Monitoring device and monitoring program

Abstract

A monitoring device according to an aspect of the present disclosure is connected to an industrial machine and a mobile terminal via a network and has the function of transmitting a state of the industrial machine to the mobile terminal, said monitoring device comprising: a reception unit that receives position information regarding a movable part from the industrial machine; a model generation unit that generates a three-dimensional industrial machine model representing the industrial machine on the basis of the received position information regarding the movable part; a generation unit that generates a web page containing the generated three-dimensional industrial machine model; and a transmission unit that transmits the web page to the mobile terminal.

Description

Monitoring device and monitoring program

[0001] The present invention relates to a monitoring device and a monitoring program for monitoring industrial machinery.

[0002] In recent years, various types of industrial machinery have been introduced into production factories. Therefore, if such industrial machinery stops due to a malfunction, the entire production activity comes to a halt, making technology for monitoring industrial machinery important (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Conventional monitoring technologies diagnose malfunctions of industrial machinery using preset algorithms, predict malfunctions, and monitor the operating status of the industrial machinery. When an abnormality occurs in the industrial machinery, they notify the manager of the abnormality. However, conventional monitoring technologies only notify the occurrence of an abnormality, such as a malfunction, a malfunction prediction, or a stoppage of operation, but do not provide information on the posture of the industrial machinery that has stopped due to the malfunction. Therefore, when investigating the cause of the abnormality, the manager must physically visit the industrial machinery where the abnormality occurred and communicate with on-site workers to determine the posture of the industrial machinery. This causes delays in dealing with the abnormality and reduces production efficiency.

[0003] JP 2015-131381 A

[0004] There is a need for technology that allows users to intuitively grasp the posture of a robot.

[0005] A monitoring device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is connected to an industrial machine and a mobile terminal via a network, has a function of transmitting the status of the industrial machine to the mobile terminal, and includes a receiving unit that receives position information of a moving part from the industrial machine, a model generating unit that generates a three-dimensional industrial machine model representing the industrial machine based on the received position information of the moving part, a generating unit that generates a web page including the generated three-dimensional industrial machine model, and a transmitting unit that transmits the web page to the mobile terminal.

[0006] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a monitoring system including a monitoring device according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the monitoring device according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of data managed in a state information management database stored in the storage device of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of data managed in a posture information management database stored in the storage device of FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a functional configuration diagram of the monitoring device according to this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a web page generated by the web page generation unit of FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for providing posture information by the monitoring device according to this embodiment. FIG. 8 is a functional configuration diagram of a monitoring device according to a modified example of this embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for providing posture information by the monitoring device according to a modified example of this embodiment.

[0007] The monitoring device according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having substantially the same functions and configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be given only when necessary.

[0008] The monitoring device according to this embodiment is a computer device (information processing device) having a monitoring function for monitoring industrial machinery, a fault diagnosis function for diagnosing faults in the industrial machinery, a fault prediction function for predicting faults in the industrial machinery, and a function for providing posture information of the industrial machinery to a user. The monitoring device provides the robot status, such as monitoring results, fault diagnosis results, and fault prediction results, to a user. To provide the posture information to a user, the monitoring device generates a three-dimensional model of the industrial machinery based on position information of the moving parts of the industrial machinery, and transmits the generated three-dimensional model of the industrial machinery to a user terminal.

[0009] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a monitoring system 1 including a monitoring device 2 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the monitoring system 1 is made up of a plurality of robots 3 to be monitored, a plurality of robot control devices 4 that respectively control the plurality of robots 3, the monitoring device 2 that monitors the plurality of robots 3, and an information processing terminal (user terminal 5) owned by a manager (user) of the plurality of robots 3. Typically, the monitoring device 2 is connected to the plurality of robot control devices 4 and the user terminal 5 via a network 90.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of a monitoring device 2 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the monitoring device 2 includes a processor 21. A RAM 22, a ROM 23, a storage device 24, and an interface 27 are connected to the processor 21 via a system bus 20. A robot control device 4 and a user terminal 5 are connected to the processor 21 via the interface 27. The processor 21 is configured, for example, with a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphics processing unit (GPU). The RAM 22 functions as the main memory, work area, etc. of the processor 21. The ROM 23 stores a basic input output system (BIOS) and an operating system program (OS) executed by the processor 21. The storage device 24 stores various data required for monitoring processing, such as a monitoring program, multiple types of three-dimensional models, a status information management database, and a posture information management database. The multiple types of three-dimensional models include a three-dimensional model of the robot 3, a three-dimensional model of the workpiece, and a three-dimensional model of the platform on which the workpiece is placed. The three-dimensional model of the robot 3 is referred to as the robot model, and the three-dimensional models other than the robot 3 are referred to as the peripheral models. Typically, each three-dimensional model is provided as CAD data. The robot model stored in the storage device 24 corresponds to a reference posture. The reference posture means that the position of the movable part of the robot model is a reference position. By rotating or moving the movable part of the robot model from the reference position, the posture of the robot model can be changed from the reference posture to any posture.

