Information processing system and information processing method

Abstract

To provide a technique that enables efficient data utilization.SOLUTION: An information processing system is provided, comprising multiple databases partitioned for each topic, a topic management unit configured to manage topics carried by the multiple databases, and an acquisition unit configured to respond to a topic-specific request by identifying a database corresponding to the specified topic and requesting data from the identified database.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system and an information processing method related to data collection. [Background technology]

[0002] With the advancement of information and communication technology, efforts are being made to collect and utilize various types of data.

[0003] For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-503784 (Patent Document 1) discloses a device including a composite object in an IoT network, and Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-133610 (Patent Document 2) discloses a data orchestration platform management method in a network communication environment including multiple data sources.

[0004] Furthermore, as a technology for searching collected data, JP 2017-516213 A (Patent Document 3) discloses a configuration that adds more advanced search engine optimization to the current resource directory functionality, which would provide the most efficient search results for IoT or M2M devices. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2020-503784 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-133610 [Patent Document 3] Special Publication No. 2017-516213 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Efforts are being made to collect and utilize various data at production sites and other locations. For example, if there are multiple production bases, it is simple to build a system to collect data from each base. However, in order to utilize data scattered across multiple bases, a system that can access each data is required, which can lead to issues such as system complexity and increased management costs.

[0007] One object of the present invention is to provide a technique for efficiently utilizing data. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of databases divided by topic, a topic management unit that manages the topics held by the plurality of databases, and an acquisition unit that, in response to a request specifying a topic, identifies a database corresponding to the specified topic and requests data from the identified database. With this configuration, even if the plurality of databases are distributed, the database corresponding to the specified topic can be identified, allowing easy access to any data without the user being aware of the existence of the plurality of databases.

[0009] The information processing system may further include a sending unit that sends transmission data, which is composed of data including one or more values ​​associated with a topic, to one of a plurality of databases, and a plurality of data management units that are associated with each of the plurality of databases. Each of the plurality of data management units may store the data included in the transmission data in the associated database based on the topic associated with the transmission data. According to this configuration, the data included in the transmission data sent by the sending unit can be stored in the corresponding area of ​​the database based on the topic included in the transmission data.

[0010] When a new topic is added to an associated database, the data management unit may transmit topic information indicating the newly added topic to the topic management unit. With this configuration, even when a new topic is added to any of the databases, access to the data associated with the newly added topic can be maintained.

[0011] When the topic management unit receives topic information from one of the plurality of data management units, the topic management unit may be configured to forward the received topic information to another data management unit. When each of the plurality of data management units receives topic information from a topic management unit, the topic management unit may be configured to store the received topic information. With this configuration, topic information from one of the data management units is forwarded to the other data management units, so that topic information can be shared among all of the data management units included in the information processing system.

[0012] When the topic management unit receives topic information from one of the multiple data management units, the topic management unit may store the received topic information. With this configuration, each topic management unit stores the topic information, which reduces the resources required to store and process the topic information compared to when the topic information is shared among all the data management units.

[0013] The topic management unit may determine whether a topic identical to the topic indicated by the topic information already exists in any of the multiple databases. This configuration makes it possible to avoid a situation in which topics are duplicated among multiple databases.

[0014] Topics may be described in a hierarchical structure, which allows topics to be described in accordance with the configuration of real-world facilities.

[0015] The acquisition unit may request data from the corresponding database, excluding the portion of the topic that is uniquely set for the corresponding database, from the request specifying the topic. This configuration simplifies processing for each database.

[0016] An information processing method according to another example of the present invention includes the steps of managing a plurality of databases divided by topic, managing the topics held by the plurality of databases, and, in response to a request specifying a topic, identifying a database corresponding to the specified topic and requesting data from the identified database. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, a technique for efficiently using data can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an application example of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an information processing system according to the present embodiment; [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example configuration of a server device in the information processing system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a server device in the information processing system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a transmission device in the information processing system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a functional configuration for realizing a data collection process of the information processing system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8]It is a flowchart showing the processing procedure executed by a server device related to data collection processing of an information processing system according to this embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of a database of a server device of an information processing system according to this embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of a functional configuration for realizing data reference processing of an information processing system according to this embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of a topic information table of an information processing system according to this embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a sequence diagram showing the processing procedure related to data reference processing of an information processing system according to this embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a schematic diagram showing another example of a functional configuration for realizing data reference processing of an information processing system according to this embodiment. [Figure 14] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of a functional configuration for realizing replication collection processing of an information processing system according to this embodiment. [Figure 15] It is a schematic diagram for explaining the aggregation processing of an information processing system according to this embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. For the same or corresponding parts in the drawings, the same reference numerals are given and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0020] <A. Application Example> First, an example of a scenario to which the present invention is applied will be described.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an application example of an information processing system 1 according to this embodiment. Referring to FIG. 1, the information processing system 1 includes a plurality of server devices 100-1, 100-2, 100-3,... (hereinafter also collectively referred to as "server device 100"), and one or more transmission devices 200 associated with any of the server devices 100.

[0022] For example, suppose that server devices 100-1 to 100-3 are located at bases 1 to 3, respectively. Each of server devices 100 stores data from one or more transmission devices 200 associated with server device 100 in database 160. Database 160 stores one or more tables 162 for each topic. That is, database 160 is divided by topic.

[0023] Each of the server devices 100 includes a data distribution module 150 and a data management module 152 in addition to a database 160 .

[0024] The data management modules 152 are associated with their own databases 160. Each of the data management modules 152 stores data included in the transmission data 50 in the associated database 160 based on the topic associated with the transmission data 50. In this way, the data management modules 152 store data (to which a topic is added) from the transmission device 200 in a table 162 corresponding to the added topic. The data management modules 152 also have a topic information table 170 that indicates the topics of other server devices 100.

[0025] The data delivery module 150 relays data from the transmission device 200 and exchanges data with other server devices 100. More specifically, in response to a request specifying a topic, the data delivery module 150 identifies a database (server device 100) corresponding to the specified topic and requests data from the identified database. At this time, the data delivery module 150 may refer to the topic information table 170 to identify the (server device 100) corresponding to the specified topic.

