Operating status monitoring system, information processing device, and program

Abstract

By simply measuring the current of the machine's signal lights, it becomes possible to determine the detailed operating status of the machine. [Solution] The machine operating status monitoring system comprises a measuring unit, a first determination unit, a storage unit, and a second determination unit. The measuring unit measures the current flowing through a signal light attached to the machine to be monitored, which indicates the operating status of the machine to be monitored. The first determination unit determines the operating status of the signal light based on the current measurement result by the measuring unit. The storage unit stores in advance the relationship between the operating status of the signal light and the operating status of the machine to be monitored. The second determination unit determines the operating status of the machine to be monitored that corresponds to the operating status of the signal light determined by the first determination unit, based on the relationship stored in the storage unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to an operating state monitoring system, an information processing apparatus, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in order to grasp the operating state of a machine, the current flowing through the power supply of the machine is measured, and the operation of the machine is determined based on the presence or absence of current accompanying the operation. However, with this method, it is not possible to grasp the detailed operating state only by knowing whether the machine is operating or not. In addition, the power supply of the machine has a large current and voltage, so there are problems such as the measurement equipment becoming large and the power consumption increasing.

[0003] Also, it is possible to judge the lighting and extinguishing of the signal lamp attached to the machine and indicating the state of the machine in the same way. However, it is not possible to judge a more detailed operating state (such as blinking or flashing), and a person has to visually check and judge the state of the signal lamp.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The problem to be solved by the embodiments of the present invention is to provide an operating state monitoring system, an information processing apparatus, and a program that can determine the detailed operating state of a machine only by measuring the current of the signal lamp of the machine.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In one embodiment, the machine operating status monitoring system comprises a measuring unit, a first determination unit, a storage unit, and a second determination unit. The measuring unit measures the current flowing through a signal light attached to the machine to be monitored, which indicates the operating status of the machine to be monitored. The first determination unit determines the operating status of the signal light based on the current measurement result by the measuring unit. The storage unit stores in advance the relationship between the operating status of the signal light and the operating status of the machine to be monitored. The second determination unit determines the operating status of the machine to be monitored that corresponds to the operating status of the signal light determined by the first determination unit, based on the relationship stored in the storage unit. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the machine operation status monitoring system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the main circuit configuration and program overview of a monitoring server as an information processing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of the contents stored in the correspondence storage unit and the notification destination storage unit, respectively. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows the first part of a series of flowcharts illustrating the main information processing steps performed by the monitoring server's processor. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows the second part of a series of flowcharts illustrating the main information processing steps performed by the monitoring server's processor. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of a measurement pattern. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a measurement pattern. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of a signal light pattern. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a signal light pattern. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows an example of the contents stored in the operating state storage unit. [Figure 11]Figure 11 is a block diagram showing the main circuit configuration and program overview of a monitoring server as an information processing device according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0009] [First Embodiment] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the machine operation status monitoring system SYS according to the first embodiment. The machine operation status monitoring system SYS includes a monitoring server 1, one or more monitored machines 2, and one or more notification terminals 3. The monitoring server 1 is an example of an information processing device according to the first embodiment. The monitored machines 2 are machines whose operation status should be determined by the monitoring server 1. The notification terminals 3 are terminals operated by monitors to whom the monitoring server 1 notifies the determination results according to the determination results. The monitoring server 1 and the notification terminals 3 are connected via a communication network 4. Since the monitored machines 2 are not connected to the communication network 4, the monitoring server 1 and the notification terminals 3 cannot directly obtain the operation status of the monitored machines 2. The communication network may be a network with restricted users, such as a wired or wireless LAN (Local Area Network) installed in a specific area, such as within a company or factory where the monitored machines 2 are deployed, or it may be a network with unrestricted users, such as the Internet or various public networks.

[0010] A display pole 5 is attached to the monitored machine 2. The display pole 5 has, for example, three signal lights (hereinafter, unless otherwise distinguished, simply referred to as signal lights 51) arranged at its tip: a red signal light 51R, a yellow signal light 51Y, and a blue signal light 51B. Of course, this is just an example, and the number of signal lights 51 is not limited to this. Also, the signal lights 51 are not limited to the form of the display pole 5; they may be configured as a horizontal display unit, or each signal light 51 may be attached to a different location on the monitored machine 2. In other words, there are no limitations on how the signal lights 51 are attached to the monitored machine 2. Each signal light 51 indicates the operating status of the monitored machine 2 to which it is attached, depending on its operating state. In other words, the monitored machine 2 causes the signal lights 51 to indicate its operating status. The signal lights 51 are an example of signal lights attached to the monitored machine 2 that indicate the operating status of the monitored machine 2.