[0011] Of course, if peripheral objects such as protective fences are actually placed in the operating space of the robot 3, three-dimensional model data of the peripheral objects may be stored in the storage device 24. Similarly, if a device such as a belt conveyor that constitutes a system together with the robot 3 is actually placed around the robot 3, three-dimensional model data of the device may be stored in the storage device 24. Position information for specifying the relative positions of the three-dimensional models is associated with the three-dimensional models.

[0012] The various data stored in the storage device 24 may be recorded on a removable medium (non-temporary storage medium) such as a USB and distributed to the user, or may be distributed by being downloaded to the monitoring device 2 via a network.

[0013] 3 shows an example of data managed in a state information management database stored in the storage device 24. The state information management database is a database for managing various states such as the operating state of the robot 3, the fault diagnosis results of the robot 3, and the fault prediction results of the robot 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the state information management database associates an administrator ID identifying an administrator with the name of the administrator, the robot name of the robot 3 managed by the administrator, the factory name where the robot 3 is located, the program name of the program used by the robot 3, the operating state of the robot 3, the fault diagnosis results, and the fault prediction results. By referring to the state information management database, it is possible to extract robots 3 that match specific items, such as robots 3 managed by a specific administrator, robots 3 located in the same factory, robots 3 operating with the same program, robots 3 in operation, robots 3 predicted to fail, and robots 3 diagnosed with a failure.

[0014] FIG. 4 shows an example of data managed in the posture information management database stored in the storage device 24. In the posture information management database, position information of the movable parts of the robot 3 is associated with the robot name along with time information. As shown in FIG. 4, the position information of the movable parts of the robot 3 includes position information of the joints J1, J2, J3, J4, J5, and J6 and position information of the hands equipped on the robot 3. Typically, the position information of the joints is expressed as the amount of displacement from a reference angle of the motor that drives the joint. The position information of the hand is expressed as the amount of displacement from a reference angle of the motor that drives a pair of fingers of the hand. By referring to the posture information management database, it is possible to reproduce not only the posture of the robot 3 in real time, but also the posture of the robot 3 at any time going back in time.

[0015] 5 is a configuration diagram of the monitoring device 2 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the processor 21 executes a monitoring program stored in the storage device 24 to function as an operation information receiving unit 31, a robot information receiving unit 33, a recording unit 35, a fault diagnosis unit 37, a fault prediction unit 38, an operation status monitoring unit 39, a table creation unit 41, a three-dimensional model generation unit (model generation unit) 43, a virtual space generation unit 45, a web page generation unit (generation unit) 47, and a transmission unit 49.

[0016] The operation information receiving unit 31 receives various types of information resulting from user operations from the user terminal 5. Specifically, the operation information receiving unit 31 receives a posture confirmation request together with an administrator ID from the user terminal 5. For example, when a user inputs a user ID and a password on a login page displayed on the user terminal 5 and clicks a login button, the posture confirmation request is sent from the user terminal 5 to the monitoring device 2 together with the administrator ID. The operation information receiving unit 31 also receives information related to user operations on the posture confirmation page displayed on the browser running on the user terminal 5. The information related to user operations on the posture confirmation page includes information on the selection of the robot 3 to be confirmed, information on the selection of the confirmation time, and the like.

[0017] The robot information receiving unit 33 receives various types of robot information from the robot control device 4. The robot information includes information necessary for failure prediction, failure diagnosis, and monitoring. For example, the information necessary for failure prediction, failure diagnosis, and monitoring corresponds to sensor information generated by various sensors mounted on the robot 3. The robot information also includes information necessary for reproducing the posture of the robot 3. For example, the information necessary for reproducing the posture of the robot 3 corresponds to position information of the moving parts of the robot 3. For example, the moving parts of the robot 3 are the joints of the robot 3 and the hands equipped on the robot 3. The position information of the joints of the robot 3 is provided by the rotation angle of the motor that drives the joints. The position information of the hand is provided by the rotation angle of the motor that drives the hand. The rotation angle of the motor is detected by an encoder built into the motor. The robot information may also be information indicating that an emergency stop operation has been input in the robot control device 4.

