Processing device and processing program

Abstract

A processing device, a processing method, and a processing program with improved convenience, reliability, safety, etc. are provided. [Solution] The processing device 1 includes a determinator 30 that performs a comparison of status information, which is information related to the status obtained from a field, and performs processing related to the determinator based on information specifying the content of the comparison made by the determinator 30 and an operation related to a state transition depending on the comparison result, and information related to generation by a status information generator for generating status information from information related to the field status. The information specifying the content of the comparison made by the determinator 30 and an operation related to a state transition depending on the comparison result, and the information related to generation by a status information generator for generating status information from information related to the field status can be changed regardless of the operation of the determinator 30.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing device, a processing method, and a processing program. [Background technology]

[0002] Processing devices that perform predetermined processing based on a program have been known for some time. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a program for displaying an input mathematical formula on a display and verifying the input mathematical formula. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-119033 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In devices that use conventional programs, when changing, adding, deleting, etc. conditions or functions, it is necessary to essentially stop the operation of the program, leaving room for improvement in terms of convenience, reliability, safety, etc.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a processing device, a processing method, and a processing program with improved convenience, reliability, safety, and the like. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a processing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a determiner that performs a comparison of state information, which is information related to a state obtained from a field, and performs processing related to the determiner based on information specifying the content of the comparison in the determiner and an operation related to a state transition according to the comparison result, and information related to the generation of a state information generation unit for generating state information from information related to the state of the field, and the information specifying the content of the comparison in the determiner and an operation related to a state transition according to the comparison result, and the information related to the generation of a state information generation unit for generating state information from information related to the state of the field are changeable regardless of the operation of the determiner.

[0007] In addition, a processing method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure performs a comparison of state information, which is information relating to a state obtained from a field, by a determiner, and performs processing related to the determiner based on information specifying the content of the comparison in the determiner and an operation relating to a state transition according to the comparison result, and information relating to the generation of a state information generation unit for generating state information from information relating to the state of the field, and the information specifying the content of the comparison in the determiner and an operation relating to a state transition according to the comparison result, and the information relating to the generation of a state information generation unit for generating state information from information relating to the state of the field are changeable regardless of the operation of the determiner.

[0008] In addition, a processing program according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a processing program for causing a computer to function as a processing device, and realizes a judgment function that compares status information, which is information relating to the status obtained from a field, and performs processing related to the judgment function based on information specifying the content of the comparison in the judgment function and the operation related to the state transition according to the comparison result, and information related to the generation of a status information generation unit for generating status information from information relating to the status of the field, and the information specifying the content of the comparison in the judgment function and the operation related to the state transition according to the comparison result, and the information related to the generation of a status information generation unit for generating status information from information relating to the status of the field are changeable regardless of the operation of the judgment function.

[0009] In addition, a processing device according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a determiner that performs a comparison on state information, which is information related to a state obtained from a field, and the state information includes a label related to the nature of the state and a profile indicating the state of the nature identified by the label.

[0010] In addition, a processing device according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a determiner that performs a comparison of state information, which is information related to a state obtained from a field, and performs processing related to the determiner based on information specifying the content of the comparison in the determiner and an operation related to a state transition in accordance with the comparison result, and information related to the generation of a state information generation unit for generating state information from the information related to the state of the field, wherein the information specifying the content of the comparison in the determiner and an operation related to a state transition in accordance with the comparison result, and the information related to the generation of a state information generation unit for generating state information from the information related to the state of the field are changeable regardless of the operation of the determiner, and the state information includes a label related to the nature of the state and a profile indicating the state of the nature identified by the label. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present disclosure, a processing device, a processing method, and a processing program with improved convenience, reliability, safety, and the like are provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional block diagram illustrating functions of a processing device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional block for explaining the function of a determiner included in the processing device. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of operation specification information handled in the processing device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the processing device. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a processing method by the processing device. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a processing method by the processing device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a modified example of the configuration of the processing device. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a modified example of the configuration of the processing device. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a modified example of the configuration of the processing device. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a self-referential operation. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a self-referential operation. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a self-referential operation. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a combination of a processing device and an authentication and authorization mechanism. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation performed by a plurality of processing devices. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation performed by a plurality of processing devices. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system that performs transaction processing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0014] In this embodiment, a general outline of the processing apparatus and processing method will be provided, followed by a detailed description of the processing apparatus and processing method while explaining the specific steps for actually applying the processing apparatus to the desired processing.

[0015] <Overview of the processing equipment> [Outline of processing equipment] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the functions of a processing device according to one embodiment. The processing device 1 described in this embodiment includes a state transition method acquisition unit 10, a state designation acquisition unit 20, and a determiner 30. FIG. 1 also illustrates, for example, a receptor 40 and an actor 50 as functional units that cooperate with the determiner 30. The receptor 40 can be used, for example, as a state information generation unit. The receptor 40 and the actor 50 can add, change, or delete functions, for example, by being designated by the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and / or the state designation acquisition unit 20.

[0016] The processing device 1 described in this embodiment may be a device that transitions the state of a field. The processing device 1 may also be a device that changes the state of a field. In this embodiment, a field may refer to all actual states in the real world, or all detectable objects. A detectable object may refer, for example, to an area (e.g., location, space, time, etc.) whose state can be detected by a receptor (described later). For example, the state of a field can be detected by a receptor. For example, a field may refer to an area that an actor 50 can affect. Note that the area that an actor 50 can affect may also be the actor 50 itself. For example, from the perspective of a certain processing device 1, a field may refer to an area other than the determiner 30 belonging to that processing device 1. For example, from the perspective of a certain processing device 1, processing devices 1 other than that processing device 1 may be fields. The processing device 1 may be a device that compares the state detected by the receptor 40 with the state specified in the state transition method information D1 handled by the state transition method acquisition unit 10, and causes the actor to execute an operation related to a state transition based on the result.

[0017] Furthermore, the processing device 1 can be a device that performs processing in multiple steps. Performing processing in multiple steps can mean, for example, executing processing related to judgment or comparison by the judgment unit 30 in at least one of the multiple steps. With such a configuration, the processing device 1 can be realized as, for example, a control device that controls a device or system to be controlled. The operation of the processing device 1 described below can be executed in at least one of the multiple steps.

[0018] The state transition method acquisition unit 10 may retain state transition method information D1 and have a function for handling this information. The state transition method information D1 retained in the state transition method acquisition unit 10 may be a set of rules related to the operation of the processing device 1. In the processing device 1, the state of a field may be described by "state information" including at least a combination of a label (rL) and a profile (P). The label (rL) may correspond to the name of a "property" used to describe the state in the state information. For example, labels include "temperature" and "humidity." The profile (P) may be information indicating the state of the "property" identified by the label. If the label (rL) is "humidity," the actual humidity value (e.g., "50%), which is a combination of unit information and numerical information, may correspond to the profile (P). Alternatively, if the label (rL) is "humidity (%)" including unit information, the actual humidity value excluding the unit information (e.g., "50") may correspond to the profile (P). In the following embodiments, a combination of a label (rL) and a profile (P) may be described as (rL, P). For example, a state in which the label is humidity and the profile is 50% may be described as (rL: humidity, P: 50%) or (rL: humidity (%), P: 50).

[0019] The state transition method information D1 held in the state transition method acquisition unit 10 may specify the content of state comparison by the processing device 1 and the action related to the state transition depending on the comparison result, such as making the actor perform an action to transition the state of the field when the state of the field is a predetermined state (for example, when the label and profile included in the state information meet a predetermined condition). For example, the above-mentioned statement "when the label and profile meet a predetermined condition, make the actor perform a predetermined action to transition or change the state of the field" may correspond to a rule related to the action of the processing device 1. The state transition method information D1 may be configured to include two sections, the details of which will be described later.

[0020] The state designation acquisition unit 20 can hold state designation information D2 and have the function of making settings related to the operation of the processing device 1. As described above, the processing device 1 can describe the state of a field by combining a label (rL) and a profile (P). The state designation acquisition unit 20 can hold state designation information D2. The state designation information D2 can be in a form that designates the label (rL) to be observed by the processing device 1 and also designates the conditions for operating the receptor, but is not limited to this.

[0021] The state designation information D2 handled by the state designation acquisition unit 20 can designate a label (rL) to be used and can designate a predetermined state of a state transition in association with the label. The predetermined state may be, for example, a final state to be transitioned to, a state preceding the final state, multiple pre-states leading to the predetermined state, or a combination of the final state and the pre-state. Alternatively, the final state may be information that serves as a criterion for determining whether an actor will perform an action. Alternatively, the predetermined state may be information that serves as a criterion for determining whether an actor will not perform an action when the predetermined state is the final state. However, the method of designating a state using the state designation information D2 is not limited to this method. For example, one example of a condition designated in the state designation information D2 may be that "a profile (P) corresponding to a certain label (rL) is within a predetermined range." The state designation information D2 may be configured to include three sections, the details of which will be described later.

[0022] The determiner 30 may be a device that makes a decision to execute an actor's action depending on the state of the field. The determiner 30 can acquire a label (rL) and a profile (P) that indicate the state of the field specified by the state transition method information D1 held in the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation information D2 held in the state designation acquisition unit 20. The determiner 30 may have a function to acquire the state (rL, P) of the field from a receptor provided for acquiring the state (rL, P). The determiner 30 may also have a function to compare the acquired state (rL, P) of the field with the conditions specified by the state transition method information D1 in the state transition method acquisition unit 10, and to activate or operate the actor.

[0023] The above-described state transition method acquisition unit 10 and state designation acquisition unit 20 may have a function of retaining information related to condition settings for making a determination in the determinator 30. Furthermore, when either or both of the state transition method information D1 retained in the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation information D2 retained in the state designation acquisition unit 20 are changed, the operation of the determinator 30 may be changed. When the state transition method information D1 or the state designation information D2 is changed, the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation acquisition unit 20 may have a function of detecting these changes and promptly changing the processing in the determinator 30.

[0024] Next, the receptor 40 and the actor 50 associated with the decision unit 30 will be described.

[0025] The receptor 40 may have a function to acquire the field state (rL,P) to provide to the determiner 30. For example, a label (rL) may be used as an identification name of the receptor 40. For example, a profile (P) may be used as information received by the receptor 40. The receptor 40 can cooperate with an object X, such as an external sensor, to acquire the field state (rL,P), and can provide information acquired from the object X, etc., to the determiner 30 as the field state (rL,P). The receptor 40 may be configured to acquire information from the object X at any time, or may be configured to detect changes in the object X. When a change occurs in the object X, the receptor 40 may be required to have a function to appropriately grasp the change.

[0026] The receptors 40 can be added, deleted, or their functions can be modified depending on the "field state (rL,P)" handled by the determiner 30. Figure 1 illustrates two receptors 40 (a solid-line receptor 40 and a dashed-line receptor 40). In this way, the determiner 30 can acquire the field state (rL,P) from multiple receptors 40. The receptors 40 are controlled (generated, modified, or deleted) by, for example, the receptors platform 33 (described later) of the determiner 30, based on the state transition method information D1 stored in the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation information D2 stored in the state designation acquisition unit 20. When the receptor 40 acquires information related to changes in the object X (e.g., sensor measurements if the object X is a sensor), it can provide the acquired information to the determiner 30 as the "field state (rL,P)" with an appropriate label (rL) corresponding to the acquired information. As described above, the receptor 40 can convert the information acquired from the object X into status information (rL,P) and provide it to the determiner 30. The receptor 40 may also function as a status information generator that generates status information based on the state of the field. It goes without saying that only one receptor 40 can be used.

[0027] The combination (rL,P) of information (state information) indicating the state of the field may be a combination of a label (rL) and a profile (P) as a state (rL,P) when information acquired from the target X or the like reaches the receptor 40, and this combination may serve as state information indicating the state of the field. For example, the information before reaching the receptor 40 may be a combination (rL,P), and the receptor 40 may generate information combining the label (rL) and the profile (P) as state information. Note that there are no restrictions on the content of the profile (P), and for example, the profile (P) may be in a state (rL',P') that includes label-like information and profile-like information. In this case, the receptor 40 also generates state information (rL,P) = (rL, (rL',P')) to which an appropriate label (rL) is assigned based on the descriptions in the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2. In this way, for example, information similar to a label (rL) may be assigned in a stage (such as the object X) prior to the receptor 40, but the receptor 40 can acquire information from the object X, etc. as at least a profile (P), associate it with a label (rL) based on the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2, and then provide it to the determiner 30 as state information.

