner 30 may be a fixed element. This point will be described in detail later. In FIG. 1, an area R that may be a fixed element is illustrated by a dashed line. The area outside the area R is all an area that corresponds to a variable element.

[0037] [About the judgement function] Next, the determiner 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the determiner 30 may be configured to include a core 31, a parser 32, a receptors platform 33 that can be used as, for example, a state information acquisition unit, and an actors platform 34 that can be used as, for example, a state transition instruction unit. Note that, for example, when the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 are arranged inside the processing device 1 (for example, the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation acquisition unit 20, etc.) including a process equivalent to the process performed by the parser 32, the parser 32 may not be present inside the determiner 30 or the processing device 1.

[0038] The core 31 can be a functional unit that compares and judges the combination of the state (rL, P) and actor 50 specified in the state transition method information D1 or the state transition method information D1 and the state specification information D2 with the state (rL, P) of the field received from the receptor 40, or determines, for example, so-called table entries or hashes.

[0039] The parser 32 may be a functional unit that performs preprocessing and the like for handling the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 in the core 31. Examples of the preprocessing include macro-expanding the information described in the state transition method information D1 or the state designation information D2 for use in the determiner 30 (for example, expanding the description included in the state designation information D2 into the state transition method information D1, etc.). Examples of the preprocessing include checking whether the information described in the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 (for example, the description content related to the receptor 40 or the actor 50) is complete or not. Examples of the preprocessing include, for example, a process of decrypting the state transition method information D1 and / or the state designation information D2 when they are encrypted by an authorization authentication mechanism or the like. However, the preprocessing is not limited to these processes and may be appropriately changed depending on the operating environment of the determiner 30, the description method of the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2, and the like.

[0040] The receptors platform 33 can be a functional unit that acquires the state (rL, P) of the field specified by the state transition method information D1 or the state transition method information D1 and the state specification information D2 from the receptor 40. Information indicating the state (rL, P) of the field sent from the receptor 40 to the receptors platform 33 can correspond to the state information D3. The state information D3 sent to the receptors platform 33 can be passed to the core 31. Note that, when a plurality of receptors 40 are provided, the receptors platform 33 can be configured to pass the state information D3 sent from the plurality of receptors 40 at any time to the core 31, respectively. Note that the receptors platform 33 may hold the state information D3 in a queue or the like before passing it to the core 31.

[0041] The receptors platform 33 can control the receptor 40 based on the state transition method information D1, or based on the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2. Specifically, the receptors platform 33 can create, modify, or delete the receptor 40 based on the descriptions of the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2.

[0042] The Actors Platform 34 can be a functional unit that controls the actor 50 based on the state transition method information D1 or the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2. The control of the actor 50 by the Actors Platform 34 can be, for example, to operate the actor 50 by designating an action for the actor 50, which is the actual operating entity. For example, the Actors Platform 34 can have a function of starting or operating the actor 50 based on the state transition instruction D4 for the actor 50. The Actors Platform 34 can start, end or change the control over the actor 50 based on the description of the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2, for example.

[0043] The processing device 1 may be configured by one or more computers. For example, the processing device 1 has a circuit 120 shown in FIG. 3. The circuit 120 has one or more processors 121, a memory 122, a storage 123, a timer 124, and an input / output port 125. The storage 123 has a computer-readable storage medium such as a hard disk. The storage medium stores a program for causing the processing device 1 to execute the processing procedure described below. The storage medium may be a removable medium such as a non-volatile semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk. The memory 122 temporarily stores the program loaded from the storage medium of the storage 123 and the calculation result by the processor 121. The processor 121 configures each of the above-mentioned functional units by executing the above-mentioned program in cooperation with the memory 122. The timer 124 measures the elapsed time by, for example, counting a reference pulse at a constant period. The input / output port 125 inputs and outputs a signal between the control target according to an instruction from the processor 121.

[0044] When the processing device 1 is composed of a plurality of computers, the state transition method acquisition unit 10, the state designation acquisition unit 20, and the determiner 30 may each be realized by an individual computer. Alternatively, each of these functional units may be realized by a combination of two or more computers. In these cases, the plurality of computers may execute the processing procedure described below in cooperation with each other while being connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other. Note that the hardware configuration of the processing device 1 is not necessarily limited to one in which each functional unit is configured by a program. For example, each functional module of the processing device 1 may be configured by a dedicated logic circuit or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) that integrates the dedicated logic circuit. Note that the configuration of the processing device 1 may be configured as a system such as a so-called cloud computing system in which a functional unit that performs operation and display and a functional unit that performs processing are substantially separated from each other.

[0045] The core 31 of the determiner 30 may be configured to perform pattern matching of bit strings or the like in hardware, or may be realized by executing an algorithm described for pattern matching. As an example, in a state where hardware or an algorithm capable of operating as the determiner 30 exists in one computer, if a program or the like that defines the functions of the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation acquisition unit 20 that work in conjunction with the determiner 30 is operating, the function of the processing device 1 can be realized. Furthermore, when the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 are defined, the processing device 1 may be in a state where the determination operation by the determiner 30 can be performed.

[0046] [Operation specification information that specifies the operation of the decision unit] As described above, in the processing device 1 described in this embodiment, the operation of the determiner 30 of the processing device 1 can be specified by the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2. For example, the state transition method information D1 includes information that can be classified into two sections, and the state designation information D2 includes information that can be classified into three sections. The information included in the state transition method information D1 and the information included in the state designation information D2 may be collectively referred to as "operation designation information." Note that, among the operation designation information D0, the state transition method information D1 is information that can be handled mainly by a developer of a system to which the processing device 1 is applied, and the state designation information D2 is information that can be handled mainly by an administrator or a user of a system to which the processing device 1 is applied. However, the present invention is not limited to this division.

[0047] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the operation designation information D0, the state transition method information D1, the state designation information D2, and five sections (first to fifth sections). As shown in FIG. 4, the state transition method information D1 may include a first section D91 and a second section D92. Furthermore, the state designation information D2 may include a third section D93, a fourth section D94, and a fifth section D95. The sections are provided to classify the information included in the operation designation information D0 according to its type, and it goes without saying that it is not essential to distinguish them as sections. Furthermore, the sections described in this embodiment specify the contents of the information to be described, and the description method is not limited. Furthermore, the information included in the first section D91 to the fifth section D95 may be prepared by a person such as a user of the processing device 1, or may be automatically generated in a system that operates the processing device 1.

[0048] The first section D91 describes the association between the state information (rL,P) which is the state of the field and the actor 50. In the first section D91, the type of the state of the field that may be handled by the decision unit 30 can be specified by the label (rL). Also, the actor associated with the state information (rL,P) (the receptor and profile (P) which acquire the corresponding field state) can be specified. Note that the first section D91 may optionally include information specifying the operation when a predetermined condition is satisfied. For example, the option may be "option 1" which specifies that when the receptor 40 acquires the exact same field state (rL,P) consecutively (twice or more), the actor 50 is not started or operated regardless of the decision result by the decision unit 30. Other options include "option 2" which specifies that the label (rL) specified in the first section is to be observed regardless of the information in the third section described later, and "option 3" which specifies that a value with a range is to be handled as the profile (P). Options may be added or changed as appropriate.

[0049] The second section D92 describes the actor 50 and the specification of its operation method. In the first section D91, the association between the state information (rL, P) and the actor 50 is described, but the specific operation of the actor 50 described in the first section D91 can be described in the second section D92. The information described in the second section D92 may be directly described in the first section D91. For example, the first section D91 and the second section D92 may be combined to directly specify the operation method of the actor 50.

[0050] The third section D93 can be a description of the designation of a label (rL) to be observed by the processing device 1 (the target for determination by the determiner 30). When a description designating a label (rL) is made in the third section D93, a receptor 40 corresponding to this label (rL) can be generated. Also, it may be possible to designate a predetermined state by designating a profile (P) for the label (rL).

[0051] The fourth section D94 can describe the specification of information required to generate a receptor 40 corresponding to the label (rL). As described above, there may be multiple types of receptor 40 (e.g., functions, etc.), and the information required to generate receptor 40 may be specified according to the type (e.g., function, etc.). For example, in the case of a file receptor, the location (e.g., path) where the file receptor exists, or in the case of a network receptor, the port number for receiving packets, etc. may be specified.

[0052] The fifth section D95 may be information other than the information specified in the first section D91 to the fourth section D94 described above, and may describe information required for the operation of the determiner 30, the actor 50, etc. For example, the location or file name of a log file, information to be macro-expanded in the operation specification information D0, etc. may be specified. For example, information to cooperate with devices, circuits, programs, etc. in the field, such as an authentication and authorization mechanism to ensure security, etc. may be specified.

[0053] Among the above-mentioned first section D91 to fifth section D95, if there is information corresponding to at least the first section D91, the second section D92, and the fourth section D94, for example, the receptor 40 and the actor 50 can be variable elements while the determiner 30 is fixed, and it is possible to add, delete, or change the functions of the processing device 1 without substantially stopping the operation of the processing device 1. Note that the information corresponding to the third section D93 is usually a necessary configuration for the operation of the processing device 1, but as described above, when "option 2" that specifies that the label (rL) specified in the first section D91 is to be the observation target regardless of the information of the third section, etc. is specified in the first section D91, the information corresponding to the third section D93 can be omitted. Also, since the fifth section D95 is supplementary information not included in the other four sections, there are many cases where the processing device 1 is operated without the information corresponding to the fifth section D95.

[0054] The information included in the above five sections can realize various functions even if only a part of them is present. For example, if there is information corresponding to at least the first section D91, it can function as a selector for selecting the action specification of the actor corresponding to the field state information (rL, P). Also, if there is information corresponding to at least the second section D92, it can function as an actor library that compiles actors and their action specifications. Also, if there is information corresponding to at least the third section D93, it can function as a switch for specifying the receptor 40 to be actually operated. Also, if there is information corresponding to at least the fourth section D94, it can function as a kind of management unit for actually making the receptor 40 function as a variable element, etc. Also, if there is information corresponding to at least the fifth section D95, it can function as a kind of management unit for making the actions of the determiner 30, the receptor 40, and the actor 50 function as variable elements, etc.

