Operation display device and display switching method

Abstract

To guide a user to the screen to be switched to according to the user and an event.SOLUTION: A programmable display device (10) comprises a display panel (13) which switches and displays a plurality of screens, a touch panel (14) which accepts switching operations by a user on the screen for switching the display, and a switching control unit (171) which controls the display panel (13) so as to switch a switching source screen to a switching destination screen in response to acceptance of a switching operation. The switching control unit (171) comprises a screen identification unit (171a) which identifies a target switching destination screen on the basis of user identification information for identifying the user and event information related to an occurred event, and a display control unit (171b) which controls the display panel (13) so that, on each of the switching source screen and any switching destination screen that can be switched to before reaching the target switching destination screen from the switching source screen, a switching operation indicator for reaching the target switching destination screen is displayed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an operation display device that switches and displays screens in response to operations. [Background technology]

[0002] Some devices that display multiple screens for purposes such as display, setting, input, and operation have the function of switching between related screens. Screen switching is performed by operating switches, keys, and other switching objects provided on the displayed screen.

[0003] In cases where multiple screen switching objects are provided on the currently displayed screen or on screens along the way to the desired screen, the user may be confused about how to operate the screen. In such cases, it takes time to reach the desired screen from the current screen. In response to this, Patent Document 1 discloses a simple help display that highlights the key to be selected on the setting screen so that the user can set or select a function viewed on the help screen. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-39656 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, HMI devices such as programmable displays are sometimes operated by multiple users, such as the production line manager, the maintenance personnel for each device on the production line, and the operators of each device on the production line. Each user has authority according to their position, and a display screen is defined for each authority. For example, when an event that triggers an alarm occurs and the event needs to be dealt with, there are different countermeasures depending on the authority of each user, so the screen displaying the countermeasures differs depending on the user's authority.

[0006] However, with the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, the required screen is reached by operating keys guided by a simple help display to switch between screens, so the same screen is reached regardless of which user operates it.

[0007] An object of one aspect of the present invention is to guide a user to a destination screen depending on the user and the event. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, an operation display device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a display unit that switches between and displays multiple screens, an operation unit that accepts a switching operation performed by a user on the screen to switch the display of the screen, and a switching control unit that controls the display unit to switch the display from a source screen, which is the screen from which the switching is made, displayed on the display unit to a destination screen, which is the screen to which the switching is made, when the switching operation is accepted by the operation unit. The switching control unit has (1) a screen identification unit that identifies a target destination screen, which is the target destination screen, based on user identification information that identifies a user and event information related to an event that has occurred, and (2) a display control unit that controls the display unit to display an indicator of the switching operation for reaching the target destination screen on each of the source screen and, if there is a destination screen to which the switching is made before reaching the target destination screen, on each of the source screen and the destination screen, if there is a destination screen to which the switching is made before reaching the target destination screen.

[0009] In order to solve the above problem, a screen switching method according to one aspect of the present invention is a display switching method that switches the display from a source screen, which is the screen that is being displayed as the source of switching, to a destination screen, which is the screen that is being displayed as the destination of switching, when a switching operation performed by a user on the screen to switch the display of the screen is accepted, and includes: an identification step of identifying a target destination screen, which is the target destination screen, based on user identification information that identifies the user and event information related to an event that has occurred; and an indicator display step of displaying an indicator of the switching operation for reaching the target destination screen, on each of the source screen and, if there is a destination screen to which a user can switch on the way from the source screen to the target destination screen, on the destination screen. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to guide a user to a destination screen depending on the user and the event. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an operation display system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A figure showing a dataset used when the model generation unit of the programmable display in the above-mentioned operation display system trains an inference model. [Figure 3] A diagram showing the above inference model. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a process of displaying an indicator for switching from a source screen to a target destination screen by the programmable display device. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for a target destination screen specifying process performed by the programmable display device. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for shortest route selection processing by the programmable display device. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing shortest route information used in the shortest route selection process. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for an index display process performed by the programmable display device. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a switching source screen on which a switching component is highlighted by the indicator display process. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating switching between normal screens and switching between a normal screen and a screen including a content display object. [Figure 11] 10 is a diagram showing virtual screen numbers assigned to content displayed in the content display object. FIG. [Figure 12] 10 is a diagram showing shortest route information in a case where a screen including the content display object and a normal screen are mixed. FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an operation display system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0013] Overview of the operation display system FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an operation display system according to this embodiment.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the operation display system includes a programmable display device 10 (operation display device), a PC 20, and a control device 30.

[0015] The programmable display device 10 is an embedded device that implements a dedicated OS (Operating System) and is a dedicated machine that has the function of executing an HMI (Human Machine Interface) program to realize various functions of the programmable display device 10. The programmable display device 10 is also a dedicated computer that has enhanced dust resistance, drip resistance, vibration resistance, etc. to suit harsh environments such as factories. The HMI program is a program that realizes various functions such as communication with the control device 30, displaying data acquired from the control device 30, and accepting user operations using an input device (touch panel 14, described below).

[0016] The control device 30 is a device such as a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), a temperature regulator, or an inverter, and is equipped with a communication function. For example, the control device 30, such as a PLC, transmits and receives data to and from input / output devices (not shown). The input / output devices include input devices such as sensors and switches, and output devices such as actuators, motors, relays, solenoid valves, and displays. The control device 30 has a device memory for storing the status of the input / output devices.

