Management systems, management methods, and management programs

Abstract

To obtain a management system that can reduce operational risks while minimizing the need for dedicated hardware. [Solution] The river monitoring and control system 50 comprises: a first device 14 that performs at least one of monitoring a managed object, which is a river or irrigation water, and controlling the state of the managed object; a master station device 12 connected to the first device 14 and a first terminal 15 by a dedicated line 30, which performs at least one of transmitting monitoring information acquired by the first device 14 to the first terminal 15 and performing control processing of the first device 14 based on instructions from the first terminal 15; a second device 23 that performs at least one of monitoring a managed object and controlling the state of the managed object; and a monitoring and control server 24 connected to the second device 23 and a second terminal 26 via a communication line including a public line, which performs at least one of transmitting monitoring information acquired by the second device 23 to the second terminal 26 and performing control processing of the second device 23 based on instructions from the second terminal 26.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a management system, a management method, and a management program for performing at least one of monitoring a river or water use and controlling the state of a river or water use.

Background Art

[0002] In the management of agricultural water use, river disaster prevention management during floods, etc., a management system is constructed to perform at least one of monitoring rivers and water use and controlling the state of a river or water use. The management system, for example, collects information necessary for management such as the water level, rainfall, and flow rate of a river from the site, and performs control processing for taking appropriate actions according to the situation (construction of flood prevention systems, water diversion operations by gate control, etc.).

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a water level measurement system including a server and a monitoring terminal, in which the server acquires measurement data of the water level of a river and transmits the acquired measurement data to the monitoring terminal. Patent Document 1 discloses transmitting the measurement result by a water level gauge unit to a server on the cloud. Generally, in the case of an on-premises configuration, compared with a cloud configuration, costs such as the maintenance cost of the server provided as dedicated hardware are required. Therefore, in recent years, in order to reduce the maintenance cost of servers, etc., the management system may be migrated from an on-premises configuration constructed with dedicated hardware to a cloud configuration.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When a system is built using a cloud configuration, such as the water level measurement system described in Patent Document 1, operational risks arise, including delays due to the use of public networks and unauthorized access such as hijacking.

[0006] This disclosure is made in view of the above, and aims to provide a management system that can reduce operational risks while suppressing the use of dedicated hardware. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the management system according to this disclosure comprises: a first device that performs at least one of monitoring a managed object, which is a river or water supply, and controlling the state of the managed object; a first control device connected to the first device and a first terminal by a dedicated line, which performs at least one of transmitting monitoring information acquired by the first device to the first terminal and controlling the first device based on instructions from the first terminal; a second device that performs at least one of monitoring a managed object and controlling the state of the managed object; and a second control device connected to a second device and a second terminal via a communication line including a public line, which performs at least one of transmitting monitoring information acquired by the second device to the second terminal and controlling the second device based on instructions from the second terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The management system described in this disclosure has the effect of reducing operational risks while minimizing the need for dedicated hardware. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example configuration of the river monitoring and control system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example configuration of the master station device and the first terminal in Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example configuration of the monitoring and control server and the second terminal in Embodiment 1. [Figure 4]A flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure in the master station device of Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] A flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure in the monitoring and control server of Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] Sequence diagram illustrating the operation of the river monitoring and control system of Embodiment 1 [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of the display screen shown on the first terminal of Embodiment 1. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of the display screen shown on the second terminal of Embodiment 1. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example configuration of a computer system that implements the monitoring and control server of Embodiment 1. [Figure 10] A flowchart showing an example of the device switching procedure in Embodiment 2. [Figure 11] This figure shows an example of the display screen for control performance information in Embodiment 2. [Figure 12] This figure shows an example of the first and second equipment groups before and after the switching process in Embodiment 2. [Figure 13] Sequence diagram showing an example of the operation related to the removal of access restrictions in the river monitoring and control system of Embodiment 3. [Figure 14] This figure shows an example of a display screen that appears on a specific terminal in Embodiment 3 while access restrictions are being lifted. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The management system, management method, and management program according to the embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0011] Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a river monitoring and control system 50 according to Embodiment 1. The river monitoring and control system 50 of the present embodiment is an example of a management system for managing rivers or water uses. The management system is a system that targets rivers or water uses and performs at least one of monitoring the management target and controlling the state of the management target. Water uses include water used for various purposes such as ponds, water intakes, dams, etc. Hereinafter, as the management system, a river monitoring and control system 50 that performs both river monitoring and control of the river state will be taken as an example for explanation. However, the configuration and operation of the present embodiment may be applied to a management system that performs either river monitoring or control of the river state, a management system that performs at least one of monitoring of water uses and control of the state of water uses, etc.

[0012] The river monitoring and control system 50 includes a first system 10 that is a part having an on-premises configuration dedicatedly constructed by the administrator of the river monitoring and control system 50, and a second system 20 that is a part having a cloud configuration using cloud computing in which a server environment (computer resources) is provided via a public line such as the Internet. That is, the river monitoring and control system 50 is a hybrid system that uses both an on-premises configuration and a cloud configuration. The administrator of the river monitoring and control system 50 is, for example, an organization that performs at least one of management, operation, and use of the river monitoring and control system 50, and is, for example, a local government, but is not limited thereto, and may be a business operator or the like.

[0013] In the present embodiment, devices (equipment) that perform at least one of monitoring the management target and controlling the state of the management target are divided into a first equipment group composed of important devices (equipment) and a second equipment group composed of non-important devices. The device includes, for example, any one of sensors such as water level gauges, cameras (monitoring cameras), sluice gates, overflow gates, drainage airports, (movable) weirs, gates, etc., but is not limited thereto. Further, the device includes not only devices such as sensors but also devices that constitute facilities such as drainage airports. Further, the device may include the facility itself.

[0014] In this embodiment, for important devices, by belonging them to the first system 10, highly reliable monitoring and control processing with an on-premises configuration is performed. On the other hand, if a server for accumulating information on a large number of devices and performing monitoring and control processing is provided within the first system 10, large-scale hardware such as using a large number of server devices becomes necessary, and the installation and maintenance of this hardware will be carried out by the administrator himself / herself, which is costly. For this reason, in this embodiment, for devices other than important devices, that is, non-important devices, by belonging them to the second system 20 and using a cloud system, the installation cost, maintenance cost, etc. of the server are reduced. In this embodiment, by adopting such a hybrid system, it is possible to reduce the operation risk while suppressing dedicated hardware.

[0015] Whether each device is an important device or not is set, for example, by the user of the river monitoring and control system 50. An important device is, for example, a device set as an important device by the user. Specifically, for example, an important device may be a device assumed to have a wide range of influence like a headworks, a device assumed to have a serious impact, or a device assumed to lead to a large damage. Also, an important device may be determined by operating conditions such as whether there is a person常驻 near the device and the installation position of the device. The user may be the administrator of the river monitoring and control system 50 (a person belonging to the administrator's organization), or a person entrusted or commissioned by the administrator of the river monitoring and control system 50. Also, in the monitoring and control of the river, an operator who actually executes monitoring, control, etc. using this river monitoring and control system 50 is arranged. The user includes this operator.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the first system 10 includes a VPN (Virtual Private Network) router 11, a master station device 12, a slave station device 13, a first device 14, and a first terminal 15. In FIG. 1, the first terminal 15 is included in the first system 10 and the river monitoring and control system 50, but the first terminal 15 may not be included in the first system 10 and the river monitoring and control system 50.

[0017] The first device 14 provided in the first system 10 is an important device belonging to the first equipment group. The first device 14 is, for example, a device designated as an important device by the user, as described above. The first device 14 includes, but is not limited to, one of the following: a sensor such as a water level gauge, a camera (surveillance camera), a sluice gate, a drainage gate, a pumping station, a (movable) weir, a lock, etc. Furthermore, there may be one or more first devices 14, and if there are multiple first devices 14, the multiple first devices 14 may include multiple types of devices. If the first device 14 is a device for monitoring a river, such as a sensor or camera, the first device 14 transmits monitoring information acquired by the river to the slave station device 13.

[0018] The VPN router 11 performs processing to establish a virtual private line. The master station 12 is connected to the Internet 40, which is an example of a public line, via the VPN router 11, and is connected to the first terminal 15 and the slave station 13 via a private line 30, which is a private line. The master station 12 is connected to the first terminal 15 and (via the slave station 13) the first device 14 via the private line 30, and is an example of a first control device that performs at least one of the following: transmitting monitoring information acquired by the first device 14 to the first terminal 15 and controlling the first device 14 based on instructions from the first terminal 15. The master station 12 is, for example, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), also called a sequencer, but is not limited to this. The master station 12 collects and stores information such as monitoring information acquired by the first device 14 from the slave station 13 and control information related to the control of the first device 14, and also controls the slave station 13. The master station 12 also has a Web (World Wide Web) server function that provides information from the website, and transmits monitoring information and control information of the first device 14 to the first terminal 15. Details of the master station 12 will be described later.

