Information processing system

Abstract

This information processing system comprises: a data storage unit for storing graph structure data that defines components provided to a plant as nodes and a connection relationship between two components as an edge; a display unit for displaying a registration screen that includes a drawing area in which a node object indicating a node and an edge object connecting two node objects can be arranged; and a retrieval unit for retrieving, from the graph structure data, a topology that matches a retrieval topology represented by the node objects and the edge objects that are arranged in the drawing area by a user.

Description

Information Processing Systems

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing system.

[0002] Conventionally, a connection pattern (topology) of components to be installed in a plant may be searched for in a design drawing of the plant, such as a piping and instrumentation diagram. For example, Patent Document 1 describes an information processing device that searches a drawing for an element group that matches a search element group selected by a user.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-80774

[0004] In the information processing device described in Patent Document 1, a user needs to select a search element group from among pre-registered element groups. However, if the desired element group (topology of the component elements) is not registered, the user cannot search for that element group.

[0005] There is a desire in the art to search for desired topologies.

[0006] (Clause 1) An information processing system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a data storage unit that stores graph structure data in which components provided in a plant are defined as nodes and a connection relationship between two components is defined as an edge; a display unit that displays a registration screen including a drawing area in which node objects representing the nodes and edge objects connecting the two node objects can be placed; and a search unit that searches the graph structure data for a topology that matches a search topology represented by the node objects and the edge objects placed in the drawing area by a user.

[0007] In this information processing system, a topology that matches a search topology represented by node objects representing nodes and edge objects representing edges is searched for from graph structure data. The node objects and edge objects are arranged in a drawing area by the user. Therefore, the user can create any search topology by appropriately arranging the node objects and edge objects in the drawing area. As a result, it becomes possible to search for a desired topology.

[0008] (Clause 2) The information processing system described in Clause 1 may further include a search condition storage unit that stores a plurality of search topologies including the search topology, and the search unit may search the graph structure data for a topology that matches a search topology selected from the plurality of search topologies stored in the search condition storage unit.

[0009] According to this configuration, the search topology created by the user is stored, making it possible to reuse the search topology, thereby reducing the work time required to create the search topology and improving search efficiency.

[0010] (Clause 3) In the information processing system described in Clause 1 or Clause 2, the registration screen may further include a condition setting area for setting attribute conditions that are conditions for attributes of the node object, and the search unit may search the graph structure data for a topology that matches the search topology and satisfies the attribute conditions set in the condition setting area by the user.

[0011] According to this configuration, the attributes of the node objects are set as search conditions, so searches are performed taking into account not only the topology of connections between nodes but also the attributes of the nodes, thereby enabling more detailed searches.

[0012] (Clause 4) In the information processing system described in any one of Clauses 1 to 3, the node objects may include a piping node object representing a node of a piping system, an instrument node object representing a node of an instrument, and an equipment node object representing a node of a process equipment.

[0013] In this case, the type of node indicated by each node object is specified. Therefore, a search is performed taking into account not only the connection topology between nodes but also the type of node, enabling a more detailed search.

[0014] (Clause 5) In the information processing system according to Clause 4, the node objects may further include an arbitrary node object indicating an arbitrary node.

[0015] There may be cases where the type of node object to be searched for is unknown. In such cases, the intended search target can be found by searching using an arbitrary node object.

[0016] (Clause 6) In the information processing system according to clause 4 or clause 5, the node object may further include a hop node object that specifies a range of the number of nodes to be placed between two nodes.

[0017] Sometimes you want to search for a topology that includes two specific nodes. In this case, several other nodes may be included between the two nodes. With the above configuration, by using a hop node object, you can specify a range of the number of nodes to be placed between the two nodes, so there is no need to create a search topology for each number of nodes to be placed between the two nodes. This reduces the work time required to create a search topology, and improves search efficiency.

[0018] (Clause 7) In the information processing system according to Clause 6, the hop node object may further specify a type of edge between the two nodes.

[0019] In this case, the type of edge between the two nodes is specified. Therefore, the search is performed taking into account not only the number of nodes between the two nodes but also the type of edge between the two nodes. This allows for a more detailed search.

