Information collection module and terminal device

Abstract

To provide an information collection module and a terminal device that are capable of acquiring maintenance information of a maintenance target computer without relying on remote maintenance or direct manual maintenance.SOLUTION: An information collection module connectable to a computer to be maintained and a terminal device collecting maintenance information of the computer. The module includes: an expansion bus interface connectable to the computer; a first storage unit capable of storing the maintenance information of the computer transmitted from the computer via the expansion bus interface; a short-range wireless interface connectable to the terminal device when the terminal device is within a predetermined range; and a control unit capable of transmitting the maintenance information stored in the first storage unit to the terminal device via the short-range wireless interface when the terminal device is connected to the short-range wireless interface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The embodiment of the present invention relates to an information collecting module and a terminal device. [Background technology]

[0002] Industrial computers are used in manufacturing sites, medical and welfare sites, transportation and logistics sites, etc. Industrial computers have higher performance than general personal computers in terms of durability, reliability, scalability, compatibility, environmental friendliness, etc.

[0003] To maintain its high performance, industrial computers are configured to provide users with various types of information (maintenance information) that can be used for maintenance management. Examples of maintenance information include SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) information, RAS (Reliability, Availability and Serviceability) information, OS (Operating System) system logs, operating time, temperature, error information, and the like. SMART information is information that indicates the results of self-diagnosis of hard disk drives and solid state drives. RAS information is information that indicates the results of evaluation as to whether a computer system can stably demonstrate expected performance. Maintenance information is automatically generated by a log function of the OS of the industrial computer, etc.

[0004] To ensure security, industrial computers are sometimes used as standalone devices that are not connected to a network. Also, remote monitoring and remote maintenance services may not be possible due to costs, system downtime, and other implementation constraints. In such cases, monitoring and maintenance of industrial computers are performed by directly operating the industrial computers on-site.

[0005] Therefore, on-site maintenance of industrial computers requires the use of peripheral components such as a mouse, keyboard, monitor, etc. However, it is often difficult to directly operate the computer to be maintained, such as in the case of embedded devices. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-86065 [Patent Document 2] JP2019-70947A [Patent Document 3] Special publication 2011-525725 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Thus, conventional industrial computers have a problem in that remote maintenance via a network or maintenance by direct operation is difficult. The embodiment of the present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and aims to provide an information collection module and a terminal device that can acquire maintenance information of a computer to be maintained without relying on remote maintenance or maintenance by direct operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The information collection module of the embodiment is an information collection module connectable to a computer to be maintained and a terminal device that collects maintenance information of the computer. The information collection module includes an expansion bus interface connectable to the computer, a first storage unit capable of storing maintenance information of the computer sent from the computer via the expansion bus interface, a short-range wireless interface connectable to the terminal device when the terminal device is located within a predetermined range, and a control unit capable of transmitting the maintenance information stored in the first storage unit to the terminal device via the short-range wireless interface when the terminal device is connected to the short-range wireless interface. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a configuration of an information collection system including an information collection module according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of maintenance information collected in the information collecting system according to the embodiment; [Diagram 3] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an information collecting system according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 11 is a flowchart showing an information collecting operation of the information collecting module according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] 11 is a flowchart showing an information storage operation of the information collecting module according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] (Configuration of the embodiment) Hereinafter, the configuration of the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of an information collection system including an information collection module according to the embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of maintenance information collected in the information collection system according to the embodiment.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, an information collection system 1 of this embodiment includes computers 10 (10a, 10b, . . . , 10n) to be maintained, information collection modules 20 (20a, 20b, . . . , 20n) provided in each computer 10, and a terminal 30.

[0012] The computer 10 is a so-called industrial computer. The computer 10 is placed at a manufacturing site or the like and may have the function of operating and controlling various manufacturing equipment. The computer 10 may be, for example, an embedded computer that is incorporated into manufacturing equipment or the like. The computer 10 is provided with an information collection module 20. The computer 10 can generate maintenance information by itself.

[0013] The information collecting module 20 is an external device connected to the computer 10. The information collecting module 20 has a function as a storage device of the computer 10 and a function as a terminal of a short-range wireless system. The information collecting module 20 may have a function of collecting maintenance information from the storage unit of the computer 10.

