Countermeasure assistance device and computer-readable recording medium

Abstract

A countermeasure assistance device according to the present disclosure comprises: a machine information acquisition unit that acquires information regarding an industrial machine; an environment information acquisition unit that acquires information regarding an environment in which the industrial machine operates; a trigger generation unit that determines whether an abnormality has occurred in the industrial machine, and generates a trigger to start a countermeasure against the abnormality when the abnormality has occurred; a prompt generation unit that generates a first prompt for inquiring about the abnormality in the industrial machine; and a transmission unit that transmits the first prompt to an interactive response device. The first prompt is for requesting a test code for giving an order to perform a diagnosis operation related to the abnormality in the industrial machine.

Description

Countermeasure support device and computer-readable recording medium

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a countermeasure support device and a computer-readable recording medium.

[0002] When an alarm occurs in industrial machinery such as machine tools or robots at a manufacturing site, an operator must take action to resolve the alarm. To identify the cause of the alarm and propose a solution, the operator may investigate various documents, contact an expert to check, or test each component of the industrial machinery. Systems that support such work are already known.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-011834

[0004] It can take a long time to identify the cause of an alarm and propose countermeasures, so there is a demand for technology that can reduce the work costs involved in identifying the cause and proposing countermeasures.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is a countermeasure support device comprising: a machine information acquisition unit that acquires information related to an industrial machine; an environmental information acquisition unit that acquires information related to the environment in which the industrial machine operates; a trigger generation unit that determines whether an abnormality has occurred in the industrial machine based on the information acquired by the machine information acquisition unit, and, if an abnormality has occurred, generates a trigger to start countermeasures against the abnormality; a prompt generation unit that generates a first prompt for making an inquiry related to the abnormality of the industrial machine based on the information acquired by the machine information acquisition unit and the information acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit; and a transmission unit that transmits the first prompt to an interactive response device, wherein the first prompt requests a test code that commands a diagnostic operation related to the abnormality of the industrial machine.

[0006] Fig. 1 is a schematic hardware configuration diagram of a countermeasure support device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing schematic functions of a countermeasure support device according to a first embodiment; Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing examples of templates that are a schematic diagram showing examples of a plurality of templates stored in a template storage unit; Fig. 4 is a screen diagram showing an example in which a response from the countermeasure support device is displayed; Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing schematic functions of a countermeasure support device according to a second embodiment; Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a template; Fig. 7 is a screen diagram showing another example in which a response from the countermeasure support device is displayed;

[0007] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having the same or similar functions will be denoted by the same reference numerals. Duplicate descriptions of those components may be omitted.

[0008] In this application, "based on XX" means "based on at least XX," and includes cases where it is based on other elements in addition to XX. Furthermore, "based on XX" is not limited to cases where XX is used directly, but also includes cases where it is based on XX that has been calculated or processed. "XX" is any element (for example, any information).

[0009] [First Embodiment] Fig. 1 is a schematic hardware configuration diagram showing the main parts of a countermeasure support device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The countermeasure support device 1 according to this embodiment can be implemented on a control device that controls industrial machinery, such as an industrial robot, a service robot, or a machine tool. The countermeasure support device 1 can also be implemented on a computer such as a personal computer attached to the control device of the industrial machinery, or a personal computer, cell computer, fog computer 6, or cloud server 7 connected to the control device via a wired or wireless network. This embodiment shows an example in which the countermeasure support device 1 is implemented on a computer connected via a network to the control device that controls the industrial machinery.

[0010] The CPU 11 provided in the countermeasure support device 1 according to this embodiment is a processor that controls the entire countermeasure support device 1. The CPU 11 reads a system program stored in the ROM 12 via the bus 22 and controls the entire countermeasure support device 1 in accordance with the system program. The RAM 13 temporarily stores temporary calculation data, display data, various data acquired from outside, and the like.

[0011] The non-volatile memory 14 is configured, for example, by a battery-backed memory or an SSD (Solid State Drive) (not shown), and maintains its stored state even when the countermeasure support device 1 is powered off. The non-volatile memory 14 stores programs and data read from the external device 72 via the interface 15, programs and data input via the input device 71, and control programs and data acquired from the industrial machinery 4 or other devices via the network 5. The programs and data stored in the non-volatile memory 14 may be expanded into the RAM 13 when executed / used. In addition, various system programs such as known analysis programs are written in the ROM 12 in advance.