[0020] (Clause 8) The information processing system described in any one of Clauses 1 to 7 may include a terminal device used by the user, the terminal device including the display unit, and a server including the data storage unit and the search unit.

[0021] The user of the terminal device can create any search topology by appropriately arranging node objects and edge objects in the drawing area, making it possible to search for a desired topology.

[0022] According to each aspect and embodiment of the present disclosure, a desired topology can be searched for.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of computers constituting the terminal device and server illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the information processing system illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of graph structure data. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a graph of the graph structure data illustrated in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a method for registering a search topology in the information processing system illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a registration screen. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an operation for setting parameters of a node object. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an operation for registering a search topology. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a search method in the information processing system illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a search screen. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a search result. FIG. 13(a) is a diagram illustrating an example of a search result using the search topology illustrated in FIG. 8. FIG. 13(b) is a diagram illustrating another example of a search result using the search topology illustrated in FIG. 8. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a search topology. Fig. 15(a) is a diagram showing an example of a search result using the search topology shown in Fig. 14. Fig. 15(b) is a diagram showing another example of a search result using the search topology shown in Fig. 14.

[0024] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0025] First, an information processing system according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a computer that constitutes the terminal device and server shown in Figure 1.

[0026] The information processing system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a system for searching for a desired topology from plant design information. Examples of plants include oil and gas plants. Examples of oil and gas plants include oil refineries, gas processing plants, natural gas liquefaction plants, petrochemical plants, and chemical manufacturing plants. Examples of design information include process flow diagrams (PFDs), piping and instrument diagrams (P&IDs), three-dimensional models, and one-line diagrams. In the following description, piping and instrument diagrams are used as an example of design information. Topology refers to the connection pattern between the components that make up a plant.

[0027] The information processing system 1 includes one or more terminal devices 10 and a server 20. Each of the terminal devices 10 and the server 20 are communicatively connected to each other via a communication network NW. The communication network NW may be configured as either a wired or wireless network. Examples of the communication network NW include the Internet, a mobile communication network, and a wide area network (WAN).

[0028] The terminal device 10 is used by a user and performs various processes based on the user's operations. Examples of the terminal device 10 include a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet terminal, and a smartphone. The user performs a topology search using, for example, a topology search application (search application) on the terminal device 10. The search application is, for example, a web application. When the search application is a web application, the user of the terminal device 10 performs operations using a web browser displayed on the display.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 2 , the computer 100 may be configured as a computer including hardware such as a processor 101, a main memory device 102, an auxiliary memory device 103, a communication device 104, an input device 105, and an output device 106. An example of the processor 101 is a central processing unit (CPU). The main memory device 102 is configured with a random access memory (RAM) and a read-only memory (ROM). Examples of the auxiliary memory device 103 are a semiconductor memory and a hard disk drive. The communication device 104 is a device that transmits and receives data to and from other devices via a communication network NW. The communication device 104 is configured with, for example, a network interface card (NIC) or a wireless communication module.

[0030] The input device 105 is a device used by a user when operating the computer 100. The input device 105 is composed of, for example, a touch panel, a keyboard, and a mouse. The output device 106 is a device that outputs various types of information. The output device 106 is composed of, for example, a display and a speaker.

[0031] The server 20 is an information processing device that executes topology searches. The server 20 has the same hardware configuration as the terminal device 10. The server 20 may be configured with one computer 100 as shown in FIG. 2, or may be configured with multiple computers 100 as in cloud computing. The server 20 does not necessarily have to include the input device 105 and the output device 106. A search program is stored in the auxiliary storage device 103 of the server 20.

[0032] At least one processor 101 of the server 20 reads the search program stored in the auxiliary storage device 103 into the main storage device 102 and executes it, whereby each piece of hardware operates under the control of the at least one processor 101, and data is read from and written to the main storage device 102 and the auxiliary storage device 103. In this way, each functional unit of the server 20 shown in Fig. 3 is realized.

[0033] Next, the functional configuration of the information processing system 1 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 5. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the information processing system shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of graph structure data. Figure 5 is a diagram showing a graph of the graph structure data shown in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 3, the terminal device 10 includes, as functional elements, a reception unit 11, a display unit 12, and a control unit 13.