[0011] Furthermore, the machine operation status monitoring system SYS has a current sensor corresponding to each signal light 51. Specifically, the machine operation status monitoring system SYS has three current sensors (hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, they will simply be referred to as current sensors 6): current sensor 6R for the red signal light 51R, current sensor 6Y for the yellow signal light 51Y, and current sensor 6B for the blue signal light 51B. The current sensors 6 are connected to the communication network 4 and, in response to measurement instructions from the monitoring server 1, detect the current flowing through the corresponding signal light 51 and transmit the detected current value to the monitoring server 1. Note that the current sensors 6 do not have a built-in connection function to the communication network 4 and may be connected to the communication network 4 via a separate connection device (not shown). Alternatively, the current sensors 6 may constantly detect the current flowing through the corresponding signal light 51, and the connection device may transmit the detection result of the current sensors 6 to the monitoring server 1 in response to measurement instructions from the monitoring server 1.

[0012] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the main circuit configuration and program overview of the monitoring server 1. The monitoring server 1 comprises a processor 11, main memory 12, auxiliary storage device 13, communication interface 14, and system transmission path 15. The system transmission path 15 includes an address bus, data bus, control signal lines, etc. The monitoring server 1 connects the processor 11, main memory 12, auxiliary storage device 13, and communication interface 14 to the system transmission path 15. The monitoring server 1 constitutes a computer with the processor 11, main memory 12, auxiliary storage device 13, and the system transmission path 15 connecting them. Although not specifically shown in the diagram, the monitoring server 1 is equipped with a clock that measures the current time.

[0013] The processor 11 corresponds to the central part of the computer described above. The processor 11 controls various parts to realize various functions as a monitoring server 1 according to the operating system and application programs. The processor 11 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but is not limited to this. The processor 11 may be multi-core / multi-threaded and capable of executing multiple processes in parallel. The processor 11 may also be an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). Furthermore, the processor 11 may be implemented in various other forms, including integrated circuits such as ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), SoC (System on a Chip), and PLD (Programmable Logic Device). The processor 11 may also be a combination of several of these.

[0014] The main memory 12 corresponds to the main storage part of the above computer. The main memory 12 includes a non-volatile memory area and a volatile memory area. In the non-volatile memory area, the main memory 12 stores an operating system and application programs. The main memory 12 may store data necessary for the processor 11 to execute processes for controlling each part in either the non-volatile or volatile memory area. The main memory 12 uses the volatile memory area as a temporary storage unit 121 in which data is appropriately rewritten by the processor 11. For example, the non-volatile memory area is a ROM (Read Only Memory). The volatile memory area is a RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0015] The auxiliary storage device 13 corresponds to the auxiliary storage part of the above computer. For example, the auxiliary storage device 13 is an EEPROM (registered trademark) (Electric Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), HDD (Hard Disc Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), etc. The auxiliary storage device 13 stores data used by the processor 11 to perform various processes and data created by the processes in the processor 11. The auxiliary storage device 13 may also store the above application programs.

[0016] The communication interface 14 transmits and receives data in accordance with a communication protocol between the notification terminal 3 and the current sensor 6 connected via the communication network 4.

[0017] The monitoring server 1 includes a control program storage unit 131, a correspondence relation storage unit 132, a notification destination storage unit 133, and an operation state storage unit 134 in the auxiliary storage device 13.

[0018] The control program storage unit 131 stores a control program that causes the processor 11 to realize each processing unit described later in this embodiment. The control program includes settings for measurement patterns and signal light patterns as described later.

[0019] The correspondence relationship storage unit 132 stores the relationship between the operating status of the signal light 51 and the operating status of the monitored machine 2. The notification destination storage unit 133 stores the actual notification destination. Figure 3 shows an example of the contents stored in the correspondence relationship storage unit 132 and the notification destination storage unit 133, respectively.

[0020] As shown in Figure 3, the correspondence relationship storage unit 132 stores, for each of the three signal lights 51—red signal light 51R, yellow signal light 51Y, and blue signal light 51B—the machine operating state, which is the operating state of the monitored machine 2, and the current sensor 6, for each signal light operating state, which is the operating state of the signal light 51. In Figure 3, "red" refers to the red signal light 51R, "yellow" to the yellow signal light 51Y, and "blue" to the blue signal light 51B. "Sensor R" refers to the current sensor 6R, "Sensor Y" to the current sensor 6Y, and "Sensor B" to the current sensor 6B. Therefore, for example, the correspondence relationship storage unit 132 stores that, for the "red" signal light 51, i.e., the red signal light 51R, the "lit" signal light operating state corresponds to the "abnormal stop" machine operating state and the current sensor 6R, the "flashing" signal light operating state corresponds to the "low fuel tank level" machine operating state and the current sensor 6R, and the "blinking" signal light operating state corresponds to the "medium fuel tank level" machine operating state and the current sensor 6R. In this way, the correspondence relationship storage unit 132 is an example of a storage unit that pre-stores the relationship between the operating state of the signal light 51, the operating state of the monitored machine 2, and the measurement sensor. The correspondence relationship storage unit 132 is an example of a storage device that pre-stores the relationship between the operating state of the signal light 51, which is attached to the monitored machine 2 and indicates the operating state of the monitored machine 2, and the operating state of the monitored machine 2.

