Information processing device, information processing system, information processing method, and information processing program

Abstract

To provide a technology which predicts a replacement recommendation time of each of multiple elements in a valve, and can consign work to a suitable maintenance provider in a short period of time.SOLUTION: An information processing device (100) is configured to: acquire abnormality detection information pertaining to each of multiple elements in valves (V1-V4); generate presentation information for presenting, to a customer, a maintenance provider selected on the basis of the information; and provide, to the selected maintenance provider, maintenance-related information pertaining to an element in which the abnormality is detected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing system (maintenance outsourcing system), an information processing method, and an information processing program. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, various piping equipment is installed in various places, such as large-scale facilities such as various plants and buildings, or small-scale structures such as houses and stores. Such piping equipment includes, for example, various pipes, valves, and various actuators for automatically controlling the valves. Among rotary valves such as ball valves and butterfly valves used in this piping equipment, there is a high demand for 90-degree rotation type (quarter-turn type) rotary valves. In addition, for example, pneumatic actuators are often installed as actuators for driving these.

[0003] Normally, even in such piping equipment, a device is required to automatically control devices such as valves and actuators, or to monitor the status of these devices in order to manage and maintain their operating conditions. In recent years, there has been an increasing demand not only for monitoring the status of valves or actuators in piping equipment, but also for systems that have more precise status detection capabilities and can manage and control the equipment from various perspectives based on the detection results. Examples of such status detection capabilities include failure prediction and life diagnosis of the above-mentioned equipment, and even appropriate evaluation and discrimination of failures and symptoms at the product and component level.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for grasping the state of a valve using a sensor unit including a gyro sensor attached to the output shaft of the valve. This technology targets a rotary valve such as a ball valve or butterfly valve, and measures angular velocity data accompanying the rotation of the valve over the entire range of its rotational range from fully closed to fully open during valve operation. The measured angular velocity data is compared with reference data, which is data on the angular velocity of the valve from its initial (new) state to its failed state, stored in advance in the system. By comparing the measured angular velocity data with the reference data, the state of the valve, which cannot be determined from its appearance, is grasped. Then, the remaining number of times (time) the valve needs to be operated before it fails is grasped from abnormalities before the valve failure occurs. Examples of the abnormalities include changes in the progression of the angular velocity data, the position of the peak, the width of the peak, and the magnitude of the peak.

[0005] Also, a valve status grasping system is known that enables highly accurate abnormality detection or status prediction through efficient valve system monitoring and information accumulation (see, for example, Patent Document 2). This system acquires information on the position and operation history of the valves in the line and predicts the valve status by referring to this information. The acquired information is also accumulated and used for further valve status prediction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 235599 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2021 / 117810 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The abnormality prediction technology described above can prevent situations such as production lines being stopped after a breakdown and a drop in the factory's operating rate. However, there is no technical approach to minimize the time required from valve abnormality prediction to the completion of maintenance. If a customer does not have a transaction with a specific maintenance company, the customer must select a new company when considering repairing or replacing the target valve. It is thus time-consuming for a customer to select a maintenance company from scratch.

[0008] Meanwhile, currently there are separate maintenance companies that specialize in the maintenance of different products or parts, such as valve types or actuators that operate valves. If a customer does not have a business relationship with a specific maintenance company in advance, they have no choice but to select a new maintenance company. In addition, even after a maintenance company is selected, adjustments such as the timing of maintenance must be made in advance and coordination between companies must be made each time. This increases the management burden on customers. This is because, even if abnormality prediction is automated (using AI), the maintenance itself is still a manual task, and there is no rational man-machine interface.

[0009] Even if a business relationship exists between a specific maintenance company and a customer, the maintenance schedule may be delayed due to the maintenance company's busy schedule, the schedule of regular repairs, or other reasons related to the maintenance, which may adversely affect the operation of the factory. For example, such reasons may include the valve being installed in a dangerous location, such as inside an explosion-proof structure or high-voltage facility, and requiring special maintenance work.

[0010] In view of the above circumstances, one aspect of the present invention aims to provide an information processing device that can predict the recommended replacement timing for each of multiple elements in a valve and quickly outsource the work to an appropriate maintenance company that matches the content of the maintenance work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an abnormality detection information acquisition unit that acquires abnormality detection information including abnormality detection for each of a plurality of elements in a valve, a presentation information generation unit that generates presentation information for presenting to a customer, who is a user of the valve, a maintenance contractor selected in accordance with information on the elements in which abnormalities have been detected and the timing of the abnormality based on the abnormality detection information, and a maintenance-related information provision unit that provides maintenance-related information on the elements in which abnormalities have been detected and the timing of the abnormality to the selected maintenance contractor.

[0012] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an abnormality detection information acquisition unit that acquires abnormality detection information including abnormality detection for each of a plurality of elements in a valve, a presentation unit that presents presentation information to a customer who is a user of the valve, for presenting a maintenance contractor selected according to information relating to the element for which an abnormality has been detected and timing, and a maintenance-related information provision unit that provides the selected maintenance contractor with maintenance-related information relating to the element for which an abnormality has been detected and the timing of the element for which an abnormality has been detected.

[0013] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an information processing method according to one aspect of the present invention is an information processing method for assisting valve maintenance by generating information related to valve maintenance by referring to a signal that detects valve operation, and includes an abnormality detection information acquisition step of acquiring abnormality detection information including abnormality detection related to each of a plurality of elements in the valve, a presentation information generation step of generating presentation information for presenting to a customer, who is a user of the valve, a maintenance contractor selected in accordance with information on the elements in which abnormalities have been detected and the timing related to the abnormality based on the abnormality detection information, and a maintenance-related information provision step of providing the selected maintenance contractor with maintenance-related information related to the elements in which abnormalities have been detected and the timing related to the abnormality. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing device that, when an abnormality is detected in each of multiple elements in a valve, predicts the recommended replacement time for each element and can quickly outsource the work to an appropriate maintenance company that matches the maintenance work content. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an information processing system (maintenance outsourcing system) according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 4 is a flowchart showing a process flow in an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 2 is a sequence diagram showing a flow of information in an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a graph of angular velocity data used in the information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 1 is a perspective view of a valve unit included in an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 4 is an example of a display screen of a user terminal device included in the information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 5 is an example of a display screen of a maintenance company terminal device included in the information processing system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 is a block diagram showing the physical configuration of each device constituting an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing a main part of a process flow in an information processing system according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing a flow of information when emergency maintenance is performed in an information processing system according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] In an embodiment of the present invention, an abnormality is detected from angular velocity data of the rotation of a rotary shaft in a valve unit in which a rotary shaft is rotated by an actuator to rotate a valve element of a valve. Then, an information processing device is realized that estimates the timing of maintenance from the angular velocity data, selects an appropriate maintenance contractor that matches the maintenance work content, and notifies a user.

[0017] [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0018] <Information Processing System (Maintenance Outsourcing System) 500> 1 is a diagram that illustrates a schematic configuration of an information processing system (also called a "maintenance outsourcing system") 500 according to this embodiment. First, the configuration of the information processing system 500 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0019] The information processing system 500 includes a piping facility PL, a gateway 600 capable of wirelessly communicating with each of the sensor units 1 of the valve units V1, V2, V3, and V4 provided in the piping facility PL, a server 400 communicatively connected via a network (Internet 800) communicatively connected to the gateway 600, and terminal devices 201, 202, and 203. The terminal devices 201, 202, and 203 are a user terminal device, a service provider (administrator of the information processing system 500) terminal device, and a maintenance company terminal device, respectively.

[0020] Here, the server 400 may be a cloud server, and stores the information processing device 100 and a database 404. The server 400 has a communication function using a medium-range wireless communication module such as LTE or Wi-Fi (registered trademark) as a transmission / reception function with the gateway 600.

[0021] 1, the piping installation PL includes, for example, equipment used for a heat source, chemical refining, water purification or cleansing, piping systems A and B connected to the equipment, and valve units V1, V2, V3, V4 and a pump P provided in the piping systems A and B. Each of the valve units V1 to V4 includes a valve 3, an actuator 2 that drives the valve 3, and a sensor unit 1. The sensor unit 1 includes a gyro sensor 7. Details of the piping installation PL will be described later.

[0022] The information processing system 500 includes an information processing device 100 so as to monitor and control the piping equipment PL and, if an abnormality is detected, to entrust the work to a maintenance company at an appropriate time. The information processing device 100 will be described below.

[0023] <Configuration of information processing device 100> The abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 functions as an acquisition unit and an estimation unit. The acquisition unit acquires angular velocity data of the rotation of a rotation shaft in a valve unit in which an actuator rotates a rotation shaft to rotate a valve body of a valve, the angular velocity data being detected by an angular velocity sensor. The estimation unit estimates the degree of abnormality of each of the actuator and the valve by referring to the angular velocity data acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0024] The information processing device 100 monitors or controls the valves 3 and actuators 2 of the piping equipment PL to perform maintenance management of the valve units V1 to V4. Furthermore, when an abnormality is detected in the valves 3 or actuators 2, the information processing device 100 is responsible for entrusting the maintenance to a contractor at an appropriate time. For this reason, as shown in Fig. 1, the information processing device 100 includes an abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101, a presentation information generation unit 102, a maintenance-related information provision unit 103, an estimate acquisition unit 104, a maintenance ordering unit 105, and a presentation information provision unit 106. Each component unit will be described below.

