Control device and computer-readable storage medium

Abstract

This control device stores a lock condition, switches the control device to a locked state when the lock condition has been satisfied, and if an operation is detected, detects whether the control device is in the locked state, and notifies a person in charge of the control device of information when an operation has been received while the control device is in the locked state.

Description

Control device and computer-readable storage medium

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device and a computer-readable storage medium.

[0002] In a factory, there are industrial machines that actually perform work and control devices that control the industrial machines. Control devices include numerical control devices and PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers). Operators operate, configure, and monitor one or more machines to ensure their correct operation. In many cases, each operator is responsible for a specific industrial machine. Some industrial machine control devices have a function that locks industrial machines operated by a specific operator to prevent others from operating them.

[0003] JP 2014-10746 A

[0004] Operators do not always monitor one control device, but are often in charge of multiple control devices at the same time. They may also be away from their assigned machine due to breaks, emergencies, or urgent matters. If an abnormality occurs while the operator is away from the machine, the control device may be locked and unable to be operated. While an unauthorized person may be able to perform initial response operations, ultimately, the operator in charge must take action.

[0005] In the field of control devices, it is desirable to prevent operations by anyone other than the person in charge while quickly notifying the person in charge.

[0006] A control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a lock condition unit that stores lock conditions for the control device, a lock unit that switches the control device to a locked state when the lock conditions are met, an operation detection unit that detects operations on the control device, a lock detection unit that determines whether the lock conditions are met and detects whether the control device is in a locked state, and a notification unit that notifies a person in charge of the control device of information when the control device is in a locked state and an operation is received.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control device according to a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is an example of a lock screen equipped with a button for contacting a person in charge; FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a control device; FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a control device according to a second embodiment; FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the background in which the control device is used; FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen for notifying a person in charge of contact information; FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen for accepting input of a comment; FIG. 8 is an example of a screen for notifying a person in charge of the machine status and a comment; FIG. 9 is a hardware configuration diagram of a control device;

[0008] First Embodiment A control device 100 according to a first embodiment will now be described. The control device 100 is, for example, a numerical control device, a PLC, or industrial machinery. Fig. 1 is a block diagram of the control device 100. The control device 100 includes a lock condition unit 1, a lock unit 2, an operation detection unit 3, a lock detection unit 4, and a notification unit 5.

[0009] The locking condition unit 1 stores the locking conditions of the control device 100. The locking conditions are the conditions for initiating locking. Typical locking conditions include the time elapsed since the last machine operation, and instructions input from an operator or machine manager. An operator is a worker who operates the machine. A machine manager is a worker who maintains and manages the machine. A person who has the authority to operate the control device 100 is called a person in charge. Although the operator and the machine manager have different roles, both are included in the category of person in charge.

[0010] The lock unit 2 locks the control device 100 when the locking conditions are met. In the locked state, operations by persons other than the person in charge are not accepted (or only some operations are permitted). In the locked state, the screen goes dark or a screen saver is displayed.

[0011] The person in charge has a means of unlocking the device. The unlocking means can be an authentication card, a password, etc. Since unlocking is an existing technology, a description thereof will be omitted.

[0012] The operation detection unit 3 detects an operation by a person. The type of operation is not particularly limited. The type of operation may be set by the setting unit 8, which will be described later.

[0013] The operation detection unit 3 is assumed to be operated by a human who notices an abnormality in the machine. Possible operations include operating the screen, pressing a button on a control panel / operation panel, pressing an emergency stop button, etc. Some abnormalities in the control device 100 or industrial machinery can be detected by the machine, but others cannot. It is assumed that a human who notices an abnormality that cannot be detected by the machine will operate the control device 100 in addition to abnormalities that can be detected by the machine.

[0014] When the operation detection unit 3 detects an operation, the lock detection unit 4 determines whether the control device 100 satisfies a lock condition, and detects whether the control device 100 is in a locked state.

[0015] The notification unit 5 notifies the person in charge of some information. The notification may be sent directly to the person in charge, or the person operating the control device 100 may be notified of the person in charge's contact information. The notification method may be a default setting or may be set by the user.