[0026] This allows a user to refer to data stored in any of the server devices 100 without being aware that the server devices 100 are distributed across the system.

[0027] <B. Overall Configuration Example of Information Processing System> The information processing system 1 according to this embodiment mainly collects data from the production site, but the target for collecting data is not particularly limited.

[0028] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration example of the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment. Referring to FIG. 2, the information processing system 1 includes a plurality of server devices 100-1, 100-2, 100-3,...; one or more transmission devices 200 associated with any one of the server devices 100; one or more information processing devices 300; and a management device 400.

[0029] The server devices 100 and the management device 400 are typically connected via a global network 4 such as the Internet.

[0030] Each of the server devices 100 has a database, stores the data transmitted from the one or more connected transmission devices 200, and executes necessary information processing. Further, the server device 100 provides part or all of the stored data in response to a request from the management device 400 or the like.

[0031] In the configuration example shown in FIG. 2, the server device 100-1 is arranged at Site 1, the server device 100-2 is arranged at Site 2, and the server device 100-3 is arranged at Site 3.

[0032] Each of the transmission devices 200 collects predetermined data from the production site or the like and transmits it to the connected server device 100.

[0033] The management device 400 executes processing for coordinating the plurality of server devices 100. The information processing device 300 accesses the data stored in the server device 100. In the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment, the information processing device 300 can access the databases respectively possessed by the plurality of server devices 100. Further, it is not necessary to make the user of the information processing device 300 aware of which server device 100 the accessed database belongs to.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the server device 100 of the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 3, for example, the server device 100 arranged at each site stores the data transmitted from the transmission device 200 via the local network 2 and executes necessary information processing. Further, the server device 100 provides the stored data in response to an aggregation request from the information processing device 300 or the like.

[0035] Each of the transmission devices 200 collects predetermined data from a production site or the like and transmits it to the server device 100. The timing at which the transmission device 200 transmits data to the server device 100 can be arbitrarily determined.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 3, assuming a line in which the workpiece 10 becomes a product through a plurality of processes, each of the transmission devices 200 is arranged at one of the processes and transmits the data collected from the workpiece 10 passing through each process to the server device 100. The server device 100 stores the data transmitted from the transmission device 200 via the local network 2.

[0037] <C. Hardware Configuration> Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the devices constituting the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0038] (c1: Server Device 100) Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of server device 100 of information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment. Referring to Fig. 4, server device 100 includes one or more processors 102 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), a main memory 104, an optical drive 106, a storage 110, network controllers 120 and 122, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) controller 124, an input unit 126, and a display unit 128. These components are connected via a bus 108.

[0039] The processor 102 reads out various programs stored in the storage 110, loads them into the main memory 104, and executes them to realize the processing required by the server device 100.

[0040] The storage 110 is configured with one or more nonvolatile storage devices, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a flash solid state drive (SSD). The storage 110 typically stores an operating system (OS) 112 and an information processing program 114 for implementing various processes described below. Note that the storage 110 may store necessary programs other than the programs shown in FIG. 4.

[0041] The storage area of ​​the storage 110 may be used to realize a database 160 that is configured from data collected from the transmitting device 200.

[0042] The server device 100 may include an optical drive 106. The optical drive 106 reads a computer-readable program from a recording medium 107 (for example, an optical recording medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)) that non-transiently stores the program, and stores the program in the storage 110 or the like.

[0043] The various programs executed by the server device 100 may be installed via a computer-readable recording medium 107, or may be installed by downloading from an arbitrary server on the network.

[0044] The network controller 120 controls data exchange with the transmitting device 200 and the like via the local network 2. The network controller 122 controls data exchange with the information processing device 300 and the like via the global network 4.

[0045] The USB controller 124 controls the transfer of data to and from external devices (eg, support devices) via a USB connection.

[0046] The input unit 126 is configured with a touch panel, a mouse, a keyboard, etc., and accepts user operations. The display unit 128 is configured with a display, various indicators, etc., and outputs processing results from the processor 102, etc.

[0047] FIG. 4 shows an example of a configuration in which the necessary processing is provided by the processor 102 executing a program, but some or all of the provided processing may be implemented using dedicated hardware circuits (e.g., an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array)).

[0048] Furthermore, all or part of the processing performed by the server device 100 may be performed using cloud computing on a network.

[0049] (c2: transmitting device 200) 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of transmission device 200 of information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 5, transmission device 200 includes a processing circuit 210, a network controller 220, an input unit 226, a display unit 228, and a collection unit 230.

[0050] The processing circuit 210 includes a processor 212 such as a CPU or an MPU, a main memory 214, and a storage 216 such as a flash memory. The processor 212 reads out various programs stored in the storage 216, expands them in the main memory 214, and executes them, thereby realizing the processing required by the transmitting device 200.

[0051] The network controller 220 controls data exchange with the server device 100 and the like via the local network 2 .

[0052] The input unit 226 is composed of a touch panel, a mouse, a keyboard, etc., and accepts user operations. The display unit 228 is composed of a display, various indicators, etc., and outputs processing results from the processor 102. Note that a touch panel display that integrates the input unit 226 and the display unit 228 may be employed, or the input unit 226 and the display unit 228 may be omitted.

[0053] The collection unit 230 includes any configuration for collecting data. For example, the collection unit 230 may include an optical device that optically reads a two-dimensional or three-dimensional code attached to a workpiece or the like, or an interface circuit that collects data from any measurement device.

[0054] 5 shows an example of a configuration in which the necessary processes are provided by the processor 212 executing a program, but some or all of the provided processes may be implemented using dedicated hardware circuits (e.g., ASIC or FPGA). Alternatively, the main part of the transmitting device 200 may be realized using hardware that conforms to a general-purpose architecture (e.g., an industrial PC based on a general-purpose PC).

[0055] Further, the transmission device 200 may be realized not by a single device but by cooperation of a plurality of devices. For example, it may be realized by adding a communication interface for generating and transmitting transmission data to existing sensors and control devices.