[0034] The reception unit 11 is a functional element that receives operations performed by the user of the terminal device 10. The reception unit 11 outputs operation information indicating the content of the user's operation to the control unit 13. The display unit 12 is a functional element that displays various information. The display unit 12 displays a registration screen Gr (see FIG. 7) or a search screen Gs (see FIG. 11), which will be described later. The control unit 13 is a functional element that performs overall control of the terminal device 10. The control unit 13 executes processing according to the operation information received from the reception unit 11, for example.

[0035] If the search application is a web application, for example, the reception unit 11 is realized by the input device 105 of the terminal device 10, the display unit 12 is realized by the output device 106 (display) of the terminal device 10, and the control unit 13 is realized by the processor 101 of the terminal device 10.

[0036] The server 20 includes, as functional elements, a data storage unit 21, a search condition storage unit 22, and a control unit 23 (search unit).

[0037] The data storage unit 21 is a functional element that stores data related to the plant. The data storage unit 21 stores, for example, graph structure data.

[0038] In this embodiment, the graph structure data defines components provided in a plant as nodes and the connection relationship between two components as edges. The components (nodes) include, for example, process equipment, instruments, and piping components. Examples of process equipment include reactors, heat exchangers, and pumps. Examples of instruments include flow meters and cables. Examples of piping components include piping branch parts, elbows, and piping supports. The data storage unit 21 stores graph structure data for each plant, for example. The graph structure data is shared among multiple design processes and is refined from upstream processes to downstream processes in plant design.

[0039] 4, the graph structure data GD includes a plant identifier (ID), a node list NL, and an edge list EL (not shown). The plant ID is information that uniquely identifies a plant.

[0040] The node list NL is a list of nodes included in a plant identified by a plant ID. The node list NL includes a data record set for each node. Each data record includes a node ID and attribute data. The node ID is information that can uniquely identify a node. Note that in the example shown in FIG. 4, for convenience of explanation, a character string similar to a tag name (described later) is assigned to the node ID, but the node ID is actually a long character string (GUID) used by a computer. The attribute data is information that indicates the attributes of a node identified by the node ID. The attribute data includes, for example, node type information, pipe diameter, line number, component type information, and tag name. The attribute data may also include information that indicates attributes other than these.

[0041] The node type information indicates the type of node identified by the node ID. Examples of node types include process equipment, instruments, and piping. The piping system is set when the node identified by the node ID is a piping system.

[0042] Line numbers are numbers obtained by subdividing stream numbers and are set to provide design divisions. Stream numbers are numbers assigned to fluids flowing through a piping system, and the same stream number is assigned to the same fluid. Line numbers are set by subdividing stream numbers, for example, from the perspective of drawing management and material management. Multiple piping systems are grouped, and the same line number is assigned to piping systems belonging to the same group. For example, multiple piping systems are divided into several groups based on attributes such as the type of fluid, design temperature, design pressure, and piping material.

[0043] The component type information is information that indicates a more specific type of node indicated by the node type information. For example, if the node type is a piping system, the component type information indicates the type of component part of the piping system. The tag name is a unique name of the node identified by the node ID. A name that allows a person to identify the node is used as the tag name.

[0044] The edge list EL is a list of edges included in a plant identified by a plant ID. An edge represents a connection (connection relationship) between two nodes. The edge list EL includes a data record set for each edge. Each data record includes an edge ID, a start node ID, an end node ID, and edge type information.

[0045] The edge ID is information that can uniquely identify an edge. The start node ID is the node ID of one node (start node) of two nodes connected by the edge identified by the edge ID. The end node ID is the node ID of the other node (end node) of two nodes connected by the edge identified by the edge ID. The edge type information is information that indicates the type of edge identified by the edge ID. An example of an edge type is a piping system.

[0046] 5, the graph structure data GD can be expressed as a graph G by representing each node as a circle and each edge as a line. The graph G represents the topology of the plant.

[0047] The search condition storage unit 22 is a functional element that stores (stores) search condition data. The search condition data includes search topology data and search attribute condition data. The search topology data is data that indicates the topology (search topology) used for the search. The search topology data includes data records that are set for each search topology. Each data record includes a search topology ID, a search topology name, and graph structure data that represents the search topology. The search topology ID is information that can uniquely identify the search topology. The search topology name is the name of the search topology identified by the search topology ID.

