Information generation device and information generation method

Abstract

The present invention reduces the generation of templates that exceed an upper limit for the number of data points that can be managed by a management device. An information generation device (100) generates management point information that defines data points to be managed by a controller (30). The information generation device (100) comprises a storage unit (110) and a control unit (120). The storage unit (110) stores types of equipment apparatuses (50) in association with templates that define data points for management of the equipment apparatuses (50). The control unit (120) acquires a total number of data points that is calculated on the basis of the types, templates, and number of equipment apparatuses (50) to be managed. The control unit (120) acquires a first upper limit value that is an upper limit value for the number of data points that can be managed by the controller (30). The control unit (120) determines whether the total number exceeds the first upper limit value.

Description

Information generating device and information generating method

[0001] The present invention relates to an information generating device and an information generating method.

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, an engineering device such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1 (JP 2012-103770 A), for example, has been used to manage a facility in which a plurality of pieces of equipment are installed.

[0003] The engineering device of Patent Document 1 prepares in advance templates that define monitor point information and control point information corresponding to equipment. When the templates are changed, the changed templates are deployed for each piece of equipment to regenerate the monitor points and control points, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0004] However, there is generally an upper limit to the number of data points that a management device can manage, and data points exceeding the upper limit cannot be managed.

[0005] The present disclosure provides an information generating device and an information generating method that suppress the generation of templates that exceed the upper limit of the number of data points that can be managed by a management device.

[0006] An information generating device according to a first aspect generates management point information. The management point information is information that defines data points managed by the management device, and is information that is set in the management device that manages facility equipment. The information generating device includes a storage unit and a control unit. The storage unit stores types of facility equipment and templates that define data points related to the management of the facility equipment, in association with each other. The control unit acquires the total number of data points calculated based on the types and number of facility equipment to be managed and the template. The control unit also acquires a first upper limit value that is the upper limit value for the number of data points that can be managed by the management device. The control unit determines whether the total number exceeds the first upper limit value.

[0007] This configuration makes it possible to prevent the generation of templates that exceed the upper limit of the number of data points that can be managed by the management device.

[0008] The information generation device according to a second aspect is the information generation device according to the first aspect, wherein the storage unit stores data points included in a template in association with management importance. If the control unit determines that the total number exceeds a first upper limit, it determines exclusion points based on the importance. The exclusion points are data points to be excluded from the management point information.

[0009] With this configuration, exclusion points are determined based on importance, and since it does not depend on the user's judgment, it is possible to prevent important data points from being accidentally deleted.

[0010] An information generation device according to a third aspect is the information generation device according to the first aspect, wherein the storage unit stores data points included in a template in association with management importance. If the control unit determines that the total number exceeds a first upper limit, it displays a first determination result, which is the result of the determination, and the importance. The control unit determines exclusion points based on a user operation. Exclusion points are data points to be excluded from the management point information.

[0011] With this configuration, the exclusion points are determined based on the user's operation, which prevents data points that are not intended by the user from being deleted.

[0012] An information generating device according to a fourth aspect is the information generating device according to the second or third aspect, in which the control unit stores the generated management point information in the storage unit, and the control unit determines the importance based on the frequency of use of the data points included in the stored management point information.

[0013] With this configuration, the frequency of use of a data point can be reflected in the importance.

[0014] An information generating device according to a fifth aspect is the information generating device according to any one of the second aspect to the fourth aspect, in which the control unit generates the management point information by excluding the exclusion points from the template.

[0015] With this configuration, it is possible to generate control point information excluding data points that the user wishes to exclude.

[0016] An information generating device of a sixth aspect is the information generating device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the control unit acquires a second upper limit value that is an upper limit value of the number of facility devices that can be connected to the management device. The control unit determines whether the number of facility devices included in the management point information exceeds the second upper limit value. If the control unit determines that the number of facility devices included in the management point information exceeds the second upper limit value, it displays a second determination result that is the result of the determination.

[0017] With this configuration, it is possible to notify the user that the number of facility devices included in the management point information exceeds the upper limit of the number of facility devices that can be connected to the management device.

[0018] A seventh aspect of the information generation method is a method for generating management point information. The management point information is information that defines data points managed by a management device and is set in the management device that manages facility equipment. The information generation method includes a first step and a second step. In the first step, types of facility equipment are associated with templates that define data points related to facility equipment management and are stored. In the second step, the total number of data points calculated based on the types and number of facility equipment to be managed and the template is acquired. A first upper limit value, which is the upper limit value for the number of data points that can be managed by the management device, is also acquired. A determination is then made as to whether the total number exceeds the first upper limit value.

[0019] This configuration makes it possible to prevent the generation of templates that exceed the upper limit of the number of data points that can be managed by the management device.