[0056] Furthermore, the function corresponding to the transmission device 200 may be realized as software executed by an arbitrary device. In this case, it may be realized by adding software corresponding to the transmission device 200 in addition to the software executed by the existing device.

[0057] (c3: Information processing device 300) The information processing device 300 of the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment is configured by a general personal computer or the like. Since a general personal computer is well-known, a detailed description thereof will not be given.

[0058] (c4: Management device 400) The management device 400 of the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment has the same hardware configuration as the server device 100 shown in FIG. 4, and thus a detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

[0059] <D. Data collection process> Next, the data collection process in the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0060] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a functional configuration example for realizing the data collection process of the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 6, in the information processing system 1, the server device 100 includes a data distribution module 150, a data management module 152, and a database 160. The transmission device 200 includes a data transmission module 250. The information processing device 300 includes a data acquisition module 350.

[0061] The data transmission module 250 of the transmission device 200 corresponds to a transmission unit and collects and transmits data. The data transmitted by the data transmission module 250 is referred to as "transmission data 50." In other words, the data transmission module 250 of the transmission device 200 transmits the transmission data 50, which is made up of data including one or more values ​​associated with a topic, to one of the multiple server devices 100 (databases 160).

[0062] The transmission data 50 includes a topic 52 indicating the attributes of the stored data 54. The data 54 stored in the transmission data 50 includes one or more values ​​58 and an ID 56 associated with the one or more values ​​58. The ID 56 is identification information for identifying the data 54.

[0063] The data delivery module 150 of the server device 100 identifies the topic 52 included in the transmission data 50 received from the data transmission module 250, and transfers the transmission data 50 to the data management module 152 and / or the data acquisition module 350 that subscribe to the identified topic 52. The data delivery module 150 of the server device 100 may also transfer the transmission data 50 received from the data transmission module 250 to another server device 100 via the management device 400. The destination of the transmission data 50 may be multiple modules. The data delivery module 150 may also transfer all of the received transmission data 50 to the data management module 152.

[0064] The data acquisition module 350 of the information processing device 300 notifies the data delivery module 150 of the topic to be subscribed to, specified by the user. The data acquisition module 350 also notifies the data delivery module 150 of the topic of the data to be acquired from the stored data. In response to this notification, the data delivery module 150 transmits data corresponding to the specified topic to the data acquisition module 350.

[0065] The data management module 152 of the server device 100 stores the corresponding data 54 in the database 160 based on the topic 52 included in the transmission data 50 received from the data distribution module 150. In this way, the data management module 152 identifies a storage destination for the data based on the topic 52 included in the transmission data 50, and stores the data 54 included in the transmission data 50 in the identified storage destination for the data.

[0066] In addition, the data management module 152 of the server device 100 may store corresponding data 54 in the database 160 based on the topic 52 included in the transmission data 50 received from another server device 100 via the management device 400.

[0067] The data management module 152 may search for data stored in the database 160 in response to a request from the data distribution module 150. The data management module 152 may also be responsible for updating (including additions and deletions) the data structure of the database 160. Furthermore, the data management module 152 may perform any operation on the data 54 included in the transmission data 50.

[0068] The database 160 is divided by topic. More specifically, the database 160 stores one or more tables 162 for each topic 52. Each table 162 stores an ID 164 and one or more values ​​166 in association with each other.

[0069] Note that topics are not limited to a single value as described above, and may adopt a hierarchical structure. When describing a hierarchical structure, "relative notation" and / or "absolute notation" may be introduced. "Relative notation" indicates a path from an arbitrary reference, and may be notation that does not begin with " / ", such as "line1 / process1".

[0070] Furthermore, "absolute notation" indicates a route that can be uniquely identified in the target system, and may be a notation beginning with " / ", such as " / Factory1 / line1 / Process 1". In this case, the first part of the absolute notation (e.g., " / Factory1 / ") can be called the global topic, and the part that follows (e.g., "line1 / Process 1") can be called the local topic. Relative notation can also be considered a local topic without a global topic.

[0071] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 7 shows an example in which a work 10 is processed in steps 1 and 2. The information processing system 1 collects the start times and end times of the processing of the work 10 in steps 1 and 2.

[0072] 7, the workpiece 10 is transported by a conveyor or the like in the order of process 1, process 2, etc., and is subjected to processing such as machining and assembly in each process. The workpiece 10 is assigned a two-dimensional code 12 indicating an ID (001, 002, 003, ...) for identifying the workpiece 10.

[0073] The transmitting device 200 optically reads the two-dimensional code 12 to obtain the ID of the workpiece 10 and also obtains the time at which the ID was obtained. The transmitting device 200 is located at the processing start point or processing end point of any process. Therefore, the transmitting device 200 can transmit the start time or end time of processing the workpiece 10 in each process to the server device 100. In other words, the data 54 of the transmission data 50 transmitted by the transmitting device 200 includes the ID of the workpiece 10 and the start time or end time.

[0074] More specifically, transmitting device 200-1 is located at the processing start point of step 1, and transmitting device 200-2 is located at the processing end point of step 1. Similarly, transmitting device 200-3 is located at the processing start point of step 2, and transmitting device 200-4 is located at the processing end point of step 2.

[0075] In this way, each of the transmitting devices 200 optically reads the two-dimensional code 12 attached to the workpiece 10 when the workpiece 10 passes by, and transmits the time when the two-dimensional code 12 was optically read to the server device 100. At this time, each of the transmitting devices 200 includes information for identifying the process in which it is located as a topic 52 in the transmission data 50.

[0076] More specifically, when the workpiece 10 passes (when processing of the workpiece 10 in process 1 begins), the transmitting device 200-1 optically reads the two-dimensional code 12 attached to the workpiece 10 to obtain the ID of the workpiece 10, and generates the start time, which is the time when the ID of the workpiece 10 is read, as data 54-1. Then, the transmitting device 200-1 adds "process 1" to the data 54-1 as topic 52-1 to generate transmission data 50-1 and transmits it to the server device 100.