[0055] Also, if there is information corresponding to at least the first section D91 and the second section D92, it is possible to make the processing device function as a fixed element, for example, with the receptor 40. For example, in cases where it is not necessary to change the function of the processing device 1 without substantially stopping the operation of the processing device 1, it is possible to operate the processing device if there is information corresponding to at least the first section D91 and the second section D92. Similarly, if there is information corresponding to at least the first section D91 and the third section D93, it is possible to specify the label (rL) or the receptor 40 that actually acquires the state information and make it function, for example, with a selector that selects the operation designation of the actor corresponding to the state information (rL, P) of the field. Also, if there is information corresponding to at least the first section D91 and the fourth section D94, it is possible to make the label (rL) or the receptor 40 function as a variable element, for example, with a selector that selects the operation designation of the actor corresponding to the state information (rL, P) of the field. Furthermore, if there is information corresponding to at least the first section D91 and the fifth section D95, it is possible to specify the operating conditions of a selector that selects the action of an actor corresponding to the field state information (rL, P) as a variable element, for example.

[0056] Furthermore, if there is information corresponding to at least the first section D91, the second section D92, and the third section D93, it is possible to specify the label (rL) or the receptor 40 that actually acquires state information and make it function in a processing device in which the receptor 40 is a fixed element, for example. Also, if there is information corresponding to at least the first section D91, the second section D92, and the fifth section D95, it is possible to specify the operating conditions of the processing device as variable elements and make it function in a processing device in which the receptor 40 is a fixed element, for example. Furthermore, if there is information corresponding to the first section D91, the second section D92, the third section D93, and the fourth section D94, it is possible to realize, for example, a processing device 1 that can specify the receptor 40 to be used in processing. Also, if there is information corresponding to the first section D91, the second section D92, the third section D93, and the fifth section D95, it is possible to realize, for example, a processing device 1 in which the receptor 40 is fixed.

[0057] In addition, in the processing device 1, the information included in the above five sections is divided into two pieces of information, namely, state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2, and handled as one, for example, as operation designation information D0. Also, the five sections may be handled as individual pieces of information. The five sections may be further divided and handled. If there is at least information corresponding to the above first section D91, second section D92, and fourth section D94, it is possible to add, delete, or change the functions of the processing device 1 while the determinator 30 is operating, regardless of the operation of the determinator 30. For example, it can be used in a device including a computer virus protection program that operates on a so-called cloud, a security system used by a security company, a disaster prevention system, a medical system, an FX (foreign exchange margin trading) system, a CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared / Service, Electric) system for automobiles, a carrier system used by a mobile phone company, and a program, device, or system that is required to operate continuously, such as an information infrastructure including IoT. The information included in the first section D91 and the second section D92 may correspond to information specifying the content of comparison in the determiner 30 and an operation related to a state transition according to the comparison result. Also, the information included in the fourth section D94 may correspond to a state information generator for generating state information from information related to the state of the field, such as information related to the generation of the receptor 40.

[0058] Furthermore, the information contained in the above-mentioned first section D91 to fifth section D95 may affect the generation, modification, and deletion of the receptor 40 by the receptors platform 33 of the determiner 30 as described above. For example, the generation of the receptor 40 may be performed by the receptors platform 33 when necessary information is described in the first section D91 and the fourth section D94 (and, in some cases, the third section D93 and the fifth section D95). The modification of the receptor 40 may be performed by the receptors platform 33 when the description in the first section D91 and the fourth section D94 (and, in some cases, the third section D93 and the fifth section D95) is changed. The deletion of the receptor 40 may be performed by the receptors platform 33 when the description in the first section D91 and the fourth section D94 (and, in some cases, the third section D93 and the fifth section D95) is deleted or changed to an incomplete state.

[0059] Similarly, the information included in the first section D91 to the fifth section D95 may affect the start, change, and end of the control of the actor 50 by the Actors Platform 34 of the determiner 30 as described above. For example, the start of control over the actor 50 (start of control over a specific actor 50) may be performed by the Actors Platform 34 when necessary information is described in the second section D92 (and, in some cases, in the fifth section D95). Also, the change of control over the actor 50 (change of control over a specific actor 50) may be performed by the Actors Platform 34 when the description in the second section D92 (and, in some cases, in the fifth section D95) is changed. Also, the end of control over the actor 50 (end of control over a specific actor 50) may be performed by the Actors Platform 34 (for example, changed to end control or to not start the actor 50) when the description in the second section D92 (and, in some cases, in the fifth section D95) is deleted or changed to an incomplete state. In addition, when the actual movement of the actor 50 itself exists in the field, it does not have to be changed based on the first section D91 to the fifth section D95. The first section D91 to the fifth section D95 can affect the control of the movement method of the actor 50.

[0060] [Processing method] Next, a processing method (procedure) using the processing device will be described with reference to FIG.

[0061] First, in the processing device 1, the state transition method information D1 can be prepared in the state transition method acquisition unit 10, and the state designation information D2 can be prepared in the state designation acquisition unit 20 (S01). For example, these pieces of information can be prepared by a developer or a user of the processing device 1. When performing one process, at least one set of state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2 can be prepared. The state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 may be provided with information for identifying the relationship (for example, a flag identifying the target process, etc.).

[0062] The state transition method information D1 may be held in the state transition method acquisition unit 10. Furthermore, the state designation information D2 may be held in the state designation acquisition unit 20. As a result, a receptor 40 capable of cooperating with the determiner 30 may be generated, and an actor 50 corresponding to the processing may be set (S02). As described above, the receptor 40 and the actor 50 may be specified by the state transition method information D1, or the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2. Therefore, when the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 are prepared as described above (S01), a necessary receptor 40 may be generated and prepared based on these pieces of information, and an action designation for the actor 50 may be prepared. The generated receptor 40 may be coordinated with an object X (sensor, etc.) for acquiring the state (rL, P) of the field as necessary. Furthermore, the actor 50 may be coordinated with a device or the like for executing a predetermined processing.

[0063] The above procedure prepares the conditions for performing a predetermined process by the processing device 1. When the processing device 1 is prepared for performing the process by the above procedure, the process using the determiner 30 can be started.

[0064] Specifically, the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 are sent to the determiner 30, and the parser 32 of the determiner 30 can perform preprocessing on the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2. Then, the receptors platform 33 can obtain the state (rL, P) of the field from the receptor 40 (S03). Then, the core 31 of the determiner 30 can make a determination based on the state (rL, P) of the field and the state transition method information D1 or the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 (S04). Then, based on the determination result (for example, the result of the comparison), the actors platform 34 can start or operate the actor 50 as necessary (S05). As a result, the actor 50 can perform an operation based on the determination result.

[0065] The series of operations from obtaining the field state (rL,P) from the receptor 40 (S03) to operating the actor 50 based on the judgment result (S05) may be operations that are performed each time the field state (rL,P) is obtained. For example, when the field state (rL,P) changes, the receptor 40 may repeatedly detect the change and notify the judger 30 of the state (rL,P). Event-driven processing can be performed by the above operations. Needless to say, more complicated algorithms can be executed by combining the above operations.

[0066] Next, a method (procedure) for changing the processing in the processing device 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0067] An example of changing the processing contents in the processing device 1 is changing (including adding or deleting) a part of the processing that has been performed before. As described above, the processing performed in the processing device 1 can be defined by the state transition method information D1 held in the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation information D2 held in the state designation acquisition unit 20. Therefore, by changing these pieces of information, the processing contents can be changed.

[0068] Therefore, when the processing contents are changed, as shown in FIG. 6, the processing contents can be changed by changing the state transition method information D1 in the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and / or changing the state designation information D2 in the state designation acquisition unit 20 in the processing device 1 (S11). The change of these pieces of information can be performed, for example, by a user of the processing device 1. The information to be changed may be either the state transition method information D1 or the state designation information D2, or both. The changed state transition method information D1 can be held in the state transition method acquisition unit 10. The changed state designation information D2 can be held in the state designation acquisition unit 20. As a result, a receptor 40 that can cooperate with the determiner 30 can be generated based on the changed state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2, and an actor 50 corresponding to the processing can be set (S12).

[0069] As described above, the receptor 40 and the actor 50 can be specified by the state transition method information D1, or by the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2. Therefore, when the state transition method information D1 and / or the state designation information D2 are changed (S11) as described above, the necessary receptor 40 and actor 50 can be changed based on the change in this information. The generated receptor 40 can be linked to an object X (sensor, etc.) for acquiring the field state (rL, P) as necessary. Furthermore, the actor 50 can be linked to a device or the like for executing a predetermined process.

[0070] The above procedure can prepare the conditions for performing the changed processing by the processing device 1. When the above procedure makes preparations for executing the processing in the processing device 1, the processing can be started using the determiner 30 based on the changed state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2.

[0071] [Starting, stopping and termination of processing device 1] As described above, the processing device 1 can start processing by the determiner 30 when the state transition method information D1 held in the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation information D2 held in the state designation acquisition unit 20 are prepared. The state in which the processing device 1 can start processing using the determiner 30 is called "starting" of the processing device 1. Also, the change in the processing device 1 from a state in which processing using the determiner 30 can be performed to a state in which the processing cannot be performed is called "stopping" or "terminating" of the processing device 1.

[0072] The "stopped" state of the processing device 1 refers to a state in which any of the functional units of the processing device 1 is operating, but the processing device 1 cannot operate as such. For example, if the state transition method information D1 or the like is incomplete, the processing device 1 can be said to be in a stopped state since the determining device 30 will not function even if it is operating. Note that this stopped state of the processing device 1 may be used for the purpose of improving the performance, such as security, power saving, and processing speed, of a system constructed with the processing device 1, etc.