[0017] The PC 20 is a general-purpose computer provided for creating an HMI screen, which is a screen displayed by the programmable display device 10. The HMI screen is a screen including various objects for displaying the status of input / output devices connected to the control device 30 and for accepting operations on the touch panel 14. Each HMI screen is assigned a unique screen number (screen identification information) for individual identification. Objects provided on the HMI screen include various component images such as lamp components, numeric display components, and switch components, as well as content display objects, which will be described later.

[0018] The object is associated with a variable, which is associated with a device address, which is an address in the device memory of the control device 30.

[0019] <Programmable display configuration> Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a data set used when the model generation unit 18 of the programmable display device 10 in the operation display system learns an inference model. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the inference model.

[0020] The programmable display device 10 includes a memory unit 11, a control unit 12, a display panel 13 (display unit), a touch panel 14 (operation unit), a communication unit 15, and an interface unit 16.

[0021] The display panel 13 is a display device that displays various screens including an HMI screen. In particular, the display panel 13 switches between and displays a plurality of HMI screens under the control of the control unit 12.

[0022] Touch panel 14 accepts touch operations on the HMI screen displayed on display panel 13 and outputs touch operation signals including information such as the coordinates of the touch position on the HMI screen. Touch panel 14 accepts switching operations performed by the user on the HMI screen to switch the display of the HMI screen. The switching operation is performed by touching a switching component, which is an object provided on the HMI screen.

[0023] The communication unit 15 communicates with the PC 20. In particular, the communication unit 15 communicates using an interface such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) that is suitable for transmitting data (such as screen data) from the PC 20 to the programmable display device 10.

[0024] The interface unit 16 is a connection unit for communicatively connecting with the control device 30. The interface unit 16 is equipped with various interfaces such as a serial interface and a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0025] Although not shown, the memory unit 11 has memory devices that are included in general computers, such as a main memory, a ROM (Read Only Memory), etc. The memory unit 11 also has a user memory 111, a model memory 112, and a teacher data memory 113.

[0026] The user memory 111 is a large-capacity storage device that stores data created by the user, such as screen data for displaying an HMI screen, and is configured with a Flash Erasable and Programmable ROM (FEPROM) or the like. The user memory 111 also stores shortest route information, which will be described in detail later.

[0027] The model memory 112 stores an inference model generated by a model generation unit 18 (described later) of the control unit 12. The inference model will be described in detail later.

[0028] The teacher data memory 113 stores teacher data collected by a teacher data collection unit 19 (described later) of the control unit 12. The teacher data will be described in detail later.

[0029] In the following description, for convenience, the HMI screen will be referred to as the "screen."

[0030] The control unit 12 controls the operation of each unit of the programmable display device 10. The control unit 12 is a block of control functions that are realized when a control program is executed by a processor provided in the programmable display device 10. The control unit 12 also has an HMI control unit 17, a model generation unit 18, and a teacher data collection unit 19. A CPU (Central Processing Unit) is used as the processor, but for the model generation unit 18 described below, it is preferable to use a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) with parallel computing capabilities in order to efficiently generate an inference model.

[0031] The HMI control unit 17 is a control function block realized by the processor executing the above-mentioned HMI program. The HMI control unit 17 displays a screen on the display panel 13 based on the screen data in the user memory 111. In addition, the HMI control unit 17 instructs the control device 30 to rewrite the contents of the device memory via the interface unit 16, and causes the display panel 13 to switch the screen display, in response to touch operations on the touch panel 14. The function of causing the display panel 13 to switch the screen is included in the functions of the switching control unit 171, which will be described later. The HMI control unit 17 also periodically obtains update data, in which the contents of the device memory have been updated, from the control device 30, and causes the display panel 13 to display a screen reflecting the obtained update data.

[0032] HMI control unit 17 has switching control unit 171 to realize a control function related to screen switching. When the above-mentioned switching operation is accepted by touch panel 14, switching control unit 171 controls display panel 13 to switch the display from a switching source screen, which is a screen from which the screen is switched, displayed on display panel 13 to a switching destination screen, which is a screen to which the screen is switched. To control display panel 13 in this manner, switching control unit 171 has screen specification unit 171a and display control unit 171b.

[0033] The screen specification unit 171a specifies a target switching destination screen based on a user ID (user identification information) and event information related to the event that has occurred. The target switching destination screen is a switching destination screen that is the target for switching from the switching source screen. The user ID is information such as a unique number assigned to each user to identify the user. When a user logs in to the programmable display device 10, the user ID is input to the programmable display device 10. The event is an event such as an alarm related to the target switching destination screen.

[0034] The screen identification unit 171a identifies, as the target switching destination screen, the screen that has the highest probability of being the target switching destination screen through inference using the inference model stored in the model memory 112. The inference model is a machine-learned model that receives at least the screen number of the displayed screen, the user ID, and event information as input, and outputs the probability that each screen has been identified as the target switching destination screen.

[0035] The display control unit 171b controls the display panel 13 to display an indicator of a switching operation for reaching the target switching destination screen on each of the source screen and, if there is a switching destination screen to which the screen can be switched on the way from the source screen to the target switching destination screen, on the corresponding switching destination screen. There are two cases for switching to the target switching destination screen. The first case is when the target switching destination screen is reached directly by a switching operation on the source screen. The second case is when the target switching destination screen is reached via a switching operation on at least one switching destination screen from a switching operation on the source screen. For this reason, the display control unit 171b displays the indicator of the switching operation as described above.