[0077] When the server device 100 (data management module 152) receives the transmission data 50-1 from the transmission device 200-1, it identifies the table 162-1 corresponding to "Process 1," which is the value of the topic 52-1 included in the transmission data 50-1, and stores the data 54-1 (ID and start time) included in the transmission data 50-1. At this time, since there is no record assigned with the ID 164 having the same value as "001," which is the ID value of the data 54-1, the server device 100 adds a new record.

[0078] Next, when the work 10 passes (when the processing of the work 10 in process 1 is completed), the transmitting device 200-2 optically reads the two-dimensional code 12 attached to the work 10 to obtain the ID of the work 10, and generates the end time, which is the time when the ID of the work 10 was read, as data 54-2. Then, the transmitting device 200-2 adds "Process 1" to the data 54-2 as topic 52-2 to generate transmission data 50-2 and transmits it to the server device 100.

[0079] When the server device 100 (data management module 152) receives the transmission data 50-2 from the transmission device 200-2, it identifies the table 162-1 corresponding to "Process 1," which is the value of the topic 52-2 included in the transmission data 50-2, and stores the data 54-2 (ID and end time) included in the transmission data 50-2. At this time, since a record already exists to which an ID 164 with the same value as "001," which is the ID value of the data 54-1, is assigned, the server device 100 stores the end time in the existing record.

[0080] Furthermore, for a record in which both the start time and the end time are stored, the server device 100 (the calculation function 154 of the data management module 152) calculates the difference between the start time and the end time as the operation time. Then, the server device 100 stores the calculated operation time in the corresponding record.

[0081] The calculation function 154 of the data management module 152 is responsible for calculating the work time from the start time and end time for each work 10. Note that the calculation of the work time by the calculation function 154 may be performed any time the corresponding start time and end time are matched. For example, the work time may be calculated immediately after the start time and end time are matched, or records with the same start time and end time may be extracted from the records included in the table 162 at predetermined intervals, and the work time may be calculated for the extracted records.

[0082] When the processing of the workpiece 10 in step 1 is completed, the workpiece 10 is sent to step 2. When the work 10 passes (when processing of the work 10 in process 2 begins), the transmitting device 200-3 optically reads the two-dimensional code 12 attached to the work 10 to obtain the ID of the work 10, and generates the start time, which is the time when the ID of the work 10 is read, as data 54-3. Then, the transmitting device 200-3 adds "process 2" to the data 54-3 as topic 52-3 to generate transmission data 50-3 and transmits it to the server device 100.

[0083] Next, when the work 10 passes (when the processing of the work 10 in process 2 is completed), the transmitting device 200-4 optically reads the two-dimensional code 12 attached to the work 10 to obtain the ID of the work 10, and generates the end time, which is the time when the ID of the work 10 was read, as data 54-4. Then, the transmitting device 200-4 adds "process 2" to the data 54-4 as topic 52-4 to generate transmission data 50-4 and transmits it to the server device 100.

[0084] When the server device 100 (data management module 152) receives the transmission data 50-3 and the transmission data 50-4 from the transmission device 200-3 and the transmission device 200-4, respectively, it identifies the table 162-2 corresponding to "Step 2" and stores the data 54-2 and 54-4 included in the transmission data 50-3 and 50-4. The server device 100 (calculation function 154 of the data management module 152) also calculates the difference between the start time and the end time of the transmission data 50-3 and the transmission data 50-4 as the operation time.

[0085] As described above, the calculation function 154 of the data management module 152 performs a predetermined calculation on multiple values ​​(e.g., "start time" and "end time") associated with the same ID to add a new value (e.g., "work time").

[0086] 8 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure executed by server device 100 for data collection processing in information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment. Each step shown in FIG. 8 is typically realized by processor 102 of server device 100 executing information processing program 114.

[0087] 8, server device 100 manages database 160 divided by topic (step S100). Then, server device 100 determines whether or not it has received transmission data 50 from any of transmission devices 200 (step S102). That is, server device 100 determines whether or not a transmission device 200 has transmitted transmission data 50 to server device 100. If it has not received transmission data 50 (NO in step S102), the process of step S102 is repeated.

[0088] If the transmission data 50 has been received (YES in step S102), the server device 100 determines whether or not a table 162 corresponding to the topic 52 included in the received transmission data 50 exists (step S104).

[0089] If there is no table 162 corresponding to the topic 52 included in the received transmission data 50 (NO in step S104), the server device 100 generates a new table 162 corresponding to the topic 52 included in the received transmission data 50 (step S106).

[0090] In this way, the server device 100 identifies the storage location of the data based on the topic 52 included in the transmission data 50.

[0091] If a table 162 corresponding to the topic 52 included in the received transmission data 50 exists (YES in step S104), or after generating a new table 162 (after executing step S106), the server device 100 determines whether a record exists to which an ID 164 with the same value as the ID 56 included in the received transmission data 50 is assigned (step S108).

[0092] If there is no record assigned an ID164 with the same value as the ID56 included in the received transmission data 50 (NO in step S108), the server device 100 generates a record assigned the ID56 included in the received transmission data 50 as the ID164 (step S110).

[0093] Next, the server device 100 identifies the data name (start time or end time) of the data 54 included in the received transmission data 50 (step S112). Then, the server device 100 stores the value 58 included in the data 54 included in the received transmission data 50 in the corresponding column of the record to which the ID 164 having the same value as the ID 56 is assigned (step S114). In this manner, the server device 100 stores the data 54 included in the transmission data 50 in the identified data storage destination. At this time, if a value associated with the same ID 164 as the ID 56 included in the transmission data 50 is already stored in the database 160, the server device 100 stores one or more values ​​58 included in the data 54 included in the transmission data 50 in association with the ID 164 already stored in the database 160.

[0094] Next, the server device 100 determines whether the start time and end time are the same in the record assigned with ID164 having the same value as ID56 (step S116). If the start time and end time are the same in the record assigned with ID164 having the same value as ID56 (YES in step S116), the server device 100 calculates the operation time from the start time and end time (step S118).