[0018] The recording unit 35 records the position information of the movable parts of the robot 3 received by the robot information receiving unit 33 together with time information in the posture information management database.

[0019] The fault diagnosis unit 37 diagnoses a fault in the robot 3 based on the information received from the robot control device 4. Various existing methods can be used as the fault diagnosis method. For example, the fault diagnosis unit 37 diagnoses a fault in the robot 3, such as the occurrence of vibration, based on sensor information generated by an acceleration sensor mounted on the robot 3 and received from the robot control device 4. The diagnosis results by the fault diagnosis unit 37 are recorded in the state information management database.

[0020] The failure prediction unit 38 predicts a failure of the robot 3 based on information received from the robot control device 4. Various existing methods can be used as a failure prediction method. For example, the failure prediction unit 38 predicts a failure of a motor that drives the joint of the robot 3 based on torque data mounted on the joint of the robot 3 received from the robot control device 4. The prediction result by the failure prediction unit 38 is recorded in the state information management database.

[0021] The operating status monitoring unit 39 monitors the operating status of the robot 3 based on the information received from the robot control device 4. Various existing methods can be adopted as a method for monitoring the status of the robot 3. For example, the operating status monitoring unit 39 monitors the operating status of the robot 3 (whether it is operating or not) based on the operation information of the robot 3 received from the robot control device 4. The operating status of the robot 3 monitored by the operating status monitoring unit 39 is recorded in a status information management database.

[0022] The table creation unit 41 creates a robot status confirmation table from the status information management database that summarizes the status information of the robot 3 managed by the user who requested the posture confirmation. Specifically, the table creation unit 41 extracts from the status information management database the robot 3 associated with the administrator ID of the user who requested the posture confirmation, and creates a robot status confirmation table that summarizes preset items for the extracted robot 3. The table creation unit 41 also creates a robot posture history table from the posture information management database that summarizes the posture history of the robot 3 to be confirmed. Specifically, the table creation unit 41 creates a robot posture history table that summarizes preset items for the robot 3 to be confirmed, extracted from the posture information management database based on the robot name.

[0023] The three-dimensional model generation unit 43 generates a robot model based on the position information of the movable parts of the robot 3. Specifically, the three-dimensional model generation unit 43 generates a new robot model by rotating or moving each movable part of the robot model corresponding to the reference posture stored in the storage device 24 according to the position information of the movable part. For example, the three-dimensional model generation unit 43 generates a three-dimensional robot model representing the posture of the robot 3 at the time an abnormality occurred in the robot 3, based on the position information of the movable parts at the time an abnormality occurred in the robot 3. Furthermore, the three-dimensional model generation unit 43 generates a three-dimensional robot model representing the posture of the robot 3 at the time an attitude confirmation request was received from the user or at a time specified by the user, based on the position information of the movable parts corresponding to the time an attitude confirmation request was received from the user or at a time specified by the user. Note that an abnormality occurring means that a situation has occurred in which the user wants to check the posture of the robot 3, such as when a failure is diagnosed by the failure diagnosis unit 37, a failure is predicted by the failure prediction unit 38, or the operation of the robot 3 is stopped by the operation status monitoring unit 39. It should be noted that the occurrence of an abnormality means that a situation has occurred in which the user wants to check the posture of the robot 3, such as when a failure is diagnosed by the failure diagnosis unit 37, a failure is predicted by the failure prediction unit 38, or when information indicating an emergency stop operation has been performed has been received.

[0024] The virtual space generation unit 45 generates a virtual space in software that three-dimensionally represents the operating space of the robot 3, and places the robot model generated by the three-dimensional model generation unit 43 and the peripheral model stored in the storage device 24 within the generated virtual space. The robot model and the peripheral model are placed in the virtual space so as to correspond to the positional relationship between the robot 3 and peripheral objects in the actual operating space.

[0025] The web page generation unit 47 generates a web page for posture confirmation (posture confirmation page). Specifically, the web page generation unit 47 generates data for a web page file that combines an HTML file that defines the structure and content of the posture confirmation page and the content that constitutes the posture confirmation page. The content that constitutes the posture confirmation page includes a robot state confirmation table, a robot posture history table, a three-dimensional virtual space in which a three-dimensional robot model and a three-dimensional peripheral model are arranged, and an operation panel that accepts operations to change the position (viewpoint position) and viewing direction (line of sight direction) from which the three-dimensional robot model in the virtual space is viewed.

