Maintenance work support system, maintenance work support method, and non-temporary computer-readable media

Abstract

To provide a maintenance operation assistance system that facilitates identification of a root cause by using a fault tree even by an unskilled operator.SOLUTION: A systems and method can involve a maintenance operation assistance system that assists a maintenance operation on a machine. The method includes: managing, as fault tree information on the machine, fault information, cause information, information on how to identify a causal occurrence, and recovery method information; acquiring status information on the machine; processing the status information with respect to one or a plurality of pieces of external status information or internal status information; determining a method of identifying a causal occurrence of the machine from the processed external status information or internal status information on the machine; executing the method of determining a cause occurrence of the machine; and displaying the fault tree information on the machine, the acquired status information, and the determined cause occurrence for the machine.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to factory systems, and more specifically, to failure tree management and maintenance management of factory systems.

Background Art

[0002] To maximize productivity, it is essential to maintain the operating time of the production lines in a factory. The main cause of loss of line operating time is mechanical failure due to some abnormal condition. Therefore, an early recovery operation based on root cause analysis of mechanical failures is required. For this purpose, failure tree analysis is generally performed using a failure tree. A failure tree is a tree diagram that includes a top node indicating a failure event, lower nodes indicating root cause phenomena, and its branches indicating the causal relationships of the phenomena. A failure tree is effective because it can immediately determine the root cause when a failure is described in the failure tree, thus eliminating long downtimes.

[0003] The failure tree focuses on explaining the relationship between phenomena and causes. Therefore, the method of checking whether a cause is occurring by examining the causes described in the failure tree, and the determination of the cause itself, are left to the operator. Therefore, even when a failure tree exists, there is a problem that it takes too much time for an inexperienced operator to identify the root cause. Other problems include misdiagnosis or the inability to identify the root cause even after spending a considerable amount of time.

[0004] In related technologies, there may be systems that support maintenance work by using a diagnostic tree with similar performance to a fault tree to analyze equipment malfunctions. In such related technology systems, the diagnostic tree is not only used to explore each path of the diagnostic tree, but also to optimize the exploration path by using information on the required preparation time and maintenance time recorded at each node, as well as historical occurrence probabilities that efficiently support the analysis of equipment malfunctions, to estimate the cost of tracing each path. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-124990 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] There is a need for a maintenance support system that allows even unskilled operators to easily identify root causes using a fault tree. While related technologies can support efficient maintenance by performing route optimization based on pre-installed information in a diagnostic tree, a prerequisite is that the operator must be capable of performing the necessary tasks to identify the cause and make decisions related to that identification. Therefore, unskilled operators may not be able to execute the optimal route even when presented with it. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention includes several means for solving at least part of the above problems, but an example is as follows: A maintenance work support system for assisting maintenance work on a machine, comprising: a recording unit that manages fault information, cause information, information on how to identify the occurrence of the cause, and recovery method information as fault tree information of the machine; a status acquisition unit that acquires external status information or internal status information of the machine; and a processor, wherein the processor processes the acquired external status information or internal status information, determines the completion of the preliminary work based on the content of the preliminary work included in the fault tree information and the external status information or internal status information to be used to determine the completion of the preliminary work, determines a method for identifying the occurrence of the cause of the machine from the external status information or internal status information when it is determined that the preliminary work has been completed, executes the determined method to identify the occurrence of the cause of the machine, and displays the fault tree information, the acquired external status information or internal status information, and the identified occurrence of the cause. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] The exemplary implementations described herein involve systems that can reduce the number of operator-dependent processes and the probability of misdiagnosis. The exemplary implementations described herein may involve separating the task of identifying the cause of a fault tree or diagnostic tree into a preliminary task to eliminate the need for information gathering and judgment based on the device's knowledge and experience. Other issues, configurations, and effects not mentioned above will be clarified by the following description of embodiments for carrying out the invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example architecture for a maintenance support system for related technologies. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the minimal relationships in a fault tree in related technologies. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of a fault tree diagram related to fault tree information present in the recording unit. [Figure 4] This figure shows examples of relevant technologies that provide detailed information on how to identify the cause of an event. [Figure 5] This diagram shows a flowchart of related technologies for maintenance work support systems. [Figure 6] This figure shows a maintenance work support system as an example of its implementation. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of information on how to identify the cause of an event, based on a typical implementation. [Figure 8] This figure shows a partial example of a fault tree, based on one exemplary implementation. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example flowchart of a maintenance work support system, based on a typical implementation. [Figure 10] This figure shows another example architecture of a maintenance work support system, based on an exemplary implementation. [Figure 11] This figure shows an example of information on how to identify the cause of an event, based on a typical implementation. [Figure 12]A diagram showing an example of a failure tree diagram with completion check according to an exemplary implementation. [Figure 13] A diagram showing another flowchart example of a maintenance work support system with completion check according to an exemplary implementation. [Figure 14] A diagram showing an example of identifying the cause occurrence by accompanying a pre-work completion check according to an exemplary implementation. [Figure 15] A diagram showing a plurality of physical systems network-connected to a management device according to an exemplary implementation. [Figure 16] A diagram showing an example of a computing environment having an example of a computer device suitable for use in some exemplary implementations. **DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION**

