Remote facility management system

Abstract

To provide a remote facility management system capable of remotely determining a cause of a trip of a circuit breaker and acquiring information to be provided for constructing a countermeasure according to the cause.SOLUTION: When a circuit breaker 25 provided in a circuit breaker unit 2B of an electric light bulletin facility 2 trips, a cause of an occurrence of the trip is determined, and information on the cause of the occurrence of the trip is provided to a management device 4 via an IP network N. Accordingly, a system administrator can recognize the cause of the occurrence of the trip, and by taking appropriate measures according to the cause of the occurrence of the trip, it is possible to effectively suppress repetition of the trip of the circuit breaker 25. In addition, since it is not necessary for a facility maintenance worker to go to the site and determine the cause of the occurrence of the trip, it is possible to reduce a burden on the facility maintenance worker and to reduce a time required to determine the cause of the occurrence of the trip after the occurrence of the trip.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a remote facility management system, and more particularly to a measure for improving the maintainability of a remote facility management system. [Background technology]

[0002] As disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, there are various types of road facilities installed on expressways and the like, such as electronic signage facilities that provide road information to vehicle drivers and surveillance camera facilities that capture images of road conditions.

[0003] Generally, a relatively large current of, for example, 1 A or more flows through the power supply circuits used in road facilities, and therefore, molded-case circuit breakers (MCCB, ELCB, etc.) or electromagnetic contactors (MG) are used as circuit breakers for these power supply circuits. If, for example, an overcurrent occurs in the power supply circuit, the circuit breaker trips (power trip) to protect each device in the electrical system from fault currents such as overcurrents and leakage currents. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-126538 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-144980 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] There are various circumstances that can cause a circuit breaker to trip, such as tripping due to overcurrent or leakage current (hereinafter sometimes referred to as tripping due to internal factors of road equipment) and tripping due to malfunction caused by induced lightning caused by a lightning strike (hereinafter sometimes referred to as tripping due to external factors of road equipment).

[0006] Until now, systems for managing roadway facilities (roadway facility management systems) have not been able to determine the cause of a circuit breaker trip, and when a circuit breaker trips, the only response has been for an equipment maintenance worker to go to the site (where the roadway facility is installed) and turn the circuit breaker on (reset it) or perform an automatic reset. This has made it difficult to take appropriate measures according to the cause of the trip, and if these measures are inappropriate (for example, if measures are taken to deal with a trip caused by an external factor when the trip was actually caused by an internal factor, or if measures are taken to deal with a trip caused by an internal factor when the trip was actually caused by an external factor), there is a risk that the circuit breaker will trip repeatedly.

[0007] The inventors of the present invention focused on the fact that, in order to avoid a situation in which a circuit breaker device repeatedly trips, it is necessary to determine the cause of the trip and make it easier to take appropriate measures depending on the cause. Furthermore, since visiting the site to determine the cause of the trip places a heavy burden on the equipment maintenance worker and it takes a long time after the trip occurs until the cause of the trip can be determined, the inventors of the present invention also considered making it possible to remotely determine the cause of a circuit breaker trip (enabling the equipment maintenance worker to determine the cause without visiting the site), and arrived at the present invention. Note that this problem is not limited to road facility management systems, but also arises in various remote facility management systems such as railway facility management systems.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and its purpose is to provide a remote equipment management system that can remotely determine the cause of a circuit breaker trip and acquire information that can be used to develop countermeasures in response to the cause. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The solution of the present invention to achieve the above object is a remote equipment management system for remotely managing equipment in which a circuit breaker device is installed in the power line of an electrical system. This remote equipment management system comprises a circuit breaker unit having the circuit breaker device, a management device operable by a system administrator, an IP network that enables communication at least between the circuit breaker unit and the management device, and a trip cause determination unit that determines the cause of the trip when the circuit breaker device trips, and is configured so that information on the determined cause of the trip is provided to the management device via the IP network.

[0010] With this specification, when a circuit breaker trips, the cause of the trip is determined by the trip cause determination unit. Information on the cause of the trip is then provided to the management device via an IP network. This allows the system administrator to recognize the cause of the trip and take appropriate measures according to the cause of the trip (without taking unnecessary measures), effectively preventing repeated trips of the circuit breaker. Furthermore, since the information on the cause of the trip is provided to the management device, there is no need for equipment maintenance workers to travel to the site to determine the cause of the trip. This reduces the burden on equipment maintenance workers and shortens the time required to determine the cause of the trip after the trip occurs. As a result, it becomes possible to take appropriate and planned measures within a short period of time after the circuit breaker trips.

[0011] In addition, when the circuit breaker device trips, the trip cause determination unit determines whether the trip is due to an internal factor of the equipment or an external factor of the equipment, depending on the voltage value of the power line at the time the trip occurs.

[0012] There are two types of situations in which a circuit breaker trips: trips caused by internal factors of the equipment, such as overcurrent or leakage current, and trips caused by external factors of the equipment, such as malfunctions due to the influence of induced lightning caused by lightning strikes, and the countermeasures for each (countermeasures to prevent trips) are different. By determining whether the cause of a circuit breaker trip is an internal factor or an external factor of the equipment, this solution can effectively prevent repeated trips of the circuit breaker while preventing the implementation of unnecessary countermeasures.

[0013] The circuit breaker unit also stores time information, and is configured to acquire the time information from the management device via the IP network in order to correct the time information.

[0014] When the circuit breaker device is turned off or when the circuit breaker device is turned off during a reset (power reset), and a power outage occurs, the time information of the circuit breaker unit may become inaccurate. To resolve this time information inaccuracy, the circuit breaker unit acquires time information from a management device via an IP network and stores this time information, allowing the time information to be corrected. This eliminates the need for equipment maintenance workers to visit the site and correct the time information of the circuit breaker unit, allowing the circuit breaker unit to store accurate time information.