[0095] If the start time and end time do not match in the record to which ID164, which has the same value as ID56, is assigned (NO in step S116), the process of step S118 is skipped.

[0096] In this way, the time required to work on the workpiece 10 (work time) can be collected for each of process 1 and process 2. Because the workpieces 10 are processed sequentially, by accumulating the start time, end time, and work time for all of the workpieces 10, this can be used as data for analyzing the average value and variation of the work time required for each process.

[0097] For the sake of convenience of explanation, an example consisting of two steps has been described. However, even if one or more steps are added, it can flexibly respond. For example, when step 3 is added, the transmission device 200 is newly arranged in the added step 3, and "step 3" is set as topic 52 for the newly added transmission device 200. Thereby, the server device 100 generates a table 162 corresponding to the new value of topic 52.

[0098] As shown in FIG. 7, data (start time and end time) for the same work 10 is transmitted to the server device 100 by different transmission devices 200 at different timings. Even when a plurality of data dispersed in time are transmitted like this, by using topic 52 and ID56, the necessary data for each work 10 can be aggregated.

[0099] <E. Data reference process> Next, the data reference process in the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0100] As described above, the data collected by each of the server devices 100 is stored in the database 160 of each server device 100.

[0101] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the database 160 of the server device 100 of the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 9, for example, when the configuration example as shown in FIG. 2 is adopted, the server device 100-1 has a table 162 for site 1, the server device 100-2 has a table 162 for site 2, and the server device 100-3 has a table 162 for site 3. In the example shown in FIG. 9, each of sites 1 to 3 has the same line, and data is collected for each step for each line.

[0102] The server devices 100-1 to 100-3 have global topics 60-1 to 60-3, respectively, as identification information indicating the bases where they are located. The global topics 60-1 to 60-3 are used as topic prefixes.

[0103] In information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment, information processing device 300 that can communicate with at least one of server devices 100 can also substantially access databases held by other server devices.

[0104] That is, the plurality of tables 162 as shown in FIG. 9 can be processed as a single unit without the user having to be aware of which server device 100's database 160 the plurality of tables 162 are stored in.

[0105] 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a functional configuration for realizing the data reference process of information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 10, each of server devices 100-1 to 100-3 includes a data delivery module 150, a data management module 152, and a database 160.

[0106] The management device 400 includes a topic management module 450. The topic management module 450 manages topics held by multiple databases 160. More specifically, the topic management module 450 provides a mechanism that allows multiple server devices 100 to refer to topics in tables 162 held by other server devices 100.

[0107] More specifically, when the topic management module 450 receives topic information, which is information relating to topics for the table 162 that it has, from one of the server devices 100, it transfers the received topic information to the other server devices 100. The data management module 152 of the server device 100 stores the topic information from the topic management module 450 of the management device 400 in the topic information table 170.

[0108] In this way, by sharing the topic information of the table 162 held by a certain server device 100 with other server devices 100, it is possible to identify the topic of the table 162 held by any of the server devices 100 included in the information processing system 1.

[0109] 10 shows, as an example, the processing performed when server device 100-3 is newly added while server device 100-1 and server device 100-2 are running. Server device 100-3 transmits topic information indicating the topics in table 162 stored in database 160 of its own device to topic management module 450 of management device 400. Topic management module 450 transfers the topic information from server device 100-3 to server device 100-1 and server device 100-2. Server device 100-1 adds the topic information from topic management module 450 to topic information table 170-1, and server device 100-2 adds the topic information from topic management module 450 to topic information table 170-2.

[0110] The newly added server device 100-3 does not have the topic information in table 162 held by server device 100-1 and server device 100-2. Therefore, server device 100-3 (data management module 152) may request the topic management module 450 to transmit the topic information in table 162 held by another server device 100. In this case, the topic information may be acquired from another server device 100 through relay processing by the topic management module 450, or topic information cached by the topic management module 450 may be provided to server device 100-3.

[0111] In this way, each server device 100 holds topic information, and thus data stored in other server devices 100 can be easily accessed.

[0112] Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a topic information table 170 of the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 11(A) shows an example in which global topics (prefixes) of topics assigned to table 162 held by server device 100 are stored. Fig. 11(B) shows an example in which all topics assigned to table 162 held by each of server devices 100 are stored.

[0113] 11(A), each entry in the topic information table 170 includes a server name, a corresponding network address, and a corresponding global topic. More specifically, the global topic of the table held by Server 1 is " / Factory1 / ", the global topic of the table held by Server 2 is " / Factory3 / ", and the global topic of the table held by Server 3 is " / Factory3 / ".

[0114] Each server device 100 will hold a topic information table 170, but information about the server device itself may be excluded from the topic information table 170. That is, all server devices 100 may hold the same topic information table 170, or may hold topic information tables 170 that are different from each other in that the information about the server device itself is excluded.

[0115] For example, when the information processing device 300 instructs the server device 100-1 to acquire data corresponding to the topic " / Factory3 / Process 2," the server device 100-1 refers to the topic information table 170 and identifies the server device 100-3 that has the table 162 to which the global topic " / Factory3 / " is assigned. Then, the server device 100-1 (data distribution module 150) sends a data request to the server device 100-3 specifying "Process 2" excluding the global topic.

[0116] This is because only local topics are assigned to each of the tables 162 managed by the server device 100-3. In this way, the data distribution module 150 of the server device 100 may request data from the corresponding database 160, excluding the topic portion (i.e., global topic) that is set specifically for the corresponding database, from the request specifying a topic.

[0117] In response to a request for data specifying "Process 2," server device 100-3 provides data of corresponding table 162 stored in database 160.

[0118] In this way, in response to a request specifying a topic, the data distribution module 150 of the server device 100 identifies the database 160 corresponding to the specified topic and requests data from the identified database 160. Through this series of processes, the requested data can be obtained.

[0119] As described above, by sharing the global topic (prefix) of a table between the server devices 100 that make up the information processing system 1, the amount of data of the shared information can be reduced and any data stored on another server device 100 can be easily accessed.

