System

Abstract

The present invention makes it possible to process data from a production site with real-time performance. According to the present invention, a system that manages data from a hierarchized production site comprises a plurality of information processing devices. Each of the information processing devices can communicate with at least one other information processing device and has a database that stores data managed by the information processing device in association with metadata that includes layer data that indicates the layer of the production site to which the data belongs. When an information processing device has received a request for data that belongs to a prescribed layer, the information processing device retrieves the data from the database on the basis of the request when the prescribed layer indicated by the request coincides with the layer indicated by the metadata associated with the data managed by the information processing device.

Description

System

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a system, and particularly to a system for managing data at a manufacturing site.

[0002] In manufacturing sites such as factories, mechanisms for evaluating productivity have been proposed. For example, a controller of a production line collects data from a plurality of production facilities and uploads the collected data to a server device. The server device collects and processes the data transferred from the controller, thereby evaluating the productivity of the entire manufacturing site or the production line. In such a mechanism, since the server device is responsible for data collection and productivity evaluation processing based on the data, the load on the server device or the amount of communication data increases, which may lead to an increase in data storage cost or communication cost, and a decrease in communication speed or real-time performance of data processing.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019-204224 (Patent Document 1) discloses an analysis system for sensor data of production equipment in a factory. In this analysis system, a data collection device in the factory receives sensor data and transmits the sensor data to a data cooperation server in the factory, the data cooperation server transmits the received sensor data to a server external to the factory, and the external server aggregates, accumulates, and analyzes the sensor data transferred from the factory.

[0004] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019-204224

[0005] In the analysis system of Patent Document 1, since a server external to the factory is responsible for aggregation, accumulation, and evaluation of sensor data, the load on the server device or the amount of communication data tends to increase, and the above-described problems of increased cost or decreased real-time performance cannot be solved.

[0006] One object of the present disclosure is to provide a mechanism capable of processing data at a manufacturing site with real-time performance.

[0007] The system relating to this disclosure is a system for managing data of a hierarchical manufacturing site, the system comprising a plurality of information processing devices, each information processing device being able to communicate with one or more other information processing devices, each information processing device including a database that stores the data it manages in association with metadata including hierarchical data indicating which hierarchical level of the manufacturing site the data belongs to, a request receiving unit that receives requests for data, and a search unit that searches for data from the database based on the requests, the requests including requests for data belonging to a predetermined hierarchical level.

[0008] According to this disclosure, each of the multiple information processing devices has a database that manages hierarchical manufacturing site data, and when data at a predetermined hierarchical level is requested, it searches the database for the requested data. The system can process (search) the data requested by such distributed processing by multiple information processing devices in real time.

[0009] In the disclosure described above, the search unit searches for data from the database based on the request when the predetermined hierarchy indicated by the request matches the hierarchy indicated by the metadata associated with the data managed by the information processing device.

[0010] According to the above disclosure, the search unit performs a search based on a request, provided that the predetermined hierarchy indicated by the request matches the hierarchy indicated by the metadata of the data managed by the information processing device.

[0011] In the above disclosure, each information processing device determines whether the predetermined hierarchy indicated by the request matches the hierarchy indicated by the metadata associated with the data in the database of the information processing device. If it is determined that they match, the search unit searches for the data. If it is determined that they do not match, the search is not performed and the request is forwarded to another information processing device.

[0012] According to the above disclosure, each information processing device can perform a search on the condition that the predetermined hierarchy of the requested data matches the hierarchy of the data it manages in its database. It can also forward the request to another information processing device on the condition that there is a mismatch.

[0013] In the above disclosure, the manufacturing site includes the equipment of the production line, each information processing device further has a network interface that connects one or more pieces of equipment to a network, and the data managed by the information processing device includes the data of the equipment connected to the network.

[0014] According to the above disclosure, each information processing device can include data on equipment installed on the production line in the data it manages by associating metadata in a database.

[0015] In the disclosure described above, the metadata further includes attribute data indicating the attributes of the equipment corresponding to the equipment data contained in the data managed by the information processing device associated with the metadata.

[0016] According to the above disclosure, metadata associated with data on equipment managed by each information processing device may include attribute data indicating the attributes of said equipment.

[0017] In the disclosure described above, the request further includes a first request that requests data associated with metadata, which includes attribute data indicating an attribute having a predetermined attribute value.

[0018] According to this disclosure, each of the multiple information processing devices retrieves data from a database that includes attribute data indicating an attribute having a predetermined attribute value, based on a first request. The system can process (retrieve) the data requested by such distributed processing by multiple information processing devices in real time.

[0019] In the above disclosure, each information processing device determines whether the predetermined attribute value indicated by the first request matches the attribute value indicated by the attribute data of metadata associated with the data in the database of the information processing device. If the search unit determines that the two match, it searches the database for data based on the first request. If the two do not match, it does not perform a search and transfers the first request to another information processing device.

[0020] According to the above disclosure, each information processing device can perform a search on the condition that the predetermined attribute value of the data requested in the first request matches the attribute value indicated by the attribute data associated with the data it manages in its database. It can also transfer the first request to another information processing device on the condition that there is no match.

[0021] In the disclosure described above, the data that the search unit retrieves from the database based on the first request includes the requested data and hierarchical metadata data associated with the requested data.

[0022] According to the above disclosure, the search unit can search, based on the first request, for data associated with attribute data that shows an attribute value matching a predetermined attribute value indicated by the first request, and for hierarchical data associated with said data.

[0023] In the above disclosure, the specified attribute value includes an identifier for the manufacturing application that the equipment possesses.

[0024] According to the above disclosure, the search unit can search for data on equipment having the application indicated by the identifier included in the first request, based on the first request.

[0025] In the above disclosure, the search unit generates and executes a command statement to retrieve the requested data from the database based on the request.

[0026] According to the above disclosure, the search unit in each information processing device can generate a command statement to be executed in order to search the database from a request.

[0027] In the above disclosure, the manufacturing site is provided with multiple information processing devices belonging to each layer that constitutes the manufacturing site, and one or more of the multiple information processing devices can be designated as a master. When an information processing device is designated as a master, that information processing device generates a request and forwards the request to other information processing devices.

[0028] According to the above disclosure, the system is provided with multiple information processing devices belonging to each layer of the manufacturing site, and each information processing device can generate requests and forward them to other information processing devices, provided that it is designated as a master.

[0029] In the disclosure described above, the request receiving unit of each information processing device receives requests transferred from the information processing device designated as the master.

[0030] According to the above disclosure, each information processing device can receive requests transferred from the master.

[0031] In the disclosure described above, each information processing device transfers data based on a search performed by the search unit to the information processing device designated as the master.

[0032] According to the above disclosure, each information processing device can transfer data based on a search to the requesting information processing device.

[0033] In the disclosure described above, when each information processing device is designated as a master, it performs predetermined processing on the data retrieved by the search unit of the information processing device or on the data transferred from other information processing devices.

[0034] According to the above disclosure, when the master receives data retrieved from each information processing device, it can perform predetermined processing on the transferred data.

