Fault diagnosis device, fault diagnosis method, fault diagnosis program, and fault diagnosis system

Abstract

An abnormality data reception unit (110) receives abnormality data. A failure case selection unit (121) selects a failure case associated with abnormality information included in the abnormality data from a failure case database (191). A failure condition acquisition unit (122) acquires a failure condition associated with the selected failure case from a failure condition database (192). An environment information acquisition unit (130) acquires environment information. A failure condition determination unit (123) determines whether the failure condition is satisfied on the basis of the environment information or sensor data included in the abnormality data. A diagnostic result output unit (140) outputs a diagnostic result.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to fault diagnosis for a device in which an abnormality has occurred. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 proposes the following fault diagnosis system: The fault diagnosis system predicts equipment failures through machine learning using sensor data obtained from equipment and repair history showing past repairs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-008107 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventional fault diagnosis cannot diagnose faults caused by environmental factors because it cannot grasp the environment that cannot be determined by the device's sensors.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to enable diagnosis of environmentally-related faults. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The fault diagnosis device of the present disclosure comprises: an abnormality data receiving unit that receives abnormality data including abnormality information of an abnormality that has occurred in the target device and sensor data acquired by the target device; a failure case selection unit that selects a failure case associated with the same abnormality information included in the abnormality data from a failure case database that indicates the relationship between abnormality information and failure cases of abnormalities that may occur in the target device; a fault condition acquisition unit that acquires fault conditions associated with the same fault case as the selected fault case from a fault condition database that indicates the relationship between the fault cases and the fault conditions; an environmental information acquisition unit that acquires environmental information of an external environment of the target device; a failure condition determination unit that, when the selected failure case is an environmental cause case, which is a failure case caused by an environment external to the target device, determines whether or not the acquired failure condition is established based on the acquired environmental information, and, when the selected failure case is not the environmental cause case, determines whether or not the acquired failure condition is established based on sensor data included in the abnormality data; a diagnostic result output unit that outputs a diagnostic result indicating information related to the determination result; Equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The present disclosure aims to enable diagnosis of failures caused by environmental factors. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a fault diagnosis device 100 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a fault diagnosis system 200 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 3 is a flowchart of a fault diagnosis method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 3 is a flowchart of a fault diagnosis method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a fault case database 191 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a diagnosis result in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram of a fault diagnosis system 200 according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart of a fault diagnosis method according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart of a fault diagnosis method according to the third embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart of a verification method according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of a fault case database 191 according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a fault condition database 192 according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram of a fault diagnosis system 200 according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 14] 13 is a flowchart of a fault diagnosis method according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a hardware configuration diagram of a fault diagnosis device 100 according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] In the embodiments and drawings, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals. The description of elements denoted by the same reference numerals as those already described will be omitted or simplified as appropriate. Arrows in the drawings primarily indicate the flow of data or the flow of processing.

[0010] Embodiment 1 The fault diagnosis device 100 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0011] ***Configuration Description***

[0012] The configuration of the fault diagnosis device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. The fault diagnosis device 100 is a computer that includes hardware such as an abnormality data receiving unit 110, a fault diagnosis unit 120, an environmental information acquisition unit 130, a diagnosis result output unit 140, and a basic information receiving unit 150. These pieces of hardware are connected to each other via signal lines.

[0013] The processor 101 is an IC that performs arithmetic processing and controls other hardware. For example, the processor 101 is a CPU. IC is an abbreviation for Integrated Circuit. CPU is an abbreviation for Central Processing Unit.

[0014] The memory 102 is a volatile or non-volatile storage device. The memory 102 is also called a primary storage device or a main memory. For example, the memory 102 is a RAM. Data stored in the memory 102 is saved in the secondary storage device 103 as needed. RAM is an abbreviation for Random Access Memory.

[0015] The auxiliary storage device 103 is a non-volatile storage device. For example, the auxiliary storage device 103 is a ROM, a HDD, a flash memory, or a combination thereof. Data stored in the auxiliary storage device 103 is loaded into the memory 102 as needed. ROM is an abbreviation for Read Only Memory. HDD is an abbreviation for Hard Disk Drive.

[0016] The communication device 104 is a receiver and a transmitter. For example, the communication device 104 is a communication chip or an NIC. The communication of the fault diagnosis apparatus 100 is performed using the communication device 104. NIC is an abbreviation for Network Interface Card.

[0017] The input / output interface 105 is a port to which an input device and an output device are connected. For example, the input / output interface 105 is a USB terminal, the input device is a keyboard and a mouse, and the output device is a display. Input and output of the fault diagnosis device 100 is performed using the input / output interface 105. USB is an abbreviation for Universal Serial Bus.

[0018] The fault diagnosis device 100 comprises elements such as an abnormality data receiving unit 110, a fault diagnosis unit 120, an environmental information acquisition unit 130, a diagnosis result output unit 140, and a basic information receiving unit 150. These elements are realized by software.