[0120] 11(B), each entry in the topic information table 170 includes a server name, a corresponding network address, and a corresponding topic. More specifically, Server 1 has two tables to which the topics " / Factory1 / Process 1" and " / Factory1 / Process 2" are assigned, respectively, Server 2 has two tables to which the topics " / Factory2 / Process 1" and " / Factory2 / Process 2" are assigned, respectively, and Server 3 has two tables to which the topics " / Factory3 / Process 1" and " / Factory3 / Process 2" are assigned, respectively.

[0121] Each server device 100 will hold a topic information table 170, but information about the server device itself may be excluded from the topic information table 170. That is, all server devices 100 may hold the same topic information table 170, or may hold topic information tables 170 that are different from each other in that the information about the server device itself is excluded.

[0122] As shown in Figure 11(B), by sharing all topics assigned to the table among the server devices 100 that make up the information processing system 1, it is possible to identify the server device 100 that stores any topic present in the information processing system 1 without explicitly specifying the global topic (prefix).

[0123] When the topic information table 170 shown in FIG. 11(B) is adopted, the server device 100 to be accessed can be uniquely identified for a specified topic without separating the global topic (prefix) from the local topic.

[0124] In both Figures 11(A) and 11(B), if topics overlap, there is a possibility that the access destination will be identified incorrectly. Therefore, when setting or registering a new topic on the server device 100, a function may be employed to confirm that the topic does not overlap with a topic that has already been set or registered on another server device 100.

[0125] In this case, the topic management module 450 determines whether a topic identical to the topic indicated by the topic information already exists in any of the multiple databases 160. If the same topic exists in any of the databases 160, the topic duplication may be notified to the user or the like.

[0126] 12 is a sequence diagram showing a processing procedure for the data reference processing of the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 12, a processing procedure corresponding to the data reference processing shown in FIG.

[0127] Referring to FIG. 12, server device 100-1 and server device 100-2 manage database 160 divided by topic (sequence SQ200).

[0128] When server device 100-3 receives a user operation to add a topic (sequence SQ202), it generates a table corresponding to the specified topic (sequence SQ204). Then, server device 100-3 transmits topic information indicating the newly added topic to management device 400 (sequence SQ206). In this way, when data management module 152 of server device 100 adds a new topic to the associated database 160, it transmits topic information indicating the newly added topic to topic management module 450 of management device 400.

[0129] Administration device 400 transfers the topic information from server device 100-3 to server device 100-1 and server device 100-2 (sequence SQ208). In this way, when topic management module 450 of administration device 400 receives topic information from any one of multiple data management modules 152, it transfers the received topic information to the other data management modules 152.

[0130] Server device 100-1 and server device 100-2 store the topic information from management device 400 in topic information table 170 (sequence SQ210). In this way, upon receiving topic information from topic management module 450, each of multiple data management modules 152 stores the received topic information.

[0131] The above processing completes the registration of a new topic in the topic information table 170 when it is added. The processing of sequences SQ202 to SQ210 corresponds to the processing of managing topics held by multiple databases 160, and is repeated every time a topic is added.

[0132] When server device 100-1 receives a data request specifying a specific topic (sequence SQ212), it refers to topic information table 170 and identifies server device 100 (server device 100-3 in this example) that has table 162 to which the specified topic is assigned (sequence SQ214). Server device 100-1 then transmits the data request to the identified server device 100-3 (sequence SQ216).

[0133] In this way, in response to a request that specifies a topic, the server device 100 (data distribution module 150) identifies a database corresponding to the specified topic and executes a process of requesting data from the identified database 160.

[0134] In response to the request from server apparatus 100-1, server apparatus 100-3 extracts the requested data from table 162 (sequence SQ218), and transmits the extracted data to server apparatus 100-1 (sequence SQ220).

[0135] The above processing completes the provision of data in response to a data request. The processing of sequences SQ212 to SQ220 is repeated every time data is requested.

[0136] FIG. 10 shows an example of a configuration in which each server device 100 holds the topic information table 170, but instead, the topic management module 450 of the management device 400 may hold the topic information table 170.

[0137] 13 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a functional configuration for realizing the data reference process of the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment. In the information processing system 1 shown in FIG. 13, the topic management module 450 of the management device 400 holds the topic information table 170.

[0138] 13, when any of server devices 100 adds a new topic, it transmits the newly added topic to topic management module 450. For example, server device 100-3 transmits topic information indicating the newly added topic to topic management module 450 ([Register] topic information). Topic management module 450 stores the topic information from server device 100-3 in topic information table 170.

[0139] On the other hand, when referencing data, the server device 100 that receives the request inquires of the topic management module 450 about the access destination. For example, when the server device 100-1 receives a request for data specifying a certain topic, it makes an inquiry to the topic management module 450 to identify the access destination corresponding to the topic specified in the request ([inquiry] topic information). In response to the inquiry from the server device 100-1, the topic management module 450 refers to the topic information table 170 and responds with the access destination (such as a network address) corresponding to the specified topic (access destination information). The server device 100-1 identifies the target server device 100 according to the access destination responded to by the topic management module 450, and acquires data related to the specified topic.

[0140] 12, when topic management module 450 of management device 400 receives topic information from any one of multiple data management modules 152, it stores the received topic information. By having topic management module 450 of management device 400 hold topic information table 170, topics can be managed in a centralized manner, thereby simplifying the system configuration.

[0141] In the above description, an example configuration is shown in which a management device 400 (topic management module 450) separate from the server device 100 is arranged, but the configuration is not limited to this example, and the topic management module 450 can be implemented in any form.

[0142] For example, a topic management module 450 may be arranged in any one of the server devices 100. In this case, the server device 100 having the topic management module 450 will be responsible for the processing provided by the management device 400.

[0143] Also, a plurality of topic management modules 450 may be arranged in the information processing system 1. In this case, the number of topic management modules 450 may be appropriately designed according to the processing load and the like.

[0144] Furthermore, the server devices 100 may directly exchange data with each other (for example, in a peer-to-peer configuration). In this case, the server device 100 that newly adds a topic notifies all other server devices 100 of topic information indicating the newly added topic. Each of the server devices 100 updates the topic information table 170 held in its own device based on the topic information from other server devices 100.