[0020] An information generation method according to an eighth aspect is the information generation method according to the seventh aspect, further comprising a third step and a fourth step. In the third step, data points included in the template are stored in association with management importance. In the fourth step, if it is determined that the total number exceeds the first upper limit, exclusion points are determined based on the importance. Exclusion points are data points to be excluded from the management point information.

[0021] With this configuration, exclusion points are determined based on importance, and since it does not depend on the user's judgment, it is possible to prevent important data points from being accidentally deleted.

[0022] An information generation method according to a ninth aspect is the information generation method according to the seventh aspect, further comprising a fifth step and a sixth step. The fifth step stores data points included in a template in association with identification information that identifies the type of the data point. The sixth step stores the identification information in association with a level of importance of management.

[0023] This configuration makes it easy to identify the type of data point, and also allows the identification information to be associated with a level of importance.

[0024] An information generation method according to a tenth aspect is the information generation method according to the eighth or ninth aspect, further comprising a seventh step and an eighth step. The seventh step accumulates the generated management point information. The eighth step determines importance based on the frequency of use of data points included in the accumulated management point information.

[0025] With this configuration, the frequency of use of a data point can be reflected in the importance.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a monitoring system. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an information processing device. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of template information. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of data point information. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence between data point identification information and importance. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the number of data points of facility equipment to be managed. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining management point information. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the frequency of use of data points and importance. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of an information generating device.

[0027] An information generating device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and an information generating method using the information generating device 100 will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0028] (1) Monitoring System An example of a monitoring system 1 in which management point information generated by the information generating device 100 of the present disclosure is used will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the monitoring system 1. The monitoring system 1 includes a monitoring device 10, one or more maintenance terminals 60, one or more controllers (management devices) 30, and one or more equipment devices 50. The monitoring system 1 performs overall management of a facility 40 and overall monitoring and control of the equipment devices 50 in the facility 40. Note that, although the monitoring system 1 is described here as a system that manages multiple facilities 40, the monitoring system 1 may also be a system that manages a single facility.

[0029] (1-1) Monitoring Device The monitoring device 10 is a computer mainly including a monitoring memory unit 11, a monitoring control unit 12, a monitoring input unit 13 such as a keyboard or mouse, and a monitoring display unit 14 such as a display. The monitoring memory unit 11 includes a main memory unit such as a ROM or RAM, and an auxiliary memory unit such as a HDD or SSD. The monitoring control unit 12 includes a processor such as a CPU. The monitoring control unit 12 performs various calculations and processing by executing programs stored in the monitoring memory unit 11. Note that while the monitoring device 10 is described here as a single computer, the number of computers constituting the monitoring device 10 is not limited to one. The monitoring device 10 may be composed of, for example, one or more computers functioning as servers and computers or mobile terminals as clients. The monitoring device 10 may also be implemented, for example, as a service using the Internet or cloud computing.

[0030] The monitoring device 10 is communicably connected to the controller 30 and the maintenance terminal 60 via a network 20. The network 20 includes a wide area network (WAN) spanning multiple facilities. For example, the network 20 includes the Internet.

[0031] The monitoring device 10 acquires various types of information related to the facility 40 from the controller 30 via the network 20. For example, the monitoring device 10 acquires information related to the operating state of the facility equipment 50 via the controller 30. The information related to the operating state of the facility equipment 50 includes, for example, information on whether the facility equipment 50 is operating or stopped, and information on the operating mode of the facility equipment 50.

[0032] Furthermore, for example, the monitoring device 10 acquires measurement values ​​of various sensors possessed by the facility equipment 50 via the controller 30. The sensors include, but are not limited to, sensors that measure the temperature and humidity at a predetermined location in the facility 40. The sensors may also include sensors that measure the temperature and the like at a predetermined location in the facility equipment 50 of the facility 40 (for example, a temperature sensor that monitors overheating of the facility equipment 50).

[0033] The monitoring device 10 also transmits various commands and information to the controller 30 via the network 20 .

[0034] (1-2) Controller and Facility Equipment The controller 30 and facility equipment 50 are installed in a facility 40, such as an office building, a hotel, or a hospital. As shown in FIG. 1 , each facility 40 typically includes multiple facility equipment 50. While the types of facility equipment 50 are not limited, the multiple facility equipment 50 installed in each facility 40 may include various types of facility equipment 50, such as air conditioners, ventilation systems, humidity control systems, and lighting equipment. The controller 30, maintenance terminal 60, and multiple facility equipment 50 in each facility 40 are communicatively connected via a network (e.g., a LAN). While FIG. 1 illustrates one controller 30 installed in each facility 40, multiple controllers 30 communicatively connected to some of the facility equipment 50 may be installed in each facility 40. The number of controllers 30, facilities 40, and facility equipment 50 may be changed as appropriate.