[0019] The slave station 13 is, for example, a PLC, and acquires information from the first device 14, such as monitoring information acquired by the first device 14 and control information indicating the control results of the first device 14, and transmits the acquired information to the master station 12. The slave station 13 also controls the first device 14 under the control of the master station 12. For example, if the first device 14 is a sluice gate, the slave station 13 controls the opening and closing of the sluice gate. If the first device 14 is a camera, the slave station 13 acquires the video acquired by the camera as monitoring information from the first device 14 and transmits the acquired monitoring information to the master station 12. There may be one or more slave station 13s. There may be one or more first devices 14 controlled by one slave station 13. Note that here we describe an example where the master station 12 and slave station 13 are PLCs, but the master station 12 and slave station 13 are not limited to PLCs. Alternatively, the first device 14 may be controlled by a first control device that integrates the master station 12 and the slave station 13. Although not shown in Figure 1, the slave station 13 and the first device 14 are also connected by a private, dedicated line.

[0020] The first terminal 15 is, for example, a field terminal installed at the site, which is the river under monitoring and its vicinity. Generally, a management office or similar facility is set up around the river for river management purposes, and the first system 10 is installed at the management office. However, the first terminal 15 is not limited to being installed at the site; it may be installed outside the site as long as it is within a range where a private dedicated line connected to the master station device 12 can be laid.

[0021] The first terminal 15 receives monitoring information and control information for the first device 14 from the master station 12 via the dedicated line 30, and displays the received monitoring information and control information. In the following, descriptions of at least some of the devices and lines through which information is transmitted and received may be omitted. For example, the transmission of information from the first terminal 15 to the master station 12 via the dedicated line 30 may be expressed as the first terminal 15 transmitting information to the master station 12. That is, when a device transmits information to a destination device, it is not limited to cases where the device directly transmits the information to the destination device, but also includes cases where it transmits the information via other devices, etc.

[0022] Furthermore, when the first terminal 15 receives a control instruction from the user indicating the control content of the first device 14, it transmits the control instruction to the master station 12. Users such as operators can understand the condition of the river by visually viewing the monitoring and control information displayed on the first terminal 15. In addition, by using the first terminal 15 to input a control instruction indicating the control content of the first device 14, the first device 14 can be operated (remotely controlled) via the first terminal 15, the master station 12, and the slave station 13.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, the second system 20 includes a GW (Gateway) device 21, a slave station device 22, a second device 23, a monitoring and control server 24, a Web server 25, and a second terminal 26. In Figure 1, the second terminal 26 is included in the second system 20 and the river monitoring and control system 50, but the second terminal 26 does not necessarily have to be included in the second system 20 and the river monitoring and control system 50.

[0024] The second piece of equipment 23 is a non-critical piece of equipment belonging to the second equipment group. Similar to the first piece of equipment 14, the second piece of equipment 23 includes, but is not limited to, one of the following: a sensor such as a water level gauge, a camera (surveillance camera), a sluice gate, a drainage gate, a pumping station, a (movable) weir, or a lock. Furthermore, there may be one or more pieces of equipment 23, and if there are multiple pieces of equipment 23, the multiple pieces of equipment 23 may include multiple types of equipment.

[0025] The GW device 21 performs conversion processing of communication protocols between the Internet 40 and the dedicated line 30. The monitoring and control server 24 is connected to the slave station device 22 via the Internet 40, the GW device 21, and the dedicated line 30, and is connected to the second terminal 26 via the Internet 40. The monitoring and control server 24 is an example of a second control device that is connected to the second terminal 26 and (via the slave station device 22) the second device 23 via a communication line including a public network, and performs at least one of the following: transmitting monitoring information acquired by the second device 23 to the second terminal 26 and controlling the second device 23 based on instructions from the second terminal 26. The monitoring and control server 24 is, for example, located on the cloud. Located on the cloud means that it is built using computer resources provided by a service provider or the like via the Internet 40. That is, the monitoring and control server 24 is realized by a computer system corresponding to computer resources provided as a cloud service. The second control device may also include the monitoring and control server 24 and a web server 25. By using the cloud, administrators do not need to set up dedicated hardware. The following describes an example where the monitoring and control server 24 and the web server 25 are located on the cloud. However, this is not limited to services called cloud services; the monitoring and control server 24 and the web server 25 can be located in any environment where computer resources are provided using public networks. Note that Figure 1 shows the monitoring and control server 24 and the web server 25 separately, but this is not limited to this arrangement; the monitoring and control server 24 may also function as the web server 25.

[0026] The monitoring and control server 24 collects and stores information such as monitoring information acquired by the second device 23 from the slave station device 22, and control information related to the control of the second device 23, and also controls the slave station device 22. In addition, the monitoring and control server 24 receives and stores monitoring and control information of the first device 14 from the master station device 12 via the VPN router 11 and the internet 40. The monitoring and control server 24 also sends information to be transmitted to the second terminal 26 to the web server 25, and receives information transmitted from the second terminal 26 via the web server 25. Note that this example describes the monitoring and control server 24 storing monitoring and control information of the first device 14 in addition to the monitoring and control information of the second device 23, but the monitoring and control server 24 does not have to store monitoring and control information of the first device 14. The monitoring and control server 24 stores monitoring and control information for the first device 14, thereby ensuring redundancy in the storage of information related to the first device 14. Furthermore, users can monitor the first device 14 using not only the first terminal 15 but also the second terminal 26, enabling more reliable monitoring of the first device 14. Details of the monitoring and control server 24 will be described later.

[0027] The slave station device 22 is, for example, a PLC, and acquires information from the second device 23, such as monitoring information acquired by the second device 23 and control information indicating the control results of the second device 23, and transmits the acquired information to the monitoring and control server 24. Although not shown in Figure 1, the slave station device 22 and the second device 23 are also connected by a private dedicated line.

[0028] The web server 25 provides information stored by the monitoring and control server 24 to the second terminal 26 via a website. For example, the web server 25 obtains monitoring and control information for the second device 23 and monitoring and control information for the first device 14 from the monitoring and control server 24, generates website information for display on the website using the obtained information, and transmits the website information to the second terminal 26. The website information may include information that displays the monitoring and control information in the form of graphs, etc. In this case, the web server 25 may generate the graphs, or the monitoring and control server 24 may generate the graphs. The web server 25 also receives information from the second terminal 26 indicating the input received by the second terminal 26 on the website, and transmits the received information to the monitoring and control server 24.

[0029] The second terminal 26 is a management terminal connected to the monitoring and control server 24 via the Internet 40. The second terminal 26 receives monitoring and control information for the second device 23 and monitoring and control information for the first device 14 from the monitoring and control server 24 via the Internet 40, and displays the received information. If the monitoring and control information for the first device 14 is not stored in the monitoring and control server 24, the second terminal 26 does not need to receive and display the monitoring and control information for the first device 14. Furthermore, when the second terminal 26 receives input of a control instruction indicating the control content of the second device 23 from a user, it transmits the control instruction to the monitoring and control server 24. Users such as operators can understand the state of the river by visually checking the monitoring and control information displayed on the second terminal 26. In addition, users can operate (remotely control) the second device 23 via the second terminal 26, the monitoring and control server 24, and the slave station device 22 by inputting control instructions indicating the control content of the second device 23 using the second terminal 26. In this embodiment, control of the first device 14 from the second terminal 26 is disabled. For example, the display screen shown on the second terminal 26 may not show a screen for controlling the first device 14. Alternatively, when the second terminal 26 receives a control instruction regarding the first device 14 and the instruction is sent to the Web server 25, the Web server 25, the monitoring and control server 24, and the master station device 12 may discard the instruction and display a message indicating that control is not possible on the second terminal 26.

[0030] Note that Figure 1 is an example, and the specific configuration of the device is not limited to the example shown in Figure 1. For example, in Figure 1, a GW device 21 is provided for each slave device 22, but multiple slave devices 22 may be connected to a single GW device 21. Also, a VPN router 11 may be used instead of a GW device 21, or a GW device 21 may be used instead of a VPN router 11.

[0031] Furthermore, while Figure 1 shows an example where the master station 12 and the web server 25 exchange information with the first terminal 15 and the second terminal 26, respectively, using a website, the method by which the master station 12 and the web server 25 exchange information with the first terminal 15 and the second terminal 26 is not limited to this. For example, by installing application software (hereinafter also referred to as "app") for exchanging information with the master station 12 on the first terminal 15, the first terminal 15 may perform information exchange and various display processing with the master station 12. Similarly, by installing an app for exchanging information with the monitoring and control server 24 on the second terminal 26, the second terminal 26 may perform information exchange and various display processing with the monitoring and control server 24.

[0032] As described above, the communication path from the second terminal 26 to the slave station device 22 includes public lines such as the Internet 40, and is subject to operational risks such as line disconnection, communication delays, and unauthorized access. Therefore, in this embodiment, by using not only the cloud-based second system 20 but also the on-premise first system 10, both cost reduction and mitigation of operational risks are achieved.

[0033] Next, an example configuration of the master station 12 and the first terminal 15 in the first system 10 will be described. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example configuration of the master station 12 and the first terminal 15 in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the master station 12 includes an information storage unit 121, a transmitting / receiving unit 122, a processing unit 123, a slave station transmitting / receiving unit 124, and a Web processing unit 125.