[0028] The receptor 40 can be defined by the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2, and the types (e.g., functions) of the receptor 40 can be, for example, as follows: The type of receptor to be used can be determined depending on the type of object X. Note that the types of receptors are not limited to the examples below, and can be expanded depending on the type of object X. File receptor: A function that detects changes to values ​​contained in a specific file (including changes to content and timestamps). Note that the file may also be one that directly manipulates memory, such as RAMFS. FIFO receptor: A function that detects the insertion of a value into a device (such as a memory) that has FIFO (First In First Out) characteristics. Network receptor: A function that monitors a specific port and detects the reception of packets. Device receptor: A function that detects changes in the characteristics of a specific device (sensor, etc.) DB receptor: A function that detects changes in specific records in a specific database

[0029] The number of receptors 40 may be increased or decreased depending on the number of objects X. For example, when detecting changes in multiple objects X of the same type, a receptor 40 may be provided for each of the multiple objects X. When there are multiple objects X, how the receptors 40 are provided can be changed depending on the specifications of the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation acquisition unit 20.

[0030] As described above, the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation acquisition unit 20 may also have the function of detecting changes in the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 present in the field. Therefore, the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation acquisition unit 20 may also have the function of detecting the state of the field. In this respect, the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation acquisition unit 20 may have the same type of function as the receptor 40. In this case, the state information (rL, P) provided by the state transition method acquisition unit 10 to the determiner 30 can also be referred to as (D1, "content after change"). Furthermore, the state information (rL, P) provided by the state designation acquisition unit 20 to the determiner 30 can be (D2, "content after change").

[0031] The actor 50 can be a combination of an operating entity (e.g., a program, circuit, device, etc.) associated with the Actors Platform 34, or an operating entity (e.g., a program, circuit, device, etc.) existing in the field and its operating method. The operating entity may include the processing device 1 itself. The actor 50's control content can be changed (started, changed, terminated, etc.) by the determiner 30 (here, the Actors Platform 34, described below) based on the state transition method information D1 stored in the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation information D2 stored in the state designation acquisition unit 20. When the determiner 30 determines to activate the actor 50 based on the field state (rL, P), the processing device 1 may operate the operating entity based on the information described in the state transition method information D1 in the operating method specified by the state transition method information D1. Activating or operating the actor 50 can change (transition) the state of the field.

[0032] Actors 50 are defined by state transition method information D1 (for example, the second section D92 described below), but supplementary information may also be defined in state specification information D2 (for example, the fifth section D95 described below). Examples of types (e.g., functions) of actors 50 include the following: Note that actor types are not limited to the examples below and may be changed as appropriate depending on the desired state transition. At least some of the actor's functions may be incorporated as fixed elements in the Actors Platform 34. However, the target of an actor may be a field. For example, in the following example, a "specific file," a "device with FIFO characteristics," a "specific node / port," a "specific database," an "entity that executes commands," etc. may be considered to be in a field. File actor: A function that changes values ​​contained in a specific file (e.g., content, timestamp, etc.). Note that the file may also be one that directly manipulates memory, such as RAMFS. FIFO actor: A function that inserts values ​​into a device (such as a memory) that has FIFO (First In First Out) characteristics. Network actor: The ability to send packets to a specific node port Device actor: A function to send features to a specific device (e.g., actuator, etc.) DB Actor: Ability to modify specific records in a specific database Exec Actor: A function that executes specified commands Shell actor: A function to execute specified commands in a shell Specific action actor: A function that executes a specific action, such as terminating the decision unit 30

[0033] Furthermore, a configuration may be possible in which multiple actors 50 can cooperate with one processing device 1. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which multiple actors 50 operate in response to the result of the determination by the determiner 30. Although multiple actors 50 are illustrated in FIG. 1, this number can be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the operations of multiple actors 50 may be linked to one determination result. Depending on the content specified by the state transition method information D1 (and, in some cases, also the state designation information D2), the number, operation order, etc. of actors 50 operating as a result of the determination by the determiner 30 can be changed as appropriate.

[0034] The processing device 1 may have the function of executing desired processing by the functioning of each of the above-mentioned units. As described above, the receptor 40 may be created, deleted, or modified based on the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2. Also, for the actor 50, the behavior corresponding to the determination result by the determiner 30 may be determined based on the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2. Therefore, the receptor 40 and the actor 50 may be modified depending on the processing content in the processing device 1.

[0035] Furthermore, when the receptor 40 and the actor 50 perform an operation in cooperation with the determiner 30, they can be configured to operate in parallel with the operation of the determiner 30. For example, the receptor 40 can be configured to provide state information to the determiner 30 independently of the determination operation by the determiner 30. Furthermore, the actor 50 can also be configured to perform an operation based on the determination result of the determiner 30 independently of the determination operation by the determiner 30.

[0036] Each functional unit that executes a desired process in the processing device 1, such as a program, circuit, or device for realizing that function, can be classified as either a fixed element or a variable element. Among the units of the processing device 1, the determiner 30 may be a fixed element. As mentioned above, most of the processing device 1 can be treated as variable elements, but the determiner 30 may also be a fixed element. This point will be discussed in more detail later. In FIG. 1, an area R that may be a fixed element is shown by a dashed line. All areas outside area R are variable elements.

[0037] [About the judgement function] Next, the determiner 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the determiner 30 may be configured to include a core 31, a parser 32, a receptors platform 33 that can be used, for example, as a state information acquisition unit, and an actors platform 34 that can be used, for example, as a state transition instruction unit. Note that, for example, if the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 include processing equivalent to the processing performed by the parser 32 and are arranged inside the processing device 1 (for example, the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation acquisition unit 20), the parser 32 does not need to be present inside the determiner 30 or the processing device 1.

[0038] The core 31 can be a functional unit that compares and judges the combination of the state (rL, P) and actor 50 specified in the state transition method information D1 or the state transition method information D1 and the state specification information D2 with the state (rL, P) of the field received from the receptor 40, or determines, for example, so-called table entries or hashes.

[0039] The parser 32 may be a functional unit that performs preprocessing and the like for handling the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 in the core 31. Examples of preprocessing include macro-expanding the information described in the state transition method information D1 or the state designation information D2 for use in the determiner 30 (e.g., expanding the description included in the state designation information D2 into the state transition method information D1). Examples of preprocessing include checking whether the information described in the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 (e.g., the description content related to the receptor 40 or the actor 50) is complete. Examples of preprocessing include decrypting the state transition method information D1 and / or the state designation information D2 if they are encrypted by an authorization authentication mechanism or the like. However, the preprocessing is not limited to these processes and may be changed as appropriate depending on the operating environment of the determiner 30, the description format of the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2, and the like.

[0040] The receptors platform 33 can be a functional unit that acquires the field state (rL, P) specified by the state transition method information D1 or the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 from the receptor 40. Information indicating the field state (rL, P) sent from the receptor 40 to the receptors platform 33 can correspond to the state information D3. The state information D3 sent to the receptors platform 33 can be passed to the core 31. Note that if multiple receptors 40 are provided, the receptors platform 33 can be configured to pass the state information D3 sent from the multiple receptors 40 to the core 31, respectively. Note that the receptors platform 33 may hold the state information D3 in a queue or the like before passing it to the core 31.

[0041] The receptors platform 33 can control the receptor 40 based on the state transition method information D1, or based on the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2. Specifically, the receptors platform 33 can create, modify, or delete the receptor 40 based on the descriptions in the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2.

[0042] The Actors Platform 34 can be a functional unit that controls the actor 50 based on the state transition method information D1 or the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2. Control of the actor 50 by the Actors Platform 34 can be, for example, causing the actor 50 to operate by specifying an action for the actor 50, which is the operating entity. For example, the Actors Platform 34 can have a function of starting or operating the actor 50 based on the state transition instruction D4 for the actor 50. The Actors Platform 34 can start, end, or change control of the actor 50 based on the description of the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2, for example.

[0043] The processing device 1 may be configured with one or more computers. For example, the processing device 1 includes a circuit 120 shown in FIG. 3. The circuit 120 includes one or more processors 121, a memory 122, a storage 123, a timer 124, and an input / output port 125. The storage 123 includes a computer-readable storage medium, such as a hard disk. The storage medium stores a program for causing the processing device 1 to execute the processing procedures described below. The storage medium may be a removable medium, such as a non-volatile semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk. The memory 122 temporarily stores the program loaded from the storage medium of the storage 123 and the results of calculations performed by the processor 121. The processor 121 executes the program in cooperation with the memory 122 to configure the above-mentioned functional units. The timer 124 measures elapsed time by, for example, counting reference pulses at a fixed interval. The input / output port 125 inputs and outputs signals to and from a controlled object in accordance with instructions from the processor 121.

[0044] When the processing device 1 is configured with multiple computers, the state transition method acquisition unit 10, the state specification acquisition unit 20, and the determiner 30 may each be implemented by a separate computer. Alternatively, each of these functional units may be implemented by a combination of two or more computers. In these cases, the multiple computers may be communicatively connected to each other and cooperate to execute the processing procedures described below. The hardware configuration of the processing device 1 is not necessarily limited to one in which each functional unit is configured by a program. For example, each functional module of the processing device 1 may be configured by a dedicated logic circuit or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) that integrates such dedicated logic circuits. The processing device 1 may also be configured as a system such as a cloud computing system, in which functional units for operation and display and functional units for processing are substantially separated from each other.

[0045] The core 31 of the determinator 30 may be configured to perform pattern matching of bit strings or the like in hardware, or may be realized by executing an algorithm described for pattern matching. As an example, when hardware or an algorithm capable of operating as the determinator 30 exists in a single computer, and a program or the like that defines the functions of the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation acquisition unit 20 that work in conjunction with the determinator 30 is running, the functions of the processing device 1 can be realized. Furthermore, when the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 are defined, the processing device 1 may be in a state where it is possible for the determinator 30 to perform a determination operation.

[0046] [Operation specification information that specifies the operation of the decision unit] As described above, in the processing device 1 described in this embodiment, the operation of the determiner 30 of the processing device 1 can be specified by the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2. For example, the state transition method information D1 includes information that can be classified into two sections, and the state designation information D2 includes information that can be classified into three sections. The information included in the state transition method information D1 and the information included in the state designation information D2 can be collectively referred to as "operation designation information." Note that, among the operation designation information D0, the state transition method information D1 is information that can be handled primarily by developers of systems to which the processing device 1 is applied, and the state designation information D2 is information that can be handled primarily by administrators or users of systems to which the processing device 1 is applied. However, the present invention is not limited to this classification.

[0047] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the operation specification information D0, the state transition method information D1, the state specification information D2, and five sections (first to fifth sections). As shown in FIG. 4, the state transition method information D1 may include a first section D91 and a second section D92. Furthermore, the state specification information D2 may include a third section D93, a fourth section D94, and a fifth section D95. The sections are provided to classify the information included in the operation specification information D0 according to its type, and it goes without saying that distinguishing the information as a section is not essential. Furthermore, the sections described in this embodiment specify the content of the information to be written, and the method of writing the information is not limited. Furthermore, the information included in the first section D91 to the fifth section D95 may be prepared by a person, such as a user of the processing device 1, or may be automatically generated by a system that operates the processing device 1.

[0048] The first section D91 describes the association between the state information (rL,P), which is the state of the field, and the actor 50. In the first section D91, the type of field state that the decision unit 30 may handle can be specified by the label (rL). The first section D91 can also specify the actor associated with the state information (rL,P) (the receptor and profile (P) that acquires the corresponding field state). The first section D91 may optionally include information specifying the behavior when a predetermined condition is met. For example, an option may be "Option 1," which specifies that if the receptor 40 acquires the exact same field state (rL,P) twice or more consecutively, the actor 50 will not be activated or operated, regardless of the decision result by the decision unit 30. Other options include "Option 2," which specifies that the label (rL) specified in the first section is to be observed regardless of information in the third section (described later), and "Option 3," which specifies that a value with a range is to be treated as the profile (P). Options may be added or modified as appropriate.

