JP2004005639A - Monitoring device - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to enable quick inspection when an abnormality occurs in a monitoring target.
In a monitoring device that shoots a monitoring target with a plurality of cameras and displays a video image thereof on a screen, a unit that determines whether there is an abnormality in output data of each monitoring target, and monitors abnormality when an abnormality occurs. Means for selecting a camera for photographing the object, means for sending a control command to the selected camera to photograph the abnormality monitoring object, displaying video images from the camera on a screen, and monitoring the abnormality. Means for distinguishing and displaying the display of the object from other display objects of the video image.
[Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

[0001]
[Industrial applications]
The present invention relates to a monitoring device for a transportation system such as a railway or a road network, a chemical plant, steel, electric power, gas, a water supply and sewage plant, and an inspection method using the same. The present invention relates to a monitoring device suitable for performing monitoring.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, in a process control monitoring system, a method is adopted in which a monitor device is installed in a central operation room, an object to be monitored and controlled is photographed by an ITV camera, and an image thereof is displayed on the monitor device. In addition, various process data obtained from the monitored and controlled objects and process control information such as input data from operators are converted by control devices such as control terminals into characters, graphs, tables, and figures, and displayed on the display. it's shown. Conventionally, an ITV camera image and a screen of this process control information have been separately displayed, or simply displayed on the same screen. Therefore, for example, when operating or inspecting a certain device, the operator uses a dedicated button to see the state of the device in detail, apart from the operation of displaying the control information of the device on the process control information screen. It was necessary to perform switching of the ITV camera, zooming and panning. That is, when performing the process monitoring control, the operator needs to perform two operations: an operation relating to the screen of the process control information and an operation relating to the ITV camera image.
[0003]
Therefore, in order to solve this problem, in the CRT monitoring and control apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-224101, an operation related to the ITV camera image is performed by an operation related to the process control information screen. This prior art uses a mouse or a keyboard to input the name of an operation inspection target on a screen of process control information displayed on a control terminal or the like, selects a figure expressing the target, or selects an operation panel. Means for determining an object to be operated and inspected by pressing a dedicated button on the top, means for selecting an ITV camera image showing the determined operation and inspection object and sending an ITV camera image selection command to the image selecting device; Means for synthesizing an ITV camera image and process data related to the subject on a process control information screen and simultaneously displaying them.
[0004]
According to this conventional technique, by selecting an operation / inspection target on the process control screen, an image of the target can be automatically displayed on the screen, and the labor of the operator can be saved.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in this prior art, it is necessary to specify a figure expressing an object to be operated and inspected with a mouse or the like, or to input a character name from a keyboard. Furthermore, when inputting a command to execute an operation or an inspection, or inputting an operation check or an inspection check of an operation / inspection target, a menu that displays the name of the target displayed on the process control information screen is used. The target must be specified, an operation inspection execution command must be input, and an operation inspection confirmation input must be performed using an object that abstracts the object, such as a figure expressing the object.
[0006]
In addition, since this conventional technique is configured to display a specific object in a camera image from an abstract representation of the object, such as a figure or a name, another object is displayed unless an accurate input is performed. I will. When specifying an object to be operated or inspected, an abstraction of the object, such as a "name" and a "figure" representing the object, even when it is obvious from the camera image that an abnormality has occurred. By designating and inputting, a target to be operated and inspected is specified. In this case, it is necessary to associate a specific object to be subjected to the operation check on the camera image with its abstract expression such as the name of the object and a graphic representing the object.
[0007]
Generally, in a process control monitoring system such as a plant, the number of devices to be inspected and the number of graphics information screens to be displayed on a display to be controlled by an operator are very large. There are many associations that the operator should memorize, such as the correspondence between the figure expressing it and the specific device on the ITV camera image. For this reason, the operator needs to perform long-term training in advance to learn these associations.
[0008]
Also, if an operation and inspection command is input through such an abstract object, it is difficult to convey the state of the site. For example, at the time of maintenance inspection work of a plant or the like, it is important to work to grasp the situation at the site. In a conventional system for selecting an object using an abstract object such as graphics or inputting an operation inspection command, there is a possibility that an object may be incorrectly selected or an operation error may occur at the time of work. It is the situation that is working.