[0018] The following detailed description provides details of the drawings and exemplary implementations of the present application. Reference numerals and descriptions of overlapping elements between the drawings are omitted for clarity. The terms used throughout the description are provided as examples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, the use of the term "automatic" may involve fully automatic or semi-automatic implementations with user or administrator control over specific aspects of the implementation, depending on the desired implementation by those skilled in the art practicing the implementations of the present application. Selections can be made by the user through a user interface or other input means, or can be realized through a desired algorithm. Exemplary implementations as described herein can be used alone or in combination, and the functionality of the exemplary implementations can be realized in any form according to the desired implementation. **EXAMPLES**

[0019] FIG. 1 shows an example of the architecture of a maintenance work support system of the related art. Specifically, the exemplary system identifies the root cause using machine data by utilizing a failure tree and also based on the acquired machine data.

[0020] Figure 2 shows an example of the minimal relationship of a fault tree in the related art. There is a direct relationship between the fault and the cause at the core of the fault tree. Other information such as how to identify the occurrence of the cause and the recovery method is added to assist unskilled technicians. The recovery method information is added only when the cause is the root cause (the final node of the fault tree).

[0021] Figure 3 shows a related art example of a fault tree diagram existing in a recording unit as fault tree information. As shown in Figure 3, the fault tree diagram can be accompanied by information including conversations about fault symptoms, conversations about the type of fault, and conversations about recommendations for overcoming the fault. In this fault tree example, each node is an example of the cause of occurrence, and the final node will have recovery information. For example, the node "obstacle" has recovery methods of "check the operation path of the motor" and "remove the obstacle". In the case of an intermediate cause or fault (e.g., "motor system fault"), there are also lower-level nodes that can exist in the tree. For example, if "motor cable defect" is the final node, it can be determined that it is the root cause of the fault, and the recovery method can involve "manually start the motor using a swap cable" and "replace the cable".

[0022] Figure 4 shows a related art example of detailed information on how to identify the occurrence of the cause. Specifically, Figure 4 shows the procedures for each case. Machine data or manual observation is obtained to check the machine status. There are three steps to identify the occurrence of the cause: pre-work, collection, and inspection. The pre-work involves the work necessary for collection and inspection (e.g., opening the machine door to inspect the inside of the machine). Collection involves the collection of data (e.g., from the internal mechanism of the machine, from the observation by the technician). Inspection refers to the inspection based on the data collection (e.g., after opening the door, the technician observes whether there are signs of burning or other damage to the machine across the fault tree from the internal status).

[0023] In the case of internal status, there are sensor data or other control / feedback systems related to the machine that can provide the machine's internal status, and the internal status can then be collected and used for inspection by mapping the data into a fault tree. However, in the case of external status, the relevant technical systems rely solely on manual work for collection and inspection, and their determination relies solely on observation and the corresponding technical level performed by the engineer or technician.

[0024] Figure 5 shows a flowchart of a related technology maintenance support system. In the related technology example, the system traces the fault tree diagram from the top node by performing root cause identification. The display unit shows each piece of information during the trace, and when the root cause is reached, recovery method information is shown as the final step. As shown in Figure 5, the flow can calculate occurrences when machine (internal status) data is used, but for external status, as shown in B-2, manual judgment by the technician is required to determine the traverse of the fault tree. Therefore, the related technology flow depends on the technician's skill.

