Information processing device, work support system, and work support method

Abstract

To provide a technology of a communication device for facility monitoring, a monitoring system, etc., capable of reducing loads on an operator.SOLUTION: A communication device 1 connected to a facility 2 includes: a storage unit that stores identification information 113 used for identifying a state related to connection of each type of the facility 2 and contents information 115 for describing operation procedures of each type of the facility 2 to support operation; an identification unit 102 that identifies, based on information related to communication or input and output in connection with the facility 2 and based on the identification information 113, a state related to the connection of each facility 2; and a generation unit 103 that determines, based on the state related to the connection of each facility 2 and the contents information 115, display order of contents information in the facility 2 and then generates contents information for display based on the determined display order.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to technologies such as communication devices and monitoring systems that are installed to monitor industrial equipment, control panels, sensors, etc. (sometimes collectively referred to as equipment). [Background technology]

[0002] To improve maintenance efficiency, there has been an increase in the number of cases where remote equipment monitoring systems are being introduced, such as for monitoring river water levels, communication infrastructure facilities in the mountains, and power usage within buildings. In such remote equipment monitoring, communication devices that can connect to public networks such as LTE or 5G are connected to the equipment to be monitored. The communication devices monitor the equipment's status and transmit the monitoring information remotely. There are also industrial communication devices with interfaces useful for equipment monitoring, such as serial communication and digital / analog I / O that can be connected to industrial equipment, and a wide variety of equipment can be monitored.

[0003] For this reason, the procedures for building and maintaining systems (i.e., monitoring systems) that combine communication devices and monitored equipment at remote sites are also becoming more complex.

[0004] An example of prior art that reduces the burden on workers in such system construction and maintenance procedures is Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-115119 (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-115119 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Patent Document 1 describes a maintenance support system that shortens recovery time when a failure is detected in a monitoring and control device that monitors and controls monitored equipment in a plant, thereby reducing the burden on maintenance personnel. Patent Document 1 also describes that the monitored equipment determines the cause and location of the failure from failure information and outputs a replacement procedure manual. However, this replacement procedure manual itself simply searches for and outputs pre-stored information, and maintenance personnel must make the judgment and review the work procedures to address human error. Furthermore, if a problem occurs, the procedures may be changed based on the judgment of the maintenance personnel. These judgments require the maintenance personnel's expertise, which increases the burden on inexperienced maintenance personnel.

[0007] The construction and maintenance of complex on-site systems (i.e., monitoring systems) can vary from site to site, resulting in complex work procedures and the possibility of worker errors. In the past, when work procedures were unclear or worker errors occurred, workers would refer to information such as predefined procedures, manuals, and troubleshooting. However, referring to simple procedures often forces workers to make decisions, increasing the burden on them. Because the current status of on-site systems is not always clear, workers spend time and effort deciding which information to refer to. Furthermore, workers may not always be sure of the next work procedure they should follow. It may also be difficult for unskilled workers to make such decisions.

[0008] In order to reduce the burden on workers in the system construction and maintenance work procedures described above, it is considered necessary or useful to display appropriate work procedures while determining the type and status of the monitored equipment to which the communication device is connected.If appropriate work procedures can be displayed and output to workers according to the equipment / system status, the burden on workers can be reduced and they can be supported to perform work appropriately and efficiently.

[0009] The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide technology that can reduce the burden on workers, such as communication devices and monitoring systems for monitoring the above-mentioned facilities, and work support systems, methods, and programs that support the work of building and maintaining the systems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] A representative embodiment of the present disclosure has the following configuration: One embodiment is an information processing device that connects to one or more facilities and acquires information from the facilities, and includes: a storage unit that stores identification information used to identify a connection status for each type of the facilities and content information that explains work procedures for each type of the facilities and supports work, an identification unit that identifies the connection status for each of the facilities based on information regarding communication or input / output in connection with the facilities and the identification information, and a generation unit that determines a display order of the content information among the one or more facilities based on the connection status for each of the facilities and the content information, and generates the content information to be displayed based on the determined display order. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to representative embodiments of the present disclosure, the burden on workers can be reduced with regard to technologies such as communication devices and monitoring systems for the above-mentioned facilities, and work support systems, methods, and programs for supporting the work of building and maintaining the systems. Problems, configurations, effects, etc. other than those described above will be described in the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration including a communication device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a communication device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3A] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a table of identification information in the first embodiment. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a table of content information in the first embodiment. [Figure 3C] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a table of identification results in the first embodiment. [Figure 3D] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a table of a content list in the first embodiment. [Figure 3E] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display content management table in the first embodiment. [Figure 4A] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a work procedure display screen in the first embodiment. [Figure 4B] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of transition of work procedure content on the work procedure display screen in the first embodiment. [Figure 4C] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a work procedure display screen in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an input / output connection unit of the communication device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a processing flow of the communication device in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a processing flow of a recognition unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the flow of content list update processing by the generation unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the flow of content generation processing by a generation unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the sequence of operations of the system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a modification (1) of the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a second modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a third modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a communication device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the contents of geographic information and a version selection table in the second embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of displaying different versions depending on the country or region in the second embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a system configuration including a communication device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display example of work procedure content in the third embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a display flow according to a button input value in the third embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing content display order information in the third embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display example of work procedure content in the third embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a display example of a display device of the facility in the third embodiment. [Figure 23] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a processing flow of a communication device in the third embodiment. [Figure 24] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a system configuration including a communication device in a fourth embodiment. [Figure 25] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing examples of display of the identification result and output from the output unit in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 26] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a work procedure display screen in a modified example of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 27] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of a screen in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 28] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a system configuration including a communication device according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 29] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a server device in the fifth embodiment. [Figure 30] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of a modified example (1) of the fifth embodiment. [Figure 31] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of a modified example (2) of the fifth embodiment. [Figure 32] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of a modified example (3) of the fifth embodiment. [Figure 33] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of information d1 from a communication device in the fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, identical parts are generally designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations will be omitted. In the drawings, the representation of components may not represent their actual positions, sizes, shapes, ranges, etc., in order to facilitate understanding of the invention.

[0014] For the sake of explanation, when describing processing by a program, the program, function, processing unit, etc. may be described as the main body, but the main hardware body for these is a processor, or a controller, device, computer, system, etc. that is configured with the processor, etc. A computer executes processing according to a program read into memory using resources such as memory and communication interfaces as appropriate through the processor. This realizes predetermined functions, processing units, etc. A processor is configured, for example, with semiconductor devices such as a CPU / MPU or GPU. Processing is not limited to software program processing, but can also be implemented using dedicated circuits. Dedicated circuits such as FPGAs, ASICs, and CPLDs can be used.

[0015] The program may be pre-installed as data on the target computer, or may be distributed as data from a program source to the target computer. The program source may be a program distribution server on a communication network or a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as a memory card or disk. The program may be composed of multiple modules. The computer system may be composed of multiple devices. The computer system may be composed of a client-server system, a cloud computing system, an IoT system, etc. Various data and information may be composed of structures such as, but not limited to, tables and lists. Expressions such as identification information, identifiers, IDs, names, and numbers are interchangeable.

[0016] [Solution, etc.] The communication device, system, method, and program according to the embodiment have the following means for solving the problems, etc. The communication device 1 according to the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 etc. is a communication device 1 that monitors a facility 2, and includes a connection unit (input / output connection unit 101) that is connected to the facility 2 via a predetermined interface 4 so as to enable communication or input / output, an identification unit 102 that identifies the state of the connection with the facility 2 based on information related to the communication or input / output acquired by the connection unit, and a generation unit 103 that generates work procedure content to explain the work procedure of the facility 2 to a user and support the work, based on the information about the facility 2 and the state identified by the identification unit 102, and outputs the generated work procedure content to the user (in particular, to a display device 3).

[0017] The communication device of the embodiment identifies the connection status (in other words, input / output status or communication status) with the equipment (in other words, connected device) to be monitored (in other words, the connection destination) into three patterns, for example, "normal," "abnormal," and "no response."

[0018] The interface with the equipment may vary depending on the equipment. Specific interfaces may be, for example, digital input / output, analog input / output, or communication ports. Any interface may be used, as long as the communication device has a hardware or software mechanism such as an input / output interface / communication interface corresponding to that interface. An input / output connection unit (described later) of the communication device has an input / output interface, such as a plurality of input / output terminals, to which multiple pieces of equipment can be connected. The input / output connection unit may have multiple interfaces implemented corresponding to various interfaces on the equipment side, or may have one interface implemented corresponding to a specific interface on the equipment side.

[0019] There are various ways to identify the status of connection with a facility. For example, it is possible to predefine the status values ​​of "normal," "abnormal," and "no response" to correspond to values ​​of signals, etc., exchanged through an interface with the facility and the processing logic using those values. For example, a communication device transmits a request signal (in other words, an inquiry, instruction, etc.) to the facility through an input / output terminal of a certain input / output interface depending on the type of facility to which it is connected. In response to the request signal, the communication device receives a response signal from the facility. If the response signal is a predetermined value A, the status may be determined to be "normal," if the response signal is a predetermined value B, the status may be determined to be "abnormal," and if the response signal is a predetermined value C or if no response is received within a predetermined time, the status may be determined to be "no response."

[0020] Alternatively, depending on the type of equipment, interface, etc., a form without the above-described request-response may be used. In this case, the communication device waits for input / reception of a predetermined signal / information from the equipment through an input / output terminal of a certain input / output interface. The communication device may determine whether or not there is a response from the equipment at a predetermined time. For example, if the communication device does not receive a signal / information from the equipment from a certain point in time until a predetermined time has elapsed, the communication device may determine that the state is "no response."

[0021] Furthermore, the value of the signal / information according to the interface with the facility may be, for example, a sensor value (in other words, a detected value, a measured value, etc.), a status or code indicating normality or error, a predetermined command, etc. Whatever the form of the signal / information exchanged through the interface with the facility, the communication device (the identification unit and identification program described below) identifies the state according to the form.

[0022] In addition, in order to determine and provide appropriate work procedures for each piece of equipment to be monitored, this system manages and stores information on the type, model, and configuration of the equipment (for example, the identification information described below).The system then associates this information with the status of each input / output interface, and selects and provides work procedure content.

[0023] Examples of equipment types include control panels, pumps, sensors, solar panels, batteries, etc. Equipment models are information for identifying differences between pumps of the same type, such as pump A, pump B, pump C, etc., due to differences in specifications. In other words, this system manages and stores predetermined information to enable identification of targets for which differences in work procedures (corresponding work procedure content) may occur. Furthermore, if the interface or communication method differs for each piece of equipment, such information may be managed and stored.

[0024] The communication device selects and determines the content (sometimes referred to as work procedure content) related to the work procedures (i.e., work procedures related to the construction and maintenance of on-site systems) to be displayed and output to users such as workers and maintenance personnel based on information about the connected equipment (e.g., type, etc.) and the status of the identified pattern, and controls the device to automatically switch and display the content.

[0025] A worker brings or carries a display device connectable to a communication device and connects the display device to the communication device when working. The display device is a device that has at least a screen display function, in other words, a user terminal / mobile terminal / information processing terminal. The worker acquires and references content related to the work procedures of the communication device / monitoring system along with a predetermined GUI (Graphical User Interface) on the display screen of the display device. In this case, the display device sends a request to the communication device, and the communication device sends the work procedure content to the display device as a response, and the display device displays the acquired work procedure content on the screen along with the GUI.

[0026] In this system, when there are multiple work procedure contents, the display order among the multiple contents is determined, and the contents are acquired and referenced one by one in order according to the display order, etc. Note that the work procedure contents may be configured with a predetermined GUI, etc., and may be data such as a web page, for example.

[0027] In this system, when the connection state (i.e., the above-mentioned pattern) with the identified equipment 2 changes for each input / output interface of the communication device, the work procedure content to be displayed is changed in accordance with the change. In other words, the display order of multiple work procedure contents may be updated depending on the state. The communication device sequentially displays the work procedure contents one by one from the multiple work procedure contents depending on the state.

[0028] Furthermore, for example, it is also possible to display multiple work procedure contents on the screen of a display device. In this case, the multiple work procedure contents may be arranged and displayed in parallel on the screen according to predetermined rules based on the display order or priority. In one example, when the display layout on the screen is divided into multiple areas vertically or horizontally, multiple contents may be arranged and displayed in the multiple areas vertically from top to bottom according to a display order based on priority. In another example, when the display layout on the screen is divided into four areas vertically and horizontally, multiple contents may be arranged and displayed in the order of display order based on priority, for example, from the upper left area to the upper right, lower left, and lower right. The arrangement and display of the multiple contents are also updated in response to updates to the display order due to changes in the connection status.

[0029] For example, before the equipment to be monitored is connected to the input / output interface of the communication device, the status of the input / output interface is identified as "no response." In this case, in response to a request from the display device, the communication device responds with and displays work procedure content that prompts the worker to perform the wiring and connection work for the equipment. By viewing the work procedure content on the display device screen, the worker can confirm the work procedure to be performed next (i.e., the above-mentioned wiring and connection work). In other words, the communication device can explain, guide, and guide the worker to the work procedure to be performed next by using the work procedure content accompanied by a GUI on the display device screen. The worker performs the work procedure in accordance with the work procedure content.

[0030] Furthermore, after the work procedure is completed, the status of the input / output interface with the equipment may change. When the communication device receives a further request from the display device, it updates the status identification for each input / output interface and acquires the new status. For example, if the wiring and connection work is performed correctly, the status of the input / output interface will be "normal," if the wiring and connection work is not performed, it will be "no response," and if the wiring and connection work is incorrect, it will be "abnormal."

[0031] At this time, for example, if the status of connection with the equipment changes to "normal," the display device responds and displays content for the next work procedure to be performed in accordance with this "normal" status. Also, for example, if the status changes to "abnormal," the display device responds and displays content for prompting the next work procedure to be performed in accordance with this "abnormal" status to resolve this abnormality. Also, for example, if the status remains "no response," the display device responds and displays content for prompting the next work procedure to be performed in accordance with this "no response" status (i.e., the same work procedure as when the initial "no response" status occurred). Note that when the same work procedure content is repeated, the work procedure content may include additional prompts, alerts, emphasis, or counts.

[0032] In this way, this system selects and displays the appropriate work procedure content depending on the connection status of each input / output interface with the equipment. By following this display and output, situations where decisions regarding on-site problem resolution (such as estimating the cause of a problem or deciding to replace defective equipment) are required are reduced, eliminating or reducing the need for workers to make decisions. This reduces the burden on workers and contributes to the efficiency and cost reduction of on-site system construction and maintenance.

[0033] In this embodiment, the connection status of the equipment is represented by the three pattern values ​​described above, but is not limited to this and may be represented by two or four or more types of values. For example, it may be represented by two values, normal / abnormal, or by two values, response / no response. A different number of pattern values ​​may be used for each piece of equipment. Furthermore, for example, when there are multiple types of abnormalities or errors in the "abnormal" state, multiple types of abnormal states may be set, such as "abnormal 1," "abnormal 2," and "abnormal 3," and these may be distinguished from one another.