[0021] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the correspondence memory unit 132 stores notification settings for each signal light operating state of each signal light 51. These notification settings include a first notification setting and a second notification setting. The first notification setting stores a notification setting indicating whether or not to notify the operating state of the monitored machine 2, and the notification destination when the notification setting is "enabled," i.e., when notification is to be sent. This notification destination is an example of the first notification destination. The second notification setting stores a re-notification setting indicating whether or not to send a re-notification and the re-notification setting time when the re-notification is to be sent, and the notification destination when re-notification is to be sent. This notification destination is an example of the second notification destination.

[0022] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the notification destination storage unit 133 stores the actual notification destination address for each of the notification destinations stored in the correspondence relationship storage unit 132.

[0023] The operating status storage unit 134 stores the operating status of the monitored machine 2. The specific contents stored by this operating status storage unit 134 will be described later.

[0024] Next, we will describe the various components implemented in the processor 11 of the monitoring server 1. The processor 11 implements, for example, a signal light operating status determination processing unit 111, a machine operating status determination processing unit 112, and a notification processing unit 113. Each component implemented in the processor 11 can also be called a functional module. Each component implemented in the processor 11 can also be called a control program executed by the control unit, which includes the processor 11 and the main memory 12. The control program is an example of a program that controls an information processing device that determines the operating status of the machine 2 to be monitored.

[0025] The signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 sends measurement instructions to the current sensors 6 corresponding to each signal light 51 attached to each monitored machine 2 via the communication network 4 using the communication interface 14. The signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 then receives the detection results of the current flowing through the signal light 51 corresponding to each current sensor 6, transmitted from each current sensor 6 via the communication network 4, via the communication interface 14, and stores them in the temporary storage unit 121 of the main memory 12. The signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 and the current sensors 6 are an example of a measurement unit that measures the current flowing through the signal lights 51 attached to the monitored machine 2 that indicate the operating status of the monitored machine 2.

[0026] Furthermore, the signal light operating state determination processing unit 111 determines which of the signal light patterns, pre-set as part of the control program stored in the control program storage unit 131, matches the detection result of each current sensor 6 stored in the temporary storage unit 121 of the main memory 12. The signal light operating state determination processing unit 111 determines the operating state corresponding to the matching signal light pattern as the operating state of the signal light 51 for which the current sensor 6 detected current. The signal light operating state determination processing unit 111 stores the determined signal light operating state in the temporary storage unit 121 of the main memory 12. The signal light operating state determination processing unit 111 is an example of a first determination unit that determines the operating state of the signal light 51 based on the current measurement result by the measurement unit.

[0027] The machine operation state determination processing unit 112 determines the operation state of the machine to be monitored, which corresponds to the operation state of the signal light 51 attached to the machine to be monitored, stored in the temporary storage unit 121 of the main memory 12, based on the relationship between the operation state of the signal light 51 attached to the machine to be monitored, which is stored in advance in the correspondence relationship storage unit 132, and the operation state of the machine to be monitored, which corresponds to the operation state of the signal light 51 stored in the temporary storage unit 121 of the main memory 12, as the machine operation state. The machine operation state determination processing unit 112 is an example of a second determination unit that determines the operation state of the machine to be monitored, which corresponds to the operation state of the signal light 51 determined by the first determination unit, based on the relationship stored in the correspondence relationship storage unit 132.

[0028] Furthermore, the machine operation status determination processing unit 112 stores the determined machine operation status, along with the signal light operation status, in the operation status storage unit 134.

[0029] The notification processing unit 113 determines whether a notification setting of "Yes" is stored in the correspondence relationship storage unit 132 for the monitored machine operating state determined by the machine operating state determination processing unit 112. If the notification setting is "Yes", the notification processing unit 113 reads the actual notification destination corresponding to the notification destination stored in the correspondence relationship storage unit 132 from the notification destination storage unit 133. Then, the notification processing unit 113 notifies the actual notification destination terminal 3, which is the notification destination, of the monitored machine operating state via the communication network 4 using the communication interface 14. The notification processing unit 113 is an example of a notification unit that notifies the operating state of the monitored machine 2 to the notification destination if the notification destination corresponding to the operating state of the monitored machine 2 determined by the second determination unit is stored in the correspondence relationship storage unit 132.

[0030] The monitoring server 1 can be implemented, for example, by using a general-purpose computer device for servers as hardware and writing the control program, which is an application program, to the auxiliary storage device 13 (which may also be the main memory 12). The control program may be stored in the auxiliary storage device 13 or the main memory 12 when the monitoring server 1 is transferred, or it may be transferred separately from the general-purpose computer device mentioned above. In the latter case, the control program may be recorded on a removable recording medium such as a magnetic disk, magneto-optical disk, optical disk, or semiconductor memory, or transferred via a network.

[0031] Next, we will explain the operation of monitoring server 1, which is configured as described above. Note that the various processes described below are just examples, and various processes that can obtain similar results can be used as appropriate.