[0025] Figure 6 shows a maintenance work support system based on an exemplary implementation. The difference from related technical examples lies in the status information acquired as internal or external status information, based on how the cause is identified. The identification process is separate from the pre-work and collection / inspection.

[0026] In the maintenance work support system example 600, there is a status acquisition unit 601, a processing unit 602, a display unit 603, and a recording unit 604. In contrast to the implementation example of related technology, the status acquisition unit 601 may include an internal machine status acquisition module 610 and an external machine status acquisition module 611. The recording unit 604 may have fault tree information 640, which may include fault information 641, cause information 642, information on how to identify the cause 643, and recovery method information 644.

[0027] Figure 7 shows an example of information 643 on how to identify a cause of an incident, based on a representative implementation. In this example, the status information for identifying the cause of an incident can be based on the machine's internal or external status. The process for identifying the cause of an incident can be separated into pre-work and collection / inspection. In this example, all of the pre-work information is manual, while the collection / inspection information is obtained from either internal or external machine data. Examples of internal machine data include, but are not limited to, programmable logic controller (PLC) bits, machine alarms, and controller feedback values.

[0028] Examples of external machine data include, but are not limited to, photographs, videos, environmental sensors (such as sound, vibration, load, temperature, and humidity sensors), and images or videos of the machine captured from a camera focused on the machine. Therefore, the exemplary implementation separates internal and external status and makes automated decisions based on at least one of the statuses.

[0029] Figure 8 shows a partial example of a fault tree 640 in an exemplary implementation. For example, in the case of a motor system fault, the fault tree requires prior work by an operator to manually start the motor. The collection / inspection involves taking video of the motor operation (e.g., via a camera focused on the motor) as an external status to check the motor's rotation. The fault tree can also include recovery method information, such as "Replace cable" in response to a motor cable malfunction.

[0030] Figure 9 shows an example flowchart of a maintenance work support system based on a typical implementation.

[0031] At 900, the flow obtains user input regarding the current fault information. At 901, the flow determines the first node in the fault tree. At 902, the flow traverses the depth of the fault tree and selects any nodes that have not yet been processed.

[0032] In 903, the flow provides information (e.g., to display unit 603) on how to identify the root cause at the selected node. In 904, the flow then calculates the occurrence by using external or internal status data. The flow differs from related technical examples in that it can automate the flow, thereby avoiding technician judgment and making the traversal of the fault tree to identify the root cause independent of the technician's skill level.

[0033] At step 905, it is determined whether there is another node at the same depth. If there is another node (Yes), the flow proceeds to step 903 to process that node; otherwise (No), the flow proceeds to step 906.

[0034] In step 906, a determination is made as to which node is most likely to occur for a given event. In step 907, a determination is made as to whether there are any deeper nodes to traverse the fault tree. If there are deeper nodes (Yes), the flow proceeds to step 902 to traverse that depth of the fault tree to the next level; otherwise (No), the flow proceeds to step 908 to determine that the determined node is the root cause of the event. In step 909, recovery method information associated with that node is provided (for example, to display unit 603).

[0035] As illustrated by the above exemplary implementation, inspections can be performed automatically through collected internal or external information, eliminating the need for unskilled workers to determine the underlying causes of events, thereby preventing misinterpretations of events.

[0036] Figure 10 shows another example architecture of a maintenance work support system, based on an exemplary implementation. In this example architecture, the machine external status acquisition module 611 utilizes the camera device 612 to provide and process photographs or videos to identify the cause of the problem.

[0037] By using the system's camera device 612 and processing the acquired data with the processing unit 602, the system can automatically check for the cause of an issue. Furthermore, by directly processing photographic and / or video data, which would otherwise cause system delays and require more storage space for processing, the system can eliminate the amount of storage space consumed by the system.

[0038] Figure 11 shows an example of information on how to identify the cause of an issue, based on a representative implementation. As shown in Figure 7, in many cases, pre-work is still performed manually, which still relies on the skills of the technicians performing the pre-work, thereby introducing the possibility of human error. In this example, an automated pre-work completion check is used to prevent misdiagnosis and is verified through internal or external machine data. The completion check can be determined by external or internal machine data to reduce the possibility of incorrect work or human error in the pre-work process.