[0026] The transmitting unit 49 transmits data (web page file data) relating to the posture confirmation page generated by the web page generating unit 47 to the user terminal 5. In the user terminal 5, the web page file is analyzed by a browser, and the posture confirmation page is displayed.

[0027] The posture confirmation page displayed on the user terminal 5 will be described below with reference to Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 6, the posture confirmation page 100 includes a first area 110 and a second area 130. The first area 110 displays a robot status confirmation table 111 that summarizes status information on each of the multiple robots 3 that are under management. As shown in Fig. 6, the robot status confirmation table 111 describes information on the failure diagnosis results, failure prediction results, operating status (monitoring status), factory name, robot name, program name, and person in charge.

[0028] A robot posture history table 131 is displayed in the upper part of the second area 130 together with a display button 133. In the robot posture history table 131, time information is associated with the rotation angles of the joints J1, J2, J3, J4, J5, and J6 of the robot 3 at the time represented by the time information, and hand open / close position information. A plurality of selection boxes 132 for accepting user selection of one time from a plurality of time points are embedded in the robot posture history table 131, each associated with a plurality of records. A virtual space display area 135 is set in the lower part of the second area 130. A two-dimensional virtual space is displayed in the display area 135. The two-dimensional virtual space is generated by a browser performing rendering processing on the three-dimensional virtual space. An operation panel 137 is displayed adjacent to the display area 135. By operating the operation panel 137, the user can change the viewpoint position and line of sight when creating a two-dimensional virtual space from a three-dimensional virtual space. When the line of sight direction is changed, the browser executes a rendering process, and a two-dimensional virtual space corresponding to the line of sight direction is displayed in the display area 135 .

[0029] The posture information providing process performed by the monitoring device 2 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 7 . As shown in FIG. 7 , when the operation information receiving unit 31 receives a posture confirmation request from the user terminal 5 (S11), the table creation unit 41 refers to the status information management database to identify the robot 3 associated with the administrator ID received along with the posture confirmation request, and creates a robot status confirmation table that summarizes the status information of the identified robot 3. The web page generation unit 47 generates posture confirmation page data including the robot status confirmation table. The transmission unit 49 transmits the posture confirmation page data generated by the web page generation unit 47 to the user terminal 5 (S12). As a result of step S12, the posture confirmation page including the robot status confirmation table is displayed on the browser running on the user terminal 5. For example, the user can select the robot 3 corresponding to the robot name listed in the robot status confirmation table displayed on the posture confirmation page as the robot 3 to be confirmed by double-clicking the cursor on the robot name.

[0030] When the operation information receiving unit 31 receives selection information of the robot 3 to be checked from the user terminal 5 (S13), a first update process is executed to update the posture confirmation page currently displayed on the browser. Specifically, the table creation unit 41 creates a posture history table for the robot 3 to be checked from the posture information management database. The web page generation unit 47 generates posture confirmation page data including a robot state confirmation table and a robot posture history table. The transmission unit 49 transmits the posture confirmation page data generated by the web page generation unit 47 to the user terminal 5 (S14). As a result of step S14, the posture confirmation page currently displayed on the browser is updated, and a posture confirmation page including the robot state confirmation table and a robot posture history table corresponding to the robot 3 to be checked is displayed. The user can input the time at which they want to check the posture of the robot 3 (confirmation time) into the monitoring device 2 by selecting one of multiple selection boxes embedded in the robot posture history table and clicking the display button.

[0031] When the operation information receiving unit 31 receives the selection information of the confirmation time from the user terminal 5 (S15), a second update process is executed to update the posture confirmation page currently displayed on the browser. Specifically, the three-dimensional model generating unit 43 generates a three-dimensional robot model based on the position information of the joints of the robot 3 corresponding to the confirmation time (S16), the virtual space generating unit 45 generates a three-dimensional virtual space in which the three-dimensional robot model generated by the three-dimensional model generating unit 43 and the three-dimensional peripheral model stored in the storage device 24 are arranged (S17), the web page generating unit 47 generates posture confirmation page data including a robot status check table, a robot posture history table, the three-dimensional virtual space, and an operation panel, and the transmitting unit 49 transmits the posture confirmation page data generated by the web page generating unit 47 to the user terminal 5 (S18). As a result of step S18, the posture confirmation page currently displayed on the browser is updated, and the posture confirmation page including the robot status check table, the robot posture history table, the three-dimensional virtual space, and the operation panel is displayed. A three-dimensional robot model corresponding to the posture of the actual robot 3 at the time of confirmation is placed in the three-dimensional virtual space displayed on the browser. The user can intuitively grasp the posture of the actual robot 3 at the time of confirmation by viewing the three-dimensional robot model while changing the viewing direction by operating the operation panel.