[0048] The search attribute condition data is data indicating attribute conditions set for a search topology identified by a search topology ID. The attribute conditions are conditions set for the attributes of nodes included in the search topology. The search attribute condition data includes data records set for each search topology. Each data record includes a search topology ID and a search condition expression representing the attribute condition.

[0049] The control unit 23 is a functional element that controls the server 20. The control unit 23 executes processes in response to various requests from the terminal device 10, for example.

[0050] Next, a search topology registration method will be described with reference to Fig. 6 to Fig. 9. Fig. 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a search topology registration method in the information processing system shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a registration screen. Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining an operation for setting parameters of a node object. Fig. 9 is a diagram for explaining an operation for registering a search topology.

[0051] The series of processes shown in Fig. 6 is initiated when a search application is launched on the terminal device 10 and a search topology creation mode is selected. At this time, the display unit 12 displays the registration screen Gr shown in Fig. 7. The registration screen Gr is a screen for creating and registering a search topology. The registration screen Gr includes a palette area A1, a drawing area A2, and a condition setting area A3.

[0052] The palette area A1 is an area that displays node objects that can be placed in the drawing area A2. The node objects are objects that represent nodes of graph structure data on the registration screen Gr. The node objects include piping node objects Np, instrument node objects Ni, equipment node objects Ne, optional node objects Nw, and hop node objects Nh.

[0053] A piping node object Np is a node object that indicates a node of a piping system. An instrument node object Ni is a node object that indicates a node of an instrument. An equipment node object Ne is a node object that indicates a node of a process equipment. An arbitrary node object Nw is a node object that indicates an arbitrary node. A hop node object Nh is a node object that specifies the range of the number of nodes (number of hops) to be placed between two nodes.

[0054] In this embodiment, the node object has a square shape. The node object is displayed in a manner that allows its type to be identified. For example, the node object is displayed in a different color depending on the type of node object. The palette area A1 includes a field (No. of Nozzles) that specifies the number of nozzles CN (see FIG. 8) of the node object (number of nozzles). The nozzles CN are connection points for connecting two node objects.

[0055] The drawing area A2 is an area in which node objects and edge objects that connect two node objects can be placed. A node object is placed in the drawing area A2 by dragging and dropping it from the palette area A1. A node object placed in the drawing area A2 displays nozzles CN corresponding to the number of nozzles specified in the palette area A1. The nozzles CN are placed, for example, at angles obtained by dividing 360 degrees by the number of nozzles. An edge object E is placed in the drawing area A2 by connecting the nozzles CN of two node objects placed in the drawing area A2 with a line.

[0056] The condition setting area A3 is an area for setting attribute conditions, which are conditions for the attributes of node objects placed in the drawing area A2. An attribute condition is set for one attribute of one node object per row. One attribute condition includes a join condition (joinCondition) with the attribute condition of the row above, the name (name) of the node object for which the attribute condition is set, and a condition expression. The condition expression includes an attribute name (propertyKey), a condition (condition), and the actual value (propertyValue) of the attribute indicated by the attribute name. Possible conditions include "equal to," "contains," "starts with," "greater than or equal to," and "less than or equal to." Note that, because nozzles are also treated as node objects, attribute conditions can also be set for nozzles. Examples of nozzle attributes include nozzle size and nozzle name.

[0057] When a user performs an operation (creation operation) to create a search topology on the registration screen Gr, the terminal device 10 accepts the creation operation (step S1) and performs processing according to the creation operation. In step S1, for example, the user drags and drops a desired type of node object from the node objects displayed in the palette area A1, thereby placing the node object in the drawing area A2. The user connects the nozzles CN of two node objects with a line (edge ​​object E), thereby placing the edge object E in the drawing area A2. The user sets parameters for each node object placed in the drawing area A2.

[0058] 8, parameters are set for each node object using window W1 or window W2. Window W1 is a screen for setting parameters for piping node objects Np, instrument node objects Ni, equipment node objects Ne, and optional node objects Nw. Window W1 includes a field (name) for setting the node object name, a field (ExactMatch) for setting whether a match in the number of edges is included in the conditions, and a field (ExactMatch-NumberOfConnections) for setting the number of edges connected to the node.