[0015] In addition, the facility is configured such that a communication device for communicating with the management device via the IP network is arranged on the secondary side of the circuit interruption device on the power line connected to the circuit interruption device, and when a reset request signal for resetting the circuit interruption device is sent from the management device to the circuit interruption unit, information is provided from the management device to the system administrator that communication via the IP network will be temporarily interrupted.

[0016] In a configuration in which a communication device is disposed on the secondary side (secondary power supply side) of a circuit breaker device, power is not supplied to the communication device during the period when the circuit breaker device is reset and turned off, making communication with the management device impossible. As a result, even if an attempt is made to update information (such as a display screen) on the management device during this period, the update cannot be performed, which may cause discomfort to the system administrator operating the management device. In this solution, in such a situation, the management device provides the system administrator with information that communication via the IP network will be temporarily interrupted, thereby preventing the system administrator from feeling uncomfortable.

[0017] Furthermore, in a configuration in which a communication device for communicating with the management device via the IP network is arranged on the primary side of the circuit breaker device on the power line connected to the circuit breaker device, when the circuit breaker device is turned OFF and an ON request signal to turn ON the circuit breaker device is sent from the management device to the circuit breaker unit, the management device provides warning information to the system administrator that the circuit breaker device will be turned ON without turning ON the circuit breaker device.

[0018] For example, if a maintenance worker is working near the equipment to inspect or maintain it while the circuit breaker is turned off, and an ON request signal is sent from the management device to the circuit breaker unit, causing the circuit breaker to immediately turn on, power will be supplied to the equipment unintentionally by the maintenance worker. Therefore, in this solution, when an ON request signal is sent to the circuit breaker unit, the circuit breaker is not turned on, but rather warning information is provided to the system administrator, alerting the administrator to check whether a maintenance worker is working near the equipment. This increases safety when the circuit breaker is turned on.

[0019] The facility also includes a communication device for communicating with the management device via the IP network, and is configured so that when a request signal to switch the circuit breaker device on / off is sent from the management device to the circuit breaker unit, the information provided to the system administrator by the management device is different depending on whether the communication device is located on the primary side of the circuit breaker device or on the secondary side of the power line connected to the circuit breaker device.

[0020] In a configuration in which a communication device is disposed on the secondary side of a circuit breaker device, when the circuit breaker device is turned off, power is not supplied to the communication device, and therefore communication between the circuit breaker unit and the management device is disabled. In other words, when the circuit breaker device is turned off, remote control to turn on the circuit breaker device is disabled. On the other hand, in a configuration in which a communication device is disposed on the primary side of the circuit breaker device, power is supplied to the communication device even when the circuit breaker device is turned off, and therefore communication between the circuit breaker unit and the management device is possible. In other words, remote control to turn on the circuit breaker device is possible even when the circuit breaker device is turned off. By varying the information provided from the management device to the system administrator when a request signal to switch the circuit breaker device on / off is transmitted in accordance with such differences in system configuration, it is possible to optimize the provision of information according to the system configuration.

[0021] Specifically, when the communication device is arranged on the secondary side of the circuit breaker device on the power line connected to the circuit breaker device, when the circuit breaker device is turned ON and an OFF request signal to turn OFF the circuit breaker device is sent from the management device to the circuit breaker unit, the management device provides warning information to the system administrator that the circuit breaker device needs to be turned ON at the installation site of the equipment.

[0022] As described above, in a configuration in which a communication device is disposed on the secondary side of a circuit breaker, when the circuit breaker is turned off, power is not supplied to the communication device, and communication between the circuit breaker unit and the management device becomes impossible. This means that remote ON operation is not possible, and an equipment maintenance worker must visit the site to turn the circuit breaker on. Therefore, in this solution, when an OFF request signal is sent to the circuit breaker unit, attention is provided to the system administrator informing them that the circuit breaker needs to be turned on at the installation site, thereby making the system administrator aware of the need to turn the circuit breaker on. This makes it possible to confirm the system administrator's intention when turning off the circuit breaker.

[0023] In addition, the circuit breaker unit is configured to generate status change information each time the status of the circuit breaker device changes and store the information in a memory means together with the time of occurrence, and to provide the status change information to the management device via the IP network in response to a request from the management device.

[0024] This allows the system administrator to easily check the history of changes in the state of the circuit breaker device (for example, a history correlating event information of the state change with time information), and if any malfunction occurs in the remote equipment management system, the cause of the malfunction can be easily identified in a short amount of time by checking the history of changes in the state of the circuit breaker device.

[0025] The management device also has a display screen, and is configured to be able to switch between a screen for performing system initial settings and a screen for performing normal operation by switching the URL of the connection destination.

[0026] This allows the rights holder authority to enable system initial settings to be granted only to specific system administrators (system administrators who have been given URL information to display the screen for performing system initial settings), preventing human error such as other system administrators (system administrators who have only been given authority for normal operations) inadvertently changing the system initial settings, enabling stable operation of the remote facility management system. [Effects of the Invention]