[0035] The controller 30 is a computer for controlling a plurality of equipment devices 50. As shown in Fig. 1, the controller 30 mainly includes a management storage unit 31 and a management control unit 32. Identification information unique to each controller 30 is assigned in advance to each of the equipment devices 50. Identification information unique to each of the equipment devices 50 is assigned in advance to each of the equipment devices 50.

[0036] (1-2-1) Management Storage Unit The management storage unit 31 includes a main storage device such as a ROM or RAM, and an auxiliary storage device such as an HDD or SSD. The management storage unit 31 stores various types of information. For example, the management storage unit 31 stores programs for executing various functions of the controller 30.

[0037] (1-2-2) Management Control Unit The management control unit 32 is a processor such as a CPU or a GPU. The management control unit 32 reads out programs stored in the management storage unit 31 and performs predetermined image processing and calculation processing in accordance with the programs. Furthermore, the management control unit 32 can write calculation results to the management storage unit 31 and read out information stored in the management storage unit 31 in accordance with the programs. The management control unit 32 executes various types of information processing.

[0038] In this embodiment, the management control unit 32 receives management point information from the maintenance terminal 60. However, the management control unit 32 may receive management point information from the monitoring device 10 or the information generating device 100 via the network 20. The management control unit 32 stores the received management point information in the management storage unit 31.

[0039] The management control unit 32 acquires information from the equipment 50 at predetermined intervals regarding data points related to management defined in the management point information. The management control unit 32 stores the acquired information in the management storage unit 31. The predetermined intervals are set in advance in the monitoring device 10 and / or the controller 30.

[0040] Here, the management point information is information set in the controller 30, and is information generated for each facility 40 that the controller 30 manages. In the management point information, management data points are defined for each of one or more pieces of equipment 50 that are the management targets. A management data point is information that indicates the point at which data is acquired. In other words, a management data point is information that indicates what information is to be acquired from an equipment 50. For example, the management control unit 32 acquires information about the operating status of the equipment 50 based on the management point information. Also, for example, the management control unit 32 acquires measurement values ​​of various sensors that the equipment 50 has based on the management point information.

[0041] The management control unit 32 transmits the information stored in the management storage unit 31 (information acquired from the facility devices 50) to the monitoring device 10 at a predetermined timing. The predetermined timing is set in advance in the monitoring device 10 and / or the controller 30.

[0042] Furthermore, the management control unit 32 transmits control commands to the facility equipment 50 based on various commands and information received from the monitoring device 10. This causes the controller 30 to control the facility equipment 50. For example, if the facility equipment 50 is an air conditioner, the command content included in the control command may include a start / stop command such as an operation or stop command, or a setting command such as a temperature setting command. The operating state of the facility equipment 50 is controlled in accordance with the command content from the controller 30.

[0043] As described above, the controller 30 manages the facility devices 50 that are the management targets.

[0044] (1-3) Maintenance Terminal The maintenance terminal 60 is a computer operated by a manager or maintenance worker of each facility 40. The maintenance terminal 60 is, for example, a personal computer or a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal. The maintenance terminal 60 is communicably connected to the monitoring device 10 and the information generating device 100 via a network 20. The maintenance terminal 60 is also communicably connected to the controller 30 via a network (for example, a LAN). Note that, although one maintenance terminal 60 is installed for each facility 40 in FIG. 1 , multiple maintenance terminals 60 may be installed in each facility 40.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 1, the maintenance terminal 60 mainly includes a maintenance storage unit 61, a maintenance control unit 62, a maintenance input unit 63, and a maintenance display unit 64.

[0046] (1-3-1) Maintenance Storage Unit The maintenance storage unit 61 includes a main storage device such as a ROM or RAM, and an auxiliary storage device such as an HDD or SSD. The maintenance storage unit 61 stores various types of information. For example, the maintenance storage unit 61 stores programs for executing various functions of the controller 30.

[0047] (1-3-2) Maintenance Control Unit The maintenance control unit 62 is a processor such as a CPU or a GPU. The maintenance control unit 62 reads out a program stored in the maintenance storage unit 61 and performs predetermined image processing and calculation processing in accordance with this program. Furthermore, the maintenance control unit 62 can write calculation results to the maintenance storage unit 61 and read out information stored in the maintenance storage unit 61 in accordance with the program. The maintenance control unit 62 executes various types of information processing.

[0048] The maintenance control unit 62 transmits an instruction to generate control point information to the information generating device 100 based on a user operation. The maintenance control unit 62 receives the generated control point information from the information generating device 100. The maintenance control unit 62 stores the received control point information in the maintenance storage unit 61. The maintenance control unit 62 transmits the control point information to the controller 30.

