Information asset management device, information asset management system, information asset generation method, and program

Abstract

This management device (10) comprises: a reception unit (12) that, from each of a plurality of customer objects that has obtained different modified asset by modifying a common reference asset as an information asset related to the control of equipment in a facility, receives, via a network, the modified asset of the customer object and permission information indicating that a combination of the modified asset of the customer object with the modified asset of another customer object designated by the customer object is permitted; a management unit (13) that associates and manages the modified asset and permission information for each customer object; and a generation unit (14) that generates a new information asset on the basis of a combination of the modified asset of different customer object according to the permission information.

Description

Information asset management device, information asset management system, information asset creation method and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information asset management device, an information asset management system, an information asset generation method, and a program.

[0002] In factory automation (FA), complex control systems are often constructed in which control devices that control a large number of devices are connected via a network. When improving the performance of a control system and implementing new functions, the development of control programs executed by the control devices is promoted.

[0003] Here, it is conceivable to utilize technology to support program development work (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 describes a technology that, in a client-server system, allows end users to register programs that they have independently developed and created as client functions in a system management server, thereby enabling the programs to be searched for and reused.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 08-314701

[0005] In a control system, information such as the configuration of the control system, the control programs executed by the control devices, and the parameters set in the control devices is information that should not be made public in principle, and can be considered information assets for operating the control system. It is conceivable to collect information assets from multiple users who own such information assets and manage them collectively, as in the technology of Patent Document 1.

[0006] However, the technology in Patent Document 1 centrally manages programs developed for client functions that make up a client-server system, and because each client is an identical machine, no consideration is given to restricting the reuse of programs. For this reason, it is not desirable to apply the technology in Patent Document 1 as is to the development of the above-mentioned information assets.

[0007] Furthermore, in the technology of Patent Document 1, if forks or branches occur and programs with different strategies are developed independently, the resulting programs will be significantly different from each other, resulting in the development target programs being dispersed. This reduces the efficiency of development work. Therefore, there is a risk that information assets related to device control cannot be developed efficiently.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made in light of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to efficiently develop information assets related to device control.

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, the information asset management device disclosed herein comprises a receiving means for receiving, via a network, permission information indicating that the modified assets of a plurality of objects that have obtained different modified assets through modifications to a common reference asset that serves as information asset related to the control of equipment in a facility are permitted to combine the modified assets of the object with the modified assets of other objects specified by the object; a management means for associating and managing the modified assets and the permission information for each object; and a generation means for generating new information assets based on the combination of modified assets of different objects in accordance with the permission information.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, information assets relating to device control can be efficiently developed.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a management system according to embodiment 1; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a facility according to embodiment 1; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of a management device according to embodiment 1; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of a management device according to embodiment 1; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an information asset DB (Database) according to embodiment 1; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of repair of an information asset according to embodiment 1; FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of generation of a new information asset according to embodiment 1;

[0012] Hereinafter, a management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0013] Embodiment 1. A management system 100 according to this embodiment is a cloud system that manages information assets used in facilities such as factories and plants, and contributes to the standardization of information assets. As shown in FIG. 1 , the management system 100 includes a management device 10 that manages information assets, and terminals 31 a, 31 b, and 31 c that are connected to the management device 10 via a network NW. The management device 10 corresponds to an example of an information asset management device, and the management system 100 corresponds to an example of an information asset management system. The network NW is a communication network such as the Internet.

[0014] Terminal 31a is a device owned by customer object A, terminal 31b is a device owned by customer object B, and terminal 31c is a device owned by customer object C. Customer objects A, B, and C are each customers who receive cloud services provided by management device 10.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 2, customer object A corresponds to an operator, manager, or operator of a control system 300 constructed in a facility 30a. The control system 300 includes a control device 32 connected to a terminal 31a via an information network 301, and devices 33 connected to the control device 32 via a control network 302. In the control system 300, the control device 32 controls a plurality of devices 33 to cooperate with each other, thereby operating lines that perform various processes, such as a production line, a machining line, and an inspection line. The control device 32 is, for example, a programmable logic controller (PLC), and the devices 33 are, for example, actuators, robots, machine tools, or sensors.