[0049] The second section D92 describes the actor 50 and its operation method. The first section D91 describes the association between the state information (rL, P) and the actor 50, but the second section D92 can describe the specific operation of the actor 50 described in the first section D91. Note that the information to be described in the second section D92 may be directly described in the first section D91. For example, the first section D91 and the second section D92 may be combined to directly specify the operation method of the actor 50.

[0050] The third section D93 can be a description of the designation of a label (rL) to be observed by the processing device 1 (the target for determination by the determiner 30). When a description specifying a label (rL) is made in the third section D93, a receptor 40 corresponding to this label (rL) can be generated. Also, it may be possible to designate a predetermined state by designating a profile (P) for the label (rL).

[0051] The fourth section D94 can be a description of the specification of information necessary to generate a receptor 40 corresponding to the label (rL). As mentioned above, there may be multiple types of receptors 40 (e.g., functions), and the information necessary to generate a receptor 40 may be specified according to the type (e.g., function). For example, in the case of a file receptor, the location (e.g., path) where the file receptor exists may be specified, and in the case of a network receptor, the port number for receiving packets may be specified.

[0052] The fifth section D95 can be information other than the information specified in the first section D91 to the fourth section D94, and can describe information necessary for the operation of the decision unit 30, the actor 50, etc. For example, the location or file name of a log file, information to be macro-expanded in the operation specification information D0, etc. may be specified. For example, information to link with field devices, circuits, programs, etc., such as an authentication and authorization mechanism to ensure security, etc. may be specified.

[0053] Among the above-described first section D91 to fifth section D95, if there is information corresponding to at least first section D91, second section D92, and fourth section D94, for example, it is possible to make the receptor 40 and actor 50 variable elements while leaving the determiner 30 as a fixed element, and to add, delete, or change the functions of the processing device 1 without substantially stopping the operation of the processing device 1. Note that information corresponding to third section D93 is normally a necessary component for the operation of the processing device 1, but if "Option 2" is specified in first section D91, which specifies that the label (rL) specified in first section D91 is to be the observation target regardless of the information in the third section, etc., as described above, the information corresponding to third section D93 can be omitted. Furthermore, because fifth section D95 is supplementary information not included in the other four sections, there are many cases where the processing device 1 operates without the information corresponding to fifth section D95.

[0054] The information contained in the above five sections can realize various functions even if only some of them are present. For example, if there is information corresponding to at least the first section D91, it can function as a selector that selects the action specification of an actor corresponding to the field state information (rL, P). If there is information corresponding to at least the second section D92, it can function as an actor library that compiles actors and their action specifications. If there is information corresponding to at least the third section D93, it can function as a switch that specifies the receptor 40 to be actually operated. If there is information corresponding to at least the fourth section D94, it can function as a type of management unit that actually functions the receptor 40 as a variable element. If there is information corresponding to at least the fifth section D95, it can function as a type of management unit that functions the actions of the determiner 30, receptor 40, and actor 50 as variable elements.

[0055] Furthermore, if there is information corresponding to at least the first section D91 and the second section D92, it is possible to cause the processing device 1 to function as a fixed element, for example, with the receptor 40 as a fixed element. For example, if there is no need to change the function of the processing device 1 without substantially stopping its operation, it is possible to operate the processing device with information corresponding to at least the first section D91 and the second section D92. Similarly, if there is information corresponding to at least the first section D91 and the third section D93, it is possible to specify the label (rL) or receptor 40 that actually acquires the state information and cause it to function, for example, with a selector that selects the action specification of an actor corresponding to the field state information (rL, P). Furthermore, if there is information corresponding to at least the first section D91 and the fourth section D94, it is possible to cause the label (rL) or receptor 40 to function as a variable element, for example, with a selector that selects the action specification of an actor corresponding to the field state information (rL, P). Furthermore, if there is information corresponding to at least the first section D91 and the fifth section D95, it is possible to specify the operating conditions of a selector that selects the operation specification of an actor corresponding to the field state information (rL, P), for example, as a variable element.

[0056] Furthermore, if there is information corresponding to at least the first section D91, the second section D92, and the third section D93, it is possible to specify the label (rL) or receptor 40 that actually acquires status information and cause it to function, for example, in a processing device in which the receptor 40 is an immobilized element. Furthermore, if there is information corresponding to at least the first section D91, the second section D92, and the fifth section D95, it is possible to specify the operating conditions of the processing device as variable elements and cause it to function, for example, in a processing device in which the receptor 40 is an immobilized element. Furthermore, if there is information corresponding to the first section D91, the second section D92, the third section D93, and the fourth section D94, it is possible to realize a processing device 1 that can specify the receptor 40 to be used for processing, for example. Furthermore, if there is information corresponding to the first section D91, the second section D92, the third section D93, and the fifth section D95, it is possible to realize a processing device 1 in which the receptor 40 is immobilized, for example.

[0057] Furthermore, in the processing device 1, the information contained in the above five sections is divided into two pieces of information, namely, state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2, and handled as a single piece, for example, operation designation information D0. Alternatively, each of the five sections may be handled as individual pieces of information. The five sections may be further divided and handled separately. As long as there is at least information corresponding to the first section D91, the second section D92, and the fourth section D94, the processing device 1's functions can be added, deleted, or changed without depending on the operation of the decision device 30, for example, while the decision device 30 is running. For example, this configuration can be used in devices including computer virus protection programs that run on the cloud, security systems used by security companies, disaster prevention systems, medical systems, FX (foreign exchange margin trading) systems, automotive CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared / Service, Electric) systems, carrier systems used by mobile phone companies, and programs, devices, and systems that require continuous operation, such as information infrastructure including IoT. The information contained in the first section D91 and the second section D92 may correspond to information specifying the content of the comparison in the determiner 30 and the operation related to the state transition according to the comparison result. The information contained in the fourth section D94 may correspond to a state information generator for generating state information from information related to the state of the field, such as information related to the generation of the receptor 40.

[0058] Furthermore, the information contained in the above-mentioned first section D91 to fifth section D95 may affect the generation, modification, or deletion of the receptor 40 by the receptors platform 33 of the determiner 30, as described above. For example, the generation of the receptor 40 may be performed by the receptors platform 33 when the necessary information is described in the first section D91 and fourth section D94 (and, in some cases, the third section D93 and fifth section D95). The modification of the receptor 40 may be performed by the receptors platform 33 when the description in the first section D91 and fourth section D94 (and, in some cases, the third section D93 and fifth section D95) is changed. The deletion of the receptor 40 may be performed by the receptors platform 33 when the description in the first section D91 and fourth section D94 (and, in some cases, the third section D93 and fifth section D95) is deleted or changed to an incomplete state.

[0059] Similarly, the information contained in the first section D91 to the fifth section D95 may affect the start, change, or termination of control over the actor 50 by the Actors Platform 34 of the determiner 30, as described above. For example, the start of control over the actor 50 (start of control over a specific actor 50) may be performed by the Actors Platform 34 if the necessary information is described in the second section D92 (and, in some cases, the fifth section D95). Furthermore, the change of control over the actor 50 (change of control over a specific actor 50) may be performed by the Actors Platform 34 if the description in the second section D92 (and, in some cases, the fifth section D95) is changed. Furthermore, the end of control over the actor 50 (end of control over a specific actor 50) may be performed by the Actors Platform 34 (for example, changed to end control or to prevent the actor 50 from starting) if the description in the second section D92 (and, in some cases, the fifth section D95) is deleted or changed to an incomplete state. In addition, if the actual movement of the actor 50 itself exists in the field, it does not need to be changed based on the first section D91 to the fifth section D95. The first section D91 to the fifth section D95 can affect the control of the movement method of the actor 50.

[0060] [Processing method] Next, the processing method (procedure) by the processing device will be described with reference to FIG.

[0061] First, in the processing device 1, the state transition method information D1 can be prepared in the state transition method acquisition unit 10, and the state designation information D2 can be prepared in the state designation acquisition unit 20 (S01). These pieces of information can be prepared, for example, by a developer or a user of the processing device 1. When performing one process, at least one set of state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2 can be prepared. The state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 may be provided with information for identifying the relationship (for example, a flag identifying the target process, etc.).

[0062] The state transition method information D1 may be stored in the state transition method acquisition unit 10. Furthermore, the state designation information D2 may be stored in the state designation acquisition unit 20. As a result, a receptor 40 capable of linking with the determiner 30 may be generated, and an actor 50 corresponding to the processing may be set (S02). As described above, the receptor 40 and the actor 50 may be defined by the state transition method information D1, or by the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2. Therefore, by preparing the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 as described above (S01), the necessary receptor 40 may be generated and prepared based on this information, and the action designation of the actor 50 may be prepared. The generated receptor 40 may be linked to an object X (sensor, etc.) for acquiring the field state (rL, P) as needed. Furthermore, the actor 50 may be linked to a device, etc. for executing a predetermined process.

[0063] The above procedure prepares the conditions for performing a predetermined process by the processing device 1. When the processing device 1 is prepared to perform the process by the above procedure, the process using the determiner 30 can be started.

[0064] Specifically, the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 are sent to the decision device 30, and the parser 32 of the decision device 30 can perform preprocessing on the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2. Then, the receptors platform 33 can acquire the field state (rL, P) from the receptor 40 (S03). The core 31 of the decision device 30 can make a decision based on the field state (rL, P) and the state transition method information D1 or the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 (S04). Based on the decision result (e.g., the result of the comparison), the actors platform 34 can activate or operate the actor 50 as needed (S05). This allows the actor 50 to perform an action based on the decision result.

[0065] Note that the series of operations from obtaining the field state (rL,P) from the receptor 40 (S03) to operating the actor 50 based on the determination result (S05) may be performed each time the field state (rL,P) is obtained. For example, when the field state (rL,P) changes, the receptor 40 may repeatedly detect the change and notify the determiner 30 of the state (rL,P). Event-driven processing can be performed by performing the above operations. Needless to say, more complex algorithms can be executed by combining the above operations.

[0066] Next, a change method (procedure) for changing the processing in the processing device 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0067] An example of changing the processing content in the processing device 1 is changing (including adding or deleting) part of the processing that has been performed previously. As described above, the processing performed by the processing device 1 can be defined by the state transition method information D1 held in the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation information D2 held in the state designation acquisition unit 20. Therefore, by changing these pieces of information, the processing content can be changed.

[0068] Therefore, when changing the processing content, as shown in FIG. 6 , in the processing device 1, the state transition method information D1 in the state transition method acquisition unit 10 can be changed, and / or the state designation information D2 in the state designation acquisition unit 20 can be changed (S11). These pieces of information can be changed, for example, by a user of the processing device 1. The information to be changed may be either the state transition method information D1 or the state designation information D2, or both. The changed state transition method information D1 may be stored in the state transition method acquisition unit 10. The changed state designation information D2 may be stored in the state designation acquisition unit 20. As a result, a receptor 40 that can cooperate with the determiner 30 may be generated based on the changed state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2, and an actor 50 corresponding to the processing may be set (S12).

[0069] As described above, receptors 40 and actors 50 can be defined by state transition method information D1, or by state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2. Therefore, when state transition method information D1 and / or state designation information D2 are changed (S11) as described above, the necessary receptors 40 and actors 50 can be changed based on the change in this information. The generated receptors 40 can be linked to an object X (sensor, etc.) for acquiring the field state (rL, P) as needed. Furthermore, actors 50 can be linked to a device or the like for executing a predetermined process.

[0070] The above procedure can prepare the conditions for performing the changed processing by the processing device 1. When the processing device 1 is prepared for executing the processing by the above procedure, the processing can be started using the determiner 30 based on the changed state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2.

[0071] [Starting, stopping and shutting down of processing device 1] As described above, the processing device 1 can start processing by the determiner 30 when the state transition method information D1 held in the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation information D2 held in the state designation acquisition unit 20 are prepared. The state in which the processing device 1 can start processing using the determiner 30 is called "startup" of the processing device 1. Furthermore, the state in which the processing device 1 can perform processing using the determiner 30 to a state in which the processing cannot be performed is called "stop" or "termination" of the processing device 1.