[0034] The transmitting / receiving unit 122 communicates with other devices. For example, in accordance with instructions from the Web processing unit 125, the transmitting / receiving unit 122 transmits monitoring information and control information of the first equipment group, i.e., the first device 14, to the first terminal 15 via the dedicated line 30 as information from a website. When the transmitting / receiving unit 122 receives a control instruction from the first terminal 15 indicating the content of the control of the first device 14, it outputs the control instruction to the processing unit 123. The transmitting / receiving unit 122 also transmits the monitoring information and control information of the first equipment group stored in the information storage unit 121 to the monitoring and control server 24 via the VPN router 11 and the internet 40. Note that the transmission of monitoring information and control information of the first equipment group from the master station device 12 to the monitoring and control server 24 does not necessarily have to be done as described above.

[0035] The sub-station transceiver 124 communicates with the sub-station device 13. For example, when the sub-station transceiver 124 receives a control instruction from the processing unit 123, it transmits the control instruction to the corresponding sub-station device 13. The sub-station transceiver 124 also receives monitoring information and control information for the first equipment 14 from the sub-station device 13 and stores the received monitoring information and control information in the information storage unit 121. The information storage unit 121 stores the monitoring information and control information for the first equipment group, i.e., the first equipment 14. Note that the monitoring information and control information for the first equipment 14 may be transmitted from the sub-station device 13 at different timings. Also, although the monitoring information is transmitted periodically from the sub-station device 13, the transmission cycle of the monitoring information from the sub-station device 13 may differ for each sub-station device 13 or may be the same among the sub-station devices 13. Furthermore, when one slave unit 13 controls multiple first devices 14, the slave unit 13 may transmit the monitoring information of the multiple first devices 14 to the master unit 12 collectively, or it may transmit it to the master unit 12 individually. The control information includes information indicating the result of the control, i.e., the response to the control command from the first device 14, obtained when the control is performed. The control information may also include information indicating the content of the control instruction when the control is performed. The master unit 12 may store the information indicating the content of the control instruction as control information in the information storage unit 121 based on the control instruction.

[0036] The processing unit 123 performs tasks such as presenting monitoring information acquired from the first device 14 and controlling the slave station device 13 for controlling the first device 14. For example, when the processing unit 123 receives a control instruction from the first terminal 15 via the transceiver unit 122, it converts the control instruction into a format that the slave station device 13 can interpret, and transmits the converted control instruction to the slave station device 13 that controls the first device 14 corresponding to the control instruction, via the slave station transceiver unit 124. The processing unit 123 maintains the correspondence between the identification information of each device belonging to the first equipment group, i.e., each first device 14, and the slave station device 13 that controls that device, as first device information. The first device information may be stored in the information storage unit 121. The processing unit 123 also converts the monitoring information and control information received from the slave station device 13 via the slave station transceiver unit 124 into a format that can be stored in the information storage unit 121, and stores the converted monitoring information and control information in the information storage unit 121. Furthermore, if these conversions are unnecessary, the processing unit 123 does not need to perform them.

[0037] When the Web processing unit 125 receives a request from the first terminal 15 via the transmitting / receiving unit 122 to access a website that provides monitoring information and control information, it transmits website information for displaying the website to the first terminal 15 via the transmitting / receiving unit 122. The website information includes monitoring information and control information stored in the information storage unit 121. The Web processing unit 125 determines the monitoring information and control information to transmit to the first terminal 15 in response to the input received by the first terminal 15 on the website, reads the corresponding information from the information storage unit 121 based on the determination result, and transmits the website information including the read information to the first terminal 15 via the transmitting / receiving unit 122. The website information may also include information that displays the monitoring information and control information in the form of a graph, etc. In this case, the Web processing unit 125 may generate the graph, or the processing unit 123 may generate the graph.

[0038] The first terminal 15 comprises a transmitting / receiving unit 151, a receiving unit 152, a processing unit 153, and a display unit 154. The transmitting / receiving unit 151 communicates with other devices. For example, the transmitting / receiving unit 151 receives website information, including monitoring and control information for the first group of equipment, from the master station device 12, and outputs the received website information to the processing unit 153. The transmitting / receiving unit 151 also transmits input information addressed to the master station device 12, which it received from the receiving unit 152, to the master station device 12.

[0039] The processing unit 153 controls the operation of the first terminal 15. For example, when the processing unit 153 receives website information from the transmitting / receiving unit 151, it displays the received website information on the display unit 154. More specifically, for example, the processing unit 153 has the functionality of a web browser and displays monitoring information and control information on the display unit 154 in a layout specified by the website information. The monitoring information and control information may be displayed on the same screen or on different screens (different pages).

[0040] The reception unit 152 receives input from the user and outputs input information indicating the content of the received input to the processing unit 153 or the transmitting / receiving unit 151. For example, the reception unit 152 receives input indicating the content of control of the first device 14 and outputs control instructions indicating the content of control to the transmitting / receiving unit 151 as input information addressed to the master station device 12. The display unit 154 displays various information. For example, under the control of the processing unit 153, the display unit 154 displays monitoring information and control information based on website information.

[0041] Next, an example configuration of the monitoring and control server 24 and the second terminal 26 in the second system 20 will be described. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example configuration of the monitoring and control server 24 and the second terminal 26 in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, the monitoring and control server 24 includes an information storage unit 241, a transmitting and receiving unit 242, a processing unit 243, and a slave station transmitting and receiving unit 244.

[0042] The transmitting / receiving unit 242 communicates with other devices. For example, the transmitting / receiving unit 242 transmits monitoring information and control information of the first equipment group and the second equipment group, i.e., the first device 14 and the second device 23, to the second terminal 26 via the Web server 25. Also, when the transmitting / receiving unit 242 receives a control instruction from the second terminal 26 via the Web server 25, indicating the content of the control of the second device 23, it outputs the control instruction to the processing unit 243. In addition, the transmitting / receiving unit 242 receives monitoring information and control information of the first equipment group from the master station device 12 and stores the received information in the information storage unit 241.

[0043] The slave transceiver 244 communicates with the slave device 22. The operation of the slave transceiver 244 is the same as that of the slave transceiver 124 of the master station device 12, except that the communication partner is the second device 23 instead of the first device 14. The information storage unit 241 stores the monitoring and control information of the first equipment group and the monitoring and control information of the second equipment group.

[0044] The processing unit 243 performs control processing for the slave station device 22 for controlling the second device 23, and processes the reading of information requested by the Web server 25 from the information storage unit 241 and outputting it to the transmitting / receiving unit 242. For example, when the processing unit 243 receives a control instruction from the second terminal 26 via the Web server 25 and the transmitting / receiving unit 242, it converts the control instruction into a format that the slave station device 22 can interpret, and transmits the converted control instruction to the slave station device 22 that controls the second device 23 corresponding to the control instruction via the slave station transmitting / receiving unit 244. The processing unit 243 maintains the correspondence between the identification information of each device belonging to the second equipment group, i.e., each second device 23, and the slave station device 22 that controls that device, as second device information. The first device information may be stored in the information storage unit 241. Furthermore, the processing unit 243 converts the monitoring information and control information received from the slave station device 22 via the slave station transceiver unit 244 into a format that can be stored in the information storage unit 241, and stores the converted monitoring information and control information in the information storage unit 241. Note that if these conversions are not necessary, the processing unit 243 does not need to perform them.

[0045] The second terminal 26 comprises a transmitting / receiving unit 261, a receiving unit 262, a processing unit 263, and a display unit 264. The transmitting / receiving unit 261 communicates with other devices. For example, the transmitting / receiving unit 261 receives website information from the monitoring and control server 24, including monitoring and control information for the first equipment group and monitoring and control information for the second equipment group, and outputs the received website information to the processing unit 263. The transmitting / receiving unit 261 also sends input information addressed to the web server 25, which it received from the receiving unit 262, to the web server 25. The web server 25 sends control instructions and other information from the received input information to the monitoring and control server 24.

[0046] The processing unit 263 controls the operation of the second terminal 26. For example, when the processing unit 263 receives website information from the transmitting / receiving unit 261, it displays the received website information on the display unit 264. More specifically, for example, the processing unit 263 has the functionality of a web browser and displays monitoring information and control information on the display unit 264 in a layout specified by the website information. The monitoring information and control information may be displayed on the same screen or on different screens (different pages). In addition, information regarding the first equipment group and information regarding the second equipment group may be displayed on the same screen or on different screens (different pages).

[0047] The reception unit 262 receives input from the user and outputs input information indicating the content of the received input to the processing unit 263 or the transmitting / receiving unit 261. For example, the reception unit 262 receives input indicating the content of control of the second device 23 and outputs control instructions indicating the content of control to the transmitting / receiving unit 261 as input information addressed to the Web server 25. The display unit 264 displays various information. For example, under the control of the processing unit 263, the display unit 264 displays monitoring information and control information based on website information.