[0039] Figure 12 shows an example of a fault tree diagram with a completion check, based on an exemplary implementation. As shown in the example fault tree diagram in Figure 12, the completion check requirement for a "motor system fault" may include receiving a manual start button input as an internal status and manually starting the motor. In another example concerning a fault with a motor cable, the completion check may also include a photograph of the swapped cable as external status information for the completion check. Through such exemplary implementations, a reduction in human error can be achieved.

[0040] Figure 13 shows another flowchart example of a maintenance work support system with completion checks, based on an exemplary implementation. The difference from the third example is that, as indicated by 1000 in the flowchart, a pre-work completion check is used as a trigger for data collection to prevent misdiagnosis.

[0041] Applying completion checks using internal or external status data prevents two different potential misdiagnoses. In the first potential misdiagnosis, the operator / technician may need to press a button on a touch panel, such as in the case of a motor system failure. Using a touch panel can make it difficult to determine whether the technician pressed the button correctly, so in some cases, the technician may think the target system is not functioning properly even if the failure occurred because the button was not pressed. In the second potential misdiagnosis, data collection, such as for motor malfunctions, may have to be performed after preliminary work has been completed. In such cases, the necessary motor current statistics include the motor current rise when the motor starts rotating, so if data collection is started manually, the system may not be able to obtain the data.

[0042] Figure 14 illustrates an example of identifying the cause of an issue by performing a pre-work completion check, using a representative implementation. The example in Figure 14 shows the main combinations of data sources for inspection and pre-work completion checks. The data sources for each are set to be opposite (e.g., completion check using external machine data, collection / inspection using internal machine data), which are also reflected in the fault tree as shown in Figure 12. By applying such combinations, it is possible to eliminate certain faults that are specifically related to internal or external status, such as acquisition system malfunctions or device malfunctions.

[0043] In particular, in the case of electrical systems, electrical system faults can be difficult to detect internally, so internal data for pre-work completion checks and external data for inspection can be useful as an effective combination in a fault tree, such as the one shown in Figure 12.

[0044] The exemplary implementations described herein involve a fault tree in which the information necessary to identify the cause is categorized into pre-work and internal or external status collection and inspection. This allows the system to automate external status collection and inspection using image recognition to prevent misdiagnosis caused by unskilled operators, and to use completion signals as triggers for pre-work collection to prevent pre-work implementation errors.

[0045] This system allows unskilled workers to perform the necessary tasks to identify the root cause of malfunctions, thereby reducing misdiagnosis. This eliminates the need for equipment manufacturers to have their own skilled technicians perform maintenance work, and also eliminates the need to establish a maintenance center near the installation site, even if the equipment is installed in a remote area, thereby reducing support costs.

[0046] Figure 15 shows a plurality of physical systems networked to a control device in an exemplary implementation. One or more physical systems 1521 (e.g., an air compressor, a lathe, a server system, etc.) are accompanied by physical machinery that is communicably coupled to a network 1520 (e.g., a local network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN)) through corresponding network interfaces of sensor systems installed in the physical systems 1521, and the network is connected to a control device 1522 configured to facilitate the functionality of a maintenance support system 600 for assisting maintenance work on the machinery of the physical systems 1521. One or more systems 1521 may or may not be associated with sensors, depending on the desired implementation. The control device 1522 manages a database 1523 that contains historical data collected from sensor systems from each of the physical systems 1521. In an alternative exemplary implementation, data from the sensor system of the physical system 1521 may be stored in a central repository or central database, such as a proprietary database, that takes data from the physical system 1521, or in a system such as an enterprise resource planning system, and the control device 1522 may access or retrieve data from the central repository or central database. The sensor system of the physical system 1521 may include, but is not limited to, gyroscopes, accelerometers, Global Positioning Satellite System (GPS), thermometers, humidity gauges, or any other sensors, and may include any type of sensor that facilitates a desired implementation and provides internal status machine data. As described herein, the control device 1522 may also be connected to one or more cameras (not shown) that monitor the external status of one or more machines of the physical system 1521.