[0059] If ExactMatch is set to "Yes", the condition includes the match of the number of edges set in ExactMatch-NumberOfConnections. If ExactMatch is set to "No", the condition does not include the match of the number of edges, so the number of edges set in ExactMatch-NumberOfConnections is not taken into account.

[0060] Window W2 is a screen for setting parameters of a hop node object Nh, and includes a field (name) for setting the node object name, a field (MaxHops) for setting the maximum number of hops, a field (MinHops) for setting the minimum number of hops, and a field (RelationType) for setting the type of edge between two nodes connected by the hop node object Nh.

[0061] In this way, a search topology is created. In other words, the search topology is represented by the node objects and edge objects E placed in the drawing area A2 by the user. The search topology shown in Fig. 8 indicates that one to three piping node objects Np are placed between the piping node object Np1 and the piping node object Np3, one to three piping node objects Np are placed between the piping node object Np1 and the piping node object Np4, the piping node object Np2 and the piping node object Np3 are connected, and the piping node object Np2 and the piping node object Np4 are connected.

[0062] The user sets attribute conditions in the condition setting area A3 for the node objects placed in the drawing area A2. In the example shown in Fig. 8, the attribute conditions are set as follows: the value of the attribute "ComponentType" of the piping node object Np1 with the node object name "cv" is equal to "InstrumentValve", the value of the attribute "ComponentType" of the piping node object Np2 with the node object name "bypass" is equal to "GlobeValve", and the value of the attribute "ComponentType" of the piping node object Np3 with the node object name "brc1" is equal to "Branch". Note that the attribute "ComponentType" means the "component type" in Fig. 4.

[0063] Next, when the user performs an operation (save operation) to save the search topology on the registration screen Gr, the terminal device 10 accepts the save operation (step S2). For example, as shown in Fig. 9, the user clicks the save icon Bst on the registration screen Gr as the save operation. The save icon Bst is an icon for saving (registering) the search topology. When the save icon Bst is clicked, a window W3 for inputting the search topology name is displayed. When the user inputs the search topology name and clicks the icon Ba, the terminal device 10 transmits a save request for the search topology to the server 20 (step S3).

[0064] When the server 20 receives a request to save the search topology from the terminal device 10, it saves the search topology in the search condition storage unit 22 (step S4). Specifically, the control unit 23 of the server 20 converts the search topology set in the drawing area A2 into a graph structure data format and assigns a search topology ID to the search topology. The control unit 23 then generates a data record in which the search topology ID, the search topology name entered in window W3, and the graph structure data representing the search topology are associated with each other, and stores the data record in the search condition storage unit 22. In other words, the control unit 23 adds the generated data record to the search topology data.

[0065] Furthermore, the control unit 23 generates a data record in which the search topology ID is associated with the search condition expression representing the attribute condition set in the condition setting area A3, and stores the data record in the search condition storage unit 22. In other words, the control unit 23 adds the generated data record to the search attribute condition data.

[0066] This completes the search topology registration method.

[0067] Next, a search method using a search topology will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 12. Figure 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a search method in the information processing system shown in Figure 1. Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of a search screen. Figure 12 is a diagram showing an example of a search result.

[0068] The series of processes shown in Fig. 10 is initiated when a search mode is selected in a search application on the terminal device 10. At this time, the display unit 12 displays a search screen Gs shown in Fig. 11. The search screen Gs is a screen for executing a search using a search topology. The search screen Gs includes a drawing area A4, an operation area A5, and a search result area A6.

[0069] The drawing area A4 is an area for displaying design drawings. For example, the design drawing selected in the search result area A6 is displayed in the drawing area A4. The drawing area A4 may also display a design drawing selected from a list of design drawings (not shown). The user can add effects and annotations to the design drawing displayed in the drawing area A4.