[0016] The operation of the control device 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart in Figure 3. After the initial setup and operation check are complete, the industrial machine starts operating. The industrial machine operates automatically according to the program. When the locking conditions are met (step S1), the locking unit 2 locks the control device 100 (step S2). In the locked state, the control device 100 waits for operation by the finder (step S3).

[0017] The operation detection unit 3 detects an operation of the control device 100 (step S4). When the lock detection unit 4 detects the operation, it checks the lock conditions and detects that the control device 100 is in a locked state (step S5).

[0018] When the operation detection unit 3 receives an operation from a person, the notification unit 5 directly or indirectly notifies the person in charge of some information (step S6). The means of notification is not limited. The control device 100 may notify the person in charge via a mobile terminal, or the control device 100 may display the person in charge's contact information on its screen. When the person in charge's contact information is displayed, a person around the control device 100 notifies the displayed person in charge.

[0019] Second Embodiment An example of the control device 100 according to the second embodiment will now be described. Fig. 4 is a block diagram of the control device 100 according to the second embodiment. The control device 100 includes a lock condition unit 1, a lock unit 2, an operation detection unit 3, a lock detection unit 4, a notification unit 5, an authentication unit 6, a user information unit 7, and a setting unit 8. Note that a description of the same components as those in Fig. 1 will be omitted.

[0020] The authentication unit 6 authenticates the operator. The operator logs in to the control device 100 by inputting authentication information such as an ID and a password. A portable recording medium such as an authentication card may be used as the authentication information. The operator who logs in to the control device 100 becomes the person in charge. The person in charge has a means for unlocking. The means for unlocking include an authentication card, password entry, etc. Since unlocking is an existing technology, a description thereof will be omitted.

[0021] The lock detection unit 4 checks whether the condition in the lock condition unit 1 is satisfied, and detects whether the control device 100 is in a locked state.

[0022] The notification unit 5 notifies the finder or the person in charge of information when the operation detection unit 3 detects an operation. The information to be notified, the person to receive the notification, the notification means, and the flow for notifying the information are assumed to be set in the setting unit 8.

[0023] Flows for notifying information include (1) notifying the terminal of the person in charge, (2) displaying the contact information of the person in charge on the screen of the control device 100, (3) displaying the contact information of the person in charge on the screen of the control device 100 and notifying the terminal of the person in charge, and (4) accepting comments from the finder and notifying the comment to the terminal of the person in charge. The flows are set by the setting unit 8. The setting unit 8 may present multiple flows so that a combination of flows can be selected. The flow may be switched depending on the type of information to be notified and the contact information. For example, notifications can be optimized by setting the system so that an operator is notified when an operator should respond, and so that a machine administrator is notified when a machine administrator should respond.

[0024] The means used for communication between the control device 100 and the terminal of the person in charge is not particularly limited. For example, telephone, short mail, email, push notification, SNS (Social Network Service), etc. The means to be used may be set by the setting unit 8.

[0025] The user information unit 9 holds contact information for the person in charge. The contact information for the person in charge is held at least temporarily. The contact information for the person in charge may be registered in advance in the control device 100, or may be read from the person in charge's ID card, or may be manually entered by the person in charge. The contact information for the person in charge may also be obtained from an external server, cloud, or the like.

[0026] (Specific Example 1) As shown in FIG. 5, a factory is assumed to have a control device 100, industrial machinery, a responsible operator, a discoverer, and a machine manager. The responsible persons (the responsible operator and the machine manager) have terminals. The operators perform user authentication and log in to the control device 100. The logged-in operator becomes the responsible person. The operators start the operation of the control device 100 and the industrial machinery. The industrial machinery operates automatically under the control of the control device 100.

[0027] When the industrial machine starts an automatic operation, the operator may leave the site. After the operator finishes the operation, the control device 100 switches to the locked state. The switching decision is based on the locking condition.