[0035] In the disclosure described above, the data managed by each information processing device includes indicators representing productivity, and the prescribed processing includes the process of aggregating and visualizing the indicators shown by the data into predetermined hierarchical indicators of the manufacturing site.

[0036] According to the above disclosure, the master information processing device can aggregate and visualize the indicators shown by data transferred from other information processing devices into predetermined hierarchical indicators.

[0037] In the above disclosure, the prescribed processing further includes the processing of evaluating and visualizing the aggregated indicators.

[0038] According to the disclosures above, aggregated indicators can be evaluated and visualized. In the disclosures above, the hierarchy of the manufacturing site includes the factory hierarchy, the hierarchy of floors below the factory hierarchy, and the hierarchy of production lines below the floor hierarchy.

[0039] According to the above disclosure, the system can be applied to a manufacturing site that consists of a hierarchy including a factory hierarchy, a hierarchy of floors lower than the factory hierarchy, and a hierarchy of production lines lower than the floor hierarchy.

[0040] This disclosure provides a system that can process manufacturing site data in real time.

[0041] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a scenario in which the present invention is applied. This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a controller according to this embodiment. This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a server 700 according to this embodiment. This is a schematic diagram showing a module of an edge controller according to this embodiment. This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a database of an edge controller according to this embodiment. This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a database of an edge controller according to this embodiment. This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a DB change due to network cooperation according to this embodiment. This is a flowchart of the network cooperation process according to this embodiment. This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a screen displayed according to this embodiment. This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a screen displayed according to this embodiment. This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a screen displayed according to this embodiment. This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a development environment according to this embodiment.

[0042] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Parts identical or corresponding to those shown in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will not be repeated.

[0043] <A. Application Examples> First, we will explain an example of a situation in which the present invention is applied.

[0044] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a scenario to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 1 schematically shows the configuration of a system 1 that manages data from manufacturing sites of a plurality of factories 80. In FIG. 1, the plurality of factories 80 are also referred to as "Factory A", "Factory B", and "Factory C". In FIG. 1, the system 1 is applied to a manufacturing site including a plurality of factories 80, but the manufacturing site may be configured to include at least one factory 80.

[0045] At a manufacturing site, a plurality of facilities each perform respective processing on the same workpiece, thereby manufacturing a semi-finished product or a finished product. In FIG. 1, the configuration of a factory 80, which is an example of a manufacturing site, is shown for "Factory C", but the other "Factory A" and "Factory B" also have the same configuration.

[0046] The factory 80 ("Factory C") is, for example, a two-story building, a plurality of production lines 83 are provided on each floor 82, and the system 1 is responsible for production management of the production lines 83. The plurality of production lines 83 shown in FIG. 1 include, as an example, a processing line for processing workpieces and an assembly line for assembling workpieces that have passed through the processing line. In FIG. 1, in the plurality of production lines 83, along a conveyor (not shown) for transporting workpieces, a facility 90A, a facility 90B, and a facility 90C are arranged on the processing line, and a facility 90D and a facility 90E are arranged on the assembly line. In FIG. 1, the facilities 90A to 90E are also referred to as "Facility A", "Facility B", "Facility C", "Facility D", and "Facility E". In descriptions common to the facilities 90A to 90E, they are collectively referred to as facilities 90. The respective operations of each facility 90 are controlled and monitored by edge controllers 100A, 100B, and 100C, which are one embodiment of an information processing apparatus. Hereinafter, since the edge controllers 100A, 100B, and 100C have a common configuration, when describing said configuration, the edge controllers 100A, 100B, and 100C are collectively referred to as the edge controller 100. The edge controller 100 is typically embodied as a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) or an IPC (Industrial PC).

[0047] Each of the edge controllers 100A to 100C communicates with one or more other edge controllers 100. More specifically, the edge controllers 100A to 100C communicate via the local network 10. Further, the edge controllers 100A to 100C communicate with a computer 81 on the local network 10.

[0048] The computer 81 performs processing on data received from each of the edge controllers 100A to 100C, and stores the processed data in a DB (Data Base) 810, or transmits the processed data to a server 700 configured as a collection and analysis server. The computer 81 mainly has a configuration as a relay device that transfers data received from each of the edge controllers 100A to 100C to the server 700. The computer 81 may partially function similarly to the edge controller 100.

[0049] The server 700 is connected to information networks 11 and 12, which are networks outside the factory 80. The network 11 is a management-level network, to which the computer 81 of each factory 80 is connected, and a link that enables data exchange between devices via the network 11 is formed. The network 12 is an external network such as the Internet. For example, the server 700 is connected to a DB 710 responsible for production management. Different networks in FIG. 1 may be connected by a relay device not shown in the figure. The server 700 collects data received from the computer 81 and analyzes the collected data. The server 700 outputs an analysis result in response to a request from a terminal device not shown.

[0050] FIG. 1 illustrates, as a typical example, a configuration in which a plurality of edge controllers 100 are connected to the computer 81 via the same local network 10, but the configuration is not limited thereto. For example, a configuration in which a plurality of edge controllers 100 are directly connected to the server 700 without arranging the computer 81 as a relay device may be adopted.

[0051] Alternatively, multiple computers 81 may be provided as relay devices. In this case, one computer 81 may relay data exchange between some of the edge controllers 100 and the server 700, while another computer 81 may relay data exchange between the remaining edge controllers 100 and the server 700.

[0052] In Figure 1, the factory 80 has a first floor and a second floor 82, but the factory 80 only needs to be one story or more. Also, although the production line 83 is shown as a processing line and an assembly line, the number and types of production lines 83 are not limited to these, and the production line 83 may also include a welding line for welding assembled workpieces, or an inspection line for inspecting workpieces.

[0053] In System 1, the edge controller 100 is responsible for Factory Automation (FA) and information processing, exchanging data with the equipment 90 on the production line 83 via the network 2 and controlling the equipment 90. The edge controller 100 located at each piece of equipment 90 can collect data from the devices of each piece of equipment 90. In the following, the edge controller 100 collects data acquired or managed by devices specific to each piece of equipment 90 (hereinafter also referred to as "equipment data") and stores it in the DB 150. The devices of equipment 90 may include not only devices specific to equipment 90 but also devices such as sensors that have been added later.

[0054] In this embodiment, "equipment data" refers to the collective term for data directly or indirectly related to the processing of workpieces in each piece of equipment 90. "Equipment data" may include, for example, data from equipment located in each piece of equipment 90 (detection results from any sensor (input signals), output commands to any actuator (output signals), the status of any device, and user operation history). In system 1, the edge controller 100 of the production line 83 collects equipment data acquired by one or more pieces of equipment 90 in the production line 83 and performs a predetermined calculation on the collected equipment data to calculate an index representing productivity. The calculated productivity index is referred to as "field data." The edge controller 100 stores the field data in the DB 150 and also transfers it to other edge controllers 100 as needed. Therefore, the data of equipment 90 is a concept that includes "equipment data" and field data such as the index.