[0009]
In addition, when the operator inputs an instruction to execute an operation or an inspection, or an operator inputs an operation confirmation or an inspection confirmation of an object, the confirmation area formed by the camera image display area and the figures and characters or the input location of the instruction is changed. If you are far away, you need to shift your gaze from the video when inputting. In such a case, the operator may occasionally input a confirmation input or an operation command directly to the input location without looking at the camera image. As described above, the fact that confirmation and input of commands and the like can be performed without sufficiently grasping the status of the monitoring control target causes operation errors and inspection errors.
[0010]
On the other hand, it is not practical in terms of cost to install a camera that projects the object for each device to be operated and inspected, and in general, one camera shoots several objects to be inspected. . Therefore, as in the prior art, a target can be designated and operated and inspected, and even if it is possible to switch to a camera image showing the object, a plurality of objects that can be operation and inspection targets are displayed in the camera image. May be done.
[0011]
In such a case, it becomes unclear to the operator which object is actually being operated or inspected. Similarly, when specifying an object to be operated or inspected, it is unclear to which object the camera image corresponds. Also, when confirming the operation and inspection, it is not clear on the video which object is to be confirmed. Further, the devices to be operated and inspected are not independent devices. Some devices may be closely related to other devices. In the case of operation and inspection, it is necessary to clearly indicate such related equipment to the operator.
[0012]
In addition, since additional information such as the name, handling method, inspection operation status, and process data related to the target cannot be extracted from the specific target in the camera image, such data is extracted while watching the image. If it is desired, it must be extracted using the correspondence between the object on the video, its name, and the figure representing it as described above. In addition, if the display location of the extracted data is displayed at a location distant from the target on the video, it is difficult to simultaneously refer to the target on the video and information related to the target.
[0013]
In addition, in the operation and inspection, the status of the monitoring target, the timing of the operation inspection, the operator who performs the operation inspection, such as the periodic inspection and the inspection at the time of abnormality, the inspection performed by the person in charge of the system management, and the inspection performed by other people, Depending on the group to which the operator belongs or the like, the contents of the operation check vary depending on whether or not the operation and check are to be performed or whether or not the operation is to be performed. Therefore, it is necessary to change the operation inspection target to be specified and the operation inspection content to be performed based on data on the database including the status of the monitoring target, information on the person performing the operation inspection, and the like.
[0014]
In summary, the prior art has the following problems.
[0015]
(1) Since the camera image includes a plurality of targets for which the operation check may be performed, the target for which the operation check is performed may be unclear in the camera image.
[0016]
(2) When specifying a target for which an operation check is to be performed from the monitoring control target, the target that can be specified next or should be specified is unclear in the camera image. Further, even if the operator specifies a target, it is not clear on the camera image which target has been specified.
[0017]
(3) When performing an operation check, a target related to the operation check target is not specified.
[0018]
(4) When performing operation inspection, it is necessary to input operation and inspection commands through abstract objects such as characters and figures. Also, when inputting a confirmation input, such as after an operation check of a monitoring control target, confirmation is performed through characters and figures.
[0019]
(5) Information related to inspection and operation and information such as process data related to the object cannot be extracted from the object on the camera image.
[0020]
(6) Since the location of the information related to inspection and operation of the object on the camera image and the information such as the process data related to the object does not take into account the position of the object on the camera image, the operator must use the image. It is difficult to refer to the object and the data related to it at the same time.
[0021]
(7) When specifying a target for which an operation check is to be performed, what is specified as a candidate must depend on data such as process data, operators, and operation histories obtained from the monitored and controlled target. Otherwise, the operator must always select an object to be checked for operation from the same object based on the situation of the monitoring and control object.
[0022]
(8) When performing an operation check, the contents of the operation check must depend on process data, operators, operation histories, and the like obtained from the monitored and controlled objects. Otherwise, it is necessary for the operator to select and determine all the operation and inspection contents.
