Equipment maintenance device, equipment maintenance system, equipment maintenance method, and equipment maintenance program

Abstract

To provide an equipment maintenance device, an equipment maintenance system, an equipment maintenance method, and an equipment maintenance program that are able to perform maintenance for equipment while securing security.SOLUTION: An equipment maintenance device 10 includes: a camera 14 that acquires identification information for identifying a field device 30; a wireless communication unit 15 that acquires, from a database 20, qualification information necessary to perform wireless communication with the field device 30 identified by the identification information acquired by the camera 14; and a wireless communication unit 16 that performs wireless communication with the field device 30 by using the qualification information acquired by the wireless communication unit 15.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In plants or factories (hereinafter collectively referred to as "plants"), maintenance is performed by workers on a regular or irregular basis to prevent abnormal operations, maintain performance, etc. For example, in plants where a distributed control system (DCS) has been installed, maintenance is performed on equipment called field devices (measuring instruments, operating devices).

[0003] Field device maintenance is performed using a device maintenance device capable of wired or wireless communication with the field device. This device maintenance device is, for example, a notebook or tablet computer, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), or a smartphone, on which a dedicated program for maintaining field devices is installed. Field device maintenance tasks include various maintenance tasks depending on the field device, such as a confirmation task for reading and checking device information set in the field device to be maintained, and a setting task for setting new device information in the field device to be maintained.

[0004] The following Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that enables a user to acquire device data related to a field device when the credentials are authorized by a controller. Specifically, the technology disclosed in the following Patent Document 1 allows a terminal device such as a tablet to acquire device information via Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) wireless communication using an optical sensor attached to the field device. The terminal device then accesses a control room or a server via a wireless data communication network, and accesses the controller to confirm whether the credentials are authorized. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] US Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0052638 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the technology disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 requires access to a control room or a server to check whether the credentials are approved, but such access is undesirable from a security standpoint.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an equipment maintenance device, an equipment maintenance system, an equipment maintenance method, and an equipment maintenance program that can maintain equipment while ensuring security. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, an equipment maintenance device (10, 10A) according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an acquisition unit (14) that acquires identification information that identifies an equipment (30), a first communication unit (15) that acquires, from a database (20), qualification information required for wireless communication with an equipment identified by the identification information acquired by the acquisition unit, and a second communication unit (16) that performs wireless communication with the equipment using the qualification information acquired by the first communication unit.

[0009] In addition, in one aspect of the equipment maintenance device of the present invention, the acquisition unit includes an image acquisition unit (14) that acquires an image including the identification information, and further includes an identification information acquisition unit (17b) that performs image processing on the image acquired by the image acquisition unit to acquire the identification information.

[0010] In addition, in an equipment maintenance device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the image acquisition unit acquires an image of a two-dimensional code containing the identification information, the two-dimensional code being attached to a plate (PL) attached to the equipment, or an image of a two-dimensional code displayed on a display unit (55) of the equipment.

[0011] The equipment maintenance device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an authentication unit (17a) that authenticates the worker, and does not allow use by a worker who fails authentication by the authentication unit.

[0012] The equipment maintenance device according to one aspect of the present invention also includes a moving unit (18) that moves the equipment maintenance device autonomously or in response to an external instruction.

[0013] An equipment maintenance system (1) according to one aspect of the present invention includes a database (20) in which identification information for identifying an equipment (30) and information associated with the identification information, which is associated with qualification information required for wireless communication with the equipment, and an equipment maintenance device (10, 10A) described in any one of the above, which acquires the qualification information from the database and performs wireless communication with the equipment.

[0014] An equipment maintenance method according to one aspect of the present invention includes a step (S16) of acquiring identification information that identifies an equipment (30), a step (S17) of acquiring, from a database (20), qualification information required for wireless communication with an equipment identified by the identification information acquired by the acquisition unit, and a step (S19) of performing wireless communication with the equipment using the acquired qualification information to perform maintenance.

