Dialog assist system and program

Abstract

This dialog assist system comprises a calculation unit that generates a question for malfunction that occurs in industrial equipment. The calculation unit: acquires first information on the specification of the industrial equipment, second information on the malfunction, and a detection value detected from the industrial equipment in operation; recognizes question content inputted by a user when the malfunction has occurred in the industrial equipment; generates, on the basis of the first information, the second information, and the detection value, additional information that is insufficient for the question content in order to generate an answer regarding a cause that may have caused the occurred malfunction; generates auxiliary question content in which the additional information is added to the question content; infers the cause on the basis of the auxiliary question content; generates an answer relating to the cause; and outputs the answer.

Description

Dialogue assistance system and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a dialogue assistance system and a program for managing industrial equipment.

[0002] When a malfunction occurs in industrial equipment such as a machine tool, an interactive diagnostic device is known that can select questions that are easy to judge and diagnose the malfunction based on a simple dialogue format for users who do not have sufficient knowledge (see, for example, Patent Document 1). According to this diagnostic device, when a malfunction occurs in industrial equipment, preset questions are effectively presented to the user to determine whether the question corresponds to a candidate for an actual malfunction, and the user's answer of "yes" or "no" allows the device to converge on the actual malfunction.

[0003] JP 2021-26507 A

[0004] However, with conventional technology, when a malfunction occurs in industrial equipment, the user may be required to answer many questions based on multiple-choice answers in order to converge on the cause of the malfunction.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a dialogue assistance system and program capable of generating questions for accurately diagnosing malfunctions occurring in industrial equipment.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a dialogue assistance system including a calculation unit that generates a question regarding a malfunction that occurs in industrial equipment, wherein the calculation unit acquires first information regarding specifications of the industrial equipment, second information regarding the malfunction, and a detection value detected from the industrial equipment during operation, recognizes a question entered by a user when the malfunction occurs in the industrial equipment, generates additional information that is missing from the question based on the first information, the second information, and the detection value in order to generate an answer regarding a possible cause of the malfunction that has occurred, generates an auxiliary question by adding the additional information to the question, estimates the cause based on the auxiliary question, generates an answer regarding the cause, and outputs the answer.

[0007] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a dialogue assistance system according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a database of alarm information generated in response to an abnormality occurring in a component of industrial equipment; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a display image of notification content that notifies of an abnormality occurring in industrial equipment; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a display image for inputting a question; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display image showing the content of an auxiliary question; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a calculation result of a generated answer; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a display image of an updated answer; FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a display image of the content of an auxiliary question; FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a calculation result of a generated answer; FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a display image of an updated answer; FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of a diagnosis method executed in the dialogue assistance system;

[0008] 1 , an interaction assistance system S manages an industrial device 1 that performs a predetermined task. The interaction assistance system S includes a diagnostic device 10 that is communicatively connected to the industrial device 1 via a network W. The interaction assistance system S also includes a server device 20 that is communicatively connected to the industrial device 1 and the diagnostic device 10 via the network W.

[0009] The industrial equipment 1 is configured to perform predetermined tasks or processing at a production site, such as a robot device or machine tool. The industrial equipment 1 includes, for example, components 2 for performing predetermined operations. The components 2 are configured with content, such as the content of the predetermined task, according to the type of industrial equipment 1. The components 2 are configured to perform predetermined operations, such as cutting, milling, drilling, moving, and cleaning. The components 2 include, for example, a power source based on a motor or hydraulics, a mechanical component that performs the operation, and the like. The components 2 are controlled by a control unit 4, which will be described later. The industrial equipment 1 includes a detection unit 3 that detects detection values ​​from the components 2.