[0070] The operation area A5 is an area for performing operations related to a search. The operation area A5 displays a list Lt of search topologies stored in the search condition storage unit 22, a search execution icon Bex, a save icon Bss, and an output icon Bout. The search execution icon Bex is an icon for executing a search. The save icon Bss is an icon for saving the data record selected in the search result area A6. The output icon Bout is an icon for outputting the data record selected in the search result area A6 in a format usable by an external device of the information processing system 1.

[0071] The search result area A6 is an area where the search results are displayed. The search results include a data record for each node included in the extracted topology. The extracted topology is a topology included in the graph structure data stored in the data storage unit 21 that matches the search topology and satisfies the search condition expression (attribute condition). Each data record includes the search topology name, group number, drawing number, node ID, node type information, tag name, and component type information.

[0072] The search topology name is the name of the search topology used in the search. A group number is assigned to each extracted topology. The drawing number is information that can uniquely identify a design drawing. In Figures 11 and 12, the search topology name, group number, drawing number, node ID, node type information, tag name, and component type information are written as "PatternName," "Gr. No.", "Drawing No.", "NodeID," "NodeType," "TagName," and "ComponentType," respectively.

[0073] The search result area A6 displays data records in a list format (see FIG. 12). Each data record displayed in the search result area A6 has a check box attached. The user can select a data record by checking the check box.

[0074] When the user selects a search topology from the list Lt on the search screen Gs and clicks the search execution icon Bex, the terminal device 10 accepts the search execution operation (step S11) and transmits a search request (query) to the server 20 (step S12). The search request includes graph structure data representing the search topology selected by the user and a search condition formula representing the attribute conditions set for the search topology.

[0075] When the server 20 receives the search request from the terminal device 10, it executes a search based on the search request (step S13). Specifically, the control unit 23 of the server 20 extracts topologies that match (match) the search topology and satisfy the search condition expression (attribute condition) from the graph structure data stored in the data storage unit 21. The control unit 23 then assigns a group number to each extracted topology and obtains data records of nodes included in the extracted topology from the node list NL.

[0076] The control unit 23 then generates a data record for each node included in the extracted topology, the data record including the search topology name used in the search, the group number, the drawing number, the node ID, the node type information, the tag name, and the component type information.The control unit 23 then transmits the data records of all nodes included in the extracted topology to the terminal device 10 as the search result (step S14).

[0077] When the terminal device 10 receives the search results from the server 20, it displays the search results (step S15). For example, as shown in Fig. 12, the search results are displayed in the search result area A6. At this time, design drawings including any nodes included in the search results are displayed in the drawing area A4. For example, design drawings including the group with the smallest group number included in the search results are displayed. Note that Fig. 12 only shows the drawing area A4 and the search result area A6 of the search screen Gs.

[0078] The topology included in the search results is highlighted in the drawing area A4. In the example shown in Fig. 12, the nodes included in the search results are highlighted, and the edges connecting those nodes are displayed with thick red lines. When the user specifies a node in the search results area A6 by double-clicking or the like, a new design drawing including the specified node is displayed in the drawing area A4.

[0079] When the user performs an operation to add an additional object to the design drawing displayed in the drawing area A4 (addition operation), the terminal device 10 accepts the addition operation (step S16). The additional object is an additional object that does not constitute a plant, and includes effects, annotations, etc.

[0080] Next, when the user performs an operation (save operation) on the search screen Gs to save the data record selected in the search result area A6 (the checkbox is checked), the terminal device 10 accepts the save operation (step S17). For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the user clicks the save icon Bss on the search screen Gs to save the data record. Then, the terminal device 10 transmits a save request for the data record to the server 20 (step S18). Upon receiving the save request for the data record from the terminal device 10, the server 20 saves the data record in a storage unit (not shown) (step S19).

[0081] When the user performs an operation to output a data record (output operation), the terminal device 10 accepts the output operation (step S20). Then, the terminal device 10 outputs the data record selected in the search result area A6 (the checkbox is checked) in a format usable by an external device of the information processing system 1 (step S21). The terminal device 10 outputs the data record, for example, as a CSV (Comma Separated Values) file. At this time, a GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) ​​may be added to each data record. The output CSV file is used, for example, in CAD (Computer Aided Design) software.