[0034] This system can control the display of work procedure content using display order and priority by designing and configuring tables and programs according to the various monitored equipment / systems, interfaces, connection status, etc. that are covered as monitored targets. In other words, this system dynamically determines and controls the work procedure content to be displayed based on which equipment, interface, and connection status at the current time, and what work procedure the worker should perform next. The content of this control can also be updated according to the settings of tables, programs, etc. For example, if the hardware of the equipment in the on-site system or the software programs installed on the equipment are changed, the system can be changed by changing the settings.

[0035] In this embodiment, the communication device has various states, such as "normal," "abnormal," and "no response," as the identification results of the status with each facility for the multiple interfaces of the input / output connection unit. However, multiple states may coexist at the same time. For example, a situation may occur in which the connection status of the first terminal in the first interface with the first facility is "normal," the connection status of the second terminal in the second interface with the second facility is "abnormal," and the connection status of the third terminal in the third interface with the third facility is "no response." In such a mixed situation, the system must determine which facility or status should be prioritized for the work procedure, i.e., which work procedure content should be prioritized for output to the worker. There are various ways to consider this, such as prioritization. The system can accommodate various approaches to this point by, for example, setting priorities or priorities in a management table. The system sets priorities for multiple work procedure content expected depending on the status of the connection with the facility. This determines the display order of multiple work procedure contents so that the work procedure contents with the highest priority are displayed first (or displayed in a predetermined area on the screen) depending on the state that occurs.

[0036] <First Embodiment> A communication device, a work assistance system, and the like according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and subsequent drawings.

[0037] [System Configuration] Fig. 1 shows a system configuration including a communication device according to embodiment 1. The system in Fig. 1 includes a communication device 1, a plurality of pieces of equipment (in other words, connected devices) 2, and a display device 3. In other words, the system in Fig. 1 is a work support system or a monitoring system.

[0038] The communication device 1 is a device that monitors the facility 2, and may also be referred to as a monitoring device. The facility 2 is a monitored object, and is a connection device that is connected to the communication device 1. In the example of FIG. 1, the facility 2 has a plurality (N) of facilities, namely, facility 21, facility 22, ..., facility 2N. For the sake of explanation, in FIG. 1, the plurality (N) of facilities are also shown with numbers / IDs such as #1, #2, etc.

[0039] The display device 3 is an information processing terminal carried and used by a user U1 who is a worker. The display device 3 is connected to the communication device 1 via a communication network 9 (for example, a LAN). This is not a limitation, and the display device 3 may also be connected to the communication device 1 via direct communication or the like. The display device 3 may be, for example, a portable terminal such as a notebook PC, a tablet terminal, or a smartphone. The communication network 9 is not limited to this and may be a LAN or a WAN. The communication network 9 may be, for example, a mobile communication network, the Internet network, USB, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or the like, and is a general interface that allows mutual communication.

[0040] The facility 2 refers to various devices and systems such as industrial equipment, control panels, sensors, solar panels, batteries, etc. An example of the industrial equipment is a power conversion device. The control panel (in other words, a controller) is configured with, for example, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). At a remote site, one or more facilities 2 constitute a predetermined system (monitored system). An example of a monitored system is a system for monitoring the water level of a river.

[0041] The facility 2 and the communication device 1 are connected via a predetermined interface 4. The input / output connection unit 101 and the facility 2 may be directly connected via a cable or the like, or may be connected via a communication network or the like. The interface 4 may be, for example, an IP network or an industrial network. The interface 4 may be connected via Ethernet (registered trademark), for example. The interface 4 may be wired communication or wireless communication. The input / output connection unit 101 of the communication device 1 has an input / output interface (in other words, a communication interface) corresponding to the predetermined interface 4. This input / output interface may be, for example, a serial interface, an analog input / output terminal, a digital input / output terminal, an Ethernet port, or the like. This input / output interface has a plurality of input / output terminals 5, in other words, communication terminals, communication ports, a processing circuit board, or the like. The illustrated example shows a case where a connection device 2 is connected to each input / output terminal 5.

[0042] The facility 2 may exchange signals / information, such as information about the facility 2, settings, operating status, sensor values, command information, etc., with the communication device 1 via the interface 4. The input / output connection unit 101 may send and receive signals / information to and from the facility 2 via the input / output interface.

[0043] The communication device 1 includes an input / output connection unit 101, an identification unit 102, a generation unit 103, a response unit 104, identification information 113, and content information 115. Each of these units is implemented by a circuit or a program.

[0044] The input / output connection unit 101 is a part that connects to the equipment 2 via an input / output interface corresponding to a predetermined interface 4 and performs input / output / communication. In the illustrated example, there is one and the same interface 4, but if the interface differs for each equipment 2 covered as a monitoring target, there may be multiple different interfaces. If the input / output connection unit 101 is provided with multiple input / output interfaces, the input / output interfaces are distinguished by, for example, input / output terminal numbers. In the illustrated example, each equipment 2 is connected in a 1:1 ratio using one input / output terminal 5, but this is not limited to this. A given equipment 2 may be connected using multiple input / output terminals 5 (see FIG. 5 described below).

[0045] Signals and the like may be exchanged between the input / output connection unit 101 and the facility 2 according to the interface 4. For example, the connection device #1 (31) outputs or transmits a signal a1 to the external communication device 1, and the input / output connection unit 101 receives or inputs the signal a1 through the input / output terminal 5. Alternatively, the communication device 1 outputs or transmits a signal a2 to the connection device #1 (31) through the input / output terminal 5, and the input / output connection unit 101 receives or inputs the signal a2.

[0046] The input / output connection unit 101 sends information obtained through input / output / communication with the facility 2 as identification information 111 (signal b1) to the identification unit 102. In other words, the identification unit 102 can obtain such identification information 111 from the input / output connection unit 101.

[0047] The identification unit 102 performs processing to identify the connection state between the input / output connection unit 101 and the equipment 2 (in other words, the input / output state or communication state). The identification unit 102 identifies the state of each piece of equipment 2 based on the identification information 111 (signal b1). In doing so, the identification unit 102 refers to and acquires identification information 113 from memory to perform the identification processing for that state. The identification information 113 is, for example, a pre-set table (see FIG. 3A, described below). The identification unit 102 compares the identification information 111 with the table to identify the state of each piece of equipment 2, i.e., the aforementioned patterns of "normal", "abnormal", and "no response". The identification unit 102 sends an identification result 112 (signal b2) representing the state obtained as a result of the identification processing to the generation unit 103.

[0048] The generation unit 103 performs processing to generate display information including work procedure content based on the identification result 112 (signal b2) from the identification unit 102. At that time, the generation unit 103 refers to and acquires content information 115 from memory, and performs processing to generate display information for the work procedure content. The content information 115 is, for example, a preset table (see FIG. 3B, described later). The generation unit 103 checks the state of the identification result 112 against the table, selects and determines work procedure content according to the state, and generates display information including the work procedure content. The generation unit 103 sends the display information (display content information 114 in FIG. 1) to the response unit 104.

[0049] The response unit 104 performs communication processing such as receiving requests and transmitting responses with the display device 3. In other words, the response unit 104 performs processing to provide display information to the display device 3. The display device 3 transmits a request c1 related to work procedure content to the communication device 1. The response unit 104 receives the request c1 and transmits a response c2 related to the work procedure content to the display device 3 based on the display content information 114. The user U1 can view and confirm the displayed work procedure content, etc. on the display screen 30 of the display device 3, and can also perform operation input, etc., as will be described later. The display screen 30 may be a touch panel.

[0050] In this embodiment, the input / output connection unit 101 is implemented as a dedicated circuit, but is not limited to this. Also, the response unit 104 is implemented as a Web server, but is not limited to this.

[0051] [Input / output connection] 5 shows an example of the configuration of the input / output connection unit 101, the interface 4, and the connection with the equipment 2 in FIG. 1. The input / output connection unit 101 has a plurality of input / output terminals 5 (51, 52, 53, 54, ...) as input / output terminals 5. Each input / output terminal 5 is a terminal having an implementation corresponding to a predetermined interface 4. A plurality of interfaces 4 may be mixed among the plurality of input / output terminals 5.

[0052] Each input / output terminal 5 may have a display of a terminal number / identification number. For example, if the first input / output terminal 51 has a terminal number of 1, a "1" may be displayed or printed nearby. Each input / output terminal 5 may also be provided with a display 1110, such as an LED, that indicates the status of that input / output terminal 5. Each LED may be lit / unlit / blinking, or may have a different color of light. For example, green may indicate normal connection, and red may indicate an abnormality or error. The display 1110 may be used as an output unit, as described below.

[0053] [Communication device configuration] 2 shows an example of the configuration of the hardware of the communication device 1. The communication device 1 includes a processor (e.g., a CPU) 201, a main storage device (memory) 202, a network interface 203, an auxiliary storage interface 204, an input / output interface 205, and the like, and these components are connected by an architecture such as a bus.

[0054] The processor 201 controls the entire communication device 1 and each unit. The processor 201 loads necessary programs into the main memory device 202 and executes processing in accordance with the programs, thereby realizing the functions of each unit such as the recognition unit 102.

[0055] The main storage device 202 is configured with a volatile memory such as a RAM, etc. The main storage device 202 stores programs executed by the processor 201, data referenced by the processor 201, and the like.

[0056] The network interface 203 is a device in which an interface for connecting to the communication network 9 or the display device 3 for communication is implemented.

[0057] The input / output interface 205 is a device that implements an interface for connecting an input / output device. Although the input / output interface of the input / output connection unit 101 in FIG. 1 and the input / output interface 205 in FIG. 2 are illustrated as separate entities, they may be considered as one integrated entity. The input / output interface 205 may also be connectable to an expandable interface that can be removed from the communication device 1. Specifically, an input / output device having a terminal or a dedicated socket that allows an interface to be added in the form of a cassette or a board is envisioned. By being able to connect an expandable interface, it is possible to provide an interface according to the type of facility 2.

[0058] The auxiliary storage interface 204 is a device that implements an interface for connecting an auxiliary storage device 210 (in other words, an external storage device). Examples of the auxiliary storage device 210 include an EEPROM, HDD, and SSD. The auxiliary storage device 210 has a large capacity. The auxiliary storage device 210 stores data and information of programs for implementing each unit, such as the identification unit 102 and the generation unit 103, shown in FIG. 1. The identification unit program 211 is a program that implements the function of the identification unit 102. The generation unit program 212 is a program that implements the function of the generation unit 103.

[0059] 1, data information such as the identification information 113 and content information 115, and an identification program 250. In this embodiment, the identification information 113 and the like are implemented as a table, but this is not limiting.

[0060] As will be described later (FIG. 3A), the identification information 113 includes a connection destination table 221 and an identification table 222. The identification information 113 indicates an identification method relating to the state of connection with the equipment 2. The connection destination table 221 is a table showing information about the equipment 2 to which each input / output terminal 5 of the input / output connection unit 101 is connected. The identification table 222 is a table showing information about a program (i.e., an identification program 250) used for identification according to the equipment 2 to which it is connected.

[0061] The identification program 250 is a program used as an identification means when the identification unit 102 identifies and determines the state of connection with the equipment 2 based on information (identification information 111 in FIG. 1 ) obtained from the input / output terminal 5 of the input / output connection unit 101. In other words, the identification program 250 is a program in which logic for identifying and verifying the state of connection with the equipment 2 is described. Specifically, the identification program 250 is a program that distinguishes between "normal," "abnormal," and "no response" patterns according to signals / information received through the input / output terminal 5. Note that the identification program 250 may prescribe a process for acquiring the identification information 111 from a signal or the like for each input / output terminal 5 of the input / output connection unit 101, or may prescribe a process for the identification unit 102 to identify three patterns of states based on the identification information 111, or may prescribe both of these.

[0062] As will be described later (FIG. 3B), the content information 115 has a content table 231, a priority order table 232, and multiple pieces of display content data 233. The content table 231 is a table showing information for determining the work procedure content to be generated from the identification result 112 (FIG. 1). The priority order table 232 is a table showing the priority order of multiple pieces of content in generating the work procedure content.

[0063] The display content data 233 is data for generating work procedure content (in other words, display information) and data for the generated display content 114 (FIG. 1). The data for the display content 114 may be, for example, data for a web page written in HTML.

[0064] It is assumed that the identification information 113 and content information 115 are stored and set in advance in the communication device 1. In Fig. 2, the identification information 113 and the like are stored in the auxiliary storage device 210, and the communication device 1 reads the identification information 113 and the like into the memory of the main storage device 202 as needed. For example, the operator of the communication device 1 may store and set the identification information 113 and the like in advance in the communication device 1. Note that when setting the information, input and communication via the input / output interface 205 or the network interface 203 of the communication device 1 can be used.

[0065] Not limited to the configuration example of Figure 2, the communication device 1 may be provided with, for example, a predetermined operation input unit (e.g., a button) or an audio input unit (e.g., a microphone), or may be provided with a predetermined display unit (e.g., a display panel) or an audio output unit (e.g., a speaker).

[0066] Identification Information (Table) 3A shows an example of the table contents of identification information 113. Information necessary for the identification process of identification unit 102 is set in identification information 113. Connection destination table 221 has column items of "input / output terminal number" 301 and "connection destination" 302, and is a table that associates "input / output terminal number" 301 of input / output terminal 5 of input / output connection unit 101 with the type of connection device 2 connected to that input / output terminal 5 as "connection destination" 302.

[0067] The "Input / Output Terminal Number" 301 column is input and set with the number of the input / output terminal 5 to which the connected device 2 is connected via the interface 4. In the example of FIG. 1, the input / output terminal numbers are 1 to N. The "Connection Destination" 302 column is input and set with information such as the type (in other words, a name or ID indicating the type) and model of the connected device 2 connected to the input / output terminal 5. At least type information is set in the "Connection Destination" 302 column. Examples of types include a control panel, a sensor, a pump, and a solar panel. The model is arbitrary information that can identify pumps of various specifications (e.g., pump A, B, C, etc.) even if the type is the same. Note that in this embodiment, unique ID information that can uniquely identify each connected device 3 is not required, but unique ID information may also be stored. In this example, the "Connection Destination" 302 column is written in natural language, such as "water level sensor," but in implementation, values ​​indicating the type and model, such as "S1001," may be used.

[0068] The identification information 113 manages and stores information relating to the type, model, configuration, etc. of the equipment 2 (in other words, equipment information). In the illustrated example, only the type is listed, but other detailed information may also be managed. Furthermore, similar information may also be managed in a server device, which will be described later.

[0069] Identification table 222 has column items "connection destination" 311 and "identification means" 312. Identification table 222 is a table that specifies, for each type of connection device 2 in "connection destination" 311, an identification program 250 (FIG. 2) to be used as identification means for identifying the connection status between the connection device 2 and the input / output connection unit 101, using a file path / URL or the like. The value input / set in the "connection destination" 311 column is the same as the value in "connection destination" 302. The information input / set in the "identification means" 312 column is information that indicates the identification program 250 required for state identification processing according to differences in connection device 2 and interface 4.