[0012] The interface 15 is an interface for connecting the CPU 11 of the countermeasure support device 1 to an external device 72 such as a USB device. For example, system programs, setting data, etc. are read from the external device 72. In addition, programs and setting data created and edited within the countermeasure support device 1 can be stored in external storage means via the external device 72.

[0013] The interface 20 is an interface for connecting the CPU 11 of the countermeasure support device 1 to a wired or wireless network 5. The network 5 may be one that communicates using technologies such as serial communication such as RS-485, Ethernet (registered trademark), optical communication, wireless LAN, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc. At least one industrial machine 4 to be verified, an interactive response device 2 that responds to inquiries from users, a fog computer 6, a cloud server 7, etc. are connected to the network 5, and data is exchanged between the network 5 and the countermeasure support device 1.

[0014] The display device 70 displays data and the like obtained as a result of executing various data and programs loaded into memory, output via the interface 17. An input device 71, which is comprised of a keyboard, pointing device, voice input device, etc., passes instructions, data, etc. based on operations by an operator to the CPU 11 via the interface 18.

[0015] The interactive response device 2 is configured as a device that returns a sentence including a program that serves as a response to a predetermined request. The interactive response device 2 includes a large-scale language model (LLM) that has been trained with sentences including a program that serves as a response to a predetermined sentence. This model can be a known model, such as a Transformer model. The large-scale language model learns the probability that a text including each program command will serve as a response to the input sentence when the input sentence is received. The large-scale language model also learns the probability that the input sentence will be followed by text including each other program command. By repeating this training process, the large-scale language model, when input, outputs a text string that includes a program that has a high probability of serving as a response to the input sentence. Depending on how the learning process learns documents that serve as responses to the input sentence, the interactive response device 2 can be used for purposes such as dialogue, question and answer session, text summarization, text editing, text translation, text conversion, text modification, text optimization, text interpretation / detection, recognition, prediction, judgment, code generation, image generation, and comprehensive judgment.

[0016] It is assumed that the countermeasure support device 1 according to the present disclosure is connected to an interactive response device 2 via a network 5. This interactive response device 2 may be trained based on various information publicly available on the Internet, for example. If necessary, additional training (fine tuning) may be performed in advance using various documents including reports (including the causes of the problems, solutions to the problems, etc.) created when solving problems that occurred in the industrial machine 4 in the past, test programs created at that time, and manuals for the industrial machine 4. By narrowing down the information used for training, it is possible to prepare an interactive response device 2 that returns responses to inquiries with a certain degree of accuracy.

[0017] 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating functions of the countermeasure support device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Each function of the countermeasure support device 1 according to this embodiment is realized by the CPU 11 included in the countermeasure support device 1 shown in FIG. 1 executing a system program and controlling the operation of each unit of the countermeasure support device 1.

[0018] The countermeasure support device 1 of this embodiment includes a machine information acquisition unit 100, a trigger generation unit 110, an environmental information acquisition unit 120, a prompt generation unit 130, a transmission unit 140, a reception unit 150, and an output unit 180. The RAM 13 to the non-volatile memory 14 of the countermeasure support device 1 also include a template storage unit 200, which is an area in which prompt-related templates are stored in advance.

[0019] [Correction pursuant to Rule 91 04.08.2025] The machine information acquisition unit 100 acquires machine information related to the industrial machine 4. The machine information may include, for example, the model of the industrial machine 4, the version number of the software installed on the industrial machine 4, the mechanical configuration of the industrial machine 4 (number of axes, motor drawing number used, machine name, drawing number, manufacturer), parameters of the control device that controls the industrial machine 4, alarm information generated by the industrial machine 4, detected values ​​(temperature, vibration, etc.) of various sensors attached to the industrial machine 4, machining programs running on the industrial machine 4, ladder programs, information on I / O devices connected to the industrial machine 4 (allocation, drawing number, manufacturer), the type of coolant used on the industrial machine 4, tool information, the user name of the user using the industrial machine 4, data captured by an attached camera attached to the industrial machine 4 (still image data, video image data, etc.), and the machining history of the industrial machine 4 (operation information, number of machining operations). The machine information acquisition unit 100 may also acquire machine information recorded when a specific operation occurs on the industrial machine 4. Alternatively, machine information recorded within a predetermined range before and after the timing of the specific action may be acquired. The machine information acquisition unit 100 outputs the acquired machine information to the trigger generation unit 110. The machine information acquisition unit 100 also outputs the acquired machine information to the prompt generation unit 130.