[0055] Networks 10-12 and field network 2 employ protocols and frameworks tailored to the differences in required characteristics. For example, the protocol for network 10, which belongs to the factory network, may be Ethernet / IP®, an industrial open network that implements a control protocol on the general-purpose Ethernet®. Similarly, the protocol for network 2 may be EthernetCAT®, an example of a machine control network. For networks 11 and 12, general-purpose Ethernet or similar protocols are used to ensure diversity in connection destinations. While real-time performance cannot be achieved by using general-purpose Ethernet, there are no limitations on the amount of data that can be transmitted.

[0056] The manufacturing site shown in Figure 1, to which System 1 is applied, is structured in a hierarchical manner. More specifically, the manufacturing site has a factory hierarchy, a floor hierarchy which is a lower level of the factory hierarchy, a line hierarchy which is a lower level of the floor hierarchy, a process hierarchy which is a lower level of the line hierarchy, and an equipment hierarchy which is a lower level of the process hierarchy. Therefore, the manufacturing site is structured in the following order from the top down: factory hierarchy → floor hierarchy → line hierarchy → process hierarchy → equipment hierarchy.

[0057] Each hierarchy contains one or more elements. Each element of a hierarchy is associated with at least one element belonging to a higher hierarchy or a lower hierarchy. For example, each element belonging to the factory hierarchy represents a factory 80 ("Factory A", "Factory B", "Factory C", etc.). Each element belonging to the floor hierarchy is associated with any one element of the factory hierarchy (factory 80) and represents a floor 82 (first floor, second floor, etc.) that constitutes the factory 80. Each element belonging to the line hierarchy is associated with any one element belonging to the floor hierarchy (floor 82) and represents a production line 83 (processing line, assembly line, etc.) located on that floor 82. Each element belonging to the process hierarchy is associated with any one element belonging to the line hierarchy (production line 83) and represents a process (not shown) that the production line 83 has (e.g., conveying, machining, welding, etc.). Each element belonging to the equipment hierarchy is associated with any one element belonging to the process hierarchy and represents equipment 90 such as photoelectric sensors, actuators, and power monitors located in that process.

[0058] The hierarchical structure of the manufacturing site is not limited to the example in Figure 1, and may consist of different types or numbers of layers.

[0059] In Figure 1, elements belonging to a hierarchy are configured to communicate with other elements in the same hierarchy, and also with elements belonging to other hierarchies. More specifically, referring to Figure 1, in System 1, the network is connected at multiple levels, and each level of the network is assigned a different role. Specifically, there are three levels of networks 10 to 12.

[0060] In the manufacturing site shown in Figure 1, the productivity indicators calculated by the edge controller 100 based on equipment data may include, for example, indicators showing the efficiency of production equipment such as OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), or KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) for the manufacturing process, such as production efficiency, downtime, operating rate, stoppage rate, and anomaly rate for the production line. However, productivity indicators are not limited to these items. In the following, when field data and indicators are not distinguished, they will be collectively referred to as field data.

[0061] When the edge controller 100 stores equipment data and field data in the DB 150, it stores the data along with metadata indicating which layer of the manufacturing site the data belongs to. Here, the layer to which the field data belongs refers to the layer to which the equipment 90 that exchanges equipment data for calculating field data with the edge controller 100 belongs, among the multiple layers that make up the manufacturing site.

[0062] Metadata includes combinations of hierarchical identifiers. For example, for the field data of equipment 90A on the processing line on the first floor of "Factory C", the metadata includes the identifier "Factory C / 1st floor / processing line / equipment 90A identifier". The identifier indicated by this metadata includes a combination of three hierarchical identifiers and the identifier of equipment 90A. For example, for the data of all equipment 90 on the assembly line on the second floor of "Factory B", the metadata indicates "Factory B / 2nd floor / assembly line / *". This metadata includes a combination of three hierarchical identifiers and the wildcard "*" (asterisk). For example, for the field data of all equipment 90 on the production line on the first floor of "Factory C", the metadata includes a combination of two hierarchical identifiers and a wildcard, as indicated by "Factory C / 1st floor / * / *". Metadata only needs to be a description that can identify the hierarchy to which the field data to which the metadata is associated belongs, and is not limited to the above examples.

[0063] In System 1 of Figure 1, the edge controller 100 receives a request for data belonging to a predetermined hierarchy (step S1). This request may include requests transferred from external devices. External devices may include requests transferred via at least one of networks 10 to 12. Such external devices include, for example, a server 700, a computer 81, and other edge controllers 100.

[0064] If field data associated with metadata matching a predetermined hierarchy indicated by the received request is stored in DB 150, the edge controller 100 searches DB 150 for data belonging to the predetermined hierarchy based on the request (step S2). The edge controller 100 then transfers the retrieved data to the requesting device.

[0065] In the manufacturing site shown in Figure 1, field data based on equipment data from equipment 90 is acquired by each edge controller 100 in the lower hierarchy of the factory in the hierarchical structure, and metadata is associated with and stored in the DB 150 of the edge controller 100. Therefore, it is possible to acquire data from the manufacturing site through distributed processing using multiple edge controllers 100 in the line hierarchy of the factory. With such distributed processing, it is possible to reduce the load on higher-level equipment compared to a case where field data acquisition is performed only by equipment in a higher hierarchy than the line hierarchy, such as a server 700 outside the factory. Furthermore, in System 1, since such field data acquisition is realized by distributed processing, the load on each edge controller 100 can be reduced.

[0066] When each edge controller 100 retrieves data belonging to a predetermined hierarchy from its own DB 150 in response to a request, the above load reduction allows for rapid data processing from the time of the request to the retrieval, thereby improving the real-time nature of the processing.

[0067] <B. Hardware Configuration> Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a controller according to an embodiment. The edge controller 100 includes a processor 102, main memory 104, storage 105, network controller 106, field network controller 108, memory card interface 112, local bus controller 116, timer 117, USB (Universal Serial Bus) controller 120, and DB 150. These components are connected via the processor bus 118. The DB 150 may be provided by an external unit accessible from the edge controller 100.

[0068] The processor 102 primarily corresponds to the arithmetic processing unit that performs control calculations, and is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc. Specifically, the processor 102 reads programs stored in the storage 105, loads them into the main memory 104, and executes them to perform control calculations according to the controlled object, as well as various processes as described later.

[0069] The main memory 104 consists of a volatile storage device such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), or a non-volatile storage device such as ROM (Read Only Memory). The storage 105 consists of a non-volatile storage device such as an SSD (Solid State Drive) or HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The main memory 104 stores data including a master designation 14A and a management hierarchy 14B. The master designation 14A specifies whether the edge controller 100 operates as a master or a slave when networking with other edge controllers 100. The management hierarchy 14B indicates the hierarchy to which the equipment 90 that communicates with the edge controller 100 (element) belongs. For example, when the edge controller 100 communicates field data with all the equipment 90 on the processing line on the second floor of "Factory A", the management hierarchy 14B includes the identifier combination "Factory A / 2nd floor / processing line / *".