[0070] During the identification process by the identification unit 102, the identification program 250 indicated by the identification information 113 is loaded into memory and activated as a processing module under the control of the processor 201. Upon activation, the identification unit 102 (i.e., the processing module of the identification program 250) attempts to communicate with the connected facility 2 using the input / output connection unit 101 and obtains identification information 111 (FIG. 1) from the input / output connection unit 101. Based on the identification information 111, the identification unit 102 determines, for example, whether the response to the communication with the facility 2 is within or outside the normal range, or whether a predetermined response has been received, and returns the determined status in the form of a status code or the like. Then, using the return value of the identification program 250, the identification unit 102 identifies (in other words, classifies or determines) the status of the connection with the facility 2 into three patterns of values: "normal," "abnormal," and "no response." The result of this identification process is obtained as the identification result 112 in FIG. 1.

[0071] [Content Information (Table)] FIG. 3B shows an example of the table contents of the content information 115. The content information 115 contains information necessary for the content list update process and content generation process of the generation unit 103. The content table 231 is a table in which correspondence is set for specifying the work procedure content to be displayed according to the connection destination facility 2 and the state of the identification result 112 (the state of connection with the facility 2, the pattern value). The content table 231 has column items "Connection Destination" 321, "Normal" 322, "Abnormal" 323, and "No Response" 324. In this embodiment, there are three columns representing the state / pattern: "Normal" 322, "Abnormal" 323, and "No Response" 324. The information input / set in the "Connection Destination" 321 column is the same as the "Connection Destination" information in the identification information 113. One or more work procedure contents are set for each connection destination state.

[0072] In the "Normal" 322 column, the name / ID of the work procedure content to be displayed when the status of the identification result 112 for the "Destination" connected device 2 of the corresponding row is "Normal" is input / set. In some cases, only one content is set in the cell for each status, and in other cases, multiple contents are set in the same cell. For example, when the "Water Level Sensor" is in the "Normal" status, the work procedure content to be displayed is selected / determined as the content "Sensor Throw-in."

[0073] In the "abnormal" column 323, the name / ID of the work procedure content to be displayed when the status of the identification result 112 for the connected device 2 of the corresponding row is "abnormal" is input / set. For example, when the "water level sensor" is in the "abnormal" state, two contents, "check water level sensor wiring" and "check water level sensor damage", are selected / determined as candidates for the work procedure content to be displayed. How the display of multiple contents is controlled will be described later.

[0074] In the "No Response" 324 column, the name / ID of the work procedure content to be displayed when the status of the identification result 112 for the connected device 2 of the corresponding row is "No Response" is input / set. For example, when the "Water Level Sensor" is in the "No Response" status, the work procedure content to be displayed is selected / determined as the content "Water Level Sensor Wiring." Note that in this example, the content names are set in natural language in the table, but this is not limiting; for example, a work procedure content named "Sensor Throwing" may be specified with a value such as ID=WPC1001. A separate table may be provided that defines the content names / IDs, work procedures, etc.

[0075] The priority order table 232 is a table showing the priority order of work procedure contents, with the column items being "content" 331 and "priority order" 332. In the priority order table 232, an overall priority order is set for all work procedure contents that may occur in the on-site system, in other words, for all work procedure contents set in the content table 231.

[0076] The name / ID of the work procedure content is input / set in the "Content" 331 column. The priority of the content of the corresponding row is input / set in the "Priority" 332 column. In this example, the smaller the priority number, the higher the priority. For example, priority = 1 is the "Check water level sensor damage" content, priority = 2 is the "Check water level sensor wiring" content, and priority = 3 is the "Check pump damage" content. If there are multiple work procedure contents to be displayed in the cell of the connection destination status, they are controlled to be displayed one by one in order of highest priority (described below).

[0077] The term "priority" in this embodiment may be interpreted as priority, importance, or the like, without changing the gist of the invention.

[0078] The contents and setting values ​​of each table in Figures 3A and 3B may be designed and set in advance by, for example, a business providing the communication device 1, taking into consideration the target connected device 2. A "priority" may be set among multiple work procedure contents, taking into consideration the respective work procedures to be performed when a "normal," "abnormal," or "no response" state occurs in multiple connected devices 2 of the monitored system. A variety of specific priority settings are possible, and the settings can also be changed. In the illustrated setting example, the highest priority is given to "check for water level sensor damage," i.e., the work procedure (corresponding work procedure content) that checks whether equipment 2, the water level sensor, is damaged. In another setting example, if "check for pump damage" is set to priority = 1, the highest priority will be given to "check for pump damage," i.e., the work procedure that checks whether equipment 2, the pump, is damaged.

[0079] When an "abnormality" or "no response" occurs for a certain piece of equipment 2, multiple work procedures may be required as the work procedures to be carried out. As shown in the illustrated example, multiple contents may be set in one cell for the state of one piece of equipment 2. In such cases, conventionally, there is a risk that the worker may not know which work procedure to start with. In this embodiment, work procedure contents are prioritized and presented one by one in order, making it easier for the worker to make decisions and improving work efficiency.

[0080] Furthermore, when "abnormalities" or "no response" occur simultaneously in multiple pieces of equipment 2, different work procedures may be required for each piece of equipment 2. In such cases, conventionally, there is a risk that the worker will not know which work procedure should be performed for which state of which piece of equipment. In this embodiment, work procedure contents are prioritized and presented one by one in order, making it easier for the worker to make decisions and improving work efficiency.

[0081] [Identification Results (Table)] Fig. 3C shows an example of a table of the identification result 112. The identification result 112 of Fig. 1 may be configured as such a table. The table of the identification result 112 of Fig. 3C has, as column items, an "input / output terminal number" 411, a "connection destination" 412, and an "identification result" 413. The table of the identification result 112 of Fig. 3C corresponds to the information displayed in an "identification result display" column 410 on a screen (Fig. 4A) described below.

[0082] [Contents List (Table)] FIG. 3D shows an example of a table of content list 116. Generator 103 generates content list 116. Content list 116 may be configured as such a table. Content list 116 is information that specifies the display order of multiple work procedure contents when multiple work procedure contents to be output to a user are generated depending on the state of connection with facility 2. The table of content list 116 in FIG. 3D has column items "display order" 431, "work procedure contents" 432, and "display status" 433. The table in FIG. 3D corresponds to the information displayed in a "content list" field 430 on a screen (FIG. 4A) described below.

[0083] The communication device 1 also stores the data of the tables of Fig. 3C and Fig. 3D in memory. Note that the communication device 1 may also store the data of these tables together with the identification information 113 and content information 115 of Fig. 1.

[0084] [Display content management table] FIG. 3E shows an example of the management table 117 for the display content 114 (FIG. 1). This management table 117 is a table that manages and stores data for the display content 114. The display content 114, which is display information for the generated work procedure content, is displayed in a display area 420A of a "work procedure content" column 420 on a screen (FIG. 4A) described later. This display information and data require data for text 422 and video 424, as well as GUI data such as a "next" button 423. The management table 117 in FIG. 3E manages and stores data constituting the display content 114. The generating unit 103 or the responding unit 104 associates and sets the data in the management table 117 in FIG. 3E. Specifically, the data can be written in HTML or the like. The management table 117 in FIG. 3E has column items such as "work procedure content" 441, "explanation" 442, "video" 443, and "GUI" 444. "Description" 442, "Video" 443, "GUI" 444, etc. describe, for example, files to be referenced.

[0085] [Operation sequence] FIG. 10 shows an outline of the sequence of operations between the display device 3, the communication device 1, and the equipment 2. In step S1, a user who is a worker at a work site connects the display device 3 to the communication device 1 for communication. In step S2, the display device 3 transmits a request for work procedure content to the communication device 1. In step S3, the communication device 1 identifies the state of connection with the equipment 2 using the identification unit 102 in response to the request from the display device 3 received through the response unit 104. In step S4, the communication device 1 generates and updates the work procedure content according to the state resulting from the identification in step S3 using the generation unit 103. In step S5, the communication device 1 transmits display information for the work procedure content generated and updated in step S4 to the display device 3 as a response via the response unit 104.

[0086] In step S6, the display device 3 displays the work procedure content on the display screen based on the display information received as a response. In step S7, the user, who is the worker, checks the work procedure content on the screen and performs the work procedure on the target equipment 2. In step S8, the user presses the "Next" button (FIG. 4A) on the screen. In step S9, the display device 3 transmits a request for the next work procedure content to the communication device 1. The operations from step S9 to step S15 are the same as the operations from step S2 to step S8. These operations are similarly repeated according to the number of work procedure contents.

[0087] [Work procedure display screen] 4A shows an example of the GUI and content display on work procedure display screen 400 in embodiment 1. Based on the display information (c1 in FIG. 1) provided by communication device 1, a screen accompanied by such a GUI is displayed on the display screen of display device 3. Work procedure display screen 400 in FIG. 4 roughly comprises a "display of identification results" column 410, a "work procedure content" column 420, and a "content list" column 430.

[0088] The "display of identification result" column 410 is a column where a table is displayed, and has the following column items: "input / output terminal number" 411, "connection destination (equipment)" 412, and "identification result (status)" 413. Such a table is displayed based on the identification result 112 of FIG. 3D. The "input / output terminal number" 411 column displays the number of the input / output terminal 5 of the input / output connection unit 101 that is connected to the connected device 2. The "connection destination" 412 column displays the name / type of the connected device 2 that is connected to the input / output terminal 5 of the input / output connection unit 101 in the corresponding row. The "identification result" 413 column displays the status as a result of the identification process for the connected device 2 connected to the input / output terminal 5 of the corresponding row, using one of the following patterns: "normal," "abnormal," or "no response."

[0089] In the "Work procedure content" column 420, one work procedure content is displayed in a display area 420A, selected and determined according to the state of the "classification result" 413 in the "display of classification result" column 410. The work procedure content displayed in the display area 420A has a work procedure name 421, work procedure instructions (statement) 422, a "next" button 423, and an image video 424.

[0090] The name / ID of the work procedure instructed by the work procedure content is displayed in the work procedure name 421. The work procedure instruction (statement) 422 displays a statement instructing and explaining the work procedure to be performed. In addition, the image video 424 displays an image / video / icon / animation etc. that visually represents the content and image of the work procedure.

[0091] A user who refers to the "work procedure content" column 420 or the like carries out the work procedure for the target equipment 2 according to the instruction (sentence) 422 or the like.

[0092] The "Next" button 423 is a GUI for displaying the work procedure content to be performed next in response to a selection or press by the user. The "Next" button 423 is, in other words, an update button. After performing the work procedure specified in the "Work Procedure Content" field 420, the user presses the "Next" button 423 when they want to proceed to the next work procedure. Pressing the "Next" button 423 internally generates a request / instruction to display the next work procedure content. When the "Next" button 423 is pressed, the display device 3 transmits a request to acquire the next work procedure content to the communication device 1. Upon receiving the request, the response unit 104 of the communication device 1 acquires display information for the next work procedure content from the generation unit 103 and transmits it as a response to the display device 3. This response (e.g., web page data) includes new display information corresponding to the work procedure content to be performed next. Upon receiving and acquiring the next work procedure content from the response, the display device 3 updates the content of the work procedure display screen 400. That is, the next work procedure content is displayed in the "work procedure content" column 420.

[0093] When there are multiple work procedure contents to be implemented depending on the situation, the work procedure contents are displayed one by one in the display order according to the priority order in response to the user's input operation. This process is repeated as necessary. The display order of these multiple work procedure contents follows the display order 431 in the "content list" column 430.

[0094] If the currently displayed work procedure content is the last content to be displayed and there is no content to be displayed next, the "Next" button 423 is hidden or made unselectable. Alternatively, if it is the last work procedure content, an "Exit" button or the like may be displayed instead.

[0095] In this embodiment, for the sake of user ease, display area 420A of "work procedure content" column 420 is controlled to display only one line of work procedure content in "content list" column 430, i.e., only one work procedure to be performed next. Therefore, each time the "next" button 423 is operated, the display contents of the work procedure content in "content list" column 430 are switched in the order of the values ​​in the "display order" 431 column.

[0096] The "content list" column 430 displays a table corresponding to the content list 116 in FIG. 3D, and has the following column items: "display order" 431, "work procedure content" 432, and "display status" 433. The "display order" column 431 displays the display order of the work procedure content. The "work procedure content" column 432 displays the name / ID of the work procedure content to be displayed. The "display status" 433 column displays the display status of the work procedure content of the row in question in the "work procedure content" column 420. Note that this "display status" differs from the status of the connection with the equipment 2 (the value in the "identification result" 413 column). Examples of the value of this "display status" are "already displayed" or a blank field. "already displayed" indicates that the work procedure content of the row has already been displayed, and that if the "next" button 423 is operated in the future, subsequent work procedure content will be displayed. A blank field indicates that the work procedure content of the row in question has not yet been displayed.

[0097] The user, or worker, can perform on-site system construction and maintenance work while referring to the information displayed on the screen as shown in Figure 4A as work support information. The worker looks at and checks each work procedure content in the "Work Procedure Content" column 420, performs the work in that work procedure, and presses the "Next" button 423. The display order of the "Content List" is determined taking into account the above-mentioned priority order (Figure 3B). Therefore, the worker only needs to check each displayed "Work Procedure Content" in order and perform the work, reducing the burden of judgment, etc.

[0098] When the worker carries out the work procedure instructed in the work procedure content exactly as instructed and presses the "Next" button 423, the state of the "Identification result" 413 column changes to an expected appropriate state (for example, "Normal"), and the next work procedure content expected based on that appropriate state, that is, the work procedure content with the next display order in the "Content list", is selected and displayed.

[0099] Furthermore, the state of the identification result 112 may change dynamically depending on the results of work execution and the situation. The "content list" also changes and is updated in response to this dynamic change. In other words, the work procedure content to be executed next may change and be updated. For example, if a certain "abnormality" occurs and the priority of the work procedure content associated with that "abnormality" is set high, that work procedure content will be selected and displayed with priority.

[0100] If the worker presses the "Next" button 423 without carrying out the work procedure instructed in the work procedure content, the state of the identification result 112 does not change from the previous time, and the contents of the "Content List" do not change either. Therefore, the same work procedure content continues to be displayed in the "Work Procedure Content" column 420.

[0101] Alternatively, if a worker unknowingly performs an incorrect task in response to the instructions in the work procedure content and presses the "Next" button 423, the status of the identification result 112 corresponding to the result of the incorrect task (for example, "abnormal" or "no response") will change. In response to this, the contents of the "content list" will change, and work procedure content that can deal with the result of the incorrect task will be displayed.

[0102] That is, in this embodiment, in response to the display of work procedure content on this screen, that is, instructions and guides for the work procedure, no matter what work the worker actually performs or does not perform, the most suitable work procedure content according to the current situation is selected and displayed in response to the operation of the "Next" button 423. This reduces the burden on the worker, such as judgment, and enables efficient work. Furthermore, even if the worker is not an experienced worker and makes a mistake in the work, the work procedure content can help the worker deal with the problem.