[0036] Examples of the form in which the display control unit 171b displays an indicator on the display panel 13 include highlighting of the switching component that is the target of the switching operation, visual effects applied to the switching component, pop-up displays, banner displays, etc. Highlighting of the switching component is sufficient as long as it can highlight the switching component, and examples include thickening the outer frame of the switching component, enlarging the switching component, coloring the switching component, and making the switching component appear to be raised. Examples of visual effects include displaying an arrow pointing to the switching component near the switching component. Examples of the content of the pop-up displays and banner displays include explanations encouraging the user to switch screens. In the specific explanation below, highlighting of the switching component will be described as the indicator.

[0037] The display control unit 171b selects the shortest route to the target switching destination screen identified by the screen identification unit 171a from the shortest route information and controls the display panel 13 to display an indicator along the shortest route. The shortest route information is information representing the shortest route from the switching source screen to the target switching destination screen. The shortest route information includes at least the screen number of the switching source screen, the screen number of the target switching destination screen, the shortest route represented by the screen number, and the ID of the switching component included in the switching source screen.

[0038] The model generation unit 18 generates an inference model by supervised machine learning using the input dataset shown in Fig. 2 as an input and the output dataset shown in Fig. 2 as an output. The model generation unit 18 uses, for example, a neural network as basic model information. When the input dataset is input, the trained inference model outputs, as inference results, the probability that each screen can become a target switching destination screen and the expected time (predicted stay time) that the display of the screen with the highest probability will be maintained.

[0039] Specifically, the input data set includes the screen number of the currently displayed source screen, the user ID of the user operating the programmable display device 10, the value of the variable, the alarm status, and the elapsed time on the source screen.

[0040] The alarm status is the status value (status value) acquired when creating the input data set for all alarms set in the programmable display device 10. The status values ​​include a value of "2" for a HiHi alarm state, a value of "1" for a Hi alarm state, a value of "0" for a Normal state (no alarm has occurred), a value of "-1" for a Low alarm state, and a value of "-2" for a LowLow alarm state. Figure 2 shows an example where there is one status value.

[0041] The variable values ​​are values ​​for all variables set in the programmable display device 10. Fig. 2 shows an example in which there is one variable value.

[0042] The elapsed time on the source screen is the time elapsed since the display of the current source screen began. For example, suppose a screen having screen number "1" (referred to as screen (1)) and a screen having screen number "2" (referred to as screen (2)) are switched between screen (1), screen (2), and screen (1) in that order, and screen (1) is currently being displayed. When screen (1) becomes the source screen, the elapsed time from when screen (2) was switched to screen (1) is the elapsed time on the source screen. Therefore, the display time of screen (1), which was displayed before screen (2), is not included in this elapsed time.

[0043] The output data set includes the probability that the screens with screen numbers 1 to 4 will be the target switching screen ("1" is 100%, "0" is 0%) and the duration of stay (the duration of time the display is maintained) for the screen with the highest probability. The longer the duration of stay, the more often the screen is viewed, and this is used as a factor for determining the importance of the screen.

[0044] 2, five data sets D1 to D5 are provided for each of the input and output, but these are just an example, and a large number of data sets are usually used for learning. For example, if the number of screens that become target switching destination screens increases, neurons with corresponding output are provided.

[0045] If there is no trained inference model for the same model information as the model information to be used in the learning environment of the programmable display device 10, the model generation unit 18 performs training based on new model information. Alternatively, in this case, the model generation unit 18 may obtain a trained inference model for the same model information from outside and perform additional training on the inference model to complete the inference model.

[0046] Furthermore, if an inference model that has already been trained for the same model information as the model information to be used exists in the programmable display device 10 that serves as the learning environment, the model generation unit 18 performs training based on new model information without using the inference model. Alternatively, in this case, the model generation unit 18 may perform additional training on the inference model to complete the inference model.

[0047] The teacher data collection unit 19 collects the above-mentioned input and output data sets used for learning the inference model as teacher data and stores them in the teacher data memory 113. The teacher data collection unit 19 collects the input data sets at predetermined times, such as when a screen change occurs or when data logging is completed.

[0048] The teacher data collection unit 19 collects teacher data for a certain period of time while the programmable display device 10 is operated in the field. The teacher data collection unit 19 may also collect a learning dataset under an expected operation method (e.g., trial operation) outside the field before the programmable display device 10 is operated in the field.

[0049] The model generation unit 18 generates the inference model in the programmable display device 10, but may be provided in an external computer. In such a case, the programmable display device 10 provides the training data collected by the training data collection unit 19 and model information of the inference model to the external computer, causing the model generation unit 18 to perform learning. The control unit 12 of the programmable display device 10 obtains the inference model generated by the model generation unit 18 from the external computer and stores it in the model memory 112.

[0050] <PC configuration> The PC 20 includes a screen creation unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23. The storage unit 22 stores the screen data and shortest route information created by the screen creation unit 21. The communication unit 23 communicates with the programmable display device 10.

[0051] The screen creation unit 21 is a functional block that creates the above-described screen data by executing a screen creation program on a CPU provided in the PC 20. The screen creation unit 21 creates screen data and stores it in the storage unit 22, and also downloads the screen data to the programmable display device 10 via the communication unit 23 as needed.

[0052] The screen creation unit 21 not only creates screen data but also has a shortest route information creation unit 211. The shortest route information creation unit 211 creates the above-mentioned shortest route information by analyzing the screen.

