JP2024079901A - Edge device, apparatus management system, method for managing apparatus, and apparatus management program - Google Patents

Abstract

To send operation data of an apparatus to a remote device while keeping confidentiality of a user when an abnormality is detected in an apparatus.SOLUTION: An edge device sends a request to approve of disclosure of operation data related to an abnormality acquired from a monitor when the edge device acquires an alarm notice regarding an abnormality of an apparatus from a monitor. Also, when the edge device receives an approval of disclosure to the request of approve of disclosure, the edge device sends disclosure data prepared on the basis of the operation data to the remote device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

This disclosure relates to an edge device, a device management system, a device management method, and a device management program.

Plant facilities are comprised of devices such as compressors and pumps. If an abnormality such as a breakdown or malfunction occurs in these devices, it will affect the operation of the plant facilities, so the devices are monitored for abnormalities. This type of equipment abnormality monitoring is performed as remote monitoring via an information and communication network such as the Internet by a remote device located in a remote location (e.g., a data monitoring center) that is geographically distant from the devices.

In remote monitoring, when an abnormality is detected, the operation data of the equipment being monitored is transferred to a remote device, where it is used by an expert or data analysis system at the remote device to verify the details of the detected abnormality and propose future maintenance policies. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses technology relating to a plant diagnostic device that can diagnose whether or not an abnormality has occurred in a plant by acquiring and analyzing the operation data of the plant to be diagnosed online via an information and communication network. Patent Document 2 discloses technology for preventing the leaking of know-how related to anomaly detection processing and protecting it by restricting access to a data storage unit that stores the operation data used for anomaly detection.

Japanese Patent No. 6116466 JP 2020-067793 A

As mentioned above, in the technology for monitoring abnormalities in equipment, in order to grasp the status of equipment in which an abnormality has been detected at a remote monitoring station, the operation data of the equipment is transferred from the site where the equipment is installed to the monitoring station via an information and communications network. However, the operation data may contain know-how related to operation or business start-up that should be kept secret by the equipment user, and transfer to an external party may be undesirable from the standpoint of preventing the leakage of such know-how.

At least one embodiment of the present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an edge device, a device management system, a device management method, and a device management program that can transmit device operation data to a remote device while ensuring user confidentiality when an abnormality is detected in the device.

In order to solve the above problem, an edge device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes:
a disclosure approval request unit for, when receiving an alarm notification regarding an abnormality of a device from a monitoring device that monitors an operating state of the device, requesting approval for disclosure of operation data related to the abnormality that is obtained from the monitoring device;
a transmitting unit for transmitting the driving data to a remote device when a notice of approval for the disclosure approval is received;
Equipped with.

In order to solve the above problems, at least one embodiment of the device management system according to the present disclosure includes:
An edge device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;
a user terminal for receiving the disclosure approval and transmitting the approval notice;
the remote device;
Equipped with.

In order to solve the above problem, at least one embodiment of the device management method according to the present disclosure includes:
When an alarm notification regarding an abnormality of a device is obtained from a monitoring device that monitors an operating state of the device, a request for approval to disclose operation data related to the abnormality obtained from the monitoring device is made;
transmitting the driving data to a remote device when a notice of approval for the disclosure is received;
Equipped with.

In order to solve the above problem, at least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a device management program,
A computer device includes:
When an alarm notification regarding an abnormality of a device is obtained from a monitoring device that monitors an operating state of the device, a request for approval to disclose operation data related to the abnormality obtained from the monitoring device is made;
transmitting the driving data to a remote device when a notice of approval for the disclosure approval is received;
It is possible to execute the following.

According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an edge device, a device management system, a device management method, and a device management program that can transmit device operation data to a remote device while ensuring user confidentiality when an abnormality is detected in the device.

1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a device management system according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the device in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the edge device in FIG. 1 . 1 is a flowchart illustrating a device management method according to an embodiment. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a device management method according to another embodiment.

Below, several embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. However, the configurations described as the embodiments or shown in the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention and are merely illustrative examples.

First, the configuration of the device management system 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the device management system 1 according to one embodiment, Figure 2 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the device 12 in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the edge device 18 in Figure 1.

The equipment management system 1 is a system for managing the equipment 12 in the plant system 2, and is configured with the plant system 2, a router 4, an external network 6, a connection server 8, and a remote device 10.