[0027] In the present invention, when a circuit breaker trips, the cause of the trip is determined and information on the cause of the trip is provided to a management device via an IP network. This allows a system administrator to recognize the cause of the trip and take appropriate measures depending on the cause, thereby effectively preventing repeated trips of the circuit breaker. Furthermore, since there is no need for equipment maintenance workers to travel to the site to determine the cause of the trip, the burden on equipment maintenance workers is reduced and the time required to determine the cause of the trip after it occurs is shortened. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of a road facility management system according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] 3 is a functional block diagram of a CPU provided in each of a control unit, a circuit breaker unit, and a management device. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an image in a web browser on the display screen of the management device in remote operation mode when the electronic signage equipment is in a normal state. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an image in a web browser on the display screen of the management device in remote operation mode when the circuit breaker device is tripped. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an image in time and name setting mode in a web browser on the display screen of the management device. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a warning image during a reset operation in a web browser on the display screen of the management device. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an image in log information mode in a Web browser on the display screen of the management device. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an image of a web browser on a display screen of a management device during normal operation. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an outline of a road facility management system having another configuration. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an image that calls attention to the power-off operation in a web browser on the display screen of the management device. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an image for calling attention when the power is turned on in a web browser on the display screen of a management device in a road facility management system having another configuration. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a remote facility management system according to the present invention will be described as being applied to electronic signage equipment on a highway. For this reason, in this embodiment, this system will be referred to as a road facility management system. Note that road facilities to which the road facility management system can be applied are not limited to electronic signage equipment, but also include various other facilities such as surveillance camera equipment and weather observation equipment.

[0030] -Outline of road facility management system- FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an outline of a road facility management system 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the road facility management system 1 according to the present embodiment includes multiple electronic signage facilities 2, 2, ..., a server 3 installed in a control room, and a management device 4 installed in an office, all connected via an IP network N to enable mutual signal transmission and reception. The server 3 and management device 4 are configured as general-purpose personal computers equipped with a communication unit, a CPU, memory, an input / output interface, and the like. The server 3 and management device 4 may also be other types of terminal devices, such as tablets, smartphones, or dedicated devices. While FIG. 1 illustrates the internal configuration of only one electronic signage facility 2 among the multiple electronic signage facilities 2, 2, ..., the other electronic signage facilities 2, 2, ... have the same configuration. The multiple electronic signage facilities 2, 2, ..., the server 3, and the management device 4 may be connected to the IP network N via wired or wireless connections.

[0031] (Electronic display equipment) As mentioned above, each of the electronic signage equipments 2, 2, . . . has the same configuration, so here, one electronic signage equipment 2 will be described as a representative.

[0032] The electronic sign equipment 2 is designed to provide road information to drivers of vehicles traveling on expressways using electronic signs that utilize LEDs, etc., and is configured to include a control unit 2A, a circuit breaking unit 2B, and a layer 2 switch (L2SW: communication device) 2C.

[0033] The electronic sign equipment 2 according to this embodiment is also provided with a circuit breaker 25 that turns off (trips) when an overcurrent, a leakage current, or the like occurs, and an L2SW2C is disposed on the secondary side of the circuit breaker 25 in a power line (power line of the electrical system) L connected to the circuit breaker 25. In other words, when the circuit of the circuit breaker unit 2B is in a closed state and power is being supplied to the L2SW2C, communication between the server 3 and the management device 4 and the electronic sign equipment 2 via the IP network N is possible.

[0034] <Control unit> The control unit 2A includes a CPU (control device) 21, an LED display unit (device controlled by the CPU 21) 22, a group of sensors 23, and the like.

[0035] 2 is a functional block diagram of the CPUs 21 and 27 provided in the control unit 2A and the circuit breaking unit 2B, respectively, and the CPU 4A provided in the management device 4. As shown in this Fig. 2, the CPU 21 of the control unit 2A includes a communication unit 21a, an LED control unit 21b, and a response information generation unit 21c as functional units realized by a computer program.

[0036] The communication unit 21a transmits and receives signals to and from the server 3 in the control room via the IP network N. Examples of signals transmitted from the server 3 to the control unit 2A include an electronic sign control signal and a monitoring information request signal. On the other hand, examples of signals transmitted from the control unit 2A to the server 3 include a response signal in response to the monitoring information request signal. Specifically, the server 3 transmits a monitoring information request signal to the control unit 2A at predetermined intervals or when a predetermined time arrives, and the control unit 2A receives the monitoring information request signal via the communication unit 21a. If the CPU 21 is operating normally, the response information generator 21c generates normal response information, which is then returned to the server 3 as a response signal via the communication unit 21a. On the other hand, if the CPU 21 is not operating normally (e.g., if a freeze or thermal runaway occurs), the response signal in response to the monitoring information request signal cannot be transmitted to the server 3, and the server 3 does not receive the response signal in response to the monitoring information request signal. This allows the control room to recognize that the CPU 21 is not operating normally.

[0037] The LED control unit 21b transmits information to be displayed on the LED display unit 22 to the LED display unit 22. This information is road information provided to drivers of vehicles traveling on expressways. For example, if each electronic sign installation 2, 2, ... is equipped with a sensor group 23, information acquired by each sensor group 23 (such as traffic congestion information and traffic accident information) is aggregated in the server 3, and the server 3 transmits an electronic sign control signal containing information suitable for display on the LED display unit 22 of each electronic sign installation 2, 2, ... to the control unit 2A of the electronic sign installation 2, and the information is displayed on the LED display unit 22. The LED display unit 22 includes a lighting circuit and LED modules (not shown), and is configured by connecting multiple sets of lighting circuits and LED modules to each other. Each LED module includes an LED array in which multiple LED elements are arranged, and the multiple LED modules form a display screen. Each lighting circuit is a power supply for LEDs, and converts input voltage such as a commercial power supply into DC current (current with controlled current waveform, current value, etc.) under the control of the LED control unit 21b, and supplies the DC current to the LED module.

[0038] The sensor group 23 is not particularly limited, but may include, for example, a sensor that detects the speed of each vehicle traveling on the expressway, a Doppler sensor that detects whether or not congestion is occurring on the expressway, etc. These sensors do not necessarily need to be provided in the electronic signage equipment 2.