[0048] Next, the operation of the master station device 12 and the monitoring and control server 24 in this embodiment will be described. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure in the master station device 12 in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 4, the master station device 12 acquires monitoring information of the first device 14 (step S1) and stores the monitoring information of the first device 14 (step S2). In detail, the slave station transceiver unit 124 receives the monitoring information of the first device 14 from the slave station device 13 and stores the received monitoring information of the first device 14 in the information storage unit 121. In Figure 4, steps S1 and S2 are shown before step S3, but steps S1 and S2 may be performed in parallel with the processing from step S3 onwards, and the timing of performing steps S1 and S2 is not limited to the example shown in Figure 4.

[0049] The master station device 12 determines whether or not it is necessary to send information to the first terminal 15 (step S3). Specifically, the Web processing unit 125 determines that it is necessary to send information to the first terminal 15 (transmission is required) when it receives a request from the first terminal 15 via the transmitting / receiving unit 122 to access a website that provides monitoring information and control information. The Web processing unit 125 also determines that it is necessary to send information to the first terminal 15 if at least one of the monitoring information and control information is updated.

[0050] If it is necessary to send information to the first terminal 15 (step S3 Yes), the master station device 12 sends the stored information to the first terminal 15 (step S4). Specifically, in step S4, if the Web processing unit 125 receives a request to access a website, it sends website information to the first terminal 15 via the transmitting / receiving unit 122. If at least one of the monitoring information and control information stored in the information storage unit 121 has been updated since the last time information was sent to the first terminal 15, it sends the updated information to the first terminal 15 via the transmitting / receiving unit 122. The information sent to the first terminal 15 includes, for example, monitoring information and control information for the first device 14, but the information to be sent may be selectable based on the user's request via the first terminal 15. If it is determined to be No in step S3, the master station device 12 proceeds to step S5, which will be described later.

[0051] The master station device 12 determines whether or not it has received a control instruction from the first device 14 (step S5). More specifically, the Web processing unit 125 determines whether or not it has received a control instruction from the first terminal 15 via the transmitting / receiving unit 122.

[0052] If the master station 12 receives a control instruction for the first device 14 (step S5 Yes), it performs control processing for the first device 14 (step S6). Specifically, in step S6, the Web processing unit 125 outputs the control instruction for the first device 14 received from the first terminal 15 to the processing unit 123, and the processing unit 123 transmits the control instruction to the slave device 13 corresponding to the first device 14 via the slave transceiver unit 124. If the master station 12 determines No in step S5, it repeats the process from step S1.

[0053] After step S6, the master station device 12 acquires control information for the first device 14 (step S7) and stores the control information for the first device 14 (step S8). Specifically, the processing unit 123 receives control information from the slave station device 13 via the slave station transceiver unit 124, indicating the control result of the first device 14 controlled in the control process of step S6, and stores the received control information in the information storage unit 121. The processing unit 123 may also store the content of the control instruction in the information storage unit 121 along with the control information.

[0054] The master station device 12 transmits the control information of the first device 14 to the first terminal 15 (step S9), and repeats the process from step S1. In step S9, more specifically, the processing unit 123 transmits the control information of the first device 14, which was controlled in the control processing of step S6, to the first terminal 15 via the transmitting / receiving unit 122.

[0055] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure in the monitoring and control server 24 of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 5, the monitoring and control server 24 acquires monitoring and control information for the first device 14 and monitoring information for the second device 23 (step S11), and stores the acquired information (step S12). In detail, the slave station transceiver unit 244 receives monitoring information for the second device 23 from the slave station device 22 and stores the received monitoring information for the second device 23 in the information storage unit 241. The transceiver unit 242 also receives monitoring and control information for the first device 14 from the master station device 12 and stores the received information in the information storage unit 241. Note that the acquisition of monitoring information for the first device 14 and the acquisition of monitoring and control information for the second device 23 may be performed at different times or simultaneously. In Figure 5, steps S11 and S12 are shown before step S13, but steps S11 and S12 may be performed in parallel with the processing from step S13 onward, and the timing of performing steps S11 and S12 is not limited to the example shown in Figure 5.

[0056] The monitoring and control server 24 determines whether or not it is necessary to send information to the second terminal 26 (step S13). Specifically, the processing unit 243 determines that it is necessary to send information to the second terminal 26 (via the web server 25) when it receives a request from the web server 25 via the transmitting and receiving unit 242 to obtain information to send to the second terminal 26. If it is not necessary to send information to the second terminal 26 (step S13 No), the monitoring and control server 24 proceeds to step S15, which will be described later.

[0057] If it is necessary to send information to the second terminal 26 (step S13 Yes), the monitoring and control server 24 sends the stored information to the second terminal 26 via the web server 25 (step S14). Specifically, in step S14, the processing unit 243 reads the stored information from the information storage unit 241 in accordance with the request from the web server 25 and sends the read information to the web server 25 as presentation information. As a result, the presentation information is sent from the web server 25 to the second terminal 26. The presentation information includes, for example, monitoring information for the first device 14, control information for the first device 14, monitoring information for the second device 23, and control information for the second device 23, but the information to be sent may be selectable based on the user's request via the second terminal 26.

[0058] The monitoring and control server 24 determines whether or not it has received a control instruction for the second device 23 (step S15). More specifically, the processing unit 243 determines whether or not it has received a control instruction for the second device 23 from the second terminal 26 via the web server 25 and the transmitting / receiving unit 242.

[0059] If the monitoring and control server 24 receives a control instruction for the second device 23 (step S15 Yes), it performs the control processing for the second device 23 (step S16). Specifically, in step S16, the processing unit 243 transmits the control instruction to the slave device 22 corresponding to the second device 23 that issued the instruction, via the slave transceiver unit 244. If the server determines No in step S15, the monitoring and control server 24 repeats the process from step S11.

[0060] After step S16, the monitoring and control server 24 acquires control information for the second device 23 (step S17) and saves the control information for the second device 23 (step S18). Specifically, the processing unit 243 receives control information from the slave device 22 via the slave transceiver unit 244, indicating the control result of the second device 23 that was controlled in the control process of step S16, and stores the received control information in the information storage unit 241. The processing unit 243 may also store the content of the control instruction in the information storage unit 241 along with the control information.

[0061] The monitoring and control server 24 transmits control information of the second device 23 to the second terminal 26 via the web server 25 (step S19), and repeats the processing from step S11. In step S19, specifically, the processing unit 243 transmits the control information of the second device 23, which was controlled in the control processing of step S16, to the second device 23 via the transmitting and receiving unit 242.

[0062] Note that the procedures shown in Figures 4 and 5 are illustrative examples, and any equivalent processing will suffice. The order, timing, and content of processing in the master station device 12 and the monitoring and control server 24 are not limited to the examples shown in Figures 4 and 5.

[0063] Furthermore, in the example described above, the first device 14 is controllable from the first terminal 15 and the second device 23 is controllable from the second terminal 26. However, it is also possible to allow control of the second device 23 from the first terminal 15. As mentioned above, in this embodiment, control of the first device 14 from the second terminal 26 is not possible. This reduces the operational risks associated with using public lines for the first device 14, which is an important device.

[0064] Next, the overall operation of the river monitoring and control system 50 of this embodiment will be described. Figure 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation of the river monitoring and control system 50 of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 6, the monitoring information acquired by the first device 14 is transmitted to the slave station device 13 (step S21), and then transmitted from the slave station device 13 to the master station device 12 (step S22). The master station device 12 stores the monitoring information in the information storage unit 121 (step S23). The monitoring information is also transmitted to the monitoring and control server 24 (step S24), and if transmission to the first terminal 15 is necessary, it is also transmitted to the first terminal 15 (step S25). The first terminal 15 displays the received monitoring information (step S26). In step S25, the control information stored in the information storage unit 121 may also be transmitted from the master station device 12 to the first terminal 15, and the control information may also be displayed in step S26.

[0065] Figure 7 shows an example of a display screen shown on the first terminal 15 in this embodiment. The devices A1 to A4 shown in Figure 7 are examples of the first device 14. As shown in Figure 7, the first terminal 15 displays monitoring information for the first device 14 belonging to the first equipment group in the monitoring information display area 201. In the example shown in Figure 7, control buttons 202 for receiving control instructions corresponding to each of the devices A1 to A3 are displayed, and when a control button 202 is pressed, a reception screen for receiving the corresponding control instruction for the first device 14 is displayed. On the reception screen, the user of the first terminal 15 can input the control content, allowing the first terminal 15 to receive control instructions from the user indicating the control content. The control button 202 is an example of information for receiving control instructions for the first device 14.

[0066] In the example shown in Figure 7, monitoring information for devices A1 and A2 is displayed as a graph, while device A3 displays information indicating the current status as monitoring information. For example, for the first device 14, which can control opening and closing, the opening / closing status (e.g., gate open, gate closed, gate opening, gate closing, gate stopped, etc.) may be displayed, similar to device A3. Furthermore, if the monitoring information is a measured value, it is not limited to the example shown in Figure 7, where it is displayed as a graph; only the latest value may be displayed numerically. In the example shown in Figure 7, device A4 is a camera and is used only for monitoring, but if, for example, the camera's orientation, magnification, etc., can be controlled, a control button 202 may also be displayed for the camera. Note that Figure 7 is an example, and the content of the displayed monitoring information, the display format of the monitoring information, and the layout of the displayed objects are not limited to these examples. Also, the method of receiving control instructions is not limited to the example shown in Figure 7.