The plant system 2 includes, in addition to the equipment 12 to be managed, a monitoring device 14, a user terminal 16, and an edge device 18. These elements that make up the plant system 2 are located within a relatively short distance of the equipment 12 and are connected via an internal network (not shown).

The device 12 can be any device, but for example, as shown in FIG. 2, the device 12 includes a device main body 20, a control device 22 for controlling the device main body 20, and a sensor 24. The device main body 20 is a hardware configuration that is controlled by the control device 22, and is, for example, a machine with a rotating part such as a compressor, turbine, or pump.

The control device 22 is a control unit for controlling the device body 20, and is configured as an arithmetic device such as a computer device. The control device 22 executes various arithmetic processes for controlling the device body 20 by executing a program installed in advance. The control device 22 then controls the device body 20 based on the calculation results of the arithmetic processes, thereby realizing the operation of the device 12.

The sensor 24 is attached to the device body 20 and is configured to detect operating state parameters related to the operating state of the device body 20 controlled by the control device 22. The operating state parameters are not limited as long as they are used to diagnose abnormalities in the device 12 when monitored by the monitoring device 14. For example, as described above, if the device body 20 is a machine with a rotating part, physical parameters such as rotation speed and vibration can be selected as the operating state parameters.

Returning to FIG. 1, the monitoring device 14 is configured to monitor the operating state of the device 12 based on operating state parameters detected by a sensor 24 attached to the device body 20. In this embodiment, the monitoring device 14 includes a database 25, an abnormality diagnosis unit 26, an alarm unit 28, and a cause guidance information provision unit 29.

The database 25 is configured to store operating status parameters obtained from the sensor 24 equipped in the device 12.

The abnormality diagnosing unit 26 is configured to perform abnormality diagnosis of the device 12 by analyzing the operating state parameters stored in the database 25. The notification unit 28 is configured to output an alarm notification to notify the device 12 of the abnormality when the abnormality diagnosis performed by the abnormality diagnosing unit 26 determines that there is an abnormality in the operating state of the device 12.
The specific method of the abnormality diagnosis by the abnormality diagnosis unit 26 may be any known method, and the details will be omitted here. The database 25 may also store alarm notification information sent from the notification unit 28 in response to the diagnosis result by the abnormality diagnosis unit 26.

The user terminal 16 is a terminal that can be used by a user of the plant system 2. The user terminal 16 has various functions related to the operation of the plant system 2. In addition, the user terminal 16 is capable of communicating with the monitoring device 14 and the edge device 18 via an internal network different from the external network 6.
The user terminal 16 may be a portable terminal such as a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a mobile phone, or a laptop computer, or may be any fixed terminal including a desktop computer.

The edge device 18 is provided between the monitoring device 14 and the router 4, and is configured to manage the transmission and reception of information between the user side (the plant system 2 side) of the external network 6 and the connection destination of the external network 6. As shown in FIG. 3, the edge device 18 basically comprises a CPU 30, a transmitting unit 32, and a receiving unit 34.

The CPU 30 is a processor that performs various functions by operating according to a previously prepared program and controls the overall operation of the edge device 18. In this embodiment, as a functional configuration for implementing the device management method described below, the CPU 30 functions as an alarm notification acquisition unit 50, a disclosure approval request unit 52, a disclosure approval acquisition unit 54, a disclosure range request unit 56, a disclosure range acquisition unit 58, a disclosure data creation unit 60, a transmission/reception control unit 62, an inspection request acquisition unit 64, and an inspection data acquisition unit 66.

The transmitting unit 32 is configured to transmit various data from the router 4 to the connection destination (connection server 8, remote device 10) via the external network 6. The receiving unit 34 is configured to receive various data from the connection destination (connection server 8, remote device 10) via the external network 6 from the router 4. The timing and data content transmitted and received by the transmitting unit 32 and the receiving unit 34 are appropriately controlled by the transmission and reception control unit described below.

Such an edge device 18 is configured to prevent direct access to the plant system 2 from the remote device 10 located outside the external network 6. As a result, the remote device 10 cannot directly access the operation data stored in the database 25 of the monitoring device 14, and access is limited to only the operation data transmitted from the edge device 18 to the remote device 10. The operation data may contain know-how regarding operation and operation that should be kept secret by the user of the equipment 12, but by providing the edge device 18, it is possible to manage the prevention of leakage of such know-how by limiting the scope of disclosure of the operation data to the remote device 10.