[0073] The "termination" of the processing device 1 refers to a state in which all the functional units of the processing device 1 are not operating. For example, if it is specified in the state transition method information D1 or the state designation information D2 that the actor 50 that terminates the operation of the processing device 1 is started or operated as a result of the determination process by the determiner 30, the operation of the processing device 1 can be terminated depending on the result of the determination by the determiner 30. The processing device 1 may also be terminated by stopping the operation of the processing device 1 itself. For example, in the case of a processing device 1 in which the determiner 30 operates by software, the processing device 1 can be terminated by transmitting a signal to the processing device 1 via an OS or the like to terminate the operation of the determiner 30. The operation of the processing device 1 may also be physically terminated by turning off the power of the processing device 1 or the computer on which the processing device 1 operates.

[0074] [Modification of device configuration] In the above embodiment, the operation is described assuming that the determinator 30 of one processing device 1 performs one type of determination, but the determinator 30 of one processing device 1 may be configured to perform multiple types of determinations (e.g., comparisons, etc.). Also, two processing devices 1 may be arranged and linked together. For example, the operation of one processing device 1 may be changed based on the operation of an actor in the other processing device 1.

[0075] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration in which two types of judgments are made in the judger 30 of one processing device 1. In the example shown in FIG. 7, for example, the state transition method acquisition unit 10 of the processing device 1 holds two types of state transition method information D11 and D12. Also, for example, the state designation acquisition unit 20 holds two types of state designation information D21 and D22. Of these, it is assumed that the state transition method information D11 and the state designation information D21 are paired together and define the receptor 41 and the actor 51. It is also assumed that the state transition method information D12 and the state designation information D22 are paired together with the state transition method information D11 and the state designation information D21 and define the receptor 42 and the actor 52. In such a processing device 1, two types of judgments are made. For example, the judger 30 of the processing device 1 can make judgments defined by the state transition method information D11 and the state designation information D21, and can also make judgments defined by the state transition method information D12 and the state designation information D22. The contents of the judgment in the judgment unit 30 are defined by the state transition method information and the state designation information, so the judgment unit 30 may repeat judgment based on these definitions. In this way, the processing device 1 may be configured to perform a plurality of types of judgment.

[0076] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which one processing device 1 is provided with one determiner 30, but it is also possible to provide a configuration in which multiple functional units that perform determinations depending on the type of determination made in the processing device 1 are provided and operated independently.

[0077] 8 is different from the processing device 1 shown in FIG 7 in that the determinator 30 in the processing device 1X is configured by a determinator management function 38 and a determination processing function 39. The determinator management function 38 may have, among the functions of the determinator 30, a function of coordinating with the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation acquisition unit 20. For example, the determinator management function 38 may include, among the functions of the determinator 30 shown in FIG 2, a function as a parser 32 that performs preprocessing related to the state transition method information D11, D12 and the state designation information D21, D22, and a function as a receptors platform 33 that controls the receptors 41, 42 based on these pieces of information.

[0078] On the other hand, the judgment processing function 39 may have a function of making a judgment and starting the actors 51, 52 based on the judgment result. For example, the judgment processing function 39 may include a function as the core 31 that makes a judgment based on state information and a function as the actors platform 34 that controls the actors. As shown in FIG. 8, the judgment processing function 39 may be configured to be provided in a single manner in association with one receptor. Therefore, the judgment processing function 39 may be associated with state transition method information D11, D12 corresponding to each receptor (or, for example, state transition method information D11', D12' including information included in the corresponding state designation information D21, D22 in addition to the state transition method information D11, D12). In the example shown in FIG. 8, two judgment processing functions 39a, 39b are shown as the judgment processing function 39. This shows a state in which the receptor 41 defined in state transition method information D11' is associated with the judgment processing function 39a, and the receptor 42 defined in state transition method information D12' is associated with the judgment processing function 39b. Also, the state transition method information D11' defines the start and operation of actor 51 based on the judgment result, and the state transition method information D12' defines the start and operation of actor 52 based on the judgment result.

[0079] The determiner management function 38 of the processing device 1X can generate, change, or delete the determination processing function 39 and the receptor based on a combination of state transition method information and state designation information held in the device itself. For example, when the state transition method information D11 and state designation information D21 prescribe that the actor 51 is operated as a result of a determination based on state information acquired in the receptor 41, the determiner management function 38 generates the determination processing function 39a and the receptor 41 so as to be able to perform a determination based on the state transition method information D11 and state designation information D21. For example, when either the state transition method information or the state designation information is not held in the device itself, the determination processing function 39 and the receptor are not generated because sufficient information is not held for generating the determination processing function 39 and the receptor. In this way, in the processing device 1X, based on the judgment device management function 38, the judgment processing function 39 and the receptor are associated with each other and are generated, modified, deleted, etc., so that the receptor may be a fixed element, for example a monolithic configuration, like the judgment processing function 39, or may be a variable element like the processing device 1.

[0080] In the processing device 1X shown in FIG. 8, a configuration is shown in which a determinator management function 38 that manages the determinator and a determination processing function 39 that actually performs the determination operation are arranged separately as an example. In addition, each determination processing function 39 performs a determination operation related to the state information acquired by one receptor. Therefore, the determination performed in each determination processing function 39 is only the determination content associated with one receptor, so that the determination operation in the determination processing function 39 can be simplified. As a result, in the processing device 1X, the processing time from the acquisition of state information in the receptors (41, 42) to the state transition operation of the actor 50 based on the determination result can be shortened. Although FIG. 8 shows one variation of the implementation of the determinator 30, the implementation form of the determinator 30 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 8. If a system functioning as the processing device 1 is provided with functions corresponding to the four functional units of the core 31, the parser 32, the receptors platform 33, and the actors platform 34, a function similar to that of the determinator 30 can be realized, so that the specific implementation method (for example, the configuration, etc.) can be appropriately changed. In addition, in cases where the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 include pre-processing, the parser 32 does not need to be present inside the decision unit 30 or the processing device 1.

[0081] Next, a configuration example in which a plurality of processing devices are arranged in cooperation will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a configuration in which two processing devices 1A and 1B operate in cooperation. In the example shown in FIG. 9, two processing devices 1A and 1B having the same configuration as the processing device 1 shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 7, etc. are shown. The processing device 1A includes a state transition method acquisition unit 10A, a state designation acquisition unit 20A, a determiner 30A, a receptor 40A, and an actor 50A. In addition, in the processing device 1A, the operation is defined by state transition method information D11 and state designation information D21. The processing device 1B includes a state transition method acquisition unit 10B, a state designation acquisition unit 20B, a determiner 30B, a receptor 40B, and an actor 50B. In addition, in the processing device 1B, the operation is defined by state transition method information D12 and state designation information D22. At this time, it is assumed that the operation of actor 50A of processing device 1A, which may be started or operated as a result of the judgment by decision device 30A, is a change or update of state transition method information D12 and / or state designation information D22 (FIG. 9 shows a case where state transition method information D12 and state designation information D22 are changed). In this case, the state transition method information D12 and / or state designation information D22 that specifies the operation of processing device 1B will be changed according to the result of judgment in processing device 1A, and the operation of processing device 1A and the operation of processing device 1B can be linked. The processing device described in the above embodiment may be configured so that multiple devices are linked together as described above.

[0082] In addition, in the processing device 1A shown in Fig. 9, if a change is made to consolidate the state transition method information (D11, D12) and state designation information (D21, D22) into, for example, the state transition method acquisition unit 10A and the state designation acquisition unit 20A, and then the decision unit 30B is terminated, it is possible to transition to the processing device in Fig. 7 while the processing device 1A is operating. It goes without saying that by performing this operation in reverse, it is possible to transition to the state of the processing device 1A and the processing device 1B in Fig. 9 while the processing device 1 in Fig. 7 is operating. In this way, the processing device 1 can divide the operation or function into multiple processing devices 1, etc., without stopping its operation, or conversely, the operation or function of multiple processing devices 1, etc., can be consolidated into one or more processing devices 1.

[0083] Furthermore, when dividing the operations and functions of the processing device 1, by dividing the operations and functions into hierarchical levels from abstract to concrete, it is possible to form or change, for example, so-called libraries or middleware without stopping the entire system.

[0084] In addition, multiple processing devices 1, etc. may be operated by sharing or duplicating any of the components included in the operation designation information D0 and their combination. For example, in the processing device 1 shown in FIG. 1, the actor 50's operation is to prepare the shared or duplicated state transition method information D1 of the processing device 1 and the state designation information (here, D2') obtained by modifying the duplicated state designation information D2 of the processing device 1 as necessary. Furthermore, the processing device 1 specifies, as the operation of the actor 50, that the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2' are operated as the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 in the processing device of the duplication destination. In this case, the processing device 1 can operate the processing device of the duplication destination as a self-duplicate. By repeating this operation, the processing device 1 can self-multiply. The processing device 1 can start up and operate a new processing device 1, etc., using not only its own operation designation information D0 but also any operation designation information D0.

[0085] In addition, when there are two processing devices 1A and 1B as shown in FIG. 9, the cooperation between these processing devices 1A and 1B is not limited to the change / update of the state transition method information D12 and / or the state designation information D22 by the action of the actor 50A based on the judgment result described above. For example, the processing device 1B may be positioned as one of the actors 50A of the processing device 1A. For example, as the action of the actor 50A based on the judgment result, an action (for example, sending information) on the receptor 40B in the processing device 1B can be specified. In this case, the action designation information related to the judgment in the processing device 1B (for example, the state transition method information D12 and the state designation information D22 in this example) is not changed, but the information to be judged can be changed according to the judgment result in the processing device 1A. In this case, it is possible to realize a feedforward control from the processing device 1A to 1B. For example, the processing device 1A may be positioned as one of the actors 50B of the processing device 1B by specifying an action (for example, sending information) on the receptor 40A in the processing device 1A as the action of the actor 50B based on the judgment result. Feedback control can be realized by creating a loop structure for the cooperation between the processing devices 1A and 1B. This loop structure can be realized, for example, by one or more arbitrary processing devices 1, and also, for example, processing devices other than the processing device 1 may be members of the loop. In this way, the manner of cooperation between the processing devices 1A and 1B is not particularly limited, and various information handled by the processing device 1B can be changed by the operation of the actor 50A based on the judgment result.