[0072] The "stopped" state of the processing device 1 refers to a state in which any functional unit of the processing device 1 is operating, but the processing device 1 itself is unable to function. For example, if the state transition method information D1 or the like is incomplete, the processing device 1 can be said to be in a stopped state because the determiner 30 does not function even if it is operating. Note that this stopped state of the processing device 1 may be used for the purpose of improving the performance, such as security, power saving, and processing speed, of a system constructed using the processing device 1 or the like.

[0073] The "termination" of the processing device 1 refers to a state in which all of the functional units of the processing device 1 are not operating. For example, if the state transition method information D1 or the state designation information D2 specifies that an actor 50 that terminates the operation of the processing device 1 is activated or operated as a result of the determination process by the determiner 30, the operation of the processing device 1 can be terminated based on the result of the determination by the determiner 30. The processing device 1 may also be terminated by stopping the operation of the processing device 1 itself. For example, in the case of a processing device 1 in which the determiner 30 operates by software, the processing device 1 can be terminated by sending a signal to the processing device 1 via an OS or the like to terminate the operation of the determiner 30. The operation of the processing device 1 may also be physically terminated by turning off the power to the processing device 1 or the computer on which the processing device 1 operates.

[0074] [Modification of device configuration] In the above embodiment, the operation is described assuming that the determinator 30 of one processing device 1 performs one type of determination, but the determinator 30 of one processing device 1 may be configured to perform multiple types of determinations (e.g., comparisons). Also, two processing devices 1 may be provided and linked together. For example, the operation of one processing device 1 may be changed based on the operation of the actor in the other processing device 1.

[0075] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration in which two types of determinations are made in the determiner 30 of one processing device 1. In the example shown in FIG. 7, for example, the state transition method acquisition unit 10 of the processing device 1 holds two types of state transition method information D11 and D12. Furthermore, for example, the state designation acquisition unit 20 holds two types of state designation information D21 and D22. Among these, it is assumed that the state transition method information D11 and the state designation information D21 are paired and define the receptor 41 and the actor 51. Furthermore, it is assumed that the state transition method information D12 and the state designation information D22 are paired separately from the state transition method information D11 and the state designation information D21 and define the receptor 42 and the actor 52. In such a processing device 1, two types of determinations are made. For example, the determiner 30 of the processing device 1 can make a determination defined by the state transition method information D11 and the state designation information D21, as well as a determination defined by the state transition method information D12 and the state designation information D22. The determination content in the determiner 30 is defined by the state transition method information and the state designation information, so the determiner 30 can simply repeat determination based on these definitions. In this way, the processing device 1 may be configured to perform multiple types of determination.

[0076] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which one processing device 1 is provided with one determiner 30, but it is also possible to provide multiple functional units that perform judgments depending on the type of judgment made in the processing device 1 and operate them independently.

[0077] 8 is different from the processing device 1 shown in FIG. 7 in that the determinator 30 of the processing device 1X is configured by a determinator management function 38 and a determination processing function 39. The determinator management function 38 can have, among the functions of the determinator 30, a function of coordinating with the state transition method acquisition unit 10 and the state designation acquisition unit 20. For example, the determinator management function 38 can also include, among the functions of the determinator 30 shown in FIG. 2, a function as a parser 32 that performs preprocessing related to the state transition method information D11, D12 and the state designation information D21, D22, and a function as a receptors platform 33 that controls receptors 41, 42 based on this information.

[0078] On the other hand, the determination processing function 39 may have functions such as making a determination and activating actors 51 and 52 based on the determination result. For example, the determination processing function 39 may include the function of a core 31 that makes a determination based on state information and the function of an actors platform 34 that controls actors. As shown in FIG. 8, one determination processing function 39 may be provided corresponding to one receptor. Therefore, the determination processing function 39 may be associated with state transition method information D11 and D12 corresponding to each receptor (or, for example, state transition method information D11' and D12' that includes information included in the corresponding state designation information D21 and D22 in addition to the state transition method information D11 and D12). In the example shown in FIG. 8, two determination processing functions 39a and 39b are shown as the determination processing function 39. The state shown is one in which the judgment processing function 39a is associated with the receptor 41 defined in the state transition method information D11', and the judgment processing function 39b is associated with the receptor 42 defined in the state transition method information D12'. Also, the state transition method information D11' defines the activation and operation of the actor 51 based on the judgment result, and the state transition method information D12' defines the activation and operation of the actor 52 based on the judgment result.

[0079] The determiner management function 38 of the processing device 1X can generate, modify, or delete the determination processing function 39 and the receptor based on a combination of state transition method information and state designation information stored in the device itself. For example, if the state transition method information D11 and state designation information D21 specify that the actor 51 is to be operated as a result of a determination based on state information acquired by the receptor 41, the determiner management function 38 generates the determination processing function 39a and the receptor 41 so that a determination can be made based on the state transition method information D11 and state designation information D21. For example, if either the state transition method information or the state designation information is not stored in the device itself, the determination processing function 39 and the receptor are not generated because sufficient information is not stored for generating the determination processing function 39 and the receptor. In this way, in the processing device 1X, the determination processing function 39 and the receptor are associated with each other and are generated, modified, deleted, etc. based on the determination device management function 38. Therefore, like the determination processing function 39, the receptor may also be a fixed element, for example, a monolithic configuration, or like the processing device 1, it may be a variable element.

[0080] The processing device 1X shown in FIG. 8 is an example of a configuration in which a determinator management function 38 that manages the determinators and a determination processing function 39 that actually performs the determination operation are separately arranged. Each determination processing function 39 performs a determination operation based on the state information acquired by a single receptor. Therefore, each determination processing function 39 performs a determination based on only the determination content associated with a single receptor, thereby simplifying the determination operation of the determination processing function 39. As a result, the processing device 1X can shorten the processing time from the acquisition of state information by the receptors (41, 42) to the state transition operation of the actor 50 based on the determination result. While FIG. 8 shows one variation in the implementation of the determinator 30, the implementation form of the determinator 30 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 8. A system functioning as the processing device 1 can achieve the same function as the determinator 30 by providing functions corresponding to the four functional units, i.e., the core 31, the parser 32, the receptors platform 33, and the actors platform 34. Therefore, the specific implementation method (e.g., configuration) can be modified as appropriate. It should be noted that the parser 32 does not need to be present inside the decision unit 30 or the processing device 1, for example, when the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 include preprocessing.

[0081] Next, a configuration example in which multiple processing devices are arranged in cooperation will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a configuration in which two processing devices 1A and 1B operate in cooperation. The example shown in FIG. 9 illustrates two processing devices 1A and 1B having the same configuration as the processing device 1 shown in FIGS. 1, 7, etc. The processing device 1A includes a state transition method acquisition unit 10A, a state designation acquisition unit 20A, a determiner 30A, a receptor 40A, and an actor 50A. The processing device 1A's operation is defined by state transition method information D11 and state designation information D21. The processing device 1B includes a state transition method acquisition unit 10B, a state designation acquisition unit 20B, a determiner 30B, a receptor 40B, and an actor 50B. The processing device 1B's operation is defined by state transition method information D12 and state designation information D22. In this case, it is assumed that the operation of actor 50A of processing device 1A, which may be started or operated as a result of the determination by determinator 30A, is a change or update of state transition method information D12 and / or state designation information D22 (FIG. 9 shows a case where state transition method information D12 and state designation information D22 are changed). In this case, the state transition method information D12 and / or state designation information D22 that define the operation of processing device 1B will be changed according to the result of the determination in processing device 1A, and the operation of processing device 1A and the operation of processing device 1B can be linked. The processing devices described in the above embodiment may be configured so that multiple devices can work together as described above.

[0082] 9, if the state transition method information (D11, D12) and state designation information (D21, D22) are consolidated into, for example, the state transition method acquisition unit 10A and the state designation acquisition unit 20A, and then the determiner 30B is terminated, it is possible to transition to the processing device in FIG. 7 while the processing device 1A is operating. Needless to say, if this operation is performed in reverse, it is possible to transition to the states of the processing device 1A and processing device 1B in FIG. 9 while the processing device 1 in FIG. 7 is operating. In this way, the processing device 1 can divide its operations and functions into multiple processing devices 1, etc., without stopping its operation, or conversely, it can consolidate the operations and functions of multiple processing devices 1, etc., into one or more processing devices 1.

[0083] Furthermore, when dividing the operations and functions of the processing device 1, by dividing the operations and functions into hierarchical levels from abstract to concrete, it is possible to create or change, for example, so-called libraries and middleware without stopping the entire system.

[0084] Furthermore, multiple processing devices 1 may be operated by sharing or duplicating any of the components included in the operation specification information D0 and their combinations. For example, in the processing device 1 shown in FIG. 1, the actor 50's operation is to prepare the shared or duplicated state transition method information D1 of the processing device 1 and the state specification information (here, D2') obtained by modifying the duplicated state specification information D2 of the processing device 1 as necessary. Furthermore, the processing device 1 specifies, as the actor 50's operation, that the state transition method information D1 and the state specification information D2' are operated as the state transition method information D1 and the state specification information D2 in the duplication destination processing device. In this case, the processing device 1 can operate the duplication destination processing device as a self-replica. By repeating this operation, the processing device 1 can self-replicate. Note that the processing device 1 can start up and operate a new processing device 1, etc., using not only its own operation specification information D0 but also any other operation specification information D0.

[0085] In addition, when there are two processing devices 1A and 1B as shown in FIG. 9, the cooperation between these processing devices 1A and 1B is not limited to the change or update of the state transition method information D12 and / or the state designation information D22 by the action of the actor 50A based on the judgment result described above. For example, the processing device 1B may be positioned as one of the actors 50A of the processing device 1A. For example, as the action of the actor 50A based on the judgment result, an action (e.g., sending information) on the receptor 40B in the processing device 1B can be specified. In this case, the action designation information related to the judgment in the processing device 1B (e.g., the state transition method information D12 and the state designation information D22 in this example) is not changed, but the information to be judged can be changed depending on the judgment result in the processing device 1A. In this case, feedforward control from the processing device 1A to 1B can be realized. For example, by specifying an action (e.g., sending information) on the receptor 40A in the processing device 1A as the action of the actor 50B based on the judgment result, the processing device 1A can be positioned as one of the actors 50B of the processing device 1B. Feedback control can be realized by creating a loop structure for the cooperation between the processing devices 1A and 1B. Note that this loop structure can be realized, for example, with one or more arbitrary processing devices 1, and for example, processing devices other than the processing device 1 may be members of the loop. In this way, the method of cooperation between the processing devices 1A and 1B is not particularly limited, and various information handled by the processing device 1B can be changed by the action of the actor 50A based on the judgment result.

[0086] [About self-referential behavior] The processing device 1 described in the above embodiment is capable of performing a self-referential operation. A self-referential operation is a change in the operation content (e.g., function) of the device itself based on the result of a determination made by the determiner 30 in the device itself. When the above-mentioned actor 50 is activated or operated, the state of the field can be changed or transitioned. There is no particular limitation on what the actor 50 changes as long as it exists in the field. Therefore, the device may be configured to change the state transition method information D1 or state designation information D2, which are variable elements existing in the field.

[0087] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating how the state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2 handled by the device itself are changed by a self-referential action. When the action specified by the actor 50 is an update (e.g., addition, change, deletion, etc.) of the state transition method information D1 and / or the state designation information D2, the state transition method information D1 and / or the state designation information D2 can be updated by starting or operating the actor 50 based on the determination result by the determiner 30 (FIG. 10 illustrates a case where the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 are updated). Updating the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 means that the processing content by the processing device 1 can be changed, and at least a part of the function of the processing device 1 can be changed. In this way, the processing device 1 can change its own function or operation by a self-referential action.