[0023]
An object of the present invention is to solve at least one of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and to provide a monitoring device and an inspection method using the same, which have improved support functions for operation and inspection performed by an operator. is there.
[0024]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The object of the present invention is to provide a monitoring device that shoots a monitoring target with a plurality of cameras and displays a video image of the monitoring target on a screen. Means for selecting a camera for photographing the object, means for sending a control command to the selected camera to photograph the abnormality monitoring object, displaying video images from the camera on a screen, and monitoring the abnormality. Means for distinguishing and displaying the display of the object from other display objects of the video image.
[0025]
The above object is also achieved by an inspection method using a monitoring device including a display for displaying a video image to be monitored and an input receiving unit for receiving an operation input of an operator. Designates the inspection object, the display of the object is highlighted from other display objects in the video image, and the operator performs the inspection by monitoring the highlighted video image. This is achieved by displaying the confirmation input on the screen when the operator receives a confirmation input from the input receiving means.
[0026]
By monitoring the screen, the occurrence of an abnormality can be immediately known, so that quick inspection is possible. In addition, since the inspection target is highlighted, the inspection target is clarified, and more reliable inspection can be performed.
[0027]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0028]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 101 denotes a monitoring control target (hereinafter, referred to as a monitoring target) to be monitored and controlled in a traffic system such as a road or a railway, a power plant, a gas plant, a water and sewage system, a steel plant, and the like. A monitoring device monitors and controls this monitoring target. A data collection and monitoring target control unit (hereinafter, simply referred to as a control computer) 102 constituting the monitoring apparatus of the present embodiment collects data (hereinafter, referred to as process data) obtained from the monitoring target 101. Or control the monitoring target. The control computer 102 sends the process data to the data display and input reception control unit (hereinafter simply referred to as a workstation) 104 and the database 115 via the LAN 103. In addition, the control computer 102 receives a control command sent from the workstation 104 via the LAN 103 and controls the monitoring target 101.
[0029]
The database 115 stores process data input from the control computer 102 through the LAN 103, and also stores data such as set values of the control target 101, operator IDs, group IDs, and operation histories. The stored data is read by a read command from the workstation 104 and sent to the workstation 104 via the LAN 103.
[0030]
The ITV camera 107 sends the video of the monitoring target 101 to the workstation 104 via the cable 108, the switcher 110, and the cable 112. On the other hand, the workstation 104 sends a camera switching command from the cable 113 to the switcher 110, and sends a camera control signal to the ITV camera 107 through the cable 113, the switcher 110, and the cable 109. The switcher 110 switches the camera according to the camera switching command sent. The ITV camera 107 performs camera control such as zoom and pan according to a camera control command.
[0031]
The workstation 104 processes the process data sent from the control computer 102, the data sent from the database 115, and the video signal sent from the ITV camera 107, and displays them on the CRT 105. The operator inputs various input commands to the workstation 104 using the input device 106 such as a mouse, a tablet, and a touch panel. The workstation 104 processes these input commands, changes the CRT display, sends a data read command to the database 115, sends a control signal to the control computer 102 through the LAN 103, controls the monitoring target, and controls the ITV camera 107. , A camera switching signal and a camera control signal to the switcher 110.
[0032]
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the inside of the computer 104. Reference numeral 201 denotes a CPU; 202, a main memory for developing control programs and process control screen data to be displayed on a CRT screen; 203, a hard disk; and 204, an input / output driver.
[0033]
A video signal input from the ITV camera 107 to the input / output driver 204 through the cable 112 is digitized by the digitizer 205 and drawn in the moving image frame buffer 206.
[0034]
Process data output from the control computer 102 and data from the database 115 are input to the input / output driver 204 via the cable 111 from the cable 111, and input commands from the operator are input to the input / output driver 204 via the cable 114 from the input device 106. And is sent to the CPU 201. The CPU 201 processes the input data according to a program on the main memory 202.
[0035]
The hard disk 203 stores the process control screen data, which is read out by the CPU 201 when necessary, expanded on the main memory 202, and written into the graphics frame buffer 207 by a CRT display command. The blend circuit 208 blends the moving image frame buffer 206 and the graphics screen frame buffer 207 and displays them on the CRT 105.