[0086] [About self-referential behavior] The processing device 1 described in the above embodiment is capable of performing a self-referential operation. A self-referential operation is to change the operation content (e.g., function, etc.) of the own device based on the result of the judgment by the judger 30 in the own device. When the above-mentioned actor 50 is started or operated, the state of the field can be changed or transitioned. There is no particular limitation on what the actor 50 changes as long as it exists in the field. Therefore, a configuration may be adopted in which the state transition method information D1 or state designation information D2, which are variable elements existing in the field, are changed.

[0087] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of changing the state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2 handled by the device itself by a self-referential operation. When the operation specified by the actor 50 is an update (e.g., addition, change, deletion, etc.) of the state transition method information D1 and / or the state designation information D2, the state transition method information D1 and / or the state designation information D2 can be updated by starting or operating the actor 50 based on the judgment result by the judger 30 (FIG. 10 shows a case where the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 are updated). Updating the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 means that the processing contents by the processing device 1 can be changed, and at least a part of the function of the processing device 1 can be changed. In this way, the processing device 1 can change the function or operation of the device itself by the self-referential operation.

[0088] The above self-referential operation can also be applied to the configurations described in FIG. 7 and FIG. 9. FIG. 11 is a diagram that illustrates a state in which the self-referential operation is performed in the configuration example shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 11 illustrates a configuration in which two types of judgments are made in the judger 30 of one processing device 1, as in FIG. 7. Here, the example shown in FIG. 11 illustrates a case in which the operation by the actor 52 defined by the state transition method information D12 and the state designation information D22 is updating the state transition method information D11 and / or the state designation information D21 (FIG. 11 illustrates a case in which the state transition method information D11 and the state designation information D21 are updated). In this case, the state transition method information D11 and / or the state designation information D21 can be updated by starting or operating the actor 52 based on the judgment result by the judger 30. Updating the state transition method information D11 and / or the state designation information D21 means that a part of the processing contents by the processing device 1 can be changed, and at least a part of the function of the processing device 1 can be changed.

[0089] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a schematic state in which a self-referential operation is performed in the configuration example shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 12 is a diagram explaining a configuration in which two processing devices 1A and 1B cooperate with each other to operate, as in FIG. 9. Here, in the example shown in FIG. 12, the operation by the actor 50B, which is defined by the state transition method information D12 and the state designation information D22 that define the operation of the processing device 1B, is the update of the state transition method information D11 and / or the state designation information D21 (FIG. 12 shows a case in which the state transition method information D11 and the state designation information D21 are updated). In this case, the state transition method information D11 and / or the state designation information D21 can be updated by starting or operating the actor 50B based on the determination result by the determiner 30B. Updating the state transition method information D11 and the state designation information D21 means that a part of the processing contents by the processing device 1A can be changed, and at least a part of the function of the processing device 1A is changed. In addition, when a part of the function of the processing device 1A is changed, a part of the function of the processing device 1B, whose state transition method information D12 and / or state designation information D22 may be updated by the action of the actor 50A, may also be changed. In this way, the processing devices 1A and 1B can also change their own functions by self-referential actions.

[0090] 10 to 12 are merely examples, and the procedure is not limited to these. For example, the self-reference operation may be configured to update only one of the state transition method information and the state designation information. Although not described in this embodiment, it goes without saying that the self-reference operation is possible even in a configuration in which the functions of the determiner 30 are distributed, such as the processing device 1X.

[0091] [About the security (safety) of processing equipment] The processing device 1 described above is superior to conventional processing devices in terms of security (safety). Furthermore, by adding a configuration for enhancing security to the processing device 1, a processing device with further enhanced security can be realized.

[0092] In the processing device 1 described above, the only fixed element is the determiner 30, as mentioned above. Therefore, it is possible to almost completely eliminate latent bugs that may exist in conventional processing devices. Furthermore, the processing device 1 can be operated with "only the minimum information" necessary for state transition, preventing the inclusion of algorithms that generate side effects. Furthermore, the operation of the processing device 1 does not require the concept of "users," and account management, etc. is not performed, preventing the risk of accounts or passwords, etc. being leaked.

[0093] Moreover, information specifying the operation of the processing device 1 exists in the "field" as described above. Therefore, a configuration for monitoring the operation of the processing device 1 can be easily and dynamically configured. Furthermore, the functions of a system configured with the processing device 1 can be changed while the system is operating as described above. Therefore, downtime in the security system can be prevented.

[0094] Next, referring to FIG. 13, a case where an authentication and authorization mechanism is combined with the processing device 1 will be described. The authentication and authorization mechanism 70 refers to a functional unit that performs authentication processing that is currently being put to practical use or will be put to practical use in the future to realize security. Examples of authentication processing include, but are not limited to, a method using a serial number, a password, a public key encryption, and a combination of these. By combining the authentication and authorization mechanism 70 that can perform these authentication processes with the processing device 1, the security of the processing performed in the processing device 1 can be improved. Note that FIG. 13 shows an example in which the authentication and authorization mechanism 70 is provided inside the processing device 1, but the authentication and authorization mechanism 70 may be provided, for example, in a field, may be incorporated inside the determiner 30, or may be incorporated in the receptor 40. In this way, the location and number of the authentication and authorization mechanisms 70 can be changed as appropriate.

[0095] Furthermore, targets of authentication and authorization by the authentication and authorization mechanism 70 include, but are not limited to, the determiner 30, state transition method information D1, state designation information D2, and actor 50 as an actual operation. By applying the authentication and authorization mechanism 70 to the processing device 1, it may be possible to prevent inappropriate changes to the processing device 1 from third parties other than the developer, administrator, and user. The authentication and authorization mechanism may also perform authentication and authorization of a profile accepted by a receptor. In this case, it may be possible to identify the target X, and to distinguish inappropriate state information.

[0096] Another method for enhancing the security of the processing device 1 is, for example, to enhance the fault tolerance and reliability of the processing device 1. Methods for enhancing the fault tolerance and reliability of the processing device 1 include redundancy and tandem operation. For example, the same receptor (for example, the same file) is shared between different processing devices 1, and the output destination of the actor is set separately. Then, the reliability of the processing of the processing device 1 can be confirmed by comparing the output results from the different processing devices 1. Another example of tandem operation is, for example, when a network receptor is used as a receptor, setting a representative processing device 1 among multiple processing devices 1, and distributing a profile acquired by the receptor of this processing device 1 to the receptor of the processing device 1 that requires it.

[0097] Another method for improving the security of the processing device 1 may be to provide a separate processing device that performs immune system operations. As described above, the judgment performed by the processing device 1 can be flexibly set based on the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2. Therefore, a processing device 1 that operates as an immune system may be provided to monitor and control the processing device 1 that performs the operation as a system (operation related to the content that the system originally wants to process). If the object to be monitored and controlled is another processing device 1, it may be confirmed whether the state transition information, state designation information, judger, and actor are authenticated and authorized. In this way, by providing a separate processing device 1 that monitors the state, the security of the system can be improved. Note that the processing device 1 that operates as an immune system may be operated in multiple types depending on the type and number of objects to be monitored and controlled, or may be operated in a hierarchical structure.

[0098] As described above, the methods for enhancing the security of the processing device 1 or the system including the processing device 1 have been listed, but the above methods may be appropriately combined to further enhance the security of the system including the processing device 1. Furthermore, the aspect of security that needs to be improved in the system including the processing device 1 may change depending on the processing contents in the system, the environment in which the system is used, etc. Therefore, the configuration for enhancing security may be appropriately changed depending on the situation.

[0099] [About cooperation when operating multiple processing devices] In addition to the above-described configuration, a plurality of processing devices 1 may be operated in cooperation with each other. Also, when the number of items (tasks) to be processed by the processing device 1 increases, the processing speed for the tasks may be increased by adding a processing device 1 having the same function as the processing device 1 to process the same type of task, or by dividing the task and performing parallel / concurrent processing.

[0100] First, a procedure for adding a processing device 1' having the same or similar functions as the processing device 1 will be described. First, the state transition method information D1' and the state designation information D2' to be used in the processing device 1' to be added are prepared. Specifically, copies of the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 to be used in the processing device 1 are prepared. Furthermore, when a function different from that of the processing device 1 is to be provided, the state transition method information D1' and the state designation information D2' may be prepared by modifying (including adding and deleting) at least one of the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2. Note that, although details will be described later, a configuration in which the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 are shared among a plurality of processing devices is also possible. Therefore, at least one of the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 may be prepared for the new processing device 1', or the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 may be shared.

[0101] Next, the determinator 30 to be used in the processing device 1' to be added is specified. Since a different determinator 30 is used for each processing device 1, the determinator 30' corresponding to the processing device 1' to be added is specified. By performing the above procedure, the determinator 30' to be added and the state transition method information D1' and state designation information D2' to be used in the determination process in the determinator 30' are identified, so that the new processing device 1' becomes operable. Note that the preparation of the state transition method information D1' and state designation information D2' and the designation of the determinator 30' may be performed in any order.

[0102] The trigger for starting the above procedure for adding the processing device 1' may be specified by, for example, a person or a device (machine, circuit, program, etc.). In this case, the above procedure may be started by the person or device instructing a computer, etc. to perform processing required for adding the processing device 1'. In addition, the state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2 used in the determiner 30 in the processing device 1 may specify the start of processing. As an example of such a configuration, the state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2 used in the determiner 30 may specify that an actor that adds the processing device 1' is started or operated depending on the result of the determination in the determiner 30.