[0088] The above-described self-referential operation can also be applied to the configurations described in FIGS. 7 and 9. FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically illustrating a state in which a self-referential operation is performed in the configuration example shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a configuration in which two types of determinations are made in the determiner 30 of one processing device 1, as in FIG. 7. Here, the example shown in FIG. 11 illustrates a case in which the operation by the actor 52 defined by the state transition method information D12 and the state designation information D22 is updating the state transition method information D11 and / or the state designation information D21 (FIG. 11 illustrates a case in which the state transition method information D11 and the state designation information D21 are updated). In this case, the state transition method information D11 and / or the state designation information D21 can be updated by starting or operating the actor 52 based on the determination result by the determiner 30. Updating the state transition method information D11 and / or the state designation information D21 means that part of the processing content by the processing device 1 can be changed, and at least part of the functions of the processing device 1 can be modified.

[0089] FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically illustrating a state in which a self-referential operation is performed in the configuration example shown in FIG. 9. Similar to FIG. 9, FIG. 12 illustrates a configuration in which two processing devices 1A and 1B operate in cooperation with each other. Here, the example shown in FIG. 12 illustrates a case in which the operation of the actor 50B, which is defined by the state transition method information D12 and the state designation information D22 that define the operation of the processing device 1B, is updating the state transition method information D11 and / or the state designation information D21 (FIG. 12 illustrates a case in which the state transition method information D11 and the state designation information D21 are updated). In this case, the state transition method information D11 and / or the state designation information D21 can be updated by starting or operating the actor 50B based on the determination result of the determiner 30B. Updating the state transition method information D11 and the state designation information D21 means that a part of the processing content by the processing device 1A can be changed, and at least a part of the functions of the processing device 1A will be changed. When a part of the function of the processing device 1A is changed, a part of the function of the processing device 1B, whose state transition method information D12 and / or state designation information D22 may be updated by the action of the actor 50A, may also be changed. In this way, the processing devices 1A and 1B can also change their own functions by self-referential actions.

[0090] 10 to 12 is merely an example, and the procedure is not limited to this. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which only one of the state transition method information and the state designation information is updated by the self-referential operation. Furthermore, although not described in this embodiment, it goes without saying that the self-referential operation is possible even in a configuration in which the functions of the determiner 30 are distributed, such as the processing device 1X.

[0091] [Regarding the security (safety) of processing equipment] The processing device 1 described above is superior to conventional processing devices in terms of security (safety). Furthermore, by adding a configuration that enhances security to the processing device 1, a processing device with even higher security can be realized.

[0092] In the processing device 1 described above, the only fixed element is the determiner 30, as mentioned above. Therefore, it is possible to almost completely eliminate potential bugs that may exist in conventional processing devices. Furthermore, the processing device 1 can be operated with only the minimum information necessary for state transitions, preventing the inclusion of algorithms that cause side effects. Furthermore, the operation of the processing device 1 does not require the concept of a "user," and account management, etc. is not performed, preventing the risk of accounts or passwords, etc. being leaked.

[0093] Furthermore, as described above, information specifying the operation of the processing device 1 exists in the "field." Therefore, a configuration for monitoring the operation of the processing device 1 can be easily and dynamically configured. Furthermore, as described above, the functions of a system configured with the processing device 1 can be changed while the system is operating. This makes it possible to prevent downtime in the security system.

[0094] Next, referring to FIG. 13 , a case where an authentication and authorization mechanism or the like is combined with the processing device 1 will be described. The authentication and authorization mechanism 70 refers to a functional unit that performs authentication processing that is currently being implemented or will be implemented in the future to achieve security. Examples of authentication processing include, but are not limited to, methods using serial numbers, passwords, public key cryptography, and combinations of these. Combining the authentication and authorization mechanism 70 that can perform these authentication processes with the processing device 1 can improve the security of the processing performed by the processing device 1. Note that FIG. 13 shows an example in which the authentication and authorization mechanism 70 is provided inside the processing device 1, but the authentication and authorization mechanism 70 may be provided, for example, in the field, incorporated inside the determiner 30, or incorporated into the receptor 40. In this way, the location and number of authentication and authorization mechanisms 70 can be changed as appropriate.

[0095] Furthermore, targets of authentication and authorization by the authentication and authorization mechanism 70 include, but are not limited to, the determiner 30, state transition method information D1, state designation information D2, and actor 50 as an operating entity. Applying the authentication and authorization mechanism 70 to the processing device 1 can prevent inappropriate changes to the processing device 1 from third parties other than developers, administrators, and users. The authentication and authorization mechanism may also authenticate and authorize profiles accepted by receptors. In this case, it becomes possible to identify target X and distinguish inappropriate state information.

[0096] Another method for enhancing the security of the processing device 1 is, for example, to increase the fault tolerance and reliability of the processing device 1. Methods for enhancing the fault tolerance and reliability of the processing device 1 include redundancy and tandem operation. For example, different processing devices 1 share the same receptor (e.g., the same file) and set different output destinations for the actors. Then, by comparing the output results from the different processing devices 1, the reliability of the processing of the processing device 1 can be confirmed. Another example of tandem operation is, for example, when a network receptor is used as a receptor, setting a representative processing device 1 among multiple processing devices 1 and distributing the profile acquired by the receptor of this processing device 1 to the receptor of the processing device 1 that requires it.

[0097] Another method for improving the security of the processing device 1 is to provide a separate processing device that performs immune system operations. As described above, the determinations made by the processing device 1 can be flexibly configured based on the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2. Therefore, a processing device 1 that operates as an immune system may be provided to monitor and control the processing device 1 that performs the system's operations (operations related to the content that the system originally intended to process). If the object to be monitored and controlled is another processing device 1, it may be possible to check whether the state transition information, state designation information, judger, and actor are authenticated and authorized. In this way, providing a separate processing device 1 that performs state monitoring and the like can enhance the security of the system. Note that multiple types of processing devices 1 that operate as immune systems may be operated depending on the type and number of objects to be monitored and controlled, or they may be operated in a hierarchical structure.

[0098] As described above, the methods for enhancing the security of the processing device 1 or a system including the processing device 1 have been listed, but the above methods may be appropriately combined to further enhance the security of a system including the processing device 1. Furthermore, the aspect of security that needs to be improved in a system including the processing device 1 may change depending on the processing content in the system, the environment in which the system is used, etc. Therefore, the configuration for enhancing security may be appropriately changed depending on the situation.

[0099] [About cooperation when operating multiple processing devices] In addition to the configuration described above, it is also possible to operate a plurality of processing devices 1 in cooperation with one another. Furthermore, when the number of items (tasks) to be processed by the processing device 1 increases, the processing speed for the tasks may be increased by adding processing devices 1 having the same functions as the processing device 1 to process the same type of tasks, or by dividing the tasks and performing parallel or concurrent processing.

[0100] First, a procedure for adding a processing device 1' having the same or similar functions as the processing device 1 will be described. First, state transition method information D1' and state designation information D2' to be used in the processing device 1' to be added are prepared. Specifically, copies of the state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2 to be used in the processing device 1 are prepared. Furthermore, if the processing device 1 is to have a function different from that of the processing device 1, the state transition method information D1' and state designation information D2' may be prepared by modifying (including adding and deleting) at least one of the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2. Note that, as will be described in detail later, a configuration in which the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 are shared among multiple processing devices is also possible. Therefore, at least one of the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 may be prepared for the new processing device 1', or the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 may be shared.

[0101] Next, the determinator 30 to be used in the processing device 1' to be added is specified. Since a different determinator 30 is used for each processing device 1, a determinator 30' corresponding to the processing device 1' to be added is specified. By performing the above procedure, the determinator 30' to be added and the state transition method information D1' and state designation information D2' to be used for the determination process in the determinator 30' are identified, so that the new processing device 1' becomes operable. Note that the preparation of the state transition method information D1' and state designation information D2' and the designation of the determinator 30' may be performed in any order.

[0102] The trigger for starting the above procedure for adding the processing device 1′ may be specified, for example, by a person or a device (machine, circuit, program, etc.). In this case, the above procedure may be started when the person or device instructs a computer, etc. to perform processing necessary for adding the processing device 1′. Furthermore, the start of processing may be specified in the state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2 used in the determiner 30 of the processing device 1. As an example of such a configuration, the state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2 used in the determiner 30 may specify that an actor that adds the processing device 1′ is to be activated or operated depending on the result of the determination by the determiner 30.

[0103] Next, a description will be given of a configuration in which some functional units are shared among a plurality of processing devices 1. As described above, in each processing device 1, a determination operation is performed by a determiner 30 based on state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2. The state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2 used at this time do not need to be individually defined for each processing device 1 (determiner 30). This makes it possible to share some functions other than the determiner 30.

[0104] A specific configuration example will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15. FIG. 14 shows a configuration in which three processing devices 1C to 1E use common state transition method information D11 as multiple processing devices. The processing devices 1C to 1E each have their own determinators 30C to 30E, state designation acquisition units 20C to 20E, and state designation information D23, D24, and D25. Meanwhile, the processing devices 1C to 1E share the state transition method acquisition unit 10, and each of the processing devices 1C to 1E designates its own state transition method information D11. With this configuration, the determinator 30C of the processing device 1C makes a determination based on the state transition method information D11 and the state designation information D23, the determinator 30D of the processing device 1D makes a determination based on the state transition method information D11 and the state designation information D24, and the determinator 30E of the processing device 1E makes a determination based on the state transition method information D11 and the state designation information D25. The processing devices 1C to 1E may share a plurality of pieces of state transition method information D11 acquired by the state transition method acquisition unit 10.

[0105] When the state transition method information D11 is shared among the processing devices 1C to 1E, the shared state transition method information D11 contains information that can be used by any of the three processing devices 1C to 1E. In this case, the state transition method information D11 may include information that is not used by some of the processing devices.

[0106] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 14, when state transition method information or state designation information is shared, a common actor 50 may be activated or operated as a result of the determination by the determiners 30C to 30E in each processing device. As an example, as shown in FIG. 14, at least one of a first actor 50C and a second actor 50D may be activated or operated as two types of actors as a result of the determination by the determiners 30C to 30E. When the state transition method or state designation method is shared, the same action (action by the actor) may be specified as a result of the determination. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 14, the actor 50 may be shared among multiple processing devices 1 as a result of the determination, even when neither the state transition information nor the state designation method information is shared. Furthermore, frequently used actors may be shared as a library among multiple processing devices 1.

[0107] 15 shows a configuration in which three processing devices 1F-1H use a common receptor as multiple processing devices. The processing devices 1F-1H each individually store a determiner 30F-30H, a state transition method acquisition unit 10F-10H, a state designation acquisition unit 20F-20H, state transition method information D16, D17, D18, and state designation information D26, D27, D28. If the state transition method information D16-D18 and the state designation information D26-D28 specify that the same receptor be used, the processing devices 1F-1H may be configured to share the receptor. In the example shown in FIG. 15, a first receptor 43 to a fourth receptor 46 are shown as four receptors. 15, the first receptor 43 is shared by the processing devices 1F and 1H, and the second receptor 44 and the third receptor 45 are shared by the processing devices 1F to 1H. The fourth receptor 46 is used only by the processing device 1H. In this way, multiple processing devices may be configured to share receptors.

[0108] The state transition method acquisition units 10F to 10H and the state transition method information D16, D17, and D18 shown in FIG. 15 may also be shared by a plurality of processing devices 1, similar to the example shown in FIG.

[0109] 15, for example, the first receptor 43 converts information acquired from the object X (not shown) into status information (rL, P) as necessary and provides it to the determiner 30F of the processing device 1F. At this time, if it is specified that the processing devices 1F and 1H make a determination based on the status information acquired by the first receptor 43, the status information acquired by the first receptor 43 may be configured to be sent alternately to the processing devices 1F and 1H.

[0110] In another embodiment, a single receptor may be configured to provide status information generated from the acquired information to each of the multiple processing devices (determiners) that are linked together. In this case, the determiners of the multiple processing devices may perform determinations based on the same status information. In this way, when a receptor is shared among multiple processing devices, how the information acquired by the receptor is handled may be specified in advance. The above-described operation can also be realized, for example, in a configuration in which multiple receptors are shared among multiple processing devices, as shown in Figure 15. Furthermore, multiple processing devices 1 may be operated by appropriately combining the various methods of sharing the above-described various functional units.