[0103] The following may be modified examples of the screen in FIG. 4A. For "display status" 433, values ​​such as "displaying" or "not displayed" may be set instead of leaving the field blank. Alternatively, values ​​such as "current task," "next task," and "previous task" may be set. In another embodiment, the "display status" 433 column may display a value indicating how many times the task procedure content has been displayed (in other words, how many times the "next" button 423 has been pressed). In other words, if the user has repeated a task or operation for the same task procedure content many times, the number of times is displayed. If the number of times is large, it indicates that the user is not able to carry out the task smoothly.

[0104] The display and operation transitions of a series of work procedure contents by the user (the worker) can also be recorded as historical data (described later). This historical data allows the system, the user, and the business operator to understand the parts of the work procedure where the user had difficulty or made a mistake, and can be used to review and improve work procedures (and corresponding work procedure contents) for future system construction and maintenance.

[0105] The following may also be used as a modified example of the screen of FIG. 4A. The "Next" button 423 is a GUI that can be pressed at any time, but this is not limiting. The "Next" button 423 may be controlled so that it cannot be pressed when a predetermined condition is not met. For example, for the work procedure content "sensor throwing," the "Next" button 423 may initially be made unpressable (e.g., grayed out). Then, when the worker performs the work according to the work procedure and the status of the "water level sensor" becomes "normal," the "Next" button 423 may be made pressable (normal display).

[0106] As a modified example, the display area 420A of the "work procedure content" column 420 can be configured to have, for example, three vertical regions (in other words, three display areas 420A) as a display layout, and up to three work procedure contents can be displayed simultaneously in parallel in the three regions. For example, in the three upper, middle, and lower regions, the work procedure contents are arranged and displayed in order from the top region according to the "display order" in the "content list" column 430. In this case, the user can check and recognize not only the current work procedure content, but also the subsequent work procedure content.

[0107] [Example of transitions between multiple work steps] A specific example of the transition of multiple work procedures (corresponding work procedure contents) on a screen such as that shown in Fig. 4A is as follows. As an example, the multiple work procedures may include "wiring a water level sensor," "throwing in a sensor," and "installing a solar panel," as shown in Fig. 3B and Fig. 4A. An example of the display order of these work procedures according to the state of the identification result 112 at a certain point in time is 1. "wiring a water level sensor," 2. "throwing in a sensor," and 3. "installing a solar panel," as shown in the "content list."

[0108] FIG. 4B shows an example of the transition of the display of work procedure content in the "Work Procedure Content" column 420 on the screen of FIG. 4A. State 1 is a display example of the work procedure content "Water Level Sensor Wiring," which is the work procedure content with display order = 1. This work procedure content is content that instructs the user to perform wiring work such as connecting a water level sensor, which is one of the pieces of equipment 2, to a specific input / output terminal 5 of the input / output connection unit 101 of the communication device 1. Video 424 displays an image of the wiring work, showing the wiring between the water level sensor and the input / output terminal 5. Instruction text 422 may include, for example, "Loosen the screws on the terminal block and wire the water level sensor," "Tighten the screws on the terminal block to complete the work," "Make sure the LED lights up green," or "If the identification result is 'normal,' it is successful." In addition, the instruction text 422 and video 424 may specify or present the input / output terminal number to which the water level sensor should be connected. The "identification result" here is displayed in the "identification result" 413 column of the "display of identification result" column 410 in FIG. 4A, so that the user can confirm the "identification result."

[0109] Before the water level sensor is first connected, the status is "no response." Once the water level sensor is properly connected, the status changes to "normal." As an example of the identification process, if a predetermined response is obtained from the water level sensor at the corresponding input / output terminal 5, the status is identified as "normal." If the connection is incorrect, the status becomes "no response" or "abnormal."

[0110] When the "Next" button 423 is pressed after the work procedure in State 1 has been correctly performed, a transition to State 2 occurs. State 2 is a display example of the work procedure content "Throwing in the sensor," which is display order 2 (similar to FIG. 4A). This work procedure content instructs the user to perform a task such as throwing a water level sensor into a river at the site. Video 424 displays an image of the water level sensor being thrown into the river. Instructions 422 may include, for example, "Please throw the water level sensor into the river," or "If the identification result is 'normal,' it is a success." The "identification result" here is displayed in the "Identification result" 413 column of the "Display of identification result" column 410 in FIG. 4, so the user can confirm it.

[0111] When a water level sensor that is properly connected to the communication device 1 is thrown into a river, if there are no problems, the status will remain "normal." As an example of the identification process, if a sensor value within the normal range is obtained from the water level sensor at the corresponding input / output terminal 5, the status will be identified as "normal." If there is a problem, the status will become "no response" or "abnormal."

[0112] When the "Next" button 423 is pressed after the work procedure in state 2 has been correctly performed, a transition to state 3 occurs. State 3 is a display example of the work procedure content "solar panel installation", which is display order 3. This work procedure content is content that instructs the work of installing a solar panel, which is one of the facilities 2. Video 424 displays an image showing the installation of a solar panel on a support pole. Instruction sentence 422 displays, for example, "Install the support pole that supports the solar panel" or "Check safety and screw the solar panel in place."

[0113] When the "Next" button 423 is pressed after the work procedure in state 3 has been correctly performed, other work procedure contents are displayed in the same manner thereafter according to the display order of the content list.

[0114] As another example, depending on the results of the "water level sensor wiring" task, i.e., depending on whether the wiring is correct or incorrect, the status may become "no response" or "abnormal." Also, depending on the results of the "sensor throwing" task, the status may become "no response" or "abnormal." In these cases, the next work procedure to be performed is determined depending on the status, and the display changes to the corresponding work procedure content.

[0115] [Processing flow (1)] FIG. 6 shows a processing flow of the communication device 1 according to the first embodiment. The operation of the communication device 1 will be described below in accordance with the flow. The communication device 1 starts processing at a predetermined opportunity. The predetermined opportunity may be, for example, when the response unit 104 (FIG. 1) receives a request from the display device 3, when the communication device 1 is started up, or when a user inputs a predetermined operation into the communication device 1. The predetermined opportunity may also be at regular intervals.

[0116] In step S101, the communication device 1, particularly the generation unit 103 (FIG. 1), reads out an existing identification result and content list. The identification result is information obtained by the identification unit 102, and is the identification result 112 in FIG. 1 or the identification result 112 in FIG. 3C, and is, for example, a table similar to the table in the "display of identification result" column 410 on the work procedure display screen 400 in FIG. 4. The content list is information obtained by the generation unit 103, and is the content list 116 in FIG. 3D, and is a table similar to the table in the "content list" column 430 on the work procedure display screen 400. When the processing of step S101 is executed for the first time, empty tables are read as the identification result and content list.

[0117] In step S102, the identification unit 102 executes an identification process. As the identification process, the identification unit 102 performs a process of identifying the connection state with each of the connection devices 2 for all connection devices 2 connected to the input / output connection unit 101 as one of the three patterns described above. The identification unit 102 performs the identification process based on the identification information 111 and identification information 113 acquired from the input / output connection unit 101, and creates an identification result 112. The identification result 112 (e.g., FIG. 3C) is created in such a manner that the state values ​​of "normal", "abnormal", and "no response" are stored in a table for each connection device 2, that is, for each input / output terminal 5. The generation unit 102 obtains the identification result 112.

[0118] In step S103, the communication device 1 checks whether there is a difference between the identification result read in step S101 (in other words, existing data, previous data) and the identification result output in step S102 (in other words, new data, current data). If there is a difference (in other words, a change), the process proceeds to step S104. If there is no difference, the process proceeds to step S106.

[0119] In step S104, the communication device 1 overwrites the identification result output in step S102 as a new identification result and saves it. For example, a table such as that shown in Fig. 3C is saved.

[0120] In step S105, the communication device 1 executes a content list update process (see FIG. 8, which will be described later) using the generation unit 103. In the content list update process, work procedure contents to be displayed are selected and determined according to the new identification result, and a content list (e.g., FIG. 3D) is created / updated. If multiple work procedure contents are selected in step S105, the display order of the multiple contents is determined according to the above-mentioned priority order (FIG. 3B). As a result of this process, an updated content list (e.g., FIG. 3D) is created, stored, and output. For example, a table like that shown in FIG. 3D is saved.

[0121] In step S106, the communication device 1 executes a work procedure content generation process (see FIG. 9 described later) using the generation unit 103. In this generation process, display information including the work procedure content is generated based on the identification result and the content list, and is output to the response unit 104.

[0122] In step S107, the communication device 1 updates the value of the "display status" 433 column in the content list (FIG. 3D) in response to the update of the content list in step S105. That is, for the work procedure content displayed in the "work procedure content" column 420 in FIG. 4A, the value of "display status" 433 is updated to "displayed." After step S107, the flow in FIG. 6 ends.

[0123] [Processing flow (2)] 7 shows the processing flow of the identification process of the identification unit 102. The operation of the identification unit 102 will be described below in accordance with the flow. When the identification unit 102 starts processing, in step S201, it reads the connection destination table 221 and the identification table 222 from the identification information 113 (FIG. 3A).

[0124] In step S202, the identification unit 102 checks whether the reference row of the connection destination table 221 read in step S201 is the end. If it is the end, the process proceeds to step S210, and if it is not the end, the process proceeds to step S203.

[0125] In step S203, the identification unit 102 advances the reference row of the connection destination table 221 read in step S201 by one row, and records the connection destination of the relevant row.

[0126] In step S204, the identification unit 102 refers to the row of the connection destination recorded in step S203 in the identification table 222, and executes the processing of the identification program 250 registered as the identification means.

[0127] In step S205, the return value of the identification program 250 is used for case analysis. If the return value of the program 250 indicates that the response value is within the range, the process proceeds to step S206. If the return value of the identification program 250 indicates that the response value is not within the range, the process proceeds to step S207. If the return value of the identification program 250 indicates that there is no response, the process proceeds to step S208.

[0128] In step S206, the identification unit 102 determines that the status of the result of the identification process of the connection destination recorded in step S203 is "normal." In step S207, the identification unit 102 determines that the status of the result of the identification process of the connection destination recorded in step S203 is "abnormal." In step S208, the identification unit 102 determines that the status of the result of the identification process of the connection destination recorded in step S203 is "no response."

[0129] In step S209, the status of the determination result in step S206, step S207, or step S208 is added to the corresponding row of the connection destination table 221 read in step S203 as the "identification result (status)" 413 column, thereby updating the identification result 112 (FIG. 3C). When the processing of step S209 is performed for the first time, a table of the identification result 112 is created before the "identification result (status)" 413 column is added. After the processing of step S209, the process returns to step S202.

[0130] In step S210, the classification unit 102 outputs the current classification result 112, and the classification process of FIG. 7 ends.

[0131] [Processing flow (3)] 8 shows the flow of content list update processing by generation unit 103. The operation of generation unit 103 will be described below in accordance with the flow. When generation unit 103 starts processing, in step S301 it reads content table 231 and priority order table 232 from content information 115 in FIG. 3B.

[0132] In step S302, the generation unit 103 reads out the identification result 112 stored in step S104 of FIG. 6 and the content list 116 read out in step S101.

[0133] In step S303, the generation unit 103 checks whether the reference row of the identification result 112 read in step S302 is the end. If it is the end, the process proceeds to step S307, and if it is not the end, the process proceeds to step S304.

[0134] In step S304, the generation unit 103 advances the reference row of the identification result 11 read in step S302 by one row.

[0135] In step S305, the generation unit 103 searches for the necessary work procedure content from the content table 231 (FIG. 3B) based on the values ​​of the columns "Connection destination" 412 and "Identification result (status)" 413 in the reference row of the identification result 112 (FIG. 3C) read out in step S304. The generation unit 103 references a row in the content table 231 that has "Connection destination" 321 matching the value of the "Connection destination" 412 column of the "Identification result (status)" 413, and obtains and outputs the value of the cell in the status column ("Normal" 322, "Abnormal" 323, or "No response" 324) in the row that matches the value of the "Identification result (status)" 413 column, i.e., the work procedure content name / ID.

[0136] In step S305, the generation unit 103 updates the content list 116 (FIG. 3D) by adding the work procedure content name / ID output in step S305 to the content list 116. When adding a work procedure content name / ID, the smallest numerical value not currently in the content list 116 is input / set in the "display order" 431 column. When adding multiple work procedure content names / IDs, the processing order is not yet specified, and the work procedure content names / IDs are added one by one. When the processing of step S305 is executed for the first time, a table of the content list 116 is created before the work procedure content names / IDs are added. After the processing of step S305, the processing returns to step S303.

[0137] In step S307, the generation unit 103 refers to the priority order table 232 in Fig. 3B and rearranges the content list 116 (Fig. 3D). The generation unit 103 swaps the values ​​in the columns of the work procedure content 432 and the display state 433 in the content list 116 so that the higher the priority order 332, the smaller the value of the display order 431 of the work procedure content 432. The priority order of the work procedure content becomes higher the smaller the value in the priority order 332 column in the priority order table 232, in other words, the higher the row in the priority order table 232.

[0138] In step S308, if the work procedure content whose "display status" is "already displayed" in the content list 116 read in step S302 is in the content list 116 rearranged in step S307, the generation unit 103 updates the value of the "display status" 433 column of the corresponding work procedure content to "already displayed."

[0139] In step S309, generation unit 103 saves and outputs content list 116 updated in step S308, thereby completing the content list update process in FIG.

[0140] [Processing flow (4)] 9 shows a processing flow of content generation processing by generation unit 103. When generation unit 103 starts processing, in step S401 it reads out identification result 112 (FIG. 3C) and content list 116 (FIG. 3D) from memory.

[0141] In step S402, the generation unit 103 refers to the content list 116 (FIG. 3D) read in step S401, and determines the work procedure content in the row where the "display status" 433 column is not "already displayed" and where the value in the "display order" 431 column is the smallest, as the display content 114. Here, the "display content" refers to the work procedure content to be displayed in the "work procedure content" column 420 on the screen in FIG. 4.

[0142] In step S403, the generation unit 103 generates display information including a GUI for the work procedure display screen 400 of FIG. 4. In other words, the generation unit 102 generates and outputs display information including a GUI for displaying the work procedure display screen 400. The generation unit 102 generates the display information by referring to a management table such as that shown in FIG. 3E. Specifically, the generation unit 103 outputs the identification result 112 read out in step S401 to the GUI so as to be displayed as a table in the "display of identification result" column 410 of the work procedure display screen 400. The generation unit 103 also outputs the content list 116 read out in step S401 to the GUI so as to be displayed as a table in the "content list" column 430 of the work procedure display screen 400. The generation unit 102 also outputs the display content 114 determined in step S402 to the GUI so as to be displayed in the display area 420A of the "work procedure content" column 420 of the work procedure display screen 400.

[0143] The generation unit 103 outputs the generated display information (display content 114) to the response unit 104 in Fig. 1, and the response unit 104 transmits the display information to the display device 3. The display device 3 receives the display information and displays it on the display screen as the work procedure display screen 400, or updates the display content of the screen.