[0047] Figure 16 shows an example computing environment with computer device examples suitable for use in several exemplary implementations, such as a control device 1522 that facilitates the functionality of the maintenance work support system 600. The computer device 1605 of the computing environment 1600 may include one or more processing units, cores, or processors 1610, memory 1615 (e.g., RAM, ROM, and / or others), internal storage 1620 (e.g., magnetic, optical, solid-state storage, and / or organic), and / or I / O interfaces 1625, all of which may be coupled by a communication mechanism or bus 1630 for communicating information, or embedded in the computer device 1605. The I / O interface 1625 may also be configured to receive images from a camera or provide images to a projector or display, depending on the desired implementation.

[0048] Computer device 1605 can be communicatively coupled to input / user interface 1635 and output device / interface 1640. Either or both of input / user interface 1635 and output device / interface 1640 may be wired or wireless interfaces and may be detachable. Input / user interface 1635 may include any physical or virtual device, component, sensor, or interface that can provide input (e.g., buttons, touchscreen interfaces, keyboards, pointing / cursor controls, microphones, cameras, Braille, motion sensors, optical readers, and / or others). Output device / interface 1640 may include displays, televisions, monitors, printers, speakers, Braille, etc. In some exemplary implementations, input / user interface 1635 and output device / interface 1640 may embed or be physically coupled to computer device 1605. In other exemplary implementations, other computer devices may function as or provide input / user interface 1635 and output device / interface 1640 of computer device 1605.

[0049] Examples of computer devices 1605 may include, but are not limited to, advanced mobile devices (e.g., smartphones, devices in automobiles or other machines, devices carried by people and animals), mobile devices (e.g., tablets, notebooks, laptops, personal computers, portable televisions, radios), and devices not designed for portability (e.g., desktop computers, other computers, information kiosks, televisions with one or more processors embedded and / or televisions, radios with them combined).

[0050] Computer device 1605 can be communicatively coupled to external storage 1645 and network 1650 (for example, via I / O interface 1625) to communicate with any number of networked components, devices, and systems, including one or more computer devices of the same or different configurations. Computer device 1605, or any connected computer device, can function as a server, client, thin server, general-purpose machine, dedicated machine, or another level, or provide its services, or be referred to by that name.

[0051] The I / O interface 1625 may include, but is not limited to, wired and / or wireless interfaces that use any communication or I / O protocol or standard (e.g., Ethernet, 802.11x, Universal System Bus, WiMAX, modem, cellular network protocol, etc.) to communicate information with at least all connected components, devices, and networks of the computing environment 1600. The network 1650 may be any network or combination of networks (e.g., the Internet, local area network, wide area network, telephone network, cellular network, satellite network, etc.).

[0052] Computer device 1605 may use computer-usable or computer-readable media, including temporary and non-temporary media, and / or may use them for communication. Temporary media include transmission media (e.g., metal cables, optical fibers), signals, carrier waves, etc. Non-temporary media include magnetic media (e.g., disks and tapes), optical media (e.g., CD-ROMs, digital video discs, Blu-ray discs), solid-state media (e.g., RAM, ROMs, flash memory, solid storage), and other non-volatile storage or memory.

[0053] Computer device 1605 can be used to implement a technology, method, application, process, or computer executable instruction in several example computing environments. Computer executable instructions can be retrieved from temporary media and stored in non-temporary media from which they can be retrieved. Executable instructions can be in one or more of any programming, scripting, and machine languages ​​(e.g., C, C++, C#, Java, Visual Basic, Python, Perl, JavaScript, etc.).

[0054] The processor 1610 can run under any operating system (OS) (not shown) in a native or virtual environment. One or more applications can be deployed, including a logic unit 1660, an application programming interface (API) unit 1665, an input unit 1670, an output unit 1675, and an inter-unit communication mechanism 1695 for different units to communicate with each other, with the OS, and with other applications (not shown). The units and elements described may vary in design, function, configuration, or implementation, and are not limited to the description provided. The processor 1610 may take the form of a hardware processor such as a central processing unit (CPU), or a combination of hardware and software units.