[0111] [Transaction processing by processing device] A system for performing transaction processing can also be realized by configuring a system with multiple processing devices 1. Fig. 16 describes an example of the configuration of a processing device for performing bank remittance processing as an example of transaction processing.

[0112] Figure 16 shows an example of the configuration of a processing device in a remittance management system for one bank. The system shown in Figure 16 may be configured to include a head office function B1, a branch office function B2, and a counter function B3. The head office function B1 may be a part that has functions related to transactions between banks and branches. The branch office function B2 may be a part that has functions related to transactions of products managed by each branch. Multiple branch office functions B2 may be provided depending on the number of branches. Furthermore, the counter function B3 may be a part that has functions as a counter when customers conduct transactions, such as an ATM, an online banking operation screen, or a bank counter. In Figure 16, solid lines indicate an example of the control relationship (startup, shutdown, etc.) between processing devices. Furthermore, dashed lines indicate transmission (sending to other banks), and dashed lines indicate an example of the information path for reception (receiving from other banks).

[0113] The head office function B1 may include a processing device (bank) B11 and a processing device (session) B12. The processing device B11 may be a processing device that processes all transactions between branches and banks or manages transactions, for example. The processing device B12 may be a processing device that is activated or operated only when a transaction such as a remittance occurs, similar to the processing device (session) B23 provided in the branch office function B2 described below.

[0114] The branch function B2 may include a processing device (product, such as a current deposit or a fixed-term deposit) B21, a processing device (for account management) B22, a processing device (session) B23, and a processing device (for account) B24. The processing device B21 may be a processing device that manages each bank product, processes all transactions for the product, or manages transactions. The processing device B22 may be a processing device that manages the accounts under its jurisdiction. The processing device B24 may be a processing device that can be activated and operated for each account, and can manage all transactions for the account, for example, deposits and withdrawals, in the same way as for passbooks. This processing device B24 may be activated and terminated by the processing device (for customer) B32 (described later) included in the teller function B3. Two processing devices B24 are shown as an example, but they may be activated for each account.

[0115] The counter function B3 may include a processing device (for customer management) B31 and a processing device (for customer) B32. The processing device B31 may, for example, manage the customer's ID. The processing device B31 may, for example, manage the startup and shutdown of the processing device B32 corresponding to the customer ID. The processing device B32 may also function as a counter for financial transactions by customers. The processing device B32 may, for example, manage the customer's personal information and account number. The processing device B32 may also request the processing device (for account management) B22 to open and close an account. The processing device B32 may also start and shut down the processing device B24 and other devices related to the account as necessary when the customer conducts a transaction.

[0116] Of the processing devices shown in FIG. 16, processing devices B11, B21, B22, and B31 can be activated and operated at all times. Processing device B24 can be activated for each account when a transaction relating to a specific account is carried out. Processing device B32 can be activated for each customer when the customer starts a transaction. Processing devices B12 and B23 relating to a session can be activated when a session relating to a transaction is carried out.

[0117] The processing devices B12 and B23 related to the session may be generated for each transaction along a path required for transaction communication, as a characteristic function for performing transaction processing. Furthermore, the processing devices B12 and B23 may be processing devices that actually handle the processing and transmission of information. Furthermore, when transmitting and receiving information (a session) via the processing devices B12 and B23, when the processing devices B12 and B23 are activated, a key may be generated to identify the destination of the information or conceal the communication path, and the key may be shared between the transmitting and receiving parties. The processing device B12 may be activated and terminated by the processing device B11. The processing device B23 may be activated and terminated by the processing device B21. For example, the processing devices B11 and B21, which are responsible for the activation and termination of the processing devices B12 and B23 related to the session, may be configured to control the generation of keys related to the session as well as the activation and termination of the processing devices related to the session. Furthermore, the processing devices B11 and B21 can be configured to receive information to be sent by processing devices related to the session (e.g., processing devices B12 and B23) and to give instructions to send information that has been transferred or processed, for example.

[0118] An example of the operation of each processing device when processing a remittance using the above-described system is described below. Consider a case in which a customer operates, for example, one account to transfer money to an account at another bank. In this case, upon detecting that the customer is operating, for example, the ATM interface, processing device B31 activates processing device B32. Processing device B32 activates processing device B24 corresponding to the remitter's account based on the customer's operation on the interface. The above operation may be performed via processing device B22. Furthermore, based on the customer's operation, processing devices B32 and B24 operate, instructing processing device B21 to establish a session related to the remittance (processing device B23 corresponding to the session), and processing device B23 is activated. As a result, a session is established between the branch function B2 and the head office function B1, and information related to the remittance can be sent to the head office function B1. Based on the information transmitted by processing device B23, the head office function B1 activates processing device B12 corresponding to the session with the other bank as necessary. Processing device B12 establishes a session with the other bank, and information related to the remittance is transmitted and received between the banks. At the other bank, the remittance amount can be added to the recipient's account using a group of processing devices similar to the above-mentioned processing devices. Note that in the case of remittance processing within the same bank or the same branch, the remittance processing may be performed without establishing a session between the head office function B1 and the branch function B2.

[0119] In the above system, when information transmission using a session is performed using, for example, two-phase commit, the processing devices B12 and B23 related to the session are terminated. Also, the key used in the session is discarded, preventing the same session from being repeated.

[0120] While the above describes an example of a remittance process using the system, a transfer from an external bank to a specific account can be handled by performing the reverse operation. For example, when a transfer process is performed at another bank, the system activates processing device B12' corresponding to a session with the other bank in response to a request from the other bank. Processing device B12' establishes a session with the other bank, and information related to the remittance is sent and received between the banks. Next, processing device B12' instructs processing device B21 to establish a session related to receiving the remittance (processing device B23' corresponding to the session), and processing device B23' is activated. As a result, a session is established between the branch function B2 and the head office function B1, and information related to receiving the remittance can be sent from the head office function B1 to the branch function B2. Processing device B23' then activates processing device B24 corresponding to the account to receive the remittance. The above operation may be performed via processing device B22. Furthermore, when processing device B31 detects that a customer is operating an interface, such as an ATM or online banking, processing device B31 activates processing device B32. When the customer operates the interface, the processing device B32 presents the updated information regarding the receipt of the remittance received by the processing device B24 to the customer. As a result, the customer can understand the amount of the remittance and its details. Note that the above process is an example, and the arrangement of the processing devices is not limited to the configuration example described above.

[0121] In the above system, transaction processing can be realized by performing transactions using the processing devices B12 and B23 corresponding to the session. Transaction processing requires processing that has, for example, "atomicity," "consistency," "isolation," and "durability."

[0122] Atomicity is the property that guarantees that all tasks included in an operation are executed or none are executed. For example, when transferring 10,000 yen from account A to account B, there are two operations: "subtract 10,000 yen from the balance of account A" and "add 10,000 yen to the balance of account B." Guaranteed atomicity means that either all of the above two operations are executed or none are executed.

[0123] Consistency means ensuring that a predetermined consistency is met at the start and end of an operation. For example, when transferring money from account A, it means ensuring that the amount of money transferred will not be such that A's account balance becomes negative before and after the transfer. Isolation means that the process of an operation is hidden from other operations. For example, in the case of transferring money between accounts, the internal state is "deducted from account A but not added to account B," but from the outside, only the state before and after the transfer can be seen.

[0124] Durability means that once the user receives a notification that an operation has been completed, the operation becomes permanent and the results are not lost.

[0125] In the above system, when a single transaction is performed, an independent session is set up for each transaction, ensuring isolation. In addition, a separate session is set up between each function to communicate information, ensuring consistency for each session. Furthermore, consistency can be ensured by, for example, linking multiple sessions with guaranteed consistency to form a session chain and communicating through that chain (for example, two-phase commit).

[0126] Furthermore, the above system can ensure atomicity by discarding a session once it has confirmed that the specified processing has been completed in each session, and by canceling a transaction if an unforeseen event occurs. Furthermore, the above system can ensure durability by preventing the same session from being unintentionally repeated. Thus, the above system can achieve the performance required for transaction processing. Thus, a system configured by combining processing devices 1 can also be applied to transaction processing. To ensure consistency and atomicity more reliably, a processing device or the like may be added to the system to confirm that information is properly transmitted and received in each session.

[0127] [About workflow] For example, in the state transition method information D1, the conditions for executing a job that is subject to workflow control (e.g., start, interrupt, error state, end, re-execution, etc.) are specified in a first section D91, and the operation method for executing the job (e.g., start, interrupt, error avoidance, re-execution, end, start of next job, etc.) is specified in a second section D92, and so-called workflow processing can be performed by associating these processes with the number of jobs that are subject to workflow control.

[0128] [About Artificial Intelligence] Using the processing device 1, algorithmic processing included in so-called artificial intelligence can be changed or updated without interrupting the processing operation. In so-called neural networks, for example, the function and operation of neurons can be specified by operation specification information D0, allowing the processing device 1 to be activated, operated, terminated, or deleted as a new neuron, or the operation of specific neurons, including itself, to be changed. Furthermore, connections between neurons can be realized, for example, by appropriately combining receptors 40 and actors 50. Furthermore, since the processing device 1 allows the receptors 40 and actors 50 to be variable elements, connections between neurons, including their functions and topology, can be changed without interrupting the operation of the processing device 1. In this way, algorithms for preprocessing learning data in artificial intelligence and neural networks for machine learning can be changed or modified without interrupting the operation of the artificial intelligence, thereby changing the function, capabilities, and capacity of the operating artificial intelligence. Furthermore, by configuring a neural network or the like with the processing device 1, the results of the artificial intelligence's operation (e.g., learning outcomes) can be stored in the operation specification information D0. Furthermore, for example, by dividing the operation specification information D0 of the processing device 1 that constitutes the neural network according to the level of abstraction as described above, it is possible to perform analysis such as visualization, interpretation, understanding, and application of the operation results of the artificial intelligence.

[0129] [Other application examples] The processing device 1 can specify the actual processing of a so-called BRMS (Business Rule Management System) or a so-called RPA (Robotic Process Automation) using the operation specification information D0. Furthermore, the processing device 1 can eliminate the need to generate devices or programs that actually perform functional processing in the BRMS or RPA.

[0130] The processing device 1 can change its functions, operations, etc. by adding, modifying, or deleting only the necessary parts of the processing device 1, thereby eliminating the need for so-called software version management, for example. Furthermore, when observing, controlling, or simulating an uncertain object, such as an ecosystem, whose components (e.g., organisms, climate, etc.) change depending on the situation (including, for example, when organisms migrate or become extinct and become no longer components, or when organisms migrate from elsewhere and become new components), the processing device 1 can perform actual processing without stopping its operation. In this case, the processing device 1 can function as an engine for practically coupled calculations. It should be noted that an ecosystem can also be considered a situation in which, for example, multiple cloud computing services are linked together.

[0131] <Detailed explanation including specific operation of the processing equipment> The above description of the functional units of the processing device 1 includes many conceptual parts. Therefore, in the following embodiment, a case will be described in which it is assumed that the processing device 1 is used to control the operation of an air conditioner. In an air conditioner, a sensor measures the room temperature, etc., and operates each unit based on the measurement result so that the room temperature falls within a predetermined range (set temperature). In this case, the configuration of the processing device 1 will be further described while explaining how each functional unit of the processing device 1 operates. Naturally, the processing target of the processing device 1 is not limited to air conditioners.

[0132] [About the field] The fields that are handled by the processing device 1 will now be further described. As described above, a field can be said to be an actual state that exists in the real world. The state of a field can be described using labels and profiles. For example, if the processing device 1 is used to control the operation of an air conditioner, the temperature (rL: temperature, P: *°C) and humidity (rL: humidity, P: *%) of the room that is to be adjusted by the air conditioner, the temperature of the outside air where the outdoor unit is installed (rL: outside air temperature, P: *°C), etc. can be handled as the state of the field.

[0133] The state transition method acquisition unit 10, state specification acquisition unit 20, receptor 40, and actor 50 that constitute the processing device 1 may also be provided in this field. It can also be said that the information handled by each of these units exists in the field. Therefore, these states can also be described using labels and profiles. For example, they can be described as follows: state transition method acquisition unit 10 (rL: state transition method acquisition unit, P: state transition method acquisition unit in the processing device 1), state transition method information D1 (rL: state transition method information, P: state transition method information used in the processing device 1).