[0144] [Change display content according to priority] FIG. 4C shows an example different from the example screen of FIG. 4A and the example work procedure of FIG. 4B. Depending on the situation, the connection status with facility 2 changes, and the multiple work procedures to be performed change. In this case, the display order of the corresponding multiple work procedure contents is controlled according to the priority order (FIG. 3B). That is, the work procedure that should be performed first is displayed first on the work procedure display screen 400. In the example of FIG. 4C, the status of the identification results at a certain point in time is assumed to be "abnormal" for the water level sensor, "abnormal" for the pump, and "normal" for the solar panel. In this situation, multiple work procedure contents are extracted based on the content table 231 of FIG. 3B, including, for example, four items: "check water level sensor wiring," "check water level sensor damage," "check pump wiring," and "check pump damage." These four work procedure contents are contents that were not extracted in the example of FIG. 4A.

[0145] The priority of these work procedure contents is determined based on the priority table 232 in FIG. 3B. For example, priority 1 is "Check for damage to the water level sensor," 2 is "Check for water level sensor wiring," 3 is "Check for damage to the pump," and 4 is "Check for pump wiring." These four work procedure contents are set to have a higher priority than work procedure contents such as "Wiring the water level sensor" for the "No response" state. The display order of these work procedure contents is then determined according to the priority. As shown in the "Content List" column 430, in the updated content list 116, the display orders of the four work procedure contents are 1 to 4. The work procedure contents are displayed one by one in this display order in the "Work Procedure Content" column 420. In FIG. 4C, "Check for damage to the water level sensor," which is the initial display order = 1, is displayed.

[0146] Not limited to the example of FIG. 4C, the priorities for multiple pieces of equipment 2 and multiple work procedures can be controlled according to the settings of the table of FIG. 3B. In another example, a relatively high priority may be set for equipment 2 in an "abnormal" state. For example, for equipment 2 of a type such as a solar panel or battery, if the status identified in the corresponding interface 4 is "abnormal," a high priority may be set in consideration of the risk. In other words, if a high priority is set for the work procedure content associated with this equipment 2 in an "abnormal" state, that work procedure content will be displayed preferentially when an "abnormal" occurs in the equipment 2. Furthermore, as described above, if the "abnormal" state of the equipment 2 specifically involves multiple types of abnormalities, a priority may be set for each type of abnormality.

[0147] [Effects of the First Embodiment] As described above, the communication device 1 and the like according to the first embodiment can reduce the burden on workers in supporting the construction and maintenance of on-site systems. According to the first embodiment, content that explains and guides the next appropriate work procedure according to the current situation is automatically selected and displayed on the display screen. This reduces the burden of judgment on the workers, making it easier for even unskilled workers to carry out the work.

[0148] The communication device 1 of the first embodiment distinguishes the connection status with the equipment 2 connected to each input / output terminal number of the input / output connection unit 101 into three patterns: "normal," "abnormal," and "no response." Based on the information on the connected equipment 2 and the status of the distinguished result, the communication device 1 automatically switches the work procedure content to be displayed on the screen. Furthermore, if there are multiple work procedure contents to be displayed, i.e., multiple work procedures to be performed, depending on the situation, the display order of the multiple contents is automatically determined based on the priority, and the work procedure contents are displayed one by one in accordance with the display order. The worker can check and perform the work procedure contents one by one on the screen, and the request and response for the work procedure content are controlled based on the checking and performance. If the status of the distinguished result with the equipment 2 changes while the worker is working, the work procedure content to be displayed is dynamically changed; for example, the work procedure content that should be handled with priority is displayed first.

[0149] In this way, in the first embodiment, by dynamically generating and determining the work procedure content according to the state of connection with the equipment 2, the normal work procedure is displayed when the equipment 2 is "normal," and when the equipment 2 is "abnormal" or "no response," a work procedure for resolving the problem is displayed. For example, before the monitored equipment 2 (e.g., a water level sensor) is connected to the input / output terminal 5 of the communication device 1, it is identified as being in a "no response" state. In this case, in response to a request from the display device 3, work procedure content urging the wiring work, such as "wire the water level sensor," is displayed ( FIG. 4B ). After the worker confirms and completes the wiring work, in response to a further request, the communication device 1 updates the identification status with the equipment 2. At this time, if the wiring work is performed normally and identified as "normal," the next work procedure content to be performed, such as "throwing in the sensor," is displayed. Alternatively, if the equipment 2 is identified as "abnormal" based on a response from the equipment 2, work procedure content urging the user to resolve the abnormality is selected and displayed as a response. For example, work procedure content such as "check for damage to the water level sensor" is displayed ( FIG. 4C ).

[0150] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the decision by the worker when shifting from the normal procedure to the problem-solving procedure, which was required in the prior art, is no longer necessary or is made easier, and the number of situations where the worker needs to make a decision is reduced. In other words, by presenting the work procedure content, it is possible to help reduce the burden of such decisions. As a result, the burden on the worker can be reduced, and the system construction and maintenance can be made more efficient.

[0151] In the first embodiment, multiple work procedures for multiple pieces of equipment 2 are prepared as setting information (such as content information 115) equivalent to work scenarios. Even when the overall work procedures are complex, work procedure contents are provided one by one in a display order that takes priority into consideration, according to the setting information equivalent to the work scenario. This allows the worker to more easily perform the necessary work procedures depending on the situation. Furthermore, since the communication device 1 has the identification unit 102 and the generation unit 103 and stores multiple work procedures and setting information, it is possible to display work procedure contents without connecting to a network, thereby enabling work support even in locations with poor communication environments. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the amount of data communication via the network, allowing work support contents to be displayed quickly. Furthermore, compared to connecting to an external server to acquire and display data, it is possible to easily perform the necessary work procedures even in local environments where communication is not possible.

[0152] [Variations] Various modifications are possible without being limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment 1. For example, in Fig. 1, the input / output connection unit 101 and the identification unit 102 may be integrated into one unit. In this case, the input / output connection unit 101 performs an identification process regarding the state of the equipment 2 connected to the input / output terminal 5.

[0153] As another variation, the aforementioned "Next" button 423 is provided as a GUI on the screen, but this is not limiting, and the communication device 1 may be provided with a hardware button (in other words, an operation input unit) that corresponds to the function of the button 423.

[0154] [Variation (1-1)] As a modification of the first embodiment, the communication device 1 is not limited to a single configuration as shown in FIG. 1, but may be composed of multiple devices with multiple parts. FIG. 11 shows a system configuration of the modification. The communication device 1 of the modification is implemented as being separated into a monitoring device 1A and a router 1B, which are connected to each other. The monitoring device 1A includes an input / output connection unit 101, an identification unit 102, and a generation unit 103, and is connected to a facility 2 to be monitored via a predetermined interface 4, to perform the above-mentioned monitoring, status identification, generation of work procedure content, and other processes as main processes for the facility 2. The router 1B includes a response unit 104, and connects to and accesses a communication network 9 to perform communication processing, and can communicate with, for example, a display device 3 or a server device (described later).

[0155] [Variation (1-2)] FIG. 12 shows another modified example. In this modified example, the input / output connection unit 101 of the communication device 1 is implemented as a separate device, i.e., an input / output connection device 1D, separate from the main body 1C of the communication device 1. The input / output connection device 1D has an input / output interface corresponding to the interface 4 with the equipment 2 of the monitored system. The input / output connection device 1D may be provided as multiple input / output connection devices 1D, each separated by its interface 4 with the equipment 2. In the example of FIG. 12, two input / output connection devices 1D are provided: an input / output connection device 1D-1 and an input / output connection device 1D-2. The input / output connection device 1D-1 is implemented with an input / output interface corresponding to the interface 4A with the connected devices 21 and 22. The input / output connection device 1D-2 is implemented with an input / output interface corresponding to the interface 4B with the connected device 23. The input / output connection device 1D corresponding to the interface 4 with the equipment 2 can be attached or detached to or from the main body 1C of the communication device 1 as needed. This allows for the construction of a monitoring system including the communication device 1 that is suited to the configuration of the equipment 2 constituting the on-site system. When a new facility 2 having a new interface 4 is added to the on-site system, a flexible response is possible by adding a corresponding input / output connection device 1D.

[0156] [Variation (1-3)] FIG. 13 shows another modified example. As described above (FIG. 1), the system of the first embodiment provides work support by having the communication device 1 provide display information of work procedure content to the display device 3 of the worker. The communication device 1 mainly has at least an identification unit 102 and a generation unit 103 as parts and functions for realizing the work support. In other words, these parts and functions are a work support unit. As a modified example, these parts and functions (work support unit) may be implemented in a device separate from the communication device 1, for example, in the display device 3. In the modified example of FIG. 13, the display device 3 is a work support device having a work support unit 3A. The work support unit 3A has an identification unit 31 corresponding to the identification unit 101 and a generation unit 32 corresponding to the generation unit 102. The display device 3 communicates with the communication unit 133 of the communication device 1 via the communication unit 33 and acquires identification information from the communication device 1. The work support unit 3A uses the identification information to perform identification processing and generation processing, as in the first embodiment. The display device 3 then displays the work procedure content generated by the work support unit 3A on the display screen of the display unit .

[0157] [Variation (1-4)] In the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1 etc., various data and information stored in the communication device 1, such as the identification information 113, the content information 115, and the identification program 250 shown in Fig. 2, may be stored and set in the auxiliary storage device 210 in advance, for example, when the communication device 1 is shipped. Alternatively, the data and information may be managed and stored in an external device such as a server device managed by a business operator on the communication network 9. The data and information may be distributed and downloaded from the server device to the communication device 1 as needed via the communication network 9. Such a configuration will be described later in the fifth embodiment.

[0158] <Embodiment 2> The second embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 14 onwards. The basic configuration of the second embodiment etc. is the same as or common to the first embodiment, and the following mainly describes the components of the second embodiment etc. that are different from the first embodiment.

[0159] In the first embodiment, the generation and display of the work procedure content described above did not take into consideration language or regional characteristics. However, considering the possibility that system construction and maintenance work will be performed at sites in various countries and regions around the world, it is necessary or desirable to generate and display work procedure content tailored to each country and region. For example, if the site is an English-speaking country, it is desirable to display work procedure content in English. Also, in regions with low temperatures, it is desirable to display work procedure content such as storing the system in a panel that is not exposed to outside air to prevent a drop in the battery voltage of equipment 2. In this way, it is more preferable to change the language and detailed content of the work procedure content displayed according to the country and region.

[0160] For this reason, the communication device 1 of the second embodiment is capable of receiving GNSS signals to acquire latitude and longitude information, in other words, location information. The communication device 1 controls to switch the version of the work procedure content to be displayed depending on the acquired latitude and longitude values.

[0161] [Communication Device of Second Embodiment] Fig. 14 shows an example of the configuration of hardware etc. of communication device 1 according to embodiment 2. The configuration of Fig. 14 differs from Fig. 2 in that communication device 1 additionally includes GNSS signal receiver 206. GNSS signal receiver 206 receives signals from GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and acquires and outputs information such as latitude and longitude as position information of communication device 1 itself. In addition, geographic information 291 and a version selection table 292 are added to the information stored in auxiliary storage device 210.

[0162] The geographic information 291 is information that associates each country or region with a range of latitude and longitude. By utilizing the geographic information 291, the communication device 1 can identify the country or region in which the communication device 1 is located, based on the latitude and longitude information from the GNSS signal receiver 206.

[0163] The version selection table 292 is a table in which correspondence is set for specifying the version of the work procedure content for each applicable country or region.

[0164] In the second embodiment, the displayed work procedure content has versions corresponding to different countries or regions. In other words, a certain work procedure content has multiple versions of multiple contents as sub-concepts. For example, the same "water level sensor wiring" (FIG. 4B) may have Japanese content as the first version, English content as the second version, and Chinese content as the third version.

[0165] In the second embodiment, it is assumed that different versions are prepared for each country or region, and the languages ​​displayed on the screen may differ, and some of the instructions in the work procedures may differ. Data on the work procedure content for each version is prepared in advance in the content information 115 (FIG. 3B) and the management table (FIG. 3E).

[0166] The version selection table 292 makes it possible to search for and select a version of data corresponding to a country or region from among the work procedure contents prepared in the content information 115. As a result, in the second embodiment, the version selection table 292 or the like makes it possible to select and acquire work procedure contents that are basically the same but have different display languages ​​and instruction contents depending on the country or region.

[0167] Geographic Information and Version Selection Table Fig. 15 shows an example of the configuration of geographic information 291 and version selection table 292. The table of geographic information 291 in Fig. 15 has column items such as "latitude and longitude range" 2911, "country" 2912, "region" 2913, and "language" 2914. The corresponding "latitude and longitude range" 2911, etc. can be determined from the corresponding "latitude and longitude range" 2911 according to the latitude and longitude values ​​of the location information.

[0168] The version selection table 292 in FIG. 15 has column items such as work procedure content 2921, default 2922, English-speaking country 2923, Japan 2924, and China 2925. The work procedure content 2921 column contains the name / ID of the work procedure content to be displayed. English-speaking country 2923, Japan 2924, and China 2925 are examples of columns representing countries and regions. Columns representing countries and regions, such as Japan 2924, are covered by this system and are provided for the number of countries and regions that can be determined by the geographic information 291. The columns representing countries and regions contain the version of the work procedure content to be selected for the country or region of the current location, obtained from the latitude and longitude. For example, if the ID of the work procedure content "sensor throwing" is C1, then "C1_ja" is information (which may be a file name, for example) that specifies the version of the work procedure content to be selected when the corresponding country is Japan.

[0169] In the default 2922 column, a version of the work procedure content is set to be selected and displayed as a default when the latitude and longitude cannot be obtained or the country or region cannot be determined, etc. In this example, the default 2922 column is set to the same value as the English version 2923.

[0170] The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the display content determination process in step S402 of the content generation process (FIG. 9) by the generation unit 103. In the second embodiment, the communication device 1 refers to the content list 116 read out in step S101 of FIG. 6, and identifies the content in the row where the "display status" column is not set to "already displayed" and where the "display order" column has the smallest value. The communication device 1 also refers to the geographic information 291 and the version selection table 292. The communication device 1 identifies the country and region where the communication device 1 is currently located, using the geographic information 291 based on the latitude and longitude values ​​output by the GNSS signal receiver 206. The communication device 1 then identifies the version of the work procedure content to be selected from the identified country and region of the current location, using the version selection table 292. The communication device 1 then determines and outputs the version of the work procedure content as the display content 114.

[0171] According to the communication device 1 of the second embodiment, a country or region is identified using the GNSS signal receiver 206 and geographic information 291, and a version of the work procedure content suitable for that country or region is selected and displayed using the version selection table 292. This work procedure content accommodates the languages ​​used by workers in each country or region and the slight variations in the work procedure instructions. As a result, the amount of work required for the worker, such as judgment and translation, can be reduced, further reducing the burden on the worker.

[0172] [Example of version of work procedure instructions] FIG. 16 shows an example in which different instructions are displayed as different versions depending on the country or region for a basically identical work procedure. In this example, one piece of equipment 2 has a PLC control panel. One work procedure is "Installation of the control panel." In this example, if the country in which equipment 2 is installed is Japan, two types of regions (regions A and B) are set depending on the relative temperature. In the version selection table 292, different versions of the work procedure content (content Ca_ja_A for version A, content Ca_ja_B for version B) are selected depending on region A or B.