[0019] The auxiliary storage device 103 stores a fault diagnosis program for causing the computer to function as an abnormality data receiving unit 110, a fault diagnosis unit 120, an environmental information acquisition unit 130, a diagnosis result output unit 140, and a basic information receiving unit 150. The fault diagnosis program is loaded into the memory 102 and executed by the processor 101. The auxiliary storage device 103 also stores an OS. At least a part of the OS is loaded into the memory 102 and executed by the processor 101. The processor 101 executes a fault diagnosis program while running the OS. OS is an abbreviation for Operating System.

[0020] Input and output data of the fault diagnosis program are stored in the storage unit 190 . The auxiliary storage device 103 functions as the storage unit 190. However, a storage device such as the memory 102, a register in the processor 101, or a cache memory in the processor 101 may function as the storage unit 190 instead of or together with the auxiliary storage device 103.

[0021] The fault diagnosis program can be recorded (stored) in a computer-readable manner on a non-volatile recording medium such as an optical disk or a flash memory.

[0022] The configuration of the fault diagnosis system 200 will be described with reference to FIG. The fault diagnosis system 200 includes a fault diagnosis device 100 , a target device 210 , and an environmental information providing system 220 . The fault diagnosis device 100 communicates with a target device 210 and an environmental information providing system 220 via a communication network 201 .

[0023] In the fault diagnosis device 100, the fault diagnosis unit 120 includes elements such as a fault case selection unit 121, a fault condition acquisition unit 122, and a fault condition determination unit 123.

[0024] The target device 210 is a device that is the target of failure diagnosis. The target device 210 has a communication function and is equipped with one or more types of sensors 211. The target device 210 outputs abnormality data when an abnormality occurs. The abnormality data includes abnormality information and sensor data. The abnormality information is information relating to an abnormality that has occurred in the target device 210. For example, the abnormality information indicates an error code or a symptom of the device. The sensor data is data obtained by one or more types of sensors 211.

[0025] An anomaly is a symptom that indicates something is not normal and is caused by a malfunction. Examples of anomalies are poor performance, vibration, abnormal noise, and error code display. A fault is a cause of abnormal symptoms. Examples of faults are component deterioration, frost buildup, and chemical embrittlement.

[0026] The environmental information providing system 220 is one or more computer systems that provide various types of environmental information. The environmental information is information relating to the external environment of the target device 210 .

[0027] The fault case database 191, the fault condition database 192, the environmental information database 193, and the basic information database 194 are stored in the storage unit 190.

[0028] The fault case database 191 is a database in which one or more fault case data are registered. The failure case data indicates the relationship between the anomaly information and the failure case. The failure case data is generated based on the model of the target device 210 and the configuration of the target device 210, based on the knowledge of the designer, etc. The abnormality information is information relating to an abnormality that may occur in the target device 210 . The failure case is information about a failure that may occur in the target device 210. For example, the failure case indicates the cause of an abnormality that may occur in the target device 210.

[0029] The fault condition database 192 is a database in which one or more fault condition data are registered. The fault condition data indicates the relationship between the fault case and the fault condition. The fault condition indicates a condition of sensor data or environmental information as a condition under which a fault case occurs. For example, the fault condition indicates a threshold value, a conditional expression, or a sensor data pattern.

[0030] The environmental information database 193 stores the environmental information acquired from the environmental information providing system 220 .

[0031] The basic information database 194 stores basic information about the target device 210 and basic information about the environmental information providing system 220 . The user inputs basic information about the target device 210 and the environmental information providing system 220 into the fault diagnosis device 100. The basic information receiving unit 150 receives the input basic information and stores it in the basic information database 194. The basic information of the target device 210 indicates the location information of the target device 210. The basic information of the target device 210 also indicates the model and configuration of the target device 210. The location information of the target device 210 indicates the geographical location (installation location) where the target device 210 is installed. For example, the location information indicates latitude and longitude, an address, or a place name. The location information may also indicate regional information. The regional information indicates areas requiring warning of river flooding or areas requiring warning of landslides, etc. The basic information of the environmental information providing system 220 indicates provider information, which identifies the provider of various types of environmental information and indicates information required to access the provider.

[0032] ***Explanation of Operation*** The operation procedure of fault diagnosis device 100 corresponds to a fault diagnosis method, and also corresponds to a processing procedure according to a fault diagnosis program.

[0033] The fault diagnosis method will be described with reference to FIGS. In step S110, the abnormal data receiving unit 110 receives the abnormal data. For example, when an abnormality occurs in the target device 210, the target device 210 transmits abnormal data, and the abnormal data receiving unit 110 receives the abnormal data. For example, a user inputs abnormality data of the target device 210 into the fault diagnosis device 100, and the abnormality data receiving unit 110 receives the input abnormality data.

[0034] In step S121, the failure case selection unit 121 selects from the failure case database 191 one or more failure cases associated with the same anomaly information as the anomaly information included in the anomaly data.

[0035] In step S122, the fault condition acquisition unit 122 selects one unselected fault case from the one or more selected fault cases.

[0036] In step S123, the fault condition acquisition unit 122 acquires, from the fault condition database 192, fault conditions associated with the same fault case as the selected fault case.

[0037] In step S124, the fault condition determination unit 123 determines whether the selected fault case is an environmental cause case. The environmental cause case is a failure case caused by the external environment of the target device 210.