[0055] In some exemplary implementations, when information or execution instructions are received by the API unit 1665, they may be communicated to one or more other units (e.g., logic unit 1660, input unit 1670, output unit 1675). In some examples, the logic unit 1660 may be configured to control the flow of information between units and to direct the services provided by the API unit 1665, input unit 1670, and output unit 1675 in some of the exemplary implementations described above. For example, the flow of one or more processes or implementations may be controlled by the logic unit 1660 alone or in combination with the API unit 1665. The input unit 1670 may be configured to receive input for the computations described in the exemplary implementations, and the output unit 1675 may be configured to provide outputs based on the computations described in the exemplary implementations.

[0056] The memory 1615 can be configured to facilitate the functionality of the recording unit 604, which is configured to manage fault information 641, cause information 642, information on how to identify the cause 643, and recovery method information 644 as machine fault tree information as shown in Figures 8 and 12.

[0057] The I / O interface 1625 can be configured to acquire machine status information (e.g., external status or internal status) in the physical system 1521.

[0058] The processor 1610 can be configured to process status information with respect to one or more external status information or internal status information (for example, depending on what is received), determine a method to identify the machine's cause from the processed external or internal status information of the machine (for example, by referring to collected / inspection information as shown in Figures 7, 11, and 14, and as shown in 903, 904 of Figures 9 and 13), execute the method to determine the machine's cause, and display the machine's fault tree information, acquired status information, and the determined cause for the machine as shown in Figures 8 and 12.

[0059] Depending on the desired implementation, a camera can also be connected to the I / O interface 1625, and the external status information includes video or images of the machine captured by the machine's camera, and the method for identifying the cause of the machine's malfunction is based on the external status information.

[0060] The processor 1610 can be configured to perform the methods and instructions described above, and can also be configured to determine how to identify a cause based on information on how to identify the cause, and the information on how to identify the cause includes information on preliminary work to be performed before status collection, and external or internal status information to be used to determine the completion of preliminary work as shown in Figure 11.

[0061] The processor 1610 can be configured to execute the methods and instructions described above, and the processor 1610 is configured to control the interface 1625 to obtain machine status information and determine a method to identify a machine cause, the processor 1610 executes a method to determine a machine cause, and determines the completion of preliminary work based on the cause output from the execution of the method, as shown with reference to Figures 12 to 14.

[0062] Depending on the desired implementation, the status information that can be used to determine the completion of preliminary work will differ from the status information used to determine how to identify the cause of the problem, as shown in Figure 14 (for example, completion checks are verified by machine data, opposite to collected / inspected data).

[0063] Some parts of the detailed description are presented with respect to algorithms and symbolic representations of computer operations. These algorithmic descriptions and symbolic representations are means used by those skilled in the field of data processing to communicate the essence of technological innovations to others skilled in the field. An algorithm is a set of defined steps that lead to a desired final state or result. In exemplary implementations, the steps performed require the physical manipulation of tangible quantities to achieve a tangible result.

[0064] Unless otherwise specifically stated, as is evident from the discussion, any discussion using terms such as “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “decision,” and “display” throughout the explanation is understood to include the operations and processes of a computer system or other information processing device that manipulate data presented as physical (electronic) quantities in the registers and memory of a computer system and convert them into other data similarly presented as physical quantities in the memory or registers of a computer system or other information storage, transmission, or display devices.

[0065] Exemplary implementations may also relate to apparatus for performing the operations described herein. This apparatus may be built specifically for a particular purpose, or may involve one or more general-purpose computers that are selectively activated or reconfigured by one or more computer programs. Such computer programs may be stored on computer-readable media, such as computer-readable storage media or computer-readable signal media. Computer-readable storage media may involve tangible media, such as optical disks, magnetic disks, read-only memory, random-access memory, solid-state devices and drives, or any other type of tangible or non-temporary media suitable for storing electronic information. Computer-readable signal media may include media such as carrier waves. The algorithms and displays presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus. Computer programs may involve purely software implementations with instructions for performing the operations of a desired implementation.

[0066] Various general-purpose systems may be used with the programs and modules illustrated herein, or may prove useful in constructing more specialized devices to carry out desired method steps. Furthermore, the exemplary implementations are not described with reference to any particular programming language. It will be recognized that various programming languages ​​may be used to implement the teachings of the exemplary implementations described herein. Instructions in a programming language may be executed by one or more processing devices, such as a central processing unit (CPU), processor, or controller.