[0070] The storage 105 stores a system program 226 including the OS (Operating System), a control program 228, a database program 229 that manages the DB 150, a request processing program 230 that processes the requests described above, a data processing program 231 that processes the field data of the equipment 90, and a visualization program 233 that creates display data for visually displaying processing results, etc. The data processing program 231 includes an aggregation program 232 that calculates or aggregates indicators based on the field data.

[0071] The network controller 106 exchanges data with any device (including other edge controllers 100, computers 81, servers 700, etc.) via the network 10.

[0072] The field network controller 108 configures a network interface for exchanging data with the equipment 90 via the field network 2. The edge controller 100 may also connect to another network independent of the field network 2 and network 10. More specifically, the controller 100 has a network interface for connecting to another network to which devices such as sensors that have been retrofitted as part of the equipment 90 belong, and can also exchange data (such as sensor measurement data) with the retrofitted devices via this other network.

[0073] The USB controller 120 acts as a communication interface that connects to a network to which an information processing device (not shown) belongs via a USB connection. Such a USB controller 120 transfers display data generated by the visualization program 233 to the information processing device. The information processing device outputs a screen based on the display data to a display. Such an information processing device includes a support device 200 or an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 400, etc.

[0074] In this embodiment, an external information processing device was used to display information from the edge controller 100, but the display configuration is not limited to this. For example, the edge controller 100 may implement a display device that constitutes the user interface.

[0075] The memory card interface 112 accepts a memory card 114, which is an example of a removable recording medium. The memory card interface 112 is capable of writing data to the memory card 114 and reading various types of data (including programs) from the memory card 114.

[0076] The local bus controller 116 exchanges data with any unit connected to the edge controller 100 via the local bus.

[0077] Figure 2 shows an example configuration in which the processor 102 provides the necessary modules by executing a program. However, some or all of these provided modules may be implemented using dedicated hardware circuits (for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array)). Alternatively, the main part of the edge controller 100 may be implemented using hardware that conforms to a general-purpose architecture (for example, an industrial PC based on a general-purpose PC). In this case, virtualization technology may be used to run multiple operating systems with different purposes in parallel, and to run the necessary applications on each OS. Furthermore, the edge controller 100 may adopt a configuration that integrates modules such as those of a display device or operating device.

[0078] The memory card 114 is an example of a recording medium that stores computer-readable programs non-transiently. The memory card interface 112 is into which the memory card 114 is detachably attached. The memory card interface 112 reads the programs or data stored on the memory card 114 and stores them in the storage device 105 or the like.

[0079] The programs or data for the storage 105 may be installed on the storage 105 via a recording medium such as a memory card 114, or they may be installed by downloading them from a support device 200 or the like. In addition, the modules provided by the edge controller 100 according to this embodiment may be implemented by utilizing a part of the modules provided by the OS.

[0080] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a server 700 according to an embodiment. As an example, the server 700 is implemented using hardware that follows a general-purpose architecture (for example, a general-purpose personal computer).

[0081] The server 700 includes a processor 202, main memory 204, input unit 206, display unit 208, storage 210, optical drive 212, and USB controller 220. These components are connected via a processor bus 218.

[0082] The processor 202 consists of a CPU or GPU, and performs various processes by reading programs stored in the storage 210, loading them into the main memory 204, and executing them.

[0083] The main memory 204 consists of a volatile storage device such as DRAM or SRAM. The storage 210 consists of a non-volatile storage device such as an HDD or SSD.

[0084] In addition to the OS 222, the storage 210 stores an application program 224 for providing a module as a server 700, and UI (User Interface) screen data 27.

[0085] The application program 224 includes a communication program 25 that controls communication between the server 700 and external devices, including the edge controller 100. The UI screen data 27 includes data that constitutes a plurality of screens displayed on the display unit 208 for interactive operation of the server 700. The UI screen may include a UI screen that accepts requests from the user for data belonging to a predetermined hierarchy.

[0086] The input unit 206 consists of a keyboard or mouse and accepts user input. The display unit 208 consists of a display, various indicators, etc., and displays processing results from the processor 202 or a UI screen.

[0087] The USB controller 220 exchanges data such as commands with the edge controller 100 via a USB connection.

[0088] The optical drive 212 is equipped with a removable recording medium 214 (for example, an optical recording medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)) that stores computer-readable programs non-transiently. The optical drive 212 reads the programs stored on the recording medium 214 and stores them in a read storage device 210 or the like.

[0089] Figure 3 shows an example configuration in which the processor 202 executes a program to realize the modules necessary for the server 700. However, some or all of these modules may be implemented using dedicated hardware circuits (for example, ASICs or FPGAs).

[0090] The configuration of the computer 81 in this embodiment is the same as the configuration of the server 700 in Figure 3, so no further explanation will be given.

[0091] <C. Module Configuration> Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the module of the edge controller according to this embodiment. In Figure 4, the edge controller 100 includes a visualization unit 111 realized by the execution of a visualization program 233, a request processing unit 113 realized by the execution of a request processing program 230, a database management unit 103 realized by the execution of a database program 229, a data processing unit 119 realized by the execution of a data processing program 231, and a control processing unit 10B realized by the execution of a control program 228. The control processing unit 10B performs control calculations based on equipment data (status values, etc.) input from the equipment 90 and outputs equipment data (control commands) based on the calculation results to the equipment 90. In the control processing unit 10B, control calculations are repeatedly executed in synchronization with the control cycle according to the control program 228, so that the controlled object is controlled cyclically according to the control commands.

[0092] The database management unit 103 manages the data in DB 150. More specifically, it generates tables in DB 150 to store field data and metadata. These tables are also called the field DB and metadata DB. The database management unit 103 also collects equipment data in chronological order from the control processing unit 10B that periodically communicates with each piece of equipment 90, and stores the collected chronological data in DB 150 in association with the metadata of the piece of equipment 90. It also searches for field data or equipment data in DB 150.

[0093] <D. Example of Database Configuration> Figures 5 and 6 schematically show an example of the database of the edge controller according to this embodiment. Figures 5 and 6 illustrate the field data of equipment 90A, 90B and 90C, which are among a plurality of pieces of equipment 90 installed on the factory production line.

[0094] Figure 5 shows, for example, the DB 150 of the edge controller 100 of a processing line. DB 150 in Figure 5 includes a field DB 52 in which field data 521 and 522 of the processing line equipment 90A and 90B are stored, and a meta DB 51 in which metadata 511 and 512 associated with the field data 521 and 522 are stored. This association is indicated by arrows in the figure. Field DB 52 also stores time-series equipment data 9A and 9B obtained from equipment 90A and equipment 90B in association with the field data 521.