[0038] The determination is made as follows: A classification is assigned to the fault case. The fault condition determination unit 123 determines whether the fault case is an environmental cause case based on the classification assigned to the fault case. For example, a failure case may be classified as "weather," "ambient environment," "accidental event," "human-caused event," "equipment," or "software." "Weather," "ambient environment," "accidental event," and "human-caused event" are classified as environmental factors. "Equipment" and "software" are classified as non-environmental factors. The fault condition determination unit 123 determines whether the classification assigned to the fault case is a classification belonging to environmental factors. For example, a list of classifications belonging to environmental factors (environmental factor classification list) is stored in advance in the storage unit 190. Then, when the same classification as the classification assigned to the fault case is included in the environmental factor classification list, the fault condition determination unit 123 determines that the classification assigned to the fault case is a classification belonging to environmental factors. When the classification assigned to the fault case is a classification belonging to environmental factors, the fault condition determination unit 123 determines that the fault case is an environmental factor case.

[0039] If the selected failure case is an environmental cause case, the process proceeds to step S131. If the selected failure case is not an environmental cause case, the process proceeds to step S125.

[0040] In step S125, the fault condition determination unit 123 determines whether the acquired fault condition is established based on the sensor data included in the abnormality data. That is, the fault condition determining unit 123 determines whether the sensor data matches the fault condition. The fault condition determination unit 123 may make the determination using a trained model, which is generated in advance by machine learning. After step S125, the process proceeds to step S126.

[0041] The description will continue from step S131 based on FIG. In step S131, the environmental information acquisition unit 130 acquires the basic information of the target device 210 and the basic information of the environmental information providing system 220 from the basic information database 194. Then, the environmental information acquisition unit 130 acquires the location information of the target device 210 from the basic information of the target device 210.

[0042] In step S132, the environmental information acquisition unit 130 accesses the environmental information providing system 220 using the basic information of the environmental information providing system 220. Then, the environmental information acquisition unit 130 uses the location information of the target device 210 to acquire environmental information about the installation location of the target device 210 from the environmental information providing system 220 .

[0043] In step S133, the fault condition determination unit 123 determines whether the acquired fault condition is established based on the acquired environmental information. That is, the fault condition determining unit 123 determines whether the environmental information matches the fault condition. The fault condition determination unit 123 may make the determination using a trained model. After step S133, the process proceeds to step S126.

[0044] Returning to FIG. 3, the description continues from step S126. In step S126, the fault condition determination unit 123 determines whether there is an unselected fault case among the one or more selected fault cases. If there is an unselected failure case among the one or more selected failure cases, the process proceeds to step S122. If there is no unselected failure case among the one or more selected failure cases, the process proceeds to step S140.

[0045] In step S140, the diagnosis result output unit 140 outputs the diagnosis result. The diagnosis result indicates information related to the result of the determination made by the fault condition determination unit 123. For example, the diagnosis result indicates abnormality information and a fault case in which the fault condition is met. The failure cases indicated in the diagnosis results are failure cases that are highly likely to have caused the occurrence of the abnormality. For example, the diagnostic result output unit 140 displays the diagnostic result on a display. After step S140, the process ends.

[0046] ***Description of Example*** If frost forms on the outdoor unit of an air conditioner, the heating performance may be reduced. The occurrence of frost can be estimated using environmental information such as outside temperature, humidity, wind speed, etc. Therefore, environmental information is acquired from the environmental information providing system 220. FIG. 5 shows an example of the fault case database 191. Four failure case data are registered in the failure case database 191. The failure case data indicates the classification and events of the failure cases. The first failure case data shows a failure case in which frost occurs due to the weather (external environment), causing a decrease in heating performance due to the generation of fog. This failure case is called a performance decrease failure case. The failure condition database 192 stores failure condition data indicating failure conditions for performance degradation failure cases. This failure condition data indicates, as failure conditions, environmental information conditions for an environment where frost may occur. For example, the failure conditions are expressed using mathematical expressions. The failure conditions may be classified using a clustering method based on machine learning or the like. If the abnormality information indicates a deterioration in heating performance, the fault case selection unit 121 selects a fault case of performance deterioration from the fault case database 191. When the failure case of performance degradation is selected, the failure condition acquisition unit 122 acquires the failure condition associated with the failure case of performance degradation from the failure condition database 192 . Because the selected failure case is a failure case caused by an environmental factor, the environmental information acquisition unit 130 acquires environmental information. Then, the failure condition determination unit 123 determines whether the failure condition associated with the failure case of performance degradation is established based on the acquired environmental information. This makes it possible to estimate that an abnormality may have occurred due to the formation of frost, even if there is no sensor data related to frost. In this way, it is possible to make an appropriate diagnosis by utilizing the knowledge of experts regarding the relationship between symptoms of failure and environmental factors.

[0047] Figure 6 shows an example of the diagnosis results. The diagnosis results indicate the judgment results for each of one or more fault cases. The judgment result indicates the possibility (percentage, etc.) that the failure indicated in the failure case caused the occurrence of the abnormality.