[0032] If it is desired to change the confirmation time of the posture of the robot 3, the user can simply repeat the selection operation of the selection box and the click operation of the display button. If the confirmation time is changed (S19; Yes), the process returns to step S16, and the processes of steps S16 to S18 are executed sequentially. As a result, the posture confirmation page being displayed on the browser is updated, and the posture confirmation page including the three-dimensional virtual space corresponding to the changed confirmation time is displayed.

[0033] If it is desired to change the robot 3 to be checked, it is sufficient to redo the operation of selecting the robot name in the robot 3 management table. When the robot 3 to be checked is changed (S20; Yes), the process returns to step S14. As a result, the posture confirmation page displayed on the browser is updated, and the posture confirmation page including the robot posture history table corresponding to the changed robot 3 to be checked is displayed.

[0034] The processing of steps S14 to S18 is repeated every time an operation to change the robot 3 to be confirmed is received (S19; Yes) and every time an operation to change the confirmation time of the robot 3 posture is received (S20) until the posture confirmation page displayed on the browser of the user terminal 5 is closed (S21; No). The posture confirmation process described above is terminated when the user has finished confirming the posture of the robot 3 (S19; No, S20; No) and the posture confirmation page displayed on the browser of the user terminal 5 is closed (S21; Yes).

[0035] The monitoring device 2 according to this embodiment has a function of providing a user with posture information of the robot 3, in addition to a failure diagnosis function, a failure prediction function, and a monitoring function. Specifically, the monitoring device 2 receives position information of the moving parts of the robot 3 from the robot control device 4, generates a three-dimensional robot model based on the received position information of the moving parts of the robot 3, and can display the generated three-dimensional robot model on the user terminal 5. As a result, even if a failure occurs in the actual robot 3, the user can intuitively grasp the posture of the robot 3 at the time of the failure by viewing the three-dimensional robot model displayed on the user terminal 5. By being able to intuitively grasp the posture of the robot 3 at the time of the failure, for example, the user can issue more effective instructions to on-site workers, thereby improving the quality of response when a failure occurs.

[0036] Furthermore, since the robot model displayed on the user terminal 5 is a three-dimensional model, the user can view the three-dimensional robot model displayed on the user terminal 5 from various angles. This makes it easier to intuitively grasp the posture of the robot 3 when a failure occurs, and can further improve the above-mentioned effect.

[0037] Furthermore, the monitoring device 2 can store location information together with time information. This allows the user to check the posture of the robot 3 not only at the current time but also at any time going back in time from the current time by viewing the 3D robot model. This allows the user to know the circumstances leading up to the failure and signs of failure, and to consider in detail how to respond to the failure.

[0038] To achieve the same effect as the monitoring device 2 according to the present embodiment using cameras, multiple cameras would need to be installed in multiple positions with different camera angles relative to one robot 3, which would increase the number of cameras installed. Furthermore, if the monitoring device 2 receives video data captured by the multiple cameras and transmits the received video data to the user terminal 5, additional communication lines would need to be installed and network equipment would need to be upgraded to prevent a decrease in communication speed on the network due to an increase in communication capacity. Furthermore, storing the video data captured by the cameras would require large-capacity storage, resulting in high implementation costs. Furthermore, even if such a camera system is constructed, blind spots may occur because the camera angles of each of the multiple cameras are fixed, and viewing videos captured by the multiple cameras does not guarantee that the posture of the robot 3 when a malfunction occurs can be accurately determined.

[0039] According to the monitoring device 2 of this embodiment, because what is displayed on the user terminal 5 is a three-dimensional robot model, the user can continuously change the viewing angle and viewing position of the three-dimensional robot model simply by operating the user terminal 5, eliminating blind spots and allowing the user to accurately grasp the posture of the actual robot 3 by viewing the three-dimensional robot model. Furthermore, because the only data that the monitoring device 2 receives from the robot control device 4 is position information, and the only data that the monitoring device 2 sends to the user terminal 5 is a posture confirmation page, the communication volume is smaller than when sending and receiving video data, and the load on the network is smaller. Furthermore, because the position information is text data, the storage volume can be kept smaller than when saving video data.