[0067] As is known in the art, the operations described above can be implemented by hardware, software, or any combination of software and hardware. Various embodiments of the exemplary implementations may be implemented using circuits and logic devices (hardware), while other embodiments may be implemented using instructions stored in a machine-readable medium (software) that, when executed by a processor, would cause the processor to implement the methods for implementing the implementations of this application. Furthermore, some implementations of this application may be implemented solely by hardware, while other exemplary implementations may be implemented solely by software. Moreover, the various functions described may be implemented in a single unit or spread across multiple components in various ways. When implemented by software, the methods may be executed by a processor, such as a general-purpose computer, based on instructions stored in a machine-readable medium. If desired, the instructions may be stored in the medium in a compressed and / or encrypted form.

[0068] Furthermore, other embodiments of this application will become apparent to those skilled in the art by considering this specification and practicing the teachings of this application. The various embodiments and / or components of the exemplary embodiments described herein may be used individually or in any combination. This specification and the exemplary embodiments are to be considered merely examples, and the true scope and spirit of this application are indicated by the following claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 600: Example of a maintenance work support system 601: Status Acquisition Unit 602: Processing Unit 603: Display Unit 604: Recording Unit 610: Machine Internal Status Acquisition Module 611: Machine External Status Acquisition Module 641: Incident Information 642: Cause Information 643: Information on how to identify the cause of the problem. 644: Recovery Method Information

Claims

1. A maintenance work support system that assists with maintenance work on machinery, A recording unit manages fault information, cause information, information on how to identify the cause, and recovery method information as fault tree information for the machine, A status acquisition unit that acquires external status information or internal status information of the machine, Equipped with a processor, The aforementioned processor, The acquired external status information or internal status information is processed, Based on the content of the preliminary work included in the aforementioned fault tree information, and the external status information or internal status information to be used to determine the completion of the aforementioned preliminary work, the completion of the aforementioned preliminary work is determined. When it is determined that the aforementioned preliminary work has been completed, a method for identifying the cause of the machine's malfunction is determined from the external status information or the internal status information. The cause of the machine is identified by performing the method determined above, The fault tree information, the acquired external status information or internal status information, and the identified cause of occurrence are displayed. A maintenance work support system characterized by the following features.

2. A maintenance work support system according to claim 1, A maintenance work support system characterized in that the status acquisition unit further comprises a camera, and the external status information includes video or images of the machine captured by the camera.

3. A maintenance work support system according to Claim 2, A maintenance work support system characterized in that the external status information or internal status information used to determine the completion of the aforementioned preparatory work is different from the external status information or internal status information used to determine the method for identifying the occurrence of the cause.

4. A maintenance work support method in a maintenance work support system that supports maintenance work on machinery, The aforementioned maintenance work support system comprises a recording unit, a status acquisition unit, and a processor. The recording unit manages fault information, cause information, information on how to identify the cause, and recovery method information as fault tree information for the machine. The status acquisition unit acquires external status information or internal status information of the machine. The processor processes the acquired external status information or internal status information, Based on the content of the preliminary work included in the aforementioned fault tree information, and the external status information or internal status information to be used to determine the completion of the aforementioned preliminary work, the completion of the aforementioned preliminary work is determined. When it is determined that the aforementioned preliminary work has been completed, a method for identifying the cause of the machine's malfunction is determined from the external status information or the internal status information. The cause of the machine is identified by performing the method determined above, A maintenance work support method characterized by displaying the fault tree information, the acquired external status information or internal status information, and the identified cause occurrence.

5. A maintenance work support method according to Claim 4, The aforementioned status acquisition unit is further equipped with a camera, A maintenance work support method characterized in that the external status information includes video or images captured by the camera of the machine.

6. A maintenance work support method according to Claim 5, A maintenance work support method characterized in that the external status information or internal status information used to determine the completion of the aforementioned preliminary work is different from the external status information or internal status information used to determine the method for identifying the occurrence of the cause.

7. A computer, A non-temporary computer-readable medium for storing instructions for functioning as a maintenance work support system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

Images