[0014] Fig. 2 shows an example of maintenance information generated by computer 10. In Fig. 2, Sancon (1) to (n) are identification names of computers 10. The maintenance information may include, for multiple computers 10, SMART information, RAS information, the system log (Sys Log) of the OS of each computer 10, the time when the maintenance information was generated (Time), the temperature inside the device (Temp), the type of error that occurred (Error), an authentication error log (AFC: Authentication Failure Codes), and the like. The OS system log may include an OS event log.

[0015] The terminal 30 is, for example, a computer serving as a tablet-type mobile terminal device. The terminal 30 has a wireless system common to the short-range wireless system provided in the information collecting module 20. The terminal 30 can collect maintenance information from the information collecting module 20 via the short-range wireless system.

[0016] The short-distance wireless system connecting the information collecting module 20 and the terminal 30 has a communication area of ​​a relatively small area 50 such as a closed space in a manufacturing site, for example. This is to ensure the security of the computer 10 to which the information collecting module 20 is connected.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the information collection system 1 of this embodiment may be further configured to be capable of connecting a cloud computer 40, a network 42 to which the cloud computer 40 is connected, and a wireless access point 44 connected to the network 42 and capable of communicating with the terminal 30.

[0018] Cloud computer 40 is a computer that functions as a server that accommodates terminal 30. Cloud computer 40 can store maintenance information collected by terminal 30. Cloud computer 40 is connected to a network 42 such as the Internet, for example.

[0019] The network 42 is a network that serves as a connection line for the terminal 30 to the cloud computer 40. Examples of the network 42 include the so-called Internet and public telephone lines.

[0020] The wireless access point 44 is a wireless terminal device that is connected to the network 42 and provides a wireless network. Examples of the wireless access point 44 include base stations for Wi-Fi (registered trademark), a mobile phone network, a satellite telephone network, and the like. The wireless access point 44 can communicate with the terminal 30 that exists within the area 52. The terminal 30 has a wireless system that is common to the wireless access point 44.

[0021] Next, the functional configuration of the information collecting module 20 of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the information collecting system according to the embodiment.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, a computer 10 of this embodiment includes a calculation unit 11, a memory 12, a storage unit 13, an input / output interface (I / F) 14, a keyboard KB, and an expansion bus interface (I / F) 15.

[0023] The calculation unit 11 is a functional element including a central processing unit (CPU) and a motherboard of the computer 10. The calculation unit 11 can load a program stored in the storage unit 13 into the memory 12 and execute the program.

[0024] The memory 12 is a main storage device or cache memory that stores data and programs, and can be realized by, for example, a volatile memory (RAM) or a non-volatile memory (ROM).

[0025] The storage unit 13 is an auxiliary storage device that stores programs, data files, etc. The storage unit 13 can be realized by, for example, a magnetic disk such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a flash memory such as a solid state drive (SSD), or the like.

[0026] The input / output interface 14 is a functional element that receives data from a user or provides data to a user. The input / output interface 14 is configured to be connectable to, for example, a keyboard KB, a mouse (not shown), a display device (not shown), and the like.

[0027] The expansion bus interface 15 is a functional element disposed in the computing unit 11 and capable of connecting peripheral devices and expansion boards. The expansion bus interface 15 can be realized, for example, by an interface conforming to the PCI Express (registered trademark) standard or the USB (registered trademark) standard. The expansion bus interface 15 can connect an information collection module 20 as an external device of the computer 10.

[0028] The arithmetic unit 11 , memory 12 , storage unit 13 , input / output interface 14 and expansion bus interface 15 are connected to one another by a bus 16 .

[0029] The information collecting module 20 of this embodiment includes a short-distance wireless interface 21, a control unit 22, a storage unit 23 (first storage unit), and an expansion bus interface 25.

[0030] The short-distance wireless interface 21 is a wireless interface with a communication distance of about several tens of meters. Examples of the short-distance wireless interface 21 include an interface conforming to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard, an interface conforming to the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) standard, and an infrared communication interface. The short-distance wireless interface 21 includes, for example, an antenna ANT1.