[0049] (1-3-3) Maintenance Input Unit The maintenance input unit 63 accepts user operations and manual input of various information. The maintenance input unit 63 is, for example, an input device such as a mouse and a keyboard. The maintenance input unit 63 may also be a touch panel or the like.

[0050] The user specifies the facility 40 or the controller 30 for which control point information is to be generated via the maintenance input unit 63. The user also sets a first upper limit value and a second upper limit value via the maintenance input unit 63. The user can also update various information stored in the storage unit 110, such as the data point information I2, control point information, and importance, via the maintenance input unit 63.

[0051] (1-3-4) Maintenance Display Unit The maintenance display unit 64 is, for example, an output device such as a display, a printer, etc. The maintenance display unit 64 outputs data output from the maintenance control unit 62 to a display, a printer, etc.

[0052] The maintenance control unit 62 displays, for example, a screen used to generate management point information on the maintenance display unit 64. The maintenance control unit 62 also displays, for example, a screen for updating various pieces of information stored in the storage unit 110 of the information generating device 100 on the maintenance display unit 64.

[0053] (2) Information Generating Device The information generating device 100 generates control point information required to build the monitoring system 1. The control point information is set in the controller 30 and is used to manage the facility devices 50 to be managed.

[0054] The information generating device 100 is realized by a service using the Internet or cloud computing. As shown in FIG. 2 , the information generating device 100 mainly includes a storage unit 110 and a control unit 120. The information generating device 100 may be configured with one or more computers functioning as servers and a computer or a mobile terminal as a client. The information generating device 100 may be configured as part of the functions of the monitoring device 10, the maintenance terminal 60, or the controller 30.

[0055] (2-1) Storage Unit The storage unit 110 is a storage device that stores various types of information, and includes a main storage device such as a ROM or RAM, and an auxiliary storage device such as a HDD or SSD. The storage unit 110 stores programs that the control unit 120 reads and executes.

[0056] The storage unit 110 stores, as template information I1, information associating the type of facility equipment 50 with a template that defines multiple data points related to the monitoring and / or control of the facility equipment 50. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of template information I1. The "type of facility equipment" is information indicating the type of facility equipment 50, such as an air conditioner, ventilation system, humidity control system, or lighting equipment. The "data points" are information indicating data points related to the monitoring and / or control of the facility equipment 50. For example, if the facility equipment 50 is an air conditioner, the data points related to monitoring and / or control include information indicating the operating status of the air conditioner, such as on / off, operation mode, and set temperature, as well as detection points detected by various sensors installed in the air conditioner. The data points related to control are information necessary for control calculations.

[0057] The storage unit 110 stores, as data point information I2, information that associates data points having the same function and / or role with common identification information (referred to as data point identification information). For example, the names of data points in template information I1 may differ for each equipment 50, even if the data points have the same function and / or role. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of data point information I2. For example, for equipment X, the name of a data point related to on / off is "On / Off value." On the other hand, for equipment Y, the name of a data point related to on / off is "On / Off." The user associates the names of the data points related to on / off, such as "On / Off value," "On / Off," and "Operating state," with the data point identification information "On / Off." The storage unit 110 stores, as data point information I2, information that associates the names of data points with the data point identification information. As a result, even if the names of data points differ for each equipment 50, data can be handled efficiently by associating them with the same data point identification information. It should be noted that the data point identification information does not need to be stored if the names of the data points are the same in all of the equipment 50. In this case, the names of the data points may be used as the data point identification information.

[0058] The storage unit 110 stores data point identification information and importance in association with each other. The importance is an item that indicates the importance of a data point. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the association between data point identification information and importance. The importance may be ranked numerically in ascending or descending order from lowest to highest importance.

[0059] The storage unit 110 stores the identification information of the controller 30 in association with the upper limit (referred to as a first upper limit) of the number of data points that the controller 30 can manage.

[0060] The storage unit 110 stores the identification information of the controller 30 in association with the upper limit (referred to as a second upper limit) of the number of facility devices 50 that can be connected to the controller 30.

[0061] The storage unit 110 stores, as management target information I3, information associating the identification information of the controller 30, the identification information of the facility device 50 that the controller 30 manages, and the type of the facility device 50.

[0062] The storage unit 110 stores the control point information generated by the information generating device 100 and accumulates it as history information I4.

[0063] The various information stored in the storage unit 110 can be updated by the user operating the maintenance terminal 60 or by automatic processing based on external data.

[0064] (2-2) Control Unit The control unit 120 is a processor such as a CPU or GPU. The control unit 120 reads out a program stored in the storage unit 110 and performs predetermined image processing and arithmetic processing in accordance with this program. Furthermore, the control unit 120 can write arithmetic results to the storage unit 110 and read out information stored in the storage unit 110 in accordance with the program. The control unit 120 realizes various functions described below.