[0103] Next, a configuration in which some functional units are shared among a plurality of processing devices 1 will be described. As described above, in each processing device 1, a determination operation is performed by the determiner 30 based on the state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2. The state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2 used at this time do not need to be individually defined for each processing device 1 (determiner 30). Therefore, it becomes possible to share some functions other than the determiner 30.

[0104] A specific configuration example will be described with reference to Fig. 14 and Fig. 15. Fig. 14 shows a configuration in which three processing devices 1C to 1E use common state transition method information D11 as a plurality of processing devices. The processing devices 1C to 1E each individually hold the determiners 30C to 30E, the state designation acquisition units 20C to 20E, and the state designation information D23, D24, and D25. Meanwhile, the processing devices 1C to 1E share the state transition method acquisition unit 10, and the state transition method information D11 is designated in each of the processing devices 1C to 1E. With this configuration, the determiner 30C of the processing device 1C makes a determination based on the state transition method information D11 and the state designation information D23, the determiner 30D of the processing device 1D makes a determination based on the state transition method information D11 and the state designation information D24, and the determiner 30E of the processing device 1E makes a determination based on the state transition method information D11 and the state designation information D25. In addition, a plurality of pieces of state transition method information D11 acquired by the state transition method acquisition unit 10 may be shared among the processing devices 1C to 1E.

[0105] When the state transition method information D11 is shared among the processing devices 1C to 1E, the shared state transition method information D11 describes information that can be used by any of the three processing devices 1C to 1E. In this case, the state transition method information D11 may include information that is not used by some of the processing devices.

[0106] Also, as shown in FIG. 14, when state transition method information is shared or state designation information is shared, a common actor 50 may be started or operated as a result of the determination by the determiners 30C to 30E in each processing device. As an example, as shown in FIG. 14, at least one of a first actor 50C and a second actor 50D may be started or operated as two types of actors as a result of the determination by the determiners 30C to 30E. When a state transition method or a state designation method is shared, the same action (action by the actor) may be specified as a result of the determination. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 14, the actor 50 may be shared. Note that even when neither state transition information nor state designation method information is shared, the actor 50 may be shared among the multiple processing devices 1 as a result of the determination. Also, frequently used actors may be shared as a library among the multiple processing devices 1.

[0107] In Fig. 15, a configuration is shown in which a common receptor is used in three processing devices 1F to 1H as a plurality of processing devices. The processing devices 1F to 1H each individually hold a determiner 30F to 30H, a state transition method acquisition unit 10F to 10H, a state designation acquisition unit 20F to 20H, state transition method information D16, D17, D18, and state designation information D26, D27, D28. When the state transition method information D16 to D18 and the state designation information D26 to D28 specify that the same receptor is to be used, the processing devices 1F to 1H may be configured to share the receptor. In the example shown in Fig. 15, a first receptor 43 to a fourth receptor 46 are shown as four receptors. 15, the first receptor 43 is shared by the processing devices 1F and 1H, and the second receptor 44 and the third receptor 45 are shared by the processing devices 1F to 1H. The fourth receptor 46 is used only by the processing device 1H. In this manner, the multiple processing devices may be configured to share the receptors.

[0108] The state transition method acquisition units 10F to 10H and the state transition method information D16, D17, and D18 shown in FIG. 15 may also be shared by a plurality of processing devices 1, similar to the example shown in FIG.

[0109] 15, for example, the first receptor 43 converts information acquired from the object X (not shown) into status information (rL, P) as necessary and provides it to the determiner 30F of the processing device 1F. At this time, if it is specified that the processing devices 1F, 1H make a determination on the status information acquired by the first receptor 43, the status information acquired by the first receptor 43 may be configured to be sent alternately to the processing devices 1F, 1H.

[0110] In another embodiment, a receptor may be configured to provide status information generated from the acquired information to each of a plurality of processing devices (determinators) linked with the receptor. In this case, the determiners of the plurality of processing devices may perform a determination based on the same status information. In this way, when a receptor is shared among a plurality of processing devices, how to handle the information acquired by the receptor may be specified in advance. The above-mentioned operation may also be realized, for example, in a configuration in which a plurality of receptors are shared among a plurality of processing devices as shown in FIG. 15. Also, a plurality of processing devices 1 may be operated by appropriately combining the above-mentioned methods of sharing the various functional units.

[0111] [Transaction processing by processing device] A system for performing transaction processing can also be realized by configuring a system using a plurality of processing devices 1. In Fig. 16, a configuration example of a processing device for performing bank remittance processing as an example of transaction processing will be described.

[0112] FIG. 16 shows an example of the configuration of a processing device in a remittance management system for one bank. The system shown in FIG. 16 may be configured to include a head office function B1, a branch office function B2, and a counter function B3. The head office function B1 may be a part having a function related to transactions between banks and branches. The branch office function B2 may be a part having a function related to transactions of products managed by each branch. A plurality of branch office functions B2 may be provided according to the number of branches. The counter function B3 may be a part having a function as a counter when a customer performs a transaction, such as an ATM, an operation screen for online banking, or a bank counter. In FIG. 16, the solid lines show an example of the relationship of control (startup, termination, etc.) between the processing devices. The dashed lines show transmission (sending to another bank), and the dashed and dotted lines show an example of the path of information receiving (receiving from another bank).

[0113] The head office function B1 may include a processing device (bank) B11 and a processing device (session) B12. The processing device B11 may be, for example, a processing device that processes all transactions between branches and banks or manages transactions. The processing device B12 may be a processing device that is started or operated only when a process such as a remittance occurs, similar to the processing device (session) B23 provided in the branch office function B2 described later.

[0114] The branch office function B2 may include a processing device (product, such as ordinary deposit or fixed term deposit) B21, a processing device (for account management) B22, a processing device (session) B23, and a processing device (for account) B24. The processing device B21 may be a processing device that manages each bank product, processes the overall transactions, or manages transactions. The processing device B22 may be a processing device that manages the accounts under its jurisdiction. The processing device B24 may be a processing device that can be started and operated for each account, and can manage the overall transactions in the account, for example, deposits and withdrawals in the same way as with a passbook. This processing device B24 may be started and terminated by a processing device (for customer) B32, which will be described later and is included in the counter function B3. Two processing devices B24 are shown as an example, but they may be started for each account.

[0115] The counter function B3 may include a processing device (for customer management) B31 and a processing device (for customer) B32. The processing device B31 may, for example, manage the ID of the customer. The processing device B31 may, for example, manage the processing device B32 corresponding to the customer ID, such as starting and stopping it. The processing device B32 may also function as a counter for financial transactions by the customer. The processing device B32 may, for example, manage the personal information and account number of the customer. The processing device B32 may also request the processing device (for account management) B22 to open and close an account. The processing device B32 may also start and stop the processing device B24 related to the account as necessary when the customer performs a transaction.

[0116] Of the processing devices shown in Fig. 16, processing devices B11, B21, B22, and B31 can be constantly started and operated. Processing device B24 can be started for each account when a transaction related to a specific account is carried out. Processing device B32 can be started for each customer when the customer starts a transaction. Processing devices B12 and B23 related to a session can be started when a session related to a transaction is carried out.

[0117] The processing devices B12 and B23 related to the session can be generated for each transaction on each path required for transaction communication as a characteristic function for performing transaction processing. The processing devices B12 and B23 can be processing devices that handle the actual processing and transmission of information. When transmitting and receiving information (session) via the processing devices B12 and B23, when the processing devices B12 and B23 are started, a key for identifying the destination of information transmission and reception or concealing the communication path can be generated and shared between the transmitting and receiving sides. The processing device B12 can be started and terminated by the processing device B11. The processing device B23 can be started and terminated by the processing device B21. As an example, the processing devices B11 and B21 that can manage the start and end of the processing devices B12 and B23 related to the session can be configured to control the generation of the key related to the session as well as the start and end of the processing devices related to the session. Furthermore, the processing devices B11 and B21 can be configured to receive information to be sent by processing devices related to the session (e.g., processing devices B12 and B23) and to give instructions to send information that has been transferred or processed, for example.

[0118] An example of the operation of each processing device when processing related to remittance using the above-mentioned system will be described. Here, it is considered that a customer operates, for example, one account to remit money to an account of another bank. In this case, the processing device B31 detects that the customer operates, for example, the interface of an ATM, and starts the processing device B32. The processing device B32 starts the processing device B24 corresponding to the account of the remittance source based on the customer's operation on the interface. At that time, the above operation may be performed via the processing device B22. Furthermore, based on the customer's operation, these processing devices B32 and B24 operate, and an instruction is given to the processing device B21 to set up a session related to the remittance (the processing device B23 corresponding to the session), and the processing device B23 is started. As a result, a session is set up between the branch function B2 and the head office function B1, and information related to the remittance can be sent to the head office function B1. The head office function B1 starts the processing device B12 corresponding to the session with the other bank as necessary based on the information sent by the processing device B23. The processing device B12 sets up a session with the other bank, and information related to the remittance is transmitted and received between the banks. The other bank can add the remittance amount to the recipient's account by using a group of processing devices similar to the above processing device. Note that in the case of remittance processing within the same bank or branch, the remittance processing may be performed without establishing a session between the head office function B1 and the branch function B2.

[0119] In the above system, when the transmission of information using a session is performed, for example, by two-phase commit, the processing devices B12 and B23 related to the session are terminated. In addition, the key used in the session is also discarded, so that the same session is prevented from being repeated.