[0031] The control unit 22 is a functional element that controls each element constituting the information collecting module 20. The control unit 22 controls data exchange with the computer 10 connected via the expansion bus interface 15, and data exchange with the terminal 30 connected via the short-range wireless interface 21.

[0032] The storage unit 23 corresponds to the storage unit 13 and is an auxiliary storage device capable of storing data files, etc. The storage unit 23 can be realized by a non-volatile memory, such as a flash memory, such as a solid state drive (SSD), for example.

[0033] The expansion bus interface 25 is a functional element corresponding to the expansion bus interface 15. The expansion bus interface 25 can be connected to the expansion bus interface 15 of the computer 10. The expansion bus interface 25 can be realized by, for example, an interface conforming to the PCI Express (registered trademark) standard or the USB (registered trademark) standard, and has a common standard with the expansion bus interface 15 of the computer 10.

[0034] The short-range wireless interface 21, the control unit 22, the storage unit 23, and the expansion bus interface 25 are connected to one another by a bus 26.

[0035] In this embodiment, the expansion bus interface 15 of the computer 10 is, for example, a PCI Express slot arranged on a main board including the processing unit 11. Meanwhile, the information collecting module 20 is, for example, configured as a PCI Express card. That is, the expansion bus interface 25 of the information collecting module 20 corresponds to a group of PCI Express terminals. The information collecting module 20 is connected by inserting a group of terminals as the expansion bus interface 25 into a PCI Express slot as the expansion bus interface 15 of the computer 10.

[0036] When the information collecting module 20 is connected to the computer 10 via the expansion bus interface 25, the computer 10 can recognize the storage unit 23 of the information collecting module 20 as an external storage device. That is, the computer 10 can store maintenance information in the storage unit 23 of the information collecting module 20 as well as in the storage unit 13.

[0037] The terminal 30 of this embodiment has a calculation unit 31, a memory 32, a storage unit 33 (second storage unit), an input / output interface (I / F) , a first wireless interface (I / F) 35, and a second wireless interface (I / F) .

[0038] The computing unit 31 is a functional element including a central processing unit (CPU) and a motherboard of the terminal 30. The computing unit 31 loads a program stored in the storage unit 33 into the memory 32 and executes the program.

[0039] The memory 32 is a main storage device or cache memory that stores data and programs, and can be realized by, for example, a volatile memory (RAM) or a non-volatile memory (ROM).

[0040] The storage unit 33 is an auxiliary storage device that stores programs, data files, etc. The storage unit 13 can be realized by, for example, a flash memory such as a solid state drive (SSD).

[0041] The input / output interface 14 is a functional element that receives data from a user or provides data to a user. The input / output interface 14 is configured to be connectable to, for example, a touch panel (not shown), a display device (not shown), and the like.

[0042] The first wireless interface 35 corresponds to the short-range wireless interface 21 of the information collecting module 20, and is a wireless interface with a communication distance of approximately several tens of meters. The first wireless interface 35 is compliant with a common standard to the short-range wireless interface 21, and may be, for example, an interface conforming to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard, an interface conforming to the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) standard, or an infrared communication interface. The first wireless interface 35 includes an antenna ANT1, similar to the short-range wireless interface 21.

[0043] The short-distance wireless interface 21 and the short-distance wireless interface 35 can perform pairing settings with each other. Pairing settings for short-distance wireless interfaces means that a communication partner is authenticated in advance and set to a state in which encrypted communication is possible, such as in a Bluetooth system. In this embodiment, pairing settings are performed in advance between the short-distance wireless interface 21 of the information collection module 20 and the short-distance wireless interface 35 of the terminal 30. When devices that have performed pairing settings approach each other within their communication ranges, they can automatically complete connection settings and communication settings. Note that connection settings and communication settings may also be performed manually.

[0044] The second wireless interface 36 corresponds to the wireless access point 44 and is a wireless interface of a standard having a wider communication range than the first wireless interface 36. The second wireless interface 36 is configured to be able to communicate with the wireless access point 44. The second wireless interface 36 includes an antenna ANT2, similar to the wireless access point 44. The standard of the second wireless interface 36 may be the same as the standard of the first wireless interface 35.