[0015] In addition, an equipment maintenance program according to one embodiment of the present invention causes a computer to function as an acquisition means (14) that acquires identification information that identifies an equipment (30), a first communication means (15) that acquires, from a database (20), qualification information required for wireless communication with an equipment identified by the identification information acquired by the acquisition means, and a second communication means (16) that performs wireless communication with the equipment using the qualification information acquired by the first communication means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to ensure security while maintaining the integrity of the device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a main part of an equipment maintenance system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of a database according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a device maintenance method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a main part of a device maintenance device according to a modified example. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating the appearance of an equipment maintenance device according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, an equipment maintenance device, an equipment maintenance system, an equipment maintenance method, and an equipment maintenance program according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, an overview of the embodiment of the present invention will be described, and then the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0019] 〔overview〕 An embodiment of the present invention enables the maintenance of a device while ensuring security, specifically, the maintenance of a device by obtaining credentials required for wireless communication with the device without accessing a control room or a server.

[0020] Field devices such as pressure transmitters, differential pressure transmitters, flow meters, thermometers, and valve positioners are distributed throughout a plant. These field devices are connected to a higher-level controller via a communication bus that transmits analog or digital signals. Various functions and operations can be set for field devices using parameters. For this reason, when performing maintenance on field devices, the set parameters are changed or modified as necessary.

[0021] Field device maintenance is often performed by an operator visiting the installation site of the field device and connecting the field device to a device maintenance device. Specifically, with the device maintenance device and the field device to be maintained connected, the operator references the parameters displayed on the device maintenance device, finds the parameters to be changed according to the work instructions, and sets the parameter values. After repeating this process for the number of parameters that need to be changed, the operator disconnects the device maintenance device from the field device to be maintained. The operator then creates a report on the work content and submits it to the administrator. The administrator then saves the received work report as a file or as electronic data.

[0022] When a device maintenance device and a field device to be maintained are connected wirelessly to perform maintenance, it is possible to perform maintenance from a location distant from the installation location of the field device to be maintained, which poses a security problem. Therefore, security is ensured by limiting the device maintenance devices that can connect wirelessly to field devices to only device maintenance devices that have qualification information.

[0023] In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, a terminal device such as a tablet acquires device information via Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) wireless communication using an optical sensor attached to a field device. Then, the terminal device accesses a control room or a server via a wireless data communication network, and accesses a controller to confirm whether the qualification information is approved.

[0024] However, when Li-Fi wireless communication is performed, for example, if sunlight is irradiated onto the optical sensor due to the installation environment, the reception strength may be weakened and communication may become impossible. Also, when Li-Fi wireless communication is performed, access to the optical sensor from one direction is required, and access is often difficult depending on the installation conditions of the field device.

[0025] Additionally, certain communication standards, such as IrDA (Infrared Data Association), may be updated to provide, for example, higher functionality or faster speeds. Alternatively, such standards may become obsolete due to the adoption of newer communication standards. It may be difficult to implement such standards in equipment maintenance devices. Furthermore, access to the control room or server may be undesirable from a security perspective.

[0026] In an embodiment of the present invention, identification information for identifying a device is acquired, qualification information required for wireless communication with the device identified by the acquired identification information is acquired from a database, and wireless communication with the device is performed using the acquired qualification information. This makes it possible to acquire the qualification information required for wireless communication with the device without accessing a control room or a server, thereby ensuring security and preserving the device.

[0027] [Embodiment] Equipment maintenance system Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of an equipment maintenance system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the equipment maintenance system 1 of this embodiment includes an equipment maintenance device 10 and a database 20 that are communicably connected via a network N, and performs maintenance of field equipment 30 (equipment).

[0028] The network N is, for example, the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), etc. The network N may be a wired network, a wireless network, or a mixed wired and wireless network. The device maintenance device 10 is connected to the network N by wireless communication. First, the field device 30 to be maintained will be described, followed by the device maintenance device 10 and database 20 that constitute the device maintenance system 1.