[0032] When the monitoring server 1 is in a normal operating state, the processor 11 executes information processing based on a control program stored, for example, in the control program storage unit 131 of the auxiliary storage device 13. Figures 4 and 5 are flowcharts showing the main information processing steps performed by the processor 11. The processing shown in these flowcharts is the procedure for each individual current sensor 6. The processor 11 may perform this procedure sequentially for each of the multiple current sensors 6 provided in the machine operation status monitoring system SYS, or it may perform this procedure in parallel for one or more current sensors 6. Unless otherwise specified, the processing of the processor 11 shown in Figures 4 and 5 is assumed to transition from ACTn (where n is a natural number) to ACT(n+1).

[0033] As ACT101, the signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 implemented in the processor 11 determines whether or not it is time for measurement according to a pre-registered measurement pattern included in the control program stored in the control program storage unit 131. If it is not yet time for measurement, the signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 determines NO and executes ACT101 again. If it is time for measurement, the signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 determines YES and proceeds to ACT102.

[0034] Figures 6 and 7 show examples of measurement patterns. Figure 6 shows the measurement patterns in a table format, and Figure 7 shows each measurement pattern schematically. In this embodiment, there are two types of measurement patterns: measurement pattern A and measurement pattern B. Measurement pattern A is used to determine whether or not the signal light 51 is operating, and measurement pattern B is used to determine the actual operating state of the signal light 51.

[0035] Specifically, measurement pattern A has a measurement interval of "1 minute" and a number of consecutive measurements of "1". In other words, measurement pattern A measures the current flowing through the signal light 51 by detecting the current using the current sensor 6, i.e., sampling, once every 1 minute.

[0036] Furthermore, measurement pattern B has a measurement interval of "10 seconds", a number of consecutive measurements of "10 times", and a continuous measurement interval of "0.1 seconds". In other words, measurement pattern B involves detecting the current using the current sensor 6, i.e., sampling 10 times at 0.1-second intervals, to measure the current flowing through the signal light 51, and this is done at 10-second intervals.

[0037] Therefore, the determination of whether or not the measurement time has arrived in ACT101 is based on whether or not "1 minute," as indicated by the measurement interval in measurement pattern A, has elapsed.

[0038] As ACT102, the signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 performs a first current measurement. This first current measurement is performed according to measurement pattern A. Specifically, the signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 issues a measurement instruction to the current sensor 6 once and receives the detection result from the current sensor 6.

[0039] As ACT103, the signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 determines whether or not current is flowing to the signal light 51 based on the detection result of the received current sensor 6. If there is no current flowing to the signal light 51, the signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 determines NO and proceeds to ACT104. If there is current flowing to the signal light 51, the signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 determines YES and proceeds to ACT105.

[0040] As ACT104, the signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 determines that the signal light operation status is "off". The signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 stores the determined signal light operation status in the temporary storage unit 121 of the main memory 12. After that, the signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 proceeds to ACT101.

[0041] In this way, by repeating the loop of ACT101 to ACT104, the system waits at one-minute intervals, based on measurement pattern A, for the signal light 51 to enter an operational state other than "off".

[0042] As ACT105, the signal light operating state determination processing unit 111 performs a second current measurement. This second current measurement is performed according to measurement pattern B. Specifically, the signal light operating state determination processing unit 111 issues measurement instructions to the current sensor 6 10 times at 0.1-second intervals and receives the detection result from the current sensor 6, repeating this process a predetermined number of times at 10-second intervals.

[0043] As ACT106, the signal light operation state determination processing unit 111 determines whether the detection result of the received current sensor 6 corresponds to signal light pattern A, according to the pre-registered signal light patterns included in the control program stored in the control program storage unit 131. If the detection result of the current sensor 6 corresponds to signal light pattern A, the signal light operation state determination processing unit 111 determines YES and proceeds to ACT107. If the detection result of the current sensor 6 does not correspond to signal light pattern A, the signal light operation state determination processing unit 111 determines NO and proceeds to ACT108.

[0044] Figures 8 and 9 show examples of signal light patterns. Figure 8 shows the signal light patterns in a table format, and Figure 9 shows each signal light pattern schematically. In this embodiment, the signal light patterns include at least three types: signal light pattern A, signal light pattern B, and signal light pattern C. Each signal light pattern is defined by the "threshold change count," which is the number of times the current values ​​of 10 measurement points, which are the detection results of the current sensor 6, have changed relative to the threshold, and the "threshold exceedance rate," which is the percentage of the current values ​​of those 10 measurement points that have exceeded the threshold.

[0045] For example, signal light pattern A has a "threshold change count" of "0" and a "threshold exceedance rate" of "80% or more". The current sensor 6 detects these values ​​when current is continuously flowing through the signal light 51. Therefore, the current sensor 6 detects signal light pattern A when the signal light 51 is in the "on" operating state.

[0046] Furthermore, signal light pattern B is characterized by a "threshold change count" of "1 or more" and a "threshold exceedance rate" of "20% or more and 80% or less (or less than 80%)". The detection result of the current sensor 6 is such that there are alternating periods in which current flows through the signal light 51 and periods in which no current flows. These periods may be different from each other. Each period includes multiple measurement points. Therefore, the detection result of the current sensor 6 corresponds to signal light pattern B when the signal light 51 is in the "flashing" operating state.