[0067] Returning to the explanation of Figure 6, when the first terminal 15 receives a control instruction input (step S27), it transmits the control instruction to the master station 12 (step S28). The master station 12 transmits the received control instruction to the slave station 13 (step S29), and the slave station 13 outputs a control command based on the received control instruction to the first device 14 (step S30).

[0068] The first device 14 transmits control information indicating the control result based on the control command to the slave station device 13 (step S31), and the slave station device 13 transmits the received control information to the master station device 12 (step S32). The master station device 12 stores the received control information in the information storage unit 121 (step S33) and also transmits it to the first terminal 15 and the monitoring and control server 24 (steps S34, S35). The first terminal 15 displays the received control information (step S36).

[0069] Furthermore, the monitoring information acquired by the second device 23 is transmitted to the slave station device 22 (step S37), and from the slave station device 22 to the monitoring and control server 24 (step S38). The monitoring and control server 24 stores the monitoring information in the information storage unit 241 (step S39). Also, when the monitoring and control server 24 receives monitoring information from the first device 14 from the master station device 12, it stores the received monitoring information in the information storage unit 241 (step S40). If it is necessary to send presentation information to the second terminal 26, the monitoring and control server 24 sends the presentation information to the second terminal 26 (step S41). Although the Web server 25 is not shown in Figure 6, the exchange of information between the monitoring and control server 24 and the second terminal 26 takes place via the Web server 25. The presented information may include, but is not limited to, monitoring information for the first device 14 and monitoring information for the second device, and may also include at least one of the control information for the first device 14 and the control information for the second device 23 stored in the information storage unit 241. The second terminal 26 displays the received presented information (step S42).

[0070] Figure 8 shows an example of a display screen shown on the second terminal 26 in this embodiment. The devices A1 to A4 shown in Figure 8 are examples of the first device 14, similar to the example shown in Figure 7. The devices B1 to B4 are examples of the second device 23. In the example shown in Figure 8, the second terminal 26 displays information about the first equipment group in the first area 210 and information about the second equipment group in the second area 211. In the monitoring information display area 201 within the first area 210, monitoring information for the first device 14 is displayed, similar to the example shown in Figure 7. In addition, monitoring information for the second device 23 is displayed in the monitoring information display area 203 within the second area 211.

[0071] Furthermore, control buttons 204 for receiving control instructions corresponding to each of the devices B1 to B3 are displayed within the second area 211. When a control button 204 is pressed, a reception screen for receiving the corresponding control instruction for the second device 23 is displayed. On the reception screen, the user of the second terminal 26 can input the control content, allowing the second terminal 26 to receive control instructions from the user indicating the control content. In the example shown in Figure 8, the control button 204 is displayed for the second device 23, but no control button is displayed for the first device 14. As a result, the second terminal 26 can receive control instructions for the second device 23, but cannot receive control instructions for the first device 14. The display information for generating the display screen exemplified in Figure 8 may be generated by the monitoring and control server 24 or by the web server 25. The monitoring and control server 24 or the web server 25 may generate such display information and send it to the second terminal 26, thereby causing the second terminal 26 to display monitoring information for the first device 14, monitoring information for the second device 23, and information for receiving control instructions for the second device 23. Note that Figure 8 is an example, and the content of the displayed monitoring information, the display format of the monitoring information, the layout of the displayed objects, etc., are not limited to these examples. Also, the method for receiving control instructions is not limited to the example shown in Figure 8.

[0072] Returning to the explanation of Figure 6, when the second terminal 26 receives a control instruction input (step S43), it sends the control instruction to the monitoring and control server 24 (step S44). The monitoring and control server 24 sends the received control instruction to the slave station device 22 (step S45), and the slave station device 22 outputs a control command based on the received control instruction to the second device 23 (step S46).

[0073] The second device 23 transmits control information indicating the control result based on the control command to the slave station device 22 (step S47), and the slave station device 22 transmits the received control information to the monitoring and control server 24 (step S48). The monitoring and control server 24 stores the received control information in the information storage unit 241 (step S49) and also transmits it to the second terminal 26 (step S50). The second terminal 26 displays the received control information (step S51). In addition, when the monitoring and control server 24 receives control information from the master station device 12, it stores the received control information in the information storage unit 241 (step S52). The procedure shown in Figure 6 is illustrative, and the order and content of processing are not limited to this example.

[0074] The process shown in Figure 6 may be performed for normal river monitoring, or it may be performed when a disaster occurs or is expected to occur. For example, when a disaster occurs or is expected to occur, a system is put in place to deploy monitors, operators, workers, etc., at designated locations according to a plan such as a flood control plan. Monitors, operators, and workers assigned to monitoring and control work are also examples of users. For example, when a user monitors the first device 14, they use the first terminal 15 or the second terminal 26, and when monitoring the second device 23, they use the second terminal 26. Also, when a user controls the first device 14, they use the first terminal 15, and when controlling the second device 23, they use the second terminal 26. In this case, the river monitoring and control system 50 of this embodiment performs the process illustrated in Figure 6, presenting monitoring and control information to the user, receiving control instructions corresponding to the first device 14 and the second device 23, and controlling the first device 14 and the second device 23 based on the control instructions. Furthermore, even during normal operation, the river monitoring and control system 50 of this embodiment can monitor the river and control the first device 14 and the second device 23 according to the river conditions by performing the processing illustrated in Figure 6.

[0075] Next, the hardware configuration of the monitoring and control server 24 will be described. In this embodiment, the monitoring and control server 24 functions as a computer system when a program (computer program) describing the processing in the monitoring and control server 24 is executed on the computer system. Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a computer system that realizes the monitoring and control server 24 of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 9, this computer system includes a control unit 101, an input unit 102, a storage unit 103, a display unit 104, a communication unit 105, and an output unit 106, which are connected via a system bus 107.

[0076] In Figure 9, the control unit 101 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and executes a program that describes the processing in the monitoring and control server 24. The input unit 102 consists of, for example, a keyboard and mouse and is used by the user of the computer system to input various information. The storage unit 103 includes various types of memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory), and storage devices such as a hard disk, and stores the program that the control unit 101 should execute, necessary data obtained during the processing, etc. The storage unit 103 is also used as a temporary storage area for the program. The display unit 104 consists of a display, LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), etc., and displays various screens to the user of the computer system. The communication unit 105 is a receiver and transmitter that perform communication processing. The output unit 106 is a printer, etc. Note that Figure 9 is just one example, and the configuration of the computer system is not limited to the example in Figure 9. For example, the computer system does not have to have a display unit 104 and an output unit 106.

[0077] Here, an example of the operation of the computer system until the program of this embodiment becomes executable will be described. In a computer system with the above configuration, for example, the program is installed from a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM set in a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM drive or DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM drive (not shown) into an auxiliary storage device which is part of the storage unit 103. Then, when the program is executed, the program read from the auxiliary storage device of the storage unit 103 is stored in the main memory area of ​​the storage unit 103. In this state, the control unit 101 performs processing as the monitoring and control server 24 of this embodiment according to the program stored in the storage unit 103.

[0078] In the above explanation, a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM is used as the recording medium to provide a program describing the processing in each of the monitoring and control servers 24. However, the system is not limited to this, and depending on the configuration of the computer system, the capacity of the program to be provided, a program provided via a transmission medium such as the Internet via the communication unit 105 may also be used.

[0079] The processing unit 243 shown in Figure 3 is realized by the execution of a program stored in the storage unit 103 shown in Figure 9 by the control unit 101 shown in Figure 9. The storage unit 103 is also used to realize the processing unit 243. The information storage unit 241 shown in Figure 3 is part of the storage unit 103 shown in Figure 9. The transmitting / receiving unit 242 and the slave station transmitting / receiving unit 244 shown in Figure 3 are realized by the communication unit 105 shown in Figure 9. The transmitting / receiving unit 242 and the slave station transmitting / receiving unit 244 may be integrated. The monitoring and control server 24 is realized by, for example, a cloud system, as described above. The monitoring and control server 24 may be realized by multiple computer systems.

[0080] The management program of this embodiment causes the computer system, which is the monitoring and control server 24 in the river monitoring and control system 50 described above, to perform at least one of the following steps: transmitting monitoring information acquired by the second device 23 to the second terminal 26, and performing control processing of the second device 23 based on instructions from the second terminal 26.

[0081] As described above, the master station device 12 in this embodiment is, for example, a PLC, and the PLC has a configuration similar to the computer system illustrated in Figure 9. Note that a computer system other than a PLC may be used as the master station device 12, and in this case, the computer system also has a configuration similar to the one illustrated in Figure 9. The processing unit 123 and Web processing unit 125 shown in Figure 2 are realized by the execution of a program stored in the storage unit 103 shown in Figure 9 by the control unit 101 shown in Figure 9. The storage unit 103 is also used to realize the processing unit 123 and Web processing unit 125. The information storage unit 121 shown in Figure 2 is part of the storage unit 103 shown in Figure 9. The transmitting / receiving unit 122 and the slave station transmitting / receiving unit 124 shown in Figure 2 are realized by the communication unit 105 shown in Figure 9. The transmitting / receiving unit 122 and the slave station transmitting / receiving unit 124 may be integrated. The master station device 12 may be realized by multiple PLCs or multiple computer systems.