[0065] (2-2-1) Determination of First Upper Limit Value The control unit 120 reads the management target information I3 based on the identification information of the controller 30 that generates the management point information, and acquires the type and number of equipment 50 that are to be managed by the controller 30. The control unit 120 reads the first upper limit value from the storage unit 110 based on the identification information of the controller 30. The first upper limit value is the upper limit value for the number of data points that the controller 30 can manage.

[0066] The control unit 120 reads out a template from the template information I1 based on the acquired type of facility device 50. As described above, the template defines multiple data points related to the monitoring and / or control of the facility device 50. The control unit 120 calculates the total number of data points defined for all facility devices 50 to be managed based on the types of facility devices 50, the number of devices of each type, and the template.

[0067] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the number of data points of equipment 50 to be managed. "Type of equipment" indicates the type of equipment 50 to be managed. "Number of data points / unit" is the number of data points related to monitoring and / or control per equipment 50. "Number of units" indicates the number of equipment 50 to be managed, divided by type of equipment 50. "Number of data points" indicates the total number of data points for each type of equipment 50. In this way, "Number of data points / unit", "Number of units", and "Number of data points" can be associated with "Type of equipment".

[0068] For example, for the type "001" of equipment 50, the number of data points defined in the template for one equipment device 50 is "233," and the number of equipment devices is "3." In this case, the number of data points for three equipment devices 50 of type "001" is "699." Similarly, the number of data points for two equipment devices 50 of type "002" is "262," and the number of data points for four equipment devices 50 of type "003" is "352." The control unit 120 calculates that the total number of data points defined for all equipment devices 50 to be managed is "1,313."

[0069] The control unit 120 compares the first upper limit value with the total number of data points to determine whether the total number of data points exceeds the first upper limit value. The result of the determination is called a first determination result.

[0070] (2-2-2) Determination of Exclusion Points The control unit 120 calculates the number of data points that exceed the first upper limit (number of excess points). For example, as shown in FIG. 5, if the total number of data points is "1313" and the first upper limit is "1260", the number of excess points is "53".

[0071] As described above, data points included in a template are stored in association with data point identification information. Furthermore, the data point identification information is stored in association with a level of importance. The control unit 120 reads the level of importance from the storage unit 110 based on the data points included in the template. The control unit 120 determines exclusion points, which are data points to be excluded from the management point information, based on the level of importance. For example, the control unit 120 determines data points to be exclusion points in order of decreasing importance. The control unit 120 determines data points that are equal to or greater than the number of excess points as exclusion points.

[0072] For example, a case will be described in which importance is ranked in ascending order from 1 to 5, from least to most important. The control unit 120 calculates the number of data points with an importance level of "1" from all templates corresponding to all facility equipment 50 to be managed. If the number of data points with an importance level of "1" is equal to or greater than the number of excess points, the control unit 120 determines that the data points with an importance level of "1" are to be excluded points. If the number of data points with an importance level of "1" is less than the number of excess points, the control unit 120 calculates the number of data points with an importance level of "2" from all templates corresponding to all facility equipment 50 to be managed. If the total number of data points with an importance level of "1" or "2" is equal to or greater than the number of excess points, the control unit 120 determines that the data points with an importance level of "1" or "2" are to be excluded points. In this way, the control unit 120 determines the exclusion points in order from the least important data points until the number of exclusion points is equal to or greater than the number of excess points.

[0073] (2-2-3) Generation of management point information If it is determined that the total number of data points does not exceed the first upper limit value, the control unit 120 stores all templates corresponding to all equipment devices 50 to be managed in the memory unit 110 as management point information.

[0074] Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining management point information. When the equipment 50 to be managed has the configuration shown in Fig. 6, the management point information includes templates for three equipment devices 50 of type "001", templates for two equipment devices 50 of type "002", and templates for four equipment devices 50 of type "003".

[0075] On the other hand, if it is determined that the total number of data points exceeds the first upper limit, the control unit 120 stores all excluded templates corresponding to all equipment devices 50 to be managed as management point information in the storage unit 110. Excluded templates are information in which excluded points have been deleted from templates. In this case, the management point information includes excluded templates for three equipment devices 50 of type "001," excluded templates for two equipment devices 50 of type "002," and excluded templates for four equipment devices 50 of type "003."

[0076] The control unit 120 stores the generated control point information in the storage unit 110 as history information I4.

[0077] (2-2-4) Determination of Second Upper Limit The control unit 120 reads the management object information I3 based on the identification information of the controller 30, and acquires the type and number of equipment devices 50 that are managed by the controller 30. The control unit 120 calculates the number of equipment devices 50 that are managed by the controller 30 (referred to as the managed number). The control unit 120 reads a second upper limit from the storage unit 110 based on the identification information of the controller 30. The second upper limit is the upper limit of the number of equipment devices 50 that can be connected to the controller 30.