[0016] Similarly, customer object B corresponds to a party involved in the control system established in facility 30b, and customer object C corresponds to a party involved in the control system established in facility 30c. Note that customer objects A, B, and C may each represent a single user, a group of users, or an organization such as a company. Customer objects A, B, and C may be distinguishable from other targets of cloud service provision by the management device 10. Customer objects A, B, and C correspond to examples of objects.

[0017] Returning to FIG. 1 , the management device 10 is a server device that manages the information assets of customer objects A, B, and C. The information assets are, for example, control programs used to control devices in a control system, function blocks, parameters set in at least one of the control devices and devices in the control system, information indicating the configuration of the control system, information indicating the unit configuration of the control device, which is a PLC, or manuals for the control device or device. The information assets may also be a combination of these pieces of information, and may simply include at least one of these pieces of information. The following description will focus on an example in which a control program is an information asset.

[0018] The management device 10 provides a reference asset 20 as an information asset common to customer objects A, B, and C. The reference asset 20 is a control program created by the entity that provides the service provided by the management device 10 as something that can be applied to a general purpose system with a general configuration to a certain extent. However, the reference asset 20 is not limited to this, and may be any information asset that can be commonly acquired by multiple customer objects A, B, and C and that can be acquired by the management device 10. For example, the reference asset 20 is an information asset at the time of shipment that is created by the manufacturer of the control device and the equipment to be controlled.

[0019] The management device 10 also receives registrations of improvement assets 21 obtained by each of the customer objects A, B, and C through improvement of the reference asset 20 from the customer objects A, B, and C, and provides the improvement assets 21 to the customer objects A, B, and C that registered the improvement assets 21. For example, the management device 10 provides a programming screen using the terminal 31a as a UI, and stores the improvement asset 21a1 created by the customer object A when the customer object A edits the reference asset 20 using the programming screen. When the customer object A writes the improvement asset 21a1 to the control device 32 for execution, the management device 10 provides the stored improvement asset 21a1 in response to a request from the terminal 31a. The terminal 31a may execute a software application called an engineering tool.

[0020] The information asset to be modified is not limited to the reference asset 20, but may also be a modified asset 21. In other words, a modification of the modified asset 21 can result in another modified asset 21. For example, customer object A modifies the modified asset 21a1 to obtain a modified asset 21a2. When modifying the modified asset 21, the modified asset 21 before the modification can be managed as a new reference asset 20. A group of modified assets 21 derived from a single reference asset 20 through modifications, with a single reference asset 20 at its center, are managed in a separate management system from a group of modified assets 21 derived from the newly modified asset 21 at its center. In this way, if the concept of a certain modified asset 21 among a series of modified assets 21 obtained through repeated modifications is significantly changed from the original reference asset 20, the modified asset 21 at that stage can be managed as a new reference asset 20, thereby enabling consistent and regular management of the modification content of the group of modified assets 21 under a single concept.

[0021] The entity that modifies an information asset is not limited to a customer object. For example, customer object A may request the provider of management device 10 to modify modification asset 21 a 2, and management device 10 may provide modified asset 21 a 3 obtained by modifying modification asset 21 a 2 as the property of customer object A.

[0022] 1 shows that management device 10 manages, as information assets of customer object B, modification asset 21b1 obtained by modifying base asset 20, modification asset 21b2 obtained by modifying modification asset 21b1, and modification asset 21b3 obtained by modifying modification asset 21b2. Also shown is that management device 10 manages, as information assets of customer object C, modification asset 21c1 obtained by modifying base asset 20, modification asset 21c2 obtained by modifying modification asset 21c1, and modification asset 21c3 obtained by modifying modification asset 21c2. Hereinafter, modification assets 21a1 to 21a3, 21b1 to 21b3, and 21c1 to 21c3 may be referred to as modification asset 21 without distinction.

[0023] Fig. 3 shows the hardware configuration of the management device 10. As shown in Fig. 3, the management device 10 is configured as a computer having a processor 101, a main memory unit 102, an auxiliary memory unit 103, an input unit 104, an output unit 105, and a communication unit 106. The main memory unit 102, the auxiliary memory unit 103, the input unit 104, the output unit 105, and the communication unit 106 are all connected to the processor 101 via an internal bus 107.