[0082] The user may operate a PDF (Portable Document Format) icon on the search screen Gs, which causes the terminal device 10 to output a design drawing PDF file displayed in the drawing area A4. At this time, additional objects such as colors and annotations added in the drawing area A4 may be reflected in the PDF file as PDF objects.

[0083] This completes the search method using the search topology.

[0084] Next, examples of search results will be described with reference to Figures 13(a) and 13(b). Figures 13(a) and 13(b) are diagrams showing examples of search results using the search topology shown in Figure 8. The search topology shown in Figure 8 is created primarily for the purpose of searching for topologies that include control valves and detours. For this reason, a certain degree of freedom is given to the topology of the main flow that includes the control valve (the topology between two branch components).

[0085] By using the search topology shown in Fig. 8, for example, the topology TP1 shown in Fig. 13(a) and the topology TP2 shown in Fig. 13(b) are extracted. The topology TP1 includes three piping nodes between the control valve FV and each branching part. The topology TP2 includes two piping nodes between the control valve TV and each branching part.

[0086] If the hop node object Nh is not used, it is necessary to create a search topology for every combination of the number of nodes placed between the control valve and one branch component and the number of nodes placed between the control valve and the other branch component. In contrast, by using the hop node object Nh, it is not necessary to create a search topology for every number of nodes placed between the control valve and the branch component.

[0087] Next, examples of search results will be described with reference to Fig. 14, Fig. 15(a), and Fig. 15(b). Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a search topology. Fig. 15(a) and Fig. 15(b) are diagrams showing examples of search results using the search topology shown in Fig. 14. The search topology shown in Fig. 14 indicates that the instrument node object Ni1 is connected to the instrument node object Ni2, and that the instrument node object Ni2, the instrument node object Ni3, and the piping node object Np5 are connected to the instrument node object Ni4.

[0088] For example, if "ExactMatch" of the instrument node object Ni2 is set to "Yes" and "ExactMatch-NumberOfConnections" is set to "2", the topology TP3 shown in Fig. 15(a) is extracted, but the topology TP4 shown in Fig. 15(b) is not extracted. If "ExactMatch" of the instrument node object Ni2 is set to "No", the number of edges is not taken into consideration, so both the topology TP3 and the topology TP4 are extracted.

[0089] In the information processing system 1 described above, a topology that matches a search topology represented by node objects and edge objects is searched for from graph structure data stored in the data storage unit 21. The node objects and edge objects are arranged in the drawing area A2 by the user of the terminal device 10. Therefore, the user of the terminal device 10 can create any search topology by appropriately arranging node objects and edge objects in the drawing area A2. As a result, it becomes possible to search for a desired topology.

[0090] The search condition storage unit 22 stores multiple search topologies. The control unit 23 uses a search topology selected by the user of the terminal device 10 from the multiple search topologies stored in the search condition storage unit 22 to search the graph structure data GD for a topology that matches the selected search topology. With this configuration, the search topology created by the user of the terminal device 10 is stored in the search condition storage unit 22, making the search topology reusable. This reduces the work time required to create a search topology and improves search efficiency.

[0091] The control unit 23 searches the graph structure data GD for topologies that match (match) the search topology and satisfy the search condition expression (attribute condition) set by the user in the condition setting area A3. With this configuration, node attributes are set as search conditions, so the search is performed taking into account not only the connection topology between nodes but also the node attributes. This allows for more detailed searches.

[0092] In the information processing system 1, the type of node indicated by each node object placed in the drawing area A2 is identified. Therefore, a search is performed taking into account not only the connection topology between nodes but also the type of node, thereby enabling a more detailed search.

[0093] There are cases where the type of node object to be searched for is unknown. In such cases, the intended search target can be found by searching using an arbitrary node object Nw. There are cases where it is desired to search for a topology having the same shape even though the types of node objects included in the topology are different. For example, there are cases where it is desired to search for a topology having the same shape in which one node object is replaced with either a piping node object Np or an instrument node object Ni. In such cases, by using an arbitrary node object Nw, the nodes included in the topology can be any nodes, eliminating the need to create multiple search topologies with the same shape. This reduces the work time required to create a search topology and improves search efficiency.

