JP2001331214A - Remote maintenance system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide a remote maintenance system capable of guaranteeing the security of equipment and enabling remote maintenance at low cost for equipment manufacturers and system integrators. SOLUTION: This is a remote maintenance system in which a maintenance computer and an intermediary computer connected to equipment to be maintained are connected on a network, and an access path to the equipment is unified into the intermediary computer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a remote maintenance system for remotely maintaining facilities such as a steel plant and a chemical plant. More specifically, the present invention relates to a remote maintenance system for efficiently performing remote maintenance of equipment constructed by combining devices of different device manufacturers.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a conventional remote maintenance system. In FIG. 2, a distributed control system 1 made by Company A (referred to as DCS of Company A) 1, a device manufactured by Company X (designated as Company X) 2, and a device manufactured by Company Y (designated as Company Y) 3
To build equipment. Company A DCS1 is X
The plant is operated by controlling the company apparatus 2 and the company Y apparatus 3 to produce products. The equipment is, for example, a steel plant, a chemical plant, or the like. The device is, for example, a formulation device, a mixer, or the like used for manufacturing a drug.

The computer 10 is installed in a maintenance company a, which is a group company of company A, and is connected to the company A's DCS 1 by a bus 11. The connection between the DCS1 of Company A and the bus 11 is the only access port for remote maintenance.

[0004] In the system shown in FIG.
The computer 10 was connected to the DCS 1 of Company A in order to perform the maintenance of the computer A, and a unique remote maintenance system was constructed as a group of Company A. Since the infrastructure for performing the maintenance is limited to the maintenance use of the A company group, other equipment manufacturers X and Y and the system integrator Z cannot use this infrastructure.

[0005] Equipment manufacturers and system integrators who absolutely need remote maintenance have built their own infrastructure for remote maintenance.
For example, as shown in the figure, Company X uses Company 21, Company 22 and Bus 23 to operate Company X apparatus 2 and Company X maintenance computer 2.
0 was connected to build a dedicated infrastructure for company X. However, if the device maker or the system integrator independently builds the infrastructure, the number of access ports increases for the end user who has the equipment, which increases the risk in terms of security, which is not preferable. In addition, it takes a lot of effort and investment for equipment manufacturers and system integrators to build individual infrastructures.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the security of the equipment can be ensured by unifying the access port for remote maintenance, and the equipment can be guaranteed. An object of the present invention is to provide a remote maintenance system that enables a manufacturer and a system integrator to perform remote maintenance at low cost.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a remote maintenance system having the following configuration.

(1) A maintenance computer and an intermediary computer connected to the equipment to be maintained are connected on a network, and the equipment has a storage means for storing a diagnostic program for diagnosing each device. Executing means for executing a diagnostic program is provided, each maintenance computer is provided with remote maintenance means for performing remote maintenance via a network, and the remote maintenance means of the maintenance computer accesses equipment via the intermediary computer, A remote maintenance system characterized by causing an execution means to execute a predetermined diagnostic program.

(2) Abnormality detecting means for detecting that the apparatus has fallen into an abnormal state during the execution of the diagnostic program, and, when it is detected that the apparatus has fallen into an abnormal state, transmits the information via an intermediate computer. (1) The remote maintenance system according to (1), further comprising: a notification unit that notifies the maintenance computer.

(3) The remote maintenance system according to (1), wherein the notification means makes a notification only when an abnormal state is detected.

(4) The mediation computer has a billing means for calculating a billing amount according to a situation in which the maintenance computer uses the mediation computer as an access path, and sending billing information to each maintenance computer. 1) The remote maintenance system described in the above. (5) The remote maintenance system according to (1), wherein the diagnostic program is downloaded from a maintenance computer or an intermediary computer to a storage unit in the facility.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention. 1 that are the same as those in FIG. 2 are given the same reference numerals. FIG.
The maintenance computer 30 under the device maker X, the computer 40 under the device maker Y, the maintenance computer 50 under the system integrator Z, and the equipment 6
0 is connected to the mediation computer 70 connected to the network 80.

The equipment 60 is constructed by combining the DCS 90, the X company apparatus 2 and the Y company apparatus 3. The mediation computer 70 rents an access route to a device maker or a system integrator for a fee for a fee. The billing means 71 calculates a billing amount according to the use status of the access path, and stores the billing information in each maintenance computer 3.
Send to 0,40,50. Note that the intermediary computer 70 may have a function of maintaining the DCS 90.

In the DCS 90, the storage means 91 stores a diagnostic program used by an apparatus maker or a system integrator. The execution unit 92 executes the diagnostic program stored in the storage unit 91. Each maintenance computer 30, 40, 5
0 is provided with remote maintenance means 31, 41, 51 for performing remote maintenance via a network 80.