[0024] The processor 101 includes a CPU or MPU (Micro Processing Unit) as a processing circuit. The processor 101 realizes various functions and executes the processes described below by executing a program P1 stored in the auxiliary storage unit 103. The program P1 corresponds to an example of an information asset management program.

[0025] The main memory unit 102 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory). A program P1 is loaded into the main memory unit 102 from the auxiliary memory unit 103. The main memory unit 102 is used as a working area for the processor 101.

[0026] The auxiliary storage unit 103 includes a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) and an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). In addition to the program P1, the auxiliary storage unit 103 stores various data used in the processing of the processor 101. The auxiliary storage unit 103 supplies the processor 101 with data used by the processor 101 in accordance with instructions from the processor 101. The auxiliary storage unit 103 also stores data supplied from the processor 101.

[0027] The input unit 104 includes input devices such as hardware switches, input keys, a keyboard, and a pointing device. The input unit 104 acquires information input by a user of the management device 10 and notifies the processor 101 of the acquired information.

[0028] The output unit 105 includes output devices such as a light emitting diode (LED), a liquid crystal display (LCD), and a speaker, and presents various information to the user in accordance with instructions from the processor 101.

[0029] The communication unit 106 includes a communication interface circuit for communicating with an external device. The communication unit 106 receives a signal from the outside and outputs data indicated by this signal to the processor 101. The communication unit 106 also transmits a signal indicating the data output from the processor 101 to the external device.

[0030] By the cooperation of the above-mentioned hardware configurations, the management device 10 has, as shown in Figure 4, functions including a providing unit 11 that provides information to customer objects, a receiving unit 12 that receives information from customer objects, a management unit 13 that manages information assets, and a generating unit 14 that generates new information assets.

[0031] The providing unit 11 is realized mainly by cooperation between the processor 101 and the communication unit 106. The providing unit 11 provides the information assets managed by the management unit 13 to the customer object. In detail, the providing unit 11 provides the reference assets 20 previously stored in the management unit 13 and the modified assets 21 obtained by modifying the reference assets 20 to the customer object. The providing unit 11 also provides the new information assets generated by the generation unit 14 to the customer object.

[0032] The reception unit 12 is realized mainly by cooperation between the processor 101 and the communication unit 106. The reception unit 12 receives the repair asset 21 and information related to the repair asset from the terminals 31a, 31b, and 31c of the customer objects and stores the information in the management unit 13. The information related to the repair asset includes permission information indicating that the repair asset 21 is permitted to be combined with the repair assets 21 of other customer objects, and detailed information indicating details of the repair. The permission information and detailed information will be described later. The reception unit 12 corresponds to an example of a reception means that receives, via a network, from each of multiple objects that have obtained different repair assets through repairs to a common reference asset as information asset related to the control of equipment in a facility, permission information indicating that the repair asset of the object and the combination of the repair asset of the object with the repair asset of another object specified by the object are permitted.

[0033] The management unit 13 is mainly realized by cooperation between the processor 101 and the auxiliary storage unit 103. The management unit 13 has an information asset DB 131. The management unit 13 acquires information assets, permission information, and detailed information from the reception unit 12 and stores them in the information asset DB 131, and acquires information assets generated by the generation unit 14 from the generation unit 14 and stores them in the information asset DB 131, thereby managing information related to the information assets using the information asset DB 131. The management unit 13 also provides information included in the information asset DB 131 to the provision unit 11 and the generation unit 14 as appropriate. The management unit 13 corresponds to an example of a management means that associates and manages modification assets and permission information for each object.