[0020] The trigger generating unit 110 detects an abnormal state that has occurred in the industrial machine 4 based on the machine information input from the machine information acquiring unit 100. When an abnormal state occurs, the trigger generating unit 110 instructs the prompt generating unit 130 to generate a prompt for making an inquiry related to the abnormality. The trigger generating unit 110 can determine that an abnormality has occurred in the industrial machine 4, for example, by detecting that an alarm has been generated in the industrial machine 4. The trigger generating unit 110 may also determine that an abnormality has been detected in the industrial machine 4 when, for example, a load on a motor in the industrial machine 4 exceeds a predetermined threshold, a temperature exceeding a predetermined threshold is detected, an impact exceeding a predetermined threshold is detected, or an error occurs in communication with another computer such as the fog computer 6. When instructing the prompt generating unit 130 to generate a prompt, the trigger generating unit 110 may also notify the prompt generating unit 130 of information related to the abnormality that has occurred in the industrial machine 4 (for example, alarm information, etc.).

[0021] [Correction based on Rule 91 04.08.2025] The environmental information acquisition unit 120 acquires environmental information related to the environment in which the industrial machine 4 operates. The environmental information may include, for example, the ambient temperature and humidity of the industrial machine 4, and vibrations detected in the vicinity. The environmental information acquisition unit 120 may use values ​​detected by, for example, a sensor attached to the industrial machine 4 or a sensor attached at the site where the industrial machine 4 is installed. The environmental information acquisition unit 120 outputs the acquired environmental information to the prompt generation unit 130.

[0022] The prompt generation unit 130 generates a prompt that can be input to the interactive response system 2, based on the information related to the abnormality of the industrial machine 4 acquired by the trigger generation unit 110, the machine information acquired by the machine information acquisition unit 100 when the abnormality occurred, and the environmental information acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit 120 when the abnormality occurred. The prompt generation unit 130 may assign prompt identification information that allows the generated prompt to be uniquely identified. The prompt generation unit 130 may create a prompt by, for example, applying the information related to the abnormality, the machine information, and the environmental information to a prompt template corresponding to the inquiry information.

[0023] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of multiple templates stored in the template storage unit 200. In the example of FIG. 3, the template storage unit 200 stores multiple templates 1, 2, .... Each template is associated with multiple keywords related to an abnormality in the industrial machine 4. The prompt generation unit 130 searches for templates stored in the template storage unit 200 using words included in the information related to the abnormality in the industrial machine 4 acquired by the trigger generation unit 110 as keywords. Then, the template with the highest keyword match is read out as the template to be used for generating a prompt. The read-out template is then used to generate a prompt. The template selected by the trigger generation unit 110 includes an instruction to the interactive response system 2 to generate test code related to the diagnostic operation of the industrial machine 4. The prompt generation unit 130 transmits the generated prompt to the transmission unit 140.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a template. In the example of FIG. 4, the template includes information keys for embedding predetermined information at predetermined positions in the prompt sentence. The prompt generation unit 130 generates a prompt by embedding corresponding information at each information key position. In the example of FIG. 4, information related to an abnormality in the industrial machine 4 (e.g., alarm information) is embedded at the position of the information key "MACHINE_ALRM." For example, an alarm may occur related to a sensor attached to each part of a certain robot while the robot is operating. In such a case, alarm information such as "SRVO-503 Sensor alarm %x, %x" can be obtained. The prompt generation unit 130 generates a prompt from the template by embedding the above-mentioned alarm information at the position of the information key "MACHINE_ALRM" in the template. Furthermore, the model number of the industrial machine 4 is embedded in the "MODEL_NUM" position, the number of axes of the industrial machine 4 is embedded in the "NUM_OF_AXIS" position, and the operating parameters of the industrial machine 4 are embedded in the "PARAM1" and "PARAM2" positions. Similarly, environmental information is embedded in the "ATMOS_TEMP" position, such as atmospheric temperature, and in the "ATMOS_HUMD" position, such as atmospheric humidity. The template may also be provided with information keys corresponding to information calculated by performing a predetermined calculation based on predetermined machine information and environmental information. The template may also include a statement indicating the language of the test code that can be used by the industrial machine 4. Examples of languages ​​that can be used by the industrial machine 4 include C language programs, robot programs, NC programs, and PLC programs.