[0134] [Type of processing equipment element] The following describes the types of elements in each functional unit of the processing device 1. In this embodiment, each functional unit that executes a desired process (a program for realizing that function) can belong to either a fixed element or a variable element. Information handled by the processing device 1 can also be classified as either a fixed element or a variable element.

[0135] A fixed element can refer to an element whose behavior must be changed when its contents are changed. For example, a conventionally used program would be considered a fixed element. Consider adding a new section to a default program that controls the operation of an air conditioner, detecting the outside temperature and performing control based on the results. In such a case, after modifying the program by adding a description related to control that takes the outside temperature into account, it is necessary to temporarily stop processing based on the program before modification that is built into the air conditioner, replace it with the modified program, and then start processing based on the modified program. In this manner, in the present embodiment, an element whose program operation must be temporarily stopped when a modification is made to the program to reflect the modification may be referred to as a fixed element.

[0136] On the other hand, a variable element can refer to something that can be changed without stopping its operation, even when the content of an operating variable element is changed. For example, the state (rL, P) of a field can be handled arbitrarily, and therefore can be said to be a variable element. For example, the state transition method acquisition unit 10, state specification acquisition unit 20, receptor 40, and actor 50 that make up the processing device 1 can each be described as a field state, and therefore can be said to be a variable element. Also, the profile (P) included in the state (rL, P) can change, and therefore can be said to be a variable element.

[0137] Among the components of the processing device 1, the determiner 30 can be considered a fixed element. While most of the components of the processing device 1 can be treated as variable elements as described above, the determiner 30 can be considered a fixed element. By minimizing the proportion of fixed elements among the device's components, the processing device 1 is configured to maintain processing even when the processing content is changed. Changing the determiner 30 itself requires stopping the operation of the processing device 1. However, in the processing device 1, the determiner 30 only compares the state designation information D2 with the field state acquired by the receptor 40 and, based on the comparison result, activates or operates the actor 50 specified in the state transition method information D1 and / or the state designation information D2. Because the determiner 30 is only required to make a determination and execute processing based on the result, the problem of changing the determiner 30 is unlikely to arise. This is a difference from programs used in conventional air conditioner control.

[0138] [Differences between conventional program-based control and control by a processing unit] Next, a case where temperature control is performed by an air conditioner will be described by comparing control using a conventional program with control by the processing device described in this embodiment.

[0139] First, we will explain the case where an air conditioner detects the temperature and humidity of an indoor space and adjusts its operation based on the results. Table 1 shows control using a conventional program. Note that "in the field" can also mean outside the program or outside the determiner.

[0140] [Table 1]

[0141] Table 1 shows each step of the process defined by the conventional program, along with the pre-input state, the action defined by the algorithm / logic, and the post-input state for each step. For example, step 1 acquires information about the state present in the field (rL: temperature, P: *°C), generates a profile (hot, just right, cold) from the difference between the acquired temperature and the set temperature, and outputs the post-input state (pL: pseudo-intermediate state (temperature difference), P: (hot, just right, cold)). This post-input state is used as the pre-input state in step 3. Thus, in the conventional program, steps 1 and 2 generate pseudo-intermediate states related to temperature (hot, just right, cold) and humidity (steamy, just right, dry) from the temperature and humidity. Furthermore, steps 3 and 4 generate a pseudo-intermediate state related to motor output (Pw watt) from these two pseudo-intermediate states. Then, in step 5, the motor output based on the pseudo intermediate state (Pw watt) related to the motor output is returned to the motor in the field, causing the motor to operate. In this way, conventional programs generate pseudo intermediate states within the program and connect them to the processing of subsequent steps.

[0142] An intermediate state refers to an intermediate state before control is executed to operate the air conditioner based on temperature and humidity information. Parameters used to specify the air conditioner's operation, such as temperature and humidity differences, can be defined as intermediate states. A pseudo-intermediate state is not related to a field state but is a convenient intermediate state that exists within the program domain. Specifically, a pseudo-intermediate state, an intermediate state required for program processing, is defined within the program and then processed using this state. pL in a pseudo-intermediate state is a convenient label in the pseudo state and may be equivalent to the label (rL) in a field state. pL can also be a variable name or register name. Furthermore, since this pseudo-intermediate state exists in a program domain, the convenient label pL cannot be changed unless the program is changed. Therefore, pseudo-intermediate states in conventional programs can also be fixed elements. However, even in pseudo-states (pL,P) such as pseudo-intermediate states, the profile (P) can be a variable element. Because the profile (P) is equivalent to a variable in a program, it can be said to change and can be treated as a variable element. In addition, in order to reflect a pseudo state that exists in a program area, such as a pseudo intermediate state, in a field, some kind of operation is required, such as writing it to a file, sending it to a network, writing it to a database, or operating a device.

[0143] Next, the operation of the processing device 1 of this embodiment when performing the same processing as above will be described with reference to Table 2.

[0144] [Table 2]

[0145] Steps 1 to 5 shown in Table 2 correspond to steps 1 to 5 in Table 1. Table 2 shows, in correspondence with the processing by the processing device 1, a set of states (labels, profiles) received by the receptor 40 (e.g., information related to the state provided to the determiner 30), the operation of the determiner 30, the internal operation of the actor 50 based on the determination result of the determiner 30 (the operation performed by the actor 50), and a set of states (labels, profiles) on which the actor 50 acts.

[0146] As shown in Table 2, each process performed by the processing device 1 is basically similar to a conventional program. However, the intermediate state output as a result of each step is a parameter used during the process, but it indicates the state existing in a field such as a file or database, and is different from a pseudo-state that exists only within the program. Furthermore, the state existing in a field may be a variable element as described above.

[0147] As described above, each process performed by the processing device 1 shown in Table 2 causes a transition from the variable element state (rL,P) to the variable element state (rL,P) in all steps 1 to 5, and the processing result in each step is returned to the field. On the other hand, in the conventional program shown in Table 1, step 1 causes a transition from the variable element state (rL,P) to the fixed element pseudo-intermediate state (pL,P). Also, in steps 2 to 4, a transition occurs from the fixed element pseudo-intermediate state (pL,P) to the fixed element pseudo-intermediate state (pL,P). Then, in step 5, a transition occurs from the fixed element pseudo-intermediate state (pL,P) to the variable element state (rL,P), and the result is returned to the field. In this way, in conventional programs, the intermediate stages of a series of processes (steps 1 to 5) can be said to be completed within the program. Therefore, if part of the intermediate process is to be changed, it is considered necessary to replace the entire program.

[0148] Furthermore, in the conventional program shown in Table 1, the order of processing is usually defined. For example, in the example shown in Table 1, it is defined that steps 1 to 5 are to be performed in order within the program. From this perspective, the program can also be said to be a fixed element. On the other hand, steps 1 to 5 of the processing device 1 shown in Table 2 are written as "steps" to correspond to Table 1 for convenience, but there is no particular element that defines the order of processing. Furthermore, each step can be performed randomly when the receptor 40 receives the input state (rL, P). In this way, from the perspective of the processing order of each step when the processing device 1 performs the desired processing, the processing performed by the processing device 1 can be said to correspond to a variable element.

[0149] [Differences between control using a conventional program and control using a processing device when changing control] Next, we will explain how to change the procedure for controlling the air conditioner based on the temperature and humidity shown in Tables 1 and 2. Here, we will explain how to change the control of the air conditioner to take into account the outside temperature in addition to the temperature and humidity.

[0150] First, Table 3 shows a conventional program in which outside air temperature control is added to the conventional program shown in Table 1.

[0151] [Table 3]

[0152] In Table 3, steps 3 and 6 have been added compared to Table 1, and steps 4 and 5 take into account the pseudo-intermediate state (here, the outside air temperature). Table 4 shows a modified program for changing the operation from the control shown in Table 1 to the control shown in Table 3. Note that an outside air temperature sensor may be added to detect the outside air temperature, but this is not a change related to the program and will not be explained here.

[0153] [Table 4]

[0154] In the example shown in Table 4, the pre-modification program and sensors are stopped in steps 1 to 6, and the pre-modification program is deleted in steps 7 and 8. Furthermore, after a new program is loaded and started in steps 9 and 10, the sensors are started in steps 11 to 13, and the processing is completed in step 14. At this time, the modification program shown in Table 4 is also considered to handle pseudo intermediate states that exist in the program area in steps 1 to 13. As mentioned above, pseudo intermediate states are fixed elements, and it is considered that the program operation must be stopped in order to change them. Therefore, the modification program that handles pseudo intermediate states can also be said to be fixed elements.

[0155] Next, we will explain changes to the processing content in the processing device 1. First, Table 5 shows the processing procedure in the processing device 1 when controlling the outside air temperature is added to the processing in the processing device 1 shown in Table 2.

[0156] [Table 5]

[0157] In Table 5, steps 3 and 6 have been added compared to Table 2, and steps 4 and 5 perform operations taking into account the intermediate state (here, the outside air temperature). Next, Table 6 shows the processing procedure in the processing device 1 when changing the operation from the control shown in Table 2 to the control shown in Table 5. Note that an outside air temperature sensor may be added to detect the outside air temperature, but this is not a change related to the program, so an explanation of this point will be omitted. In Table 6, for comparison with the case of a conventional program, the processing in the processing device 1 is shown in the places corresponding to each step of the conventional program (Table 4). In Table 6, the parts where cells other than the steps have a "-" indicate that the processing corresponding to each step of the conventional program is not performed in the processing device 1.

[0158] [Table 6]

[0159] As shown in Table 6, when the control content is changed in the processing device 1, steps 2 to 8 and steps 10 to 12 in the conventional program are not required. In addition, for steps 1 and 9, by providing an intermediate state in a field, it is possible to observe the process from the outside, and the process content is also changed.

[0160] Steps 2 to 8 were processes related to stopping and deleting the program before the change. Conventional programs, even if they are reconfigurable, are fixed elements, so it is considered necessary to stop the program's operation in order to change them. In contrast, in the processing device 1, the state transition method information D1, state designation information D2, and actor 50, which correspond to the program, can be configured to exist on the field and be separated from the determinator 30, which is a fixed element. Therefore, it is considered possible to change the state transition method information D1, state designation information D2, and actor 50 while the determinator 30 continues to operate based on the program before the change.

[0161] Furthermore, steps 10 to 12 are processes related to the launch of the changed program. As described above, conventional programs are changed after the program operation has been stopped, so an operation to launch the changed program is necessary. On the other hand, in step 9, the processing device 1 can be updated simply by preparing the state transition method information D1, state designation information D2, and actor 50 defined by the state transition method information D1, which are required in conjunction with the change in operation content. Therefore, for example, by newly setting the state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2 (and actor 50), the necessary receptor 40 is prepared, and the changed processing can be started. Furthermore, since the determiner 30 itself, which makes a determination based on the field state acquired by the receptor 40, is not stopped as described above, it is possible to easily transition to the changed processing. Note that the outside air temperature sensor itself needs to be newly activated, so step 13 is considered necessary, as in conventional programs.

[0162] Thus, when comparing the conventional program with the processing device described in this embodiment, the procedure for changing the processing content, especially depending on the size of the area that is a fixed element, is significantly different.

[0163] In conventional programs, the parts to be changed (e.g., processing based on information obtained from an outside air temperature sensor) are considered to be fixed within the program. For example, the processing to be performed based on the outside air temperature information after it is obtained is written within the program. Therefore, in conventional programs, in order to dynamically change functions, it is considered to be possible to write a program for the function with the changes anticipated in advance, and then change the control content when the change occurs. However, if the changes cannot be anticipated in advance, it is not possible to write them into the program in advance. Therefore, once a program is prepared, it is considered necessary to stop the program once in order to add a new function. Conventional programs have built-in functionality for dynamically loading and unloading software modules, but they still require program replacement when attempting to use an API (Application Programming Interface) that is not provided in the main program.