[0036]
FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a CRT screen configuration according to the present embodiment. 301, a process data display area for displaying process data sent from the control computer 102; 302, an image display area for displaying an image from the ITV camera 107; 304, a cursor that is moved by a pointing device such as a mouse; A button 305 is a menu for accepting the input of the command.
[0037]
Buttons such as 303 and menus such as 305 are available for receiving input from the operator, but these may be displayed only when necessary. The process data display area 301 displays a trend graph 306, a bar graph, a table 307, and the like to clearly show process data to an operator. The operator monitors the monitoring target 101 by viewing the data in the process data display area 301 and the video in the video display area 302, presses the operation button 303 with the cursor 304, and selects an item in the menu 305. Thus, an operation command, a control command, a display screen switching command, and the like for the monitoring target 101 are input.
[0038]
An embodiment of the present invention will be described more specifically based on the above-described system configuration and screen configuration.
[0039]
First, in the first embodiment, by pressing (selecting) the check button 303 in FIG. 3 with the cursor 304, the check item menu 405 in FIG. 4 is displayed. In FIG. 4, an image display area 302 displays an ITV camera image including a boiler A401, a boiler B402, a boiler C403, and a water supply 404. By selecting an item 406 of the inspection item menu 405 using the cursor 304, the boiler A401 is operated and inspected, and the operation or inspection is performed. At this time, a rectangle 407 that surrounds the boiler A 401 is drawn on the video in order to clearly indicate that the boiler A is selected in the video display area 302, and the boiler A is emphasized. That is, the object being inspected and operated is emphasized by drawing graphics over the image of the ITV camera being displayed. As a result, even if a plurality of operation inspections can be performed in the camera image, the target being inspected and operated is clearly displayed on the image, and the status of the target can be grasped more reliably. . Of course, if the operation inspection target for the specified item cannot be shown in the displayed camera image, the image is switched to the image from that camera.
[0040]
As a method of emphasizing the operation / inspection target other than the above-described embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the operation / inspection target (here, boiler A401) is enlarged and displayed by transmitting a control command to the ITV camera 107 and performing remote control. To do that. Alternatively, the boiler A is switched to another ITV camera that can shoot the boiler A more easily, and it is remotely operated. That is, first, a camera switching signal is sent to the switcher 110, and then a control command is sent to the camera, so that the target is enlarged and displayed. That is, in the above example, the boiler A is enlarged and displayed.
[0041]
Next, a method of implementing this embodiment will be described.
[0042]
An object 501 having a structure as shown in FIG. 7 is defined in the main memory 202 of the workstation 104. Here, the object 501 includes attribute definition contents relating to display (hereinafter referred to as display attribute definition contents for simplicity) 502, data such as process data, an event input by an operator, and an attribute definition content relating to an operation driven thereby. (Hereinafter referred to as event attribute definition contents for the sake of simplicity) 503.
[0043]
FIG. 9 shows the contents of the display attribute definition contents 502. Here, the display position 621 of the object, the size 622, the shape 623, the drawing data 624 such as the color, the thickness of the character and the line, etc., whether or not the object receives an input event from the operator (hereinafter, the state of receiving the input event) Is called an activated state, and when it cannot be received, it is called a deactivated state). At the time of display, drawing is performed in accordance with the contents of the size 622, the shape 623, and the drawing data 624. The input event input by the operator is sorted using the input position information of the event and the values of the display position 621, size 622, shape 623, and object state variable 626 of the object defined here.
[0044]
FIG. 8 shows the internal structure of the event attribute definition contents 503. The event attribute definition contents 503 include an event index table 601 and an operation table 602 defining an operation to be executed when the event occurs.
[0045]
The event index table 601 registers an event name 603 and a process data variable 604 related to the object. In the event name 603, the names of all events received by the object, such as an input by an operator and a command sent from another object, are registered. The process data variable 604 is a pointer to a corresponding data storage location 611 of the process database 610. Process data obtained from the control target 102 is stored in a corresponding data storage location 611 in the process database 610 on the main memory 202, and each object refers to the data.