[0025] (Abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101) The abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 acquires abnormality detection information including abnormality detection regarding each of a plurality of elements in the valve. For example, the abnormality detection information may be output information of an angular velocity sensor that detects angular velocity data of the rotation of a rotation shaft in a valve unit in which a rotation shaft is rotated by an actuator to rotate a valve body of the valve. More specifically, if the abnormality detection information is data of the operation time and the angular velocity shown in FIG. 4, it is data indicating a numerical value of the angular velocity during a certain operation time of the valve, which is a numerical value deviated from the numerical value of the angular velocity during normal operation during the operation time. The abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 acquires output information (angular velocity data) of the gyro sensor 7 of each sensor unit 1 from the sensor unit 1 via the gateway 600 and the server 400. The angular velocity data is stored in the database 404 via the server 400.

[0026] The abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 refers to the angular velocity data acquired from the gyro sensor 7, and estimates the type and degree of abnormality for each of the multiple elements in the valve, i.e., the actuator 2 and the valve 3. A method for estimating the type and degree of abnormality will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0027] The above-mentioned "rotating shaft" is a general term for a shaft that transmits power to rotate the valve element of the valve 3. The "rotating shaft" refers to one or more of the stem connected to the valve element of the valve 3 of the valve units V1 to V4, the output shaft of the actuator 2 connected to the stem, and the control shaft 4 of the actuator 2 (FIG. 5). The configurations of the sensor unit 1, actuator 2, and valve 3 provided in each of the valve units V1 to V4 will be described later with reference to FIG. 5.

[0028] The abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 may acquire the angular velocity value detected by the gyro sensor 7 as angular velocity data, or may acquire angular velocity data (angular velocity graph) in which the angular velocity measurement value on the sensor unit 1 side is graphed according to the valve opening degree.

[0029] The present inventors have found that performance degradation of the valve 3 due to, for example, wear or damage to the ball seat, and performance degradation of the actuator 2 are closely related to changes in angular velocity with respect to the valve opening over time. Therefore, the present inventors have found that by mainly measuring the changes in angular velocity with respect to the valve opening over time with the gyro sensor 7 of the sensor unit 1 and diagnosing this, it is possible to estimate the degree of abnormality in each of the actuator 2 and the valve 3.

[0030] Therefore, the abnormality detection information acquiring unit 101 estimates the degree of abnormality of each of the actuator 2 and the valve 3 based on the value of the angular velocity data corresponding to the opening degree of the valve 3.

[0031] Specifically, the inventors have found the following in a case where the actuator 2 is a pneumatic rotary actuator with a double-acting Scotch yoke structure, and the rotary shaft of the valve is rotated by this Scotch yoke type pneumatic actuator. That is, the inventors have found that in this case, if the Scotch yoke is deteriorated, the output torque weakens when the valve is at an intermediate opening, and a change is observed in the progression of the angular velocity data at the intermediate opening. That is, if the Scotch yoke is deteriorated, the progression of the angular velocity data at the intermediate opening of the valve changes (drops) compared to an actuator with no Scotch yoke deterioration. Similarly, with regard to rack-and-pinion type actuators, the progression of the angular velocity data at the intermediate opening of the valve changes (drops) due to deterioration.

[0032] Furthermore, the inventors have noted that when the valve 3 is a sliding valve that opens and closes by sliding, such as a ball valve or butterfly valve, and particularly when it is a ball valve, the contact area between the ball valve body and the ball seat becomes small (i.e., the sliding friction force becomes small) when the valve 3 is at an intermediate opening. In other words, they predicted that the ball valve would be less likely to affect the transition of angular velocity data at an intermediate opening. In other words, the inventors have found that when the valve 3 is at an intermediate opening, if a sudden change (drop) is observed in the transition of angular velocity data, it can be determined (estimated) that there is an operational abnormality in the Scotch yoke actuator.

[0033] Therefore, the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 estimates the degree of abnormality in the actuator 2 based on the numerical value of the angular velocity data in a rotation other than the initial and final stages of the rotation shaft (when the valve is at an intermediate opening degree).

[0034] The inventors also noticed that when the piping equipment PL shown in Fig. 1 is installed outdoors, there are cases where the actuator 2 breaks down due to the influence of the external environment. Specifically, the inventors found that when the actuator 2 itself is deteriorated due to the influence of rainwater or the like, the output torque of the actuator falls. The inventors also found that the value of the angular velocity falls overall in "the transition of the angular velocity at an intermediate opening of a valve operated by a deteriorated actuator" compared to "the transition of the angular velocity at an intermediate opening of a valve operated by a normal actuator".

[0035] For example, in the case of a pneumatic actuator, air is supplied. The inside of the actuator may corrode due to moisture contained in the supplied air, or moisture caused by condensation due to the temperature difference between the relatively high temperature air supplied to the actuator and the atmosphere inside the actuator. In particular, when the supplied air contains moisture, the inner wall of the cylinder or the surface of the piston where the supplied air remains may corrode. If rust occurs on the surface of the inner wall and the surface of the piston due to this corrosion, these surfaces will become rough due to the rust.

[0036] Therefore, if rust has formed on the actuator due to corrosion, the sliding resistance between the piston and the inner wall of the actuator increases when the piston slides along the inner wall as the actuator operates. At this time, the pressure of the supplied air, which is the output torque of the actuator, does not change. As a result, the value of the angular velocity, which is the opening and closing speed of the valve, decreases. By capturing such changes in the progression of angular velocity, it is possible to grasp the deterioration status of the pneumatic actuator due to rust inside.

[0037] In addition, in the case of a spring-return actuator, which can return to its original starting position by the elastic deformation of the internal spring, the elastic deformation force decreases when the spring corrodes. Also, for example, as the rust on the spring is removed, the spring diameter becomes thinner (thinner). In such a case, the stress from the spring may not be transmitted to the piston, or the spring may break, causing the valve to not return to its original position after opening or closing.

[0038] As mentioned above, when the valve is at an intermediate opening, there is almost no contact between the ball valve body and the ball seat, so the valve is less likely to affect the transition of the angular velocity data at the intermediate angle. Therefore, if an overall change (drop) is seen in the transition of the angular velocity data when the valve is at an intermediate opening, it can be determined (estimated) that deterioration of the actuator is occurring.

[0039] On the other hand, during periods other than when the valve is at an intermediate opening, i.e., when the valve starts to open from a fully closed state and when it starts to close from a fully open state (initial period of rotation of the valve disc), the contact area between the ball valve disc and the ball seat becomes large (i.e., the sliding friction force becomes large). Similarly, the ball valve disc and the ball seat are in contact with each other just before the valve is fully closed and just before it is fully open (final period of rotation of the valve disc). That is, during these periods, the state of the valve, and especially the ball seat, is expressed as angular velocity data via the rotation axis.

[0040] Therefore, the abnormality detection information acquiring unit 101 estimates the degree of abnormality in the valve 3 based on the values ​​of the angular velocity data at the beginning and end of the rotation of the rotary shaft.

[0041] In short, in this embodiment, the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 estimates the degree of abnormality in both the actuator 2 and the valve 3 based on the transition of the angular velocity data from the beginning of the rotation of the rotating shaft through the middle stage of the rotation to the end stage of the rotation.

[0042] Here, "abnormalities" in the valve refer to foreign matter caught in the ball seat, swelling of the ball seat, wear of the ball seat, wear of the packing, wear of the gland part of the body, wear of the gland packing, wear of the stem bearing, galling of the stem, adhesion of foreign matter to the ball surface, accumulation or scratches, etc. "Abnormalities" in the actuator refer to increased sliding resistance of the actuator (including increased sliding resistance due to moisture getting into the actuator causing rust or corrosion), malfunction due to freezing of moisture in the actuator, or a drop in pressure supplied to the actuator, etc., as described below.

[0043] The anomaly detection information acquisition unit 101 compares the angular velocity data acquired from the sensor unit 1 with the reference data, which is angular velocity data for comparison (for example, the reference data as angular velocity data for comparison that serves as a reference for estimating the degree of anomaly), over the entire range of the valve opening (between 0° and 90° of valve opening). However, the comparison may be performed over a specific valve opening range that is a part of the entire range. An example of the specific valve opening range is the intermediate valve opening. As described above, by comparing the measured angular velocity data with the reference data at the intermediate opening of the valve 3, the degree of anomaly can be estimated with a focus on the actuator 2. Another example of the specific valve opening range may be the initial opening, the final opening, or each period before the initial opening.

[0044] The reference data is stored in the database 404, and the anomaly detection information acquisition unit 101 may acquire the reference data from the database 404. The reference data may be stored in advance, as described later, or may be data obtained by accumulating angular velocity data detected by the gyro sensor 7 in the past.

[0045] Furthermore, the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 refers to the reference data and estimates the degree of the abnormality by comparing the angular velocity data acquired by the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 with the reference data. The reference data can be acquired, for example, by detecting the rotation of the rotation shaft of a normal valve with the gyro sensor 7.

[0046] An example in which the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 estimates the type of abnormality in an element of a valve by comparing the angular velocity data acquired from the gyro sensor 7 with the reference data will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0047] Here, the gyro sensor 7 of the sensor unit 1 is preferably attached to the control shaft 4 (FIG. 5) or output shaft of the actuator 2. This is because, although a time lag occurs between the time when the actuator 2 starts to drive and the time when the valve 3 starts to rotate, angular velocity data due to the drive of the actuator 2 during this time lag can be obtained. The time lag is caused by backlash of the drive system reduction gear inside the actuator 2 and the presence of play (backlash) at the connection part between the output shaft of the actuator 2 and the stem of the valve 3. Therefore, attaching the gyro sensor 7 to the actuator 2 side, rather than the valve 3 side, allows the angular velocity to be detected at the same time as the actuator 2 starts to drive, enabling more precise detection of the angular velocity. In particular, it is effective for a valve that repeatedly rotates forward and backward, since the degree of deterioration between the gears can be detected from the expansion of the gap between the backlash and play by utilizing the backlash and play at the initial movement.