[0010] The detection unit 3 is composed of sensors that detect detection values ​​according to the contents of the component 2, control circuits attached to the sensors, etc. The detection unit 3 may be configured to acquire control signals input / output from the component 2. When acquiring a control signal, the detection unit 3 may be configured by the control unit 4 described below. The detection unit 3 may be configured by any means capable of acquiring detection values. The detection unit 3 acquires detection values ​​that can detect the state of the industrial equipment 1. The detection unit 3 detects at least one detection value including, for example, alarm information output from the industrial equipment 1, input / output current, input / output voltage, operating time, temperature information, load state, vibration, etc. The detection unit 3 may be composed of a camera and output an image as the detection value. The detection unit 3 is controlled by the control unit 4 described below. The detection values ​​detected by the detection unit 3 are stored in the memory unit 5 described below.

[0011] The industrial equipment 1 includes a control unit 4 for individually controlling the components 2. The control unit 4 executes control and calculations required for operation, and operates the components 2. The control unit 4 is configured to be able to execute not only control but also predetermined control for detecting detection values ​​from the components 2 and calculations for managing the components 2.

[0012] The industrial equipment 1 includes a storage unit 5 that stores data and programs necessary for controlling the components 2. The storage unit 5 is configured with a non-transitory storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a flash memory. The storage unit 5 may be configured with a storage device externally connected to the industrial equipment 1. The storage unit 5 may be configured with a storage unit 12 (described later) provided in the diagnostic device 10 or a storage unit 22 (described later) provided in the server device 20. The storage unit 5 may be configured with another server device connected via a network W and capable of storing data. The storage unit 5 stores, for example, first information related to the specifications of the industrial equipment 1.

[0013] The first information includes, for example, manufacturing information relating to the date and year when the industrial equipment 1 was manufactured, and parts information relating to the parts used. The manufacturing information is map information in which information that identifies the industrial equipment 1, such as the individual identification number of the industrial equipment 1, is associated with information about the parts that make up the industrial equipment 1. The parts information is map information in which information about the types of parts that make up the industrial equipment 1, information about the number of parts, and version information of the parts are associated with each other.

[0014] The storage unit 5 stores, for example, second information related to past malfunctions that have occurred in the industrial equipment 1. The second information includes, for example, malfunction information related to the cause of malfunctions that have occurred in the industrial equipment 1 in the past, and malfunction occurrence information including the number of times and frequency of the malfunctions. The malfunction information is, for example, map information in which information about a part in which a malfunction has occurred is associated with information about the cause of the malfunction that occurred in the part. The malfunction occurrence information is map information in which information about the cause of a malfunction that has occurred in each part is associated with information about the number of times the malfunction has occurred, the frequency, the date and time, the repair history, the replacement history, etc.

[0015] The industrial equipment 1 includes a communication unit 6 that can be connected to the network W. The communication unit 6 is a communication interface that connects to the network W wirelessly or via a wired connection. With the above configuration, the control unit 4 generates operation information related to the operating state of the industrial equipment 1 based on the detected value data stored in the storage unit 5 at a predetermined timing. The operation information is a data set organized for each type of detected value and for each predetermined period. The control unit 4 outputs the first information, the second information, and the operation information to the diagnostic device 10 via the network W based on an instruction from the diagnostic device 10 or at a predetermined timing that has been set in advance.

[0016] The diagnostic device 10 is, for example, a terminal device used by a user. The diagnostic device 10 is configured by an information processing terminal device such as a personal computer, a tablet terminal device, or a smartphone. The diagnostic device 10 is equipped with an input / output unit 13 that can acquire information input by the user and display information such as calculation results. The input / output unit 13 is configured by a device that can input and output information, such as a touch panel. The input / output unit 13 may be provided with a microphone and a speaker that input and output sound.

[0017] The diagnostic device 10 includes a calculation unit 11 that executes calculation processing based on input information and outputs the calculation results to an input / output unit 13. The calculation unit 11 is configured to execute processing for inputting and outputting information based on, for example, an interactive interface. The calculation unit 11 executes processing for generating answers based on natural language based on questions using text and voice. The calculation unit 11 outputs the answers to the input / output unit 13 based on text, images, and voice.