[0029] <Field devices> The field device 30 is installed at the plant site and performs measurements and operations required for controlling the industrial process under the control of a controller (DCS controller) not shown. The field device 30 illustrated in Fig. 1 is a sensor device that measures process pressure (e.g., fluid pressure). A plurality of field devices 30 are installed in the plant, but Fig. 1 shows only one field device 30 installed in the plant for simplicity of illustration.

[0030] The field device 30 may be a sensor device that measures process pressure, or may be, for example, a flow meter, a temperature sensor, etc. Furthermore, the field device 30 may be a valve device such as a flow control valve or an on-off valve, an actuator device such as a fan or a motor, an imaging device such as a camera or video that captures the situation or an object in the plant, an audio device such as a microphone or speaker that collects abnormal sounds or the like in the plant or issues an alarm, a position detection device that outputs position information of each device, or other devices.

[0031] Plants in which the field device 30 may be installed include chemical and other industrial plants, plants that manage and control wellheads and surrounding areas of gas and oil fields, plants that manage and control hydroelectric, thermal, and nuclear power generation, plants that manage and control environmental power generation such as solar and wind power, and plants that manage and control water supply and sewage systems and dams.

[0032] The field device 30 includes a sensor unit 40 and a processing unit 50. The sensor unit 40 includes a pressure sensor 41 and a sensor driver 42 and measures the process pressure. The pressure sensor 41 is a sensor that detects the process pressure. For example, a silicon resonant sensor can be used as this pressure sensor 41. The pressure sensor 41 includes a vibrator formed on a diaphragm that receives the process pressure and detects the process pressure based on the resonant frequency of the vibrator. The sensor driver 42 drives the pressure sensor 41 to measure the process pressure and outputs the measurement result of the pressure sensor 41 to the processing unit 50.

[0033] The processing unit 50 includes an MPU (Micro Processor Unit) 51, an output unit 52, a memory 53, a wireless communication unit 54, and a display unit 55, and mainly performs a process of converting the measurement result of the sensor unit 40 into a process pressure and outputting the process pressure to a controller (not shown). The MPU 51 uses a correction coefficient stored in the memory 53 to perform a process of converting the measurement result output from the sensor unit 40 into a process pressure.

[0034] The output unit 52 outputs the process pressure converted by the MPU 51 to a controller (not shown). The output unit 52 converts the process pressure converted by the MPU 51 into an analog signal (for example, a 4-20 mA signal) or a digital signal (for example, a signal conforming to IEC 61158-2) and outputs it to a controller (not shown). The output unit 52 can also output the alarm output from the MPU 51 to a controller (not shown).

[0035] The memory 53 stores correction coefficients used by the MPU 51, correction values ​​for the process pressure set by the user, data temporarily generated when the MPU 51 performs processing (e.g., intermediate pressure values), and other data. The memory 53 is, for example, a non-volatile memory. Note that, although FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment in which the memory 53 is provided separately from the MPU 51, the memory 53 may also be built into the MPU 51.

[0036] The wireless communication unit 54 performs wireless communication with an external device (e.g., the device maintenance device 10) under the control of the MPU 51. The wireless communication unit 54 performs wireless communication when the external device has qualification information (qualification information required for wireless communication with the field device 30), and does not perform wireless communication when the external device does not have the qualification information. The wireless communication unit 54 performs wireless communication in accordance with a commercial wireless communication standard with a communication distance of, for example, several centimeters to several tens of meters, or in some cases, several hundred meters, or an industrial wireless communication standard such as ISA100 or WirelessHART (registered trademark).

[0037] The display unit 55 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), and displays the process pressure measured by the field device 30, alarms generated by the field device 30, information indicating the status of the field device 30, and other information. The display unit 55 can also display identification information (e.g., an individual identification number) for identifying the field device 30. The display unit 55 displays the identification information of the field device 30, for example, as a character string or a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark).