[0025] Such templates are created in advance in accordance with the format of inquiries to the interactive response device 2. For example, if the interactive response device 2 responds to inquiries in the form of a list of items, the templates are preferably for generating prompts that list information related to anomalies, machine information, and environmental information, as exemplified in Fig. 4. Furthermore, if the interactive response device 2 responds to inquiries in the form of natural language, the templates are preferably for generating prompts in the form of natural sentences. Each template is preferably created so as to include machine information, environmental information, and information calculated from the machine information and environmental information that are useful when creating a response to an inquiry about a predicted abnormal state of the industrial machine 4.

[0026] The transmission unit 140 transmits the prompt generated by the prompt generation unit 130 to the interactive response apparatus 2. Upon receiving the prompt from the transmission unit 140, the interactive response apparatus 2 generates a response to the prompt. Then, the interactive response apparatus 2 transmits the generated response to the countermeasure support apparatus 1.

[0027] The receiving unit 150 receives the response transmitted from the interactive response apparatus 2. Then, the receiving unit 150 outputs the received response to the output unit 180.

[0028] The output unit 180 outputs the response from the interactive response device 2 received by the receiving unit 150. The output unit 180 may, for example, display the response from the interactive response device 2 on the display device 70. The output unit 180 may also display the response from the interactive response device 2 on a display device (not shown) of the industrial machine 4 via the network 5. The output unit 180 may also transmit the response to another computer such as the fog computer 6 or the cloud server 7 via the network 5. The output unit 180 may record and output the response from the interactive response device 2 in a file format on a memory such as the non-volatile memory 14. At this time, the response may be further associated with information related to an abnormality in the industrial machine 4 (such as alarm information) and output.

[0029] Fig. 5 is a screen diagram showing an example of display output by the output unit 180 based on a response from the interactive response device 2. In the example of Fig. 5, the interactive response device 2 returns a response including a test code for performing a diagnostic operation to operate each joint of the industrial machine 4, which is a robot. The operator can use the test code displayed on the screen to cause the industrial machine 4 to perform a diagnostic operation, and based on the result, can identify the cause of an abnormality occurring in the industrial machine 4 and develop a countermeasure.

[0030] When an abnormal condition occurs in industrial machinery 4, such as a machine tool or a robot, the countermeasure support device 1 according to this embodiment, having the above-described configuration, presents information related to the abnormality of the industrial machinery 4, machine information, and environmental information as prompts to the interactive response device 2, and requests the interactive response device 2 to create test code related to a diagnostic operation for diagnosing the condition. The operator can obtain the test code used for the diagnostic operation without having to check the meaning of the alarm or the state of the machine. The operator executes the test code to cause the industrial machinery 4 to perform a diagnostic operation, and by viewing the results, the operator can identify the cause of the abnormality occurring in the industrial machinery 4 and develop a countermeasure plan. In this way, the process from identifying the cause of the abnormality to taking a countermeasure is supported based on responses from the interactive response device 2, which is expected to reduce work costs on the production line. Even if a skilled operator is not present on-site, the support based on responses from the interactive response device 2 allows the operator to perform their work smoothly. Furthermore, it is easier to understand the abnormal condition of the industrial machinery 4, which is expected to improve usability and maintainability.

[0031] As a modified example of the countermeasure support device 1 according to this embodiment, the trigger generating unit 110 may display a message inquiring whether or not to accept countermeasure support when detecting that an abnormality has occurred in the industrial machine 4. For example, the message "An abnormality has occurred in the industrial machine 4. Would you like to request the creation of a test code for diagnostic operation?" may be displayed, and the operator's intention may be confirmed by having the operator select a button such as "OK" or "NO."