[0095] Metadata 511 includes hierarchical data 51A and attribute data 51B, where hierarchical data 51A and attribute data 51B each include multiple column names and values ​​corresponding to each column name. The column names of hierarchical data 51A indicate the type of hierarchy to which the field data associated with the metadata 511 belongs (for example, factory name 189, line name 190, process name 191, equipment name 192, equipment number 193, etc.). Note that in Figures 5, 6, and Figure 7 described later, the floor hierarchy is omitted in the type of hierarchy indicated by hierarchical data 51A, but the type of hierarchy may include the floor hierarchy. The column names in attribute data 51B indicate the types of attributes possessed by the equipment 90A (for example, standard LT (Lead Time) 194, pre-equipment 195 and post-equipment 196 indicating equipment installed before and after the equipment 90A in the production line, identifiers of products manufactured using equipment 90A (for example, product name ID 197, product name 198), and application name 199). Application name 199 includes an identifier for the application (e.g., application program or data) that equipment 90A has (implements or runs) for product manufacturing.

[0096] Metadata 512 has the same structure as metadata 511, so a detailed explanation will not be repeated. Values ​​are also set in metadata 512, corresponding to each column name.

[0097] The field data 521 includes multiple column names and values ​​corresponding to each column name. The column names include the date 97a and the type of indicator (operating rate 97b, downtime rate 97c, abnormality rate 97d) as equipment data. The data processing unit 119 calculates various indicators based on the equipment data 9A of the equipment 90A and stores the calculated values ​​in association with the column name (type of indicator) that indicates the type.

[0098] Since field data 522 has the same structure as field data 521, a detailed explanation will not be repeated. The data processing unit 119 calculates various indicators based on the equipment data 9B of equipment 90B and stores each calculated value in association with the column name indicating the type.

[0099] Figure 6 shows, for example, the DB 150 of the edge controller 100 of an assembly line. DB 150 in Figure 6 includes a field DB 52 in which field data 521 of the assembly line equipment 90C is stored, and a meta DB 51 in which metadata 511 associated with the field data 521 is stored. This association is indicated by arrows in the figure. Field DB 52 in Figure 6 also stores time-series equipment data 9C acquired from the equipment 90C.

[0100] The metadata 511 and field data 521 in Figure 6 have the same configuration as those shown in Figure 5, so a detailed explanation will not be repeated. The types and number of column names in the metadata 511, and the types and number of values ​​shown in the field data 521 are not limited to the examples shown in Figure 5 or Figure 6.

[0101] <E. Network Collaboration> In the system shown in Figure 1, multiple edge controllers 100 connected by the network 10 belonging to the same layer collaborate at each layer. In this type of network collaboration, multiple edge controllers 100 belonging to the same layer collaborate at each layer.

[0102] In network collaboration, one or more edge controllers 100 belonging to the same hierarchical level are designated as the master of the collaboration. The edge controller 100 designated as the master forwards requests 30 that request field data belonging to a predetermined hierarchical level to the slave edge controllers 100. The requests 30 that the master forwards to the slaves may include requests 30 that the master received from the server 700 via the network 11 or 12, or requests 30 that the master generated based on commands received from an external device including the server 700.

[0103] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of DB changes due to network linkage according to this embodiment. Figure 8 is a flowchart of the network linkage process according to this embodiment. For example, multiple edge controllers 100A, 100B, and 100C belonging to the same hierarchy as the production line 83 (processing line and assembly line) on the first floor of "Factory C" in Figure 1 cooperate by exchanging data on the network 10. Among the edge controllers 100 on the same hierarchy, edge controller 100C is designated as the master, and the network linkage between this master and slaves (for example, edge controllers 100A and 100B of the processing line in Figure 1) will be explained.

[0104] Referring to Figure 8, the edge controller 100 determines whether it is designated as a master or a slave based on the master designation 14A (step S10). Hereinafter, edge controller 100C will be referred to as the master, and edge controllers 100A and 100B will be referred to as slaves.

[0105] In both the master and slave systems, the database management unit 103 creates a meta DB 513 in DB 150 for monitoring productivity indicators for the entire "Factory C" (step S11), and a field DB for field data for monitoring productivity indicators for the entire "Factory C" (step S12).

[0106] When the master receives request 30, it forwards the request 30 to the slave, and the slave forwards the predetermined hierarchical field data retrieved from the slave's DB 150 based on request 30 to the master (step S13). The master performs predetermined processing on the predetermined hierarchical field data retrieved from the master's DB 150 based on request 30 and the field data forwarded from the slave (step S14). Step S14 includes aggregation processing as predetermined processing. In the aggregation processing, the average is calculated for each of the indicators shown by the field data of each piece of equipment 90, such as operating rate, downtime rate, and abnormality rate. The master stores the aggregation results in the field DB created in step S12, associated with the metadata of the meta DB created in step S11 (step S15). The master may also forward the aggregated data (metadata 513 and the field DB 521 associated with the meta DB 513) to the requesting device (e.g., server 700) as a response to request 30.

[0107] Figure 7 shows an example of DB 150 in step S14. Referring to Figure 7, in the master DB 150, the meta DB 513 contains column names ("Factory Name") and values ​​corresponding to those column names ("Factory C"), and the field DB 523 stores field data (average values ​​for operating rate, downtime rate, and error rate) associated with the metadata ("Factory C"). For simplicity of explanation, Figure 7 shows a case where the master edge controller 100C is network-connected to one of the slave edge controllers 100A, but the configuration of DB 150 in Figure 7 can be similarly applied to a case where the master edge controller 100C is network-connected to both the slave edge controllers 100A and 100B.

[0108] The predetermined processing in step S14 is not limited to aggregation processing, but may also include processing to generate display data that visualizes the aggregation results.

[0109] Furthermore, the metrics represented by the field data to be aggregated may include OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), cycle time, takt time, etc.

[0110] Furthermore, the aggregation of field data using the master data may include calculating representative values ​​for the values ​​(indicators) represented by the field data. Representative values ​​are not limited to the mean as described above, but may also include minimum, maximum, and standard deviation. In addition, weighting using the operating, downtime, and abnormal time may be applied when calculating such representative values.

[0111] Furthermore, the aggregation process is not limited to "Factory C," but may be performed on the field data of all 90 pieces of equipment belonging to "Factory A," "Factory B," and "Factory C." Also, the hierarchy to which the field data subject to aggregation belongs is not limited to factories, but may be performed for other hierarchies (floor hierarchies, line hierarchies). The hierarchy to which the field data subject to such aggregation belongs can be specified by the predetermined hierarchy indicated in request 30.

[0112] For example, in step S13, when each master and slave edge controller 100 receives a request 30, the request processing unit 113 determines whether the predetermined hierarchy indicated by the received request 30 matches the hierarchy to which the equipment 90 that exchanges equipment data with the edge controller 100 belongs. More specifically, the request processing unit 113 compares the predetermined hierarchy indicated by the request with the hierarchy indicated by the management hierarchy 14B, and based on the result of the comparison, determines whether the predetermined hierarchy indicates the management hierarchy or not.