[0038] The field device 30 may be provided with a plate PL having identification information for identifying the field device 30. For example, the plate PL may be attached to the field device 30, or the plate PL may be provided near the field device 30. The plate PL has the identification information of the field device 30 provided thereon in the form of a character string or a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark).

[0039] <Equipment maintenance equipment> The equipment maintenance device 10 includes an operation unit 11, a display unit 12, a storage unit 13, a camera 14 (acquisition unit, image acquisition unit, acquisition means), a wireless communication unit 15 (first communication unit, first communication means), a wireless communication unit 16 (second communication unit, second communication means), and a processing unit 17. Such an equipment maintenance device 10 is realized, for example, by a notebook or tablet computer. Note that the functions of the equipment maintenance device 10 (for example, functions for performing maintenance on the field devices 30) are realized in software, for example, by installing programs that realize those functions (including programs recorded on a recording medium, not shown).

[0040] The operation unit 11 includes an input device such as a keyboard or a pointing device, and outputs instructions (instructions for the equipment maintenance device 10) to the processing unit 17 in response to operations by the worker using the equipment maintenance device 10. The display unit 12 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display device, and displays various information output from the processing unit 17. The operation unit 11 and the display unit 12 may be physically separated, or may be physically integrated, such as a touch panel type liquid crystal display device that combines display and operation functions.

[0041] The storage unit 13 includes an auxiliary storage device such as an HDD (hard disk drive) or an SSD (solid state drive), and stores various information. The storage unit 13 stores, for example, information related to the maintenance of the field device 30 (identification information, maintenance items, maintenance results, etc.), authentication information required to authenticate the operator who uses the device maintenance device 10, and qualification information required to perform wireless communication with the field device 30. The storage unit 13 may also store a program that realizes the functions of the device maintenance device 10.

[0042] The camera 14 is equipped with a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) and is capable of capturing two-dimensional still images and moving images. The camera 14 is used to capture, for example, a two-dimensional code displayed on the display unit 55 of the field device 30 or a two-dimensional code attached to a plate PL attached to the field device 30. In other words, the camera 14 is used to obtain identification information of the field device 30.

[0043] The wireless communication unit 15 is wirelessly connected to the network N and performs communication via the network N under the control of the processing unit 17. The wireless communication unit 15, for example, transmits identification information of the field device 30 to a database 20 connected to the network N and obtains, from the database 20, qualification information required for wireless communication with the field device 30.

[0044] The wireless communication unit 16 performs wireless communication with an external device (for example, a field device 30) under the control of the processing unit 17. When the above-mentioned qualification information (qualification information for performing wireless communication with the field device 30) is obtained, the wireless communication unit 16 performs wireless communication with the field device 30 using the qualification information. Like the wireless communication unit 54 of the field device 30, the wireless communication unit 16 performs wireless communication in accordance with a commercial wireless communication standard with a communication distance of, for example, several centimeters to several tens of meters, or in some cases, several hundred meters, or an industrial wireless communication standard such as ISA100 or WirelessHART (registered trademark).

[0045] The processing unit 17 controls the overall operation of the device maintenance device 10 based on operation instructions input from the operation unit 11. The processing unit 17 includes an authentication unit 17a, an image processing unit 17b (identification information acquisition unit), and a maintenance execution unit 17c, and performs pre-processing required for maintaining the field device 30 and processing for executing the maintenance of the field device 30. The pre-processing required for maintaining the field device 30 includes processing for authenticating the operator who uses the device maintenance device 10, processing for acquiring identification information of the field device 30 to be maintained, processing for acquiring qualification information required for wireless communication with the field device 30, etc.

[0046] The authentication unit 17a performs authentication processing to authenticate the worker who uses the device maintenance device 10. The authentication unit 17a performs the above authentication processing, for example, using authentication information stored in the storage unit 13. The authentication unit 17a may perform authentication using a password entered by the worker by operating the operation unit 11, or may perform biometric authentication, for example. This authentication processing is necessary to ensure the security of the device maintenance system 1 by preventing anyone other than the worker from using the device maintenance device 10 to perform maintenance on the field devices 30 or access the database 20.