The external network 6 is a communication network for connecting the plant system 2 connected to the router 4 with an external connection server 8 and a remote device 10, and may be a wireless connection or a wired connection.
The router 4 may be a mobile router.

The connection server 8 is a server for realizing secure communication between the plant system 2 and the remote device 10. The connection server 8 may realize secure communication using, for example, technology (US Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0344745) of Weaved. Inc. (now remote3.it). However, the connection server 8 may realize secure communication using other technologies and is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment.

The remote device 10 is configured to access the plant system 2 via the external network 6 and perform detailed diagnosis of the abnormality and issue response instructions remotely when an abnormality occurs in the operation of the equipment 12 of the plant system 2. For example, the remote device 10 is placed in a remote location geographically distant from the plant system 2 and is handled by a third party such as an expert other than the user who manages the plant system 2, and can support operations by providing the user with information regarding detailed diagnosis and response instructions even in situations that are difficult for the user to handle alone.

Next, we will explain the functional configurations realized by the CPU 30 of the edge device 18.

The alarm notification acquisition unit 50 is configured to acquire an alarm notification regarding an abnormality in the equipment 12 from the monitoring device 14. As described above, in the monitoring device 14, when the abnormality diagnosis unit 26 diagnoses that there is an abnormality in the equipment 12, an alarm notification is output from the notification unit 28. The alarm notification from the notification unit 28 is transmitted to the user terminal 16 to be notified to the user of the plant system 2, and is also notified to the remote device 10 via the external network 6. As a result, when an abnormality is diagnosed in the equipment 12, in addition to the user who actually uses the equipment 12, external experts, etc. can be quickly notified of the possibility of an abnormality in the equipment 12 by notifying the remote device 10.

The disclosure approval request unit 52 is configured to request approval for the disclosure of the operation data stored in the database 25 from the user terminal 16. As described above, the database 25 stores operation data detected by the sensor 24, and while the operation data is useful information for abnormality diagnosis, it may also contain know-how related to operation and operation that should be kept secret by the user of the equipment 12. Therefore, when an alarm notification is acquired by the alarm notification acquisition unit 50, the disclosure approval request unit 52 transmits a request for approval for the disclosure of the operation data to the user terminal 16.

The disclosure approval acquisition unit 54 is configured to acquire disclosure approval received from the user terminal 16 in response to a disclosure approval request sent to the user terminal 16 by the disclosure approval request unit 52.

The disclosure range request unit 56 is configured to make a disclosure range request to the user terminal 16 when disclosure approval is obtained by the disclosure approval acquisition unit 54. The disclosure range request is a request to prompt the user terminal 16 to specify the range of the driving data stored in the database 25 that should be disclosed.

The disclosure range acquisition unit 58 is configured to acquire the disclosure range received from the user terminal 16 in response to the disclosure range request sent to the user terminal 16 by the disclosure range request unit 56. The format of the disclosure range request is not limited, but the disclosure range request may include, for example, the type of data that is permitted to be disclosed among the driving data stored in the database 25, and the data acquisition period.

The disclosure data creation unit 60 is configured to create disclosure data based on the driving data stored in the database 25. The disclosure data is created by processing the driving data stored in the database 25 based on the disclosure range acquired by the disclosure range acquisition unit 58, on the condition that the disclosure approval request unit 52 has obtained approval for disclosure from the user terminal 16.

The transmission/reception control unit 62 is configured to control the transmission/reception state of various data between the plant system 2 and the remote device 10. The transmission/reception control by the transmission/reception control unit 62 is performed to the extent that access from the remote device 10 to the operation data stored in the database 25 and transmission of the operation data stored in the database 25 to the remote device 10 are prohibited. This prevents the operation data stored in the database 25 from leaking to the outside, thereby preventing the leaking of confidential know-how related to the user's operation and business start-up, which is included in the operation data. On the other hand, since the operation data can be transmitted to the remote device 10 as disclosure data created based on the disclosure approval and disclosure range, it is possible to monitor abnormalities in the equipment and analyze the data in the remote device 10 while ensuring the confidentiality of the operation data for the user of the equipment 12.