[0040] The monitoring device 2 according to this embodiment generates a three-dimensional robot model based on position information of the movable parts of the robot 3, generates a web page including the generated three-dimensional robot model, and transmits the generated web page to the user terminal 5. The user can check the posture of the robot 3 while changing the viewing angle of the robot model by inputting any operation into the web page displayed in the browser. At this time, the process of generating a two-dimensional robot model to be displayed from the three-dimensional robot model is executed by the browser running on the user terminal 5. However, as long as the robot model can be displayed on the user terminal 5 and the viewing angle of the robot model can be changed, the method for achieving this is not limited to this embodiment. Below, a modified example of the monitoring device 2 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 . The monitoring device 2 according to this modified example generates a three-dimensional robot model based on position information of the movable parts of the robot 3, further generates a two-dimensional robot model from the three-dimensional robot model, generates a web page including the two-dimensional model, and transmits the generated web page to the user terminal 5. In other words, in this variant, the process of generating a two-dimensional robot model from a three-dimensional robot model that was executed by a browser running on the user terminal 5 in this embodiment is executed on the monitoring device 2 side.

[0041] FIG. 8 is a functional configuration diagram of a monitoring device 2′ according to a modification of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8 , in the modification, the processor 21′ functions as an operation information receiving unit 31, a robot information receiving unit 33, a recording unit 35, a fault diagnosis unit 37, a fault prediction unit 38, an operation status monitoring unit 39, a table creation unit 41, a 3D model generation unit 43, a virtual space generation unit 45, a web page generation unit 47, a transmission unit 49, and a 2D model generation unit 51. As can be seen by comparing FIG. 5 with FIG. 8 , the processor 21′ according to the modification adds functions related to the 2D model generation unit 51 to the functions of the processor 21 according to the present embodiment. Note that the hardware configuration of the monitoring device 2′ according to the modification is similar to that of the monitoring device 2 according to the present embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0042] The operation information receiving unit 31 receives an instruction to change the line of sight direction of the robot model from the user terminal 5 .

[0043] The 2D model generation unit 51 generates a 2D robot model from a 3D robot model. Specifically, the 2D model generation unit 51 performs rendering processing on a 3D virtual space in which the 3D robot model and a 3D peripheral model are arranged, based on a predetermined line of sight direction, to generate 2D virtual space image data. The 2D virtual space image includes a 2D robot model, which corresponds to the posture of the actual robot 3. Furthermore, the 2D model generation unit 51 performs rendering processing on the 3D virtual space in accordance with an instruction to change the line of sight received by the operation information receiving unit 31, to generate 2D virtual space image data corresponding to the changed line of sight direction. The processing of the 2D model generation unit 51 is repeatedly performed each time an instruction to change the line of sight direction is received.

[0044] The web page generation unit 47 generates a web page for posture confirmation (posture confirmation page). Specifically, the web page generation unit 47 generates data for a web page file that combines an HTML file that defines the structure and content of the posture confirmation page and the content that constitutes the posture confirmation page. The content that constitutes the posture confirmation page includes a robot state confirmation table, a robot posture history table, a virtual space image generated by the two-dimensional model generation unit 51, and an operation panel that accepts operations to change the viewpoint position and line of sight with respect to the two-dimensional robot model represented in the virtual space image.

[0045] The transmitting unit 49 transmits data (web page file data) relating to the posture confirmation page generated by the web page generating unit 47 to the user terminal 5 .

[0046] The posture information providing process by the monitoring device 2' according to the modified example will be described below with reference to Fig. 9. As can be seen from a comparison between Fig. 7 and Fig. 9, the posture information providing process according to the modified example is obtained by adding a new step S22 between steps S17 and S18 of the posture information providing process according to the present embodiment, and by adding a new step S23 between steps S18 and S19. Here, steps S22 and S23 will be described in detail.