[0047] The image processing unit 17b performs image processing on the image captured by the camera 14. When the image captured by the camera 14 includes an image of a two-dimensional code, the image processing unit 17b performs processing to acquire identification information of the field device 30 from the two-dimensional code.

[0048] The maintenance execution unit 17c performs processing to execute maintenance of the equipment maintenance device 10 based on operation instructions input from the operation unit 11. The maintenance execution unit 17c controls, for example, the wireless communication unit 16 to read parameters set in the field equipment 30 based on the maintenance items stored in the storage unit 13, or to set new parameters in the field equipment 30. The maintenance execution unit 17c stores the results of maintenance executed based on the maintenance items of the field equipment 30 in the storage unit 13.

[0049] The functions of the equipment maintenance device 10 (for example, the functions of the authentication unit 17a, image processing unit 17b, and maintenance execution unit 17c provided in the processing unit 17) may be realized by executing a program for realizing the function by hardware such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). In other words, the functions of the equipment maintenance device 10 may be realized by software and hardware resources working together. Of course, the functions of the equipment maintenance device 10 may also be realized using hardware such as an FPGA, an LSI, or an ASIC.

[0050] Database The database 20 is a database that stores information about the field device 30 for each user of the field device 30. The database 20 is connected to the network N, and when identification information of the field device 30 is transmitted via the network N, the database 20 provides qualification information associated with the identification information.

[0051] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of a database in one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 2, the database 20 is a database in which "identification information," "qualification information," "customer information," and "purchase information" are associated with each other. The "identification information" is information that identifies the field device 30 and is information that is uniquely assigned to each field device 30. The "identification information" may be, for example, an individual identification number or an arbitrary character string.

[0052] The "qualification information" is information required for wireless communication with the field device 30. Like the above-mentioned "identification information," the "qualification information" is information that is uniquely assigned to each field device 30. Note that the "qualification information" may be uniquely assigned to each model of the field device 30, or may be uniquely assigned to each vendor (manufacturer) of the field device 30.

[0053] "Customer information" is information about the owner of the field device 30 (the customer who purchased the field device 30). "Customer information" is, for example, information indicating the name of the owner of the field device 30. Note that the "customer information" may include information such as the location, person in charge, and contact information of the owner of the field device 30 in addition to the name of the owner of the field device 30. "Purchase information" is information about the time of purchase of the field device 30. "Purchase information" is, for example, information indicating the purchase date of the field device 30. Note that the "purchase information" may include information such as the date and time the field device 30 was installed in the plant, the installation location of the field device 30 (name of the plant), etc.

[0054] <Equipment maintenance method> Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of an equipment maintenance method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The process shown in Fig. 3 is started, for example, when the power of the equipment maintenance device 10 is turned on. When the process of the flowchart shown in Fig. 3 is started, first, the authentication unit 17a provided in the processing unit 17 of the equipment maintenance device 10 performs authentication processing to authenticate the worker who uses the equipment maintenance device 10 (step S11). For example, the authentication unit 17a performs password authentication or biometric authentication using authentication information stored in the storage unit 13.

[0055] If the authentication by the authentication unit 17a fails (if the determination result in step S12 is "NO"), the processing of the flowchart shown in Fig. 3 ends. As a result, the worker who failed the authentication cannot use the equipment maintenance device 10. On the other hand, if the authentication by the authentication unit 17a is successful (if the determination result in step S12 is "YES"), a process of identifying the field device 30 to be maintained is performed (step S13). For example, the worker operates the operation unit 11 of the equipment maintenance device 10 to specify the field device 30 to be maintained, and the processing unit 17 identifies the field device 30 to be maintained.