[0078] The control unit 120 compares the second upper limit value with the managed number of vehicles to determine whether the managed number of vehicles exceeds the second upper limit value.

[0079] If the control unit 120 determines that the number of managed devices exceeds the second upper limit, it displays the result of the determination (referred to as a second determination result) on the maintenance display unit 64. The control unit 120 displays a selection screen on the maintenance display unit 64 for the user to select the equipment devices 50 to be excluded from the management targets.

[0080] (2-2-5) Determination of Importance The control unit 120 analyzes the history information I4 of the management point information of one or more facilities 40 stored in the storage unit 110. For example, the control unit 120 calculates the usage frequency of each data point identification information from the history information I4 of the management point information of multiple facilities 40. At this time, the control unit 120 calculates the usage frequency by excluding the history information I4 of the management point information of facilities 40 for which no corresponding data point identification information exists. The control unit 120 determines the importance of the data point identification information according to the calculated usage frequency. For example, the control unit 120 may determine the importance based on whether the usage frequency is within a predetermined range. The correspondence between the predetermined range and the importance may be stored in the storage unit 110 in advance.

[0081] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the usage frequency and importance of data points for each facility 40. FIG. 8 shows whether each data point is used in the control point information for each facility 40. For example, the following rankings are given: importance is ranked from 1 to 5 in ascending order from lowest to highest importance. In this case, the following predefined rankings are used: importance is 5 if the usage frequency is 90% or more; importance is 4 if the usage frequency is 70% or more but less than 90%; importance is 3 if the usage frequency is 50% or more but less than 70%; importance is 2 if the usage frequency is 30% or more but less than 50%; and importance is 1 if the usage frequency is less than 30%. As shown in FIG. 8 , in facility A, the data point identification information "ON / OFF" is used in the control point information. This means that in facility A, the data point identification information "ON / OFF" is used in the control point information regardless of the type of equipment 50. Similarly, in facilities B to E, the data point identification information "ON / OFF" is used in the control point information. Therefore, the frequency of use of the data point identification information "ON / OFF" is 5 out of 5 (100 percent). In this case, the control unit 120 determines that the importance of the data point identification information "ON / OFF" is "5."

[0082] Furthermore, in facility E, the data point identification information "switching" is excluded from the management point information. On the other hand, in facilities A to D, the data point identification information "switching" is used in the management point information. Therefore, the usage frequency of the data point identification information "switching" is 4 / 5 (80 percent). In this case, the control unit 120 determines that the importance of the data point identification information "switching" is "4."

[0083] In addition, in facility B and facility C, data point identification information “CO ２ Therefore, the control unit 120 calculates the usage frequency by excluding the control point information of facility B and facility C. As a result, the data point identification information "CO ２ In this case, the control unit 120 sets the data point identification information “CO ２ The importance of "concentration" is determined to be "3".

[0084] The control unit 120 stores the determined importance in the storage unit 110. The control unit 120 may perform the importance determination process based on a user operation, or may perform the process at predetermined intervals.

[0085] (3) Flow of generating control point information Next, a method of generating control point information by the information generating device 100 will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing by the information generating device 100. Note that the flowchart shown in FIG. 9 is merely an example and may be modified as appropriate within a consistent range. For example, other steps not shown may be included before or after each step, and the order of each step may be modified as appropriate within a consistent range.

[0086] The control unit 120 determines a target controller 30 for which management point information is to be generated (step S1). In this embodiment, the control unit 120 determines the controller 30 specified by the user using the maintenance terminal 60 as the target controller 30. However, the control unit 120 may also determine the controller 30 corresponding to the facility 40 specified by the user as the target controller 30. The control unit 120 may also determine the target controller 30 based on data received from the monitoring device 10 or the like connected via the network 20.

[0087] The control unit 120 reads out the first upper limit value from the storage unit 110 based on the identification information of the controller 30. The control unit 120 also reads out the second upper limit value from the storage unit 110 based on the identification information of the controller 30 (step S2).

[0088] The control unit 120 reads the management object information I3 based on the identification information of the controller 30 and acquires the type and number of facility devices 50 managed by the controller 30 (step S3). The control unit 120 also reads a template from the template information I1 based on the type of facility device 50. The control unit 120 calculates the total number of data points defined for all facility devices 50 to be managed based on the type, number, and template of the facility devices 50. The control unit 120 also calculates the number of facility devices 50 to be managed by the controller 30 (referred to as the managed number).

[0089] The control unit 120 compares the second upper limit value with the managed number of vehicles to determine whether the managed number of vehicles exceeds the second upper limit value (step S4).