[0053] Specifically, the shortest path information creation unit 211 analyzes and acquires the screen numbers of all screens displayed by the screen data stored in the storage unit 22. The shortest path information creation unit 211 also searches for screens having switching components for screen switching, and acquires the IDs of the switching components (switching component IDs) of the corresponding screens. Based on the acquired screen numbers and switching component IDs, the shortest path information creation unit 211 identifies all combinations of screens that are candidates for the source screen and screens that are candidates for the target destination screen.

[0054] The shortest route information creation unit 211 calculates the shortest route for the above combination. Specifically, the shortest route information creation unit 211 checks whether or not a switching component exists on a screen that is a candidate for the switching source screen based on the switching component ID, and identifies a screen that has a switching component as a candidate for the switching source screen. Using a route search algorithm, the shortest route information creation unit 211 calculates the shortest route from the switching source screen through the fewest switching destination screens to a candidate screen for the target switching destination screen that can be switched to using the switching component on the identified screen.

[0055] After calculating the shortest route, if the source screen has a switching component (switching component ID) for direct switching to the target destination screen, the shortest route information creating unit 211 associates the switching component ID with the calculated shortest route. Furthermore, if the source screen does not have a switching component (switching component ID) for direct switching to the target destination screen, the shortest route information creating unit 211 performs switching via one or more destination screens that can be switched to each screen, and therefore temporarily sets the switching component ID associated with the shortest route to 0.

[0056] <Screen switching indicator display> The following describes the indicator display (display switching method) for screen switching by the programmable display device 10 configured as above.

[0057] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a process performed by the programmable display device 10 to display an indicator for switching from a source screen to a target destination screen.

[0058] Conditions for starting this process include, for example, the arrival of a predetermined period (condition 1), the execution of a screen change (condition 2), and the occurrence of a predetermined event (such as an alarm) (condition 3). In the following process, an example will be described in which the above process starts under condition 1. Note that in the following process, conditions 2 and 3, as well as other conditions, can be used as appropriate conditions depending on how the inference model is trained.

[0059] First, when a predetermined period (e.g., 10 seconds) arrives, the screen identification unit 171a in the switching control unit 171 of the programmable display device 10 performs a target switching destination screen identification process to identify a target switching destination screen (step S1, identification step). Next, the display control unit 171b in the switching control unit 171 performs a shortest route selection process to select the shortest route for screen switching from the switching source screen to the target switching destination screen based on the shortest route information (step S2). Furthermore, the display control unit 171b performs an indicator display process to control the display panel 13 to display an indicator according to the selected shortest route (step S3, indicator display step), and then ends the process.

[0060] <Target Switching Destination Screen Identification Process> FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the target switching destination screen specification process performed by the programmable display device 10.

[0061] 5, in the target switching destination screen identification process, first, when the predetermined period described above arrives, the screen identification unit 171a acquires the current values ​​of each of the input data (step S11). Immediately after a switching operation by a user touching a switching component on a switching source screen is accepted by the touch panel 14 of the operating programmable display device 10, the screen identification unit 171a acquires the current values ​​periodically (for example, every 10 seconds) using the information collection function of the HMI control unit 17. The input data acquired includes the screen number of the switching source screen, the current user ID, the value of a variable, the alarm status, and the elapsed time on the switching source screen, as described above.

[0062] Next, the screen identification unit 171a infers output data based on the input data using a trained inference model stored in the model memory 112 (step S12). The screen identification unit 171a acquires, for example, the screen number "1" of the source screen, the current user ID "0001," the variable value "10," the alarm status "2," and the elapsed time on the source screen "200 seconds" as input data and inputs them into the inference model. As a result, the inference model outputs screen number 1 "0.1," screen number 2 "0.2," screen number 3 "0.9," and screen number 4 "0.1" as the probabilities that the screens having screen numbers 1 to 4, respectively, will become the target destination screens, and also outputs a predicted stay time of "15.3 seconds."

[0063] The screen identification unit 171a identifies the target switching destination screen based on the above output data of the inference model (step S13), and returns the process to the main routine shown in FIG. 4. Specifically, the screen identification unit 171a identifies the screen with screen number 3, which has the highest probability, as the target switching destination screen. The screen identification unit 171a also selects and identifies a screen number for which the output predicted stay time exceeds a preset threshold value for predicted stay time. This is because if the stay time of the switched screen is short, it is likely to be an intermediate screen leading to the target switching destination screen and not the target switching destination screen. Furthermore, if the screen identification unit 171a selects multiple screen numbers, it may select a predetermined number of screen numbers that are at the top.

[0064] Furthermore, the screen identification unit 171a is not limited to the above example, and may identify a screen having a screen number with a higher probability than a predetermined value as the target switching destination screen. In this case, multiple target switching destination screens may be identified, or no target switching destination screen may be identified.

[0065] Shortest route selection process Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the shortest route selection process by the programmable display device 10. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing shortest route information used in the shortest route selection process.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 6, in the shortest route selection process, first, the display control unit 171b acquires the screen number of the identified target switching destination screen (step S21).

[0067] Next, the display control unit 171b selects the shortest route from the shortest route information based on the screen number of the displayed source screen and the acquired screen number of the target destination screen (step S22), and returns the process to the main routine shown in Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 7, for example, when switching from the source screen with screen number 1 to the target destination screen with screen number 2, the display control unit 171b selects the shortest route "1 → 2" indicated by the screen numbers based on these screen numbers.

[0068] <Indicator display processing> Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the indicator display process by the programmable display device 10. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the switching source screen 100 on which the switching component is highlighted by the indicator display process.