[0056] Next, the processing unit 17 of the equipment maintenance device 10 determines whether or not the qualification information required for wireless communication with the field equipment 30 is present (step S14). For example, the processing unit 17 determines whether or not the qualification information required for wireless communication with the field equipment 30 is stored in the storage unit 13. If the processing unit 17 determines that the qualification information is absent (if the determination result in step S14 is "NO"), it issues an instruction to read a two-dimensional code (step S15). For example, the processing unit 17 displays on the display unit 12 a message to cause the camera 14 to photograph the two-dimensional code displayed on the display unit 55 of the field equipment 30 or the two-dimensional code attached to the plate PL associated with the field equipment 30.

[0057] Suppose that an operator who has seen the message displayed on the display unit 12 operates the equipment maintenance device 10 to photograph the above-mentioned two-dimensional code with the camera 14. Then, the image processing unit 17b of the processing unit 17 acquires the image captured by the camera 14, performs image processing on the acquired image, and performs processing to acquire the identification information of the field device 30 (step S16).

[0058] Next, the processing unit 17 controls the wireless communication unit 15 to transmit the identification information acquired by the image processing unit 17b to the database 20, and performs processing to acquire qualification information required for wireless communication with the field device 30 (step S17). When the identification information transmitted from the wireless communication unit 15 is transmitted to the database 20 via the network N, the database 20 is searched using the transmitted identification information as a key. Then, the qualification information associated with the searched identification information is read from the database 20 and transmitted to the device maintenance device 10 via the network N. In this way, the qualification information required for wireless communication with the field device 30 is acquired by the device maintenance device 10.

[0059] Next, the processing unit 17 controls the wireless communication unit 16 to perform wireless communication with the field device 30 to be maintained using the acquired qualification information (step S18). This enables the execution of maintenance processing on the device. Then, the maintenance execution unit 17c of the processing unit 17 performs maintenance on the field device 30 based on the maintenance items stored in the storage unit 13 (step S19). For example, the maintenance execution unit 17c controls the wireless communication unit 16 to read parameters set in the field device 30 or to set new parameters in the field device 30. The maintenance execution unit 17c stores the maintenance results of the field device 30 in the storage unit 13. With the above processing, the series of processing steps in the flowchart shown in FIG. 3 is completed.

[0060] If the processing unit 17 determines in step S14 that the qualification information is present (if the determination result in step S14 is "YES"), it controls the wireless communication unit 16 to perform wireless communication with the field device 30 to be maintained using the qualification information (step S18). Then, the maintenance execution unit 17c of the processing unit 17 performs maintenance of the field device 30 based on the maintenance items stored in the storage unit 13 (step S19).

[0061] As described above, in this embodiment, the camera 14 of the device maintenance device 10 photographs the two-dimensional code displayed on the display unit 55 of the field device 30 or the two-dimensional code attached to the plate PL associated with the field device 30, thereby acquiring the identification information of the field device 30. Then, the qualification information required for wireless communication with the field device 30 identified by the acquired identification information is acquired from the database 20, and wireless communication with the field device 30 is performed using the acquired qualification information. This makes it possible to acquire the qualification information required for wireless communication with the field device 30 without accessing a control room or a server, thereby ensuring security while maintaining the device.

[0062] The above describes the device maintenance device, device maintenance system, device maintenance method, and device maintenance program according to the embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be freely modified within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiments, an example was described in which the device maintenance device 10 is operated by an operator and used to perform maintenance work on the field device 30. However, in preparation for future automation and unmanned plants, the device maintenance device may be configured to perform maintenance work on the field device 30 without being operated by an operator.

[0063] Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of an equipment maintenance device according to a modified example. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic appearance of an equipment maintenance device according to a modified example. As shown in Fig. 4, an equipment maintenance device 10A according to this modified example has a configuration in which a moving unit 18 is added to the equipment maintenance device 10 shown in Fig. 1. The moving unit 18 moves the equipment maintenance device 10A autonomously or in response to an external instruction.