[0048] Furthermore, the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 predicts the "timing of abnormality" based on the estimated degree of abnormality of each element in the valve, and acquires information regarding the "timing of abnormality." Here, the information regarding the timing of abnormality acquired by the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 may include information regarding the recommended replacement timing of the element in which an abnormality has been detected.

[0049] More specifically, the abnormality detection information includes, for example, the name or model number of the valve or actuator part that needs to be replaced, the product name or model number data of the valve in case of replacing the valve itself, and for valves or actuators made by other companies, a list of the company's comparable products that meet the same specifications. This allows the user to know the approximate replacement time of the element (part) before the element (part) breaks down, and therefore to arrange maintenance at the appropriate time.

[0050] Moreover, the information on the recommended replacement time is, for example, information on the time until the recommended replacement time. More specifically, in the case of a valve, if the deadline for failure due to wear of the sealing member of a ball valve in which an abnormality has been detected is "nine months later," and the recommended replacement time based on information such as the combination with other maintenance is "six months later," the recommended replacement time in this case may be "six months." In addition, in the case of an actuator, if the deadline for failure due to wear of the sliding gear parts in the actuator of a ball valve in which an abnormality has been detected is "12 months later," and the period until the recommended replacement time is "eight months later," the recommended replacement time in this case may be "eight months."

[0051] Furthermore, the information on the timing of the abnormality may include information on the recommended replacement timing of the element in which an abnormality has been detected, which is selected based on information on the recommended replacement timing of all valves owned by the customer (user) in the same area. For example, the information on the timing of the abnormality may include information on the recommended replacement timing of all elements included in the valve units V1 to V4 shown in FIG. 1. This allows the user to know the recommended replacement timing of all elements included in the valve units owned by the user in the same area, and also allows the user to collectively arrange for maintenance of all elements at the appropriate time. Note that the selection process may be configured to be performed by the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101, as an example.

[0052] The timing information regarding the abnormality may include information on the timing of regular inspections of valves in the same area held by the customer or information on the recommended timing of replacement of an element in which an abnormality has been detected, which is selected based on the customer's operation information. For example, when a user outsources maintenance to a specific maintenance company to carry out regular inspections of equipment, the specific maintenance company and the user may coordinate the timing of regular inspections and the customer's operation information with the recommended timing of replacement of the element. As a result, maintenance may be scheduled. The selection process may be configured to be performed by the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101, for example.

[0053] The anomaly detection information acquisition unit 101 transmits information about the element in which an anomaly has been detected and information about the time period related to the anomaly to the presentation information generation unit 102 .

[0054] (Presentation information generating unit 102 and presentation information providing unit 106) The presentation information generating unit 102 generates presentation information for presenting a maintenance contractor selected according to the element in which an abnormality was detected and information on the timing of the abnormality based on the abnormality detection information to a customer who is a user of the valve. For example, the presentation information generating unit 102 selects a maintenance contractor suitable for the required maintenance based on the element in which an abnormality was detected, the type of abnormality, the degree of the abnormality, or the estimated lifespan (recommended replacement time for the element) of the element in which an abnormality was detected. Information on the maintenance contractor may be stored in advance in the database 404. Note that the above selection process can be configured to be performed by the anomaly detection information acquiring unit 101, as an example.

[0055] In this specification, unless otherwise specified, "lifespan" means the recommended replacement timing for maintenance. The recommended replacement timing is the time from the time when the valve element breaks down and no longer exhibits the desired function (the aforementioned "expected failure occurrence deadline", the lifespan of the element in the general sense) that allows for a margin of time for performing maintenance, and is a period shorter than the lifespan in the general sense. The "margin of time" generally tends to be longer the longer the period until the end of the lifespan in the general sense. Furthermore, the "margin of time" generally tends to be longer the more difficult the maintenance is (such as when it is difficult to procure materials or the maintenance work is difficult). Therefore, although it cannot be generalized, the "margin of time" is usually one to three months.

[0056] Furthermore, a maintenance company may be selected according to the position information of the valve, the position information of the maintenance company, and the recommendation level set for the maintenance company. For example, the presentation information generating unit 102 refers to information about the maintenance company and is capable of handling the required maintenance. In this case, the presentation information generating unit 102 may select one or more maintenance companies that have a business office geographically close to the location where the user's piping equipment is installed and are set to a high priority, and generate information about the maintenance company. The recommendation level set for the maintenance company is the degree of superiority that the maintenance company has for the target maintenance. The recommendation level can be set based on, for example, past maintenance performance, past evaluations by users, and the like, and can be expressed by quantifying the performance of the maintenance company. The quantification of the performance may be a score by the user, or may be performed according to a criterion that is set in advance for the performance of the maintenance company, or may be both.

[0057] The presented information providing unit 106 provides the presented information generated by the presented information generating unit 102 to the customer. The user terminal device 201 receives the presented information, and the user can view the presented information on the display screen of the user terminal device 201 and select a contractor to request an estimate. As shown in FIG. 6, the presented information includes, for example, the presence or absence of abnormality detection, the location or information indicating which part of the valve or actuator the abnormality was detected in, the type of abnormality, or information such as the timing of regular inspection or recommended replacement of the valve or actuator. If the presented information includes information on multiple maintenance contractors, the user may select one or more appropriate maintenance contractors from among the multiple contractors. At this time, an example of a display screen displayed on the user terminal device 201 will be described later with reference to FIG. 6.

[0058] (Maintenance related information providing unit 103) The maintenance-related information providing unit 103 provides the selected maintenance company with maintenance-related information regarding the element in which an abnormality has been detected and information regarding the timing of the abnormality. The maintenance-related information is information regarding maintenance that the maintenance company requests (desires) for the purpose of the desired maintenance. An example of the maintenance-related information includes information that a sealing material is broken (for example, angular velocity data that does not reach an abnormality but shows a sign of an abnormality regarding the sealing material, etc.). An example of the maintenance-related information regarding the element in which an abnormality has been detected includes the structure, material, manufacturer information, dealer information, inventory at the user or another maintenance company, and price of the element (for example, the sealing material). An example of the maintenance-related information regarding the timing of the abnormality includes information regarding the expected timing of occurrence of a failure that impairs the desired function of the element, information regarding the arrival time of the element, and user work information such as the user's regular inspection timing.

[0059] For example, the maintenance-related information providing unit 103 may transmit the maintenance-related information to the maintenance company terminal device 203. The maintenance company can access the user from the company side without waiting for an inquiry from the user by viewing the display screen of the maintenance company terminal device 203. At this time, an example of the display screen displayed on the maintenance company terminal device 203 will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0060] (Estimate acquisition unit 104) The estimate acquisition unit 104 acquires an estimate from the maintenance company that has received the maintenance-related information. The estimate may be acquired, for example, in a dedicated format, or may be acquired by e-mail or fax as appropriate. As described above, the user can select one or more maintenance companies from among the maintenance companies presented by the presentation information provided by the presentation information providing unit 106 and request an estimate for the maintenance cost. The estimate acquisition unit 104 acquires estimates from each maintenance company in response to the user's request for an estimate. The estimate may include, in addition to the cost of the maintenance, a schedule when the maintenance can be performed, or more detailed information regarding the work of the maintenance company. The user can select a company to entrust the maintenance to from one or more maintenance companies based on the estimate. The selection information of the maintenance company by the user is acquired by the estimate acquisition unit 104, for example.

[0061] (Maintenance Ordering Department 105) The maintenance ordering unit 105 places an order for maintenance with the maintenance company selected by the customer who received the presented information. For example, the maintenance ordering unit 105 transmits the maintenance order information to the terminal device 203 of the maintenance company selected by the user. Alternatively, the maintenance ordering unit 105 refers to the presented information, digitizes it, identifies the maintenance company with the highest digit, and transmits the maintenance order information to that maintenance company. After the information processing device 100 and the user terminal device 201 receive a notification of the maintenance acceptance from the maintenance company, the maintenance is performed.

[0062] (Database 404) The server 400 includes a database 404. The database 404 may store, for example, the following information: (1) specific information about each of the elements in the valve; (2) measurement data for each of the elements in the valve; (3) Reference data, (4) Maintenance history (5) Maintenance company information (6) User information

[0063] Examples of each piece of information are: (1) Model number, drawing information, design information, purchase date, etc. of actuator 2 or valve 3 (2) Measurement data such as the angular velocity of a rotating shaft or the air pressure of an actuator, and data on the time progression of these measurement data, (3) Data used to detect anomalies in each element by comparing it with the data in (2) above, (4) The details of the maintenance work, the (most recent) date when the element was replaced, and the name of the maintenance contractor; (5) Contact information, operation information, available maintenance work, and maintenance work history of each maintenance company; (6) The model number, installation location, user operation information, contact information, etc. of each user’s valve unit. (7) Properties of the fluid flowing through the valve (toxicity, flammability, boiling point, viscosity, slurry concentration, etc.) may include:

[0064] (3) may be stored before the shipment of each element, but the data in the initial period of (2) may be used as reference data. (6) "Installation location" may include information on the location where the valve is located within the business premises, such as whether it is installed in an explosion-proof area, whether it is installed indoors or outdoors, or the scale of the plant (large or small). (6) "User operation information" may also include information on the planned timing of regular maintenance.

[0065] <Angular velocity data> A method for detecting a valve abnormality from angular velocity data measured by the gyro sensor 7 will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0066] FIG. 4 shows a comparison of angular velocity graphs using a valve unit, and is a graph in which angular velocity data is plotted according to the valve opening. The solid line in the figure shows the transition of angular velocity in a normal state, e.g., reference data. The dashed line in the figure shows the transition of angular velocity in an abnormal state, e.g., angular velocity data acquired by the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101. FIG. 4 shows the angular velocity when a ball valve is opened with a Scotch yoke type pneumatic actuator.