[0018] The diagnostic device 10 includes a storage unit 12 that stores data and programs required for calculations. The storage unit 12 is configured with a non-transitory storage medium such as a hard disk drive or a flash memory. The storage unit 12 may be configured with a storage device externally connected to the diagnostic device 10. The storage unit 12 may be configured with a storage unit 22 (described later) that is provided in the server device 20. The storage unit 12 may be configured with another server device that is connected via a network W and is capable of storing data. The diagnostic device 10 includes a communication unit 14 that is communicatively connected to the network W. The communication unit 14 is a communication interface that is communicatively connected to the network W wirelessly or via a wired connection. The calculation unit 11 is communicatively connected to the server device 20 via the communication unit 14.

[0019] The server device 20 executes arithmetic processing in conjunction with the diagnostic device 10 via the network W. The server device 20 is configured, for example, by an information processing terminal such as a personal computer. The server device 20 includes a calculation unit 21 that executes arithmetic processing. The calculation unit 21 is configured by a processor such as a CPU. The calculation unit 21 is configured, for example, to be able to execute a generation AI (Artificial Intelligence) process that generates new information based on input information. The calculation unit 21 is configured, for example, to execute a process of inputting and outputting information based on an interactive interface. The calculation unit 21 acquires questions using text and voice and executes a process of generating answers based on natural language. The calculation unit 21 outputs the answers to the diagnostic device 10.

[0020] The server device 20 includes a storage unit 22 that stores data and programs required for calculations. The storage unit 22 is configured with a non-transitory storage medium such as a hard disk drive or a flash memory. The storage unit 22 may be configured with a storage device that is externally connected to the server device 20. The storage unit 22 may also be configured with another server device that is connected via the network W and is capable of storing data.

[0021] The server device 20 includes a communication unit 23 that can be connected to the network W. The communication unit 23 is a communication interface that connects to the network W wirelessly or via a wired connection. The calculation unit 21 is connected to the diagnostic device 10 via the communication unit 23 so that it can communicate with the diagnostic device 10. The calculation unit 21 executes a generation AI based on information acquired from the diagnostic device 10, and outputs the generated calculation results to the diagnostic device 10.

[0022] The calculation unit 11 of the diagnostic device 10 and the calculation unit 21 of the server device 20 execute processing in cooperation with each other. When the calculation unit 11 of the diagnostic device 10 and the calculation unit 21 of the server device 20 execute processing in cooperation with each other, the calculation unit 11 of the diagnostic device 10 and the calculation unit 21 of the server device 20 may be regarded as a single calculation unit. The processing executed in the server device 20 may be executed in the diagnostic device 10. The processing executed in the diagnostic device 10 may be executed in the server device 20. The server device 20 may be integrated into the diagnostic device 10.

[0023] The following describes the processing executed in the dialogue assistance system S. In the industrial equipment 1, the control unit 4 monitors the detection value detected by the detection unit 3. The control unit 4, for example, compares the detection value with a preset threshold value to determine whether or not a malfunction has occurred in the component 2 of the industrial equipment 1. If the control unit 4 determines that a malfunction has occurred in the component 2, it executes a predetermined process that has been set in advance in accordance with the malfunction, and controls the component 2 to perform protective functions such as stopping, adjusting output, and performing avoidance operations.

[0024] 2 shows the contents of the alarm information database M generated in response to an abnormality occurring in the component 2. The alarm information database M includes the component 2, the abnormality determination result, the details of protection to be performed by the control unit 4, and the display content to be displayed. Based on the determination result, the control unit 4 refers to the preset alarm information database M and extracts alarm information corresponding to the malfunction that has occurred. The control unit 4 transmits the extracted alarm information to the diagnostic device 10. The control unit 4 may display the notification content on a display unit (not shown) provided in the industrial equipment 1.