[0069] 8, in the indicator display process, the display control unit 171b first determines whether or not a switching component for directly switching from the switching source screen to the target switching destination screen for the selected shortest route is present (step S31). If the display control unit 171b determines in step S31 that the switching component is present (YES), it acquires the ID of the switching component (switching component ID) from the shortest route information (step S32). Then, the display control unit 171b controls the display panel 13 to highlight the switching component having the acquired ID (step S33), and returns the process to the main routine shown in FIG.

[0070] For example, when the above-mentioned shortest route "1 → 2" is selected, the display control unit 171b acquires the switching component ID "10" from the shortest route information shown in Fig. 7 and displays the switching component on the switching source screen having the switching component ID "10" so as to be emphasized. For example, as shown in Fig. 9, for multiple switching components 101 provided on the switching source screen 100, the outer frame 102 of the switching component 101 having the switching component ID "10" is displayed in a different color and in a bolder emphasized manner. In this way, the display control unit 171b displays an indicator for switching to the screen having the screen number 2.

[0071] In step S31, if the display control unit 171b determines that the switching component does not exist (NO), it acquires, from the shortest route information, the ID of a switching component that switches to an intermediate switching destination screen that can be switched to the target switching destination screen for the selected shortest route (step S34). Then, the display control unit 171b controls the display panel 13 to highlight the switching component having the acquired ID (step S35), and determines whether the screen display has been switched from the switching source screen to the switching destination screen (step S36). In step S36, if the display control unit 171b determines that the screen display has not been switched from the switching source screen to the switching destination screen (NO), it enters a standby state until the screen display is switched to the switching destination screen.

[0072] In step S36, if the display control unit 171b determines that the screen display has been switched from the source screen to the destination screen (YES), it determines whether or not a switching component exists for directly switching from the destination screen to the target destination screen for the selected shortest route (step S37). In step S37, if the display control unit 171b determines that the switching component exists (YES), it acquires the ID of the switching component from the shortest route information (step S38). Then, the display control unit 171b controls the display panel 13 to highlight the switching component having the acquired ID (step S39), and returns the process to the main routine shown in FIG.

[0073] If the display control unit 171b determines in step S37 that the switching component is not present (NO), it acquires, from the shortest route information, the ID of a switching component for switching to an intermediate switching destination screen that can be switched to the target switching destination screen for the selected shortest route (step S40).Then, the display control unit 171b controls the display panel 13 to highlight the switching component having the acquired ID (step S41), and proceeds to step S36.

[0074] For example, when switching from a source screen with screen number 2 to a target destination screen with screen number 3, the source screen does not have a switching component for directly switching from the source screen to the target destination screen, and the switching component ID in the shortest route information is set to "0." In this case, the display control unit 171b temporarily stores the selected shortest route "2 → 1 → 3," and, by the processing of steps S31 and S34, acquires a switching component ID "1" corresponding to the shortest route "2 → 1" from the shortest route information based on the shortest route "2 → 1 → 3." Then, by the processing of step S35, the display control unit 171b displays a switching component with a switching component ID "1" on the source screen (screen number 2) so as to be highlighted. As a result, the display control unit 171b displays an indicator for switching to the destination screen with screen number 1.

[0075] After switching to the screen having screen number 1, the display control unit 171b, through the processing of steps S37 and S38, acquires the switching component ID "20" corresponding to the shortest route "1 → 3" from the shortest route information based on the stored shortest route "2 → 1 → 3". Then, through the processing of step S39, the display control unit 171b displays the switching component having the switching component ID "20" on the switching destination screen (screen number 1) so as to be highlighted. As a result, the display control unit 171b displays an indicator for switching to the target switching destination screen having screen number 3.

[0076] Furthermore, if the shortest route from the source screen to the target destination screen is selected via two or more destination screens, the processing of steps S37, S40, S41, S36, and S37 is repeated until a YES determination is made in step S37.

[0077] Effects of the embodiment As described above, the operation display system includes the screen identification unit 171a and the display control unit 171b. When any one of the above-described conditions set in advance is satisfied, the screen identification unit 171a identifies a target switching destination screen based on the user ID and event information (e.g., alarm status) related to the event that has occurred (e.g., an alarm). The display control unit 171b controls the display panel 13 to display an indicator of a switching operation for reaching the target switching destination screen on each of the source screen and, if there is a switching destination screen to which the source screen can be switched before reaching the target switching destination screen, on the switching destination screen.

[0078] This allows the display to switch to the target switchover screen depending on the user and the event. For example, if a specific alarm (abnormality or warning) is issued, the operator may check a screen to understand the content of the alarm, while the maintenance staff may check a screen that describes how to restore the alarm. Also, when data logging is complete because the production of the required number of products has been completed, the operator may check a screen notifying them of the completion of production, while the site supervisor may check a screen to confirm the production completion status.

[0079] For this reason, when an alarm is issued or data logging is completed as an event, it is necessary to switch the screen from the currently displayed source screen to a target destination screen to be confirmed. If the screen to be confirmed differs depending on the user's position (authority), the target destination screen also differs depending on the user's position. With the above configuration, an indicator is displayed so that the user can switch to a target destination screen that suits the user's position. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately guide the user from the source screen to a target destination screen that suits the user and the event.

[0080] Furthermore, the display control unit 171b selects the shortest route to the identified target switching destination screen from the shortest route information, and controls the display panel 13 to display an indicator according to the shortest route.

[0081] This allows the user to follow the indicator to switch from the source screen and reach the target destination screen via the shortest route without making any operational errors, thereby improving the efficiency of screen switching.