[0067] As shown by the solid lines in FIG. 4, in a normal state, the angular velocity data shows three peaks. The first peak represents the operation of the actuator before the power is transmitted to the valve. The second peak represents the period from when the power from the actuator starts to be transmitted to the rotation of the valve until the valve rotation stabilizes. When the valve rotation stabilizes, the angular velocity decreases. The third peak represents the period from when the valve rotation stabilizes to when the valve is fully open. The angular velocity increases as the stably rotating valve receives power from the actuator again, and decreases to zero when the actuator stops due to the valve being fully open. In particular, the third peak is a peak that occurs in the case of a Scotch yoke type actuator, and occurs in the range where the manual resistance of the ball seat and ball of the ball valve decreases, that is, near the intermediate opening where the influence of the rotational operation of the ball valve is less noticeable. For this reason, the change in angular velocity data reflects the influence of the actuator operation to a large extent, and is suitable for understanding only the state of the Scotch yoke type actuator. In the figure, the intermediate opening is represented by the operation time from the end point of the second peak to the same angular velocity at the third peak, and is, for example, 50 to 80° (fully open is 90°) in terms of the valve opening.

[0068] The abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 compares the acquired angular velocity data with the reference data. This will be described more specifically with reference to FIG. 4. For example, the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 may compare the shape or pattern of the graph of the acquired angular velocity data with the shape or pattern of the graph of the reference data of the angular velocity for comparison, compare the difference in angular velocity between the two data, compare the time required from the full closure of the valve to the previous time, or compare the transition of the data. Then, the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 specifies that the acquired angular velocity data changes (falls) overall at an intermediate opening degree of the valve (i.e., a period other than the initial and final stages of rotation of the valve disc). As a result, the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 estimates (identifies) that the actuator 2 is operating abnormally.

[0069] In addition, the graph (dotted line) of angular velocity data acquired by the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 shown in FIG. 4 shows that the operation time from the start of the operation of the actuator 2 to the full opening of the valve 3 is longer than that shown in the graph (solid line) of angular velocity data for comparison. The abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 can estimate (identify) an abnormality based on this operation time. In the case of the abnormal state shown in FIG. 4, the phenomenon of the operation time being prolonged is observed, and the angular velocity at the intermediate opening of the valve is small. Based on these characteristics, the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 estimates (identifies) that the operation of the actuator 2 is slowing down. In the case shown in FIG. 4, it is considered that the actuator 2 has malfunctioned due to water entering the actuator 2. If the phenomenon of the operation time being prolonged and the load is strong, it can be estimated that the valve 3 is abnormal.

[0070] As described above, by reading the graph of the angular velocity acquired by the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101, it is possible to estimate an abnormality in an element of the valve and the type of abnormality (cause of the abnormality), which cannot be known from the outside.

[0071] <Valve unit> The configuration of an example of the valve unit used in the above-described angular velocity measurement will be described below with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a valve unit included in an information processing system 500 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0072] (Sensor unit 1) Fig. 5 is an external perspective view of the valve unit with the sensor unit 1 attached to the actuator 2. In Fig. 5, the valve 3 of the valve unit is in a fully open state, the X-axis coincides with the axial direction of the flow path (26a), the Y-axis relative to this X-axis is the direction in which the control shaft 4 extends (upward in the figure), and the Z-axis is a direction perpendicular to both the X-axis and the Y-axis, and is a right-handed screw direction of the XY axes.

[0073] The sensor unit 1 includes a mounting portion 6 and a sensor housing portion 10, and is mounted in a position parallel to the XZ plane. The mounting portion 6 is a plate-like member having an elongated parallel surface, and one end of the mounting portion 6 is fixed to the tip of the control shaft 4 by a pressing member 5. The sensor housing portion 10 is disposed at the other end of the mounting portion 6. The gyro sensor 7 is mounted in the sensor housing portion 10. As the drive shaft rotates, the gyro sensor 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 5 so as to describe at least a part of a virtual circle having a radius equal to the length of the mounting portion 6 and centered on the control shaft 4. This improves the detection accuracy of the gyro sensor 7 compared to when the gyro sensor 7 is directly mounted on the drive shaft.

[0074] The gyro sensor 7 is provided so as to be doubly eccentric with respect to the position of the control shaft 4 when the valve 3 is in a fully open reference position. The arrangement of the gyro sensor 7 is not limited to the structure via the mounting portion 6, and the gyro sensor 7 may be fixed, for example, by a mounting fixture that is fixed in a manner that sandwiches the control shaft 4 at a central position in the axial direction of the control shaft 4.

[0075] As mentioned above, if the sensor unit 1 is attached to the output shaft or the control shaft 4, it is possible to obtain angular velocity data of only the actuator 2 during the period from when the actuator 2 starts to operate until the valve body (ball) starts to rotate. Then, the degree of abnormality of the actuator 2 can be estimated from the data. Therefore, it is preferable to attach the sensor unit 1 to the output shaft or the control shaft 4.

[0076] The gyro sensor 7 detects the rotation of the rotating shaft (the control shaft 4, the output shaft, and the stem) as angular velocity data. In this embodiment, the state of the valve 3 and the actuator 2 is monitored, diagnosed, and their life span (replacement time) is predicted based on the angular velocity data of the rotating shaft.

[0077] The gyro sensor 7 is a vibration type gyro sensor that utilizes IC type MEMS (Micro Electric Mechanical System) technology, and is a semiconductor type that is provided on an internal board. Specifically, it is a three-axis gyro sensor that can measure rotations in three orthogonal axes, XYZ. However, it is not limited to such characteristics, and can of course be selected and adjusted as desired depending on the implementation.

[0078] In addition to these, the sensor unit 1 may be combined with a temperature sensor, an acceleration sensor, a magnetic sensor, etc. (not shown). Also, for power saving, a piezoelectric sensor may be combined and the gyro sensor 7 may be operated when necessary.

[0079] In this embodiment, the gyro sensor 7 is used to detect the angular velocity, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other angular velocity sensors, such as an encoder or an acceleration sensor, may be used as long as they can detect the angular velocity. However, the gyro sensor is more suitable than the acceleration sensor in that it can be used in both vertical and horizontal piping, can be installed in any direction, and one gyro sensor can be used to detect movements in multiple directions.

[0080] (Actuator 2) In this embodiment, a pneumatic rotary actuator 2 having a double-acting Scotch yoke structure is used as the actuator 2. The actuator 2 is connected to the valve 3 via a bracket 34. The retaining bolt 33 adjusts the tightening of the packing gland against the stem connected to the output shaft of the actuator 2.

[0081] The actuator 2 has a conversion mechanism inside the main body that converts reciprocating motion into rotational motion, and the rotational force of this conversion mechanism can be output to the stem of the valve 3 via an output shaft.

[0082] Cylinder section 19 is fixed to one side of housing 18 (the right side in Fig. 5), and a piston is housed in a cylinder case of cylinder section 19. This example is a double-acting type, and air intake and exhaust ports 38, 39 are provided in cylinder section 19. In response to intake and exhaust of compressed air into the air chamber through air intake and exhaust ports 38, 39, the piston reciprocates, and accordingly, the piston rod reciprocates linearly. This motion is transmitted to the Scotch yoke and converted into rotational motion.

[0083] Depending on the implementation, a pressure sensor (not shown) may be provided in the actuator 2 as appropriate. In this case, for example, a speed controller (not shown) may be provided in the air intake and exhaust ports 38, 39, and the pressure sensor may be connected between the air intake and exhaust ports 38, 39 and the speed controller via a joint such as a tee tube or nipple tube. With this configuration, by attaching the pressure sensor to the branching point of the tee tube, it is possible to measure pressure using the pressure sensor with a simple structure without adversely affecting the intake and exhaust of compressed air.

[0084] In this embodiment, an example is described in which a pneumatic actuator is used as an actuator for automatic operation. In the case of a pneumatic actuator, a power source is not required because it is driven by air supply, and there is an advantage in that the valve system of the present invention can be installed in a plant in an explosion-proof area or a large-scale plant where it is difficult to install a power source. However, a fluid pressure actuator other than pneumatic actuator, or an electric actuator may also be used.

[0085] (Valve 3) In this embodiment, the valve 3 is a rotary valve that opens and closes a flow path by rotating a rotary shaft. The rotary shaft is not limited to the rotary shaft of an automatic valve, and may be a rotary shaft consisting of a stem of a manual valve via a manual handle (not shown). In this embodiment, the valve 3 is a quarter-turn type ball valve, but various other rotary valves, including electrically operated types such as plug valves, butterfly valves, and 180-degree rotation type ball valves, are also applicable.

[0086] <Operation of Information Processing Device 100 (Information Processing Method)> 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of the above-described processing by the information processing device 100. In the following, the flow of processing up to the execution of maintenance in the information processing device 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0087] (Step S102) A gyro sensor 7 provided in each of the valve units V1 to V4 detects angular velocity data of a rotation shaft in order to rotate the valve element of the valve.

[0088] (Steps S104 and S106) A communication unit (not shown) of the piping fixture PL transmits the angular velocity data detected in step S102 to the server 400 via the gateway 600.

[0089] (Step S108) The abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 receives the angular velocity data transmitted in step S106. Then, the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 acquires abnormality detection information including abnormality detection related to each of the multiple elements in the valve based on the received angular velocity data. That is, the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 acquires the abnormality detection information based on the received angular velocity data and judges whether or not there is an abnormality in each element in the valve. The method of judging whether or not there is an abnormality in each element in the valve was described above in the <Angular Velocity Data> section. If the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 does not judge that there is an abnormality in the element in the valve (NO in step S108), the process proceeds to step S110, and if the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 judges that there is an abnormality in any element in the valve (YES in step S108), the process proceeds to step S116.

[0090] (Step S110) The abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 does not determine that any element in the valve is abnormal, and therefore determines that each of the multiple elements in the valve is normal.