[0047] 9 , when the operation information receiving unit 31 receives selection information for the confirmation time from the user terminal 5 (S15), a second update process is executed to update the posture confirmation page being displayed on the browser. Specifically, the three-dimensional model generating unit 43 generates a three-dimensional robot model based on position information of the joints of the robot 3 corresponding to the confirmation time (S16), and the virtual space generating unit 45 generates a three-dimensional virtual space in which the three-dimensional robot model generated by the three-dimensional model generating unit 43 and a three-dimensional peripheral model stored in the storage device 24 are arranged (S17). The two-dimensional model generating unit 51 performs a rendering process on the three-dimensional virtual space to generate a two-dimensional virtual space image corresponding to a predetermined line of sight (S22), the web page generating unit 47 generates posture confirmation page data including a robot status check table, a robot posture history table, a virtual space image, and an operation panel, and the transmitting unit 49 transmits the posture confirmation page data generated by the web page generating unit 47 to the user terminal 5 (S18). As a result of step S18, the posture confirmation page being displayed in the browser is updated, and the posture confirmation page is displayed, including a robot state confirmation table, a robot posture history table corresponding to the robot 3 being confirmed, a virtual space image corresponding to the confirmation time, and an operation panel. The posture of the two-dimensional robot model included in the virtual space image displayed in the browser corresponds to the posture of the actual robot 3 at the confirmation time.

[0048] If the user wishes to change the viewing direction of the robot model, the user can change the viewing direction by operating the operation panel. When an instruction to change the viewing direction is received (S23; Yes), the process returns to step S22, where steps S22 and S18 are sequentially executed. In step S22, the 2D model generation unit 51 performs rendering processing on the 3D virtual space to generate a virtual space image corresponding to the changed viewing direction. In step S18, the transmission unit 49 transmits data of the posture confirmation page generated by the web page generation unit 47 to the user terminal 5. As a result, the posture confirmation page displayed in the browser is updated, and the posture confirmation page includes a virtual space image corresponding to the changed viewing direction. The user can view the 2D robot model with the changed viewing direction. In this way, the user can check the robot model from various angles. By operating the operation panel to change the viewing direction of the 3D robot model while viewing it, the user can intuitively grasp the actual posture of the robot 3 at the time of confirmation.

[0049] The monitoring device 2' according to the modified example of this embodiment provides the same effects as the present embodiment. Note that since the monitoring device 2' according to the modified example transmits virtual space image data to the user terminal 5, the communication capacity is smaller than when transmitting three-dimensional virtual space data as in the present embodiment, and the load on the network can be further reduced.

[0050] In this embodiment and the modified example of this embodiment, the monitored object is described as a robot, but the monitored object is not limited to a robot. Since one of the features of the monitoring device is the function of providing the user with posture information of the monitored object, the monitored object can be any industrial machine whose posture changes. Examples of such industrial machines include machine tools, CNC milling machines, CNC lathes, conveying machines, and inspection equipment. For example, when a machine tool is monitored, the moving parts are the spindle and the table.

[0051] In the present embodiment, a three-dimensional robot model representing the posture of the robot 3 at the confirmation time is generated based on the position information of the moving parts corresponding to the confirmation time selected by the user. However, when an abnormality occurs, such as when a fault diagnosis is performed or a fault prediction is issued, a three-dimensional robot model representing the posture of the robot 3 at the time the abnormality occurred may be automatically generated based on the position information of the moving parts corresponding to the time the abnormality occurred, and an posture confirmation page including the generated three-dimensional robot model may be displayed on the user terminal 5. This allows the user to more quickly confirm the posture of the robot 3 at the time the abnormality occurred, thereby enabling early recovery from the abnormal state.