[0145] In this way, the mechanism for sharing topics among the server devices 100 may be implemented in any form.

[0146] <F. Duplication collection processing> In the above description, a configuration example of sharing topics among the server devices 100 included in the information processing system 1 has been shown. Instead of this, or in addition to this, a part or all of the data collected by another server device 100 may be collected.

[0147] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a functional configuration example for realizing the duplication collection processing of the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 14 shows an example in which the server device 100-1 also collects a duplication of the data collected by the server device 100-3.

[0148] In this configuration example, the server device 100-3 transfers a copy of the transmission data 50 transmitted from the transmission device 200 to the server device 100-1 via the management device 400. The server device 100-3 stores the data 54 included in the transmission data 50 from the transmission device 200 connected to the server device 100-3 in the table 162. Similarly, the server device 100-1 stores the data 54 included in the transmission data 50 from the transmission device 200 connected to the server device 100-3 in the table 162.

[0149] Through such processing, the server device 100-1 can store a table 162 that is substantially the same as the table 162 stored in the database 160 of the server device 100-3 in its own database 160.

[0150] By adopting the process of collecting such replicated data, the server device 100 does not need to obtain data from other server devices 100, and it can obtain the necessary data from its own database 160.

[0151] Regarding which copy of the transmission data to collect, the user may be able to set it arbitrarily by referring to the topic information table 170 or the like.

[0152] <G. Aggregation function> When obtaining the data collected by an arbitrary server device 100, the server device 100 may perform a predetermined aggregation process and respond with the result.

[0153] FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram for explaining the aggregation process of the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 15 shows an example in which the number of defects in each line is collected as data associated with subtopics, and the total number of defects in the entire line is specified as a parent topic for aggregation. As an example, a case where three lines, namely "Line 1", "Line 2", and "Line 3", exist in "Floor 2" is shown.

[0154] 15, control devices (PLC: Programmable Logic Controller) that control each line function as transmission devices 200-1, 200-2, and 200-3. Each of transmission devices 200-1, 200-2, and 200-3 counts the number of defects that have occurred on the line that it is responsible for, and transmits transmission data 50-1, 50-2, and 50-3 that includes the counted number of defects as data 54-1, 54-2, and 54-3 to server device 100.

[0155] Each of the topics 52-1, 52-2, and 52-3 included in the transmission data 50-1, 50-2, and 50-3 specifies the target floor and line in a hierarchical structure. More specifically, the topic 52-1 in the transmission data 50-1 is "Floor 2 / Line 1," the topic 52-6 in the transmission data 50-6 is "Floor 2 / Line 2," and the topic 52-7 in the transmission data 50-7 is "Floor 2 / Line 3."

[0156] The database 160 of the server device 100 stores tables 162-1, 162-2, and 162-3 corresponding to the respective topics 52. The tables 162-1, 162-2, and 162-3 are assigned the topics "Floor 2 / Line 1," "Floor 2 / Line 2," and "Floor 2 / Line 3," respectively. The data management module 152 stores the transmission data 50-1, 50-2, and 50-3 received from the transmission devices 200-1, 200-2, and 200-3 in the tables 162 corresponding to the included topics 52. In the example shown in FIG. 15, the value of the number of defects included in the data 54 is stored in the "defective number" column.

[0157] The data management module 152 of the server device 100 has an aggregation function 158. The aggregation function 158 of the data management module 152 searches for and aggregates data stored in one or more tables 162 in response to an aggregation request 184. In particular, the aggregation function 158 extracts target data based on the hierarchical structure of the topic, and executes a specified aggregation process on the extracted data to generate an aggregation result.

[0158] The server device 100 receives a tally request 184 that specifies the tally process. As an example, the tally request 184 includes a topic 1841, a key 1842, and a tally method 1843.

[0159] "Floor 2 / +" is specified for topic 1841. Here, "+" represents a wildcard. In this way, the aggregation request 184 may include a description using a wildcard to specify the target topic. "Number of defectives" is specified for key 1842, and "total" is specified for aggregation method 1843.

[0160] The aggregation function 158 of the data management module 152 extracts tables that match the specified topic 1841, "Floor 2 / +," from among the tables 162 stored in the database 160. In other words, "Floor 2 / +" means all tables 162 that have a topic beginning with "Floor," so tables 162-1, 162-2, and 162-3 are extracted as targets.

[0161] Then, the aggregation function 158 of the data management module 152 extracts each value stored in the column of the “number of defectives” that is the specified key 1842 from the extracted table 162 .

[0162] Finally, the counting function 158 of the data management module 152 calculates the sum of each extracted value according to the "sum" that is the specified counting method 1843. Then, the counting function 158 of the data management module 152 responds with the calculated total number of defectives as the counting result.

[0163] In this way, in response to the aggregation request 184, the aggregation function 158 of the data management module 152 executes the aggregation process specified by the aggregation request 184 on the multiple values ​​associated with the topic 1841 specified by the aggregation request 184.

[0164] Thus, by using the hierarchical topic 52, aggregation processing can be easily realized for a plurality of data sources (e.g., lines).

[0165] <H. Modified Example> In the above description, it was assumed that the server device 100 can request data from any other server device 100, but access rights to each data may be managed. The access rights may be set for each user who requests data, or may be set for each server device 100.

[0166] The management of access rights may be performed by the topic management module 450, or information on access rights may be added to the topic information table 170 of the data management module 152. Thus, the management of access rights may adopt any implementation method.

[0167] <I. Supplementary Note> The above-described embodiment includes the following technical ideas.

[0168] [Configuration 1] An information processing system (1) comprising: a plurality of databases (160) classified for each topic; a topic management unit (450) that manages topics possessed by the plurality of databases; <00005​​​​​​​​The information processing system of configuration 1 further comprises a plurality of data management units (152) associated with each of the plurality of databases, each of the plurality of data management units storing data included in the transmission data in the associated database based on a topic associated with the transmission data.