[0048] ***Effects of the First Embodiment*** The first embodiment relates to a failure diagnosis system that estimates the cause of a failure due to an environmental factor. A cause is something that causes a thing, state, or change. A main factor is the main cause of something. An environmental factor means that the environment is the main cause. Estimation is the act of guessing the possibility of an event based on data and conditions. Since it is not known whether an event has actually occurred, the occurrence of the event is estimated based on data and conditions. Diagnosis is the act of estimating and determining each of multiple possible causes of a failure, i.e., diagnosing the most likely cause of a possible failure.

[0049] The fault diagnosis device 100 acquires external environmental information and estimates the environment that leads to the fault in order to diagnose a fault due to an environmental factor that cannot be grasped from the sensor data of the target device 210. This makes it possible to estimate a fault due to an environmental factor. The diagnostic result output unit 140 outputs the diagnostic result, which enables the maintenance personnel to determine the location of the failure caused by the relevant environmental factor.

[0050] According to the first embodiment, it is possible to estimate the possibility of a failure due to an environmental factor without adding a new sensor required for understanding the environment.

[0051] Embodiment 2 The manner in which the fault conditions are corrected will be described below, mainly focusing on the differences from the first embodiment, with reference to FIGS.

[0052] ***Configuration Description*** The configuration of the fault diagnosis device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. The fault diagnosis device 100 further includes an element called an environment reproduction unit 160 . The fault diagnosis program also causes the computer to function as an environment reproduction unit 160 . The fault diagnosis unit 120 further includes an element called a fault condition correction unit 124 .

[0053] ***Explanation of Operation*** The fault diagnosis method will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 3, step S110, steps S121 to S126, and step S140 are the same as those described in the first embodiment.

[0054] In step S124, if the selected failure case is an environmental cause case, the process proceeds to step S201 (see FIG. 8).

[0055] In step S201, the environmental information acquisition unit 130 acquires basic information of the target device 210 and basic information of the environmental information providing system 220 from the basic information database 194. Then, the environmental information acquisition unit 130 acquires the location information of the target device 210 from the basic information of the target device 210. Step S201 is the same as step S131 in the first embodiment.

[0056] In step S202, the environmental information acquisition unit 130 accesses the environmental information providing system 220 using the basic information of the environmental information providing system 220. Then, the environmental information acquisition unit 130 uses the location information of the target device 210 to acquire environmental information for the abnormal time period at the installation location of the target device 210 from the environmental information providing system 220.

[0057] The abnormal time period is a time period during which an abnormality occurs in the target device 210. Specifically, the abnormal time period is a time period that includes the time when an abnormality occurs in the target device 210 (the abnormality occurrence time). For example, the abnormal time period is a time period up to the abnormality occurrence time, and has a predetermined length of time. For example, the abnormality occurrence time is the time when the abnormal data is received in step S110.

[0058] In step S203, the environment reproducing unit 160 reproduces the behavior of the target device 210 during the abnormal time period using the environment information acquired in step S202. At this time, the environment reproducing unit 160 simulates the operation of the target device 210 in the selected failure case.

[0059] The behavior of the target device 210 is reproduced using physical or mathematical formulas.

[0060] In step S203, sensor data during the abnormal time period is obtained.

[0061] In step S204, the fault condition corrector 124 corrects the fault condition acquired in step S123 using the sensor data obtained in step S203.

[0062] In step S205, the fault condition determination unit 123 determines whether the corrected fault condition is established based on the sensor data included in the abnormality data. The determination method is the same as the method in step S125. After step S205, the process proceeds to step S126 (see FIG. 3).

[0063] ***Description of Example*** An embodiment will be described taking as an example a failure that is affected by external temperature (heat). In conventional fault diagnosis, it is considered to perform fault diagnosis using sensor data of the device. However, if there is no sensor that can grasp the external environment of the device, the behavior of the sensor data may be affected by the temperature of the external environment, and there may be cases where the data does not meet the conditions for fault diagnosis. Therefore, in fault diagnosis, for faults that are affected by external temperatures, external temperature information is acquired as environmental information. Then, the behavior of the device at the time of the fault is reproduced using the environmental information from the time period when the fault occurred. This makes it possible to generate fault diagnosis conditions (sensor data behavior) that take environmental information into account when diagnosing faults. When the sensor data pattern obtained by reproducing the behavior of the device during a fault is pattern matched with the actual waveform data, the reproduced data can be used as a condition for fault diagnosis.

[0064] ***Effects of the Second Embodiment*** In the second embodiment, when an environmental factor affects the judgment conditions for the sensor data of the device, the judgment conditions are corrected. According to the second embodiment, it is possible to generate data that will become failure conditions according to the environment by reproducing the environment as needed for failure conditions for which environmental factors have not been considered in advance. Furthermore, even in cases where there is no sensor data of the device, it becomes possible to correct the conditions for failure diagnosis using environmental information. Therefore, it is possible to improve the accuracy of diagnosis.

[0065] Embodiment 3 The manner in which the fault conditions are updated will be described with reference to FIG. 9, mainly with respect to the differences from the second embodiment.