[0039] <Circuit Breaker Unit> 1, the circuit breaker unit 2B includes a circuit breaker device 25, a switching operation means 26, a CPU (controller) 27, a storage device (storage means) 28, etc. The circuit breaker device 25, the switching operation means 26, the CPU 27, and the storage device 28 are housed in a single housing to form a so-called one-package. This housing is made of metal or resin. Alternatively, the circuit breaker unit 2B and the control unit 2A may be housed in a single housing to form a one-package configuration.

[0040] The circuit breaker 25 is provided on the power line L of the electronic sign equipment 2, and turns ON / OFF an electric circuit including this power line L. This circuit breaker 25 turns OFF (trips) the electric circuit when a device of the electronic sign equipment 2 is overloaded and a current exceeding the rated current flows, when a short circuit occurs in the electric circuit, or when the electric circuit is affected by induced lightning caused by a lightning strike. In this embodiment, an MCCB, which is a molded case circuit breaker, is used as the circuit breaker 25. However, it is not limited to this, and an ELCB, which is a molded case circuit breaker, or an MG, which is an electromagnetic contactor, may also be used.

[0041] The switching actuation means 26 is an actuation unit for switching the circuit breaker device 25 between OFF and ON. Specifically, the circuit breaker device 25 is provided with a switching lever (not shown) for switching between OFF and ON. For example, when this switching lever is pressed down, the circuit breaker device 25 is turned OFF (a state in which the electric circuit is opened), and when it is pressed up, the circuit breaker device 25 is turned ON (a state in which the electric circuit is closed). The switching actuation means 26 is a mechanical means for pressing down and up the switching lever, and, similar to known auto-reset breakers, is configured to include an actuation unit that applies a pressing force (a pressing force for pressing down and up) to the switching lever and an electric motor that generates a driving force for raising and lowering the actuation unit. The electric motor operates in accordance with a switching actuation command signal output from the CPU 27.

[0042] In response to a request signal from the management device 4, the CPU 27 outputs an OFF command signal or a RESET command signal as a switching operation command signal to the switching operation means 26. When the OFF command signal is output to the switching operation means 26, the switching operation means 26 activates the circuit breaker device 25, which is currently in the ON state, to turn it OFF. When the RESET command signal is output to the switching operation means 26, the switching operation means 26 activates the circuit breaker device 25 to turn it OFF once, and then activates the circuit breaker device 25 after a predetermined time has elapsed. For example, a delay process is provided in the operation control program for the electric motor of the switching operation means 26. When resetting the electronic sign equipment 2, the timing for turning the circuit breaker device 25 ON after once OFF must be set so that the charge stored in a built-in capacitor or the like (not shown) of a constant-voltage power supply for DC output built into the electronic sign equipment 2 is discharged and the output of the constant-voltage power supply is eliminated. For this reason, in this embodiment, a delay time is provided between turning the circuit breaker device 25 OFF and ON until the discharge is complete. This delay time is set in advance through experiments and simulations.

[0043] An example of a situation in which the circuit breaker device 25 is reset is when the CPU 21 of the control unit 2A freezes or experiences thermal runaway. In other words, if the CPU 21 freezes or experiences thermal runaway, the server 3 does not receive a response signal in response to the monitoring information request signal. This allows the control room to recognize that the CPU 21 at a specific IP address has frozen or experienced thermal runaway. By informing the office administrator (system administrator), the system administrator can operate the management device 4 to send a reset request signal to the circuit breaker unit 2B installed in the same electronic sign equipment 2 as the CPU 21 (the CPU experiencing the freeze or thermal runaway) by operating the management device 4. For example, by selecting (clicking) the power reset button and operating the execute button on the web browser image on the display screen of the management device 4 shown in FIG. 3, a reset request signal is sent from the management device 4 to the circuit breaker unit 2B via the IP network N (the display on the display screen of the management device 4 when this reset request signal is sent will be described later).

[0044] Because the CPU 27 of the circuit breaker unit 2B is stopped (or in a standby state) when the CPU 21 is operating normally, it generates almost no heat to the point where it becomes unable to operate normally, and is therefore capable of operating normally even in a high-temperature environment. Therefore, upon receiving a reset request signal, the CPU 27 is able to output a reset command signal to the switching operation means 26. The switching operation means 26 performs a switching operation in accordance with this reset command signal, and turns the circuit breaker device 25 OFF / ON. That is, after the circuit breaker device 25 is turned OFF once, it is reset by turning the circuit breaker device 25 ON after a predetermined time has elapsed. Whether the reset has been properly performed can be detected, for example, by providing a limit switch in the circuit breaker device 25, and the information is sent to the management device 4 so that the system administrator in the office can check it.

[0045] 2, the CPU 27 includes a communication unit 27a, a state detection unit 27b, and an image information generation unit 27g as functional units realized by a computer program. The CPU 27 also includes a plurality of other functional units, which will be described later.

[0046] The communication unit 27a transmits and receives signals to and from the management device 4 in the office via the IP network N. Examples of signals transmitted from the management device 4 to the circuit breaking unit 2B include a status information request signal, an OFF request signal, an ON request signal, and a reset request signal. On the other hand, examples of signals transmitted from the circuit breaking unit 2B to the management device 4 include an image information signal corresponding to the status information request signal.