The inspection request acquisition unit 64 is configured to acquire an inspection request from the remote device 10 via the external network 6. The remote device 10 can diagnose the operating state of the equipment 12 by acquiring the above-mentioned disclosed data and analyzing the disclosed data, but if the disclosed data alone is not sufficient, the remote device 10 can transmit an inspection request to the user operating the equipment 12 to request an inspection to acquire additional data. The inspection request acquisition unit 64 acquires such an inspection request from the remote device 10.

The inspection data acquisition unit 66 is configured to acquire inspection data from the user terminal 16. As described above, an inspection request from the remote device 10 is transmitted to the user terminal 16, and the user of the user terminal 16 prepares inspection data by carrying out an inspection. The inspection data prepared by the user is transmitted from the user terminal 16 and acquired by the inspection data acquisition unit 66.
In addition, the inspection data may be obtained by an inspection operation performed manually by the user as described above, or may be obtained by the remote device 10 performing the inspection operation by requesting an inspection from the user terminal 16 to the remote device 10.

Next, we will explain the device management method implemented by the edge device 18 having the above configuration. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the device management method according to one embodiment.

First, the alarm notification acquisition unit 50 determines whether or not an alarm notification regarding an abnormality in the device 12 has been acquired from the monitoring device 14 (step S100). While no alarm notification has been acquired (step S100: NO), step S100 is repeatedly performed to constantly monitor whether or not an alarm notification has been received.

When an alarm notification is obtained (step S100: YES), the disclosure approval request unit 52 transmits a disclosure approval request to the user terminal 16 (step S101). As described above, the disclosure approval request is a notification to the user of the plant system 2 (the user of the user terminal 16) requesting approval for disclosing the operation data stored in the database 25 by transmitting it to the remote device 10.

The disclosure approval request sent in step S101 may be prepared in advance in response to the acquired alarm notification. For example, the alarm notification may be set to a type that can be classified according to the part or symptoms of the equipment 12 suspected of having an abnormality, and the disclosure approval request may be made to request approval for disclosure of operating data necessary for detailed diagnosis and analysis of the abnormality in the remote device 10 according to the type of the alarm notification. In this case, the user terminal 16 that has received the disclosure approval request determines whether or not to disclose the data according to the content of the disclosure approval request, thereby making it possible to appropriately provide data for detailed diagnosis and analysis of the abnormality in the remote device 10 to the extent that there is no leakage of know-how.

When an alarm notification is acquired (step S100: YES), the transmission/reception control unit 62 may automatically transmit the alarm notification acquired by the alarm notification acquisition unit 50 to the remote device 10 via the external network 6. This allows a third party using the remote device 10 to receive the alarm notification and quickly recognize the occurrence of an abnormality in the equipment 12. Since this alarm notification is data for notifying the detection of an abnormality in the equipment 12, unlike the operation data stored in the database 25, it does not include know-how that should be kept secret by the user of the plant system 2. Therefore, no problem will arise even if the transmission/reception control unit 62 automatically transmits the alarm notification to the remote device 10 without obtaining approval from the user.

When the monitoring device 14 sends an alarm notification to the user terminal 16, the cause guidance information provider 29 may also send cause guidance information related to the alarm notification. The cause guidance information includes information on the presumed cause depending on the type of abnormality corresponding to the alarm notification. By sending such cause guidance information to the user terminal 16, information on the cause of the abnormality can be quickly provided to the user of the equipment 12.

The cause guidance information provider 29 of the monitoring device 14 can also transmit cause guidance information together with the alarm notification to the edge device 18. In this case, the edge device 18 may transmit the cause guidance information acquired together with the alarm notification in step S100 to the remote device 10 via the external network 6. As described above, the cause guidance information is information relating to the cause of the abnormality detected in the device 12, and is not know-how that should be kept secret from the user of the device 12. Therefore, by transmitting the cause guidance information from the edge device 18 to the remote device 10, it can be used for more detailed diagnosis and analysis of the abnormality.

Then, the disclosure approval acquisition unit 54 judges whether or not disclosure approval has been acquired from the user terminal 16 as a response to the disclosure approval request sent in step S101 (step S102). If disclosure approval has not been acquired (step S102: NO), the user of the user terminal 16 does not want the operation data stored in the database 25 to be disclosed, so only an alarm notification is sent to the remote device 10 (step S107) and the process ends. In this case, the transmission/reception control unit 62 may automatically send a notification to the remote device 10 that the user of the user terminal 16 does not want the operation data stored in the database 25 to be disclosed. As a result, the user of the remote device 10 can recognize that an abnormality has occurred in the equipment 12 even though the user of the plant system 2 does not want the operation data to be disclosed, and can use the situation to consider formulating appropriate maintenance support in the future.