[0025] In the diagnostic device 10, the calculation unit 11 generates notification content based on the acquired alarm information. For example, the calculation unit 11 generates notification content using text information, audio information, image information, etc. based on natural language, describing an abnormality occurring in the component 2 based on the alarm information. The calculation unit 11 outputs the generated notification content from the input / output unit 13 in accordance with the output format such as text, audio, image, etc.

[0026] 3 shows an example of a display image M1 of notification content that notifies of an abnormality occurring in the industrial equipment 1. The calculation unit 11 generates the display image M1 of the notification content and displays it on the input / output unit 13. The display image M1 includes information that identifies the industrial equipment 1 and information about the abnormality that has occurred. In the example shown, the display image M1 indicates that the servo amplifier of the industrial equipment 1 has stopped, and also displays the alarm information. When the user clicks on the display portion of the alarm information display content in the display image M1, the calculation unit 11 displays the alarm information content on the input / output unit 13. When the user clicks on the display portion of the abnormality diagnosis in the display image M1, the calculation unit 11 displays on the input / output unit 13 a display image M2 that accepts a question about the abnormality diagnosis from the display image M1.

[0027] FIG. 4 shows an example of a display image M2 for accepting a question for abnormality diagnosis. The user inputs a question about an abnormality occurring in the industrial equipment 1 into a question input section N1 provided in the display image M2. The user inputs the question based on information obtained from the notification content display image M1. The question is input according to the user's experience and knowledge. The user may input a simple sentence into the input section N1. For example, after inputting the question into the input section N1, the user clicks the operation button N2 for executing input assistance. The calculation unit 11 starts executing input assistance based on the operation of the operation button N2, and outputs the input information input by the user, ID information for individually identifying the industrial equipment 1, and alarm information to the server device 20.

[0028] In the server device 20, the calculation unit 21 has a processing function based on the generation AI, and is configured so that the generation AI generates a new answer content for the answer content calculated based on machine learning such as deep learning based on natural language. The calculation unit 21 is configured to estimate a possible cause of the occurred malfunction based on, for example, first information, second information, and detected values, and generate an answer content. The calculation unit 21 recognizes the question content based on the input information. The calculation unit 21 acquires first information regarding the specifications of the industrial equipment 1, second information regarding the malfunction, and detected values ​​detected from the industrial equipment 1 during operation. Based on the acquired information, the calculation unit 21 generates additional information missing from the question content to generate an answer regarding a possible cause of the occurred malfunction. By adding the additional information to the question content, the calculation unit 21 can limit the process of estimating the cause of the malfunction based on the generation AI. The calculation unit 21 generates an auxiliary question content by adding the additional information to the question content. The calculation unit 21 transmits the auxiliary question content to the diagnostic device 10. In the diagnostic device 10, the calculation unit 11 causes the input / output unit 13 to display a display image M3 showing the content of the auxiliary question.

[0029] 5 shows an example of a display image M3 showing an auxiliary question with additional information P1 added to the question entered by the user. Display image M3 shows a display area N3 displaying the auxiliary question. For example, the calculation unit 21 analyzes the components included in the component 2 where the malfunction is occurring, based on the component information included in the first information. The calculation unit 21 analyzes the malfunction state based on the detected values. The calculation unit 21 adds missing additional information to the question based on the analysis results. In the illustrated example, the calculation unit 21 adds the additional information "integrated power supply" to the information on the component 2 "servo amplifier" based on the analysis results. The calculation unit 21 adds the additional information "IPM (Intelligent Power Module) overheating" to the malfunction state "servo amplifier stopped" based on the analysis results.

[0030] The calculation unit 21 adds additional information to the input question "The servo amplifier has stopped. What are the possible causes?" and generates an auxiliary question "The servo amplifier with an integrated power supply has stopped due to IPM overheating. What are the possible causes?" The calculation unit 21 transmits the generated auxiliary question to the diagnostic device 10, and the calculation unit 11 causes the input / output unit 13 to display a display image M3.