[0064] The equipment maintenance device 10A according to this modification is realized, for example, as a special robot 60 shown in FIG. 5(a) or a drone 70 shown in FIG. 5(b). When the equipment maintenance device 10A is realized as the special robot 60 shown in FIG. 5(a), the moving unit 18 shown in FIG. 4 is the legs 61 of the special robot 60 and a drive unit (including a motor) (not shown) that drives the legs 61. When the equipment maintenance device 10A is realized as the drone 70 shown in FIG. 5(b), the moving unit 18 shown in FIG. 4 is the propeller 71 of the drone 70 and a drive unit (including a motor) (not shown) that drives the propeller 71. Note that, in order to ensure security, it is desirable that the movement of the equipment maintenance device 10A by the moving unit 18 be permitted only when authentication by the authentication unit 17a is successful.

[0065] The maintenance execution unit 17c of the equipment maintenance device 10 shown in FIG. 1 performs maintenance on the field device 30 based on instructions from an operator input via the operation unit 11. In contrast, the maintenance execution unit 17c of the equipment maintenance device 10A shown in FIG. 4 performs maintenance on the field device 30 based on the contents of a maintenance work that is set in advance (programmed). Note that the maintenance execution unit 17c of the equipment maintenance device 10A may control the camera 14 to take photos or videos of the field device 30, in addition to performing maintenance (e.g., parameter setting) by wireless communication with the field device 30. Furthermore, if a microphone is used in the equipment maintenance device 10A, the maintenance execution unit 17c may record the operating sounds of the field device 30.

[0066] In the above-described embodiment, the identification information of the field device 30 is acquired by photographing the two-dimensional code displayed on the display unit 55 of the field device 30 or the two-dimensional code attached to the plate PL attached to the field device 30 with the camera 14. However, instead of photographing the two-dimensional code, the identification information recorded on a tag such as an RF tag or an NFC tag may be acquired. Alternatively, the installation location of the field device 30 may be photographed with the camera 14, and the field device 30 associated with the position information of the installation location may be identified to acquire the identification information. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1. Equipment maintenance system 10,10A equipment maintenance device 14 Camera 15,16 Wireless communication unit 17a Authentication Section 17b Image processing section 18 Mobile Unit 20 databases 30 Field Devices 55 Display section PL Plate

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires identification information that identifies a device; a first communication unit that acquires, from a database, qualification information required for wireless communication with a device identified by the identification information acquired by the acquisition unit; a second communication unit that performs wireless communication with the device using the qualification information acquired by the first communication unit; An equipment maintenance device comprising:

2. the acquisition unit includes an image acquisition unit that acquires an image including the identification information, further comprising an identification information acquisition unit that performs image processing on the image acquired by the image acquisition unit to acquire the identification information; The equipment maintenance device according to claim 1.

3. The equipment maintenance device of claim 2, wherein the image acquisition unit acquires an image of a two-dimensional code containing the identification information, the two-dimensional code being attached to a plate attached to the equipment, or an image of a two-dimensional code displayed on a display unit of the equipment.

4. It is equipped with an authentication unit that authenticates workers. prohibiting use by workers who fail authentication by the authentication unit; The equipment maintenance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The equipment maintenance device according to claim 1 , further comprising a moving unit that moves the equipment maintenance device autonomously or in response to an external instruction.

6. a database in which identification information for identifying a device is associated with information associated with the identification information, the information being qualification information required for wireless communication with the device; The device maintenance device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which acquires the qualification information from the database and performs wireless communication with the device; An equipment maintenance system comprising:

7. obtaining identification information for identifying the device; acquiring, from a database, qualification information required for wireless communication with a device identified by the acquired identification information; using the acquired qualification information to wirelessly communicate with the device to perform security; An equipment maintenance method comprising:

8. Computer, an acquisition means for acquiring identification information for identifying a device; a first communication means for acquiring, from a database, qualification information required for wireless communication with a device identified by the identification information acquired by the acquisition means; a second communication means for wirelessly communicating with the device using the qualification information acquired by the first communication means; equipment maintenance program to keep the equipment functioning properly.

Images