[0034] Fig. 5 shows an example of the information asset DB 131. In the example of Fig. 5, IDs equal to the codes of the reference asset 20 and the modification asset 21 are assigned to the programs, such that the control program

[20] corresponds to the reference asset 20 and the modification program [21a1] corresponds to the modification asset 21a1.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 5 , the information asset DB 131 associates information assets with detailed information for each customer object. For example, in FIG. 5 , the modification program [21b1] of customer object B is associated with detailed information indicating the reason for the modification: "An unnecessary error [ERR99] occurred." In other words, because an unnecessary error [ERR99] occurred when using the control program

[20] , customer object B modified the control program

[20] to obtain the modification program [21b1]. Furthermore, the modification program [21b2] corresponding to modification asset 21b2 is associated with detailed information indicating the purpose of the modification: "to support the new model [ABC]." Furthermore, the modification program [21b3] corresponding to modification asset 21b3 is associated with detailed information indicating the changes made to the modification: "to rewrite function [F22] to one with a faster execution speed." In this way, the detailed information indicates at least one of the reason and purpose of the modification and the changes made to the information asset before the modification. The detailed information corresponds to an example of detailed modification information. The reasons and purposes indicated by the detailed information may indicate defects, errors, and user requests regarding the information asset before modification.

[0036] Figure 6 shows an example of a specific series of modifications to the information asset of customer object B. In the example of Figure 6, by adding description 41 to control program

[20] , modification program [21b1] prevents the occurrence of unnecessary error [ERR99]. Also, by adding description 42 to modification program [21b1], modification program [21b2] becomes compatible with new model [ABC]. Also, by changing the code of modification program [21b2] as shown in description 43, the execution speed of function [F22] in modification program [21b3] is increased.

[0037] Returning to FIG. 5, modification program [21c1] for customer object C is associated with detailed information indicating the purpose of the modification: "improving the execution speed of function [F22]." This detailed information is similar to the detailed information associated with modification program [21b3] for customer object B. In other words, customer object B and customer object C implemented similar modifications at different times. If the control systems of customer objects B and C both make heavy use of function [F22], equivalent modifications may be implemented. In this way, detailed information associated with different information assets may be equivalent information. Furthermore, detailed information may be equivalent information regardless of the form of reason, purpose, or change.

[0038] Similarly, the same detailed information as that of the repair program [21b1] of customer object B is associated with the repair program [21c2] of customer object C. Furthermore, the same detailed information as that of the repair program [21b2] of customer object B is associated with the repair program [21c3] of customer object C.

[0039] The information asset DB 131 in FIG. 5 shows the history of a series of modifications from the reference asset 20 for each customer object, and therefore compiles and manages the tree-like or network-like modification history as shown in FIG.

[0040] Furthermore, the information asset DB 131 associates a customer object with permission information that indicates the objects that are permitted to use the information asset of the customer object. In the example of Fig. 5, customer object A specifies only itself as the object that is permitted to use its information asset. In other words, customer object A does not disclose its information asset to other objects.

[0041] Customer object B designates customer objects B and C as parties permitted to reuse its information assets. As a result, customer object B's information assets are disclosed to customer object C, enabling customer object C to develop based on the information assets of customer object B. Customer object C also designates customer objects B and C as parties permitted to reuse its information assets.

[0042] The management device 10 enables the reuse of information assets between different customer objects that own information assets, such as customer objects B and C. The number of information assets available to each customer object increases, and the origin of these information assets is the same reference asset 20. Therefore, each customer object can use the modification asset 21 derived from the reference asset 20 as a fixed reference, even if it is the information asset of another customer object, making it possible to use many information assets while easily understanding the intent of the modification.

[0043] 6 illustrates a C-language-based control program as an example, but the format of the control program is not limited to this. For example, the control program may be a ladder program or a SFC (Sequential Function Chart) program, or may be written in an IL (Instruction List) or ST (Structured Text) language. In particular, ladder programs and SFC languages ​​are written in a way that allows the program's operation to be understood visually, making them suitable for sharing the operation between customer objects as an information asset.

[0044] Returning to FIG. 4 , the generation unit 14 is mainly realized by the processor 101. The generation unit 14 generates a new information asset by combining information assets managed by the management unit 13 in accordance with the permission information. In the example of FIG. 5 , since customer objects B and C each permit the other to reuse their information assets, as shown in FIG. 7 , the generation unit 14 generates a new information asset 23 as a standardized information asset based on a combination of modification assets 21b1 to 21b3 of customer object B and modification assets 21c1 to 21c3 of customer object C. The new information asset 23 can be provided to customer objects B and C by the provision unit 11. The generation unit 14 corresponds to an example of a generation means that generates a new information asset based on a combination of modification assets of different objects in accordance with the permission information.