[0173] State 1601 shows an example of the display of instructions for the work procedure corresponding to version A to be selected when the current value is region A. State 1602 shows an example of the display of instructions for the work procedure corresponding to version B to be selected when the current value is region B. In this example, in region B, where the temperature is relatively high, there is simply a sentence 422 of instructions for the work procedure such as "Install the control panel." On the other hand, in region A, where the temperature is relatively low, there is an additional sentence 422 of instructions for the work procedure such as "Store the control panel in a housing so that it does not come into contact with outside air" to prevent the battery voltage of the control panel from dropping due to the effects of low temperature.

[0174] In this way, it is possible to vary the instructions for work procedures depending on the country or region, enabling detailed responses to suit each country or region, thereby improving the quality of system construction and maintenance.

[0175] <Third Embodiment> In the third embodiment, the monitored facility 2 may have a display device, and the facility 2 may display arbitrary information, such as the status of the facility 2, on the display device. The display device of the facility 2 may be a device with a display screen, or may be a device that can control the on / off / blinking of an indicator such as an LED. The display device of the facility 2 may be an LED lamp or an LCD panel. For example, the display device of the facility 2 may display the normal / abnormal or error status of the facility 2. The status of the facility 2 here is different from the concept of the connection status with the facility 2 described above. In the third embodiment, a user, who is a worker, recognizes the status of the facility 2 by viewing the display information and display status on the display device of the facility 2. The "Work Procedure Content" field 420 on the screen of the display device 3 ( FIG. 4A ) for the communication device 1 is provided with a GUI, such as option buttons, that allows the worker to select and input the status of the facility 2 recognized by viewing the display device of the facility 2. In response to the input from the option button, the communication device 1 selects and displays content for the work procedure corresponding to the status of the facility 2.

[0176] In the first embodiment, the information required for making a judgment to determine work procedure contents is mainly limited to the connection status with the equipment 2 at the input / output connection unit 101 of the communication device 1 (i.e., the identification result 112 by the identification unit 102). The communication device 1 determines the work procedure contents mainly from the identification result 112 of that status. However, considering an actual on-site system, there may be cases where only identifying the connection status with the equipment 2 is insufficient. For example, when an industrial device is connected as the equipment 2, the industrial device may be equipped with a display device that displays its own status. In that case, not only the connection status with the equipment 2 but also the display content of the display device of the industrial device, for example, the status of the industrial device, can be used as information for making a judgment.

[0177] For example, after a worker checks the status of the industrial equipment as displayed on the display device of the industrial equipment, the worker can select and input the status of the industrial equipment in the "work procedure content" on the screen described above. This allows for more extensive case classification depending on the status of the industrial equipment, for example, and determines more suitable work procedure content. Since more detailed information can be obtained than in the first embodiment, which determines only the status of the connection with the equipment 2, the communication device 1 can make decisions regarding the work procedure content, including phenomena outside the communication path with the equipment 2 (interface 4, input / output terminal 5 in FIG. 1). This may further reduce the burden on the worker.

[0178] In the third embodiment, as described above, the work procedure content is determined using not only the state of connection with the facility 2 but also information on the display content of the display device provided in the facility 2. To this end, in the third embodiment, the "Next" button 423 in the "Work Procedure Content" column 420 on the above-mentioned screen is changed to a format of options related to the display content of the display device of the facility 2, and input by the worker is accepted in a selection-type format. The communication device 1 selects and determines the next work procedure content in accordance with the selection input.

[0179] FIG. 17 shows a system configuration including a communication device 1 according to a third embodiment. The configuration of FIG. 17 differs from that of the first embodiment (FIG. 1) in that at least one facility 2, for example, facility 2C (connected device #N), includes a display device 2d that displays its own status, etc. In addition, the processing and functions of the generation unit 103 and the response unit 104 differ in the third embodiment. When generating display information (display content 114) that constitutes the screen of the display device 3, the generation unit 103 provides a GUI for inputting options corresponding to the display content (for example, the status of the facility 2) of the facility 2 (described later). The response unit 104 transmits the display information to the display device 3. The display device 3 displays a screen based on the display information. The worker inputs options on the screen corresponding to the display content (for example, the status of the facility 2) of the facility 2. The display device 3 transmits input information 1701 of the options to the communication device 1. The response unit 103 receives the input information 1701 of the options and transfers it to the generation unit 103. The generating unit 103 selects and determines the next work procedure content to be displayed based on the input information 1701 of the options.

[0180] [Screen: Display options] 18 shows an example of the display in the "Work procedure content" column 420 of the work procedure display screen (FIG. 4A). The following describes a case where the facility 2C equipped with the display device 2d (for example, a liquid crystal display panel) is, for example, an industrial device, and there is a work procedure called "Check the industrial device," in which a worker checks the display on the panel of the device while performing the work.

[0181] Display area 420A displays a name 421 of a work procedure called "Check industrial equipment," instruction text 422, video 424, and the like. Also, instead of the aforementioned "Next" button 423, a plurality of option buttons (in other words, input buttons) 1800 are displayed. These option buttons 1800 are GUIs for selecting and inputting according to the display content of display device 2d of equipment 2C (for example, the status of equipment 2C). In this example, there are three types of option buttons 1800: button 1801, button 1802, and button 1803. Button 1801 is a "Normal display" button, button 1802 is a "Display error 1" button, and button 1803 is a "Display error 2" button.

[0182] The image video 424 shows that an error number or the like is displayed on the panel, which is the display device 2d of the industrial equipment. The instruction sentence 422 shows, for example, "Please check the display on the panel," "If it is not an error display, there is no problem," or "Select the button that corresponds to the displayed content."

[0183] The user, who is an operator, carries out the installation work procedure for the target facility 2, which is industrial equipment, in accordance with the work procedure content displayed in the "Work Procedure Content" column 420. Depending on the results of the work, the display content on the display device 2d of the facility 2 may change. The operator checks the display content on the display device 2d of the facility 2, such as "Normal" or an error number, and presses the option button 1800 on the screen that corresponds to the display content.

[0184] In accordance with the input of the option buttons 1800 on the screen, the display device 3 transmits a request (input information 1701 in FIG. 17 ) along with the button input value to the communication device 1. Note that information for controlling such processing can be written, for example, as a script on a Web page, which is display information. The response unit 104 of the communication device 1 receives the request and passes the button input value to the generation unit 103. The generation unit 103 refers to the button input value and content display order information 2000 (FIG. 20 ) to select and determine the work procedure content to be displayed next.

[0185] FIG. 19 shows an example of a display flow in response to a selection input of the option button 1800 on the screen of FIG. 18. Step S1900 displays a certain work procedure content. For this display, the input information 1701 includes an input value 1900 of the option button 1800, and the display flow branches depending on the input value 1900. If "Normal" is selected as the input value 1900, "Return to original flow" occurs in step S1901. Note that the original flow here refers to the normal work procedure flow assumed when there is no error in the industrial equipment. If "Error 1" is selected, the process proceeds to "Handling Error 1" in step S1902, and if "Error 2" is selected, the process proceeds to "Handling Error 2" in step S1903.

[0186] If "return to original flow" is selected in step S1901, the process returns to the content display in the aforementioned "content list" column 430. That is, the next work procedure content (for example, "control panel wiring," not shown) is selected according to the display order defined in the "content list" (FIG. 3D).

[0187] If anything other than "Normal" is selected in the input value 1900, that is, if an "error" such as "Error 1" or "Error 2" is selected, the process transitions to a step that displays the work procedure content associated with that "error." For example, in the work procedure content "Handling Error 1" in step S1902, the work procedure for resolving the "Error 1" condition is displayed in the "Work Procedure Content" column 420 on the screen.

[0188] [Content display order information] In the third embodiment, the communication device 1 additionally has content display order information 2000 as shown in FIG. 20 as information stored in the auxiliary storage device 210 (FIG. 2). FIG. 20 shows an example of the configuration of the content display order information 2000. The content display order information 2000 associates and sets the name / ID of the work procedure content displayed immediately before, the contents of the branching input (the above-mentioned option button input value), and the work procedure content to be displayed in response to the branching input. After outputting the display information of the work procedure content, when the generation unit 103 receives a branching input (option button input value 1900) from the display device 3 and the worker, the generation unit 103 refers to the content display order information 2000, determines the work procedure content to be displayed next in response to the branching input, and outputs the corresponding display information.

[0189] The configuration example of the content display order information 2000 in FIG. 20 is a text file in JSON format. This content display order information 2000 is configured with a previously displayed content name 2001 and display order information 2002 corresponding to the previously displayed content name 2001. The previously displayed content name 2001 is set with the name / ID of the work procedure content listed in the content table 231 (FIG. 3B). The display order information 2002 is set with a key-value array of 0 or more. The key is the aforementioned button input value 1900 (e.g., "Display error 1") from the screen of the display device 3. The value stores the name / ID of the work procedure content to be displayed next (e.g., "Deal with error 1"). If the value is, for example, "Return to original flow," the communication device 1 stops referring to the content display order information 2000 and returns to the same processing as in the first embodiment. That is, the processing from step S101 onward in FIG. 6 described above is started.

[0190] Depending on the equipment 2 and the work procedure content, a flow of actions can be realized by branching using the option button 1800 according to the display content of the display device 2d of the equipment 2, as in the above example.

[0191] [Example of troubleshooting procedure display] FIG. 21 shows an example of the display of work procedure content for dealing with an "Error" display on an industrial device. A state 2101 is an example of the display of work procedure content for "Error 1 response" in the "Work Procedure Content" column 420 on the screen (FIG. 4). "Error 1 response" displays a procedure for restarting the industrial device to respond to a malfunction in the industrial device system (display 2201 in FIG. 22). A display area 420A displays a name 421 of the work procedure for "Error 1 response," a statement of instructions 422, and an image 424. The statement 422 may, for example, be displayed as "Turn off the power switch of the industrial device," "Do not operate for 10 seconds," or "Turn the power switch of the industrial device on again." The image 424 may, for example, display an image of the power switch turning on and off. In addition, an "End response" button 2103 is provided as a GUI.

[0192] Status 2102 is a display example of the work procedure content for "Handling Error 2" in the "Work Procedure Content" column 420 on the screen. "Handling Error 2" displays a procedure for performing system initialization from an item on the settings screen to handle a memory abnormality in the industrial equipment (display 2202 in FIG. 22). Display area 420A displays a name 421 of the work procedure "Handling Error 2," as well as instruction text 422 and video 424. Text 422 may display, for example, "Open the settings screen on the industrial equipment panel," "Select system initialization on the settings screen," or "Select 'Yes' when the confirmation screen appears." Video 424 displays an image of the panel display screen. In addition, an "End Handling" button 2104 is provided as a GUI.

[0193] Another example of instruction sentence 422 may be a display confirmation such as "Please confirm that the panel display has become 'normal'."

[0194] In the case of "Handling Error 1" in step S1902 of FIG. 19, the worker performs the handling work for "Error 1" in accordance with the work procedure content of state 2101 in FIG. 21. After that, the worker presses the "End Handling" button 2103. When the "End Handling" button 2103 is pressed, the corresponding button input value is sent to the communication device 1. The response unit 103 of the communication device 1 processes the button input value as the handling end input in step S1902b of FIG. 19. Then, the communication device 1 proceeds to "Return to original flow" in step S1901.

[0195] Similarly, in the case of "Handling Error 2" in step S1903 of FIG. 19, the worker performs the handling work for "Error 2" in accordance with the work procedure content of state 2102 in FIG. 21. Thereafter, the worker presses the "End Handling" button 2104. When the "End Handling" button 2104 is pressed, the corresponding button input value is transmitted to the communication device 1. The response unit 103 of the communication device 1 processes the button input value as the handling end input in step S1903b of FIG. 19. Then, the communication device 1 proceeds to "Return to original flow" in step S1901.

[0196] As in the above example, in the third embodiment, the flow relating to the display of the work procedure content branches based on the multiple option buttons 1800 included in the display information of the work procedure content, in accordance with the display content (e.g., an error or other condition) on the display device 2d of the facility 2 and the selection input by the worker. In response to the selection of the option button 1800, work procedure content for dealing with the condition such as an error is displayed. The worker can easily carry out the dealing work by following the guidance of the work procedure content, and can return to the original flow after the dealing work is completed.

[0197] FIG. 22 shows an example of a display on an industrial equipment panel as the display device 2d of the facility 2. Display 2201 is an example corresponding to "Error 1." For example, messages such as "System malfunction (Error 1)," "Content: An unexpected error has occurred," and "Solution: Restart the power" are displayed. Display 2202 is an example corresponding to "Error 2." For example, messages such as "Memory error (Error 2)," "Content: Memory data is abnormal," and "Solution: Initialize the system" are displayed. Display 2203 is an example of a display when "System initialization" is selected on the panel settings screen.

[0198] Conventionally, workers can recognize the status of the equipment 2 by looking at the display on the display device 2d, and can determine and carry out corrective work from the display. However, depending on the equipment 2 and the worker, it may be difficult to determine and carry out corrective work from the display on the display device 2d alone. In particular, for users who are not skilled, or in an overall flow that includes multiple work procedures for multiple pieces of equipment 2, it may be difficult to properly carry out work, including the order of multiple work procedures and the details of the corrective work. Even in such cases, the present system can provide appropriate work support by using the work procedure content on the screen.

[0199] Furthermore, if an error occurs in the industrial equipment, which is the equipment 2, the equipment 2 may be unable to connect or communicate normally with the communication device 1. From the perspective of the communication device 1, the connection status with the equipment 2 may become “abnormal” or “no response.” Furthermore, it may be difficult to understand the status of the equipment 2, such as an error, from the connection status with the equipment 2 (identification result 112) alone. To address this, in this embodiment, the work procedure content on the screen is provided with option buttons 1800 corresponding to the display content of the display device 2d of the equipment 2, and a corrective work procedure for resolving an error or the like in the equipment 2 is displayed in response to a selection input. The selection of the work procedure content for this purpose may be determined based on the connection status of the equipment 2 (identification result 112) and the selection input of the button 1800 by the worker. If the worker resolves the error by addressing the error in accordance with the work procedure content, a normal connection between the equipment 2 and the communication device 1 is enabled, or normal communication is resumed. From the perspective of the communication device 1, the connection status with the equipment 2 may change to “normal.” This leads to the resolution of problems, such as troubles, caused by the equipment 2, such as industrial equipment.

[0200] [Processing flow] 23 shows a processing flow of the communication device 1 of the third embodiment. The generation unit 103 of the communication device 1, in particular, executes processing in response to receiving a request from the display device 3. If the work procedure content, which is the display content on the screen of the display device 3, has a button other than the above-mentioned "Next" button 243, that is, if there is an option button 1800 as shown in FIG. 18, the display content has a button input value. The generation unit 103 of the communication device 1, in particular, executes processing in response to the request accompanied by the button input value from the display device 3.

[0201] The flow of FIG. 23 of the third embodiment is mainly different from the flow of FIG. 6 of the first embodiment in that steps S2301 to S2305 are added between steps S101 and S102.