[0047] Furthermore, signal light pattern C is characterized by a "threshold change count" of "1 or more" and a "threshold exceedance rate" of "less than 20%". The detection result of the current sensor 6 is such that there are alternating short periods in which current flows through the signal light 51 and periods in which no current flows. A short period is a period in which a measurement point is included only once, since there are 10 measurement points. Therefore, the detection result of the current sensor 6 corresponds to signal light pattern C when the signal light 51 is operating in the "flashing" state.

[0048] Therefore, as ACT107, the signal light operating state determination processing unit 111 determines that the signal light operating state is "on". The signal light operating state determination processing unit 111 stores the determined signal light operating state in the temporary storage unit 121 of the main memory 12. After that, the signal light operating state determination processing unit 111 proceeds to ACT113.

[0049] As ACT108, the signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 determines whether the detection result of the received current sensor 6 corresponds to signal light pattern B, according to the above signal light pattern. If the detection result of the current sensor 6 corresponds to signal light pattern B, the signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 determines YES and proceeds to ACT109. If the detection result of the current sensor 6 does not correspond to signal light pattern B, the signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 determines NO and proceeds to ACT110.

[0050] As ACT109, the signal light operating state determination processing unit 111 determines that the signal light operating state is "flashing". The signal light operating state determination processing unit 111 stores the determined signal light operating state in the temporary storage unit 121 of the main memory 12. After that, the signal light operating state determination processing unit 111 proceeds to ACT113.

[0051] As ACT110, the signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 determines whether the detection result of the received current sensor 6 corresponds to signal light pattern C, according to the above signal light pattern. If the detection result of the current sensor 6 corresponds to signal light pattern C, the signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 determines YES and proceeds to ACT111. If the detection result of the current sensor 6 does not correspond to signal light pattern C, the signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 determines NO and proceeds to ACT112.

[0052] As ACT111, the signal light operating state determination processing unit 111 determines that the signal light operating state is "flashing". The signal light operating state determination processing unit 111 stores the determined signal light operating state in the temporary storage unit 121 of the main memory 12. After that, the signal light operating state determination processing unit 111 proceeds to ACT113.

[0053] As ACT112, the signal light operation state determination processing unit 111 determines that the signal light operation state is one of the signal light operation states not shown in Figures 8 and 9. The signal light operation state determination processing unit 111 stores the determined signal light operation state in the temporary storage unit 121 of the main memory 12. After that, the signal light operation state determination processing unit 111 proceeds to ACT113.

[0054] As ACT113, the machine operation state determination processing unit 112 implemented in the processor 11 determines the monitored machine operation state corresponding to the signal light operation state stored in the temporary storage unit 121 of the main memory 12, based on the relationship between the signal light operation state and the monitored machine operation state that is pre-stored in the correspondence relationship storage unit 132.

[0055] As ACT114, the machine operation status determination processing unit 112 adds the determined operating status of the monitored machine, along with the signal light operating status, to the operating status storage unit 134, linked to the current time measured by a clock (not shown). Figure 10 shows an example of the contents stored in the operating status storage unit 134. As shown in Figure 10, the operating status storage unit 134 stores the "machine ID" and "operating status" as the monitored machine operating status, and the "signal light" and "operating status" as the signal light operating status, as a single record linked to the time. The machine ID is unique identification information for identifying the monitored machine 2. Although not specifically shown, for example, by storing the correspondence between each current sensor 6 and the machine ID in the auxiliary storage device 13, the machine operation status determination processing unit 112 can confirm this and save the machine ID to the operating status storage unit 134. In addition, as shown in Figure 10, each record may further include a notification flag. This notification flag is a 1-bit flag whose initial state is "0" (or "Null"). As will be described later, the notification flag is set to "1" when the notification processing unit 113 implemented in the processor 11 sends a notification to the notification destination terminal 3. Thus, the operating state storage unit 134 is an example of a storage unit that stores the operating state of the monitored machine 2 determined by the second determination unit, and the notification flag that is set when the notification processing unit 113 notifies about that operating state.

[0056] As ACT115, the notification processing unit 113 implemented in the processor 11 determines whether or not there is a notification setting for the monitored machine operating state in the record newly added and saved in the operating state storage unit 134, that is, whether or not "Yes" is stored in the notification setting of the first notification for the corresponding monitored machine operating state in the correspondence relationship storage unit 132. If there is no notification setting, the notification processing unit 113 determines NO and proceeds to ACT105. If there is a notification setting, the notification processing unit 113 determines YES and proceeds to ACT116.

[0057] As ACT116, the notification processing unit 113 determines whether the signal light operating state has changed, that is, whether the signal light operating state of the monitored machine 2 determined this time is different from the signal light operating state of the monitored machine 2 already stored in the operating state storage unit 134. If there is no signal light operating state already stored, or if the signal light operating state has changed, the notification processing unit 113 determines YES and proceeds to ACT117. If the signal light operating state has not changed, it determines NO and proceeds to ACT119.