[0032] Second Embodiment A countermeasure support device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. The countermeasure support device 1 according to this embodiment has the same hardware configuration as the countermeasure support device 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0033] 6 is a schematic block diagram showing functions of the countermeasure support device 1 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. Each function of the countermeasure support device 1 according to this embodiment is realized by the CPU 11 included in the countermeasure support device 1 shown in FIG. 1 executing a system program and controlling the operation of each unit of the countermeasure support device 1.

[0034] The countermeasure support device 1 of this embodiment includes an analysis unit 160 and a diagnosis instruction unit 170 in addition to a machine information acquisition unit 100, a trigger generation unit 110, an environmental information acquisition unit 120, a prompt generation unit 130, a transmission unit 140, a reception unit 150, and an output unit 180. The RAM 13 to the non-volatile memory 14 of the countermeasure support device 1 also include a template storage unit 200, which is an area in which prompt-related templates are stored in advance.

[0035] The countermeasure support device 1 according to this embodiment includes a machine information acquisition unit 100, a trigger generation unit 110, an environmental information acquisition unit 120, and a transmission unit 140, which have the same functions as those according to the first embodiment.

[0036] The analysis unit 160 outputs the response from the interactive response apparatus 2 received by the receiving unit 150 to the output unit 180. Furthermore, if the response from the interactive response apparatus 2 includes a test code, the analysis unit 160 outputs the test code to the diagnosis instruction unit 170.

[0037] The diagnostic instruction unit 170 instructs the industrial machine 4 to execute a diagnostic operation based on the test code input from the analysis unit 160. When executing the diagnostic operation, the diagnostic instruction unit 170 may display on the display device 70 a message inquiring of the operator as to whether or not to start the diagnostic operation. In this case, when there is an input from the operator instructing to start the diagnostic operation, the diagnostic instruction unit 170 instructs the industrial machine 4 to execute the diagnostic operation based on the test code. Then, the diagnostic instruction unit 170 instructs the prompt generation unit 130 to create a prompt to be sent to the interactive response system 2, based on the machine information and environmental information acquired during the diagnostic operation.

[0038] Similar to the prompt generation unit 130 according to the first embodiment, when instructed by the trigger generation unit 110, the prompt generation unit 130 according to this embodiment generates a prompt for inquiring the interactive response system 2 to generate a test code for performing a diagnostic operation on the industrial machine 4. Furthermore, when instructed by the diagnosis instruction unit 170, the prompt generation unit 130 generates a prompt for requesting the interactive response system 2 to investigate the cause of an abnormality in the industrial machine 4 and to formulate a countermeasure, based on the machine information acquired by the machine information acquisition unit 100 and the environmental information acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit 120 during the diagnostic operation on the industrial machine 4. The prompt generation unit 130 outputs the generated prompt to the transmission unit 140.

[0039] [Correction Based on Rule 91 04.08.2025] In this embodiment, the template storage unit 200 stores templates for creating prompts related to requests for creating test code, as well as templates for creating prompts related to requests for investigating the cause of an abnormality and formulating countermeasures. Each template is associated with multiple keywords related to the abnormality in the industrial machine 4 and keywords related to the request to the interactive response system 2. The prompt generation unit 130 searches the templates stored in the template storage unit 200 using keywords that are words contained in information related to the abnormality occurring in the industrial machine 4 and words contained in the request to the interactive response system 2. The prompt generation unit 130 then retrieves the template with the highest keyword match as the template to be used for generating the prompt. The retrieved template is then used to generate a prompt. The template selected by the trigger generation unit 110 includes instructions to the interactive response system 2 for creating test code related to the diagnostic operation of the industrial machine 4 and instructions for investigating the cause of the abnormality and formulating countermeasures. The prompt generation unit 130 transmits the generated prompt to the transmission unit 140.

[0040] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a template. The template shown in FIG. 7 is a template related to a request for investigation of the cause of an abnormality and the development of a countermeasure plan. In the example of FIG. 7 , information related to an abnormality in the industrial machine 4 is embedded in the position of the information key "MACHINE_ALRM." Furthermore, a test code related to a diagnostic operation executed on the industrial machine 4 is embedded in the position of "TEST_CODE." The model number of the industrial machine 4 is embedded in the position of "MODEL_NUM," the number of axes of the industrial machine 4 is embedded in the position of "NUM_OF_AXIS," and the operating parameters of the industrial machine 4 are embedded in the position of "PARAM1." Similarly, environmental information is embedded in the position of "ATMOS_TEMP," such as atmospheric temperature in the position of "ATMOS_TEMP," and atmospheric humidity in the position of "ATMOS_HUMD." Information keys corresponding to information calculated by performing a predetermined calculation based on predetermined machine information and environmental information may be provided in the template.