[0082] The first terminal 15 and the second terminal 26 are similarly implemented by the computer system illustrated in Figure 9. The processing units 153 and 263 shown in Figures 2 and 3 are implemented by executing a program stored in the storage unit 103 shown in Figure 9 by the control unit 101 shown in Figure 9. The storage unit 103 is also used to implement the processing units 153 and 263. The receiving units 152 and 262 shown in Figures 2 and 3 are implemented by the input unit 102 shown in Figure 9. The transmitting and receiving units 151 and 261 shown in Figures 2 and 3 are implemented by the communication unit 105 shown in Figure 9. The display units 154 and 264 shown in Figures 2 and 3 are implemented by the display unit 104 shown in Figure 9.

[0083] As described above, the river monitoring and control system 50 of this embodiment comprises a first system 10, which is configured on-premise, and a second system 20, which is configured in the cloud, with the critical first device 14 belonging to the first system 10. This reduces operational risks while minimizing the need for dedicated hardware.

[0084] Embodiment 2. Next, the river monitoring and control system 50 according to Embodiment 2 will be described. The configuration of the river monitoring and control system 50 in this embodiment, and the configuration of each device constituting the river monitoring and control system 50, are the same as in Embodiment 1. Below, we will mainly describe the differences from Embodiment 1, and omit explanations that overlap with Embodiment 1.

[0085] In this embodiment, the user can configure the system to switch the first device 14 to the second device 23, and the second device 23 to the first device 14, that is, to change the group of equipment to which the devices (first device 14 and second device 23) belong. A device selected by the user from the second device 23 can be changed to the first device 14. Similarly, a device selected by the user from the first device 14 can be changed to the second device 23. For example, the user may determine which devices are subject to the switch from the first device 14 to the second device 23 and from the second device 23 to the first device 14 based on reference information provided by the river monitoring and control system 50. Reference information is information provided by the river monitoring and control system 50 for the user to consider the above-mentioned switch. Reference information will be described later. Alternatively, the user may determine which devices are subject to the switch from the first device 14 to the second device 23 and from the second device 23 to the first device 14 based on information other than the reference information.

[0086] When switching from the first device 14 to the second device 23, for example, the wiring may be changed so that the first device 14 is connected to one of the slave station devices 22 of the second system 20, or the wiring may be changed so that the slave station device 13 to which the first device 14 is connected is connected to the GW device 21 in the second system 20. Alternatively, the dedicated line 30 to which the slave station device 13 is connected may be connected to the dedicated line 30 to which the slave station device 22 is connected. Furthermore, the first device 14 and the second device 23 may be wired so that they can be connected to both the slave station device 13 and the slave station device 22, and a switching device for switching the slave station to which the first device 14 and the second device 23 are connected may be provided in each device (first device 14 and second device 23). The switching in the switching device may be performed manually, or it may be performed by the master station device 12 or the monitoring and control server 24 based on instructions from the first terminal 15 or the second terminal 26. The method for switching the first device 14 to the second device 23, and the method for switching the second device 23 to the first device 14, is not limited to the example described above.

[0087] Next, the reference information will be described. The reference information may be monitoring information acquired by the first device 14 and the second device 23, control performance information indicating the results of control performed on the first device 14 and the second device 23, i.e., the results of operation of the first device 14 and the second device 23, or status information indicating the status of the area corresponding to the first device 14 and the second device 23. The reference information may include, for example, at least one of the monitoring information, control performance information, and status information.

[0088] For example, by reviewing monitoring information acquired by sensors such as water level gauges and cameras included in the first device 14 and the second device 23, the user may decide to switch any of the second device 23 devices that appear to be important from the second device 23 to the first device 14.

[0089] For example, the monitoring and control server 24 may count information indicating the number of times the first device 14 and the second device 23 were operated, based on control information including the content of control instructions and control results, and calculate the count result as control performance information. Alternatively, the monitoring and control server 24 may transmit the control performance information to the second terminal 26 via, for example, the Web server 25, or transmit the control performance information to the master station 12, which then transmits the control performance information to the first terminal 15. In this way, the monitoring and control server 24 may transmit control performance information indicating the number of times controls were performed on the first device 14 and the second device 23 to the second terminal 26, or the master station 12 may transmit the control performance information to the first terminal 15. When the second terminal 26 or the first terminal 15 receives the control performance information, it displays the received control performance information.

[0090] Furthermore, for example, the monitoring and control server 24 may acquire as status information measurement results such as rainfall and water level measured by measuring devices other than the first device 14 and the second device 23 in the area corresponding to the first device 14 and the second device 23. The monitoring and control server 24 may also acquire as status information rainfall and other data for the area corresponding to the first device 14 and the second device 23 provided by an external weather information provider. The monitoring and control server 24 may, for example, transmit the status information to the second terminal 26 via the web server 25, or transmit the status information to the master station 12, which then transmits the status information to the first terminal 15. When the second terminal 26 or the first terminal 15 receives the status information, it displays the received status information.

[0091] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the device switching procedure in this embodiment. Figure 10 shows an example in which control performance information is used as reference information. As shown in Figure 10, the monitoring and control server 24 presents the control performance information (step S61). Specifically, for example, the processing unit 243 counts the number of times each device has been controlled based on the control information and transmits the counting result as control performance information to the second terminal 26 via the transmitting and receiving unit 242 and the Web server 25. Alternatively, the processing unit 243 may transmit the control performance information to the master station device 12 via the transmitting and receiving unit 242, and the master station device 12 may transmit the control performance information to the first terminal 15. Furthermore, the control performance information may be transmitted to both the second terminal 26 and the first terminal 15. When the first terminal 15 and the second terminal 26 receive the control performance information, they display the received control performance information.

[0092] The monitoring and control server 24 determines whether or not there has been an instruction to change the equipment group to which the device belongs (step S62). Specifically, for example, the processing unit 243 determines whether or not it has received an instruction to change the equipment group to which the device belongs from the second terminal 26 via the transmitting and receiving unit 242 and the Web server 25. If there has been an instruction to change the equipment group to which the device belongs (step S62 Yes), the monitoring and control server 24 performs the equipment group change processing to which the device belongs (step S63) and terminates the device switching process. Assume that the instruction to change the equipment group to which the device belongs includes identification information of the device to which the equipment group to which it belongs is subject to change, i.e., the device to be switched. Specifically in step S63, the processing unit 243 changes the second device information it holds based on the instruction to change the equipment group to which the device belongs. The processing unit 243 also transmits the instruction to change the equipment group to which the device belongs to the master station device 12. As a result, the first device information is changed in the master station device 12. If step S62 is No, the monitoring and control server 24 terminates the device switching process.

[0093] In the example above, the monitoring and control server 24 receives a change instruction for the equipment group to which the device belongs from the second terminal 26. However, the master station device 12 may receive the change instruction for the equipment group to which the device belongs from the first terminal 15. In this case, step S62 is performed by the processing unit 123 of the master station device 12, and in step S63, the processing unit 123 changes the first device information it holds based on the change instruction for the equipment group to which the device belongs. The processing unit 123 also sends the change instruction for the equipment group to which the device belongs to the monitoring and control server 24. As a result, the second device information is changed in the monitoring and control server 24.

[0094] Figure 11 shows an example of a display screen for control performance information in this embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 11, the number of times each device has been controlled is displayed in a table format, but the method of displaying the number of controls is not limited to the example shown in Figure 11. Also, in Figure 11, for example, an example is shown in which the number of controls is counted on a monthly basis, and the column for the number of controls to the left of the device column shows the number of controls for the current month. In addition, in the example shown in Figure 11, the number of controls for the same month of the previous year and the same month of the year before that are also displayed. Thus, not only the most recent number of controls but also past control controls may be displayed. Alternatively, only the most recent number of controls may be displayed. Note that the period for which the number of controls is counted is not limited to one month, but may be one week, three months, etc. Also, for each disaster such as a flood, the number of controls during the period affected by the disaster (disaster response period) may be counted.

[0095] Furthermore, on the control performance information display screen, the control counts of devices among the second devices 23 that have a high number of control counts, for example, devices whose control count exceeds the first threshold, may be highlighted. Also, on the control performance information display screen, the control counts of devices among the first devices 14 that have a low number of control counts, for example, devices whose control count falls below the second threshold, may be highlighted. The highlighting may be done by changing the color of the number from other numbers, by enclosing it in a shape such as a circle or rectangle, by using a different background color from other numbers, by changing the font from other numbers, or by any other method. Also, devices among the second devices 23 whose control count exceeds the first threshold may be selected, and the control count of only the selected devices may be displayed. Similarly, devices among the first devices 14 whose control count falls below the second threshold may be selected, and the control count of only the selected devices may be displayed. Note that the highlighted areas are not limited to the control count; information regarding devices whose control count exceeds the first threshold may be highlighted, and information regarding devices whose control count falls below the second threshold may be highlighted. For example, identification information indicating a device such as device A1 may be highlighted.