[0058] As ACT117, the notification processing unit 113 performs the first notification. For example, the notification processing unit 113 reads from the notification destination storage unit 133 the actual notification destination address indicated in the notification destination of the first notification, which is pre-stored in the correspondence relationship storage unit 132 and corresponds to the operating status of the monitored machine in the record newly added and stored in the operating status storage unit 134. Then, the notification processing unit 113 creates an email notifying the operating status of the monitored machine 2 and sends the created email to the notification destination address read above.

[0059] As ACT118, the notification processing unit 113 sets the notification flag to "1" in the newly added record stored in the operational status storage unit 134. After that, the notification processing unit 113 proceeds to ACT105.

[0060] As ACT119, the notification processing unit 113 determines whether there is a re-notification setting for the monitored machine operating status in the record newly added and saved in the operating status storage unit 134, that is, whether the re-notification setting time is stored in the re-notification setting of the second notification for the corresponding monitored machine operating status in the correspondence relationship storage unit 132. If there is no re-notification setting, the notification processing unit 113 determines NO and proceeds to ACT105. If there is a re-notification setting, the notification processing unit 113 determines YES and proceeds to ACT120.

[0061] As ACT120, the notification processing unit 113 calculates the elapsed time since the signal light operating status changed. Specifically, the notification processing unit 113 calculates the difference between the time of the latest record in the operating status storage unit 134 for the monitored machine 2 in which the notification flag is set to "1", and the current time measured by a clock (not shown).

[0062] As ACT121, based on the calculated elapsed time, the notification processing unit 113 determines whether the re-notification setting time stored in the re-notification setting for the second notification in the correspondence relationship storage unit 132 has elapsed. If the re-notification setting time has not yet elapsed, the notification processing unit 113 determines NO and proceeds to ACT105. If the re-notification setting time has elapsed, the notification processing unit 113 determines YES and proceeds to ACT122.

[0063] As ACT122, the notification processing unit 113 performs a second notification. For example, the notification processing unit 113 reads from the notification destination storage unit 133 the actual notification destination address indicated in the notification destination of the second notification, which is pre-stored in the correspondence relationship storage unit 132 and corresponds to the operating status of the monitored machine in the record newly added and stored in the operating status storage unit 134. Then, the notification processing unit 113 creates an email notifying the operating status of the monitored machine 2 and sends the created email to the notification destination address read above. After that, the notification processing unit 113 proceeds to ACT118.

[0064] Thus, after the first notification is issued, the notification processing unit 113 stores records indicating the operating status of the monitored machine 2 as logs in the operating status storage unit 134 until the re-notification setting time has elapsed, and during that time the notification flag in the said record remains at "0". This allows the notification processing unit 113 to easily calculate the elapsed time since the first notification was issued. Then, once the re-notification setting time has elapsed since the first notification was issued, the notification processing unit 113 issues the second notification and sets the notification flag to "1". Therefore, subsequent elapsed time is calculated based on the time of the second notification, not the first notification, and the second notification is repeatedly issued each time the re-notification setting time has elapsed.

[0065] As described above, according to this embodiment, the machine operation status monitoring system SYS comprises a monitoring server 1 as an information processing device and a current sensor 6 that detects the current flowing through a signal light 51 attached to the machine to be monitored 2, which indicates the operating status of the machine to be monitored 2. The signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 of the monitoring server 1 causes the current sensor 6 to measure the current flowing through the signal light 51, and determines the operating status of the signal light 51 based on the measurement result. Then, the machine operation status determination processing unit 112 of the monitoring server 1 determines the operating status of the machine to be monitored corresponding to the determined operating status of the signal light, based on the relationship between the operating status of the signal light 51 and the operating status of the machine to be monitored 2, which is stored in advance in the correspondence relationship storage unit 132. Thus, the monitoring server 1 prepares a database in the relationship storage unit 132 that associates the operating status of the signal light 51 attached to the monitored machine 2 with the corresponding operating status of the monitored machine 2. The monitoring server 1 determines the operating status of the signal light 51 by measuring the small current flowing through the signal light 51, and then uses the database to determine the corresponding operating status of the monitored machine 2 based on the determined operating status of the signal light 51. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to determine the detailed operating status of the machine simply by measuring the current of the machine's signal light.

[0066] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the signal light operating state determination processing unit 111 of the monitoring server 1 causes the current sensor 6 to measure the current flowing through the signal light 51 in a preset measurement pattern, compares the measurement result with a signal light pattern corresponding to each operating state of the signal light 51 that has been registered in advance, and determines the operating state of the signal light 51 that matches the measurement result as the operating state of the signal light 51. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the operating state of the signal light 51 can be determined by determining what pattern of current is flowing through the signal light 51.

[0067] In this embodiment, the correspondence relationship storage unit 132 stores notification destinations in advance according to the operating status of the monitored machine 2. The notification processing unit 113 of the monitoring server 1 notifies the notification destination of the operating status of the monitored machine 2, which has been determined by the machine operating status determination processing unit 112, if the notification destination is stored in the correspondence relationship storage unit 132. Therefore, in this embodiment, the operating status of the monitored machine 2 can be notified to the notification destination, so that the notification destination can receive notifications at the necessary time and take appropriate action regarding the monitored machine 2, even if it does not constantly monitor the monitored machine 2.