[0113] For example, referring to Figure 1, if the management hierarchy 14B of the edge controllers 100A, 100B, and 100C indicates "Factory C / 1st Floor / Processing Line / *" or "Factory C / 1st Floor / Assembly Line / *", and the predetermined hierarchy of request 30 indicates "Factory C / 1st Floor / * / *", the request processing unit 113 determines that the predetermined hierarchy encompasses or matches the hierarchy indicated by the management hierarchy 14B, i.e., the predetermined hierarchy indicates the management hierarchy. However, if the predetermined hierarchy of request 30 indicates "Factory C / 2nd Floor / * / *", the request processing unit 113 determines that the predetermined hierarchy does not encompass or match the hierarchy indicated by the management hierarchy 14B, i.e., the predetermined hierarchy does not indicate the management hierarchy. In this case, the request processing unit 113 of the master and slave edge controllers 100A, 100B, and 100C determines that request 30 is not addressed to them and outputs it to the network 10 or discards (ignores) it. Therefore, no search of DB 150 based on request 30 is performed.

[0114] The request processing unit 113 of the edge controller 100 may compare the predetermined hierarchy of the request 30 with the hierarchy indicated by the type of metadata hierarchy associated with the field data of the DB 150 of the edge controller 100 (for example, factory name 189, line name 190, process name 191, equipment name 192, equipment number 193, etc.), and determine whether the request 30 is addressed to itself based on the comparison result.

[0115] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the edge controller 100 may use information such as the context and product number of the equipment 90 included in the metadata to quantify the productivity of the production line or the equipment 90 that is a bottleneck, include it in the field data, and then transfer the field data to the master during network integration.

[0116] (e1. Edge Controllers 100 Constituting the Hierarchy) In a hierarchical manufacturing site, one or more edge controllers 100 belonging to that hierarchy are provided for each hierarchy. For example, in the hierarchy "Factory C / 1st Floor / Assembly Line / *" in Figure 1, only edge controller 100C constitutes the edge controllers 100 provided for that hierarchy. Also, in the hierarchy "Factory C / 1st Floor / * / *", edge controllers 100A, 100B, and 100C in Figure 1 constitute the edge controllers 100 provided for that hierarchy. At least one of the multiple edge controllers 100 belonging to each hierarchy can communicate with other information processing devices such as other edge controllers 100 in the hierarchy above. Furthermore, the multiple edge controllers 100 belonging to each hierarchy can communicate with at least one information processing device such as an edge controller 100 in the same hierarchy.

[0117] <F. Database Search Based on Requests> The database management unit 103 generates a command statement to search the DB 150 for field data belonging to a predetermined hierarchy indicated by the request 30, based on the request 30. The database management unit 103 executes the generated command statement. Such a command statement may include, for example, SQL (Structured Query Language) commands.

[0118] In the case where the predetermined hierarchy of request 30 indicates, for example, "Factory C / * / Processing Line / *", the command indicates a command to search (retrieve) from DB 150 for "field data associated with metadata where the value of column (Factory Name 189, Line Name 190) matches (Factory C, Processing)".

[0119] In this case, as a command statement, for example, the SELECT statement, which is one of the DML (Data Manipulation Language) data manipulation languages ​​in SQL, can be written using the specification of columns and the specification of the retrieval condition in the WHERE clause as follows: "SELECT "Column (Factory Name 189, Line Name 190)" FROM "Field DB52" where (Factory Name 189, Line Name 190);". Note that the description of a command statement to search DB150 is not limited to this.

[0120] <G. Example of Screen Display> In this embodiment, the data processing unit 119 further performs a process to evaluate and visualize the aggregated indicators, as shown in Figures 9 to 12. Figures 9 to 12 are schematic diagrams showing an example of a screen displayed according to this embodiment. Based on the request 30, the master data processing unit 119 aggregates the indicators shown by the field data collected from the master and slave using metadata associated with the field data. The visualization unit 111 generates display data for visualizing the aggregation results of the data processing unit 119. Figures 9 to 12 show an example of a screen displayed according to the display data generated by the visualization unit 111.

[0121] The screen in Figure 9 shows, for example, a case where "Factory C / 1st Floor / * / *" in Figure 1 is specified as the predetermined hierarchy for request 30. The upper part of the screen in Figure 9 displays the aggregated values ​​for the predetermined hierarchy, and the lower part displays a graph showing the time-series changes of indicators (for example, the operating rate of equipment 90, cycle time, etc.) for each piece of equipment 90 belonging to the predetermined hierarchy.

[0122] The data processing unit 119 identifies the field data for each piece of equipment 90 belonging to each factory based on the type of metadata hierarchy (factory name 189) associated with the field data, from the field data collected for a predetermined hierarchy. The data processing unit 119 also identifies the field data for each piece of equipment 90 based on the type of metadata hierarchy (equipment name 192, equipment number 193, etc.) associated with the field data, and identifies the field data for each piece of equipment 90 belonging to each production line based on the type of metadata hierarchy (line name 190, equipment name 192, equipment number 193, etc.).

[0123] Figures 10 to 12 show a case where drill-down is used to lower the hierarchy for which the indicators indicated by the field data are aggregated. For example, if "Factory C / * / * / *" in Figure 1 is specified as the predetermined hierarchy for request 30, the screen in Figure 10 displays the aggregated results of the field data for all equipment belonging to "Factory C". The screen in Figure 10 displays the aggregated results of the field data indicators for each piece of equipment 90 as bar graphs for each date based on date 97a. The bar graph for each date clearly displays the proportion accounted for by the aggregated result of each indicator that monitors the overall productivity of "Factory C" (e.g., utilization rate, downtime rate, and abnormality rate).

[0124] When the user manipulates (clicks) the bar graph 131 for the desired date (e.g., January 9th) in Figure 10, the screen shown in Figure 11 is displayed. The screen in Figure 11 displays the aggregated results of field data indicators for all equipment 90 belonging to each production line, which is a lower level of "Factory C". On the screen in Figure 11, for each production line, the aggregated results of field data indicators for each equipment 90 belonging to that production line are displayed as bar graphs for each date based on the date 97a. The bar graph for each date clearly displays the proportion accounted for by the aggregated result of each indicator that monitors the overall productivity of the production line (e.g., utilization rate, downtime rate, and anomaly rate).

[0125] When the user manipulates (clicks) the bar graph 141 for the desired date (e.g., January 9th) in Figure 11, the screen shown in Figure 12 is displayed. The screen in Figure 12 displays the aggregated results of the field data indicators for each piece of equipment 90, which is a lower level of the production line in "Factory C". On the screen in Figure 12, for each piece of equipment 90, the aggregated results of the field data indicators for that piece of equipment 90 are displayed as bar graphs for each date based on the date 97a. The bar graph for each date clearly displays the percentage accounted for by the aggregated result of each indicator that monitors the productivity of the piece of equipment 90 (e.g., utilization rate, downtime rate, and abnormality rate).

[0126] Figures 10 to 12 show screen switching using drill-down, but screen switching can also be done using drill-up.

[0127] The screen data shown in Figures 9 to 12 can be transferred from the edge controller 100 to an external device and displayed on the display of that external device. For example, the screen data may be transferred to the support device 200 or HMI 400 via the USB controller 120, or to the server 700 via the network controller 106.