[0045] Next, the information asset generation process executed by the management device 10 having the above-mentioned functions will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 11. The information asset generation process corresponds to an example of an information asset generation method executed by an information asset management device. Note that the procedure of the information asset generation process shown in Figure 8 is only an example, and the content of each step may be changed, and the order of each step may also be changed.

[0046] In the information asset generation process, the reception unit 12 acquires the reference asset 20 and the modification asset 21 (step S1). Specifically, the reception unit 12 receives the reference asset 20 from a user of the management device 10 and accepts registration of modification assets 21a1-21a3, 21b1-21b3, and 21c1-21c3 from customer objects A, B, and C. Note that the reference asset 20 may be stored in advance in the management unit 13, instead of being received externally by the reception unit 12. Furthermore, the reception unit 12 does not need to accept modification assets 21 that were previously generated by the generation unit 14 in response to a request from a customer object.

[0047] Next, the generation unit 14 classifies the repair assets 21 repaired from a specific reference asset 20 based on the detailed information (step S2). When there are multiple reference assets 20 and repair assets 21 are derived from each reference asset 20, a specific reference asset 20 is specified by the user of the management device 10. As shown in FIG. 9, the repair assets 21b1 and 21c2 are associated with equivalent detailed information, as described above. The generation unit 14 classifies repair assets associated with equivalent detailed information in this way into one group.

[0048] The classification of repair assets by the generation unit 14 is based on similarity, which indicates the degree of similarity between the contents of the detailed information. The similarity is calculated, for example, by analyzing character strings registered as detailed information, identifying character strings that indicate particularly important characteristics, and comparing the identified character strings. Repair assets whose similarity exceeds a predetermined threshold are classified into the same group. For repair assets 21b1 and 21c2 in FIG. 9, "error [ERR99]" is identified as a particularly important characteristic, and since this characteristic matches, they are classified into the same first group. Similarly, repair assets 21b2 and 21c3 are classified into the second group, and repair assets 21b3 and 21c1 are classified into the third group.

[0049] 8 , following step S2, the generation unit 14 generates an intermediate asset representing the classified group (step S3). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10 , the generation unit 14 generates an intermediate asset 22err having the characteristics of the repair assets 21 from the repair assets 21b1 and 21c2 included in the first group. The intermediate asset 22err may be either one of the repair assets 21b1 or 21c2, or may be created by merging the source code of these repair assets 21. The selection method for selecting one repair asset 21 as the intermediate asset is arbitrary, and may be selected based on selection criteria such as fast execution speed or high readability due to the inclusion of comments, for example.

[0050] As with the first group, the generation unit 14 generates the intermediate asset 22abc from the repair assets 21b2 and 21c3 belonging to the second group, and generates the intermediate asset 22f22 from the repair assets 21b3 and 21c1 belonging to the third group.

[0051] Returning to Fig. 8 , following step S3, the generation unit 14 generates a new information asset 23 from the multiple intermediate assets (step S4). Specifically, as shown in Fig. 10, the generation unit 14 generates a new information asset 23 that has all of the features of each of the intermediate assets generated in step S3. Fig. 11 shows an example of the new information asset 23. As shown in Fig. 11, the new information asset 23 includes a description of the improvement asset 21b3 adopted as the intermediate asset 22f22, a description of the improvement asset 21b2 adopted as the intermediate asset 22abc, and a description of the improvement asset 21c2 adopted as the intermediate asset 22err.

[0052] As described above, the management device 10 generates a new information asset 23 based on a combination of modification assets 21 of different customer objects in accordance with permission information that specifies a customer object and indicates that the combination of modification assets is permitted. This allows the customer object itself to limit the range of objects to which the modification asset can be reused. Furthermore, because a new, standardized information asset 23 with the characteristics of multiple modification assets 21 is generated, development work that once branched off for different customer objects can be consolidated again into the new information asset 23. This allows for efficient development of information assets related to device control.