[0041] Similar to the transmitting unit according to the first embodiment, the transmitting unit 140 transmits the prompt generated by the prompt generating unit 130 to the interactive response apparatus 2. The receiving unit 150 receives a response transmitted from the interactive response apparatus 2. The receiving unit 150 then outputs the received response to the analyzing unit 160.

[0042] [Correction based on Rule 91 04.08.2025] The output unit 180 according to this embodiment outputs the response from the interactive response device 2 received by the receiving unit 150 according to the first embodiment. The output unit 180 may, for example, display the response from the interactive response device 2 on the display device 70. The output unit 180 may also display the response from the interactive response device 2 on a display device (not shown) of the industrial machine 4 via the network 5. The output unit 180 may also transmit the response to another computer, such as the fog computer 6 or the cloud server 7, via the network 5. The output unit 180 may record and output the response from the interactive response device 2 in a file format in a memory, such as the non-volatile memory 14. At this time, information related to an abnormality in the industrial machine 4 (such as alarm information) may be further associated with the response and output.

[0043] FIG. 8 is a screen diagram showing an example of display output by the output unit 180 based on a response from the interactive response system 2. In the example of FIG. 8 , the interactive response system 2 returns the cause of the abnormality and a proposed countermeasure as a response based on the acquired machine information and environmental information as a result of having the industrial machine 4, which is a robot, perform a diagnostic operation. The output unit 180 may analyze the content of the response using known techniques such as pattern matching or natural language analysis, and may illustrate the abnormality location of the industrial machine 4 acquired as a result. In the example of FIG. 8 , the abnormality location is indicated by an arrow, but the abnormality location may also be highlighted in a different color, for example. Such a display is possible by preparing a model diagram of the industrial machine 4 in advance. The operator can smoothly proceed with work to improve the abnormality occurring in the industrial machine 4 by referring to the cause of the abnormality and the proposed countermeasure displayed on the screen.

[0044] If the industrial machine 4 is equipped with a maintenance function such as automatic part replacement, the function may be used to automatically implement countermeasures against an abnormality. In this case, for example, a request to create a work program that utilizes the maintenance function such as automatic part replacement may be further added to the template illustrated in FIG. 7 . Then, when displaying the response from the interactive response device 2, the output unit 180 may inquire of the operator whether or not to execute the work program for implementing the maintenance function such as automatic part replacement included in the response from the interactive response device 2. The operator can easily proceed with work to improve the abnormality of the industrial machine 4 without having to create a work program that utilizes the maintenance function such as automatic part replacement himself.

[0045] When an abnormal condition occurs in industrial machinery 4, such as a machine tool or a robot, the countermeasure support device 1 according to this embodiment, having the above-described configuration, presents information related to the abnormality of the industrial machinery 4, machine information, and environmental information as prompts to the interactive response device 2, and requests the interactive response device 2 to create a test code related to a diagnostic operation for diagnosing the condition. Upon receiving a response including the test code, the countermeasure support device 1 performs a diagnostic operation on the industrial machinery 4 based on the test code and requests the interactive response device 2 to identify the cause of the abnormality and develop a countermeasure based on the results. The interactive response device 2 then presents the identified cause of the abnormality and the proposed countermeasure to the operator. In this way, the process from identifying the cause of the abnormality to developing a countermeasure is supported based on the response from the interactive response device 2, which is expected to reduce work costs on the production line. Even when a skilled operator is not present on-site, the support based on the response from the interactive response device 2 allows the operator to work smoothly. Furthermore, the abnormal condition of the industrial machinery 4 is easily grasped, which is expected to improve usability and maintainability.