[0052] The following supplementary notes are further disclosed regarding this embodiment and the modified examples. (Supplementary Note 1) The monitoring device 2 is connected to the industrial machine 3 and the mobile terminal 5 via a network, has a function of transmitting the state of the industrial machine 3 to the mobile terminal 5, and includes a receiving unit 33 that receives position information of the moving parts from the industrial machine 3, a model generating unit 43 that generates a three-dimensional industrial machine model representing the industrial machine 3 based on the received position information of the moving parts, a generating unit 47 that generates a web page including the generated three-dimensional industrial machine model, and a transmitting unit 49 that transmits the web page to the mobile terminal 5. (Supplementary Note 2) In the monitoring device 2 described in Supplementary Note 1, the receiving unit 33 repeatedly receives position information of the moving parts from the industrial machine 3, and the model generating unit 43 generates a three-dimensional industrial machine model that represents the posture of the industrial machine 3 at the time when the abnormality occurred, based on the position information of the moving parts at the time when the abnormality occurred in the industrial machine 3. (Supplementary Note 3) In the monitoring device 2 described in Supplementary Note 1, the receiving unit 33 repeatedly receives position information of the moving part from the industrial machine 3, and the model generating unit 43 generates a three-dimensional industrial machine model representing the attitude of the industrial machine 3 at the confirmation time based on the position information of the moving part corresponding to the confirmation time received from the mobile terminal 5. (Supplementary Note 4) The monitoring device 2 described in Supplementary Note 1 further includes a memory unit 24 that stores data of a three-dimensional peripheral model corresponding to an object placed around the industrial machine 3, and the generating unit 47 generates a web page including the three-dimensional industrial machine model and the three-dimensional peripheral model. (Supplementary Note 5) In the monitoring device 2 described in Supplementary Note 1, the industrial machine 3 is a robot, and the position information of the moving part is the rotation angle of a motor that drives a joint of the robot. (Supplementary Note 6) The monitoring device 2′ is connected to the industrial machine 3 and the mobile terminal 5 via a network, has a function of transmitting the state of the industrial machine 3 to the mobile terminal 5, and includes a receiving unit 33 that receives position information of moving parts from the industrial machine 3, a 3D model generating unit 43 that generates a 3D model representing the industrial machine 3 based on the received position information of the moving parts, a 2D model generating unit 51 that generates a 2D model from the 3D model, a generating unit 47 that generates a web page including the generated 2D model, and a transmitting unit 49 that transmits the web page to the mobile terminal 5.(Supplementary Note 7) The monitoring program causes a computer that is connected to the industrial machinery 3 and the mobile terminal 5 via a network and transmits the status of the industrial machinery 3 to the mobile terminal 5 to function as a means for receiving position information of moving parts from the industrial machinery 3, a means for generating a three-dimensional industrial machinery model representing the industrial machinery 3 based on the received position information of the moving parts, a means for generating a web page including the generated three-dimensional industrial machinery model, and a means for transmitting the web page to the mobile terminal 5.

[0053] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the invention described in the claims and their equivalents.

[0054] 1...Monitoring system, 2...Monitoring device, 3...Robot, 4...Robot control device, 5...User terminal, 20...System bus, 21...Processor, 22...RAM, 23...ROM, 24...Storage device, 27...Interface, 31...Operation information receiving unit, 33...Robot information receiving unit, 35...Recording unit, 37...Fault diagnosis unit, 38...Fault prediction unit, 39...Operation status monitoring unit, 41...Table creation unit, 43...3D model generation unit, 45...Virtual space generation unit, 47...Web page generation unit, 49...Transmission unit, 51...2D model generation unit.

Claims

1. A monitoring device that is connected to an industrial machine and a mobile terminal via a network and transmits the status of the industrial machine to the mobile terminal, comprising: a receiving unit that receives position information of a moving part from the industrial machine; a model generating unit that generates a three-dimensional industrial machine model representing the industrial machine based on the received position information of the moving part; a generating unit that generates a web page including the generated three-dimensional industrial machine model; and a transmitting unit that transmits the web page to the mobile terminal.

2. The monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the receiving unit repeatedly receives position information of the moving part from the industrial machine, and the model generating unit generates the three-dimensional industrial machine model representing the posture of the industrial machine at the time when an abnormality occurred based on the position information of the moving part at the time when the abnormality occurred in the industrial machine.

3. The monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the receiving unit repeatedly receives position information of the moving part from the industrial machine, and the model generating unit generates the three-dimensional industrial machine model representing the posture of the industrial machine at the confirmation time based on the position information of the moving part corresponding to the confirmation time received from the mobile terminal.

4. The monitoring device according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit that stores data of a three-dimensional peripheral model corresponding to an object placed around the industrial machine, and wherein the generating unit generates the web page including the three-dimensional industrial machine model and the three-dimensional peripheral model.

5. The monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the industrial machine is a robot, and the position information of the movable part is the rotation angle of a motor that drives a joint of the robot.

6. A monitoring device that is connected to an industrial machine and a mobile terminal via a network and transmits the status of the industrial machine to the mobile terminal, comprising: a receiving unit that receives position information of a moving part from the industrial machine; a 3D model generating unit that generates a 3D model representing the industrial machine based on the received position information of the moving part; a 2D model generating unit that generates a 2D model from the 3D model; a generating unit that generates a web page including the generated 2D model; and a transmitting unit that transmits the web page to the mobile terminal.

7. A monitoring program that causes a computer that is connected to industrial machinery and a mobile terminal via a network and transmits the status of the industrial machinery to the mobile terminal to function as: a means for receiving position information of moving parts from the industrial machinery; a means for generating a three-dimensional industrial machinery model representing the industrial machinery based on the received position information of moving parts; a means for generating a web page including the generated three-dimensional industrial machinery model; and a means for transmitting the web page to the mobile terminal.

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