[0066] ***Configuration Description*** The configuration of the fault diagnosis device 100 is the same as that in the second embodiment.

[0067] ***Explanation of Operation*** The fault diagnosis method will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 3, step S110, steps S121 to S126, and step S140 are the same as those described in the first embodiment.

[0068] In step S124, if the selected failure case is an environmental cause case, the process proceeds to step S201 (see FIG. 9).

[0069] In FIG. 9, steps S201 to S205 are the same as those described in the second embodiment. After step S205, the process proceeds to step S301.

[0070] In step S301, the fault condition correcting unit 124 updates the fault condition acquired in step S123 among the fault conditions shown in the fault condition database 192 to the corrected fault condition. After step S301, the process proceeds to step S126 (see FIG. 3).

[0071] ***Effects of the Third Embodiment*** In the third embodiment, the results obtained by reproducing the behavior are registered in the fault condition database 192. This makes it possible to automatically update the fault condition database 192 with judgment conditions that take the environment into consideration. This reduces the burden of preparing a model in advance.

[0072] Embodiment 4 The manner in which the fault conditions are verified will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12, focusing mainly on the differences from the first to third embodiments.

[0073] ***Configuration Description*** The configuration of the fault diagnosis device 100 is the same as that in the second embodiment.

[0074] ***Explanation of Operation*** The verification method will be described with reference to Figure 10. The verification method is a part of the fault diagnosis method. In step S401, the environment reproducing unit 160 receives verification specification data. For example, a user inputs verification specification data into the fault diagnosis device 100, and the environment reproduction unit 160 receives the input verification specification data.

[0075] The verification specification data specifies the environmental information to be verified and the fault conditions to be verified. The environmental information specified by the verification specification data is referred to as specified environmental information. The fault condition specified in the verification specification data is called a specified fault condition.

[0076] In step S402, the environment reproducing unit 160 reproduces the failure behavior of the target device 210 using the specified environment information. The reproduction method is the same as the method in step S203 in the second embodiment. In step S402, sensor data at the time of failure is obtained.

[0077] In step S403, the fault condition determination unit 123 determines whether the specified fault condition is met based on the sensor data obtained in step S402. The specified fault condition is obtained from the fault condition database 192 . The determination method is the same as the method used in step S125 of the first embodiment.

[0078] If the specified fault condition is met, the process proceeds to step S404. If the specified fault condition is not met, the process proceeds to step S405.

[0079] In step S404, the fault condition correcting unit 124 changes the specified fault condition using the specified environment information. As a result, the specified fault conditions shown in the fault condition database 192 are updated.

[0080] In step S405, the fault condition corrector 124 adds the designated environment information to the designated fault condition. As a result, the specified fault conditions shown in the fault condition database 192 are updated.

[0081] ***Effects of the Fourth Embodiment*** In the fourth embodiment, the expected range of the environment is automatically verified. This clarifies the behavior and range of sensor data that are affected by the environment, and makes it possible to determine the conditions for fault diagnosis other than pattern matching. According to the fourth embodiment, the fault condition database 192 can be automatically updated.

[0082] ***Supplement to the fourth embodiment*** FIG. 11 shows an example of the fault case database 191. The failure case database 191 holds data associated with possible failure cases based on the abnormality information. For example, if the abnormality information indicates a performance degradation, then "Device: Deterioration of Component B" and "Weather: Weather Event A" are registered in the failure case database 191 as failure cases related to the abnormality information. A plurality of failure cases may be assigned to one piece of anomaly information, or a single failure case may be associated with a plurality of pieces of anomaly information.

[0083] FIG. 12 shows an example of the fault condition database 192. The fault condition database 192 holds data types and judgment conditions used for fault diagnosis according to fault cases. Fault diagnosis data can be specified so that the data used for diagnosis can be changed depending on the fault case. When targeting device sensor data, the sensor data is selected as fault diagnosis data, and a list of sensors to be diagnosed in the event of a fault can be specified as a judgment condition. The pattern of sensor data at the time of the fault is associated as a sensor pattern. This makes it possible to diagnose faults based on the device's sensor data. It is assumed that data other than the device's sensors will be used. For example, if weather event A is the cause of a failure in a failure case, weather information is specified as the failure diagnosis data, and the judgment conditions for determining whether weather event A is the case are registered. For example, conditions such as the temperature below a certain degree, the humidity above a certain percentage, and the wind speed in meters per second are registered. This makes it possible to determine whether the data obtained from the weather information meets those conditions. Consider cases other than meteorological information. For example, if a failure case is caused by a chemical substance that depends on the surrounding environment, it may be regionally dependent. Therefore, regional information is used as failure diagnosis data to determine whether the region is affected. In addition, chemical substances cause chemical reactions, which are expected to lead to breakdowns. Therefore, degradation estimation, which estimates the extent to which a component has been affected by a chemical substance, is specified as a judgment condition. This makes it possible to estimate such breakdowns. It is now possible to register not just one method but multiple different methods as judgment conditions. This allows us to estimate the environment from multiple perspectives, not only by judgment using conditional expressions, but also by verifying the judgment method using machine learning and by using simulation to reproduce the environment. This makes it possible to increase the reliability of the estimation results.