The abnormality detecting means 93 detects that the apparatus has fallen into an abnormal state during the execution of the diagnostic program. The notifying means 94, when it is detected that an abnormal condition has occurred,
The information is transmitted to the maintenance computer via the mediation computer 70. The notification means 94 makes a notification only when an abnormal state occurs.

The operation of the system shown in FIG. 1 will be described. The intermediary computer 70 is each of the maintenance computers 30, 40, 50
Accepts access from all at once. Remote maintenance means 3
1, 41 and 51 access the execution means 92 via the mediation computer 70, and cause the execution means 92 to execute a desired diagnostic program.

For example, the remote maintenance means 31 of the computer 30 of the company X accesses the execution means 92 via the intermediary computer 70 and executes a diagnostic program for diagnosing the apparatus 2 of the company X. Thereby, the diagnosis of the company X apparatus 2 is performed. The diagnostic program is executed in the DCS 90, and when the abnormality detecting unit 93 detects that the device has entered an abnormal state, the notifying unit 94 transmits the information to the computer 30 of Company X via the intermediary computer 70. The notification means 94 issues a notification only when the device has entered an abnormal state. The billing means 71 is provided for each maintenance computer 30, 4
The charge amount is calculated according to the situation in which the mediation computer 70 uses the intermediary computer 70 as an access route, and the charge information is sent to each of the maintenance computers 30, 40, and 50. The billing amount is determined according to, for example, the number of packets passing through the access route, the usage time of the access route, and the like.

Further, the remote maintenance means 51 of the computer 50 of Company Z accesses the execution means 92 via the intermediary computer 70, and executes a diagnostic program for diagnosing the entire system. In the diagnosis, the data of the DCS 90 is analyzed, and if there is an abnormality, the cause is determined. Thereby, diagnosis of the entire system is performed. DCS9
Since a library for monitoring is prepared in the library 0 and the device maker creates a diagnostic program using this library, the diagnostic program can be efficiently created. When the diagnostic program is built on a dedicated platform, it can acquire process value data from the plant with minimum man-hours,
Events can be notified to the outside.

The DCS 90 has information of the equipment owner, the contracted device maker and the system integrator, and cannot be connected to any other devices.

The diagnostic program may be downloaded from the maintenance computer 30, 40, 50 or the intermediary computer 70 to the storage means 91 in the facility. Further, in the embodiment, the case of the system for performing the maintenance has been described. Conservation is about making a better system.

[0021]

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the access port to the equipment for remote maintenance is unified.
Thereby, the security of the equipment can be guaranteed. Equipment manufacturers and system integrators can perform remote maintenance at low cost because there is no need to create an access port for remote maintenance.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the apparatus falls into an abnormal state during the execution of the diagnostic program, the information is transmitted to the maintenance computer via the intermediary computer. be able to.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the notification is performed only when it is detected that an abnormal state has occurred, so that the communication load can be minimized.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to obtain compensation for providing the intermediary computer as an access route.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, there is no need to always have a diagnostic program on the equipment side. Further, the maintenance computer and the intermediary computer can diagnose the equipment using various diagnostic programs.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a conventional remote maintenance system.

[Description of Signs] 2,3 Device 30,40,50 Maintenance Computer 31,41,51 Remote Maintenance Means 60 Equipment 70 Intermediate Computer 71 Billing Means 80 Network 90 DCS 91 Storage Means 92 Execution Means 93 Abnormality Detection Means 94 Reporting Means

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A maintenance computer and a mediation computer connected to equipment to be maintained are connected on a network, wherein the equipment has a storage unit storing a diagnostic program for diagnosing each device, An execution means for executing the program is provided, and each maintenance computer is provided with a remote maintenance means for performing remote maintenance via a network, and the remote maintenance means of the maintenance computer accesses the equipment via the intermediary computer and executes the program. A remote maintenance system characterized by causing a means to execute a predetermined diagnostic program. 2. An abnormality detecting means for detecting that the apparatus has fallen into an abnormal state during execution of the diagnostic program, and maintaining the information via the intermediary computer when detecting that the apparatus has entered an abnormal state. The remote maintenance system according to claim 1, further comprising: a notification unit that notifies the computer. 3. The remote maintenance system according to claim 1, wherein said notification means issues a notification only when an abnormal state is detected. 4. The intermediary computer according to claim 1, further comprising a charging unit that calculates a charging amount according to a situation in which the maintenance computer uses the relay computer as an access path, and sends charging information to each maintenance computer. 1. The remote maintenance system according to 1. 5. The remote maintenance system according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic program is downloaded from a maintenance computer or an intermediary computer to a storage unit in the facility.