[0053] Furthermore, the modified asset 21 is not limited to an information asset resulting from a single modification of the reference asset 20, but may also be an information asset resulting from multiple modifications. The modified asset 21 ultimately obtained through multiple modifications has many features compared to the reference asset 20, but it is relatively difficult to merge such modified assets 21 to obtain a new information asset 23. In contrast, the management unit 13 according to this embodiment manages the modified asset 21 together with the modification history, and manages the modified asset 21 obtained through each of the multiple modifications. This makes it possible to identify the features that are successively added to the reference asset 20 in small steps, which in turn contributes to the efficient generation of new information assets 23.

[0054] The management unit 13 also manages the modification assets 21 in association with the detailed information for each customer object, and the generation unit 14 generates new information assets 23 based on the detailed information from the permitted combination of modification assets 21. This allows the generation of new information assets 23 in accordance with the content of the modification.

[0055] More specifically, the generation unit 14 classifies the repair assets 21 into a plurality of groups based on the similarity indicating the degree of similarity between the repair details indicated by the detailed information, obtains intermediate assets representative of each group, and generates new information assets 23 from the intermediate assets of the plurality of groups. According to this generation method, new information assets 23 can be efficiently generated from combinations of repair assets 21 that may have overlapping characteristics.

[0056] The receiving unit 12 according to the present embodiment corresponds to an example of a receiving means that receives, from each of a plurality of objects, the repair asset obtained by repair and the repair detail information indicating the details of the repair of the repair asset. The management unit 13 corresponds to an example of a management means that associates and manages the repair asset and the repair detail information for each object, and the generation unit 14 corresponds to an example of a generation means that generates a new information asset from the repair asset of an allowed combination based on the repair detail information.

[0057] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment described above. Note that the same or equivalent components as those in the first embodiment will be designated by the same reference numerals. In the first embodiment described above, detailed information indicating the details of the modifications was used to generate a new information asset 23. However, it is also possible to generate a new information asset 23 using other information. Below, an example will be described in which a new information asset 23 is generated based on the environment of the control system in which the information asset is used, instead of detailed information.

[0058] 12 , the management unit 13 according to this embodiment manages, for each customer object, an improvement asset 21 in association with environmental information indicating the environment of the control system in which the improvement asset 21 is used. The environmental information is, for example, the configuration of the control system, the unit configuration of a control device which is a PLC, parameters set in the control device or equipment that constitutes the control system, or a manual indicating the specifications of the control device or equipment. The environmental information is received by the receiving unit 12 together with the improvement asset 21 and stored in the information asset DB 131.

[0059] The generation unit 14 generates a new information asset 23 based on the environmental information, similar to the detailed information according to the first embodiment. The environmental information is information indicating the environment in which the need for modification has arisen, and therefore, similar to the detailed information, it can be used to generate the new information asset 23. For example, if environmental information indicating that a new device of model [ABC] will be added to the control system is associated with different modification assets 21, it is considered that both of these modification assets 21 have been modified to accommodate the device.

[0060] As described above, the management device 10 according to the present embodiment generates new information assets 23 as standardized information assets based on environmental information. Even in this configuration, the same effects as those of the management device 10 according to the first embodiment can be achieved.

[0061] The receiving unit 12 according to the present embodiment corresponds to an example of a receiving means that receives, from each of a plurality of objects, the modification assets obtained by modification and the control environment information that indicates the controlled environment in which the modification assets are to be used. The management unit 13 corresponds to an example of a management means that associates and manages the modification assets and the control environment information for each object, and the generation unit 14 corresponds to an example of a generation means that generates a new information asset from the permitted combination of modification assets based on the control environment information.

[0062] Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment described above. Note that the same reference numerals are used for configurations that are the same as or equivalent to those in the first embodiment. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that instructions from a user are received interactively and a new information asset 23 is generated in accordance with the received instructions.