[0090] If it is determined that the number of managed units does not exceed the second upper limit value (NO in step S4), the control unit 120 determines whether the total number of data points exceeds the first upper limit value by comparing the first upper limit value with the total number of data points (step S7).

[0091] If it is determined that the total number of data points does not exceed the first upper limit value (NO in step S7), the control unit 120 stores all templates corresponding to all equipment 50 to be managed as management point information in the memory unit 110 (step S9).

[0092] On the other hand, if it is determined that the number of managed devices exceeds the second upper limit (YES in step S4), the control unit 120 displays the second determination result on the maintenance display unit 64 (step S5). The control unit 120 also displays a selection screen on the maintenance display unit 64 that enables the user to select facility devices 50 to be excluded from the management targets.

[0093] If the user does not select an equipment device 50 to be excluded from the management target (NO in step S6), the control unit 120 ends the processing. On the other hand, if the user selects an equipment device 50 to be excluded from the management target (YES in step S6), the process returns to step S4.

[0094] If it is determined that the total number of data points exceeds the first upper limit (YES in step S7), the control unit 120 calculates the number of excess points. The control unit 120 reads out the importance from the storage unit 110 based on the data point identification information of the data points included in the template. The control unit 120 determines exclusion points, which are data points to be excluded from the management point information, based on the importance (step S8). The control unit 120 determines the exclusion points so that the number of exclusion points is equal to or greater than the number of excess points.

[0095] The control unit 120 stores all excluded templates corresponding to all equipment devices 50 to be managed as management point information in the storage unit 110 (step S9). An excluded template is information obtained by deleting the exclusion points from a template.

[0096] (4) Features Conventionally, an engineering device such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been used to manage a facility where multiple pieces of equipment are installed. This engineering device has templates prepared in advance that define monitoring point information and control point information corresponding to the equipment. When the templates are changed, the changed templates are deployed for each piece of equipment to regenerate the monitoring points and control points.

[0097] However, there is generally an upper limit to the number of data points that a management device can manage, and data points exceeding the upper limit cannot be managed.

[0098] (4-1) The information generating device 100 includes a storage unit 110 and a control unit 120. The storage unit 110 stores the types of facility devices 50 in association with templates that define data points related to the management of the facility devices 50. The control unit 120 acquires the total number of data points calculated based on the types and number of facility devices 50 to be managed and the templates. The control unit 120 also acquires a first upper limit value, which is the upper limit value for the number of data points that can be managed by the controller 30. The control unit 120 determines whether the total number exceeds the first upper limit value.

[0099] This configuration can prevent the generation of templates that exceed the upper limit of the number of data points that the controller 30 can manage.

[0100] (4-2) The storage unit 110 stores data points included in a template in association with the importance of management. If the control unit 120 determines that the total number exceeds the first upper limit, it determines exclusion points based on the importance. Exclusion points are data points to be excluded from the management point information.

[0101] The exclusion points are determined based on their importance. Since it is not dependent on the user's judgment, it is possible to prevent important data points from being accidentally deleted. Also, templates may contain data points that are of low operational importance. This configuration allows data points of low importance to be excluded from management point information.

[0102] (4-3) The control unit 120 stores the generated management point information in the storage unit 110. The control unit 120 determines the importance level based on the frequency of use of the data points included in the stored management point information.

[0103] A template may contain data points that are used less frequently (have low operational importance). This configuration allows the importance of the data points to reflect their frequency of use.

[0104] (4-4) The control unit 120 generates management point information by excluding the exclusion points from the template.

[0105] With this configuration, it is possible to generate control point information excluding data points that the user wishes to exclude.

[0106] (4-5) The control unit 120 acquires a second upper limit value, which is the upper limit value of the number of facility devices 50 that can be connected to the controller 30. The control unit 120 determines whether the number of facility devices 50 included in the management point information exceeds the second upper limit value. If the control unit 120 determines that the number of facility devices 50 included in the management point information exceeds the second upper limit value, it displays a second determination result, which is the result of the determination, on the maintenance display unit 64.

[0107] With this configuration, it is possible to notify the user that the number of facility devices 50 included in the management point information exceeds the upper limit of the number of facility devices 50 that can be connected to the controller 30.

[0108] (4-6) The storage unit 110 stores data points included in a template in association with data point identification information that identifies the type of the data point. The storage unit 110 also stores data point identification information in association with the importance of management.

[0109] This configuration makes it easy to identify the type of data point, and also allows the importance to be associated with the data point identification information.