[0046]
The operation table 602 registers an operation function to be executed when an event occurs, a display format for displaying process data, and the like. Examples of operations to be performed when an event occurs include, for example, creating data to be displayed on the CRT 105, sending a command to another object, sending a control command to the control computer 102,
For example, a control command for switching the ITV camera video 302 displayed on the CRT 105 is sent. Regarding the process data column on the operation table 602, in addition to a display format for displaying the data, an operation such as issuing a warning when the value of the data is a certain value or more is defined.
[0047]
A description of such an object is described in “User Interface Construction Support System with Meta-User Interface” by Tani et al. In IPSJ Transactions, Vol. 30, No. 9, pp. 1200-1210. UIDL is used. Using the object described in UIDL, the algorithm of FIG. 11 is executed. In step 701, the system is started. In step 702, the CPU 201 collects operator input information input from the input / output driver 204, process data from the control target 101, data from the database 115, and commands from other objects.
[0048]
The CPU 201 passes input information from the operator and instructions from other objects to the corresponding object in step 703, and executes the corresponding operation in the event attribute definition contents 503 in step 704. As for the process data, the data collected in step 702 is entered into the process database 610. In step 703, the CPU 201 causes the object referring to the input process data to refer to the data, and in step 704, the CPU 201 executes an operation corresponding to the process data defined in the event attribute definition contents 503. After repeating steps 704 and 705 for all the events and process data collected in step 702, when rendering such as screen updating is performed, the rendering is performed in the frame buffer 207 in step 705 and the moving image frame buffer 206 and the blend circuit 208 are rendered. Is displayed on the CRT 105.
[0049]
Using the above objects and algorithms, a graphics menu 305 and buttons 303 on the display screen shown in FIG. 3, a table 307 in the process data display area 301, a graph 306, and the like are created. For example, the drawing of the graphics menu 305 is displayed in step 705 based on the contents defined in the display attribute definition contents 502. An event input to the graphics menu 305 by the operator using the cursor 304 is passed to the graphics menu object 501 in step 703, and an operation corresponding to an item in the menu 305 is executed in step 704. Regarding the graph 306, the process data obtained from the control target is referred to in step 703, drawing data is created in step 704 according to the display format on the operation table 602, and drawing is performed in step 705.
[0050]
Next, a method of recognizing an object in a video and highlighting it with graphics will be described. The objects shown in FIG. 7 are also defined for the ITV camera 107 for photographing the monitoring target and the target for performing the operation check in the video or the target related to the target.
[0051]
The contents of the display attribute definition contents 502 of the ITV camera object (hereinafter referred to as a camera object) are the contents shown in FIG. The camera object has, as an attribute, the content of a camera control signal output from the workstation 104 to the ITV camera 107. That is, the zoom value is 651, the vertical angle 652, and the horizontal angle 653. In addition, the related object list 654 has a list of objects corresponding to the target related to the operation check that the camera projects. Further, it has an object state variable 655 indicating whether or not an image from the camera is displayed in the image display area 302, and further has position information 656 indicating a place where the camera is installed.
[0052]
An object defined as an operation inspection target in the video or an object related thereto (referred to as an in-video object for simplicity) has a three-dimensional model 627 of the target in the display attribute definition contents 502. Also, the name of the camera object that reflects the object is described in the related object list 625.
[0053]
12, a model 627 to be inspected for operation is projected on a plane 802 defined by position information 655, horizontal angle information 653, vertical angle information 652, and a zoom value 651 of a camera object to obtain an image 805. At this time, the operation / inspection target in the actual ITV camera image is displayed by the position, size, and shape of the image 805. Therefore, from the projected image, the position, size, and shape of the target in the video being displayed can be determined.
[0054]
The position and size of the object in the video are calculated by the algorithm shown in FIG. When the video is switched in step 701 or step 704 when the system is started, a non-display command is issued to the camera object up to now, and a display command is issued to the camera object to be newly displayed. For the camera object that has received the display instruction, the object state variable 655 becomes the display value. At the same time, a command to activate the object in the video registered in the related object list 654 is issued.