[0084] Embodiment 5. The manner in which the diagnostic history is kept will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14, mainly in terms of differences from the first to fourth embodiments.

[0085] ***Configuration Description*** The configuration of the fault diagnosis device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. The diagnosis history database 195 is stored in the storage unit 190 .

[0086] ***Explanation of Operation*** The fault diagnosis method will be described with reference to FIG. Step S510 is the same as step S110 in the first embodiment. Steps S521 to S523 are the same as steps S121 to S123 in the first embodiment. Steps S531 to S533 are the same as steps S131 to S133 in the first embodiment. Step S534 is the same as step S125 in the first embodiment.

[0087] In step S535, the fault condition determination unit 123 registers the environmental information acquired in step S532, the determination results in step S533, and the determination results in step S534 in the diagnosis history database 195 in association with each other.

[0088] Step S536 is the same as step S126 in the first embodiment. Step S540 is the same as step S140 in the first embodiment.

[0089] ***Effects of the Fifth Embodiment*** It is assumed that abnormality information and failure cases caused by environmental factors are not previously associated with each other in the failure case database 191. In other words, it is assumed that the relationship between the failure cases and the environmental factors is unknown. In this case, all environments that can be collected and judged are estimated by acquiring all environmental information data and keeping a history during diagnosis, regardless of the environmental information in the failure case database 191. Then, the estimation results and data relating to the correlation between the abnormality data (sensor data and abnormality information) obtained from the target device 210 and the estimated results of the environment are collected. By collecting such data in the diagnosis history database 195, it becomes possible to discover new relationships between abnormality information, device sensor data, environmental data, and environmental factors, and it also becomes possible to easily expand the failure case database 191 regarding failure cases caused by environmental factors.

[0090] ***Supplementary explanation of implementation form*** The embodiment makes it possible to estimate a failure due to an environmental factor even when the device does not have a sensor for detecting the environment.

[0091] The abnormality data receiving unit 110 receives sensor data of the target device 210 . The basic information receiving unit 150 receives information relating to the device, such as the installation location of the device. The fault case database 191 has a table that associates information indicating an abnormality in the device with a fault case related to that information. The failure condition database 192 records failure conditions that associate sensor patterns or failure conditions with failure cases when a device failure occurs, and conditions for estimating whether the environment around the device is one that will lead to a failure. The fault case selection unit 121 refers to the associated table in the fault case database 191 based on the information indicating the abnormality obtained from the abnormality data reception unit 110, and selects a fault case for which data judgment should be made. The basic information database 194 associates geographical location information where the device is installed with information on where to obtain environmental information services. The environmental information acquisition unit 130 acquires data that cannot be collected from the device from an environmental information service or the like, and acquires information from sources associated in the basic information database 194 . The failure condition determination unit 123 uses information for estimating the environment acquired from the failure condition database 192 and data collected from the environmental information service to estimate whether the environment is one that will lead to a failure. The fault diagnosis unit 120 is composed of a fault case selection unit 121 , a fault condition acquisition unit 122 , and a fault condition determination unit 123 . The diagnosis result output unit 140 displays the cause of the failure of the device determined by the failure diagnosis unit 120.

[0092] The environment reproducing unit 160 reproduces the behavior of the device based on a formula or physical calculation using the data acquired by the environment information acquiring unit 130, and generates a behavior model. The failure condition correction unit 124 estimates the failure cause under the conditions of failure estimation of the behavior model due to environmental factors, taking into account the difference between the results obtained by the environment reproduction unit 160 and the behavior model of the device at the time of failure registered in the failure condition database 192 as an allowable error.

[0093] The fault condition correcting unit 124 updates the fault condition database 192 using the obtained results, thereby improving the accuracy of the determination conditions of the fault condition determining unit 123.

[0094] The fault condition database 192 enables a data selection function for selecting fault diagnosis target data corresponding to a fault case, and allows one or more judgment conditions to be specified according to the fault diagnosis target data. Also, data other than the sensor data of the device can be specified as the specified fault diagnosis target data. This makes it possible to specify data related to the fault and a diagnosis method even when the device does not have sensor data.

[0095] The diagnosis history database 195 stores device abnormalities related to failures, device sensor data, and results of estimation of environmental factors. The relationship between equipment anomalies, data, and failures caused by environmental factors will be accumulated, making it easy to update failure cases caused by environmental factors.

[0096] The hardware configuration of the fault diagnosis device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. The fault diagnosis device 100 includes a processing circuit 109 . The processing circuit 109 is hardware that realizes the abnormal data receiving unit 110 , the fault diagnosis unit 120 , the environmental information acquisition unit 130 , the diagnosis result output unit 140 , the basic information receiving unit 150 , and the environmental reproduction unit 160 . The processing circuitry 109 may be dedicated hardware, or may be a processor 101 that executes a program stored in memory 102 .

[0097] When processing circuitry 109 is dedicated hardware, processing circuitry 109 may be, for example, a single circuit, a multiple circuit, a programmed processor, parallel programmed processors, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination thereof. ASIC is an abbreviation for Application Specific Integrated Circuit. FPGA is an abbreviation for Field Programmable Gate Array.