[0047] Specifically, when a system administrator in an office wishes to monitor the status of a circuit breaker 25 of a specific electronic sign equipment 2, the system administrator operates the management device 4 to transmit a status information request signal specifying the IP address of the CPU 27 of the electronic sign equipment 2 to which the circuit breaker 25 belongs. That is, the management device 4 registers the installation locations (addresses and latitude and longitude information) of each electronic sign equipment 2 as individual information for each electronic sign equipment 2, and the system administrator operates the management device 4 to transmit a status information request signal specifying the IP address of the electronic sign equipment 2 to be monitored. This status information request signal is transmitted to the CPU 27 having the IP address included in the signal. Then, in the CPU 27 that receives this status information request signal (by the communication unit 27a), the status detection unit 27b detects the status of the circuit breaker device 25 (information on whether the circuit breaker device 25 is in an ON state or an OFF state, etc.), and outputs the detected status information of the circuit breaker device 25 to the image information generation unit 27g. The image information generating unit 27g processes the image information including the information on the state of the circuit breaker device 25 into information that can be displayed by a web browser, and outputs this information to the communication unit 27a. The communication unit 27a then transmits this information to the management device 4, and an image including the information on the state of the circuit breaker device 25 is displayed by the web browser on the display screen of the management device 4. A publicly available web browser is used as the web browser used here.

[0048] Here, we will explain the display screen of the web browser on the display screen of the management device 4. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an image in remote operation mode in the web browser on the display screen of the management device 4 when the electronic signage equipment 2 is in a normal state. As shown in Fig. 3, the web browser image is divided into a display selection area 41, an installation location information area 42, a breaker status information area 43, a breaker setting change area 44, and a remote breaker operation area 45.

[0049] The display selection area 41 is an area for switching the display screen of the web browser, and includes a remote operation section that is pressed (clicked) to display a screen for remotely operating the circuit breaker device 25, a log information section that is pressed to display log information of changes in the state of the circuit breaker device 25 on the screen, a time and name setting section that is pressed to display a screen for setting the time and name, and a network setting section that is pressed to display a screen for performing initial system settings (for example, setting the IP address).

[0050] The installation location information area 42 displays information about the installation location of the target electronic sign equipment 2 and the current time.

[0051] The breaker status information area 43 displays whether the current state of the circuit breaker device 25 is ON or OFF, whether the state of the terminal (circuit breaker unit 2B) is normal or abnormal, the number of times the circuit breaker device 25 has automatically restored, the number of times the circuit breaker device 25 has tripped (the number of times it has tripped due to internal factors such as overcurrent or leakage current), and the number of lightning surge trips (the number of times it has tripped due to external factors such as the influence of induced lightning caused by a lightning strike).The breaker status information area 43 also displays the automatic restoration time, restoration attempt time, and the number of restoration attempts as other displays.

[0052] The breaker setting change area 44 displays the recovery time when the circuit breaker device 25 automatically recovers, the number of attempts to recover automatically, and the current setting value.

[0053] The remote breaker operation area 45 displays a selection screen for requesting an operation to be performed on the circuit breaker unit 2B. This selection screen includes a selection section for requesting switching (resetting) the circuit breaker device 25 OFF / ON, a selection section for requesting forced power OFF when the power is ON, and a selection section for clearing the accumulated values ​​of the number of automatic resets, the number of trips, and the number of lightning surge trips. By selecting one of the selection sections and then operating the execute button, the selected request information (request signal) is transmitted to the circuit breaker unit 2B. For example, if the selection section requesting a reset is selected and the execute button is operated, a reset request signal is transmitted from the management device 4 via the IP network N to the circuit breaker unit 2B whose IP address is included in the signal. The CPU 27 of the circuit breaker unit 2B, upon receiving this reset request signal, outputs a reset command signal to the switching operation means 26, thereby performing the reset operation of the circuit breaker device 25. Furthermore, if the selection section requesting a power OFF is selected and the execute button is operated, an OFF request signal is transmitted from the management device 4 via the IP network N to the circuit breaker unit 2B whose IP address is included in the signal. Then, the CPU 27 of the circuit breaking unit 2B, which has received this OFF request signal, outputs an OFF command signal to the switching operation means 26, and the above-mentioned OFF operation of the circuit breaking device 25 is carried out.

[0054] -Features of the road facility management system- Next, the features of the road facility management system 1 according to this embodiment will be described. The road facility management system 1 according to this embodiment has various functions. These will be explained in order below.

[0055] (Determining the cause of the trip) First, one of the features of the road facility management system 1 according to this embodiment is the function of determining the cause of a trip. This will be explained in detail below.

[0056] 2, the CPU 27 of the circuit breaker unit 2B has a trip cause determination section 27c as a functional section realized by a computer program. When the circuit breaker device 25 trips, the trip cause determination section 27c is a functional section that determines the cause of the trip.

[0057] Specifically, when a trip of the circuit breaker device 25 is detected, the voltage on the power line L at the time of the trip is monitored (for example, by inputting a detection signal from a voltage sensor (not shown) to the CPU 27). If the voltage at the time of the trip exceeds a predetermined threshold, it is determined that the trip occurred due to induced lightning caused by a lightning strike. If the voltage at the time of the trip is below the predetermined threshold, it is determined that the trip occurred due to an overcurrent or a ground fault current. This threshold is determined in advance through experiments and simulations. Information on the cause of the trip determined in this manner is stored in the storage device 28 in association with time information at the time of the trip. Image information reflecting the trip is created by the image information generator 27g. The image information is then transmitted to the management device 4 via the communication unit 27a and the IP network N, either immediately or upon request from the management device 4.

[0058] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an image in remote operation mode in the web browser on the display screen of the management device 4 when the circuit breaker device 25 trips. In the state shown in Fig. 4, the breaker status information area 43 displays that the circuit breaker device 25 has tripped and is OFF, that the electronic sign equipment 2 is in an abnormal operating state, and that the accumulated number of trips of the circuit breaker device 25 is 1. For example, if an image in remote operation mode is displayed in the web browser on the display screen of the management device 4 when the circuit breaker device 25 trips, the image display will be updated to the image shown in Fig. 4 at approximately the same time as the trip occurs.