Even if disclosure approval is not obtained (step S102: NO), the disclosure approval request of step S101 may be repeatedly sent a predetermined number of times to the user terminal 16 to prompt the user of the plant system 2 to disclose the operating data. In this case, if disclosure approval is not obtained the predetermined number of times, the series of processes may be terminated.

On the other hand, if disclosure approval has been obtained (step S102: YES), the disclosure range request unit 56 transmits a disclosure range request to the user terminal 16 (step S103). The disclosure range request is a request to prompt the user terminal 16 to specify the range of the driving data stored in the database 25 that should be disclosed.

Next, the disclosure range acquisition unit 58 determines whether or not the disclosure range has been acquired from the user terminal 16 in response to the disclosure range request sent in step S103 (step S104). If the disclosure range has not been acquired (step S104: NO), the process returns to step S103, and the disclosure range request is repeatedly sent to the user terminal 16. This makes it possible to prompt the user of the user terminal 16, who indicated an intention to approve disclosure in step S102, to respond to the disclosure range request.

When the disclosure range request is repeatedly sent, if the number of repetitions reaches a predetermined value, the process may be returned to step S102 to confirm the intention to approve disclosure again with the user terminal 16. Also, if the number of repetitions reaches a predetermined value, it may be assumed that there is no intention to disclose the driving data, and the series of processes may be terminated.

On the other hand, if the disclosure range has been acquired (step S104: YES), the disclosure data creation unit 60 creates disclosure data based on the driving data stored in the database 25 (step S105). In step S105, based on the disclosure range acquired by the disclosure range acquisition unit 58, the type of data for which disclosure has been permitted and the data acquisition period are identified from among the driving data stored in the database 25, and the identified driving data is processed to create the disclosure data.

In step S105, the disclosure data may be created by packaging the driving data corresponding to the disclosure range with related information. This allows the data required for remote monitoring to be suitably sent to the remote device 10 while ensuring the security of the data being handled.

Then, the transmission/reception control unit 62 transmits the disclosure data created in step S105 to the remote device 10 via the external network 6 (step S106). In step S106, the driving data stored in the database 25 is processed into disclosure data and transmitted to the remote device 10. This prevents the driving data stored in the database 25 from leaking to the outside against the intention of the user of the user terminal 16, thereby preventing confidential know-how regarding the user's driving and operation contained in the driving data from leaking out. On the other hand, the disclosure data includes driving data to the extent that the user of the user terminal 16 permits disclosure, so that the remote device 10 can manage the device 12 based on the disclosure data while ensuring the confidentiality of the driving data for the user of the device 12.

Figure 5 is a flowchart showing a device management method according to another embodiment. In this embodiment, the device management method shown in Figure 4 is performed when the remote device 10 receives disclosure data and, as a result of analyzing the disclosure data, the remote device 10 determines that inspection of the device 12 is necessary.

First, the inspection request acquisition unit 64 determines whether or not an inspection request has been acquired from the remote device 10 via the external network 6 (step S200). While an inspection request has not been acquired (step S200: NO), step S200 is repeatedly performed to constantly monitor whether or not there is an inspection request. Note that in step S200, it may also be determined that an inspection request has been acquired if an inspection is suggested based on the cause guidance information provided by the cause guidance information provision unit 29 when an alarm notification is issued by the notification unit 28.

On the other hand, if an inspection request has been acquired (step S200: YES), the transmission/reception control unit 62 transfers the inspection request acquired in step 200 to the user terminal 16 (step S201). At this time, the inspection request may include various information useful for the user to carry out the inspection, such as the contents of the inspection to be carried out, the procedure, and points to note that are requested of the user of the user terminal 16.

Then, the inspection data acquisition unit 66 determines whether or not the inspection data has been acquired in response to the inspection request transferred to the user terminal 16 in step S201 (step S202). In step S202, if the inspection data has not been acquired (step S202: NO), the process returns to step S201, and the inspection request is repeatedly sent to the user terminal 16. This makes it possible to prompt the user of the user terminal 16 to perform the necessary inspection by the user of the remote device 10.