[0031] In the display image M3, the user clicks, for example, the operation button N4 for executing a diagnosis. Based on the operation of the operation button N4, the calculation unit 11 outputs information indicating that the operation to start the execution of the diagnosis has been accepted to the server device 20. In the server device 20, the calculation unit 21 generates an answer to the auxiliary question about the industrial equipment 1 using the generation AI based on the first information, the second information, and the detection value.

[0032] 6 shows an example of a calculation result C1 of the answer content to the auxiliary question content generated based on the generation AI. This calculation result C1 includes all the answer contents generated based on the auxiliary question content. The calculation result C1 is part of the process executed in the server device 20, and does not need to be output to the input / output unit 13 of the diagnostic device 10. The calculation result C1 includes not only causes of malfunctions that actually occur in the industrial equipment 1, but also causes that do not occur in the industrial equipment 1. The calculation unit 21 executes a process to narrow down the causes of malfunctions that actually occur in the industrial equipment 1 from the calculation result C1.

[0033] The calculation unit 21 analyzes the configuration of the industrial equipment 1 based on the first information. The calculation unit 21 extracts causes that do not occur in the industrial equipment 1 based on the analysis results of the configuration. The calculation unit 21 acquires manufacturing information related to the manufacturing date of the industrial equipment 1 and component information related to the components used, which are included in the first information. The calculation unit 21 extracts an incorrect answer D1 with irrelevant content related to a component 2 that is not included in the industrial equipment 1 from the calculation result C1 of the answer content based on the manufacturing information and the component information. The calculation unit 21 removes an incorrect answer with irrelevant content included in the calculation result C1 of the answer content that has been generated. In the illustrated example, the calculation unit 21 extracts an incorrect answer D1 related to a cooling fan that is not included in the industrial equipment 1 and removes it from the calculation result C1 of the answer content. The calculation unit 21 stores the incorrect answer in the storage unit 23 and generates an incorrect answer dataset. In subsequent processes, the calculation unit 21 executes a process of storing the incorrect answer in the storage unit and accumulates the incorrect answer dataset.

[0034] The calculation unit 21 refers to the incorrect answer data set in the storage unit, in which the incorrect answers are stored, and when generating answers from the next time onwards, removes the incorrect answers included in the incorrect answer data set from the answers. Based on the above process, the calculation unit 21 can improve the accuracy of the answers generated from the next time onwards and reduce the processing required to generate the answer contents. The calculation unit 21 generates updated answer contents by removing incorrect answers D1 that are irrelevant and included in the generated answer. The calculation unit 21 transmits the updated answer contents to the diagnostic device 10. In the diagnostic device 10, the calculation unit 11 generates a display image M4 showing the updated answer contents and displays it on the input / output unit 13. Figure 7 shows an example of the display image M4 showing the updated answer contents.

[0035] The calculation unit 21 may generate the contents of the auxiliary question and the contents of the answer based on the usage state of the industrial equipment 1. The calculation unit 21 acquires the first information and the second information and estimates the degree of deterioration of the part based on the manufacturing date included in the first information. The calculation unit 21, for example, calculates a score indicating the correlation between the degree of deterioration, the malfunction information, and the malfunction occurrence information. The calculation unit 21 compares the calculated score with a threshold value to determine the correlation between the degree of deterioration, the malfunction information, and the malfunction occurrence information. If the calculation unit 21 determines that the correlation between the degree of deterioration, the malfunction information, and the malfunction occurrence information is low, it generates additional information that does not include information about part deterioration and generates the contents of the auxiliary question. The calculation unit 21 removes incorrect answers that include information about part deterioration based on the contents of the auxiliary question.

[0036] 8 shows an example of a display image M5 showing an auxiliary question with additional information P1 added to the question entered by the user. In the example shown, the additional information "power supply integrated" is added to the information on component 2 "servo amplifier" based on the analysis results. The calculation unit 21 adds the additional information "excitation does not increase" to the malfunction state "servo amplifier cannot be used" based on the analysis results.