[0110] (5) Modifications (5-1) Modification A In the information generating device 100 according to this embodiment, the control unit 120 determines exclusion points and generates management point information. However, if the control unit 120 determines that the total number of data points exceeds the first upper limit, the control unit 120 may display a first determination result, which is the result of the determination, and the importance level on the maintenance display unit 64. The control unit 120 may display a selection screen on the maintenance display unit 64 that enables the user to select data points to be excluded from the management point information. The control unit 120 may determine the data points selected by the user as exclusion points.

[0111] With this configuration, the exclusion points are determined based on the user's operation, which makes it possible to prevent data points that are not intended by the user from being deleted.

[0112] (5-2) Modification B When the information generating device 100 according to this embodiment determines that the number of managed devices exceeds the second upper limit, the control unit 120 displays a selection screen on the maintenance display unit 64 for the user to select equipment devices 50 to be excluded from the management target. However, the control unit 120 may also determine the equipment devices 50 to be excluded from the management target based on predetermined conditions. The predetermined conditions may be stored in advance in the storage unit 110 based on the frequency of use or the operating state of the equipment devices 50. Furthermore, the equipment devices 50 to be excluded may be stored in advance in the storage unit 110 as the predetermined conditions.

[0113] With this configuration, it is possible to automatically exclude facility devices 50 with low priority. Furthermore, the amount of work required by the user is reduced, and work efficiency can be improved.

[0114] (5-3) Modification C In the information generating device 100 according to this embodiment, the control unit 120 calculates, as a result of analyzing the history information I4, for each facility 40, whether or not each data point is used in the control point information, as shown in FIG. 8 . However, the control unit 120 may also calculate the percentage of each data point used in the control point information for each facility 40. This makes it possible to accurately calculate the usage frequency even if the usage status of the data point identification information differs for each facility device 50. Furthermore, the control unit 120 may also calculate, for each facility 40, whether or not each data point is used in the control point information, or the percentage of usage, for each type of facility device 50. This makes it possible to accurately calculate the usage frequency even if the usage status of the data point identification information differs for each type of facility device 50.

[0115] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it will be understood that various changes in form and details can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined in the claims.

[0116] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 monitoring system 10 monitoring device 30 controller, management device 50 facility equipment 60 maintenance terminal 100 information generating device 110 storage unit 120 control unit

[0117] JP 2012-103770 A

Claims

1. An information generating device (100) that is set in a management device (30) that manages equipment (50) and generates management point information that defines data points managed by the management device, the information generating device comprising: a memory unit (110) that stores the type of equipment and a template that defines the data points related to the management of the equipment in association with each other; and a control unit (120) that acquires the type and number of equipment to be managed and the total number of data points calculated based on the template, and a first upper limit value that is the upper limit value of the number of data points that the management device can manage, and determines whether the total number exceeds the first upper limit value.

2. The information generating device of claim 1, wherein the memory unit stores the data points included in the template in association with the importance of management, and when the control unit determines that the total number exceeds the first upper limit value, it determines exclusion points, which are the data points to be excluded from the management point information, based on the importance.

3. The information generating device of claim 1, wherein the memory unit stores the data points included in the template in association with the importance of management, and the control unit, when determining that the total number exceeds the first upper limit value, displays a first judgment result that is the result of the judgment and the importance, and determines, based on user operation, exclusion points that are the data points to be excluded from the management point information.

4. An information generating device as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the control unit stores the generated management point information in the memory unit, and determines the importance based on the frequency of use of the data points contained in the stored management point information.

5. The information generating device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the control unit generates the management point information by excluding the excluded points from the template.

6. An information generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control unit acquires a second upper limit value that is an upper limit value of the number of equipment devices that can be connected to the management device, determines whether the number of equipment devices included in the management point information exceeds the second upper limit value, and, if it determines that the number of equipment devices included in the management point information exceeds the second upper limit value, displays a second judgment result that is the result of the judgment.

7. An information generation method for generating management point information that is set in a management device (30) that manages equipment (50) and defines data points managed by the management device, comprising: a first step of storing the type of equipment in association with a template that defines the data points related to the management of the equipment; and a second step of acquiring the total number of data points calculated based on the type and number of equipment to be managed and the template, and a first upper limit value that is the upper limit value of the number of data points that can be managed by the management device, and determining whether the total number exceeds the first upper limit value.

8. The information generation method described in claim 7, further comprising: a third step of storing the data points included in the template in correspondence with the importance of management; and a fourth step of determining, based on the importance, if it is determined that the total number exceeds the first upper limit value, excluded points, which are the data points to be excluded from the management point information.

9. The information generation method according to claim 7, further comprising: a fifth step of storing the data points included in the template in association with identification information that identifies the type of the data points; and a sixth step of storing the identification information in association with a level of importance of management.

10. An information generation method as described in claim 8 or 9, further comprising: a seventh step of accumulating the generated management point information; and an eighth step of determining the importance based on the frequency of use of the data points contained in the accumulated management point information.

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