[0091] (Step S112) The abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 performs arithmetic processing on the angular velocity data detected by the gyro sensor 7 to calculate an AI score and output an operation graph. The AI ​​score is, for example, a value obtained by arithmetic processing of the angular velocity data, and is a value that can be displayed as a graph for the purpose of visualizing the soundness of the valve. Both the AI ​​score and the operation graph may be used to confirm the occurrence of an abnormality and identify the abnormal part. For example, the soundness of the valve may be confirmed by the AI ​​score, and when the abnormality reaches a certain level, the operation graph of the angular velocity data may be confirmed to identify the abnormal part. The output AI score or operation graph may be stored in the database 404.

[0092] (Step S114) A communication unit (not shown) of the information processing device 100 transmits the AI ​​score or the action graph output in step S112 to the user terminal device 201. After that, the process returns to step S102, and the processes from step S102 to step S114 are repeated.

[0093] (Step S116) The abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 determines that an abnormality exists in any element of the valve.

[0094] (Step S118) The abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 predicts the life of the element for which an abnormality has been detected, that is, the recommended replacement timing, based on the angular velocity data detected by the gyro sensor 7. Thereafter, the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 transmits the abnormality detection information and information on the timing of the abnormality to the presentation information generation unit 102.

[0095] (Step S120) The presentation information generating unit 102 generates presentation information for presenting a maintenance company selected according to information on the element in which an abnormality was detected and the timing of the abnormality based on the abnormality detection information to a customer who is a user of the valve. Examples of the presentation information include the name or model number of the part that needs to be replaced in the corresponding valve or actuator, data on the product name or model number of the valve in the case of replacing the valve itself, or, for valves or actuators made by other companies, a list of the company's rival products that meet the same specifications. At this time, the presentation information generating unit 102 may further select a maintenance company according to the location information of the valve, the location information of the maintenance company, and the recommendation level set for the maintenance company.

[0096] For example, if the database 404 holds location information about the factory in which the valve is installed, the recommendation level of a maintenance company whose location or base is closer to the factory can be set higher.

[0097] Furthermore, the database 404 may hold information about valves to be maintained by each maintenance company, such as which valve types or actuator parts the maintenance company has experience in and is specialized in. In this case, the recommendation level of the maintenance company can be set according to the information.

[0098] By selecting a maintenance contractor in this manner, from the user's perspective, not only can an estimate be automatically received, but also an appropriate maintenance contractor can be selected according to the cause of the abnormality or the product and part to be maintained.

[0099] In addition, the evaluation of a particular maintenance company may be arranged in order of the highest evaluation by referring to evaluations or reviews from other users. This allows the user to know which maintenance companies can provide higher quality service, improving the maintenance quality. In addition, the above-mentioned factors may be combined to select an appropriate maintenance company.

[0100] The presentation information providing unit 106 presents the presentation information generated by the presentation information generating unit 102 to the user. For example, the presentation information providing unit 106 transmits the presentation information to the user terminal device 201. The user may view the presentation information on a display screen of the user terminal device 201, and select one or more maintenance companies from among the maintenance companies included in the presentation information.

[0101] (Step S122) The user requests an estimate from one or more maintenance companies selected from the maintenance companies included in the presented information. At this time, maintenance-related information regarding the element in which the abnormality was detected and information regarding the timing of the abnormality may be provided to the selected maintenance company.

[0102] (Step S124) The maintenance company that has received the request for an estimate responds to the user with an estimate of the cost or delivery time required for maintenance. For example, the maintenance company transmits the estimate from the maintenance company terminal device 203 to the user terminal device 201. The estimate acquisition unit 104 acquires an estimate from the maintenance company that has received the maintenance-related information. When estimates are requested from multiple maintenance companies, estimates may be acquired from the multiple maintenance companies.

[0103] (Step S126) The user selects (decides) the company to which the maintenance will be entrusted. If estimates have been obtained from a plurality of companies, the user may select the most suitable company from among them. After that, the maintenance ordering unit 105 places an order for the maintenance to the maintenance company selected by the customer who has received the presented information. (Step S128) The selected maintenance company will carry out the maintenance.

[0104] (Step S130) After the maintenance is performed, the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 determines whether the abnormality has disappeared for each of the multiple elements in the valve. If the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 determines that the abnormality has disappeared (YES in step S130), the process proceeds to step S132. If the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 does not determine that the abnormality has disappeared (NO in step S130), the process returns to step S130.

[0105] (Step S132) The maintenance is now complete. This completes the entire process.

[0106] <Information flow in information processing systems> Next, the flow of information in the information processing system 500 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. In the information processing system 500, information is transmitted and received between the information processing device 100 (terminal device 202), the user terminal device 201, and the maintenance company terminal device 203.

[0107] (T102) The abnormality detection information and information on the timing of the abnormality (notification of the lifespan of the element in which the abnormality was detected) acquired by the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 are transmitted from the information processing device 100 to the user terminal device 201 and the maintenance company terminal device 203.

[0108] (T104) The user requests a maintenance estimate from a maintenance company selected according to the element in which an abnormality was detected and information on the time period related to the abnormality. Information on the request for estimate is transmitted from the user terminal device 201 to the information processing device 100 and the maintenance company terminal device 203.

[0109] (T106) The maintenance contractor transmits an estimate from the maintenance contractor terminal device 203 to the user terminal device 201 and the estimate acquisition unit 104 of the information processing device 100 .

[0110] (T108) The user who receives the estimate selects a contractor to whom the maintenance will be entrusted.

[0111] The maintenance ordering unit 105 places an order for maintenance with the maintenance company selected by the customer who has received the presented information. At this time, the maintenance ordering unit 105 transmits maintenance order information from the user terminal device 201 to the information processing device 100 and the maintenance company terminal device 203.

[0112] (T110) A maintenance contractor accepts the maintenance work. The maintenance contractor transmits maintenance contract information from the maintenance contractor terminal device 203 to the user terminal device 201 and the information processing device 100.

[0113] (T112) The maintenance contractor that has been contracted to carry out the maintenance will carry out the maintenance.

[0114] (T114) When the maintenance is completed, the user transmits a maintenance completion notification from the user terminal device 201 to the information processing device 100 and the maintenance contractor terminal device 203 .

[0115] (T116) The sensor is reset in the user terminal device 201. In response to a maintenance completion notification from the user terminal device 201, the information processing device 100 may reset the sensor by transmitting a sensor reset signal or a notification therefor to the user to the user terminal device 201.

[0116] <Display screen on user terminal device> Next, an example of a display screen of the presented information in the user terminal device 201 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The user terminal device 201 displays the presented information received from the presented information generating unit 102 on the display screen. As an example of the presented information, as shown in Fig. 7, the display screen displays the presence or absence of an abnormality detection, the location of the detected abnormality, the type of abnormality, the timing of regular inspection, the recommended timing of replacement, and a recommended maintenance company. In the example of Fig. 6, abnormality detection information for elements included in all valve units V1 to V4 in the same district owned by the user is displayed.

[0117] This shows that, among the valve units V1 to V4, abnormalities were detected in the valve units V1 and V4, but no abnormalities were detected in the valve units V2 and V3.

[0118] The types of abnormalities detected in the valve units V1 and V4 are also displayed. For example, it is displayed that wear of the ball seat has been detected in the valve unit V1, and a drop in the supply pressure of the actuator has been detected in the valve unit V4.

[0119] For the valve unit V1, since there is a specific maintenance company, the regular inspection time (October 2022) is displayed. In addition, the recommended replacement time (July 2022) of the element (ball seat) estimated from the abnormality detection information acquired by the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 is also displayed. It can be seen that for the valve unit V1, the recommended replacement time of the element will arrive before the regular inspection time.

[0120] Furthermore, the presentation information generating unit 102 displays information about the maintenance company selected according to the element in which an abnormality was detected and information about the time period related to the abnormality. In FIG. 6, as an example, multiple maintenance companies A, B, and C are displayed. Here, the multiple maintenance companies may be displayed in order of the degree of recommendation. The information about the maintenance company may include the contact information of the maintenance company, the content of the maintenance work that can be handled, operation information, and the like.

[0121] For valve unit V2, there is a specific maintenance company, so the periodic inspection date (December 2022) is displayed. In addition, the recommended replacement date for the element (actuator) (August 2022) is also displayed. It can be seen that the recommended replacement date for valve unit V2 will arrive before the periodic inspection date.

[0122] Furthermore, information about the selected maintenance company is displayed. In Fig. 6, as an example, multiple maintenance companies A, D, and E are displayed.

[0123] Based on the displayed information, the user can select one or more companies to request a quote from. In the example shown in Fig. 6, it is preferable to select company A, which is recommended for both valve units V1 and V4.

[0124] <Display screen on maintenance company terminal device> Next, an example of a display screen on the maintenance company terminal device 203 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Information provided by the maintenance-related information providing unit 103 is displayed on the maintenance company terminal device 203. In the example of Fig. 7, information on two users (company X and company Y) is displayed.

[0125] More specifically, each user's information (such as name and contact information), the part (model number) for which anomalies are detected, the type of anomaly, and the recommended maintenance time are displayed. In the example of FIG. 7, for User 1 (Company X), the type of anomaly is displayed as the valve ball seat being worn out, and the recommended maintenance time is displayed as "July 2022." For User 2 (Company Y), the output of the actuator is displayed as decreasing, and the recommended maintenance time is displayed as "December 2022."

[0126] Based on the displayed information, the maintenance company can access the user who wishes to undertake maintenance without waiting for a request for a quote from the user.