[0164] In contrast to this, in the processing device described in this embodiment, the state transition method information D1, state designation information D2, and actor 50, which can be said to be the main parts of a conventional program, exist on the field, so changes can be made without stopping the operation of the determinator 30, which is a fixed element. Note that the change to the processing device 1 described in this embodiment (rewriting the state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2) does not refer to the release of functions that were previously built into the processing device 1, but rather is intended to add new functions after the processing device 1 has started operating.

[0165] <effect> As described above, the processing device 1 includes a determinator 30 that performs a comparison of state information, which is information related to a state acquired from a field. The processing device 1 performs processing related to the determinator based on the content of the comparison by the determinator 30, information specifying an operation related to a state transition corresponding to the comparison result, and information related to generation by a state information generator for generating state information from the information related to the field state. The content of the comparison by the determinator 30, the information specifying an operation related to a state transition corresponding to the comparison result, and information related to generation by a state information generator for generating state information from the information related to the field state, are changeable regardless of the operation of the determinator 30. Note that the content of the comparison by the determinator 30, the information specifying an operation related to a state transition corresponding to the comparison result, and information related to generation by a state information generator for generating state information from the information related to the field state, are included in the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 in the above-described embodiment. In the above-described embodiment, processing related to the determinator 30 is performed based on the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2. Furthermore, the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 are changeable regardless of the operation of the determinator 30.

[0166] In addition, in a processing method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a determinator 30 compares status information, which is information relating to the status obtained from a field, and performs processing related to the determinator 30 based on information specifying the content of the comparison in the determinator 30 and the operation related to the state transition according to the comparison result, and information related to the generation of a status information generation unit for generating status information from information relating to the state of the field, and the information specifying the content of the comparison in the determinator 30 and the operation related to the state transition according to the comparison result, and the information related to the generation of a status information generation unit for generating status information from information relating to the state of the field can be changed regardless of the operation of the determinator 30.

[0167] In addition, a processing program according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a processing program for causing a computer to function as a processing device, and realizes a judgment function that compares status information, which is information relating to the status obtained from a field, and performs processing related to the judgment function based on information specifying the content of the comparison in the judgment function and the operation related to the state transition according to the comparison result, and information related to the generation of a status information generation unit for generating status information from information relating to the status of the field, and the information specifying the content of the comparison in the judgment function and the operation related to the state transition according to the comparison result, and the information related to the generation of a status information generation unit for generating status information from information relating to the status of the field are changeable regardless of the operation of the judgment function.

[0168] According to the above-described processing device 1, processing method, and processing program, information specifying the content of comparison in the determinator 30 and the operation related to the state transition according to the comparison result, and information related to generation by the state information generator for generating state information from information related to the field state, are changeable independently of the operation of the determinator 30. In the above-described embodiment, the state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2 containing this information are changeable independently of the operation of the determinator 30. Therefore, compared to conventional programs, even when changing conditions or adding functions, the information contained in the state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2 can be changed without stopping the operation of the determinator 30, thereby improving convenience. Furthermore, according to the above-described processing device 1, processing method, and processing program, not only convenience but also reliability, safety, etc. are improved. This point has been described above.

[0169] The determiner 30 can be configured to include a receptors platform 33 as a state information acquisition unit for acquiring state information, and an actors platform 34 as a state transition instruction unit for instructing a state transition according to the comparison result. By configuring the determiner 30 to include a state information acquisition unit for acquiring state information and a state transition instruction unit for instructing a state transition according to the comparison result, even if the operation content of the determiner 30 or the processing based on the comparison result is changed by changing the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2, the processing can be flexibly changed.

[0170] The information specifying the content of the comparison in the determinator 30 and the operation related to the state transition in response to the comparison result, and the information related to the generation by the state information generator for generating state information from the information related to the state of the field (in the above embodiment, state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2 are shown as information including these pieces of information) can be variable elements present in the field, and the determinator can be a fixed element separated from the field. In this way, by configuring the information specifying the content of the comparison in the determinator 30 and the operation related to the state transition in response to the comparison result, and the information related to the generation by the state information generator for generating state information from the information related to the state of the field as variable elements and configuring the determinator as a fixed element, even when the content of processing to be performed in the processing device is changed, the change can be flexibly made without stopping all of the processing in the processing device.

[0171] In addition, a processing device 1 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure includes a determiner 30 that performs comparisons on status information, which is information relating to a status obtained from a field, and the status information includes a label relating to the nature of the status and a profile indicating the state of the property identified by the label.

[0172] According to the above-described processing device, the state information used for comparison in the determiner 30 includes a label related to the nature of the state and a profile indicating the state of the nature specified by the label. This configuration prevents misidentification of target information when the determiner 30 performs comparison, enabling appropriate comparison. Therefore, even if the operation content of the comparator or the processing based on the comparison result is changed, the processing can be flexibly changed, thereby improving convenience, reliability, safety, and the like.

[0173] Here, it is possible to adopt an aspect in which processing related to the determinator is performed based on information specifying the content of comparison in the determinator 30 and the operation related to the state transition according to the comparison result, and information related to generation by a state information generator for generating state information from information related to the state of the field (in the above embodiment, state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2 are shown as information including these pieces of information). Since the processing related to the determination by the determinator 30 is specified based on this information, when conditions are changed or functions are added, changes can be made without changing the determinator itself, as compared to conventional programs, and the convenience, reliability, safety, etc. of the device can be improved.

[0174] Furthermore, a processing device 1 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure includes a determiner 30 that performs a comparison of state information, which is information relating to a state acquired from a field, and performs processing related to the determiner 30 based on the details of the comparison in the determiner 30, information specifying an operation relating to a state transition according to the comparison result, and information relating to generation by a state information generator for generating state information from information relating to the state of the field (in the above embodiment, state transition method information D1 and state designation information D2 are shown as information including these pieces of information). Also, an embodiment is possible in which the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2 are changeable regardless of the operation of the determiner 30, and the state information includes a label relating to the property of the state and a profile indicating what state the property specified by the label is in.

[0175] According to the processing device 1, the information specifying the content of comparison in the decision device 30, the operation related to the state transition according to the comparison result, and the information related to the generation by the state information generator for generating state information from information related to the state of the field can be changed independently of the operation of the decision device 30. Therefore, compared to conventional programs, the information can be changed without stopping the operation of the decision device even when changing conditions or adding functions, thereby improving convenience, reliability, safety, etc. Furthermore, because the state information includes a label related to the nature of the state and a profile indicating the state of the nature specified by the label, it is possible to prevent misidentification of target information when making a comparison in the decision device 30, thereby enabling appropriate comparison. Therefore, even if the content of operation in the comparator or the processing based on the comparison result is changed, the processing can be flexibly changed, improving convenience, reliability, safety, etc.

[0176] <Other> Although the present embodiment has been described in detail above, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the present embodiment is not limited to the embodiments described in this specification.

[0177] The application examples of the processing device 1 described in the above embodiment are merely examples, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made. Furthermore, when the processing device 1 has a function as a control device that controls a desired device, the determination content by the determiner 30, for example, the content specified by the state transition method information D1 and the state designation information D2, can be appropriately modified depending on the target device.

[0178] <Additional Notes> The present disclosure may also include the following configurations.

[0179] A processing method in which a determiner compares state information, which is information related to a state obtained from a field, and the state information includes a label related to the nature of the state and a profile indicating the state of the nature specified by the label.

[0180] A processing program for causing a computer to function as a processing device, which realizes a judgment function for comparing status information, which is information relating to a state obtained from a field, and the status information includes a label relating to the nature of the state and a profile indicating the state of the property specified by the label.

[0181] A processing method in which a determiner compares state information, which is information related to a state obtained from a field, and performs processing related to the determiner based on information specifying the content of the comparison in the determiner and an operation related to a state transition in accordance with the comparison result, and information related to generation by a state information generation unit for generating state information from the information related to the state of the field, wherein the information specifying the content of the comparison in the determiner and an operation related to a state transition in accordance with the comparison result, and the information related to generation by a state information generation unit for generating state information from the information related to the state of the field are changeable regardless of the operation of the determiner, and the state information includes a label related to the nature of the state and a profile indicating the state of the nature specified by the label.

[0182] A processing program for causing a computer to function as a processing device, which realizes a judgment function that compares status information, which is information related to a status obtained from a field, and performs processing related to the judgment function based on information specifying the content of the comparison in the judgment function and the operation related to a state transition depending on the comparison result, and information related to generation by a status information generation unit for generating status information from information related to the status of the field, wherein the information specifying the content of the comparison in the judgment function and the operation related to a state transition depending on the comparison result, and the information related to generation by a status information generation unit for generating status information from information related to the status of the field are changeable regardless of the operation of the judgment function, and the status information includes a label related to the nature of the state and a profile indicating the state of the nature identified by the label. [Explanation of symbols]

[0183] 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G, 1H, 1X... processing device, 10, 10A, 10B, 10F, 10G, 10H... state transition method acquisition unit, 20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, 20E, 20F, 20G, 20H... state specification acquisition unit, 30, 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D, 30E, 30F, 30G, 30H... determiner, 31... core, 32... parser, 33... receptors platform, 34... actor's platform, 40, 40A, 40B, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46... receptor, 50, 50A, 50B, 50C, 50D, 51, 52... actor.

Claims

1. A receptor that generates state information indicating the state of a field, A determination device that performs a comparison of the aforementioned state information, A processing device comprising: an actor that performs an operation relating to the transition of the field state based on the determination result by the determination device, A first section of information describing the association between the state information and the actor, Section 2 information, which describes the actor and the method of operation of the actor, A third section information which describes the designation of a label included in the state information that is to be observed by the processing device, Section 4 information, which describes the specification of information necessary to generate the receptor corresponding to the label, A fifth section information that describes information different from the information specified in the first section information, the second section information, the third section information, and the fourth section information, and which specifies the information necessary for the determination device and the actor to operate. A processing device that operates based on one or more types of information.

2. The processing apparatus is Having the first section information, a selector that selects the operation specification of the actor corresponding to the state information, Having the information of the second section described above, an actor library is formed by combining the actor and the operation specifications of the actor, A switch that has the information of the third section and specifies the receptor to be actually operated, A device having the information of the fourth section, which causes the receptor to function as a variable element that can be modified without stopping the operation of the determination device, or Having the information of the fifth section, and as a device that causes the operation of the determination device, the receptor, and the actor to function as the variable elements A processing apparatus according to claim 1, which functions.

3. The processing apparatus is A device having the first section information and the second section information, which processes the receptor as a fixed element that needs to stop operating when it is modified, A selector having the first section information and the third section information, which selects the operation specification of the actor corresponding to the state information, and which is a device that actually specifies the label or the receptor that acquires the state information and performs processing, A selector having the first section information and the fourth section information, which selects the operation specification of the actor corresponding to the state information, and a device that causes the label or the receptor to function as a variable element that can be modified without stopping the operation of the determination device, or A selector having the first section information and the fifth section information, which selects the operation specification of the actor corresponding to the state information, and a device that specifies the operating conditions of the selector as the variable element. A processing apparatus according to claim 1, which functions.

4. The processing apparatus is Having the first section information, the second section information, and the third section information, the receptor is a fixed element that needs to stop operating when it changes itself, and the device performs processing by specifying the label or the receptor that actually acquires the state information, A device having the first section information, the second section information, and the fifth section information, which processes the receptor as the fixed element, and which specifies the operating conditions of the device as a variable element that can be changed without stopping the operation of the determination device, A device having the first section information, the second section information, the third section information, and the fourth section information, and capable of specifying the receptor to be used for processing, or Having the first section information, the second section information, the third section information, and the fifth section information, the receptor is fixed as an apparatus A processing apparatus according to claim 1, which functions.

5. A processing program for causing a computer to function as a processing device comprising: a receptor that generates state information indicating the state of a field; a determination device that performs a comparison of the state information; and an actor that performs an operation relating to the transition of the state of the field based on the determination result by the determination device, A first section describing the association between the state information and the actor, A second section describing the actor and the method of operation of the actor, A third section which describes the designation of labels included in the state information that are to be observed by the processing device, A fourth section describes the specification of information necessary to generate the receptor corresponding to the label, A fifth section describes information that is different from the information specified in the first, second, third, and fourth sections, and which is necessary for the determination device and the actor to operate. A processing program that includes one or more of the following descriptions.

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