[0096] Figures 10 and 11 show examples where control performance information is used as reference information. However, as mentioned above, the reference information may also include status information. The status information may be displayed on at least one of the first terminal 15 and the second terminal 26, or both the control performance information and the status information may be displayed on at least one of the first terminal 15 and the second terminal 26. Monitoring information may also be displayed on at least one of the first terminal 15 and the second terminal 26, along with at least one of the control performance information and the status information.

[0097] Figure 12 shows an example of the first and second equipment groups before and after the switching process in this embodiment. The upper part of Figure 12 shows the state before the switching, and the lower part of Figure 12 shows the state after the switching. As shown in Figure 12, before the switching, equipment A1 to A5 belonged to the first equipment group and equipment B1 to B5 belonged to the second equipment group. After the switching, as shown by the dashed line, equipment B3 and equipment A5 are swapped, with equipment B3 belonging to the first equipment group and equipment A5 belonging to the second equipment group. Note that Figure 12 shows an example where the number of equipment belonging to the first and second equipment groups does not change as a result of swapping equipment B3 and equipment A5, but the change in the equipment group to which equipment belongs is not limited to this example. For example, it may be a change to increase the number of second equipment 23 belonging to the first equipment group, or a change to increase the number of first equipment 14 belonging to the second equipment group.

[0098] In this way, by making it possible to change the equipment group to which the equipment belongs, if there is equipment among the second equipment 23 that is considered important, such as equipment with a high number of control cycles, it is possible to reduce operational risks by changing the ownership of that equipment to the first equipment group. Also, if there is equipment among the first equipment 14 that the user considers to be of lower importance, it is possible to change the ownership of that equipment to the second equipment group, thereby reducing the number of monitors and operators required for the first equipment 14 that requires focused monitoring.

[0099] Embodiment 3. Next, the river monitoring and control system 50 according to Embodiment 3 will be described. The configuration of the river monitoring and control system 50 in this embodiment, and the configuration of each device constituting the river monitoring and control system 50, are the same as in Embodiment 1. Below, we will mainly describe the differences from Embodiment 1, and omit explanations that overlap with Embodiment 1.

[0100] In Embodiment 1, operation of the first device 14 using the second terminal 26 (control of the first device 14 from the second terminal 26) was prohibited. In this embodiment as well, control of the first device 14 from the second terminal 26 is prohibited under normal circumstances, but control of the first device 14 from the second terminal 26 can be enabled by setting from the first terminal 15. In other words, in this embodiment, the river monitoring and control system 50 implements a management function for restricting access to the first device 14. Therefore, the river monitoring and control system 50 can be configured to prohibit or disable control of the first device 14 from the second terminal 26. This restricts access to the first device 14 from the second terminal 26 under normal circumstances, and allows the restriction on access to the first device 14 from the second terminal 26 to be lifted by setting from the first terminal 15.

[0101] For example, in the event of a disaster or when a disaster is anticipated, the user will lift the restriction on access to the first device 14 from the second terminal 26 only in specific cases, such as when a system is in place and there is a shortage of personnel on site, or when some of the multiple first terminals 15 fail. This will compensate for the shortage of personnel for monitoring and controlling the critical first device 14 during a disaster or when a disaster is anticipated, and reduce the management risks related to disasters. The second terminals 26 capable of controlling the first device 14 will be predetermined. The second terminals 26 capable of controlling the first device 14 will also be referred to as specific terminals below.

[0102] In this embodiment, for example, the master station 12 holds access permission information indicating whether or not the first device 14 can be controlled from the second terminal 26. The access permission information may be stored in the information storage unit 121. The access permission information is, for example, a flag indicating whether or not the first device 14 can be controlled from the second terminal 26, and the initial value is set to a value indicating that access restriction is in effect, that is, a value indicating that control of the first device 14 from the second terminal 26 is prohibited. When the master station 12 receives an access restriction release request (hereinafter also referred to as a release request) from the first terminal 15 requesting the release of the access restriction, it sets the access permission information to a value indicating that the access restriction has been released, that is, a value indicating that control of the first device 14 from the second terminal 26 is permitted. When the access permission information is changed in the master station 12, the monitoring and control server 24 may also be notified of this change.

[0103] While access is restricted, i.e., while access is restricted, the master station 12 will not transmit a control instruction to the slave station 13 even if it receives a control instruction for the first device 14 from a specific terminal. The master station 12 will, for example, retain the identification information of the specific terminal.

[0104] As described in Embodiment 1, during access restriction, the second terminal 26 may not display a message indicating that it accepts control of the first device 14. In this case, for example, the monitoring and control server 24 and the web server 25 may also hold access permission information, and the master station device 12 may notify the monitoring and control server 24 of the change in access permission information when it receives it. The monitoring and control server 24 changes the access permission information and notifies the web server 25 of the change. As a result, the web server 25 also changes the access permission information. When the access restriction is lifted, the web server 25 changes the website information to be sent to the specific terminal so that a control button or the like that accepts control of the first device 14 is displayed on the display screen shown to the specific terminal. The method of receiving control instructions for the first device 14 from the specific terminal is not limited to this example.

[0105] Furthermore, the acceptance of control instructions from the second terminal 26 to the first device 14 may be performed regardless of whether access is restricted, and the monitoring and control server 24 may, based on access permission information, refrain from sending control instructions from the second terminal 26 to the master station 12 when access is restricted. Alternatively, the monitoring and control server 24 may send the control instructions from the second terminal 26 to the master station 12, and the master station 12 may refrain from sending those control instructions to the slave station 13. In addition, both the monitoring and control server 24 and the master station 12 may, based on access permission information, refrain from sending the control instructions sent from the second terminal 26 to subsequent devices when access is restricted, thereby providing more reliable access restriction.

[0106] Figure 13 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation related to the removal of access restrictions in the river monitoring and control system 50 of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 13, when the first terminal 15 receives an access restriction removal request (step S70), it transmits the access restriction removal request (removal request) to the master station device 12 (step S71). In detail, the reception unit 152 of the first terminal 15 receives the input of an access restriction removal request from the user, and the transmitting / receiving unit 151 transmits the access restriction removal request to the master station device 12.

[0107] When the master station device 12 receives an access restriction release request, it releases the access restriction (step S72). Specifically, when the processing unit 123 receives an access restriction release request via the transceiver unit 122, it changes the access permission information to a value indicating that the access restriction has been released. As described above, the master station device 12 may also notify the monitoring and control server 24 of the change in access permission information.

[0108] Steps S21-S24, S37, S38, and S40-S42 are the same as in the example shown in Figure 6. The second terminal 26 receives a control instruction for the first device (first device control instruction) (step S73) and transmits the first device control instruction to the monitoring and control server 24 (step S74). The monitoring and control server 24 transmits the first device control instruction to the master station device 12 (step S75). At this time, the monitoring and control server 24 may include the identification information of the second terminal 26 that sent the first device control instruction in the first device control instruction. Here, the second terminal 26 of the first device control instruction is assumed to be the specific terminal described above.

[0109] When the master station 12 receives the first device control instruction, it determines that the second terminal 26 is a specific terminal and that the access permission information indicates that the access restriction has been lifted. Therefore, it transmits the first device control instruction to the corresponding slave station 13, similar to step S29 shown in Figure 6. Steps S30 to S33, S35, and S50 are the same as in the example shown in Figure 6. When the monitoring and control server 24 receives control information from the master station 12, it transmits the control information to the second terminal 26 (step S76), and the second terminal 26 displays the control information (step S77).

[0110] After the access restriction is lifted, if the user wishes to set the access restriction again, they can, for example, input an access restriction request to the first terminal 15, and the first terminal 15 will send the access restriction request to the master station 12. As a result, the master station 12 will change the access permission information to a value indicating that the access restriction is active. The master station 12 may also notify the monitoring and control server 24 of the change in access permission information. For example, the user may set the access restriction again when disaster response is completed or sufficient personnel are secured.

[0111] As described in Embodiment 1, the river monitoring and control system 50 may not display a message on the second terminal 26 indicating that it is accepting control of the first device 14 while access is restricted. In this case, when the access restriction is lifted, a screen indicating that it is accepting control input may be displayed on the specific terminal.

[0112] Figure 14 shows an example of a display screen shown on a specific terminal in this embodiment while access restrictions are lifted. In the example shown in Figure 8, the control button for receiving control of the first device 14 is not displayed, but in the example shown in Figure 14, the control button 300 for receiving control of the first device 14 is displayed. As a result, the user can input control instructions for the first device 14 by pressing the control button 300. Note that Figure 14 is an example, and the method for receiving input of control instructions for the first device 14 is not limited to this example.

[0113] In the example described above, the first terminal 15 is configured to receive requests for the removal and resetting of access restrictions. However, the master station device 12 may also be equipped with a reception unit that accepts requests for the removal and resetting of access restrictions.