[0120] In the above, an example of a case where a process related to remittance is performed using the system has been described, but a process for a transfer from an external bank to a specific account can be performed by performing the reverse operation. For example, when a process related to a transfer is performed at another bank, the processor B12' corresponding to the session with the other bank is started in response to a request from the other bank. A session is established with the other bank by the processor B12', and information related to the remittance is transmitted and received between the banks. Next, the processor B12' instructs the processor B21 to establish a session related to the receipt of the remittance (the processor B23' corresponding to the session), and the processor B23' is started. As a result, a session is established between the branch function B2 and the head office function B1, and information related to the receipt of the remittance can be transmitted from the head office function B1 to the branch function B2. Furthermore, the processor B23' starts the processor B24 corresponding to the account to be the target of the remittance. At that time, the above operation may be performed via the processor B22. Also, when it is detected that the customer operates an interface such as an ATM or online banking, the processor B31 starts the processor B32. When the customer operates the interface, the processing device B32 presents the information regarding the receipt of the remittance received by the processing device B24 to the customer in an updated state. As a result, the customer can understand the amount of the remittance and its details. Note that the above process is an example, and the arrangement of the processing devices is not limited to the configuration example described above.

[0121] In the above system, transaction processing can be realized by performing transactions using the processing devices B12 and B23 corresponding to the session. Transaction processing requires processing that has, for example, "atomicity," "consistency," "isolation," and "durability."

[0122] Atomicity is the property of guaranteeing that all tasks included in an operation are executed or none are executed at all. For example, when transferring 10,000 yen from account A to account B, there are two operations: "Subtract 10,000 yen from the balance of account A" and "Add 10,000 yen to the balance of account B." Guaranteed atomicity means that either all of the above two operations are executed or none are executed at all.

[0123] Consistency means to guarantee that a given consistency is met at the start and end of an operation. For example, when transferring money from account A, it means that it is not possible to transfer an amount that would cause A's account balance to become negative before and after the transfer. Isolation means that the process of an operation is hidden from other operations. For example, in the case of transferring money between accounts, the internal state is "deducted from account A but not added to account B," but from the outside, only the states before and after the transfer can be confirmed.

[0124] Durability means that, once a user receives a notification that an operation has been completed, the operation becomes permanent and the results are not lost.

[0125] In the above system, when a single transaction is performed, an independent session is set up for each transaction, ensuring isolation. Also, a configuration is realized in which individual sessions are set up between each function to communicate information, ensuring consistency for each session. Furthermore, consistency can be ensured by, for example, linking multiple sessions with guaranteed consistency to form a session chain and communicating through that (for example, two-phase commit).

[0126] Furthermore, in the above system, when it is confirmed that the processing specified in each session has been completed, the session can be discarded, and further, if an unforeseen event occurs, the transaction can be canceled, so that atomicity can be ensured. And, in the above system, the same session is prevented from being unintentionally repeated, so that durability can be ensured. In this way, the above system can achieve the performance required in transaction processing. In this way, the system configured by combining the processing devices 1 can also be applied to transaction processing. Note that, in order to more reliably ensure consistency and atomicity, for example, a processing device for confirming that the transmission and reception of information in each session has been performed appropriately may be added to the system.

[0127] [About workflow] For example, in the state transition method information D1, the conditions for executing a job that is subject to workflow control (e.g., start, interrupt, error state, end, re-execution, etc.) are specified in a first section D91, and the operation method for executing the job (e.g., start, interrupt, error avoidance, re-execution, end, start of next job, etc.) is specified in a second section D92, and by associating these processes, for example, as the number of jobs that are subject to workflow control, so-called workflow processing can be performed.

[0128] [About artificial intelligence] By using the processing device 1, the algorithm processing included in the so-called artificial intelligence can be changed and updated without stopping the processing operation. In the so-called neural network, for example, the function and operation of the neuron can be specified by the operation specification information D0, and the processing device 1 can be started, operated, terminated, and deleted as a new neuron, or the operation of a specific neuron including itself can be changed. In addition, the connection between neurons can be realized, for example, by appropriately combining the receptor 40 and the actor 50. In addition, since the receptor 40 and the actor 50 can be made variable elements in the processing device 1, the connection between neurons, including their functions and topology, can be changed without stopping the operation of the processing device 1. In this way, the function, ability, capacity, etc. of the artificial intelligence during operation can be changed by changing or modifying the algorithm for preprocessing learning data in the artificial intelligence and the neural network for machine learning without stopping the operation of the artificial intelligence. In addition, by configuring the neural network, etc. with the processing device 1, the operation result of the artificial intelligence (for example, learning result) can be stored in the operation specification information D0. Furthermore, for example, by dividing the operation specification information D0 of the processing device 1 constituting the neural network according to the level of abstraction as described above, it is possible to perform analysis such as visualization, interpretation, understanding, and application of the operation results of the artificial intelligence.

[0129] [Other application examples] The processing device 1 can specify substantial processing such as a so-called BRMS (Business Rule Management System) or RPA (Robotic Process Automation) using the operation specification information D0. Also, the processing device 1 can eliminate the need to generate devices or programs that substantially perform functional processing in the BRMS or RPA.

[0130] The processing device 1 can eliminate the need for, for example, so-called software version management by realizing changes in the functions and operations of the processing device 1 by adding, changing, or deleting only the necessary parts of the processing device 1. In addition, for example, when observing, controlling, simulating an uncertain object whose components (e.g., living things, climate, etc.) change depending on the situation, such as a so-called ecosystem (including cases where living things move or become extinct and become no longer a component, or move from elsewhere and become a new component), the processing device 1 can perform substantial processing without stopping its operation. In this case, the processing device 1 can function as a substantial coupled calculation engine. Note that, as an ecosystem, for example, a situation in which multiple cloud computing systems are linked can be considered.

[0131] <Detailed explanation including specific operation of the treatment equipment> The above explanation of the functional units of the processing device 1 includes many conceptual parts. Therefore, in the following embodiment, a case will be described in which it is assumed that the processing device 1 is used to control the operation of an air conditioner. In an air conditioner, a sensor measures the room temperature, etc., and operates each unit based on the result so that the room temperature falls within a predetermined range (set temperature). In this case, the configuration of the processing device 1 will be further described while explaining how each functional unit of the processing device 1 operates. It should be noted that the processing target of the processing device 1 is not limited to air conditioners, as a matter of course.

[0132] [About the field] The fields that are the subject of processing by the processing device 1 will be further described. As described above, a field can be said to be an actual state that exists in the real world. The state of a field can be described using a label and a profile. For example, when considering controlling the operation of an air conditioner by the processing device 1, the temperature (rL: temperature, P: *°C) and humidity (rL: humidity, P: *%) of the room that is the subject of adjustment by the air conditioner, the temperature of the outside air where the outdoor unit is installed (rL: outside air temperature, P: *°C), etc. can be handled as the state of the field.

[0133] The state transition method acquisition unit 10, state designation acquisition unit 20, receptor 40, and actor 50 that constitute the processing device 1 may also be provided in this field. It can also be said that the information handled by each of these units is present in the field. Therefore, these states can also be described using labels and profiles. For example, they can be described as state transition method acquisition unit 10 (rL: state transition method acquisition unit, P: state transition method acquisition unit in the processing device 1), state transition method information D1 (rL: state transition method information, P: state transition method information used in the processing device 1).

[0134] [Type of processing device elements] The types of elements of each functional unit of the processing device 1 will be described. In this embodiment, each functional unit that executes a desired process (a program for realizing that function) can belong to either a fixed element or a variable element. Information handled by the processing device 1 can also be classified as a fixed element or a variable element.

[0135] A fixed element can refer to an element whose operation needs to be changed when the content of the element is changed. For example, a conventionally used program corresponds to a fixed element. For example, consider adding a part that detects the outside air temperature and performs control based on the result to a default program that controls the operation of an air conditioner. In such a case, after making a modification to add a description related to performing control taking the outside air temperature into consideration in the program, it is necessary to temporarily stop processing based on the program before the modification built into the air conditioner, replace it with the modified program, and then start processing based on the modified program. In this way, in the present embodiment, an element whose operation needs to be temporarily stopped when the program is modified and the modification is reflected may be called a fixed element.

[0136] On the other hand, a variable element can refer to something that can be changed without stopping its operation, even when the contents of an operating variable element are changed. For example, the state (rL,P) of a field can be handled arbitrarily, and therefore can be said to be a variable element. For example, the state transition method acquisition unit 10, state designation acquisition unit 20, receptor 40, and actor 50 that constitute the processing device 1 can each be described as a state of a field, and therefore can be said to be variable elements. Also, the profile (P) included in the state (rL,P) can change, and therefore can be said to be a variable element.

[0137] Among the components of the processing device 1, the determiner 30 can be said to be a fixed element. As described above, most of the processing device 1 can be treated as variable elements, but the determiner 30 can be a fixed element. In the processing device 1, the proportion of fixed elements among the components of the device is minimized, thereby realizing a configuration that does not stop processing even when the processing content is changed. It is considered that the operation of the processing device 1 needs to be stopped when the determiner 30 itself is changed. However, in the processing device 1, the determiner 30 only compares the state designation information D2 with the state of the field acquired by the receptor 40, and based on the result, starts or operates the actor 50 specified in the state transition method information D1 and / or the state designation information D2. In this way, the determiner 30 is only specified to make a judgment and execute processing based on the result, so that the problem of changing the determiner 30 itself is unlikely to occur. This is a different point from the program used for conventional air conditioner control.

[0138] [Differences between conventional program-based control and control by a processing device] Next, a case where temperature control is performed by an air conditioner will be described by comparing control using a conventional program with control by the processing device described in this embodiment.

[0139] First, we will explain the case where an air conditioner detects the temperature and humidity in an indoor space and adjusts the operation of the air conditioner based on the results. Table 1 shows a conventional control using a program. Note that "in the field" may also mean outside the program or outside the determiner.