In addition, if an inspection request is sent repeatedly, if the number of repetitions reaches a predetermined value, it may be assumed that there is no intention to perform an inspection, and the series of processes may be terminated.

On the other hand, if the inspection data has been acquired (step S202: YES), the transmission/reception control unit 62 transmits the inspection data to the remote device 10 via the external network 6 (step S203). This allows the remote device 10 to acquire the inspection data related to abnormalities in the equipment 12, even if it is located remotely from the plant system 2, thereby enabling detailed analysis and interpretation.

The remote device 10 can also obtain the disclosure data and inspection data transmitted from the edge device 18 via the external network 6 as described above, and analyze this data to create service information for the user of the equipment 12. This service information is information about future maintenance services for the equipment 12, and is created by the remote device 10 analyzing the disclosure data, inspection data, etc.

When the service information is transmitted from the remote device 10 to the edge device 18 via the external network 6, it is provided to the user terminal 16. In this case, the timing of the transmission of the service information by the edge device 18 to the user terminal 16 can be set arbitrarily. For example, in a plant facility that is in continuous operation, the impact of the implementation of maintenance services on the operational status of the plant facility can be effectively reduced by providing the service information in accordance with the implementation of periodic inspections, etc., which interrupt the operation of the facility.

As described above, according to each of the above embodiments, when an alarm notification regarding an abnormality in the device 12 is obtained, a disclosure approval request for the driving data of the device 12 obtained from the monitoring device 14 is transmitted to the user terminal 16 used by the user of the device 12. This disclosure approval request includes an approval request regarding whether or not to disclose the driving data in whole or in part. Then, based on the disclosure approval for the disclosure approval request, the edge device 18 transmits disclosure data created from the driving data to the remote device 10. The disclosure data is created based on the disclosure approval by the user. Therefore, the remote device 10 acquires the driving data within the range approved by the user of the device 12. In this way, by restricting the data transmitted from the edge device 18 to the remote device 10 based on the disclosure approval of the user of the device 12, it is possible to monitor abnormalities in the device 12 in the remote device 10 while ensuring the confidentiality of the driving data for the user of the device 12.

In addition, the components in the above-described embodiments may be replaced with well-known components as appropriate without departing from the spirit of this disclosure, and the above-described embodiments may be combined as appropriate.

The contents described in each of the above embodiments can be understood, for example, as follows:

(1) An edge device according to one aspect,
a disclosure approval request unit for transmitting a disclosure approval request for operation data related to an abnormality acquired from a monitoring device when an alarm notification related to an abnormality of the equipment is acquired from the monitoring device, the disclosure approval request unit being configured to:
a transmitting unit for transmitting disclosure data created based on the driving data to a remote device when disclosure approval is received in response to the disclosure approval request;
Equipped with.

According to the above aspect (1), when an alarm notification regarding an abnormality in the equipment is obtained, a disclosure approval request for the operation data of the equipment obtained from the monitoring device is transmitted to the user terminal used by the user of the equipment. This disclosure approval request includes an approval request regarding whether or not to disclose the entire or partial operation data. Then, based on the disclosure approval for the disclosure approval request, the edge device transmits disclosure data created from the operation data to the remote device. The disclosure data is created based on the disclosure approval by the user. Therefore, the remote device acquires the operation data within the range approved for disclosure by the user of the equipment. In this way, by restricting the data transmitted from the edge device to the remote device based on the disclosure approval of the user of the equipment, it becomes possible to monitor abnormalities in the equipment in the remote device while ensuring the confidentiality of the operation data for the user of the equipment.

(2) In another embodiment, in the above embodiment (1),
a disclosure range request unit for requesting a disclosure range of the driving data;
a disclosure data creation unit for creating the disclosure data by processing the driving data based on the disclosure range;
It further comprises:

According to the above aspect (2), the user of the device is requested to specify the disclosure range of the driving data. The edge device creates the disclosure data by processing the driving data based on the disclosure range returned by the user of the device in response to such a request. This makes it possible to limit the disclosure data transmitted from the edge device to the remote device to the range specified by the user of the device.

(3) In another aspect, in the above (1) or (2),
When the transmitting unit acquires cause guidance information related to the alarm notification from the monitoring device, the transmitting unit transmits the cause guidance information to the remote device.