[0127] The information processing system not only detects an abnormality in the valve unit and estimates the recommended replacement timing for elements (components) included in the valve unit, but also makes it easy to select an appropriate maintenance contractor based on the type of abnormality detected and other information. This allows the user to entrust maintenance to an appropriate maintenance contractor at the appropriate time. Furthermore, by obtaining maintenance-related information, the maintenance contractor can access the user without waiting for a quote request or maintenance order from the user.

[0128] The information processing in the embodiment of the present invention may include further processing within the scope of obtaining the effects of the present invention. For example, the information processing is applicable to both the case where a user selects a maintenance company one by one, and the case where maintenance is included as part of a specific service that the user can use for a certain period of time (such as a subscription or lease). The information processing in the embodiment of the present invention may include information processing according to such a business model.

[0129] For example, the information processing in the embodiment of the present invention may include a process of notifying a user of a completion report of the maintenance in response to a notification of the completion of the maintenance from the maintenance company. For example, the information processing system 500 may further include a functional configuration for receiving a notification of the completion of the maintenance from the maintenance company, creating data of the maintenance completion report by referring to maintenance-related information about the maintenance, and transmitting the created completion report data to the user. In this case, the completion report may include information about the subsequent maintenance (such as the above-mentioned information about the recommended replacement time, the expected time or notice of the next maintenance, etc.). Such a configuration is advantageous from the viewpoint of smoothly proceeding with a business model in which the user pays a fee to the maintenance company for each maintenance.

[0130] Furthermore, the information processing in the embodiment of the present invention may include a process for newly registering a maintenance company. For example, the information processing system 500 may further include a functional configuration for sequentially acquiring registration applications from new maintenance companies and sequentially storing the acquired information on the maintenance companies in the database 404. Such a configuration is advantageous from the viewpoint of acquiring a maintenance company according to the position information of the valve (user) and from the viewpoint of improving the service for users in maintenance.

[0131] Furthermore, the information processing in the embodiment of the present invention may include a process of updating information referenced in the information processing based on information on completed maintenance. For example, the information processing system 500 may further include a functional configuration for acquiring information on an evaluation of the maintenance company by the user who ordered the maintenance after the maintenance is completed, determining a recommendation level for the maintenance company based on the acquired evaluation information, and storing the determined recommendation level information as maintenance company information for the maintenance company in the database 404. Such a configuration is advantageous from the viewpoint of enabling the user to select the most suitable maintenance company.

[0132] Moreover, the information processing in the embodiment of the present invention may include a process of updating reference data used for comparison when detecting the abnormality based on information of the completed maintenance. For example, the information processing system 500 may further include a functional configuration of acquiring inspection data of an object obtained from the completed maintenance (used valve body, sealing material, etc.), determining a threshold value for abnormality detection by referring to the inspection data, and storing the determined threshold value in the database 404 as a threshold value for subsequent abnormality detection. The inspection data may include, for example, the results of a surface condition (surface roughness and friction coefficient, etc.) test, the results of a breakage test, and the results of an accelerated test of further use. Such a configuration is advantageous from the viewpoint of improving the accuracy of abnormality detection, since the reference data is appropriately updated.

[0133] Furthermore, the information processing in the embodiment of the present invention may include a process of charging a registered maintenance company based on information on the completed maintenance. For example, the information processing system 500 may further include a functional configuration for determining a fee for the maintenance company that has received an order for the maintenance after the maintenance is completed, according to the maintenance company information, and notifying the maintenance company of the determined fee information. The fee can be determined, for example, according to a specific technical certification result held by the maintenance company. Such a configuration is advantageous from the viewpoint of maintaining the quality of the maintenance and the information processing system.

[0134] In addition, the information processing in the embodiment of the present invention may change the way information about maintenance is handled depending on the business model. For example, in a business model in which a certain service is provided for a fixed fee such as a subscription or lease contract, the information processing in the embodiment of the present invention may include a process of determining an evaluation of a maintenance company by referring to estimate information acquired from a maintenance company. In this case, the information processing system 500 may further include a functional configuration that, after the maintenance is completed, refers to estimate information acquired by the estimate acquisition unit 104 from the maintenance company that has received the order for the maintenance, extracts maintenance items that exceed the estimate information, determines a recommendation level for the maintenance company depending on the degree of the excess of the maintenance result, and stores the determined recommendation level information in the database 404 as maintenance company information for the maintenance company. Such a configuration is advantageous from the viewpoint of enabling a user to select an appropriate maintenance company.

[0135] In the information processing according to the embodiment of the present invention, the abnormality detection information acquisition unit may acquire the abnormality detection information by further referring to second output information related to the valve unit other than the output information of the angular velocity sensor.

[0136] The second output information is data other than the angular velocity data, and is information capable of detecting an abnormality in an element of the valve unit. Examples of the second output information include flow rate data of a flow rate sensor of the valve and data of an acoustic emission (AE) sensor. The second output information may be provided by the information processing system of the present embodiment, but may also be acquired from a sensor separately provided in the piping equipment PL of the user if permission is obtained from the user.

[0137] Further referring to the second output information to obtain the anomaly detection information is advantageous in terms of further increasing the reliability of the anomaly detection information since it is possible to reinforce the anomaly detection based on the angular velocity data. Further referring to the second output information is also advantageous in terms of enabling or increasing the accuracy of detection or estimation of the amount of change or degree of anomaly, for example, the amount of fluid leaking from a seal.

[0138] [Software implementation example] The control blocks of the information processing device 100 (particularly, the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101, the presentation information generation unit 102, and the maintenance-related information provision unit 103) may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) formed on an integrated circuit (IC chip) or the like, or may be realized by software. In the latter case, the information processing device 100 is configured using, for example, a computer (electronic calculator).

[0139] (Physical configuration of information processing device 100) Fig. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a physical configuration of a computer used as the information processing device 100. As shown in Fig. 8, the information processing device 100 can be configured by a computer including a bus 110, a processor 1001, a main memory 1002, an auxiliary memory 1003, a communication interface 1004, and an input / output interface 1005. The processor 1001, the main memory 1002, the auxiliary memory 1003, the communication interface 1004, and the input / output interface 1005 are connected to each other via the bus 110. An input device 1006 and an output device 1007 are connected to the input / output interface 1005.

[0140] The processor 1001 may be, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a microprocessor, a digital signal processor, a microcontroller, or a combination of these.

[0141] The main memory 1002 may be, for example, a semiconductor RAM (random access memory).

[0142] For example, a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a combination of these may be used as the auxiliary memory 1003. A program for causing the processor 1001 to execute the above-described operations of the information processing device 100 is stored in the auxiliary memory 1003. The processor 1001 loads the program stored in the auxiliary memory 1003 onto the main memory 1002, and executes each instruction included in the loaded program.

[0143] The communication interface 1004 is an interface for connecting to a network (eg, the Internet 800).

[0144] As the input / output interface 1005, for example, a USB interface, infrared, or a short-range communication interface such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), or a combination of these is used.

[0145] For example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch pad, a microphone, or a combination of these is used as the input device 1006. For example, a display, a printer, a speaker, or a combination of these is used as the output device 1007.

[0146] Although the information processing system 500 includes the information processing device 100, the information processing system of the present invention can be constructed by cooperation of various components including the functional configuration of the information processing device 100, even if it does not include the information processing device 100.

[0147] [Embodiment 2] Other embodiments of the present invention will be described below. The prediction of the recommended replacement time may change due to unexpected external factors. The unexpected external factors are external factors for the control of the valve unit, and are factors that rapidly accelerate the deterioration of the elements of the valve unit. Examples of such factors include a sudden increase in the flow rate of the valve, a drop in the outside temperature, and frequent occurrence of the water hammer phenomenon. In this case, there is no problem with the prediction before the change and the maintenance plan based on it, but depending on the change in the prediction result of the recommended replacement time, the appropriate maintenance work may change and the appropriate maintenance company to be entrusted may change. This embodiment is similar to the above-mentioned embodiment 1 except that processing according to the newly estimated recommended replacement time is performed. For convenience of explanation, the same content as the aspects of the above-mentioned embodiment will not be described again.

[0148] In this embodiment, the information processing device 100 includes a maintenance capability information acquisition unit. The maintenance capability information acquisition unit is a functional configuration that acquires the maintenance capability information of the maintenance contractor, and is a functional configuration that includes the estimate acquisition unit 104 described above. The "maintenance capability information" is not only the estimate described above, but also a wide range of information related to the maintenance of the maintenance contractor, and is information on elements that enable the maintenance contractor to perform the maintenance at that time. As described above, the maintenance-related information is information required by the maintenance contractor for the target maintenance among the information related to the maintenance, while the maintenance capability information is also information disclosed by the contractor to the user regarding the target maintenance among the maintenance information. Examples of the maintenance capability information include, in addition to the maintenance-related information described above, the inventory of parts at the maintenance contractor, the presence or absence of equipment used for maintenance, and the schedule (busyness status) of the maintenance contractor for the period until the new recommended replacement time.

[0149] The maintenance capability information may be input information from a maintenance company, or may be information about a maintenance company whose input information can be acquired via a server network. In the case of acquiring from a network, the maintenance capability information acquiring unit may acquire the information each time the maintenance capability information is updated, or may acquire the information at specific intervals. For example, a maintenance company can access this system from its own terminal, and store maintenance capability information such as its own maintenance work schedule, its available valve types, and information on equipment and parts it owns, as input information in the database 404 of the server via the network. In addition, by periodically updating the stored information by the maintenance company, a user can view the latest maintenance capability information for each company at the time of requesting maintenance, and can select an optimal company based on this maintenance capability information. The optimal company may be determined by the user, or may be appropriately determined according to the maintenance work to be performed, and examples thereof include the company that can perform maintenance the fastest, the company that can perform maintenance the cheapest, and the maintenance company with the most maintenance experience and reputation at the time of requesting maintenance work.