[0140] [Table 1]

[0141] Table 1 shows each process defined by the conventional program as a step, and shows the state before input, the operation defined by the algorithm logic, and the state after operation at each step. For example, in step 1, information on the state existing in the field (rL: temperature, P: *℃) is acquired, a profile (hot, just right, cold) is generated from the difference between the acquired temperature and the set temperature, and the state after operation (pL: pseudo intermediate state (temperature difference), P: (hot, just right, cold)) is output. This state after operation is used as the state before input in step 3. In this way, in the conventional program, pseudo intermediate states related to temperature (hot, just right, cold in this case) and pseudo intermediate states related to humidity (steam, just right, dry in this case) are generated from the temperature and humidity in steps 1 and 2. In addition, in steps 3 and 4, a pseudo intermediate state related to motor output (Pw watt) is generated from these two pseudo intermediate states. Then, in step 5, the motor output based on the pseudo intermediate state (Pw watt) related to the motor output is returned to the motor in the field, and the motor is operated. In this way, in conventional programs, a pseudo intermediate state is generated within the program and is connected to the processing of the subsequent steps.

[0142] The intermediate state indicates an intermediate state until control to operate the air conditioner is executed based on the temperature and humidity information of the air conditioner, and parameters used to specify the operation of the air conditioner, such as temperature difference and humidity difference, can be defined as the intermediate state. The pseudo intermediate state is not related to the state of the field, but is a convenient intermediate state that exists in the program area. Specifically, an intermediate state required for the processing of the program, called the pseudo intermediate state, is defined in the program, and processing is performed using this. pL in the pseudo intermediate state is a convenient label in the pseudo state, and may be equivalent to the label (rL) in the state of the field. A variable name or a register name can also be used as pL. This pseudo intermediate state exists in the program area, and the convenient label pL cannot be changed unless the program is changed. Therefore, the pseudo intermediate state in the conventional program may also be a fixed element. However, even in the pseudo state (pL,P) such as the pseudo intermediate state, the profile (P) may be a variable element. Since the profile (P) is a part equivalent to a variable in the program, it can be said that it can change and can be treated as a variable element. In order to reflect a pseudo state that exists in a program area, such as a pseudo intermediate state, in a field, some kind of operation is required, such as writing it out to a file, sending it to a network, writing it out to a database, or operating a device.

[0143] Next, the operation of the processing device 1 of this embodiment when performing the same processing as above will be described with reference to Table 2.

[0144] [Table 2]

[0145] Steps 1 to 5 shown in Table 2 correspond to steps 1 to 5 in Table 1. Table 2 shows, in correspondence with the processing by the processing device 1, a set of states (labels, profiles) received by the receptor 40 (e.g., information relating to states provided to the decision device 30), the operation of the decision device 30, the internal operation of the actor 50 based on the decision result of the decision device 30 (the operation performed by the actor 50), and a set of states (labels, profiles) in which the actor 50 acts.

[0146] As shown in Table 2, each process performed by the processing device 1 is basically similar to a conventional program. However, the intermediate state output as a result of performing each step is a parameter used during the process, but indicates a state that exists in a field such as a file or database, for example, and is different from a pseudo state that exists only inside the program. Also, the state that exists in the field may be a variable element as described above.

[0147] Each process performed by the processing device 1 shown in Table 2 causes a transition from the state (rL,P) which is a variable element to the state (rL,P) in all steps 1 to 5 as described above, and the result of the process in each step is returned to the field. On the other hand, in the conventional program shown in Table 1, step 1 causes a transition from the state (rL,P) which is a variable element to the pseudo-intermediate state (pL,P) which is a fixed element. In addition, in steps 2 to 4, a transition is made from the pseudo-intermediate state (pL,P) which is a fixed element to the pseudo-intermediate state (pL,P). Then, in step 5, a transition is made from the pseudo-intermediate state (pL,P) which is a fixed element to the state (rL,P) which is a variable element, and the result is returned to the field. In this way, in the conventional program, it can be said that the intermediate stages of a series of processes (steps 1 to 5) are completed within the program. Therefore, it is considered necessary to replace the entire program when changing a part of the intermediate process.

[0148] Furthermore, in the conventional program shown in Table 1, the order of processing is usually specified. For example, in the example shown in Table 1, it is specified that steps 1 to 5 are to be performed in order within the program. From this point of view, the program can also be said to be a fixed element. On the other hand, steps 1 to 5 in the processing device 1 shown in Table 2 are written as "steps" corresponding to Table 1 for convenience, but there is no particular element that specifies the order of processing. Also, each step can be performed randomly when the receptor 40 accepts the input state (rL, P). In this way, from the viewpoint of the processing order of each step when performing a desired processing using the processing device 1, the processing performed by the processing device 1 can be said to correspond to a variable element.

[0149] [Differences between control using a conventional program and control using a processing device when changing control] Next, we will explain the case where the procedure for controlling the air conditioner based on the temperature and humidity shown in Tables 1 and 2 is changed. Here, we will explain the case where the control of the air conditioner is changed to one that takes into account the outside air temperature in addition to the temperature and humidity.

[0150] First, Table 3 shows a conventional program in which outside air temperature control is added to the conventional program shown in Table 1.

[0151] [Table 3]

[0152] In Table 3, steps 3 and 6 have been added compared to Table 1, and steps 4 and 5 perform operations taking into account a pseudo-intermediate state (outside air temperature in this case). Table 4 shows a modified program for changing the operation from the control shown in Table 1 to the control shown in Table 3. Note that an outside air temperature sensor may be added to detect the outside air temperature, but as this is not a change related to the program, a description of this point will be omitted.

[0153] [Table 4]

[0154] In the example shown in Table 4, the pre-modification program and the sensor are stopped in steps 1 to 6, and the pre-modification program is deleted in steps 7 and 8. A new program is loaded and started in steps 9 and 10, and then the sensors are started in steps 11 to 13, and the processing is completed in step 14. At this time, the modification program shown in Table 4 is also considered to handle the pseudo intermediate state existing in the program area in steps 1 to 13. As described above, the pseudo intermediate state is considered to be a fixed element, and it is necessary to stop the operation of the program in order to change it. Therefore, the modification program that handles the pseudo intermediate state can also be said to be a fixed element.

[0155] Next, a description will be given of changes to the processing contents in the processing apparatus 1. First, Table 5 shows a processing procedure in the processing apparatus 1 in the case where control of the outside air temperature is added to the processing in the processing apparatus 1 shown in Table 2.

[0156] [Table 5]

[0157] In Table 5, steps 3 and 6 have been added compared to Table 2, and steps 4 and 5 take into account the intermediate state (outside air temperature in this case). Next, Table 6 shows the processing procedure in the processing device 1 when changing the operation from the control shown in Table 2 to the control shown in Table 5. An outside air temperature sensor may be added to detect the outside air temperature, but this is not a change related to the program and will not be explained here. For comparison with the conventional program, Table 6 shows the processing in the processing device 1 at the locations corresponding to each step of the conventional program (Table 4). In Table 6, the parts where the cells other than the steps have "-" indicate that the processing corresponding to each step of the conventional program is not performed by the processing device 1.

[0158] [Table 6]

[0159] As shown in Table 6, in the processing device 1, when the control content is changed, steps 2 to 8 and steps 10 to 12 in the conventional program are unnecessary. Also, for steps 1 and 9, by providing an intermediate state in a field, it is possible to observe the process from outside, and the process content is also changed.

[0160] Steps 2 to 8 are processes related to stopping the operation of the program before the change and deleting it. Even if a conventional program is reconfigurable, the program itself is a fixed element, so it is considered necessary to stop the operation of the program in order to change it. In contrast, in the processing device 1, the state transition method information D1, state designation information D2, and actor 50 corresponding to the program can be configured to exist on the field and be separated from the decision device 30, which is a fixed element. Therefore, it is considered possible to change the state transition method information D1, state designation information D2, and actor 50 while maintaining the state in which the decision device 30 operates based on the program before the change.

[0161] Moreover, steps 10 to 12 are processes related to the start of the changed program. In the conventional program, as described above, the change is made in a state where the program operation is stopped once, so that an operation for starting the changed program is necessary. On the other hand, in the processing device 1, in step 9, the processing device 1 can be updated by simply preparing the state transition method information D1, state designation information D2, and actor 50 defined by the state transition method information D1, which are required in accordance with the change of the operation content. Therefore, for example, by newly setting the state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2 (and actor 50), the necessary receptor 40 is prepared, and the changed processing can be started. Also, since the determiner 30 itself, which makes a judgment based on the state of the field acquired in the receptor 40, is not stopped as described above, it is possible to easily move to the changed processing. Note that since the outside air temperature sensor itself needs to be newly driven, step 13 is considered to be necessary to be provided in the same manner as in the conventional program.

[0162] In this way, when comparing the conventional program with the processing device described in this embodiment, the procedure, particularly when changing the processing content depending on the size of the area that is set as a fixed element, is significantly different.

[0163] In conventional programs, it is considered that the part to be changed (for example, processing based on information obtained by an outside air temperature sensor) is fixed inside the program. For example, the content of the processing to be performed based on the outside air temperature information after obtaining the information is written in the program. Therefore, in conventional programs, in order to dynamically change the function, it is considered that the program for the function is written with the change in mind in advance, and the control content is changed at the timing of the change. However, if the change cannot be predicted in advance, it is not possible to write it in the program in advance. Therefore, it is considered that it is necessary to stop the program once in order to add some function after preparing the program. In conventional programs, dynamic loading and unloading of software modules is built in as a function, but when trying to use an API (Application Programming Interface) that is not prepared in the main program, it is still necessary to replace the program.

[0164] In contrast to this, in the processing device described in this embodiment, state transition method information D1, state designation information D2, and actor 50, which can be said to be the main parts of a conventional program, exist on the field, so that changes can be made without stopping the operation of the determinator 30, which is a fixed element. Note that the change to the processing device 1 described in this embodiment (rewriting the state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2) does not refer to the release of functions that were previously built into the processing device 1, but is intended to add new functions after the processing device 1 has started operating.