[0059] In this way, information on the cause of the trip determined by the trip cause determination unit 27c is provided to the management device 4 via the IP network N and displayed on the display screen of the management device 4 using a web browser. This allows the system administrator to recognize the cause of the trip and take appropriate measures depending on the cause of the trip (without taking unnecessary measures), thereby effectively preventing repeated tripping of the circuit breaker 25. In other words, if the cause of the trip is an internal factor of the electronic notice equipment 2, such as an overcurrent or a ground fault current, it is possible that the electrical circuits in the electronic notice equipment 2 are overloaded due to equipment expansion, etc., so it is effective to take measures such as reducing the electrical load or reconfiguring the electrical circuits to eliminate the overload. On the other hand, if the cause of the trip is an external factor of the electronic notice equipment 2, such as a malfunction due to induced lightning caused by a lightning strike, it is effective to take measures such as installing a surge protective device (SPD) or a lightning-resistant transformer. In this way, appropriate measures can be taken depending on the cause of the trip.

[0060] Furthermore, since information on the cause of a trip is provided to the management device 4 in this way, there is no need for an equipment maintenance worker to go to the site to determine the cause of the trip. This reduces the burden on the equipment maintenance worker and shortens the time required from the occurrence of a trip to determining the cause of the trip.

[0061] As a result of the above, it becomes possible to take appropriate and well-planned measures within a short period of time after the circuit breaker device 25 has tripped.

[0062] (Time information correction) The CPU 27 of the circuit breaking unit 2B also has a time information acquisition unit 27d as a functional unit realized by a computer program. The circuit breaking unit 2B stores time information, but when the circuit breaking device 25 is turned off or when the circuit breaking device 25 is reset to the off state, a situation occurs in which no power is supplied (a power outage), and this can cause the time information to become inaccurate. To correct this inaccuracy in the time information, the time information acquisition unit 27d acquires time information from the management device 4 via the IP network N and stores this time information in the storage device 28 of the circuit breaking unit 2B, making it possible to correct the time information.

[0063] The timing for acquiring time information from the management device 4 is not particularly limited. For example, time information can be sent to the circuit breaking unit 2B by operating a web browser on the display screen of the management device 4, causing the time information acquisition unit 27d to acquire the time information. FIG. 5 shows an example of an image in time / name setting mode on the web browser on the display screen of the management device 4. In this time / name setting mode, the web browser image includes the display selection area 41 and installation location information area 42, as well as a name setting area 46 and a time setting area 47. The name setting area 46 displays text information related to the installation location of the electronic sign equipment 2, allowing the user to enter the text information. The time setting area 47 displays time information from the management device 4 (time information acquired from a time server, not shown) and has a setting button. Pressing the setting button transmits time information to the circuit breaking unit 2B, and the time information acquisition unit 27d acquires the time information. This enables the circuit breaking unit 2B to store accurate time information. The time information acquired by the management device 4 is not limited to that from a time server, but various other time information such as that manually entered or set on a personal computer can be used.

[0064] It is possible to arbitrarily change the time information displayed in the time setting area 47. The timing at which the time information is sent to the circuit breaking unit 2B is not limited to the timing at which the setting button is pressed, but may be at predetermined time intervals, or may be configured so that when any information is transmitted or received between the management device 4 and the circuit breaking unit 2B, the time information is automatically transmitted together with that information.

[0065] As described above, the circuit breaking unit 2B is configured to obtain time information from the management device 4 via the IP network N, which eliminates the need for an equipment maintenance worker to visit the site and correct the time information of the circuit breaking unit 2B, making it possible to store accurate time information in the circuit breaking unit 2B.

[0066] (Providing information when resetting the circuit breaker) Furthermore, the CPU 4A of the management device 4 includes a reset standby information providing unit 4a as a functional unit realized by a computer program. In a configuration in which the L2SW 2C is disposed on the secondary side of the circuit breaker device 25 as in this embodiment, power is not supplied to the L2SW 2C during the period when the L2SW 2C is turned off upon resetting the circuit breaker device 25, and communication with the management device 4 is therefore disabled. For this reason, even if an attempt is made to update the display screen of the management device 4 during this period, the update cannot be performed, which may cause discomfort to the system administrator operating the management device 4.

[0067] To prevent this sense of incongruity, the reset standby information providing unit 4a displays information on the display screen of the management device 4 that communication via the IP network N will be temporarily interrupted when a request to reset the circuit breaker device 25 is made. Fig. 6 shows an example of a state in which this information is displayed (an image calling attention to the state during a reset being performed in a web browser on the display screen of the management device 4). The display shown in Fig. 6 indicates that, in a case where it takes about 10 seconds for the circuit breaker device 25 to turn ON after it has been turned OFF during the reset operation of the circuit breaker device 25, communication is not possible during this period, and that the display screen of the management device 4 can be updated by pressing the update button after this period has elapsed.

[0068] By displaying this warning image, the system administrator is made aware that communication via the IP network N will be temporarily interrupted, and the discomfort caused by the display screen of the management device 4 not being updated can be avoided. Note that the display of this warning image can be canceled by pressing the update button after a predetermined time (10 seconds in this embodiment) has elapsed since the display shown in Figure 6 was displayed. Note that the predetermined time is not limited to 10 seconds, and can be changed as desired depending on the setting value of the automatic recovery time.

[0069] The reset standby information providing unit 4a may be provided in the CPU 27 of the circuit breaking unit 2B. In other words, when a reset request signal is received from the management device 4, image information for displaying the screen shown in FIG. 6 on a web browser on the display screen of the management device 4 is transmitted from the circuit breaking unit 2B to the management device 4 prior to resetting the circuit breaking device 25.