[0150] An example of an information processing method in this embodiment will be described. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing a main part of the processing flow in the information processing system according to this embodiment. The gyro sensor 7 detects new angular velocity data of the rotation shaft, and the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 acquires the abnormality detection information and determines that an abnormality exists in any element of the valve. In step 118, the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 predicts a new life (recommended replacement time) of the element for which an abnormality has been detected, based on the new angular velocity data.

[0151] In step S202, the anomaly detection information acquisition unit 101 refers to the most recently predicted lifespan and determines whether the newly predicted lifespan is equal to or less than a threshold. For example, the anomaly detection information acquisition unit 101 determines whether the difference between the newly predicted lifespan Tn and the most recent lifespan Tn-1 minus the time difference Δt between the most recent detection time and the new detection time is equal to or less than a threshold. The "threshold" here is a value corresponding to the remaining period during which maintenance can be performed as normally ordered by the user. For example, the "threshold" is set to the period during which the maintenance company can perform maintenance urgently from the start to the end of the maintenance, and corresponds to, for example, two months here.

[0152] If the life exceeds the threshold in step S202, the presentation information generating unit 102 generates presentation information in step S120, and the presentation information providing unit 106 presents the presentation information to the user.

[0153] If the lifespan is equal to or shorter than the threshold in step S202, in step S302, the presentation information generating unit 102 refers to the database 404 and selects a maintenance contractor capable of completing maintenance within the range of the newly predicted lifespan. For example, the presentation information generating unit 102 refers to the maintenance capability information stored in the database 404 and selects a maintenance contractor with a higher degree of satisfaction with various maintenance requirements such as timing, materials, equipment, and personnel.

[0154] In step S304, the maintenance ordering unit 105 issues an order for the maintenance to the maintenance company selected by the presentation information generating unit 102 as emergency maintenance.

[0155] In step S306, the anomaly detection information acquisition unit 101 detects the time that has elapsed since the order was placed, and determines whether the elapsed time is equal to or less than a threshold value. The "threshold value" here is a value that corresponds to a period during which the selected maintenance company must complete the emergency maintenance. The threshold value may include a value that corresponds to a grace period according to the difference between the lifespan and the threshold value in step 202. In this embodiment, the threshold value corresponds to, for example, one month.

[0156] If the elapsed time in step S306 is equal to or less than the threshold, the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 determines in step S308 whether the abnormality has disappeared for each of the multiple elements in the valve. If the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 determines that the abnormality has disappeared (YES in step S308), the process proceeds to step S130. If the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 does not determine that the abnormality has disappeared (NO in step S308), the process returns to step S306.

[0157] If the elapsed time exceeds the threshold in step S306, the anomaly detection information acquisition unit 101 notifies the user of the end of the emergency response in step S310.

[0158] Next, the flow of information in the information processing system of this embodiment will be described. If the life exceeds the threshold in step S202, the information processing device 100 transmits the most recent life to the user terminal device 201 and the maintenance company terminal device 203. The rest is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0159] A case where the life span is equal to or less than the threshold in step S202 will be described below. Fig. 10 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of information when emergency maintenance is carried out in the information processing system according to this embodiment.

[0160] (T102) If the lifespan is equal to or shorter than the threshold in step S202, the information processing device 100 transmits the most recent information on the lifespan to the user terminal device 201 and the maintenance company terminal device 203. Then, the information processing device 100 selects a maintenance company.

[0161] (T302) A request for the selected maintenance company and emergency maintenance is transmitted from the information processing device 100 to the user terminal device 201 and the maintenance company terminal device 203 of the selected maintenance company.

[0162] (T304) Regardless of the presence or absence of information on the acceptance of maintenance from the maintenance contractor in T110, if the time elapsed since the emergency maintenance order in step S306 exceeds a threshold, a notification of the end of emergency response is transmitted from the information processing device 100 to the user terminal device 201. The user who receives the notification of the end of emergency response orders maintenance to a specific maintenance contractor, or suspends operation of the piping equipment PL or performs an inspection.

[0163] If the maintenance company performs emergency maintenance in T112 and the abnormality detection information acquisition unit 101 determines in step S308 that the abnormality has disappeared, a notification of the end of emergency response is not transmitted from the information processing device 100 to the user terminal device 201.

[0164] (T114) When it is determined that the abnormality has disappeared and the emergency maintenance is completed, a maintenance completion notification is transmitted from the user terminal device 201 to the information processing device 100 and the maintenance contractor terminal device 203 .

[0165] (T116) The sensor is reset in the user terminal device 201. For example, in response to either or both of the determination in step S308 that the abnormality has disappeared and the reception of a maintenance completion notification from the user terminal device 201, a signal to reset the sensor or a notification that the sensor can be reset is transmitted from the information processing device 100 to the user terminal device 201. In response to the signal or notification, the sensor is reset in the user terminal device 201.

[0166] In this manner, in the present embodiment, the information on the timing of an abnormality includes the amount of change in the lifespan predicted this time relative to the lifespan predicted most recently, which is advantageous from the viewpoint of entrusting maintenance corresponding to the change in the recommended replacement timing to a maintenance company.

[0167] In this embodiment, the presentation information generating unit 102 further refers to the maintenance capability information acquired by the maintenance capability information acquiring unit described above to select a maintenance contractor. Therefore, this embodiment is advantageous from the viewpoint of entrusting maintenance to a maintenance contractor that can appropriately respond to changes in the recommended replacement timing.

[0168] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the maintenance ordering unit 105 orders maintenance from the maintenance company selected by the presentation information generating unit 102 according to the amount of change in the above-mentioned timing (lifespan). That is, in this embodiment, when the lifespan is shortened and the amount of change is large, maintenance for an abnormality in the valve unit is directly ordered from the maintenance company without going through the user. Therefore, this embodiment is advantageous in that maintenance can be appropriately entrusted to the maintenance company even when an abnormality that requires an emergency response occurs.

[0169] In this embodiment, information processing other than that described above may be performed as long as the effects of the present invention can be obtained.

[0170] For example, as described above, the newly predicted lifespan Tn is the time until the "lifespan of general elements" minus the "leeway time for performing maintenance." In an embodiment of the present invention, the lifespan Tn may include first time information, which is a shorter time, or may include second time information, which is a longer time. Including the first time information (e.g., a period one month shorter than the lifespan value calculated in normal prediction) in the newly predicted lifespan Tn is advantageous from the viewpoint of responding more quickly to maintenance based on the changed lifespan in the newly predicted lifespan.

[0171] Including second time information (e.g., a period 0.5 months longer than the value of the life calculated in the normal prediction) in the newly predicted life Tn is advantageous from the viewpoint of increasing the number of maintenance companies that can handle maintenance based on the change in the predicted life and further increasing the feasibility of such maintenance. When the second time information is included, since the progression of the abnormal condition usually stops once maintenance is started, it is possible to appropriately determine the longer period (0.5 months in the above example) based on, for example, the relationship between the above-mentioned "leisure time" and the expected time from the start of maintenance until the abnormality stops.

[0172] The first timing information and the second timing information may be determined in advance according to the element to be predicted and the type of failure, or may be calculated each time. In the case of ordering maintenance including one or both of the first timing information and the second timing information, in the selection of a maintenance contractor in step S302, a maintenance contractor that can handle the period determined by a combination of the newly predicted lifespan, the first timing information, and the second timing information may be selected.

[0173] In addition, in the embodiment of the present invention, the comparison of the lifespan and the threshold value in step S202 may be based on the ratio between the most recent lifespan and the new lifespan, for example, Tn / (Tn-1-Δt). In this case, the smaller the ratio, the higher the urgency, so the comparison in step S202 proceeds to step S120 if the lifespan exceeds the threshold value, and proceeds to step S302 if the lifespan is equal to or smaller than the threshold value. In this case, the threshold value is a value corresponding to a period during which it becomes difficult to perform emergency maintenance with the progress of maintenance work based on the most recent lifespan. The threshold value in this case may be, for example, a value corresponding to the remaining period during which maintenance can be performed based on a normal order by the user, relative to the most recent lifespan. The threshold value may be determined each time by referring to the maintenance ability information of the maintenance company and the information on the estimate for maintenance based on the most recent lifespan.

[0174] Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present invention, the maintenance ordering unit 105 may place an order for emergency maintenance by referring to not only the amount of change in the time period but also other information. For example, the maintenance ordering unit 105 may place an order for emergency maintenance to a maintenance company selected by the presentation information generating unit 102 in response to commission information from a user. This aspect is advantageous from the viewpoint of being able to respond quickly and reliably to unexpected abnormalities while living up to the trust of the user by automatically taking emergency action when permission has been obtained from the user in advance before an unexpected abnormality occurs as commission information.

[0175] 〔summary〕 An information processing device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes an abnormality detection information acquisition unit that acquires abnormality detection information including abnormality detection for each of a plurality of elements in a valve, a presentation information generation unit that generates presentation information for presenting to a customer, who is a user of the valve, a maintenance contractor selected in accordance with information on the elements in which abnormalities have been detected and the timing of the abnormality based on the abnormality detection information, and a maintenance-related information provision unit that provides maintenance-related information on the elements in which abnormalities have been detected and the timing of the abnormality to the selected maintenance contractor.

[0176] According to the first aspect, it is possible to detect an abnormality in each of a plurality of elements in a valve, estimate the recommended timing for maintenance, and present an appropriate maintenance company to a user.

[0177] The information processing device according to aspect 2 of the present invention, in accordance with aspect 1, further includes an estimate acquisition unit that acquires an estimate from a maintenance company that receives the maintenance-related information, a presentation information providing unit that provides the presentation information generated by the presentation information generation unit to a customer, and a maintenance ordering unit that places an order for maintenance with a maintenance company selected by the customer that receives the presentation information.

[0178] According to the second aspect, the maintenance work can be promptly entrusted to a maintenance company based on the estimate result.