[0063] The generation unit 14 according to this embodiment is realized by cooperation of the processor 101, the input unit 104, and the output unit 105. As shown in FIG. 13 , the generation unit 14 interactively acquires instructions from the user U1 while providing information to the user U1, and generates a new information asset 23 in accordance with the acquired instructions. In detail, when executing each step of the information asset generation process shown in FIG. 8 , the generation unit 14 notifies the user U1 of the content of the execution step, confirms with the user U1 whether or not the execution is possible, and accepts change instructions from the user U1 by prompting the user U1 to change the content of the step as necessary. The change instructions are, for example, an instruction to correct the classification results of the improvement asset or an instruction to select an improvement asset to be adopted as an intermediate asset.

[0064] The generation unit 14 interactively advances the procedure for generating a new information asset 23, as exemplified by the user interface screen of Fig. 14. In this user interface screen, information provided by the management device 10 is displayed on the left side, and information input by the user U1 is underlined on the right side.

[0065] As described above, the generation unit 14 generates new information assets 23 in accordance with instructions entered interactively into the user interface. This allows appropriate information assets to be generated that reflect the user's intentions.

[0066] The user who interactively inputs instructions is not limited to user U1, but may be customer objects A, B, or C. For example, when customer object B standardizes modification assets 21b1 to 21b3 and 21c1 to 21c3 of customer objects B and C, it may cause generation unit 14 to interactively generate new information asset 23 via network NW.

[0067] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0068] For example, the generation unit 14 may generate a new information asset 23 that has overlapping characteristics of the modification assets 21 of two or more customer objects, as shown in Fig. 15. That is, the generation unit 14 may generate a new information asset 23 that has overlapping characteristics of the permitted combination of modification assets 21 with respect to the information assets before modification. Such generation can be achieved by discarding a group to which only one modification asset 21 belongs, through classification based on detailed information or environmental information.

[0069] 16, the generation unit 14 may generate a new information asset 23 that has all the characteristics of the modified asset 21. That is, the generation unit 14 may generate a new information asset 23 that has the characteristics that at least one of the permitted combinations of modified assets 21 has compared to the information asset before modification. Such generation can be achieved by adopting a group to which only one modified asset 21 belongs without discarding it, using classification based on detailed information or environmental information.

[0070] Although the above description focuses on an example in which multiple customer objects mutually authorize the reuse of information assets, this is not limiting. It is also possible that a first customer object authorizes a second customer object to reuse information assets, while the second customer object does not authorize the first customer object to reuse information assets. In this case, a new information asset created from the information assets of the first and second customer objects is provided to the second customer object, but not to the first customer object.

[0071] Although the example in which individual customer objects are designated as targets for which diversion is permitted has been described, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, targets for which diversion is permitted may be designated using labels or attributes attached to customer objects.

[0072] Furthermore, although the control program is an example of an information asset, the information asset may be the above-mentioned parameters, system configuration, other information, or a combination of these pieces of information.

[0073] The above-described embodiments may be combined in any manner. For example, the first and second embodiments may be combined to generate a new information asset 23 based on both detailed information and environmental information. Furthermore, the second and third embodiments may be combined to interactively acquire detailed information and supplement the generated new information asset 23 based on environmental information.

[0074] The functions of the management device 10 according to the above-described embodiment can be realized by dedicated hardware or by a general computer system.

[0075] For example, by storing and distributing program P1 on a computer-readable recording medium such as a flexible disk, a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read-Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), or an MO (Magneto-Optical disk), and installing program P1 on a computer, a device that executes the above-mentioned processing can be configured.

[0076] Furthermore, the program P1 may be stored in a disk device of a server device on a communication network such as the Internet, and may be downloaded to a computer by superimposing it on a carrier wave, for example.

[0077] The above process can also be achieved by starting and executing the program P1 while transferring it via a network such as the Internet.

[0078] Furthermore, the above-described processing can also be achieved by executing all or part of program P1 on a server device, and executing program P1 while the computer sends and receives information about the processing via a communications network.

[0079] In addition, when the above-mentioned functions are realized by an operating system (OS) or by the OS working together with an application, only the parts other than the OS may be stored on a medium and distributed, or may be downloaded to a computer.

[0080] Furthermore, the means for realizing the functions of the management device 10 is not limited to software, and some or all of the functions may be realized by dedicated hardware or circuits.