[0028] When an abnormality occurs in an industrial machine, it becomes necessary to operate the control device 100 to deal with the problem. Even if the control device 100 is locked, the person in charge can perform user authentication, unlock the device, and operate the control device 100. The discoverer does not have the authority to operate the control device 100, so they must notify the person in charge. When the operation detection unit 3 accepts an operation from the discoverer, the notification unit 5 notifies the person in charge of some information directly or indirectly in accordance with the setting in the setting unit 8. In this example, (2) the contact information of the person in charge (the operator in charge and the machine manager) is displayed on the screen of the control device 100.

[0029] An example of the display is shown in Fig. 6. In the example of Fig. 6, the title "Contact Information in the Event of an Anomaly" is displayed, along with the contact information of the logged-in user and the contact information of the machine administrator. The contact information is a phone number and an email address. The discoverer should contact the displayed phone number or email address.

[0030] In this example, the physical means of notification is by telephone or email. The discoverer can notify the person in charge of the abnormality that has occurred in the machine. This makes it possible to quickly notify the person in charge of the abnormality in the machine even if the machine is not connected to the network.

[0031] (Specific Example 2) As in specific example 1, it is assumed that a factory contains a control device 100, industrial machines, operators in charge, a discoverer, and a machine manager. The industrial machines are connected to an in-factory network, and the operators (operators in charge and machine manager) carry terminals.

[0032] The operator performs user authentication and logs in to the control device 100. The logged-in operator becomes the person in charge. The operator starts the operation of the control device 100 and the industrial machine. The industrial machine operates automatically in accordance with the operation of the control device 100.

[0033] When the industrial machine starts an automatic operation, the operator may leave the site. After the operator finishes the operation, the control device 100 switches to the locked state. The switching decision is based on the locking condition.

[0034] When an abnormality occurs in industrial machinery, it becomes necessary to operate the control device 100 to deal with it. Even if the control device 100 is in a locked state, the person in charge can unlock it and operate the control device 100. The discoverer does not have the authority to operate the control device 100, so they must notify the person in charge. When the operation detection unit 3 accepts an operation from the discoverer, the notification unit 5 notifies the person in charge of some information directly or indirectly according to the setting in the setting unit 8. In this example, (3) the control device 100 accepts a comment and notifies the person in charge's terminal.

[0035] FIG. 7 shows an example of the display of the control device 100. In the example of FIG. 7, an input area for inputting comments from the discoverer, a display area for contact information for the person in charge, and a selection button for whether or not to issue a notification are arranged. The comment "An abnormal noise is occurring" is entered on the screen. By providing an input area for comments, the person in charge can be notified of information perceived by people around the control device 100. This makes it possible to notify the person in charge of abnormalities such as abnormal noises that cannot be detected by the control device.

[0036] Figure 8 is an example of a notification screen sent to the person in charge's terminal. The notification content includes machine identification information, information about the alarm (abnormality) that is currently occurring, machine status information, and comments from the person who discovered the abnormality. The information about the currently occurring alarm, "DSxxxx" and "SVxxxx," indicates the type of abnormality that is currently occurring. The machine information, "spindle motor xx°C" and X-axis motor "xx°C," is machine status information acquired from the sensor. The notification unit 5 notifies the person in charge's terminal of information including at least one of the information about the abnormality and the machine status information.

[0037] As described above, even when the control device 100 is in a locked state, the control device 100 of this embodiment can accept any operation and notify information to the person in charge of the control device 100. The control device 100 can prevent operations by anyone other than the person in charge, while speeding up notification to the person in charge.

[0038] The hardware configuration of the control device 100 to which the present disclosure is applied will be described below. Fig. 9 is a hardware configuration diagram of the control device 100. As shown in Fig. 9, the control device 100 includes a CPU 111 that controls the entire control device 100, a ROM 112 that records programs and data, and a RAM 113 for temporarily expanding data, and the CPU 111 executes a system program recorded in the ROM 112 via a bus.