According to the above aspect (3), when cause guidance information related to an alarm notification is obtained from the monitoring device, the cause guidance information is also transmitted to the remote device in addition to the alarm notification. The cause guidance information is information related to the cause of an abnormality detected in the equipment, and is not know-how that should be kept secret from the user of the equipment. Therefore, by transmitting the cause guidance information from the edge device to the remote device, it can be used for more detailed diagnosis and analysis of the abnormality.

(4) In another aspect, in any one of the above (1) to (3),
The transmission unit transmits an inspection request from the remote device to a user terminal of the equipment, and when the inspection data corresponding to the inspection request is acquired from the user terminal, the transmission unit transmits the inspection data to the remote device.

According to the above aspect (4), when an inspection request is made to the user of the equipment from the remote device (including a case where an alarm is notified from the monitoring device and an inspection request is made with cause guidance information), the edge device transmits the inspection data acquired from the user terminal in response to the inspection request to the remote device. By acquiring the inspection data corresponding to the inspection request in this way, the remote device can analyze the inspection data together with the above-mentioned disclosed data to diagnose and analyze the condition of the equipment in more detail.

(5) In another embodiment, in the above embodiment (4),
The transmission unit transmits a disclosure range of the inspection data designated by the user terminal to the remote device.

According to the above aspect (5), the disclosure range of the inspection data transmitted to the remote device in response to the inspection request can also be adjusted by designating the disclosure range by the user terminal, similar to the above-mentioned disclosure data. In this case, by limiting the disclosure range of the inspection data based on the designation by the user terminal, unintended leakage of know-how contained in the inspection data can be effectively prevented.

(6) In another aspect, in any one of the above (1) to (5),
The disclosure data is created by packaging the driving data corresponding to the disclosure scope with related information.

According to the above aspect (6), the disclosure data to be sent from the edge device to the remote device is packaged with related information, so that the data required for remote monitoring can be sent to the remote device in an optimal manner while ensuring the security of the data being handled.

(7) In another aspect, in any one of the above (1) to (6),
The transmitting unit transmits the service information acquired from the remote device to a user terminal of the equipment at a predetermined timing.

According to the above aspect (7), service information regarding future maintenance services for the equipment, which is created by analyzing the disclosed data, etc., using a remote device, can be provided to the user terminal at a specified timing. As a result, for example, in a plant facility that is in continuous operation, the impact of the implementation of maintenance services on the operational status of the plant facility can be effectively reduced by providing service information in accordance with the implementation of periodic inspections, etc., which interrupt operation.

(8) In another aspect, in any one of the above (1) to (7),
The monitoring device includes a notification unit for notifying the remote device and a user terminal of the equipment of the alarm notification.

According to the above aspect (8), when an abnormality in the equipment is detected by the monitoring device, an alarm notification is sent to not only the user terminal but also the remote device by the notification unit provided in the monitoring device. This allows external experts and the like to be notified of a possible abnormality in the equipment quickly, in addition to the user who actually uses the equipment, by notifying the remote device.

(9) A device management system according to one aspect includes:
An edge device according to any one of the above (1) to (8);
a user terminal available to a user of said device;
the remote device;
Equipped with.

According to the above aspect (9), by managing the exchange of information between the user terminal and the remote device by the edge device, it is possible to provide useful information to the remote device while ensuring confidentiality of the information for the user of the user terminal.

(10) A device management method according to one aspect includes:
When an alarm notification regarding an abnormality of a device is obtained from a monitoring device that monitors an operating state of the device, a request for approval to disclose operation data related to the abnormality obtained from the monitoring device is transmitted;
transmitting disclosure data created based on the driving data to a remote device when disclosure approval is received in response to the disclosure approval request;
Equipped with.

According to the above aspect (10), when an alarm notification regarding an abnormality in the equipment is obtained, a disclosure approval request for the operation data of the equipment obtained from the monitoring device is transmitted to the user terminal used by the user of the equipment. This disclosure approval request includes an approval request regarding whether or not to disclose the entire or partial operation data. Then, based on the disclosure approval for the disclosure approval request, the edge device transmits disclosure data created from the operation data to the remote device. The disclosure data is created based on the disclosure approval by the user. Therefore, the remote device acquires the operation data within the range approved for disclosure by the user of the equipment. In this way, by restricting the data transmitted from the edge device to the remote device based on the disclosure approval of the user of the equipment, it becomes possible to monitor abnormalities in the equipment in the remote device while ensuring the confidentiality of the operation data for the user of the equipment.