[0068] In this embodiment, the correspondence relationship storage unit 132 stores a first notification destination and a second notification destination in advance as notification destinations. When the machine operation status determination processing unit 112 determines the operation status of the monitored machine 2, the notification processing unit 113 notifies the first notification destination stored in the correspondence relationship storage unit 132 of the operation status of the monitored machine 2. If the machine operation status determination processing unit 112 continues to determine the operation status of the monitored machine 2 even after a preset re-notification period has elapsed since the notification to the first notification destination, the notification processing unit 113 notifies the second notification destination stored in the correspondence relationship storage unit 132 of the operation status of the monitored machine 2. Therefore, in this embodiment, if an appropriate response has not been taken in response to the first notification, a notification can be sent to the second notification destination, thereby improving the certainty of taking an appropriate response to the monitored machine 2.

[0069] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the monitoring server 1 includes an operating state storage unit 134 that stores the operating state of the monitored machine determined by the machine operating state determination processing unit 112, and a notification flag that is set when the notification processing unit 113 notifies about the operating state. The notification processing unit 113 determines whether or not the re-notification period has elapsed based on the operating state and notification flag stored in the operating state storage unit 134. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the timing of the second notification can be easily determined simply by checking the notification flag.

[0070] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, there is a second measurement pattern with a longer measurement interval or fewer measurements than a preset measurement pattern. The signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 of the monitoring server 1 causes the current sensor 6 to measure the current flowing through the signal light 51 using the second measurement pattern, and when current is detected, switches to the preset measurement pattern and causes the current sensor 6 to measure the current flowing through the signal light 51. Therefore, according to this embodiment, by changing the measurement pattern as needed, it is possible to reduce the amount of communication between the current sensor 6 and the monitoring server 1, reduce the amount of data processing, and save power.

[0071] [Second Embodiment] Figure 11 is a block diagram showing the main circuit configuration and program overview of the monitoring server 1 as an information processing device according to the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the monitoring server 1 is equipped with a measurement value storage unit 135 in the auxiliary storage device 13, and a measurement value acquisition processing unit 114 is implemented in the processor 11.

[0072] In the first embodiment, the current sensor 6 detects the current flowing through the corresponding signal light 51 in response to a measurement instruction from the monitoring server 1. In contrast, in this embodiment, the current sensor 6 constantly detects the current and notifies the monitoring server 1 of the detection result as a measured value via the communication network 4. The measured value acquisition processing unit 114 receives the measured values ​​from each current sensor 6 via the communication interface and stores them in the measured value storage unit 135. Therefore, in this embodiment, the current sensor 6 is an example of a measurement unit that measures the current flowing through a signal light 51 attached to the monitored machine 2 that indicates the operating status of the monitored machine 2.

[0073] The signal light operation state determination processing unit 111 reads the necessary measurement values ​​from the measurement values ​​of the current sensor 6 stored in the measurement value storage unit 135 according to measurement patterns A and B as described in the first embodiment. Specifically, in the first current measurement of ACT102, the signal light operation state determination processing unit 111 reads the measurement value from the measurement value storage unit 135 at a timing that matches the sampling point in measurement pattern A. In the second current measurement of ACT105, the signal light operation state determination processing unit 111 reads multiple measurement values ​​from the measurement value storage unit 135 at timings that match each measurement point in measurement pattern B.

[0074] As described above, according to this embodiment, the machine operation status monitoring system SYS comprises a monitoring server 1 as an information processing device and a current sensor 6 that measures the current flowing through a signal light 51 attached to the machine to be monitored 2, which indicates the operating status of the machine to be monitored 2. The measurement value acquisition processing unit 114 of the monitoring server 1 receives the measurement value measured by the current sensor 6 and stores it in the measurement value storage unit 135. The signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 of the monitoring server 1 determines the operating status of the signal light 51 based on the measurement value of the current flowing through the signal light 51 stored in the measurement value storage unit 135. Then, the machine operation status determination processing unit 112 of the monitoring server 1 determines the operating status of the machine to be monitored corresponding to the determined operating status of the signal light, based on the relationship between the operating status of the signal light 51 and the operating status of the machine to be monitored 2, which is stored in advance in the correspondence relationship storage unit 132. Therefore, in this embodiment as well, similar to the first embodiment, it is possible to determine the detailed operating status of the machine simply by measuring the current of the machine's signal light.

[0075] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, there is no need to issue measurement instructions from the monitoring server 1 to the current sensor 6. Therefore, the current sensor 6 does not need a function to interpret such measurement instructions, and an inexpensive current sensor 6 that simply measures the current and outputs a communication signal can be used. This can lead to significant cost reductions when there are many monitored machines 2 or when there are many signal lights 51 per machine.

[0076] The above-described embodiment can be modified in various ways as follows.

[0077] For example, in this embodiment, the control program stored in the control program storage unit 131 includes the measurement pattern and the signal light pattern as fixed information. However, these patterns can also be arbitrarily set and stored in advance in the auxiliary storage device 13.