[0128] <H. Other Examples of Database Search Based on Requests> In the example described above, a request 30 was explained in which a predetermined hierarchy indicated by the hierarchical data 51A is specified, and field data belonging to the specified predetermined hierarchy is requested. In this embodiment, request 30 may also include a request 31 (first request) which requests field data specified using the value (attribute value) of the attribute data 51B.

[0129] Request 31 specifies, for example, the value of application name 199 (e.g., operation monitoring application) from the attribute data 51B, and requests field data associated with metadata containing attribute data indicating that value, and hierarchical data 51A included in that metadata.

[0130] The database management unit 103 of the master or slave edge controller 100 generates, for example, an SQL statement based on the request 31. The statement generates a command to search DB 150 for field data associated with metadata (attribute data 51B) that has a value matching the “operation monitoring application”, and for the hierarchical data 51A of said metadata. In this case, for example, the SELECT statement, which is one of the DML data manipulation languages ​​in SQL, is used as the command.

[0131] The request processing unit 113 of the edge controller 100 compares the value of the application name indicated by the request 31 (for example, the operation monitoring application) with the value indicated by the application name 199 of the metadata associated with the field data of the DB 150 of the edge controller 100. If the comparison result shows that both values ​​match, the request 31 is determined to be addressed to itself; if they do not match, the request 31 is determined not to be addressed to itself.

[0132] The request processing unit 113 of the edge controller 100 searches the field DB 52 based on the request 31 if it determines that the request 31 is addressed to itself. However, if it determines that the request is not addressed to itself, it does not perform the search and instead outputs the request 31 to the network 10 or discards (ignores) it.

[0133] Here, request 31 specifies the value of application name 199 from attribute data 51B in order to request field data, but it may also specify the value of any other type of attribute, for example, standard LT 194, front equipment 195, rear equipment 196, product ID 197, or product name 198. Furthermore, the value specified by request 31 may be a combination of values ​​of different types of attributes from attribute data 51B. Also, the value specified by request 31 may be a combination of a predetermined hierarchy and the value of at least one type of attribute from attribute data 51B.

[0134] <I. Development Method> Figure 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a development environment according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the module in Figure 4 is developed by building a container (execution environment) on DOCKER® of a computer such as a support device 200. In Figure 13, a container corresponding to the visualization unit 111, a container corresponding to the DB 150, and containers corresponding to the data processing unit 119 and the database management unit 103 are built on the computer's DOCKER. Modules developed in such containers on Docker are ported (installed) to the actual edge controller 100. Note that the development environment for the module in Figure 4 is not limited to a Docker environment.

[0135] <J. Advantages of the Embodiment> According to this embodiment, the data processing for field data collection and aggregation is performed by distributed processing by multiple edge controllers 100 instead of the server 700, thereby reducing the load on the server 700 and allowing the processing capacity of the server 700 to be allocated to other tasks.

[0136] Furthermore, since the data processing for collecting and aggregating the above field data is achieved by exchanging requests 30 or field data between edge controllers 100 at the manufacturing site without communication with a server 700 on an external network, production indicators at the manufacturing site can be calculated in real time.

[0137] <K. Addendum> As described above, this embodiment includes the following disclosures.

[0138] (Configuration 1) A system (1) for managing data of a hierarchical manufacturing site, wherein the system comprises a plurality of information processing devices (100), each of the plurality of information processing devices is capable of communicating with one or more other information processing devices, and each of the information processing devices includes a database (150) that stores data (52, 9A, 9B, 9C) managed by the information processing device in association with metadata (51) which includes hierarchical data (51A) indicating which hierarchical level of the manufacturing site the data belongs to, a request receiving unit (113) that receives requests (30, 31), and a search unit (103) that searches for data from the database based on the requests, wherein the requests include requests for data belonging to a predetermined hierarchical level.

[0139] (Configuration 2) The system according to Configuration 1, wherein the search unit searches for data from the database based on the request when the predetermined hierarchy indicated by the request matches the hierarchy indicated by the metadata associated with the data managed by the information processing device. (Configuration 3) The system according to Configuration 1, wherein the search unit searches for data from the database based on the request when the predetermined hierarchy indicated by the request includes or matches the management hierarchy managed by the information processing device.

[0140] (Configuration 4) The system according to Configurations 1 to 3, wherein each information processing device determines whether the predetermined hierarchy indicated by the request matches the hierarchy indicated by the metadata hierarchy data associated with the data in the database of the information processing device, and when it is determined that the two match, the search unit searches for the data, and when it is determined that the two do not match, the search is not performed and the request is forwarded to the other information processing device.

[0141] (Configuration 5) The system according to Configurations 1 to 3, wherein each information processing device determines whether the predetermined hierarchy indicated by the request is included in or matches the management hierarchy managed by the information processing device, and when it is determined that the two are included in or match, the search unit searches for data, and when it is determined that the two are not included in or do not match, the search is not performed and the request is transferred to the other information processing device.

[0142] (Configuration 6) The system according to any one of Configurations 1 to 5, wherein the manufacturing site includes production line equipment (90), each information processing device further has a network interface (108) that connects one or more of the equipment to a network, and the data managed by the information processing device includes data from the equipment connected to the network.

[0143] (Configuration 7) The system according to any one of Configurations 1 to 6, wherein the metadata further includes attribute data (51B) indicating the attributes of the equipment corresponding to the data of the equipment included in the data managed by the information processing device associated with the metadata.

[0144] (Configuration 8) The system according to Configuration 7, wherein the request further includes a first request (31) requesting data associated with the metadata, which includes attribute data indicating an attribute having a predetermined attribute value.

[0145] (Configuration 9) The system according to Configuration 8, wherein the search unit searches for data from the database based on the first request when both the predetermined attribute value indicated by the first request and the attribute value indicated by the metadata attribute data associated with the data in the database of the information processing device match, and / or when both the predetermined hierarchy indicated by the request and the management hierarchy managed by the information processing device are included or match.

[0146] (Configuration 10) The system according to Configuration 8, wherein the search unit searches for data from the database based on the first request when both the predetermined attribute value indicated by the first request and the management hierarchy managed by the information processing device are included in or match the first request.

[0147] (Configuration 11) The system according to Configuration 8, wherein each information processing device determines whether the predetermined attribute value indicated by the first request matches the attribute value indicated by the attribute data of the metadata associated with the data in the database of the information processing device, or determines whether the predetermined hierarchy indicated by the request matches or matches the management hierarchy managed by the information processing device; the search unit searches for data from the database based on the first request when it is determined that the two match, and does not perform the search when it is determined that the two do not match, and transfers the first request to the other information processing device.

[0148] (Configuration 12) The system according to Configuration 8, wherein each information processing device determines whether the first two of the predetermined attribute values ​​indicated by the first request and the attribute values ​​indicated by the attribute data of the metadata associated with the data in the database of the information processing device match, and / or whether the second two of the predetermined hierarchy indicated by the request and the management hierarchy managed by the information processing device are included or match, and the search unit, when it is determined that the first two match and the second two are included or match, searches for data from the database based on the first request, and when it is determined that the first two do not match, or that the second two do not include or do not match, does not perform the search and transfers the first request to the other information processing device.