[0082] Furthermore, the screen identification unit 171a identifies, as the target switching destination screen, the screen that has the highest probability of being the target switching destination screen through inference using the inference model that has been machine-learned as described above.

[0083] As a result, when a screen number, a user ID, and event information are input to the inference model, the probability that each screen will be identified as a target switching destination screen is output from the inference model. As a result, for example, by using an inference model that is machine-learned using information obtained during the operation of the programmable display device 10, it is possible to improve the accuracy of identifying the target switching destination screen.

[0084] <Variations> Next, a modified example according to the present embodiment will be described. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing switching between normal screens and switching between a normal screen and a screen including a content display object. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing virtual screen numbers assigned to content displayed in a content display object. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing shortest path information when a screen including a content display object and a normal screen are mixed.

[0085] 10, it is assumed that a home screen 200 (source screen) is provided with switching components SW1 to SW3 for switching to screens 201 to 203 named "Screen A," "Screen B," and "Screen C," respectively. Screens 201 and 202 are normal screens, but screen 203 includes a content display object COBJ.

[0086] For example, a content display object COBJ is an object that switches between two contents, a first content (display content) and a second content (display content), and has a display area DA (partial screen) and content switching components SWC1 and SWC2. The display area DA is an area where the switched content is displayed. The content switching component SWC1 is a component that switches to display the first content. The content switching component SWC2 is a component that switches to display the second content.

[0087] Screen 203 including content display object COBJ is an example of applying the concept of a single page application (SPA) to the programmable display device 10. When a web page is displayed in a browser, an SPA updates part of the web page (switches the display) because reloading the entire web page would take too much time and degrade performance. For example, in an application program that displays a map, only the map portion is updated as content, without updating the entire screen.

[0088] The content (display content) may include information about the event, such as the alarm itself, details corresponding to the alarm, and information at the time of production completion (e.g., the number of units produced). The content may also be content that can be zoomed or scrolled. Alternatively, the content may be an object serving as the display area of ​​a viewer program that can view files such as PDFs, or a web browser configured as a component.

[0089] A virtual screen number (virtual screen identification information), which is a virtual screen number, is assigned to each screen on which each content is displayed in the content display object. For example, for the above content display object COBJ, different virtual screen numbers are assigned to the screen 203 on which the first content is displayed in the display area DA and the screen 203 on which the second content is displayed in the display area DA. The assignment of the virtual screen numbers is performed by the screen creation unit 21 of the PC 20. In this way, by assigning a virtual screen number to each screen on which each content is displayed, the screen can be identified by the screen number in the same way as a general screen that does not include a content display object.

[0090] Each piece of content is assigned a unique content ID. To switch the content displayed in the content display object, the content ID is specified. Note that the content may include a content display object, as will be described later.

[0091] In the example shown in FIG. 11, a screen having screen number 1 includes content display objects 1 and 2. Content display object 1 displays a first content and a second content. Content display object 2 displays a third content and a fourth content. The third content includes content display object 3. Content display object 3 displays a fifth content and a sixth content. The first to sixth contents are assigned content IDs 1 to 6, respectively.

[0092] The content display objects 1 to 3 and the first to sixth contents on the above screen are configured in the following hierarchical structure. In the following hierarchical structure, "·" represents the first layer, "··" represents the second layer, "···" represents the third layer, "····" represents the fourth layer, and "·····" represents the fifth layer. The fifth layer is the lowest layer.

[0093] (hierarchical structure) Screen number 1 Content display object 1 ···First content (content ID 1) ...Second content (Content ID 2) Content display object 2 ...Third content (content ID 3) Content display object 3 5th content (content ID 5) ...6th content (content ID 6) ···Fourth content (content ID4) In FIG. 11, when the content ID is "none", this indicates that no content is displayed in the content display object.

[0094] In the above screens, a virtual screen number is assigned to each combination of content IDs. This allows the content to be treated as a final destination screen. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, the virtual screen numbers are also incorporated into the shortest route information as the screen numbers of the source screen and the target destination screen. Therefore, the display control unit 171b selects the shortest route based on the shortest route information, treating the content to be displayed in the content display object as a screen.

[0095] When highlighting the switching component in the content display object COBJ described above, the switching component may exist in the content displayed in the content display object COBJ but may not appear in the display area DA. In such a case, the display control unit 171b controls the display panel 13 to display information that indicates that the switching component does not appear in the display area DA, scroll or enlarge the content so that the switching component can be seen, display the above information as a pop-up, highlight the content display object COBJ itself, or the like.

[0096] In this way, in this modification, each screen is assigned a screen number for identification, and includes a display area DA of a content display object COBJ whose display content is changeable. Furthermore, the display content of the display area DA is assigned virtual screen identification information for virtually identifying the content so that it is treated as a screen. The screen identification unit 171a then identifies the target switching destination screen based on the screen number and the virtual screen number.

[0097] This allows not only the screen but also the display content of the display area DA of the content display object COBJ to be treated as the target switching destination screen. Therefore, it is possible to provide switching guidance based on the indicator, including the display content of the display area DA.

[0098] This modification is also applicable to the second embodiment described later.

[0099] [Embodiment 2] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. For ease of explanation, components having the same functions as those described in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0100] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an operation display system according to the second embodiment.

[0101] In the above-described embodiment 1, the target switching screen is identified using a learned inference model, but in this embodiment, the target switching screen is identified based on information created by the screen creation unit 21 of the PC 20.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 13, the operation display system includes a programmable display device 10A (operation display device), a PC 20A, and a control device 30.