[0046] Other Embodiments Below, countermeasure support devices according to other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. When an abnormality occurs in an industrial machine 4, a countermeasure support device 1 according to a second embodiment creates test code for executing a diagnostic operation related to the abnormality, and investigates the cause of the abnormality and proposes a countermeasure based on the results of the diagnostic operation, with the support of an interactive response device 2. After an operator has performed a countermeasure for the abnormality in the industrial machine 4, the countermeasure support device 1 may request the interactive response device 2 to create test code for executing the diagnostic operation again. For this request, for example, the prompt used when requesting the creation of test code in the countermeasure support device 1 according to the first embodiment may be used. Then, by performing a diagnostic operation again using the test code included in the response, it is possible to confirm that the same abnormality will not occur again in the industrial machine 4 for which the countermeasure has been performed. The generated test code includes code for commanding an operation to confirm that the part for which the abnormality was discovered and the countermeasure has been performed operates normally.

[0047] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, 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 invention or the idea and intent of the present disclosure derived from the content described in the claims and their equivalents. 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. The same applies when numerical values ​​or mathematical expressions are used in the description of the above-described embodiments.

[0048] The following are supplementary notes related to embodiments of the present disclosure. (Supplementary Note 1) A countermeasure support device (1) according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a machine information acquisition unit (100) that acquires information related to an industrial machine (4), an environmental information acquisition unit (120) that acquires information related to an environment in which the industrial machine (4) operates, a trigger generation unit (110) that determines whether an abnormality has occurred in the industrial machine (4) based on the information acquired by the machine information acquisition unit (100) and generates a trigger to start countermeasures for the abnormality if an abnormality has occurred, a prompt generation unit (130) that generates a first prompt for making an inquiry related to the abnormality of the industrial machine (4) based on the information acquired by the machine information acquisition unit (100) and the information acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit (120), and a transmission unit (140) that transmits the first prompt to an interactive response device (2), wherein the first prompt requests a first test code that commands a diagnostic operation related to the abnormality of the industrial machine (4).

[0049] (Supplementary Note 2) A countermeasure support device (1) according to another aspect of the present disclosure further comprises a receiving unit (150) that receives a response to the first prompt from the interactive response device (2), and an output unit (180) that outputs the response, wherein the output unit (180) outputs the response including the first test code. (Supplementary Note 3) A countermeasure support device (1) according to another aspect of the present disclosure further comprises an analysis unit (160) that analyzes the content of the response, and a diagnostic instruction unit (170) that instructs the industrial machine (4) to perform a diagnostic operation based on the content of the response, wherein the analysis unit (160) instructs the diagnostic instruction unit (170) to instruct the industrial machine (4) to perform a diagnostic operation based on the test code when the response includes a test code that instructs a diagnostic operation related to an abnormality in the industrial machine (4).

[0050] (Supplementary Note 4) The prompt generation unit (130) included in the countermeasure support device (1) according to another aspect of the present disclosure generates a second prompt for making an inquiry requesting investigation into the cause of an abnormality in the industrial machine (4) and countermeasure proposals, based on the machine information acquired by the machine information acquisition unit (100) and the environmental information acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit (120) when the diagnostic operation is performed, and the output unit (180) outputs a response to the second prompt received by the receiving unit (150). (Supplementary Note 5) The second prompt created by the prompt generation unit (130) included in the countermeasure support device (1) according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a request for creating a work program that executes a maintenance function for solving the cause of the abnormality in the industrial machine (4), and the output unit (180) displays a message inquiring whether or not to execute the maintenance function when outputting the response to the second prompt received by the receiving unit (150).

[0051] (Supplementary Note 6) The prompt generation unit (130) included in the countermeasure support device (1) according to another aspect of the present disclosure generates a third prompt for making an inquiry requesting a second test code for confirming whether the industrial machine (4) operates normally after taking countermeasures against an abnormality on the industrial machine (4), and the output unit (180) outputs a response to the third prompt received by the receiving unit (150). (Supplementary Note 7) The industrial machine (4) for which countermeasures are supported by the countermeasure support device (1) according to another aspect of the present disclosure is at least one of an industrial robot, a service robot, and a machine controlled by a control device.