[0114] As described above, in this embodiment, it is possible to change whether or not to prohibit control of the first device 14 from the second terminal 26. As a result, the river monitoring and control system 50 can avoid using public lines to control the first device 14 during normal times, while reducing the risks caused by a shortage of personnel to monitor and control the first device 14 and a shortage of first terminals 15 during disasters, etc.

[0115] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and it is possible to combine them with other known technologies, combine different embodiments, and omit or modify parts of the configuration without departing from the gist of the invention.

[0116] The various aspects of this disclosure are summarized below as an appendix.

[0117] (Note 1) A first device that performs at least one of the following: monitoring of the managed object, which is a river or waterway, and controlling the state of the managed object; A first control device is connected to the first device and the first terminal by a dedicated line and performs at least one of the following: transmitting monitoring information acquired by the first device to the first terminal and controlling the first device based on instructions from the first terminal. A second device that performs at least one of the following: monitoring the managed object and controlling the state of the managed object, A second control device is connected to the second device and the second terminal via a communication line including a public network, and performs at least one of the following: transmitting monitoring information acquired by the second device to the second terminal and controlling the second device based on instructions from the second terminal. A management system characterized by having the following features. (Note 2) The management system according to Appendix 1, characterized in that the first device is a device designated as an important device by the user. (Note 3) The management system according to Appendix 2, further characterized in that the second control device transmits monitoring information of the first device to the second terminal. (Note 4) The management system according to Appendix 2 or 3, characterized in that the device selected by the user from among the second devices is changed to the first device. (Note 5) The management system according to any one of the appendices 2 to 4, characterized in that the device selected by the user from among the first devices is changed to the second device. (Note 6) The management system according to Appendix 4 or 5, characterized in that the second control device displays the number of control operations performed on the first device and the second device on the second terminal. (Note 7) The management system according to Appendix 4 or 5, characterized in that the first control device displays the number of control operations performed on the first device and the second device on the first terminal. (Note 8) The management system according to Appendix 6 or 7, characterized in that, in the display of the number of control cycles, information regarding devices that have exceeded a first threshold is highlighted. (Note 9) The management system according to Appendix 6 or 7, characterized in that, in the display of the number of control cycles, information regarding devices that have fallen below the second threshold is highlighted. (Note 10) A management system according to any one of the appendices 1 to 9, characterized in that control of the first device from the second terminal is prohibited. (Note 11) The first control device transmits monitoring information acquired by the first device to the first terminal and performs control processing of the first device based on instructions from the first terminal. The second control device transmits monitoring information acquired by the second device to the second terminal and performs control processing of the second device based on instructions from the second terminal. The management system according to Appendix 10, characterized in that the second control device causes the second terminal to display monitoring information of the first device, monitoring information of the second device, and information for receiving control instructions for the second device. (Note 12) It is possible to configure whether or not to prohibit control of the first device from the second terminal. The management system according to any one of Appendix 1 to 9, characterized in that the first control device, while in a state where control of the first device from the second terminal is prohibited, receives a request from the first terminal to lift the prohibition on control of the first device from the second terminal, lifts the prohibition on control of the first device from the second terminal, and if the prohibition on control of the first device from the second terminal has been lifted, performs control processing of the first device based on instructions from the second terminal. (Note 13) The management system according to any one of appendices 1 to 12, characterized in that the second control device is provided on the cloud. (Note 14) The management system according to any one of the appendices 1 to 13, characterized by comprising the first terminal and the second terminal. (Note 15) A management method in a management system comprising: a first device that performs at least one of monitoring a managed object, which is a river or waterway, and controlling the state of the managed object; a first control device connected to the first device and a first terminal by a dedicated line; a second device that performs at least one of monitoring the managed object and controlling the state of the managed object; and a second control device connected to the second device and a second terminal by a communication line including a public line, wherein The first control device performs at least one of the following steps: transmitting monitoring information acquired by the first device to the first terminal and controlling the first device based on instructions from the first terminal. The steps include: transmitting monitoring information acquired by the second device to the second terminal and performing control processing of the second device based on instructions from the second terminal; A management method characterized by including the following. (Note 16) A computer system which is the second control unit in a management system comprising: a first device that performs at least one of monitoring a managed object, which is a river or waterway, and controlling the state of the managed object; a first control unit connected to the first device and a first terminal by a dedicated line, which performs at least one of transmitting monitoring information acquired by the first device to the first terminal and controlling the first device based on instructions from the first terminal; a second device that performs at least one of monitoring the managed object and controlling the state of the managed object; and a second control unit connected to the second device and a second terminal via a communication line including a public line; A step of performing at least one of the following: transmitting monitoring information acquired by the second device to the second terminal and performing control processing of the second device based on instructions from the second terminal. A management program characterized by causing the execution of a command. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0118] 10 First system, 11 VPN router, 12 Master station device, 13, 22 Slave station devices, 14 First equipment, 15 First terminal, 20 Second system, 21 GW device, 23 Second equipment, 24 Monitoring and control server, 25 Web server, 26 Second terminal, 30 Dedicated line, 40 Internet, 50 River monitoring and control system, 101 Control unit, 102 Input unit, 103 Storage unit, 104, 154, 264 Display unit, 105 Communication unit, 106 Output unit, 107 System bus, 121, 241 Information storage unit, 122, 151, 242, 261 Transmit / receive unit, 123, 153, 243, 263 Processing unit, 124, 244 Slave station transceiver unit, 125 Web processing unit, 152, 262 Reception unit.

Claims

1. A first device that performs at least one of the following: monitoring of the managed object, which is a river or waterway, and controlling the state of the managed object; A first control device is connected to the first device and the first terminal by a dedicated line and performs at least one of the following: transmitting monitoring information acquired by the first device to the first terminal and controlling the first device based on instructions from the first terminal. A second device that performs at least one of monitoring the managed object and controlling the state of the managed object, A second control device is connected to the second device and the second terminal via a communication line including a public network, and performs at least one of the following: transmitting monitoring information acquired by the second device to the second terminal and controlling the second device based on instructions from the second terminal. A management system characterized by having the following features.

2. The management system according to claim 1, characterized in that the first device is a device designated as an important device by the user.

3. The management system according to claim 2, further characterized in that the second control device transmits monitoring information of the first device to the second terminal.

4. The management system according to claim 2, characterized in that the device selected by the user from among the second devices is changed to the first device.

5. The management system according to claim 2, characterized in that the device selected by the user from among the first devices is changed to the second device.

6. The management system according to claim 4, characterized in that the second control device displays the number of control operations performed on the first device and the second device on the second terminal.

7. The management system according to claim 4, characterized in that the first control device displays the number of control operations performed on the first device and the second device on the first terminal.

8. The management system according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, in the display of the number of control cycles, information regarding devices that have exceeded a first threshold is highlighted.

9. The management system according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, in the display of the number of control cycles, information regarding devices that have fallen below the second threshold is highlighted.

10. The management system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that control of the first device from the second terminal is prohibited.

11. The first control device transmits monitoring information acquired by the first device to the first terminal and performs control processing of the first device based on instructions from the first terminal. The second control device transmits monitoring information acquired by the second device to the second terminal and performs control processing of the second device based on instructions from the second terminal. The management system according to claim 10, characterized in that the second control device causes the second terminal to display monitoring information of the first device, monitoring information of the second device, and information for receiving instructions to control the second device.

12. It is possible to set whether or not to prohibit control of the first device from the second terminal. The management system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the first control device, when it receives a request from the first terminal to release the restriction on control of the first device from the second terminal while control of the first device from the second terminal is prohibited from the second terminal, releases the restriction on control of the first device from the second terminal, and if the restriction on control of the first device from the second terminal has been released, performs control processing of the first device based on instructions from the second terminal.

13. The management system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the second control device is provided on the cloud.

14. The management system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by comprising the first terminal and the second terminal.

15. A management method in a management system comprising: a first device that performs at least one of monitoring a managed object, which is a river or waterway, and controlling the state of the managed object; a first control device connected to the first device and a first terminal by a dedicated line; a second device that performs at least one of monitoring the managed object and controlling the state of the managed object; and a second control device connected to the second device and a second terminal by a communication line including a public line, wherein The first control device performs at least one of the following steps: transmitting monitoring information acquired by the first device to the first terminal and performing control processing of the first device based on instructions from the first terminal. The steps include: transmitting monitoring information acquired by the second device to the second terminal and performing control processing of the second device based on instructions from the second terminal; A management method characterized by including the following.

16. A computer system which is the second control unit in a management system comprising: a first device that performs at least one of monitoring a managed object, which is a river or waterway, and controlling the state of the managed object; a first control unit connected to the first device and a first terminal by a dedicated line, which performs at least one of transmitting monitoring information acquired by the first device to the first terminal and controlling the first device based on instructions from the first terminal; a second device that performs at least one of monitoring the managed object and controlling the state of the managed object; and a second control unit connected to the second device and a second terminal via a communication line including a public line; A step of performing at least one of the following: transmitting monitoring information acquired by the second device to the second terminal and performing control processing of the second device based on instructions from the second terminal. A management program characterized by causing the execution of a command.

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