[0103] The programmable display device 10A includes a memory unit 11A, a control unit 12A, a display panel 13, a touch panel 14, a communication unit 15, and an interface unit 16. Unlike the memory unit 11 in the first embodiment described above, the memory unit 11A does not include a model memory 112 or a teacher data memory 113. In addition, a user memory 111 included in the memory unit 11A stores correspondence information in addition to screen data and shortest route information. The correspondence information is information in which a user ID and event information are previously associated with a target switching destination screen corresponding to the user ID and the event information. Examples of the event information include the above-mentioned variable values ​​and alarm status.

[0104] Unlike the control unit 12 in the first embodiment, the control unit 12A does not have the model generation unit 18 and the teacher data collection unit 19. Also, unlike the screen identification unit 171a in the first embodiment, the screen identification unit 171a in the HMI control unit 17 identifies the target switching destination screen based on the correspondence information stored in the user memory 111.

[0105] When any one of the preset conditions including the above-mentioned conditions 1 to 3 is satisfied, the screen identification unit 171a checks the state of the event information in the correspondence information and identifies the screen number when the state satisfies the conditions for screen switching.

[0106] The PC 20A includes a screen creation unit 21A, a storage unit 22A, and a communication unit 23. Like the screen creation unit 21 in the first embodiment, the screen creation unit 21A includes a shortest route information creation unit 211, and also includes a correspondence information creation unit 212 that creates the above-mentioned correspondence information. Furthermore, the memory unit 11A stores the screen data and shortest route information, and also stores the correspondence information created by the screen creation unit 21A.

[0107] The correspondence information creation unit 212 creates correspondence information by associating a user ID and event information representing a situation with a target switching destination screen corresponding to the user ID and the event information, so as to set a screen to be displayed according to a pre-determined situation.

[0108] In this way, the correspondence information includes a screen to be displayed depending on the event and the user, and the screen specifying unit 171a specifies the screen as the target switching destination screen based on the correspondence information.

[0109] For example, if an alarm is issued while a certain screen is being displayed, and the user currently operating the programmable display device 10A is an operator, a screen that the operator should check is identified as the target switching screen based on the alarm and the user ID of the operator. This screen is, for example, a screen for understanding the contents of the alarm. Furthermore, if the user is a maintenance technician, a screen that describes how to restore from the alarm is identified as the target switching screen. Then, the display control unit 171b displays an indicator at least on the switching source screen to guide the user to the identified target switching screen.

[0110] Furthermore, by using the correspondence information, it is possible to easily identify the target switching destination screen. In contrast, if an attempt is made to realize a function for identifying the target switching destination screen without using the correspondence information, it is necessary to incorporate information in place of the correspondence information (such as a script created by the user to realize similar content) into the screen, which requires a great deal of effort to create the screen.

[0111] The HMI control unit 17 has an authority management function that sets the authority of users of the programmable display device 10A. The authority management function sets the user authority using two methods. In the first method, the user authority is set based on a plurality of security levels, and a screen switching corresponding to each security level is set. In the second method, the user authority is set based on the user authority group (e.g., administrator, operator, maintenance person, etc.), and a screen switching corresponding to the group is set.

[0112] Therefore, the user authority set by the authority management function may be associated with the user ID set in the correspondence information, thereby making it possible to identify the target switching destination screen according to the security level or group associated with the user ID.

[0113] [Software implementation example] The functions of the programmable display device 10 (hereinafter referred to as the "device") are realized by the above-mentioned control program for causing a computer to function as the device. The control program is a program for causing a computer to function as each control block of the device (particularly each unit included in the control units 12 and 12A).

[0114] In this case, the device includes a computer having at least one control device (the above-mentioned processor) and at least one storage device (for example, the above-mentioned memory unit 11, 11A) as hardware for executing the control program. The control device and storage device execute the control program, thereby realizing each function described in each embodiment.

[0115] The control program may be non-transitory and may be recorded on one or more computer-readable recording media. The recording media may or may not be included in the device. In the latter case, the control program may be supplied to the device via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0116] Furthermore, some or all of the functions of the control blocks can be realized by logic circuits. For example, an integrated circuit in which a logic circuit that functions as each of the control blocks is formed is also included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, the functions of the control blocks can also be realized by, for example, a quantum computer.

[0117] Furthermore, each process described in each of the above embodiments may be executed by AI (Artificial Intelligence). In this case, the AI ​​may run on the control device or on another device (for example, an edge computer or a cloud server).

[0118] 〔summary〕 An operation display device according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a display unit that switches between and displays multiple screens, an operation unit that accepts a switching operation performed by a user on the screen to switch the display of the screen, and a switching control unit that, when the switching operation is accepted by the operation unit, controls the display unit to switch the display from a source screen, which is the screen from which the screen is being switched, to a destination screen, which is the screen to which the screen is being switched. The switching control unit has (1) a screen identification unit that identifies a target destination screen, which is the target destination screen, based on user identification information that identifies a user and event information related to an event that has occurred, and (2) a display control unit that controls the display unit to display an indicator of the switching operation for reaching the target destination screen on each of the source screen and, if there is a destination screen to which the screen can be switched on the way from the source screen to the target destination screen, on the destination screen.