[0179] An information processing device according to a third aspect of the present invention is an information processing device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the abnormality detection information is output information from an angular velocity sensor that detects angular velocity data of the rotation of a pivot shaft in a valve unit in which an actuator rotates a pivot shaft to rotate a valve element of a valve.

[0180] According to the third aspect, the rotation period of the valve disc is divided into a rotation period during which the degree of valve abnormality can be estimated and a rotation period during which the degree of actuator abnormality can be estimated, and the degree of abnormality of both the valve and the actuator can be efficiently estimated from a series of valve rotations.

[0181] In an information processing device according to aspect 4 of the present invention, in any one of aspects 1 to 3, the presentation information generation unit further selects a maintenance company based on the valve position information, the maintenance company position information, and the set recommendation level of the maintenance company.

[0182] According to the fourth aspect, the user can select a provider that he / she considers appropriate from among the providers presented.

[0183] In an information processing device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the information on the timing of the abnormality includes information on a recommended replacement timing of an element in which an abnormality is detected.

[0184] According to the fifth aspect, the user can arrange for a maintenance company to come before the recommended replacement time, and can receive maintenance work smoothly.

[0185] In an information processing device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the information on the timing of the abnormality includes information on the recommended replacement timing of an element for which an abnormality has been detected, selected based on information on the recommended replacement timing of all valves in the same area owned by the customer.

[0186] According to the sixth aspect, the user can know the recommended replacement timings for all valves that he / she owns, and can receive maintenance work smoothly.

[0187] In an information processing device according to aspect 7 of the present invention, in any of aspects 1 to 6 above, the timing information regarding the abnormality includes information on the timing of regular inspections of valves in the same area held by the customer or information on the recommended timing for replacement of an element in which an abnormality has been detected, selected based on operational information of the customer.

[0188] According to the seventh aspect, the maintenance company can properly acquire user information.

[0189] An information processing device according to aspect 8 of the present invention is, in any one of aspects 1 to 7, wherein the information on timing relating to the abnormality includes the amount of change in the timing represented by the currently generated information relative to the timing represented by the most recent information.

[0190] The above-mentioned embodiment 8 is even more effective from the viewpoint of entrusting a maintenance company with maintenance in response to changes in the recommended replacement timing.

[0191] An information processing device according to aspect 9 of the present invention, in any of aspects 1 to 8, further includes a maintenance capability information acquisition unit that acquires maintenance capability information of the maintenance contractor, and the presentation information generation unit further refers to the maintenance capability information acquired by the maintenance capability information acquisition unit to select a maintenance contractor.

[0192] The above-mentioned aspect 9 is even more effective from the viewpoint of entrusting maintenance to a maintenance company that can appropriately respond to changes in the recommended replacement timing.

[0193] In an information processing device according to aspect 10 of the present invention, in any one of aspects 1 to 9, the information on the timing related to the abnormality includes the amount of change in the timing represented by the currently generated information compared to the timing represented by the most recent information, and the maintenance ordering unit orders maintenance from a maintenance company selected by the presentation information generation unit in accordance with the amount of change in the timing or the commission information from the customer.

[0194] The above-mentioned aspect 10 is even more effective in terms of being able to quickly and reliably respond to unexpected abnormalities while still satisfying the trust of the user.

[0195] In the information processing device of aspect 11 of the present invention, in aspect 3, the abnormality detection information acquisition unit acquires the abnormality detection information by further referring to second output information regarding the valve unit other than the output information of the angular velocity sensor.

[0196] The above-mentioned aspect 11 is even more effective in terms of further increasing the reliability of the anomaly detection information and enabling or increasing the accuracy of detecting or estimating the amount of change or the degree of the anomaly, for example the amount of fluid leakage from a seal.

[0197] The information processing system according to aspect 12 of the present invention includes an abnormality detection information acquisition unit that acquires abnormality detection information including abnormality detection for each of a plurality of elements in a valve, a presentation unit that presents presentation information to a customer who is a user of the valve to present a maintenance contractor selected based on information relating to the elements for which an abnormality has been detected and timing, and a maintenance-related information provision unit that provides the selected maintenance contractor with maintenance-related information relating to the elements for which an abnormality has been detected and the timing for the elements for which an abnormality has been detected.

[0198] According to the configuration of the twelfth aspect, the same effects as those of the information processing device of the first aspect can be obtained.

[0199] An information processing method according to aspect 13 of the present invention is an information processing method for assisting valve maintenance by generating information related to valve maintenance by referring to a signal that detects valve operation, and includes an abnormality detection information acquisition step of acquiring abnormality detection information including abnormality detection related to each of a plurality of elements in the valve, a presentation information generation step of generating presentation information for presenting to a customer who is a user of the valve a maintenance contractor selected in accordance with information on the elements in which abnormalities have been detected and the timing related to the abnormality based on the abnormality detection information, and a maintenance-related information provision step of providing the selected maintenance contractor with maintenance-related information related to the elements in which abnormalities have been detected and the timing related to the abnormality.

[0200] According to the configuration of the thirteenth aspect, the same effects as those of the information processing device of the first aspect can be obtained.

[0201] The information processing program of aspect 14 of the present invention is an information processing program for causing a computer to function as an information processing device in aspects 1 to 11, and causes a computer to function as the abnormality detection information acquisition unit, the presentation information generation unit, and the maintenance-related information provision unit.

[0202] According to the configuration of the fourteenth aspect, the same effects as those of the information processing devices of the first to eleventh aspects can be obtained.

[0203] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0204] 1 Sensor unit 2 Actuators 3 Valve 4 Control axis (rotation axis) 7 Gyro sensor 10 Sensor housing 100 Information Processing Systems 101 Anomaly detection information acquisition unit 102 Presentation information generation unit 103 Maintenance Related Information Department 104 Estimate Acquisition Department 105 Maintenance Ordering Department 106 Presentation information provision department 201 User terminal device 202 Service provider terminal device 203 Maintenance company terminal device 400 Servers 404 Database 500 Information Processing Systems 600 Gateway A1 Ball seat V1, V2, V3, V4 valve units

Claims

1. an abnormality detection information acquisition unit that acquires abnormality detection information including abnormality detection related to each of a plurality of elements in the valve; a presentation information generating unit that generates presentation information for presenting a maintenance contractor selected based on information on an element in which an abnormality has been detected and information on a time period related to the abnormality based on the abnormality detection information to a customer who is a user of the valve; and an information processing device comprising: a maintenance-related information providing unit that provides a selected maintenance company with maintenance-related information relating to the element in which an abnormality has been detected and information on a timing related to the abnormality.

2. an estimate acquisition unit that acquires an estimate from a maintenance company that receives the maintenance-related information; a presentation information providing unit that provides the presentation information generated by the presentation information generating unit to a customer; and a maintenance ordering unit for ordering maintenance from a maintenance company selected by the customer who has received the presented information. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The abnormality detection information is output information of an angular velocity sensor that detects angular velocity data of a rotation of a rotation shaft in a valve unit in which an actuator rotates a rotation shaft to rotate a valve element of a valve.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The presentation information generating unit further selects a maintenance company selected according to the position information of the valve, the position information of the maintenance company, and a recommendation level set for the maintenance company.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The information on the timing of the abnormality includes information on the recommended replacement timing of the element in which the abnormality is detected.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. 3. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information on the timing of the abnormality includes information on the recommended replacement timing of an element for which an abnormality has been detected, selected based on information on the recommended replacement timing of all valves in the same area owned by the customer.

7. The information on the timing of the abnormality includes information on the timing of regular inspections of valves in the same area held by the customer or information on the recommended timing of replacement of an element in which an abnormality has been detected, selected based on the customer's operation information.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the information on the timing relating to the abnormality includes a change in the timing represented by the currently generated information relative to the timing represented by the most recent information.

9. A maintenance capability information acquisition unit for acquiring maintenance capability information of the maintenance company, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the presentation information generating unit selects a maintenance contractor by further referring to the maintenance capability information acquired by the maintenance capability information acquiring unit.

10. The information on the timing of the abnormality includes a change in the timing represented by the currently generated information relative to the timing represented by the most recent information, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a maintenance ordering unit that places an order for maintenance with a maintenance company selected by said presentation information generating unit in accordance with the amount of change in said time period or commission information from said customer.

11. The information processing device according to claim 3 , wherein the abnormality detection information acquisition unit acquires the abnormality detection information by further referring to second output information related to the valve unit other than the output information of the angular velocity sensor.

12. an abnormality detection information acquisition unit that acquires abnormality detection information including abnormality detection related to each of a plurality of elements in the valve; A presentation unit that presents presentation information for presenting a maintenance company selected according to information on the element in which an abnormality has been detected and information on the time to a customer who is a user of the valve; and an information processing system comprising: a maintenance-related information providing unit that provides a selected maintenance company with maintenance-related information regarding the element in which an abnormality was detected and the timing of the element in which an abnormality was detected.

13. 1. An information processing method for supporting valve maintenance by generating information regarding valve maintenance with reference to a signal detecting an operation of a valve, comprising: an abnormality detection information acquisition step of acquiring abnormality detection information including abnormality detection related to each of a plurality of elements in the valve; A presentation information generating step of generating presentation information for presenting a maintenance contractor selected based on information on an abnormality detected element and information on a timing related to the abnormality based on the abnormality detection information to a customer who is a user of the valve; and a maintenance-related information providing step of providing maintenance-related information regarding the element in which an abnormality has been detected and information regarding the timing of the abnormality to the selected maintenance company; An information processing method comprising:

14. 2. An information processing program for causing a computer to function as the information processing device according to claim 1, the information processing program causing a computer to function as the abnormality detection information acquisition unit, the presentation information generation unit, and the maintenance-related information provision unit.

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