[0165] <effect> As described above, the processing device 1 includes the determiner 30 that performs a comparison of state information, which is information related to a state acquired from a field, and performs processing related to the determiner based on the information specifying the content of the comparison in the determiner 30 and the operation related to a state transition according to the comparison result, and the information related to the generation of the state information generating unit for generating state information from the information related to the state of the field, and the information specifying the content of the comparison in the determiner 30 and the operation related to a state transition according to the comparison result, and the information related to the generation of the state information generating unit for generating state information from the information related to the state of the field can be changed regardless of the operation of the determiner 30. Note that the information specifying the content of the comparison in the determiner 30 and the operation related to a state transition according to the comparison result, and the information related to the generation of the state information generating unit for generating state information from the information related to the state of the field are included in the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 in the above embodiment. In the above embodiment, the processing related to the determiner 30 is performed based on the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2. Also, the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 can be changed regardless of the operation of the determiner 30.

[0166] In addition, in a processing method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a determinator 30 performs a comparison of status information, which is information relating to a status obtained from a field, and performs processing related to the determinator 30 based on information specifying the content of the comparison in the determinator 30 and an operation related to a state transition according to the comparison result, and information related to the generation of a status information generation unit for generating status information from information related to the field status, and the information specifying the content of the comparison in the determinator 30 and an operation related to a state transition according to the comparison result, and the information related to the generation of a status information generation unit for generating status information from information related to the field status can be changed regardless of the operation of the determinator 30.

[0167] In addition, a processing program according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a processing program for causing a computer to function as a processing device, and realizes a judgment function of comparing status information, which is information relating to a status obtained from a field, and performs processing related to the judgment function based on information specifying the content of the comparison in the judgment function and an operation relating to a state transition according to the comparison result, and information relating to the generation of a status information generation unit for generating status information from information relating to the state of the field, and the information specifying the content of the comparison in the judgment function and an operation relating to a state transition according to the comparison result, and the information relating to the generation of a status information generation unit for generating status information from information relating to the state of the field are changeable regardless of the operation of the judgment function.

[0168] According to the above-mentioned processing device 1, processing method, and processing program, the information designating the content of the comparison in the determiner 30 and the operation related to the state transition according to the comparison result, and the information related to the generation of the state information generating unit for generating state information from the information related to the state of the field are changeable regardless of the operation of the determiner 30. In the above-mentioned embodiment, the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 containing these pieces of information are changeable regardless of the operation of the determiner 30. Therefore, compared with the conventional program, even when changing the conditions or adding a function, the above-mentioned information contained in the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 can be changed without stopping the operation of the determiner 30, so that the convenience can be improved. Furthermore, according to the above-mentioned processing device 1, processing method, and processing program, not only the convenience but also the reliability or safety can be improved. This point is as described above.

[0169] The determiner 30 may be configured to include a receptors platform 33 as a state information acquisition unit for acquiring state information, and an actors platform 34 as a state transition instruction unit for instructing a state transition according to a comparison result. By configuring the determiner 30 to include a state information acquisition unit for acquiring state information, and a state transition instruction unit for instructing a state transition according to a comparison result, even if the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 are changed, and the operation content of the determiner 30 or the processing based on the comparison result is changed, the processing can be flexibly changed.

[0170] The information designating the content of the comparison in the determiner 30 and the operation related to the state transition according to the comparison result, and the information related to the generation of the state information generating unit for generating state information from the information related to the state of the field (in the above embodiment, state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2 are shown as information including these pieces of information) can be variable elements present in the field, and the determiner can be a fixed element separated from the field. In this way, by configuring the information designating the content of the comparison in the determiner 30 and the operation related to the state transition according to the comparison result, and the information related to the generation of the state information generating unit for generating state information from the information related to the state of the field as variable elements and configuring the determiner as a fixed element, even when the content of the processing to be performed in the processing device is changed, it can be flexibly changed without stopping all of the processing in the processing device.

[0171] In addition, a processing device 1 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure includes a determiner 30 that performs a comparison on status information, which is information related to a status obtained from a field, and the status information includes a label related to the nature of the status and a profile indicating the state of the property identified by the label.

[0172] According to the above-described processing device, the state information compared in the determiner 30 includes a label related to the nature of the state and a profile indicating the state of the nature specified by the label. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent mistaking the information to be compared in the determiner 30 and perform an appropriate comparison. Therefore, even if the operation content of the comparator or the processing based on the comparison result is changed, the processing can be flexibly changed, and convenience, reliability, safety, etc. are improved.

[0173] Here, it is possible to adopt an aspect in which processing related to the determiner is performed based on information specifying the content of comparison in the determiner 30 and an operation related to a state transition according to the comparison result, and information related to generation by a state information generating unit for generating state information from information related to the state of the field (in the above embodiment, state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2 are shown as information including these pieces of information). Since the processing related to the determination by the determiner 30 is specified based on these pieces of information, when conditions are changed or functions are added, the changes can be made without changing the determiner itself, as compared to conventional programs, and the convenience, reliability, safety, etc. of the device can be improved.

[0174] Furthermore, the processing device 1 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure includes a determiner 30 that performs a comparison of state information, which is information related to a state acquired from a field, and performs processing related to the determiner 30 based on the contents of the comparison in the determiner 30, information specifying an operation related to a state transition according to the comparison result, and information related to generation by a state information generating unit for generating state information from information related to the state of the field (in the above embodiment, state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2 are shown as information including these pieces of information). Also, the state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2 can be changed regardless of the operation of the determiner 30, and the state information can include a label related to the nature of the state and a profile indicating what state the nature specified by the label is.

[0175] According to the above-mentioned processing device 1, the information for specifying the content of the comparison in the decision device 30, the operation related to the state transition according to the comparison result, and the information related to the generation of the state information generating unit for generating state information from the information related to the state of the field can be changed regardless of the operation of the decision device 30. Therefore, compared to the conventional program, even when changing the conditions or adding a function, the above information can be changed without stopping the operation of the decision device, so that the convenience, reliability, safety, etc. can be improved. In addition, since the state information includes a label related to the nature of the state and a profile indicating the state of the nature specified by the label, it is possible to prevent the misunderstanding of the information to be compared in the decision device 30, and to perform an appropriate comparison. Therefore, even if the operation content of the comparator or the processing based on the comparison result is changed, the processing can be flexibly changed, and the convenience, reliability, safety, etc. can be improved.

[0176] <Other> Although the present embodiment has been described in detail above, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the present embodiment is not limited to the embodiments described in this specification.

[0177] The application examples of the processing device 1 described in the above embodiment are merely examples, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made. In addition, when the processing device 1 has a function as a control device that controls a desired device, the contents of the determination by the determiner 30, for example, the contents specified by the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2, are appropriately modified according to the target device.

[0178] <Additional Notes> The present disclosure may also include the following configurations.

[0179] A processing method in which a determiner compares state information, which is information relating to a state obtained from a field, and the state information includes a label relating to the nature of the state and a profile indicating the state of the nature specified by the label.

[0180] A processing program for causing a computer to function as a processing device, the processing program realizing a judgment function for comparing status information, which is information relating to a status obtained from a field, the status information including a label relating to the nature of the status and a profile indicating the state of the property specified by the label.

[0181] A processing method in which a determinator compares state information obtained from a field, and performs processing related to the determinator based on information specifying the content of the comparison in the determinator and an operation related to a state transition in accordance with the comparison result, and information related to generation by a state information generation unit for generating state information from information related to the state of the field, wherein the information specifying the content of the comparison in the determinator and an operation related to a state transition in accordance with the comparison result, and the information related to generation by a state information generation unit for generating state information from information related to the state of the field are changeable regardless of the operation of the determinator, and the state information includes a label related to the nature of the state, and a profile indicating the state of the nature specified by the label.

[0182] A processing program for causing a computer to function as a processing device, the processing program realizing a judgment function of comparing status information, which is information relating to a status obtained from a field, performing processing related to the judgment function based on information specifying the content of the comparison in the judgment function and an operation relating to a state transition according to the comparison result, and information relating to the generation of a status information generation unit for generating status information from information relating to the field status, the information specifying the content of the comparison in the judgment function and an operation relating to a state transition according to the comparison result, and the information relating to the generation of a status information generation unit for generating status information from information relating to the field status are changeable regardless of the operation of the judgment function, and the status information includes a label relating to the nature of the state, and a profile indicating the state of the property identified by the label. [Explanation of symbols]

[0183] 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G, 1H, 1X... processing device, 10, 10A, 10B, 10F, 10G, 10H... state transition method acquisition unit, 20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, 20E, 20F, 20G, 20H... state designation acquisition unit, 30, 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D, 30E, 30F, 30G, 30H... determiner, 31... core, 32... parser, 33... receptors platform, 34... actor's platform, 40, 40A, 40B, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46... receptor, 50, 50A, 50B, 50C, 50D, 51, 52... actor.

Claims

1. A processing device comprising a receptor, a determiner, and an actor, the receptor generates state information indicating a state of a field based on operation designation information that designates an operation of the determiner; The determiner performs a comparison of the state information based on the operation designation information, the actor executes an action related to a transition of a state of a field based on the action designation information and a result of the determination by the determiner; A processing device, wherein the operation designation information, the receptor, and the actor are elements that can be changed without stopping the operation of the determiner.

2. generating state information indicating a state of the field by a receptor based on operation designation information designating an operation of the determiner; performing a comparison of the state information based on the operation designation information by the determiner; and executing an action related to a transition of a state of a field by an actor based on the action designation information and a result of the determination by the determiner; A processing method, wherein the operation designation information, the receptor, and the actor are elements that can be changed without stopping the operation of the determiner.

3. A processing program for causing a computer to function as a processing device having a receptor, a determiner, and an actor, causing the receptor to function so as to generate status information indicating a state of a field based on operation designation information designating an operation of the determiner; causing the determiner to perform a comparison of the state information based on the operation designation information; causing the actor to execute an action related to a transition of a state of a field based on the action designation information and a result of the determination by the determiner; A processing program, wherein the operation designation information, the receptor, and the actor are elements that can be changed without stopping the operation of the determiner.

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