[0045] When the second wireless interface 36 is connected to the wireless access point 44, the terminal 30 is able to communicate with the cloud computer 40.

[0046] The calculation unit 31 , the memory 32 , the storage unit 33 , the input / output interface 34 , the first wireless interface 35 and the second wireless interface 36 are connected to one another by a bus 37 .

[0047] (Information collection operation of information collection module) Next, the information collecting operation of the information collecting module 20 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0048] 3, the expansion bus interface 25 of the information collecting module 20 is connected to the expansion bus interface 15 of the computer 10, which is the target computer (S100). For example, the PCI Express terminal (card) of the information collecting module 20 is inserted into a PCI Express slot on the main board of the computer 10.

[0049] When the expansion bus interface 25 of the information collecting module 20 is connected to the expansion bus interface 15, the information collecting module 20 receives power from the computer 10 through the expansion bus interface and starts up. The computer 10 recognizes the storage unit 23 of the information collecting module 20 as an external storage device.

[0050] The calculation unit 11 of the computer 10 stores maintenance information of the storage unit 13 and the like in the storage unit 23 of the information collecting module 20 serving as an external storage device at a predetermined timing (S110).

[0051] The control unit 22 of the information collecting module 20 monitors whether or not the terminal 30 is connected via the short-range wireless interface 21 (S120). It is assumed that the short-range wireless interface 21 of the information collecting module 20 and the first wireless interface 35 of the terminal 30 are previously set up for pairing.

[0052] If the terminal 30 is not connected to the information collecting module 20 via a short-range wireless interface (NO in S120), the storage unit 23 of the information collecting module 20 continues to store the maintenance information (S110).

[0053] When the first wireless interface 35 of the terminal 30 automatically or manually completes connection settings or communication settings with the short-range wireless interface 21 of the information collecting module 20 (Yes in S120), the control unit 22 of the information collecting module 20 waits for an information acquisition command from the terminal 30 (S130, No in S130).

[0054] When the connection settings and communication settings between the short-range wireless interface 21 of the information collection module 20 and the first wireless interface 35 of the terminal 30 are completed automatically or manually, the terminal 30 notifies the user of the completion of the communication settings via a touch panel or the like serving as an input / output interface 34.

[0055] In response to the notification of the completion of the communication setting, the user can input an information acquisition command through the input / output interface 34 serving as a touch panel. The information acquisition command input through the input / output interface 34 is sent to the information collecting module 20 via the first wireless interface 35. The information acquisition command may be automatically sent to the information collecting module 20 in response to the completion of the communication setting.

[0056] When the short-range wireless interface 21 of the information collecting module 20 receives the information acquisition command (Yes in S130), the control unit 22 transmits the maintenance information stored in the storage unit 23 to the terminal 30 via the short-range wireless interface 21 (S140).

[0057] When the calculation unit 31 of the terminal 30 receives the maintenance information via the short-range wireless interface 35, it stores the information in the storage unit 33 (S150).

[0058] Thus, according to the information collection system 1 of the embodiment, in on-site maintenance service of the computer 10, the user connects the terminal 30 to the information collection module 20 via a short-range wireless interface near the computer 10 to be maintained (within the range of the module's wireless connection), so that the terminal 30 can collect maintenance information collected from the computer 10. In other words, by connecting the terminal 30 and the information collection module 20 via a short-range wireless interface in on-site maintenance service, it is possible to collect maintenance information without the need for direct access to the computer 10 using a LAN cable or the like.

[0059] Furthermore, even at a site where multiple computers 10 are installed, by connecting an information collection module 20 to each computer 10 and setting up pairing with a terminal 30 in advance, a maintenance staff member can collect maintenance information for each computer 10 using the terminal 30.

[0060] According to the information collection module 20 of the embodiment, the efficiency of maintenance service for the computer 10 can be improved.

[0061] In the embodiment described above, the computer 10 stores the maintenance information in the storage unit 23 of the information collecting module 20 recognized as an external storage device, but this is not limited to this. For example, the computer 10 may store the maintenance information in the storage unit 13 of the computer 10. In this case, the control unit 22 of the information collecting module 20 may read the maintenance information from the storage unit 13 of the computer 10 at a predetermined timing and store it in the storage unit 23.