[0070] (Log provided) The CPU 27 of the circuit breaking unit 2B also includes a log information generating section 27e as a functional section implemented by a computer program. The log information generating section 27e generates state change information every time the state of the circuit breaking device 25 changes, and stores this state change information in the storage device 28 in association with time information (information on the time when the state change occurred). The state changes of the circuit breaking device 25 include automatic recovery, normal determination, abnormal stop, operational abnormality, time setting, etc., in addition to the above-mentioned reset, ON, and OFF.

[0071] Furthermore, when a log information request signal is transmitted from the management device 4, the CPU 27 reads the status change information from the storage device 28 via the communication unit 27a and transmits it to the management device 4. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an image in log information mode in a web browser on the display screen of the management device 4 in this case. In this log information mode, a log information area 48 is defined as the web browser image in addition to the display selection area 41 and installation location information area 42 described above. In the log information area 48, time information and status change information of the circuit breaker device 25 are listed in order from most recent to oldest information. The display format of this log information is not limited to this. Note that the time information in this case is acquired by the time information acquisition unit 27d described above, and the accurate time information and the status change information of the circuit breaker device 25 are displayed in association with each other.

[0072] In this way, by displaying the log information in the web browser on the display screen of the management device 4, the system administrator can easily check the history of changes in the status of the circuit breaker device 25, and if any malfunction occurs in the road equipment management system 1, the cause of the malfunction can be easily identified in a short amount of time by checking the history of changes in the status of the circuit breaker device 25.

[0073] (Switching web browser display) Furthermore, the CPU 27 of the circuit breaking unit 2B is equipped with an access request determination unit 27f as a functional unit realized by a computer program. The access request determination unit 27f has a function of switching the image information to be sent to the management device 4 in response to an access request from the management device 4. Specifically, when the road facility management system 1 is constructed, various information such as IP addresses are initially set, but this initial setting should only be possible for a specific system administrator (a system administrator who has the authority to set the system initial settings), and it is desirable to be able to prevent the occurrence of human error, such as other system administrators (system administrators who only have the authority for normal operation) inadvertently changing the system initial settings.

[0074] For this reason, in response to an access request corresponding to a URL (a URL for displaying information in a Web browser on the display screen of the management device 4) designated by an operation of the management device 4, the access request determination unit 27f determines whether the access is from a specific system administrator (a system administrator with authority to perform initial setup) or from another system administrator. If the access is from a specific system administrator (access by designating a URL known only to the specific system administrator), the access request determination unit 27f displays a screen (network setting image) for performing initial setup of the system in the display selection area 41 (see, for example, the display in FIG. 3 ). On the other hand, if the access is from another system administrator (access by designating a URL known only to other system administrators), the display selection area 41 does not display the screen for performing initial setup of the system, and the initial setup cannot be changed. FIG. 8 shows the display of the Web browser on the display screen of the management device 4 (an image of the Web browser on the display screen of the management device 4 during normal operation) in which the screen for performing initial setup of the system is not displayed in the display selection area 41.

[0075] This prevents human error, such as another system administrator carelessly changing the initial system settings, and enables stable operation of the road facility management system 1.

[0076] (Web browser display switching according to system configuration) 1, the road facility management system 1 is configured such that the L2SW2C is disposed on the secondary side of the circuit breaker 25 in the power line L connected to the circuit breaker 25. In other words, when the circuit breaker 25 is in the OFF state, no power is supplied to the L2SW2C, and therefore communication with the management device 4 is disabled.

[0077] As shown in Figure 9, a road facility management system 1 different from that shown in Figure 1 has an L2SW2C disposed on the primary side of a circuit breaker 25 in a power line L connected to the circuit breaker 25. In other words, even when the circuit breaker 25 is turned off, power is supplied to the L2SW2C, so communication between the circuit breaker unit 2B and the management device 4 is possible.

[0078] The CPU 4A of the management device 4 has a display switching unit 4b as a functional unit realized by a computer program. This display switching unit 4b has a function of changing the display of the Web browser on the display screen of the management device 4 when a request signal for switching ON / OFF of the circuit breaking device 25 is transmitted from the management device 4 to the circuit breaking unit 2B, depending on the arrangement of the L2SW 2C. Note that this display switching unit 4b may be provided in the circuit breaking unit 2B.

[0079] Specifically, in a configuration in which the L2SW 2C is provided on the secondary side of the circuit breaker device 25 (the configuration shown in FIG. 1 ), when the circuit breaker device 25 is ON and the system administrator operates the power OFF button (more specifically, after selecting the power OFF button, presses the execute button) to transmit an OFF request signal for turning OFF the circuit breaker device 25 from the management device 4 to the circuit breaker unit 2B, the display switching unit 4b displays, in a web browser on the display screen of the management device 4, warning information indicating that the circuit breaker device 25 needs to be turned ON at the installation site of the electronic sign equipment 2. FIG. 10 shows an example of a state in which this information is displayed. This display allows the system administrator to confirm his or her intention to turn OFF the circuit breaker device 25. When the display shown in FIG. 10 is displayed, pressing the OK button turns OFF the circuit breaker device 25.

[0080] On the other hand, in the case where the L2SW2C is arranged on the primary side of the circuit breaker 25 (the configuration shown in Figure 9), the display switching unit 4b does not display the above-mentioned warning information because the circuit breaker 25 can be turned on remotely even if it is turned off.

[0081] (Providing information when requesting ON of circuit breaker) The function of providing information when an ON request is made to the circuit breaker device 25 is a function that is applied to the road facility management system 1 having the configuration shown in FIG. 9 (configuration in which the L2SW2C is arranged on the primary side of the circuit breaker device 25).

[0082] The CPU 4A of the management device 4 includes an ON information providing unit 4c as a functional unit realized by a computer program.