[0098] In the processing circuit 109, some functions may be realized by dedicated hardware, and the remaining functions may be realized by software or firmware.

[0099] In this way, the functions of the fault diagnosis device 100 can be realized by hardware, software, firmware, or a combination of these.

[0100] Each embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment and is not intended to limit the technical scope of the present disclosure. Each embodiment may be implemented in part or in combination with other embodiments. Procedures described using flowcharts, etc. may be modified as appropriate.

[0101] The "part" of each element of the fault diagnosis device 100 may be read as a "process," a "step," a "circuit," or a "circuitry." [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 100 Fault diagnosis device, 101 Processor, 102 Memory, 103 Auxiliary storage device, 104 Communication device, 105 Input / output interface, 109 Processing circuit, 110 Abnormal data reception unit, 120 Fault diagnosis unit, 121 Fault case selection unit, 122 Fault condition acquisition unit, 123 Fault condition determination unit, 124 Fault condition correction unit, 130 Environmental information acquisition unit, 140 Diagnosis result output unit, 150 Basic information reception unit, 160 Environmental reproduction unit, 190 Memory unit, 191 Fault case database, 192 Fault condition database, 193 Environmental information database, 194 Basic information database, 195 Diagnosis history database, 200 Fault diagnosis system, 201 Communication network, 210 Target device, 211 Sensor, 220 Environmental information providing system.

Claims

1. an abnormality data receiving unit that receives abnormality data including abnormality information of an abnormality that has occurred in the target device and sensor data acquired by the target device; a failure case selection unit that selects a failure case associated with the same abnormality information included in the abnormality data from a failure case database that indicates the relationship between abnormality information and failure cases of abnormalities that may occur in the target device; a fault condition acquisition unit that acquires fault conditions associated with the same fault case as the selected fault case from a fault condition database that indicates the relationship between the fault cases and the fault conditions; an environmental information acquisition unit that acquires environmental information about an external environment of the target device during an abnormal time period when an abnormality occurs in the target device; an environment reproduction unit that reproduces the behavior of the target device during the abnormal time period using the environmental information during the abnormal time period to obtain sensor data during the abnormal time period; a fault condition correction unit that corrects the acquired fault condition using the sensor data during the abnormal time period; a fault condition determination unit that determines whether the corrected fault condition is established based on the sensor data included in the abnormality data; a diagnostic result output unit that outputs a diagnostic result indicating information related to the determination result; A fault diagnosis device comprising:

2. The fault condition correction unit updates the acquired fault condition among the fault conditions shown in the fault condition database to the corrected acquired fault condition. The fault diagnosis device according to claim 1 .

3. an abnormality data receiving unit that receives abnormality data including abnormality information of an abnormality that has occurred in the target device and sensor data acquired by the target device; a failure case selection unit that selects a failure case associated with the same abnormality information included in the abnormality data from a failure case database that indicates the relationship between abnormality information and failure cases of abnormalities that may occur in the target device; a failure condition acquisition unit that acquires a failure condition associated with the same failure case as the selected failure case from a failure condition database that indicates the relationship between the failure case and the failure condition; and an environmental information acquisition unit that acquires environmental information of the external environment of the target device. an environment reproduction unit that reproduces the behavior of the target device when the failure occurs using specified environment information to obtain sensor data at the time of the failure; a fault condition determination unit that determines whether an acquired fault condition is established based on the acquired environmental information or sensor data included in the abnormality data, and determines whether a specified fault condition shown in the fault condition database is established based on the sensor data at the time of the fault; a diagnostic result output unit that outputs a diagnostic result indicating information related to the determination result; a fault condition correction unit that updates the specified fault condition indicated in the fault condition database based on a determination result for the specified fault condition and the specified environment information; A fault diagnosis device comprising:

4. A fault diagnosis device, receiving abnormality data including abnormality information of an abnormality occurring in a target device and sensor data acquired by the target device; selecting a failure case associated with the same abnormality information as the abnormality information included in the abnormality data from a failure case database that indicates the relationship between abnormality information and failure cases of abnormalities that may occur in the target device; Obtaining a failure condition associated with the same failure case as the selected failure case from a failure condition database that indicates the relationship between the failure cases and the failure conditions; Acquire environmental information about the external environment of the target device during an abnormal time period when an abnormality occurs in the target device; Using the environmental information for the abnormal time period, the behavior of the target device for the abnormal time period is reproduced to obtain sensor data for the abnormal time period; correcting the acquired fault condition using the sensor data during the abnormal time period; determining whether the corrected acquired fault condition is established based on the sensor data included in the abnormality data; Outputs a diagnostic result that shows information about the judgment result Fault diagnosis method.