[0039] The nonvolatile memory 114 is backed up by, for example, a battery (not shown), and the stored state is maintained even when the power supply to the control device 100 is turned off. The nonvolatile memory 114 stores various data such as programs read from the external device 120 via the interfaces 115, 118, and 119 and operation inputs input via the input device 20. The nonvolatile memory 114 may store programs and data for executing the control device 100 of this embodiment.

[0040] The interface 115 is an interface for connecting the control device 100 to an external device 120 such as an adapter. Programs, various parameters, etc. are loaded from the external device 120. The interface 118 is an interface for connecting the control device 100 to a display device 30 such as a liquid crystal display. The display device 30 displays various data loaded into memory, data obtained as a result of executing programs, etc. The interface 119 is an interface for connecting the control device 100 to an input device 20 such as a keyboard or pointing device. The input device 20 passes commands, data, etc. based on operations by an operator to the CPU 111 via the interface 119.

[0041] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail, the present disclosure is not limited to the individual embodiments described above. Various additions, substitutions, modifications, partial deletions, etc. are possible in these embodiments without departing from the gist of the present disclosure or the gist of the present disclosure derived from the claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, these embodiments can also be implemented in combination. For example, in the above-described embodiments, the order of each operation and the order of each process are shown as examples and are not limited to these.

[0042] The following supplementary notes are further disclosed regarding the above-described embodiment and modified examples. (Supplementary Note 1) The control device (100) includes a lock condition unit (1) that stores lock conditions for the control device (100), a lock unit (2) that switches the control device (100) to a locked state when the lock conditions are met, an operation detection unit (3) that detects an operation of the control device (100), a lock detection unit (4) that determines whether the lock conditions are met and detects whether the control device (100) is in a locked state, and a notification unit (5) that notifies a person in charge of the control device (100) of information when the control device (100) is in the locked state and an operation is received. (Supplementary Note 2) The notification unit (5) displays contact information for the person in charge on a display device (30). (Supplementary Note 3) The notification unit (5) notifies the person in charge of information on a terminal. (Supplementary Note 4) The notification unit (5) displays an input area on the display device (30) for inputting comments to the person in charge, and notifies the terminal of the person in charge of the input comment. (Supplementary Note 5) The notification unit (5) notifies the terminal of the person in charge of information including at least one of information regarding an abnormality and machine status information. (Supplementary Note 6) The computer-readable storage medium (112, 113, 114) stores instructions to cause one or more processors (111) incorporated in the control device (100) to execute processing to switch the control device (100) to a locked state when a lock condition of the control device (100) is satisfied, detect an operation of the control device (100), determine whether the lock condition is satisfied, detect whether the control device (100) is in a locked state, and notify the person in charge of the control device (100) of information when the control device (100) is in the locked state and has accepted an operation.

[0043] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 control device 1 lock condition unit 2 lock unit 3 operation detection unit 4 lock detection unit 5 notification unit 6 authentication unit 7 user information unit 8 setting unit 111 CPU 112 ROM 113 RAM 114 non-volatile memory

Claims

1. A control device comprising: a lock condition unit that stores lock conditions of the control device; a lock unit that switches the control device to a locked state when the lock conditions are satisfied; an operation detection unit that detects an operation of the control device; a lock detection unit that determines whether the lock conditions are satisfied and detects whether the control device is in a locked state; and a notification unit that notifies information to a person in charge of the control device when the control device is in a locked state and an operation is received.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit causes a display device to display contact information of the person in charge.

3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies information to a terminal of the person in charge.

4. The control device according to claim 3, wherein the notification unit causes a display device to display an input area for inputting a comment to the person in charge and notifies the input comment to the terminal of the person in charge.

5. The control device according to claim 3, wherein the notification unit notifies information including at least one of information regarding an abnormality and state information of a machine to the terminal of the person in charge.

6. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for causing one or more processors incorporated in a control device to execute a process of: switching the control device to a locked state when lock conditions of the control device are satisfied; detecting an operation of the control device; determining whether the lock conditions are satisfied and detecting whether the control device is in a locked state; and notifying information to a person in charge of the control device when the control device is in a locked state and an operation is received.

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