[0202] After step S101, in step S2301, the generation unit 103 verifies whether or not there is a button input value. If there is a button input value, the process proceeds to step S2302; if there is no button input value, the process proceeds to step S102.

[0203] In step S2302, the generation unit 103 reads the content display order information 2000 (FIG. 20) from the memory.

[0204] In step S2303, the generation unit 103 acquires the name / ID of the work procedure content whose "display status" is "already displayed" and whose display order has the highest value (in other words, the content displayed last time) from the content list read out in step S101. Based on the button input value determined to be "yes" in step S2301 and the acquired content, the generation unit 103 determines, as the display content, the work procedure content to be displayed next from the content display order information 2000 read out in step S2302. As shown in the display flow in FIG. 19, the display content may be the work procedure content in the original flow (in other words, the content list 116), or it may be a response work procedure content for dealing with an error or the like.

[0205] In step S2304, if the content determined in step S2303 is work procedure content corresponding to "return to original flow," the generation unit 103 proceeds to step S102, but if it is other than "return to original flow," that is, if it is a troubleshooting work procedure content for dealing with an error, etc., the generation unit 103 proceeds to step S2305. Step S102 and subsequent steps are the same as described above.

[0206] In step S2305, the generation unit 103 outputs the display information of the display content determined in step S2303 to the response unit 104, and ends this flow. The response unit 104 transmits the display content to the display device 3 to display it on the screen.

[0207] The processing from step S2301 to step S2305 above is executed only when there is a button input value 1900 (FIG. 19). Only when a button input value is accepted does a special branch occur, and the processing is executed as processing different from that of embodiment 1. The processing different from embodiment 1 is processing that responds with display content (for example, response work procedure content) that corresponds to the previously displayed work procedure content and the button input value.

[0208] In the first embodiment, the content list 116 (FIG. 3D) corresponding to the normal flow when there is no error or the like in the equipment 2 itself is displayed in the "content list" column 430 on the screen of FIG. 4. In contrast to this, in the third embodiment, the troubleshooting work procedure content is generated and displayed at the branch corresponding to the error or the like in the equipment 2 (FIG. 21). In the third embodiment, the "content list" column 430 does not need to display information about the troubleshooting work procedure content.

[0209] According to the communication device 1 of the third embodiment, when an input value is entered using the option buttons 1800 on the screen, display content for a work to be performed is determined based on the content display order information 2000. This allows the communication device 1 to refer to information other than the communication status with the facility 2, that is, information about the display content of the display device 2d of the facility 2 (for example, the status of an error or the like of the facility 2), and to determine suitable work procedure content, including phenomena outside the communication path at the interface 4 with the facility 2.

[0210] In the third embodiment, as shown in the content display order information 2000 in Fig. 20, the branch destination troubleshooting work procedure content is selected and determined based on the previously displayed content (in other words, the content before branching) and the button input value. Without being limited to this, a modification of the third embodiment may also select and determine the branch destination troubleshooting work procedure content by using the identification result of the connection status with the facility 2 in the first embodiment. In this modification, a correspondence relationship including the status of the identification result may be set in the content display order information 2000 (which may be implemented as a correspondence table or the like).

[0211] <Fourth Embodiment> In the first embodiment, when determining and displaying work procedure content, it is necessary to identify the input / output terminal 5 of the input / output connection unit 101 to which the equipment 2 is to be connected. For example, when connecting a water level sensor as the equipment 2 to the input / output connection unit 101, the worker needs to determine which input / output terminal 5 to connect it to. Furthermore, there is a risk of human error, such as the worker connecting the equipment 2 to the wrong input / output terminal 5. Here, it is conceivable to provide work procedure content on the screen that instructs and guides wiring in such cases, and to provide an output unit such as an LED display that indicates the input / output terminal 5 to which the equipment 2 should be connected in accordance with the content. In this way, the worker can visually associate the input / output terminal 5 to which the equipment 2 instructed on the screen should be connected with the input / output terminal 5 indicated by the output unit, thereby reducing errors such as incorrect connections. In this way, by providing output from the output unit related to the input / output connection unit 101 in accordance with the work procedure content (in other words, connection guidance), it is possible to further reduce the burden on the worker.

[0212] For this reason, the communication device 1 of the fourth embodiment is provided with an output unit that enables output in accordance with the display of the work procedure content. This output unit is capable of outputting in accordance with instructions from the display device 3. The output (for example, display) by this output unit provides a guide for connection to the input / output terminal 5 of the input / output connection unit 101, for example, a display indicating the input / output terminal 5 to which connection should be made.

[0213] [System Configuration] FIG. 24 shows a system configuration including the communication device 1 of the fourth embodiment. The configuration of FIG. 24 differs from that of FIG. 1 in that an output unit 2400 is added. The output unit 2400 performs output in response to an output instruction 2411 from the generation unit 103 or an output instruction 2412 from the display device 3 via the communication network 9. The output refers to, for example, lighting up an LED. The output unit 2400 may be provided as a display such as an LED in the input / output connection unit 101, as in the example of FIG. 5 described above. Alternatively, the output unit 2400 may be provided as a display such as a liquid crystal display panel, separate from the input / output connection unit 101. The output unit 2400 may also be provided as a device that conveys information in the form of audio output, vibration, or the like.

[0214] The generation unit 103 can generate the work procedure content and instruct the output unit 2400 to output the input / output terminal 5 of the input / output connection unit 101 related to the work procedure of the content by using an output instruction 2411. In accordance with the output instruction 2411 (in other words, a signal), the output unit 2400 performs an operation such as lighting an LED to indicate the input / output terminal 5 to be connected.

[0215] The display device 3 can operate the output unit 2400 by an output instruction 2412 through communication via the communication network 9. For example, a GUI for this operation may be provided in the "display of identification results" column 410 on the above-mentioned work procedure display screen (FIG. 4A). For example, with regard to the "water level sensor wiring" work procedure (FIG. 4B), the input / output terminal 5 to be connected, whose input / output terminal number is 1, is determined to be in an "abnormal" state as a result of the identification process, and this state is displayed in the "identification result" column 413. In this case, the output unit 2400 can be instructed to output related to the corresponding input / output terminal.

[0216] [Screen example] 25 shows an example screen of the display device 3. As shown in state 2501, in the "display of identification result" column 410, when the value of the "identification result" 413 column of the table is "abnormal," an output button 2500 is displayed next to the row. When the worker presses the output button 2500, an output instruction 2412 is transmitted to the communication device 1. The communication device 1 receives the output instruction 2412 via the response unit 104 and transfers it to the output unit 2400. In accordance with the output instruction 2412, the output unit 2400 performs a predetermined output, for example, lights up an LED associated with the terminal, so as to indicate the correct input / output terminal 5 to which the target equipment 2 (water level sensor) should be connected.

[0217] State 2502 is an example in which the correct input / output terminal 5 (for example, terminal number = 1) to be connected is indicated by lighting up an LED of the output unit 2400 provided in the input / output connection unit 101. For example, the LED 2401 associated with the input / output terminal 5 with terminal number = 1 is lit. For example, the worker connects the end of the cable 2520 of the water level sensor to the input / output terminal 5 with terminal number = 1. Note that when one piece of equipment 2, for example one water level sensor, is connected to multiple input / output terminals 5, output can be similarly performed to indicate each of the multiple input / output terminals 5.

[0218] State 2503 is an example in which, when a liquid crystal display panel is provided as the output unit 2400, the screen display of the panel indicates the correct input / output terminal 5 (for example, terminal number = 1) to connect to. As output, a guide message such as "Please connect the water level sensor cable to terminal 1" or an image showing how to connect is displayed on the panel screen.

[0219] In the fourth embodiment, the processing differs from the first embodiment in that the processing content of step S403 of the content generation processing (FIG. 9) by the generation unit 103 is different. In step S403, the generation unit 103 generates display information including a GUI for the work procedure display screen 400 (FIG. 4A). The generation unit 103 outputs the identification result and content list read out in step S401 to the GUI as a table in the "display of identification result" column 410 and a table in the "content list" column 430 of the work procedure display screen 400. The generation unit 103 outputs the display content determined in step S402 to the display area 420A of the "work procedure content" column 420. At this time, the generation unit 103 generates display information so that, for example, an output button 2500 is displayed in the row of the "no response" or "abnormal" state for the table in the "display of identification result" column 410, as illustrated in FIG. 26 , which will be described later, an output button 2600 may be displayed in the work procedure content field 420. The generating unit 103 outputs the generated display information to the responding unit 104, and the responding unit 104 transmits the display information to the display device 3.

[0220] Furthermore, in step S403, if there is to be output related to the work procedure content of the display information, that is, if the output unit 2400 is to perform a predetermined output together with the display of the work procedure content, the generation unit 103 outputs an output instruction 2411 to the output unit 2400. The output unit 2400 performs the predetermined output in accordance with the output instruction 2411. The output instruction 2411 may be a signal that specifies an LED to be lit, or may be display information on a panel.

[0221] When the communication device 1 receives, via the response unit 104, from the display device 3, an output instruction 2412 in response to an input on the output button 2500, the communication device 1 transfers the output instruction 2412 to the output unit 2400. However, this is not limiting, and the output instruction 2412 may be transferred to the generation unit 103 once, and the generation unit 103 may output the output instruction 2412 to the output unit 2400. The output instruction 2412 may be a signal specifying an LED to be lit, or may be display information on a panel.

[0222] FIG. 26 shows a modified example in which an output button 2600 is displayed in the “work procedure content” column 420 on the screen ( FIG. 4A ). In this example, the work procedure is “wiring a water level sensor,” and three input / output terminals 5 (e.g., terminal numbers 1, 2, and 3) are used to connect one water level sensor. When the output button 2600 is pressed, an output instruction 2412 ( FIG. 24 ) is generated. In accordance with the output instruction 2412, a predetermined output is generated in the output unit 2400, such as a display showing how to connect the water level sensor, as shown in state 2502 or state 2503 in FIG. 25 . When the worker presses this output button 2600, an output instruction related to the input / output terminals 5 (e.g., terminal numbers 1, 2, and 3) that are the target of the work procedure content is transmitted to the communication device 1. In response to the output instruction, the communication device 1 causes the output unit 2400 to output an output indicating the input / output terminal 5. This can assist the worker in performing the wiring work.

[0223] Also, the example in FIG. 26 shows a case where one water level sensor is connected to three input / output terminals 5 with terminal numbers 1, 2, and 3. The ground (GND) line of the water level sensor is connected to terminal number 1, the power (POWER) line of the water level sensor is connected to terminal number 2, and the data (DATA) line of the water level sensor is connected to terminal number 3. In the table in the "Display of Identification Results" column 410, the status of the water level sensor is displayed using three rows with terminal numbers 1, 2, and 3. Before connection, all are identified as being in a "no response" state. Note that in a case like this example, the three lines of the water level sensor may be distinguished and listed in the table. For example, the three rows may be displayed as "Water Level Sensor (GND)," "Water Level Sensor (POWER)," and "Water Level Sensor (DATA)."

[0224] As described above, according to the communication device 1 of the fourth embodiment, it is possible to use the output unit 2400 of the communication device 1 to perform output in accordance with the work procedure content, such as assistance with the connection work of the input / output connection unit 101. Furthermore, it is possible to perform output in accordance with the work procedure content by mutual exchange with the screen of the display device 3. This further reduces the burden on the worker.

[0225] FIG. 27 shows another example screen. This example shows a specific example of what happens if an operator makes a mistake in wiring a water level sensor. Assume that the correct wiring is to connect to the input / output terminal 5 with terminal number 1, as shown in FIG. 25. Assume that in state 2701, an operator incorrectly connects the water level sensor cable 2520 to the input / output terminal 5 with terminal number 2. In this case, the input / output terminal 5 with terminal number 1 enters a "no response" state, and the input / output terminal 5 with terminal number 2 enters an "abnormal" state, for example. Based on FIG. 3B, the input / output terminal 5 with terminal number 2 is supposed to be connected to a pump (here, the interface 4 is assumed to be common). However, suppose that a signal is input from the water level sensor connected to the input / output terminal 5 with terminal number 2. In this case, the input / output terminal 5 with terminal number 2 is identified as being in an "abnormal" state based on this signal. The "display of identification result" column 410 appears as shown in state 2702.

[0226] The communication device 1 determines and displays the work procedure content based on the content information 115 in FIG. 3B in accordance with the communication status of each input / output terminal 5. Based on the example in FIG. 3B, "Check for pump damage" and "Check pump wiring" are displayed with priority. The worker checks the work procedure content on the screen in order to check the wiring of the pump and water level sensor. The worker can also check the location of the input / output terminal 5 to which wiring should be performed using the output button 2500 described above. As a result, the worker realizes that the wiring of the water level sensor was incorrect. The worker rewires the water level sensor so that it is connected to the correct input / output terminal 5 with terminal number 1. As a result, the communication status of the input / output terminal 5 with terminal number 1 becomes "normal," and the communication status of the input / output terminal 5 with terminal number 2 becomes "no response." Next, the work procedure content for "wiring the pump" is displayed.

[0227] <Fifth Embodiment> In the first embodiment, the identification process regarding the communication status with the facility 2 is executed by the communication device 1 (particularly the identification unit 102). However, considering the processing load of the communication device 1 and the effort required to set and update the identification information 113, a method of executing the identification process in an external device of the communication device 1, such as a server device connected via the communication network 9, may be applied. For example, a server device on a cloud computing system (or a client-server system or an IoT system) of a business operator may be configured to perform the identification process while appropriately communicating with communication devices 1 in various locations. This reduces the processing load of the communication device 1, reduces the effort required to set and update the identification information 113, and enables centralized management, information collection, and analysis of facility information.

[0228] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, tables required for processing (e.g., identification information 113 and content information 115) are stored in advance in the communication device 1. However, when considering actual operation, it may be necessary to modify the table setting information. For example, this may occur when a more efficient work procedure is found, when a new facility 2 not in the connection destination table 221 (FIG. 3A) is connected, or when the configuration of the facility 2 changes.

[0229] For this reason, in the fifth embodiment, a server device connected to the communication device 1 via a communication network 9 is added, and a work support system including the communication device 1 is constructed. In the work support system of the fifth embodiment, the process of identifying the connection status with the facility 2 is performed by an identification unit of the server device, and not by the communication device 1.

[0230] The server device also functions as a file server and database, holds necessary data and information such as identification information 113 and content information 115, and saves various data and information acquired from the communication device 1. The server device responds with the data and information in response to a request from the communication device 1. The communication device 1 can update the identification information 113 and content information 115 by overwriting and saving the identification information 113 and content information 115 acquired by requesting the server device in memory.

[0231] [System Configuration] FIG. 28 shows the overall configuration of a task support system that is a system including a communication device 1 according to a fifth embodiment. The fifth embodiment differs from the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in that a server device 5 connected to the communication device 1 is provided, and the server device 5 is provided with an identification unit 502, while the communication device 1 is not provided with an identification unit 102. The identification unit 502 of the server device 5 performs the above-mentioned identification process. Also, although only one communication device 1 is shown in FIG. 28, multiple communication devices 1 in various locations may be similarly connected to the server device 5 for communication. Note that both the communication device 1 and the server device 5 may be referred to as information processing devices or the like. The task support system including the communication device 1 and the server device 5 includes a control unit. The control unit may be the processor 201 of FIG. 2 or the processor 5001 of FIG. 29.