(11) A device management program according to one aspect includes:
A computer device includes:
When an alarm notification regarding an abnormality of a device is obtained from a monitoring device that monitors an operating state of the device, a request for approval to disclose operation data related to the abnormality obtained from the monitoring device is transmitted;
transmitting disclosure data created based on the driving data to a remote device when disclosure approval is received in response to the disclosure approval request;
It is possible to execute the following.

According to the above aspect (11), when an alarm notification regarding an abnormality in the equipment is obtained, a disclosure approval request for the operation data of the equipment obtained from the monitoring device is transmitted to the user terminal used by the user of the equipment. This disclosure approval request includes an approval request regarding whether or not to disclose the entire or partial operation data. Then, based on the disclosure approval for the disclosure approval request, the edge device transmits disclosure data created from the operation data to the remote device. The disclosure data is created based on the disclosure approval by the user. Therefore, the remote device acquires the operation data within the range approved for disclosure by the user of the equipment. In this way, by restricting the data transmitted from the edge device to the remote device based on the disclosure approval of the user of the equipment, it becomes possible to monitor abnormalities in the equipment in the remote device while ensuring the confidentiality of the operation data for the user of the equipment.

Reference Signs List 1 Equipment management system 2 Plant system 4 Router 6 External network 8 Connection server 10 Remote device 12 Equipment 14 Monitoring device 16 User terminal 18 Edge device 20 Equipment body 22 Control device 24 Sensor 25 Database 26 Abnormality diagnosis unit 28 Notification unit 30 CPU
32 Transmission unit 34 Reception unit 50 Alarm notification acquisition unit 52 Disclosure approval request unit 54 Disclosure approval acquisition unit 56 Disclosure range request unit 58 Disclosure range acquisition unit 60 Disclosure data creation unit 62 Transmission/reception control unit 64 Inspection request acquisition unit 66 Inspection data acquisition unit

Claims (11)

a disclosure approval request transmission unit for transmitting, when receiving an alarm notification regarding an abnormality of the equipment from a monitoring device that monitors an operating state of the equipment, a disclosure approval request for operation data related to the abnormality obtained from the monitoring device;
a transmitting unit for transmitting disclosure data created based on the driving data to a remote device when disclosure approval is received in response to the disclosure approval request;
An edge device comprising: a disclosure range request unit for requesting a disclosure range of the driving data;
a disclosure data creation unit for creating the disclosure data by processing the driving data based on the disclosure range;
The edge device of claim 1 , further comprising: The edge device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transmission unit transmits cause guidance information related to the alarm notification to the remote device when the transmission unit acquires the cause guidance information from the monitoring device. The edge device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transmission unit transmits an inspection request from the remote device to a user terminal of the equipment, and when the transmission unit acquires the inspection data corresponding to the inspection request from the user terminal, transmits the inspection data to the remote device. The edge device according to claim 4, wherein the transmission unit transmits the disclosure range of the inspection data specified by the user terminal to the remote device. The edge device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the disclosure data is created by packaging the driving data corresponding to the disclosure range with related information. The edge device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transmission unit transmits the service information acquired from the remote device to the user terminal of the device at a predetermined timing. The edge device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the monitoring device includes a notification unit for notifying the user terminal of the device of the alarm notification together with the remote device. An edge device according to claim 1 or 2;
a user terminal available to a user of said device;
the remote device;
An equipment management system comprising: When an alarm notification regarding an abnormality of a device is obtained from a monitoring device that monitors an operating state of the device, a request for approval to disclose operation data related to the abnormality obtained from the monitoring device is transmitted;
transmitting disclosure data created based on the driving data to a remote device when disclosure approval is received in response to the disclosure approval request;
The device management method includes: A computer device includes:
When an alarm notification regarding an abnormality of a device is obtained from a monitoring device that monitors an operating state of the device, a request for approval to disclose operation data related to the abnormality obtained from the monitoring device is transmitted;
transmitting disclosure data created based on the driving data to a remote device when disclosure approval is received in response to the disclosure approval request;
An equipment management program that can

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