[0052] (Supplementary Note 8) A computer-readable recording medium according to one aspect of the present disclosure records a program including instructions to cause a computer to function as a machine information acquisition unit (100) that acquires information related to an industrial machine (4), an environmental information acquisition unit (120) that acquires information related to the environment in which the industrial machine (4) operates, a trigger generation unit (110) that determines whether an abnormality has occurred in the industrial machine (4) based on the information acquired by the machine information acquisition unit (100) and generates a trigger to start taking measures against the abnormality if an abnormality has occurred, a prompt generation unit (130) that generates a first prompt for making an inquiry related to the abnormality of the industrial machine (4) based on the information acquired by the machine information acquisition unit (100) and the information acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit (120), and a transmission unit (140) that transmits the first prompt to an interactive response device (2), and the first prompt requests a test code that commands a diagnostic operation related to the abnormality of the industrial machine (4).

[0053] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Countermeasure support device 2 Interactive response device 4 Industrial machine 5 Network 6 Fog computer 7 Cloud server 11 CPU 12 ROM 13 RAM 14 Non-volatile memory 15, 17, 18, 20 Interface 22 Bus 70 Display device 71 Input device 72 External device 100 Machine information acquisition unit 110 Trigger generation unit 120 Environmental information acquisition unit 130 Prompt generation unit 140 Transmission unit 150 Reception unit 160 Analysis unit 170 Diagnosis instruction unit 180 Output unit 200 Template storage unit

Claims

1. A countermeasure support device comprising: a machine information acquisition unit that acquires information related to industrial machinery; an environmental information acquisition unit that acquires information related to the environment in which the industrial machinery operates; a trigger generation unit that determines whether an abnormality has occurred in the industrial machinery based on the information acquired by the machine information acquisition unit, and generates a trigger to start taking measures to address the abnormality if an abnormality has occurred; a prompt generation unit that generates a first prompt for making an inquiry related to the abnormality of the industrial machinery based on the information acquired by the machine information acquisition unit and the information acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit; and a transmission unit that transmits the first prompt to an interactive response device, wherein the first prompt requests a first test code that commands a diagnostic operation related to the abnormality of the industrial machinery.

2. The countermeasure support device according to claim 1, further comprising: a receiving unit that receives a response to the first prompt from the interactive response device; and an output unit that outputs an output related to the response, wherein the output unit outputs a response that includes the first test code.

3. A countermeasure support device as described in claim 2, further comprising: an analysis unit that analyzes the content of the response; and a diagnostic instruction unit that instructs the industrial machine to perform a diagnostic operation based on the content of the response, wherein, when the response includes a test code that instructs a diagnostic operation related to an abnormality in the industrial machine, the analysis unit instructs the diagnostic instruction unit to instruct the industrial machine to perform a diagnostic operation based on the test code.

4. The countermeasure support device described in claim 3, wherein the prompt generation unit generates a second prompt for making an inquiry requesting investigation into the cause of the abnormality in the industrial machinery and countermeasure proposals based on the machine information acquired by the machine information acquisition unit and the environmental information acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit when the diagnostic operation is performed, and the output unit outputs a response to the second prompt received by the receiving unit.

5. The countermeasure support device according to claim 4, wherein the second prompt created by the prompt generation unit includes a request to create a work program that executes a maintenance function to resolve the cause of the abnormality in the industrial machine, and the output unit, when outputting a response to the second prompt received by the receiving unit, displays a message inquiring as to whether or not to execute the maintenance function.

6. The countermeasure support device according to claim 5, wherein the prompt generation unit generates a third prompt for making an inquiry requesting a second test code for confirming whether the industrial machine operates normally after an abnormality countermeasure has been taken on the industrial machine, and the output unit outputs a response to the third prompt received by the receiving unit.

7. The countermeasure support device according to claim 1, wherein the industrial machine is at least one of an industrial robot, a service robot, and a machine controlled by a control device.

8. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program including instructions to cause a computer to function as: a machine information acquisition unit that acquires information related to industrial machinery; an environmental information acquisition unit that acquires information related to the environment in which the industrial machinery operates; a trigger generation unit that determines whether an abnormality has occurred in the industrial machinery based on the information acquired by the machine information acquisition unit, and generates a trigger to start taking measures to address the abnormality if an abnormality has occurred; a prompt generation unit that generates a first prompt for making an inquiry related to an abnormality in the industrial machinery based on the information acquired by the machine information acquisition unit and the information acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit; and a transmission unit that transmits the first prompt to an interactive response device, wherein the first prompt requests a test code that commands a diagnostic operation related to an abnormality in the industrial machinery.

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