[0149] (Configuration 13) The system according to Configuration 8, wherein each information processing device determines whether the predetermined attribute value indicated by the first request and the management hierarchy managed by the information processing device are included in or match, and the search unit searches for data from the database based on the first request when it is determined that the two are included in or match, and when it is determined that the two are not included in or do not match, it does not perform the search and transfers the first request to the other information processing device.

[0150] (Configuration 14) The system according to Configurations 8 to 13, wherein the data retrieved by the search unit from the database based on the first request includes the requested data and the hierarchical data of the metadata associated with the requested data.

[0151] (Configuration 15) The system according to any one of Configurations 8 to 14, wherein the predetermined attribute value includes an identifier for the manufacturing application that the equipment has.

[0152] (Configuration 16) The system according to any one of Configurations 1 to 15, wherein the search unit generates and executes a command statement to search the database for the requested data based on the request.

[0153] (Configuration 17) The manufacturing site is provided with a plurality of information processing devices belonging to each layer that constitutes the manufacturing site, and one or more of the plurality of information processing devices can be designated as a master, and when each of the information processing devices is designated as a master, the information processing device generates the request and forwards the request to other information processing devices, the system according to any one of Configurations 1 to 16.

[0154] (Configuration 18) The system according to Configuration 17, wherein the request receiving unit of each information processing device receives the request transferred from the information processing device designated as the master.

[0155] (Configuration 19) The system according to Configuration 17 or 18, wherein each of the information processing devices transfers data based on the search performed by the search unit to the information processing device designated as the master.

[0156] (Configuration 20) The system according to any one of Configurations 17 to 19, wherein when each of the information processing devices is designated as a master, it performs predetermined processing on data retrieved by the search unit of the information processing device or on data transferred from another information processing device.

[0157] (Configuration 21) The system according to Configuration 20, wherein the data managed by each of the information processing devices includes an indicator representing productivity, and the predetermined processing includes a process of aggregating and visualizing the indicator shown by the data into an indicator at a predetermined hierarchy of the manufacturing site.

[0158] (Configuration 22) The system according to Configuration 21, wherein the predetermined processing further includes a process for evaluating and visualizing the aggregated indicators.

[0159] (Configuration 23) The system according to any one of Configurations 1 to 22, wherein the hierarchy of the manufacturing site includes the hierarchy of the factory (80), the hierarchy of a floor (82) lower than the factory hierarchy, and the hierarchy of a production line (83) lower than the floor hierarchy.

[0160] While embodiments of the present invention have been described, the embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, and all modifications within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included.

[0161] 1 System, 2 Field Network, 10 Local Network, 11, 12 Network, 9A, 9B, 9C Equipment Data, 10B Control Processing Unit, 14A Master Designation, 14B Management Hierarchy, 25 Communication Program, 27 Screen Data, 30, 31 Request, 51 Meta DB, 51A Hierarchy Data, 51B Attribute Data, 52 Field DB, 80 Factory, 81 Computer, 82 Floor, 83 Production Line, 90, 90A, 90B, 90C, 90D, 90E Equipment, 189 Factory Name, 190 Line Name, 191 Process Name, 192 Equipment Name, 193 Equipment Number, 97a Date, 97b Operating Rate, 97c Downtime Rate, 97d Anomaly Rate, 100, 100A, 100C Edge Controller, 102, 202 Processor, 103 Database management unit, 104, 204 Main memory, 105, 210 Storage, 106 Network controller, 108 Field network controller, 111 Visualization unit, 112 Memory card interface, 113 Request processing unit, 114 Memory card, 116 Local bus controller, 117 Timer, 118, 218 Processor bus, 119 Data processing unit, 131, 141 Bar graph, 150 DB, 206 Input unit, 208 Display unit, 212 Optical drive, 214 Recording medium, 224 Application program, 226 System program, 228 Control program, 229 Database program, 230 Request processing program, 231 Data processing program, 232 Aggregation program, 233 Visualization program.

Claims

1. A system for managing data in a hierarchical manufacturing site, wherein the system comprises a plurality of information processing devices, each of the plurality of information processing devices is capable of communicating with one or more other information processing devices, and each of the information processing devices includes a database that stores the data it manages in association with metadata that includes hierarchical data indicating which hierarchical level the data belongs to in the manufacturing site, a request receiving unit that receives requests for data, and a search unit that searches for data from the database based on the requests, wherein the requests include requests for data belonging to a predetermined hierarchical level.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the search unit searches for data from the database based on the request when the predetermined hierarchy indicated by the request matches the hierarchy indicated by the hierarchical data of the metadata associated with the data managed by the information processing device.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each information processing device determines whether the predetermined hierarchy indicated by the request and the hierarchy indicated by the metadata associated with the data in the database of the information processing device match, and if it is determined that the two match, the search unit searches for data, and if it is determined that the two do not match, the search is not performed and the request is forwarded to the other information processing device.

4. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the manufacturing site includes production line equipment, each information processing device further has a network interface connecting one or more of the equipment to a network, and the data managed by the information processing device includes data from the equipment connected to the network.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the metadata further includes attribute data indicating the attributes of the equipment corresponding to the data of the equipment contained in the data managed by the information processing device associated with the metadata.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the request further includes a first request requesting data associated with the metadata, which includes attribute data indicating an attribute having a predetermined attribute value.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein each information processing device determines whether the predetermined attribute value indicated by the first request matches the attribute value indicated by the attribute data of the metadata associated with the data in the database of the information processing device, and the search unit, when it determines that the two match, searches for data from the database based on the first request, and when it determines that the two do not match, does not perform the search and transfers the first request to the other information processing device.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the data retrieved by the search unit from the database based on the first request includes the requested data and the hierarchical data of the metadata associated with the requested data.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined attribute value includes an identifier for the application for manufacturing that the equipment has.

10. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the search unit generates and executes a command statement to search the database for the requested data based on the request.

11. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the manufacturing site is provided with a plurality of information processing devices belonging to each layer that constitutes the manufacturing site, and one or more of the plurality of information processing devices can be designated as a master, and when each of the information processing devices is designated as a master, the information processing device generates the request and transfers the request to other information processing devices.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the request receiving unit of each information processing device receives the request transferred from the information processing device designated as the master.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein each of the information processing devices transfers data based on the search performed by the search unit to the information processing device designated as the master.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein, when each of the information processing devices is designated as a master, it performs predetermined processing on data retrieved by the search unit of the information processing device or on data transferred from another information processing device.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the data managed by each of the information processing devices includes an indicator representing productivity, and the predetermined processing includes a process of aggregating and visualizing the indicators shown by the data into predetermined hierarchical indicators of the manufacturing site.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined processing further includes a process for evaluating and visualizing the aggregated indicators.

17. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the hierarchy of the manufacturing site includes a factory hierarchy, a floor hierarchy lower than the factory hierarchy, and a production line hierarchy lower than the floor hierarchy.

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