[0119] According to the above configuration, a target destination screen corresponding to the user and the event is identified, and an indicator is displayed to guide the user from the source screen to the identified target destination screen. When a switching operation is performed according to the indicator, the display is switched to the target destination screen corresponding to the user and the event. This allows the user to be appropriately guided from the source screen to the target destination screen corresponding to the user and the event.

[0120] In the operation display device according to aspect 2 of the present invention, in aspect 1, the display control unit may select the shortest route to the identified target destination screen from shortest route information representing the shortest route for switching from the source screen to the target destination screen, and control the display unit to display the indicator according to the shortest route.

[0121] According to the above configuration, it is possible to reach the target switching destination screen from the switching source screen via the shortest route, thereby improving the efficiency of screen switching.

[0122] In the operation display device according to aspect 3 of the present invention, in aspect 1 or 2, the screen identification unit may input at least the screen identification information of the displayed screen among the screen identification information that identifies each of the screens, the user identification information, and the event information, and identify the screen with the highest probability as the target switching destination screen by inference using a machine-learned inference model that outputs the probability that each screen has been identified as the target switching destination screen.

[0123] According to the above configuration, when the screen identification information, the user identification information, and the event information are input to the inference model, the probability that each screen will be identified as a target switching destination screen is output from the inference model. As a result, for example, by using an inference model that is machine-learned using information obtained in the process of operating the operation display device, it is possible to increase the accuracy of identifying the target switching destination screen.

[0124] In the operation display device according to aspect 4 of the present invention, in aspect 1 or 2, the screen identification unit may identify the target switching destination screen based on correspondence information in which the user identification information and the event information are previously associated with the target switching destination screen corresponding to the user identification information and the event information.

[0125] According to the above configuration, the target switching destination screen can be easily identified.

[0126] An operation display device according to aspect 5 of the present invention may be such that, in any of aspects 1 to 4, the screens are given screen identification information to identify them, include partial screens whose display content is changeable, and are given virtual screen identification information to virtually identify the display content so that it is treated as the screen, and the screen identification unit identifies the target switching destination screen based on the screen identification information and the virtual screen identification information.

[0127] According to the above configuration, not only the screen but also the display content of the partial screen can be set as the target switching destination screen, and switching guidance based on the indicator can be provided.

[0128] A screen switching method according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is a display switching method that switches the display from a source screen, which is the screen that is being displayed as the source of switching, to a destination screen, which is the screen that is being displayed as the destination of switching, when a switching operation performed by a user on the screen to switch the display of the screen is accepted, and includes an identification step of identifying a target destination screen, which is the target destination screen, based on user identification information that identifies the user and event information related to an event that has occurred, and an indicator display step of displaying an indicator of the switching operation for reaching the target destination screen on each of the source screen and, if there is a destination screen to which the user can switch on the way from the source screen to the target destination screen, on the destination screen.

[0129] According to the above method, as with the operation display device according to the first aspect, it is possible to appropriately guide the user from the source screen to the target destination screen according to the user and the event.

[0130] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Furthermore, embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] 10,10A Programmable Display (Operation Display Device) 13 Display panel (display section) 14 Touch panel (operation section) 171 Switching control unit 171a Screen specific part 171b Display control unit DA display area (partial screen)

Claims

1. A display unit that switches between multiple screens; an operation unit that accepts a switching operation performed by a user on the screen to switch the display of the screen; a switching control unit that controls the display unit to switch a display from a switching source screen, which is the screen from which the display is switched, to a switching destination screen, which is the screen to which the display is switched, when the switching operation is accepted by the operation unit; The switching control unit a screen specifying unit that specifies a target switching destination screen, which is a target switching destination screen, based on user identification information that identifies a user and event information related to an event that has occurred; an operation display device having a display control unit that controls the display unit to display an indicator of the switching operation for reaching the target switching destination screen on each of the source screen and, if there is a destination screen to which the user can switch before reaching the target switching destination screen from the source screen, on the destination screen.

2. 2. The operation display device according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit selects the shortest route to the identified target switching destination screen from shortest route information representing the shortest route of switching from the switching source screen to the target switching destination screen, and controls the display unit to display the indicator according to the shortest route.

3. 2. The operation display device according to claim 1, wherein the screen identification unit receives as input at least screen identification information of the displayed screen among the screen identification information that identifies each of the screens, the user identification information, and the event information, and outputs a probability that each screen has been identified as the target switching destination screen, thereby performing inference using a machine-learned inference model to identify the screen with the highest probability as the target switching destination screen.

4. 2. The operation display device according to claim 1, wherein the screen identification unit identifies the target switching destination screen based on correspondence information in which the user identification information and the event information are previously associated with the target switching destination screen corresponding to the user identification information and the event information.

5. The screens are each assigned screen identification information for identifying the screen, and include partial screens whose display content is changeable; The display content is assigned virtual screen identification information for virtually identifying the display content so that the display content is treated as the screen, The operation display device according to claim 1 , wherein the screen specifying unit specifies the target switching destination screen based on the screen identification information and the virtual screen identification information.

6. A display switching method for switching a display from a switching source screen, which is a screen that is being displayed as a switching source, to a switching destination screen, which is a screen that is being displayed as a switching destination, when a switching operation performed on the screen by a user to switch the display of the screen is accepted, comprising: a specifying step of specifying a target switching destination screen, which is a target switching destination screen, based on user identification information that identifies a user and event information related to an event that has occurred; a display switching method including an indicator display step of displaying an indicator of the switching operation for reaching the target destination screen on each of the source screen and, if there is a destination screen to which the user can switch before reaching the target destination screen from the source screen, on the destination screen.

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