5. A fault diagnosis device, receiving abnormality data including abnormality information of an abnormality occurring in a target device and sensor data acquired by the target device; selecting a failure case associated with the same abnormality information as the abnormality information included in the abnormality data from a failure case database that indicates the relationship between abnormality information and failure cases of abnormalities that may occur in the target device; Obtaining a failure condition associated with the same failure case as the selected failure case from a failure condition database that indicates the relationship between the failure cases and the failure conditions; acquiring environmental information of an environment external to the target device; determining whether the acquired fault condition is established based on the acquired environmental information or the sensor data included in the abnormality data; outputting a diagnosis result indicating information about the judgment result; Using the specified environmental information, the failure behavior of the target device is reproduced to obtain sensor data at the time of the failure; determining whether a specified fault condition indicated in the fault condition database is established based on the sensor data at the time of the fault; The specified fault condition indicated in the fault condition database is updated based on the determination result for the specified fault condition and the specified environment information. Fault diagnosis method.

6. an abnormality data receiving process for receiving abnormality data including abnormality information of an abnormality occurring in the target device and sensor data acquired by the target device; a failure case selection process for selecting, from a failure case database showing the relationship between failure information of anomalies that may occur in the target device and failure cases, a failure case associated with the same abnormality information as the abnormality information included in the abnormality data; a fault condition acquisition process for acquiring a fault condition associated with the same fault case as the selected fault case from a fault condition database that indicates the relationship between the fault cases and the fault conditions; an environmental information acquisition process for acquiring environmental information about an external environment of the target device during an abnormal time period when an abnormality occurs in the target device; an environment reproduction process in which the behavior of the target device during the abnormal time period is reproduced using the environmental information during the abnormal time period to obtain sensor data during the abnormal time period; a fault condition correction process for correcting the acquired fault condition using the sensor data during the abnormal time period; a fault condition determination process for determining whether the corrected fault condition is established based on the sensor data included in the abnormality data; a diagnostic result output process for outputting a diagnostic result indicating information related to the determination result; A fault diagnosis program that causes a computer to execute the above.

7. an abnormality data receiving process for receiving abnormality data including abnormality information of an abnormality occurring in the target device and sensor data acquired by the target device; a failure case selection process for selecting, from a failure case database showing the relationship between failure information of anomalies that may occur in the target device and failure cases, a failure case associated with the same abnormality information as the abnormality information included in the abnormality data; a fault condition acquisition process for acquiring a fault condition associated with the same fault case as the selected fault case from a fault condition database that indicates the relationship between the fault cases and the fault conditions; An environmental information acquisition process for acquiring environmental information of an external environment of the target device; an environment reproduction process for reproducing the failure behavior of the target device using the specified environment information to obtain sensor data at the time of the failure; a fault condition determination process for determining whether an acquired fault condition is established based on the acquired environmental information or sensor data included in the abnormality data, and determining whether a specified fault condition shown in the fault condition database is established based on the sensor data at the time of the fault; a diagnostic result output process for outputting a diagnostic result indicating information related to the determination result; a fault condition correction process for updating the specified fault condition indicated in the fault condition database based on the determination result for the specified fault condition and the specified environment information; A fault diagnosis program that causes a computer to execute the above.

8. a failure case database showing the relationship between abnormality information of abnormalities that may occur in the target device and failure cases; a fault condition database indicating the relationship between fault cases and fault conditions; an abnormality data receiving unit that receives abnormality data including abnormality information of an abnormality that has occurred in the target device and sensor data acquired by the target device; a failure case selection unit that selects, from the failure case database, a failure case associated with the same abnormality information as the abnormality information included in the abnormality data; a fault condition acquisition unit that acquires, from the fault condition database, fault conditions associated with the same fault case as the selected fault case; an environmental information acquisition unit that acquires environmental information about an external environment of the target device during an abnormal time period when an abnormality occurs in the target device; an environment reproduction unit that reproduces the behavior of the target device during the abnormal time period using the environmental information during the abnormal time period to obtain sensor data during the abnormal time period; a fault condition correction unit that corrects the acquired fault condition using the sensor data during the abnormal time period; a fault condition determination unit that determines whether the corrected fault condition is established based on the sensor data included in the abnormality data; a diagnostic result output unit that outputs a diagnostic result indicating information related to the determination result; A fault diagnosis system comprising:

9. a failure case database showing the relationship between abnormality information of abnormalities that may occur in the target device and failure cases; a fault condition database indicating the relationship between fault cases and fault conditions; an abnormality data receiving unit that receives abnormality data including abnormality information of an abnormality that has occurred in the target device and sensor data acquired by the target device; a failure case selection unit that selects, from the failure case database, a failure case associated with the same abnormality information as the abnormality information included in the abnormality data; a fault condition acquisition unit that acquires, from the fault condition database, fault conditions associated with the same fault case as the selected fault case; an environmental information acquisition unit that acquires environmental information of an external environment of the target device; an environment reproduction unit that reproduces the behavior of the target device when the failure occurs using specified environment information to obtain sensor data at the time of the failure; a fault condition determination unit that determines whether an acquired fault condition is established based on the acquired environmental information or sensor data included in the abnormality data, and determines whether a specified fault condition shown in the fault condition database is established based on the sensor data at the time of the fault; a diagnostic result output unit that outputs a diagnostic result indicating information related to the determination result; a fault condition correction unit that updates the specified fault condition indicated in the fault condition database based on a determination result for the specified fault condition and the specified environment information; A fault diagnosis system comprising:

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