[0170] [Configuration 3] 3. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein when a new topic is added to the associated database, the data management unit transmits topic information indicating the newly added topic to the topic management unit.

[0171] [Configuration 4] When the topic management unit receives the topic information from one of the plurality of data management units, the topic management unit transfers the received topic information to the other data management unit; 4. The information processing system according to configuration 3, wherein each of the plurality of data management units stores the received topic information upon receiving the topic information from the topic management unit.

[0172] [Configuration 5] 4. The information processing system according to configuration 3, wherein the topic management unit stores the received topic information when the topic management unit receives the topic information from one of the plurality of data management units.

[0173] [Configuration 6] 6. The information processing system according to any one of configurations 3 to 5, wherein the topic management unit determines whether a topic identical to the topic indicated by the topic information already exists in any of the plurality of databases.

[0174] [Configuration 7] 7. The information processing system according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein the topics are described in a hierarchical structure.

[0175] [Configuration 8] The acquisition unit requests data from the corresponding database for requests that specify the topic, excluding the part of the topic that is uniquely set in the corresponding database, in the information processing system according to any one of Configurations 1 to 7.

[0176] [Configuration 9] A step (SQ200) of managing a plurality of databases classified for each topic; A step (SQ202 to SQ210) of managing the topics possessed by the plurality of databases; An information processing method including: a step (SQ212 to SQ220) of identifying a database corresponding to the specified topic and requesting data from the identified database in response to a request specifying the topic.

[0177] <J. Advantages> In a production site, various devices and sensors are distributed, and many workers are distributed as production resources. These are combined to form a production system and an organization. Production activities are carried out by the cooperation of a plurality of production systems and organizations.The production activities at the production site produce both "products" and a lot of "data".

[0178] Since data is generated from distributed production resources, the generated data will also be distributed spatially and temporally.

[0179] Even when there are a plurality of databases storing data, according to the information processing system according to the present embodiment, it is possible to regard the plurality of databases as an integrated database.Therefore, the user can access the necessary data simply by specifying the target topic without being aware of the physical configuration of the database or the like.As a result, even a user who does not have specialized knowledge such as databases can arbitrarily acquire the necessary data.

[0180] Furthermore, even if the collected data changes due to the addition or modification of a production line at the production site, the changed data can be included in the integrated database, so that necessary data can be collected and analyzed without interruption, following changes at the production site. This allows for more efficient improvements at the production site. Furthermore, since the degree of freedom in the configuration related to data collection can be increased, appropriate sensors can be easily added according to the production site.

[0181] Furthermore, it can easily accommodate situations where multiple server devices must be distributed rather than a single server device due to resource constraints on the server device, etc. In the information processing system according to this embodiment, there is a high degree of freedom in the distribution and aggregation of server devices, so the number of server devices and their locations can be freely designed according to resources, requirements, etc.

[0182] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0183] 1 Information processing system, 2 Local network, 4 Global network, 10 Work, 12 Two-dimensional code, 50 Transmission data, 52 Topic, 54 Data, 56, 164 ID, 58, 166 Value, 60 Global topic, 100 Server device, 102, 212 Processor, 104, 214 Main memory, 106 Optical drive, 107 Recording medium, 108 Bus, 110, 216 Storage, 114 Information processing program, 120, 122, 220 Network controller, 124 USB controller, 126, 226 Input unit, 128, 228 Display unit, 150 Data distribution module, 152 Data management module, 154 Calculation function, 158 Aggregation function, 160 Database, 162 Table, 170 Topic information table, 184 Aggregation request, 200 Transmission device, 210 Processing circuit, 230 Collection unit, 250 data transmission module, 300 information processing device, 350 data acquisition module, 400 management device, 450 topic management module, 1841 topic, 1842 key, 1843 aggregation method.

Claims

1. An information processing system, Multiple databases divided by topic, a topic management unit that manages topics held by the plurality of databases; an acquisition unit that, in response to the request specifying the topic, identifies a database corresponding to the specified topic and requests data from the identified database; a sending unit that sends, to one of the plurality of databases, transmission data that is made up of data including one or more values ​​associated with a topic; and a plurality of data management units each associated with the plurality of databases, each of the plurality of data management units storing data included in the transmission data in the associated database based on a topic associated with the transmission data.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein when the data management unit adds a new topic to the associated database, the data management unit transmits topic information indicating the newly added topic to the topic management unit.

3. When the topic management unit receives the topic information from one of the plurality of data management units, the topic management unit transfers the received topic information to the other data management unit; The information processing system according to claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of data management units stores the topic information when receiving the topic information from the topic management unit.

4. The information processing system according to claim 2 , wherein the topic management unit stores the received topic information when the topic management unit receives the topic information from one of the plurality of data management units.

5. 5. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein the topic management unit determines whether a topic identical to the topic indicated by the topic information already exists in any of the plurality of databases.

6. An information processing system, Multiple databases divided by topic, a topic management unit that manages topics held by the plurality of databases; an acquisition unit that, in response to a request specifying a topic, identifies a database corresponding to the specified topic and requests data from the identified database; An information processing system, wherein the acquisition unit requests data from the corresponding database, excluding a portion of the request specifying the topic that is set uniquely to the corresponding database.

7. 7. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the topics are described in a hierarchical structure.

8. An information processing method executed by an information processing system, comprising: Managing multiple topic-specific databases; managing topics held by the plurality of databases; In response to the request specifying the topic, identifying a database corresponding to the specified topic and requesting data from the identified database; sending transmission data, which is data including one or more values ​​associated with a topic, to any one of the plurality of databases; an information processing method comprising a step of storing, in each of a plurality of data management units associated with each of the plurality of databases, data contained in the transmission data in the associated database based on the topic associated with the transmission data.

9. An information processing method executed by an information processing system, comprising: Managing multiple topic-specific databases; managing topics held by the plurality of databases; in response to the request specifying the topic, identifying a database corresponding to the specified topic and requesting data from the identified database; An information processing method, wherein the requesting step includes a step of requesting data from the corresponding database, excluding a portion of the request specifying a topic that is set uniquely to the corresponding database.

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