[0037] The calculation unit 21 adds additional information to the input question "The servo amplifier cannot be used. What are the possible causes?" and generates an auxiliary question "The excitation did not increase, and the power supply integrated servo amplifier stopped. What are the possible causes?" The calculation unit 21 transmits the generated auxiliary question to the diagnostic device 10, and the calculation unit 11 causes the input / output unit 13 to display a display image M5.

[0038] FIG. 9 shows an example of a calculation result C2 of the answer to the auxiliary question generated based on the generation AI. This calculation result C2 includes all of the answer contents generated based on the auxiliary question contents. The calculation unit 21 executes a process to narrow down the cause of the malfunction actually occurring in the industrial equipment 1 from the calculation result C2. In the illustrated example, the calculation unit 21 refers to the estimation result of the deterioration degree of the part based on the manufacturing date, determines that the deterioration degree of the electrolytic capacitor is low, and removes the incorrect answer D2 related to the deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor. The calculation unit 21 transmits the answer content from which the incorrect answer D2 has been removed to the diagnostic device 10. In the diagnostic device 10, the calculation unit 11 generates a display image M6 showing the updated answer content and displays it on the input / output unit 13. FIG. 10 shows an example of the display image M6 showing the updated answer content.

[0039] The calculation unit 21 may generate the content of the auxiliary question and the content of the answer based on the detection value of the industrial equipment 1. The calculation unit 21 acquires at least one detection value from among alarm information, input / output current, input / output voltage, operating time, temperature information, and load state output from the industrial equipment, and generates the content of the auxiliary question based on the relevance between the content of the detection value and an abnormal value.

[0040] 11 shows an example of a display image M7 showing an auxiliary question in which additional information P1 has been added to the question entered by the user. In the illustrated example, the additional information "integrated power supply" is added to the information on component 2 "servo amplifier" based on the analysis results. The calculation unit 21 adds the additional information "an abnormality has been observed in the current on the servo motor side" to the malfunction state "servo amplifier cannot be used" based on the analysis results. The calculation unit 21 transmits the generated auxiliary question to the diagnostic device 10, and the calculation unit 11 causes the input / output unit 13 to display the display image M7.

[0041] FIG. 12 shows an example of a calculation result C3 of an answer to an auxiliary question generated based on the generation AI. This calculation result C3 includes all answer contents generated based on the auxiliary question. The calculation unit 21 executes a process to narrow down the cause of the malfunction actually occurring in the industrial equipment 1 from the calculation result C3. In the illustrated example, the calculation unit 21 analyzes the current waveform based on the detected value. If the calculation unit 21 determines based on the analysis result that a current above the allowable limit is not flowing, the calculation unit 21 determines that there is no abnormality due to a current above the allowable limit and removes the incorrect answer D3 related to the abnormality due to a current above the allowable limit. The calculation unit 21 transmits the answer from which the incorrect answer D3 has been removed to the diagnostic device 10. In the diagnostic device 10, the calculation unit 11 generates a display image M8 showing the updated answer content and displays it on the input / output unit 13. FIG. 13 shows an example of the display image M8 showing the updated answer content.

[0042] FIG. 14 shows the flow of processing of a diagnostic method executed in the dialogue assistance system. The diagnostic method is executed by a program installed in a computer mounted on the dialogue assistance system S. The program causes a processor included in the computer to execute the following processes: The calculation unit 11 acquires information including first information on the specifications of the industrial equipment, second information on the malfunction, and a detected value detected from the industrial equipment during operation (S100). The calculation unit 21 acquires the first information, the second information, and the detected value from the diagnostic device 10. The calculation unit 11 transmits a question entered by a user when a malfunction occurs in the industrial equipment 1 to the server device 20. The calculation unit 21 recognizes the question (S102). The calculation unit 21 generates additional information missing from the question based on the first information, the second information, and the detected value (S104). The calculation unit 21 generates an auxiliary question by adding the additional information to the question (S106). The calculation unit 21 estimates the cause of the malfunction based on the content of the auxiliary question and generates an answer regarding the cause (S108). The calculation unit 21 transmits the answer to the diagnostic device 10, and the calculation unit 11 causes the input / output unit 13 to display the answer (S110).