[0081] The present disclosure allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the meaning of equivalent disclosures are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0082] The present disclosure is suitable for developing information assets for use in the field of FA.

[0083] 10 Management device, 11 Provision unit, 12 Reception unit, 13 Management unit, 14 Generation unit, 20 Reference asset, 21, 21a1 to 21a3, 21b1 to 21b3, 21c1 to 21c3 Modification asset, 22f22, 22abc, 22err Intermediate asset, 23 New information asset, 30a, 30b, 30c Facility, 31a, 31b, 31c Terminal, 32 Control device, 33 Equipment, 41 to 43 Description, 100 Management system, 101 Processor, 102 Main memory unit, 103 Auxiliary memory unit, 104 Input unit, 105 Output unit, 106 Communication unit, 107 Internal bus, 131 Information asset DB, 300 Control system, 301 Information network, 302 Control network, NW Network, P1 Program, U1 User.

Claims

1. An information asset management device comprising: a receiving means for receiving, via a network, permission information indicating permission to combine, from each of a plurality of objects that have obtained different modification assets through modifications to a common reference asset that serves as information asset related to the control of equipment in a facility, the modification assets of the object and the modification assets of the object and other objects designated by the object; a management means for managing the modification assets in association with the permission information for each of the objects; and a generation means for generating new information assets based on the combination of the modification assets of the different objects in accordance with the permission information.

2. The information asset management device of claim 1, wherein the information assets include at least one of a control program for controlling the device, parameters set in at least one of the device and a control device that controls the device, information indicating the configuration of a control system including the device and the control device, and a manual for the device or the control device.

3. An information asset management device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the modified asset is an information asset obtained by one or more modifications to the reference asset, and the management means manages the modified asset together with the modification history of the modified asset.

4. An information asset management device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the generation means generates the new information asset having characteristics that at least one of the modified assets of the combination has compared to the information asset before the modification.

5. An information asset management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the generating means generates the new information asset that has characteristics that the modified asset of the combination has in common with the information asset before modification.

6. An information asset management device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the receiving means receives the modification assets obtained by modification and modification detail information indicating details of the modification of the modification assets from each of the plurality of objects, the management means associates and manages the modification assets and the modification detail information for each of the objects, and the generation means generates the new information asset from the modification assets of the combination based on the modification detail information.

7. The information asset management device according to claim 6, wherein the modification detail information indicates at least one of the reason for the modification, the purpose, and the content of the changes made to the information asset before the modification.

8. An information asset management device as described in claim 6 or 7, wherein the generation means classifies the modification assets of the combination into multiple groups based on a similarity indicating the degree of similarity of the modification details indicated by the modification detail information, obtains intermediate assets representing each of the groups, and generates the new information assets from the intermediate assets of the multiple groups.

9. An information asset management device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the receiving means receives from each of the plurality of objects the modification assets obtained by modification and control environment information indicating the control environment in which the modification assets are used, the management means associates and manages the modification assets and the control environment information for each of the objects, and the generation means generates the new information asset from the combination of modification assets based on the control environment information.

10. An information asset management device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein said generating means generates said new information asset in accordance with instructions inputted interactively to a user interface.

11. An information asset management system comprising: a terminal for each of a plurality of objects that have obtained different modified assets by modifying a common reference asset that serves as an information asset related to the control of equipment in a facility; and an information asset management device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 that receives the modified assets from each of the terminals.

12. An information asset generation method including: a receiving means receiving, from each of a plurality of objects that have obtained different modification assets through modifications to a common reference asset as information asset related to the control of equipment in a facility, permission information indicating that the modification assets of the object and the combination of the modification assets of the object with the modification assets of other objects specified by the object are permitted; and a generating means generating a new information asset based on the combination of the modification assets of the different objects in accordance with the permission information.

13. A program for causing a computer to execute the following steps: receive, from each of a plurality of objects that have obtained different modification assets through modifications to a common reference asset that serves as an information asset related to the control of equipment in a facility, permission information indicating that the modification assets of the object and the combination of the modification assets of the object with the modification assets of other objects specified by the object are permitted; and generate a new information asset based on the combination of the modification assets of the different objects in accordance with the permission information.

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