[0078] Furthermore, although the embodiment described a case where the information processing device is configured as a single monitoring server 1, it may be distributed across two or more devices. For example, the signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 and the machine operation status determination processing unit 112 may be configured as separate devices. In this case, the correspondence relationship storage unit 132 may be provided to each device, or it may be provided to only one of them, with the other device being allowed to access it or to receive and respond to inquiries from the other device. Alternatively, the correspondence relationship storage unit 132 may also be configured as a data server connected to the communication network 4, allowing access from either device. In addition, the function of the signal light operation status determination processing unit 111 may be provided to a device directly connected to the current sensor 6, and the signal light operation status may be transmitted from that device to the device equipped with the machine operation status determination processing unit 112 via the communication network 4. Thus, the storage location of the database showing the relationship of the operation status, the processing unit for measurement data, and the storage location for processed data can be combined in any way within any component of the machine operation status monitoring system SYS.

[0079] Furthermore, while ACT116 is designed to determine changes in the operating status of signal lights, it may also be designed to determine changes in the operating status of monitored machines that are already stored in the operating status storage unit 134.

[0080] Furthermore, the information processing flow described above by processor 11 with reference to the flowchart is just one example and is not limited to this order. For example, ACT106 and ACT108 may be performed in reverse order or in parallel. In this way, the order of processing may be changed or multiple processing may be performed in parallel, as long as there is no conflict with preceding or succeeding processing.

[0081] Furthermore, notifications are not limited to just two types, the first and second notifications; there may be a third and subsequent notifications.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when determining the operating state of the signal light from the measured current value, the signal light pattern is determined based on the percentage of measurement points that exceed the threshold; however, the determination may also be made based on the number of measurement points that exceed the threshold.

[0083] Furthermore, instead of determining the operational status of a signal light using software, it may be determined by detecting current values, such as the average or effective value of the current over a certain period, using hardware circuitry. For example, the operational status of the signal light can be determined as follows: "on" if the detected current value is 10A, "flashing" if it is 5A, and "blinking" if it is 1A.

[0084] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be carried out in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0085] 1...Monitoring server, 2...Monitored machine, 3...Notification destination terminal, 4...Communication network, 5...Display pole, 6,6B,6R,6Y...Current sensors, 11...Processor, 12...Main memory, 13...Auxiliary storage device, 14...Communication interface, 15...System transmission path, 51...Signal light, 51B...Blue signal light, 51R...Red signal light, 51Y...Yellow signal light, 111...Signal light operating status determination processing unit, 112...Machine operating status determination processing unit, 113...Notification processing unit, 114...Measurement value acquisition processing unit, 121...Temporary storage unit, 131...Control program storage unit, 132...Correspondence relationship storage unit, 133...Notification destination storage unit, 134...Operating status storage unit, 135...Measurement value storage unit, SYS...Machine operating status monitoring system.

Claims

1. A measuring unit that measures the current flowing through a signal light attached to the monitored machine that indicates the operating status of the monitored machine, A first determination unit determines the operating state of the signal lamp based on the measurement result of the current by the measurement unit, A storage unit that has pre-stored the relationship between the operating state of the signal light and the operating state of the monitored machine, A second determination unit determines the operating state of the monitored machine corresponding to the operating state of the signal light determined by the first determination unit, based on the relationship stored in the storage unit. A machine operating status monitoring system equipped with the following features.

2. The measuring unit measures the current flowing through the signal lamp according to a preset measurement pattern. The machine operating state monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the first determination unit compares the measurement result of the current by the measurement unit with a signal light pattern corresponding to each operating state of a pre-registered signal light, and determines the operating state corresponding to the signal light pattern for which the measurement result matches as the operating state of the signal light.

3. The storage unit stores in advance the notification destinations corresponding to the operating status of the monitored machine, The machine operating status monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit that notifies the notification destination of the operating status of the monitored machine, if the notification destination corresponding to the operating status of the monitored machine determined by the second determination unit is stored in the storage unit.

4. A first determination unit obtains measurement results from a sensor that measures the current flowing through a signal light that indicates the operating status of a monitored machine, and determines the operating status of the signal light based on the obtained measurement results. A storage unit that has pre-stored the relationship between the operating state of the signal light and the operating state of the monitored machine, A second determination unit determines the operating state of the monitored machine corresponding to the operating state of the signal light determined by the first determination unit, based on the relationship stored in the storage unit. An information processing device equipped with the following features.

5. A program for controlling an information processing device that determines the operating status of a monitored machine, comprising a processor and a storage device that has in advance stored the relationship between the operating status of a signal light attached to the monitored machine that indicates the operating status of the monitored machine and the operating status of the monitored machine, The aforementioned processor, The measurement results are obtained from a sensor that measures the current flowing through the aforementioned signal light, Based on the acquired measurement results, the operating state of the signal light is determined, Based on the relationship stored in the memory device, the operating state of the monitored machine corresponding to the determined operating state of the signal light is determined, A program that executes something.

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