[0043] As described above, the dialogue assistance system S can generate questions for accurately diagnosing a malfunction occurring in the industrial equipment 1. The dialogue assistance system S can generate auxiliary questions by adding additional information to the questions based on the first information, the second information, and the detected values, even if the user has little experience and is unable to accurately input questions about a malfunction occurring in the industrial equipment 1. The dialogue assistance system S allows the generation AI to narrow down the cause of the malfunction based on the auxiliary questions.

[0044] The processors constituting the above-described calculation units 11 and 21 are functional modules realized by, for example, a computer program executed on the processor. The computer program for executing the processing of each unit of the processors constituting the calculation units 11 and 21 may be provided in a form recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a semiconductor memory, a magnetic recording medium, or an optical recording medium.

[0045] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail, the present disclosure is not limited to the individual embodiments described above. Various additions, substitutions, modifications, partial deletions, etc. are possible to these embodiments without departing from the gist of the invention or the concept and spirit of the present invention derived from the content of the claims and their equivalents. For example, in the above-described embodiments, the order of each operation and the order of each process are shown as examples and are not limited to these. The same applies when numerical values ​​or mathematical formulas are used in the description of the above-described embodiments. Furthermore, appropriate combinations of several of the above-described embodiments are within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0046] The following supplementary notes are further disclosed regarding the above-described embodiments and variations: (Supplementary Note 1) A dialogue assistance system comprising: a calculation unit that generates a question regarding a malfunction that occurs in industrial equipment, wherein the calculation unit: acquires first information regarding specifications of the industrial equipment, second information regarding the malfunction, and a detection value detected from the industrial equipment during operation; recognizes a question entered by a user when the malfunction occurs in the industrial equipment; generates additional information missing from the question in order to generate an answer regarding a possible cause of the malfunction based on the first information, the second information, and the detection value; generates an auxiliary question by adding the additional information to the question; estimates the cause based on the auxiliary question; generates an answer regarding the cause; and outputs the answer.

[0047] (Supplementary Note 2) The dialogue assistance system according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the calculation unit analyzes a configuration of the industrial equipment based on the first information, extracts the cause that does not occur in the industrial equipment based on the analysis result of the configuration, updates the answer by removing irrelevant answers that are included in the generated answer, and outputs the updated answer.

[0048] (Supplementary Note 3) The dialogue assistance system according to Supplementary Note 2, wherein the calculation unit acquires the first information including manufacturing information relating to the date and time when the industrial equipment was manufactured and part information relating to the parts used, and the second information including malfunction information relating to the cause of a malfunction that occurred in the industrial equipment in the past and malfunction occurrence information including the number and frequency of the malfunction, estimates a degree of deterioration of the part based on the date and time of manufacture, and generates the additional information and removes the incorrect answer based on a correlation between the degree of deterioration, the malfunction information, and the malfunction occurrence information.

[0049] (Supplementary Note 4) The dialogue assistance system according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the calculation unit acquires at least one of the detected values ​​output from the industrial equipment, among alarm information, input / output current, input / output voltage, operating time, temperature information, and load status, and estimates the cause of the abnormality based on the correlation between the detected value and an abnormal value.

[0050] (Supplementary Note 5) The dialogue assistance system according to Supplementary Note 2, wherein the calculation unit refers to a data set of the incorrect answers stored in a storage unit, and removes the incorrect answers included in the data set of the incorrect answers from the answer when generating the answer.

[0051] (Supplementary Note 6) The dialogue assistance system according to Supplementary Note 3, wherein the calculation unit stores input information regarding the defect of the industrial equipment input by the user in a storage unit, generates defect input information, and generates the auxiliary question content by referring to the defect input information.