[0083] For example, when a maintenance worker is working near the electronic notice equipment 2 to inspect or maintain the electronic notice equipment 2 while the circuit breaker 25 is off (e.g., in road equipment designed to operate only in winter, the circuit breaker 25 is off during the summer, etc.), if the system administrator operates the power ON button (more specifically, by selecting the power ON button and then pressing the execute button), an ON request signal is sent from the management device 4 to the circuit breaker unit 2B, immediately turning on the circuit breaker 25. This can lead to a problem in that the maintenance worker unintentionally supplies power to the electronic notice equipment 2. In view of this issue, in this embodiment, the CPU 4A of the management device 4 is provided with an ON information providing unit 4c. When an ON request signal is sent to the circuit breaker unit 2B, the ON information providing unit 4c displays, in a web browser on the display screen of the management device 4, warning information indicating that the circuit breaker will be turned on, without turning on the circuit breaker 25. FIG. 11 shows an example of a state in which this information is displayed. By displaying this information, it is possible to call attention to check whether or not an equipment maintenance worker is working near the electronic sign equipment 2. This improves safety when the circuit breaker device 25 is turned on.

[0084] Furthermore, when the display shown in Figure 11 appears, the circuit breaker device 25 will be turned on by pressing the ON button (by confirming that no equipment maintenance workers are working near the electronic sign equipment 2 and then pressing the ON button).

[0085] -Other embodiments- The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and all modifications and applications within the scope of the claims and equivalents thereto are possible.

[0086] For example, in the above embodiment, the system administrator operates the management device 4 to transmit various request signals (such as a reset request signal, an ON request signal, and an OFF request signal) to the circuit breaking unit 2B. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The management device 4 may automatically receive information from the server 3 (information that the CPU 21 at a specific IP address has frozen, thermal runaway, or the like), and accordingly automatically transmit various request signals to the circuit breaking unit 2B. Alternatively, the management device 4 may be configured to be able to receive information that the CPU 21 at a specific IP address has frozen, thermal runaway, or the like, and accordingly automatically transmit a reset command signal to the circuit breaking unit 2B.

[0087] In the above embodiment, the circuit breaker device 25, the switching operation means 26, the CPU 27, and the storage device 28 are accommodated in a single housing. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and two of the circuit breaker device 25, the switching operation means 26, the CPU 27, and the storage device 28 may be accommodated in a single housing.

[0088] In the above embodiment, various information (such as warning information) is displayed in a web browser on the display screen of the management device 4. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various information may be provided to the system administrator by voice. [Industrial Applicability]

[0089] The present invention is applicable to a road facility management system that manages road facilities such as electronic signage facilities on expressways. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1 Road facility management system (remote facility management system) 2. Electronic signage equipment (road facilities) 2B Circuit Breaker Unit 25 Circuit Breaker 27c Trip cause determination section 28 Storage device (storage means) 4 Management device N IP network L Power line

Claims

1. A remote facility management system that remotely manages a facility in which a circuit breaker is interposed in a power line of an electrical system, a circuit breaking unit having the circuit breaking device; a management device operable by a system administrator; an IP network that enables communication between at least the circuit breaker unit and the management device; a trip cause determination unit that determines the cause of the trip when the circuit breaker device trips, The remote facility management system is configured such that information on the determined cause of the trip is provided to the management device via the IP network.

2. 2. The remote facility management system according to claim 1, A remote equipment management system characterized in that, when the circuit breaker device trips, the trip cause determination unit determines whether the trip is due to an internal factor of the equipment or an external factor of the equipment based on the voltage value of the power line at the time the trip occurs.

3. 3. The remote facility management system according to claim 1, A remote equipment management system characterized in that the circuit breaking unit stores time information and is configured to obtain time information from the management device via the IP network in order to correct the time information.

4. 3. The remote facility management system according to claim 1, the facility includes a communication device for communicating with the management device via the IP network, the communication device being disposed on a secondary side of the circuit interruption device in a power line connected to the circuit interruption device; A remote equipment management system characterized in that, when a reset request signal for resetting the circuit breaker device is sent from the management device to the circuit breaker unit, the management device provides information to the system administrator that communication via the IP network will be temporarily cut off.

5. 3. The remote facility management system according to claim 1, the facility includes a communication device for communicating with the management device via the IP network, the communication device being disposed on a primary side of the circuit interruption device in a power line connected to the circuit interruption device; A remote equipment management system characterized in that, when the circuit breaker device is OFF and an ON request signal to turn ON the circuit breaker device is sent from the management device to the circuit breaker unit, the management device provides warning information to the system administrator that the circuit breaker device will be turned ON without turning ON the circuit breaker device.

6. 3. The remote facility management system according to claim 1, the facility includes a communication device for communicating with the management device via the IP network; A remote equipment management system characterized in that the information provided by the management device to the system administrator when a request signal to switch the circuit breaker device ON / OFF is sent from the management device to the circuit breaker unit is different depending on whether the communication device is located on the primary side of the circuit breaker device or the secondary side of the power line connected to the circuit breaker device.

7. 7. The remote facility management system according to claim 6, A remote equipment management system characterized in that, when the communication device is arranged on the secondary side of the circuit breaking device on the power line connected to the circuit breaking device, when the circuit breaking device is turned ON and an OFF request signal to turn OFF the circuit breaking device is sent from the management device to the circuit breaking unit, the management device provides warning information to the system administrator that the circuit breaking device needs to be turned ON at the installation site of the equipment.

8. 3. The remote facility management system according to claim 1, A remote equipment management system characterized in that the circuit breaker unit generates status change information each time the status of the circuit breaker device changes, stores the information in a memory means along with the time of occurrence, and provides the status change information to the management device via the IP network in response to a request from the management device.

9. 3. The remote facility management system according to claim 1, A remote equipment management system characterized in that the management device has a display screen and is configured to be able to switch between a screen for performing system initial setup and a screen for normal operation by switching the URL of the connection destination.

Images