[0062] In the embodiment described above, the information collecting module 20 transmits the maintenance information to the terminal 30, but the present invention is not limited to this. The terminal 30 may directly read the maintenance information from the storage unit 23 of the information collecting module 20.

[0063] Next, an information storage operation of the information collecting system 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3 and Fig. 5. The information storage operation is an operation for storing the storage information acquired from the information collecting module 20 in the cloud computer 40.

[0064] The maintenance information acquired from the information collection module 20 via the short-range wireless interface is stored in the storage unit 33 of the terminal 30.

[0065] The second wireless interface 36 of the terminal 30 completes connection setting and communication setting with the access point 44 automatically or manually via the input / output interface 34 (S200).

[0066] The calculation unit 31 of the terminal 30 notifies the user of the completion of connection with the access point 44 and the completion of communication settings via a touch panel or the like serving as the input / output interface 34 (S210).

[0067] When the communication settings are complete, the user can input a command to save the maintenance information in cloud computer 40 through a touch panel or the like serving as input / output interface 34. Input / output interface 34 accepts the command to save (S220).

[0068] When the storage instruction is received, the calculation unit 31 transmits the maintenance information stored in the storage unit 33 to the cloud computer 40 via the second wireless interface 36 (S230).

[0069] Cloud computer 40 receives the maintenance information through access point 44 and network 42. The received maintenance information is stored in cloud computer 40 (S240).

[0070] Thus, according to the information collection system 1 of the embodiment, the maintenance information collected by the terminal 30 paired with the information collection module 20 can also be stored in the cloud computer 40 as necessary. This makes it possible to investigate the chronological operation trend of the computer to be maintained, the actual health performance, the remaining useful life of the main components of the computer, and the status of the computer in more detail.

[0071] When the health performance of key components such as storage drives, fans, batteries, and power supplies falls below a certain threshold, the target computer is at risk of failure. According to the information collection system 1 of the embodiment, it is possible to provide more detailed information to the user, enabling data-driven decision-making such as predictive maintenance.

[0072] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1. Information gathering system 10. Computer 11...Arithmetic section 12…Memory 13...Storage section 14... Input / Output Interface 15...Expansion bus interface 16…Bus KB…keyboard 20…Information gathering module 21...Short-range wireless interface 22...Control section 23...Storage section 25...Expansion bus interface 26…Bus 30…Terminal ANT1…antenna 31...Arithmetic section 32...Memory 33...Storage section 34... Input / Output Interface 35…First radio interface 36...Second wireless interface 37…Bus ANT2…antenna 40. Cloud Computer 42…Network 44…Access point 50,52…area

Claims

1. An information collection module connectable to a computer to be maintained and a terminal device for collecting maintenance information of the computer, an expansion bus interface connectable to the computer; a first storage unit capable of storing maintenance information of the computer sent from the computer via the expansion bus interface; a short-range wireless interface connectable to the terminal device when the terminal device is located within a predetermined range; a control unit capable of transmitting the maintenance information stored in the first storage unit to the terminal device through the short-range wireless interface when the terminal device is connected to the short-range wireless interface; An information gathering module equipped with:

2. 2. The information collecting module according to claim 1, wherein the maintenance information includes at least one of RAS information, SMART information, an event log of an OS of the computer, and an AFC log of the computer.

3. 2. The information collecting module according to claim 1, wherein said first storage section stores said maintenance information sent from said computer at predetermined time intervals.

4. The information collection module according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit transmits the maintenance information stored in the first memory unit to the terminal device when the terminal device is connected via the short-range wireless interface and receives an information acquisition command from the terminal device.

5. A terminal device connectable to the information collecting module according to claim 1, a first wireless interface connectable to the short-range wireless interface of each of the plurality of information collection modules; a second storage unit capable of storing the maintenance information transmitted from each of the plurality of information collecting modules connected to the first wireless interface; A terminal device comprising:

6. a second wireless interface connectable to a cloud computer via a network; a control unit capable of transmitting the maintenance information stored in the second storage unit to the cloud computer when the cloud computer is connected through the second wireless interface; The terminal device according to claim 5, further comprising:

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