[0052] (Supplementary Note 7) A program installed in a computer equipped in a dialogue assistance system that generates questions for malfunctions occurring in industrial equipment, the program causing the computer to: acquire first information on the specifications of the industrial equipment, second information on the malfunction, and a detection value detected from the industrial equipment during operation; recognize a question entered by a user when the malfunction occurs in the industrial equipment; generate additional information missing from the question based on the first information, the second information, and the detection value in order to generate an answer regarding a possible cause of the malfunction that has occurred; generate an auxiliary question by adding the additional information to the question; estimate the cause based on the auxiliary question; generate an answer regarding the cause; and output the answer.

[0053] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Industrial equipment, 2 Component, 3 Detection unit, 4 Control unit, 5 Memory unit, 6 Communication unit, 10 Diagnostic device, 11 Calculation unit, 12 Memory unit, 13 Input / output unit, 14 Communication unit, 20 Server device, 21 Calculation unit, 22 Memory unit, 23 Communication unit, 23 Memory unit, C1-C3 Calculation results, D1-D3 Outlier answers, M Database, M1-M8 Display image, N1 Input unit, N2 Operation button, N3 Display area, N4 Operation button, P1 Additional information, S Dialogue assistance system, W Network

Claims

1. A dialogue assistance system comprising: a calculation unit that generates a question regarding a malfunction that occurs in industrial equipment, wherein the calculation unit: acquires first information regarding the specifications of the industrial equipment, second information regarding the malfunction, and a detection value detected from the industrial equipment during operation; recognizes the content of the question entered by a user when the malfunction occurs in the industrial equipment; generates additional information that is lacking in the content of the question in order to generate an answer regarding a possible cause of the malfunction based on the first information, the second information, and the detection value; generates auxiliary question content by adding the additional information to the content of the question; infers the cause based on the content of the auxiliary question; generates an answer regarding the cause; and outputs the answer.

2. The dialogue assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit: analyzes the configuration of the industrial equipment based on the first information; extracts the causes that do not occur in the industrial equipment based on the results of the analysis of the configuration; updates the answer by removing irrelevant answers that are included in the generated answer; and outputs the updated answer.

3. The dialogue assistance system according to claim 2, wherein the calculation unit acquires the first information including manufacturing information relating to the date and time when the industrial equipment was manufactured and part information relating to the parts used, and the second information including malfunction information relating to the cause of a malfunction that occurred in the industrial equipment in the past and malfunction occurrence information including the number and frequency of the malfunctions that occurred, estimates the degree of deterioration of the parts based on the date and time of manufacture, and generates the additional information and removes the incorrect answers based on the correlation between the degree of deterioration, the malfunction information, and the malfunction occurrence information.

4. The dialogue assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit acquires at least one of the detected values ​​output from the industrial equipment: alarm information, input / output current, input / output voltage, operating time, temperature information, and load status; and estimates the cause of the abnormality based on the correlation between the detected value and an abnormal value.

5. The dialogue assistance system according to claim 2, wherein the calculation unit refers to a data set of incorrect answers stored in a memory unit, and when generating the answer, removes the incorrect answers included in the data set of incorrect answers from the answer.

6. The dialogue assistance system according to claim 3, wherein the calculation unit stores input information regarding the defect of the industrial equipment input by the user in a memory unit, generates defect input information, and generates the auxiliary question content by referring to the defect input information.

7. A program installed in a computer equipped with a dialogue assistance system that generates questions for malfunctions occurring in industrial equipment, the program causing the computer to: acquire first information on the specifications of the industrial equipment, second information on the malfunction, and detection values ​​detected from the industrial equipment during operation; recognize the content of a question entered by a user when the malfunction occurs in the industrial equipment; generate additional information missing from the question based on the first information, the second information, and the detection values ​​in order to generate an answer regarding a possible cause of the malfunction that has occurred; generate auxiliary question content by adding the additional information to the question content; estimate the cause based on the auxiliary question content; generate an answer regarding the cause; and output the answer.

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