[0094] Sometimes, it is desired to search for a topology that includes two specific nodes. In this case, several other nodes may be included between the two nodes. In the information processing system 1, by using the hop node object Nh, it is possible to specify a range of the number of nodes to be placed between the two nodes, so there is no need to create a search topology for each number of nodes to be placed between the two nodes. This reduces the work time required to create a search topology, and improves search efficiency.

[0095] The hop node object Nh may further specify the type of edge between the two nodes. In this case, the search is performed taking into account not only the number of nodes between the two nodes but also the type of edge between the two nodes. This allows for a more detailed search.

[0096] The information processing system according to the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0097] In the information processing system 1, functional units (reception unit 11, display unit 12, control unit 13, data storage unit 21, search condition storage unit 22, and control unit 23) are distributed across the terminal device 10 and the server 20, but each functional unit may be located in either the terminal device 10 or the server 20. For example, each terminal device 10 may include all of the functional units.

[0098] The types of node objects prepared in advance in the palette area A1 may be changed as appropriate. For example, the optional node object Nw may be omitted. The hop node object Nh may be omitted.

[0099] If the user can place node objects in the drawing area A2, the registration screen Gr does not need to include the palette area A1.

[0100] All the node objects placed in the drawing area A2 may be arbitrary node objects Nw, that is, the types of node objects included in the search topology do not need to be specified.

[0101] Not all parameters of a node object need to be set, for example, the type of edge between two nodes connected by a hop node object Nh does not need to be set.

[0102] The attribute condition does not have to be set, and the registration screen Gr does not have to include the condition setting area A3.

[0103] In the above embodiment, a search is performed using a search pattern selected from the search patterns stored in the search condition storage unit 22. However, a search may also be performed using the search pattern created in the drawing area A2 as is without saving it. For example, a search execution icon Bex may be placed on the registration screen Gr, and by operating the search execution icon Bex, the terminal device 10 may send a search request to the server 20 that includes graph structure data representing the search pattern created in the drawing area A2.

[0104] The registration screen Gr and the search screen Gs may be displayed simultaneously, arranged side by side, on the display of the terminal device 10. In this case, the user can create a search pattern on the registration screen Gr while viewing the design drawing displayed in the drawing area A4 of the search screen Gs. Specifically, the user can check the topology and the attributes of each node included in the design drawing, which makes it possible to create search patterns more efficiently.

[0105] The registration screen Gr may be configured to read a search topology from a list of search topologies stored in the search condition storage unit 22. In this case, the user can create a new search topology using the read search topology. This makes it possible to improve the efficiency of the search pattern creation process.

[0106] The search screen Gs may further include a screen that displays the search topology when the search topology is selected from the list Lt in the operation area A5.

[0107] 1...information processing system, 10...terminal device, 12...display unit, 20...server, 21...data storage unit, 22...search condition storage unit, 23...control unit (search unit).

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising: a data storage unit that stores graph structure data in which components installed in a plant are defined as nodes and the connection relationship between two components is defined as an edge; a display unit that displays a registration screen including a drawing area in which node objects representing the nodes and edge objects connecting the two node objects can be placed; and a search unit that searches the graph structure data for a topology that matches a search topology represented by the node objects and edge objects placed in the drawing area by a user.

2. An information processing system as described in claim 1, further comprising a search condition storage unit that stores multiple search topologies including the search topology, wherein the search unit searches the graph structure data for a topology that matches the search topology selected from the multiple search topologies stored in the search condition storage unit.

3. An information processing system as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the registration screen further includes a condition setting area for setting attribute conditions that are conditions for the attributes of the node object, and the search unit searches the graph structure data for a topology that matches the search topology and satisfies the attribute conditions set by the user in the condition setting area.

4. An information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the node objects include a piping node object representing a node of a piping system, an instrument node object representing a node of an instrument, and an equipment node object representing a node of a process equipment.

5. The information processing system according to claim 4, wherein the node objects further include an arbitrary node object that indicates an arbitrary node.

6. An information processing system according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the node objects further include a hop node object that specifies a range of the number of nodes to be placed between two nodes.

7. The information processing system of claim 6, wherein the hop node object further specifies a type of edge between the two nodes.

8. An information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising: a terminal device used by the user, the terminal device including the display unit; and a server including the data storage unit and the search unit.

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