[0232] The server device 5 includes a communication unit 501, an identification unit 502, identification information 513, content information 515, an identification program 550, etc. The server device 5 collectively manages and stores various data and information described in FIG. 1 and other documents for each communication device 1 at each site. In FIG. 28, the server device 5 stores identification information 513, content information 515, identification program 550, etc. in a database (DB). The identification information 513 corresponds to the identification information 113 in FIG. 1 and is stored on the server device 5 side. The content information 515 corresponds to the content information 115 in FIG. 1 and is stored on the server device 5 side. The identification program 550 corresponds to the identification program 250 in FIG. 2 and is stored on the server device 5 side. When the data and information differs for each site or facility 2, the data and information is provided separately as multiple pieces of data and information (e.g., multiple tables). The server device 5 can also provide the communication device 1 with data and information corresponding to the site or facility 2. It is also possible to manage data and information from multiple sites in an integrated manner.

[0233] In the fifth embodiment, the communication device 1 receives and uses the processing results of necessary data and information from the server device 5. Specifically, the communication device 1 transmits, together with a request, identification information (identification information 111 in FIG. 1 ) obtained by the input / output connection unit 101 to which the facility 2 is connected, as information d1 to the server device 5. The information d1 also includes information about the communication device 1. Based on the request information d1, the identification unit 502 of the server device 5 performs an identification process while referring to the identification information 513, and obtains the status of the connection with the facility 2 as the identification result. The server device 5 transmits the identification result of the status (identification result 112 in FIG. 1 ) together with a response as information d2 to the communication device 1. Based on the identification result information d2 and the content information 115, the generation unit 103 of the communication device 1 performs a process of generating work procedure content to be displayed. The communication device 1 then transmits display information of the generated work procedure content to the display device 3 via the response unit 104.

[0234] The communication device 1 may access the server device 5, for example, at the time of initial startup or periodically, or may access the server device 5 when instructed / requested by the display device 1. In addition, the server device 5 may access the communication device 1 at appropriate times.

[0235] The communication unit 501 receives requests and the like from the communication device 1 via the communication network 9 and performs processing to transmit responses. The identification unit 502 receives information d1 from the communication device 1 via the communication unit 501 and performs identification processing using identification information 513, similar to the identification unit 102 of the communication device 1 (FIG. 1). The identification information 513 is information similar to the identification information 113 of the communication device 1 (FIG. 3A). The content information 515 is information similar to the content information 115 of the communication device 1 (FIG. 3B). The identification program 550 is information similar to the identification program 250 of the communication device 1 (FIG. 2).

[0236] The server device 5 also operates as a file server. The server device 5 stores files such as setting information and programs required for the communication device 1 in a DB. The server device 5 can also distribute files such as the latest setting information and programs to the communication device 1 via the communication unit 501. This allows the communication device 1 to update its own identification information 113 and content information 115 based on the distribution of files from the external server device 5.

[0237] [Server device] FIG. 29 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the server device 5. The server device 5 includes a processor 5001, a main storage device (memory) 5002, a network interface 5003, an auxiliary storage interface 5004, an input / output interface 5005, and the like, and each unit is connected by an architecture such as a bus. The processor 5001 controls the entire server device 5 and each unit, loads necessary programs into the main storage device 5002, and executes program processing. This realizes each unit such as the identification unit 502. The network interface 5003 is an interface with the communication network 9. The input / output interface 5004 is an interface for connection with an input / output device. The auxiliary storage interface 5005 is an interface for connecting to the auxiliary storage device 5010.

[0238] The auxiliary storage device 5010 stores control programs such as an identification unit program 511, identification information 513, content information 515, an identification program 550, etc. The identification program 550 is an identification means referenced from the table of the identification information 513. When the identification process is performed by the identification unit 102 of the communication device 1, the latest identification program 550 can also be distributed from the server device 5 to the communication device 1.

[0239] According to the work support system of the fifth embodiment, the server device 5 can set and update the identification information 513, content information 515, identification program 550, etc. based on external input, etc., and can distribute the latest identification information 513, etc. to the communication devices 1 in various locations. In addition, the identification unit 502 of the server device 5 can receive information d1 from the communication device 1, perform identification processing, and provide information d2 of the identification result to the communication device 1.

[0240] [Variation (5-1)] The following modification of the fifth embodiment is also possible. An identification unit may be provided in both the communication device 1 and the server device 5. FIG. 30 shows a system configuration of this modification. This system includes an identification unit 102 in the communication device 1 and an identification unit 502 in the server device 5. Alternatively, as an implementation example, the communication device 1 may store the same data and information as the server device 5 in duplicate. In FIG. 30, the memory of the communication device 1 stores identification information 113 and content information 115. These data and information are copies of the data and information distributed mainly from the server device 5, such as the identification information 513 and content information 515. In this modification, both the communication device 1 and the server device 5 can perform identification processing regarding the status of the connection with the facility 2. Furthermore, the communication device 1 can update the identification information 113 and the like to the latest information by receiving information from the server device 5. For example, the communication device 1 may perform identification processing using its own identification unit 102 during normal operation, when the processing load is low. Furthermore, the communication device 1 may request the server device 5 to have the identification unit 502 perform the identification process when, for example, the processing load is low or when an unknown facility 2 is connected.

[0241] [Variation (5-2)] Further, other modifications may be made as follows. In the modification of FIG. 31 , the communication device 1 includes an identification unit 102, and the server device 5 includes a generation unit 503. In the communication device 1, the identification unit 102 performs an identification process based on the identification information 111 from the input / output connection unit 101, and transmits information such as the identification result 112 to the server device 5 via the response unit 104. In the server device 5, the generation unit 503 performs a process of generating work procedure content based on the information. The server device 5 transmits display information such as the generated work procedure content to the communication device 1. Based on the information, the communication device 1 transmits the display information of the work procedure content from the response unit 104 to the display device 3. With this configuration, when the capacity of the content information 115 used to create the work procedure content is large, the capacity of the auxiliary storage device 210 of the communication device 1 can be reduced. Furthermore, when connected to multiple communication devices 1, work procedure content can be created taking multiple communication devices 1 into consideration.

[0242] [Variation (5-3)] Further, other modified examples may be as follows. In the modified example of Fig. 32, the server device 5 is provided with an identification unit 502 and a generation unit 503. The communication device 1 transmits information such as the identification information 111 from the input / output connection unit 101 to the server device 5 via the response unit 104. In the server device 5, the identification unit 502 performs an identification process based on the information, and the generation unit 503 performs a process of generating work procedure content based on the state of the identification result. The server device 5 transmits display information such as the generated work procedure content to the communication device 1. The communication device 1 transmits the display information of the work procedure content to the display device 3 from the response unit 104.

[0243] For example, when there is a correspondence between the identification process relating to the state of equipment 2 and the work procedure content, it is effective to generate the work procedure content based on the latest content information 515, which corresponds to the identification process based on the latest identification information 513.

[0244] In another variation, the display device 3 may be connected to the server device 5 for communication, and the server device 5 may provide the work procedure screen (FIG. 4A) to the display device 3. For example, in FIG. 32, the display device 3 accesses the server device 5 and sends a request. In response to the request, the server device 5 connects to the communication device 1 and acquires information such as the identification information 111 from the communication device 1 in order to provide the work procedure screen (FIG. 4A). In the server device 5, the identification unit 502 performs an identification process based on the information, and the generation unit 503 generates work procedure content based on the state of the identification result. The server device 5 then transmits display information for the work procedure content to the display device 3, which displays the work procedure screen (FIG. 4A).

[0245] As another modification, as shown in FIG. 32, facility monitoring information 3201 and work history information 3202 may be stored in the server device 5. The communication device 1 (particularly the processor 201 in FIG. 2) monitors the status of the facility 2 through the input / output connection unit 101 to obtain monitoring information. Note that the status / monitoring information referred to here is a fundamentally different concept from the status of the aforementioned identification result. For example, in the case of a control panel, it is a control status or an error status, and in the case of a water level sensor, it is a measurement status or an error status. As a specific example, the status / monitoring information may be signals / information such as flow rate, water level, intake / exhaust volume, and alarms. The communication device 1 transmits information e1 obtained by monitoring to the server device 5. The server device 5 stores the information e1 in a DB as facility monitoring information 3201. The server device 5 can collect and store facility monitoring information from multiple communication devices 1 in various locations and manage it collectively.

[0246] The communication device 1 also transmits information e2 of a series of processing history, such as the status of the identification result for each input / output terminal 5 and the input / output of work procedure content to / from the display device 3, to the server device 5. The server device 5 stores the information e2 in the DB as work history information 3202. This history also includes information input by the user (for example, information on the operation of the above-mentioned button). This allows the server device 5 to collectively manage the work history and evidence of the workers.

[0247] 33 shows information 3200 as an example of the configuration of information d1 (FIG. 28, etc.) transmitted from the communication device 1 to the server device 5. The information 3200 is configured to have a key 3201 indicating a terminal, a return value 3202 of the identification program for the terminal, and location information 3203. The key 3201 indicating the terminal stores information indicating the terminal of the input / output connection unit 101. The return value 3202 of the identification program for the terminal stores the execution result of the identification program 250. The location information 3203 stores the latitude and longitude observed by the communication device 1 or set in advance.

[0248] As another modification, the priority may be changed by utilizing the location information 3203 of the communication device 1. For example, when multiple pieces of equipment 2 exist in the same installation location or area, and are each connected to different communication devices 1, and work procedure contents related to the multiple pieces of equipment 2 are displayed on the same display device 3, work can be made more efficient by collectively assigning priorities to the work procedure contents related to the multiple pieces of equipment 2.

[0249] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been specifically described above, they are not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. Except for essential components, components can be added, deleted, or replaced in each embodiment. Unless otherwise specified, each component can be singular or plural. A combination of each embodiment and its variations is also possible. [Explanation of symbols]

[0250] 1...communication device, 2...equipment (connected device), 3...display device, 4...interface, 5...input / output terminal, 9...communication network, U1...user (operator), 30...display screen, 101...input / output connection unit, 102...identification unit, 103...generation unit, 104...response unit, 111...identification information, 112...identification result, 113...identification information, 114...display content, 115...content information

Claims

1. An information processing device that connects to one or more facilities and acquires information from the facilities, a storage unit that stores identification information used to identify a connection status for each type of equipment and content information that explains a work procedure for each type of equipment and supports the work; an identification unit that identifies a state of the connection for each piece of equipment based on information regarding communication or input / output in the connection with the equipment and the identification information; a generation unit that determines a display order of the content information among the one or more facilities based on the connection status of each facility and the content information, and generates the content information to be displayed based on the determined display order; An information processing device comprising:

2. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, a connection unit that is connected to the equipment via a predetermined interface so as to enable communication or input / output; the connection unit has a plurality of terminals to which a plurality of pieces of equipment can be connected as the equipment, the identification unit identifies a state of connection with the equipment for each of the plurality of terminals. Information processing device.

3. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, The identification unit identifies a state related to the connection with the equipment, including a "no response" state in which no signal or information is received from the equipment. Information processing device.

4. 4. The information processing device according to claim 3, The identification unit identifies the status of the connection with the equipment as one of three patterns of values: "normal," "abnormal," and "no response." Information processing device.

5. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, the content information of the storage unit is set for each of the facilities in accordance with the state of the connection, and a priority order is set for each of the plurality of pieces of content information; the generation unit determines a display order of the plurality of pieces of content information to be displayed according to the connection status and the priority order. Information processing device.

6. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, displaying the content information one by one in sequence on a display screen in accordance with the display order; Information processing device.

7. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, displaying a plurality of pieces of content information in parallel in a plurality of areas within a display screen according to the display order; Information processing device.

8. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, It is connected by communication with the display device used by the user, displaying the content information on a display screen of the display device; displaying the next piece of content information in accordance with the display order based on an input operation by the user with respect to the piece of content information on the display screen; Information processing device.

9. 9. The information processing device according to claim 8, the identification unit identifies a state related to the connection for each piece of equipment after the input operation is executed, the generation unit determines a display order of the content information among the one or more facilities based on the state of the connection for each facility after the input operation is executed and the content information, and generates the content information to be displayed based on the determined display order. Information processing device.

10. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, outputting the generated content information and the connection status for each facility to a user; Information processing device.

11. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, outputting, to a user, a list of the plurality of pieces of content information having the display order together with the generated content information; Information processing device.

12. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, acquiring location information of the information processing device; determining the country or region in which the information processing device is installed based on the location information; Selecting a version of the content information in a different language or with different detailed work procedure content depending on the country or region. Information processing device.

13. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, It is connected by communication with the display device used by the user, displaying the content information on a display screen of the display device; If the facility is equipped with a display device, Displaying options corresponding to the display content of the display device in the content information on the display screen; selecting and displaying content information for a corresponding operation branching in accordance with the options based on an input operation by the user for the options of the content information on the display screen; Information processing device.

14. 3. The information processing device according to claim 2, an output unit that outputs a state of each of the plurality of terminals of the connection unit; outputting the content information to a user and causing the output unit to output the content information so as to indicate a terminal to which the content information is directed; Information processing device.

15. 15. The information processing device according to claim 14, It is connected by communication with the display device used by the user, displaying the content information on a display screen of the display device; displaying an output button for instructing output of the output unit together with the content information on the display screen; instructing the output unit to output based on an input operation by the user on the output button on the display screen; Information processing device.

16. A work support system including a communication device that connects to one or more facilities and acquires information from the facilities, and a server device that communicates with the communication device, a storage unit that stores identification information used to identify a connection status for each type of equipment and content information that explains a work procedure for each type of equipment and supports the work; an identification unit that identifies a state of the connection for each piece of equipment based on information regarding communication or input / output in the connection with the equipment and the identification information; a generation unit that determines a display order of the content information among the one or more facilities based on the connection status of each facility and the content information, and generates the content information to be displayed based on the determined display order; A work support system comprising:

17. 17. The work support system according to claim 16, the server device has the identification unit, Work support system.

18. 17. The work support system according to claim 16, the server device includes the generation unit, Work support system.

19. 17. The work support system according to claim 16, the identification information of the storage unit includes an identification program that defines a process for identifying the state of each piece of equipment; the server device distributes the identification program and updates the identification program of the identification information in the storage unit. Work support system.

20. A work support method using a work support system that connects to one or more facilities and acquires information from the facilities, comprising: The work support system includes: a storage unit that stores identification information used to identify a connection status for each type of equipment and content information that explains a work procedure for each type of equipment and supports the work; A control unit; It is equipped with The control unit Obtaining information regarding communication or input / output in connection with said equipment; Identifying a state of the connection for each of the facilities based on information regarding communication or input / output in the connection with the facilities and the identification information; determining a display order of the content information among the one or more facilities based on the connection status of each facility and the content information, and generating the content information to be displayed based on the determined display order; Work support method.

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