[0055]
The object in the video that has received the instruction in step 703 is in an activated state, and thereafter, an input event of the operator can be obtained. Similarly, the camera object that has received the non-display instruction sets the object state variable 655 to a non-display value, and sets the in-video object registered in the related object list 654 to the inactive state.
[0056]
When performing remote control of the ITV camera 107, a command is sent to the camera object to recalculate the projected image of the object in the video. The camera object that has received the instruction in step 703 sends the above-described projection image calculation execution instruction to all the objects in the video registered in the related object list 654. Next, the object in the video that has received the command in step 703 recalculates the projected image from the three-dimensional model data 627 in step 704 as an operation corresponding to the command. When the zoom value is changed as shown in FIG. 12, the three-dimensional model 801 is projected onto the corresponding planes 803 and 804, and the images become 806 and 807, respectively. At this time, the position, size, and shape of the projected image 806 or 807 of the three-dimensional model are registered in the position 621, size 622, and shape 623 of the display attribute definition contents 502 of the object 501. As a result, while the remote control of the ITV camera 107 is not performed, the object in the video can be handled according to the position, size, and shape registered in the display attribute content 502.
[0057]
In the case of highlighting the target of the operation check in the video using graphics, the graphics are drawn in accordance with the position 621, size 622, and shape 623 of the object in the video. Next, a case will be described in which the operation inspection target in the video is enlarged and displayed by switching the camera or remote control to emphasize the target. In this case, the action table 602 in the event attribute definition contents 503 of the object corresponding to the target is defined in advance so that the camera switching command or camera control signal for enlarging the target is issued to the camera object. Keep it. When the camera object receives the camera switching command in step 703, it sends a camera switching signal to the switcher 110. When receiving the camera control signal, it sends it to the ITV camera 107. Further, referring to the list 654 of objects in the video registered in the camera object, a command is issued to the objects in the video to recalculate the position, size, and shape.
[0058]
In this way, by registering an object to be inspected in the ITV camera and the camera image and an object related thereto as an object, it is possible to recognize the position and size of the object on the ITV camera image. In addition, by registering the object to be projected by the camera in the related object list 654 in the attribute definition content 502 relating to the display of the camera object, the position and size of the object in the image such as when the camera is remotely operated are registered. If the shape needs to be recalculated, only the objects registered there need to be recalculated. Further, an operation to be executed, such as selection of the operation inspection target, is defined in the object, and the operation can be executed when an event is input. This in-video object is also described in UIDL.
[0059]
In the case of the first embodiment, the following is performed. When the check button 303 is pressed, the event is passed to the check button object via steps 702 and 703. In step 704, a command for displaying and activating the inspection item menu object is sent as an operation corresponding to the event input. Similarly, the inspection item menu object that has received the display and activation commands through steps 702 and 703 displays the inspection item menu 405 in steps 704 and 705. When the check item menu 405 is pressed, the event is passed to the check item menu object via steps 702 and 703, and an operation check command of the item selected as the corresponding operation in step 704 is sent to the control computer 102. Then, a command for highlighting is sent to the object in the video corresponding to the selected item. The object in the image that has received the instruction for highlighting examines the state variable, and issues an instruction to display the image of the camera to the camera object that displays the object if it is in the inactive state. As a result, the camera is switched to a camera that shows the target. If it is in the activated state, since the image of the camera showing the object has already been displayed, the drawing data of the rectangle 407 is created, and the rectangle created in step 705 is displayed.
[0060]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
[0061]
When the operator presses the check button 303 (FIG. 3), rectangles 407, 901 and 902 surrounding the devices 401, 402, 403 and 404 which can be selected or selected in the video display area 302 are to be checked. , 903 are superimposed on the video and displayed. As described above, when the operator selects an object to be operated and inspected, the device to be selected is emphasized by displaying the graphics over the video. This clarifies the target on which the operation check should be performed or can be performed on the video.
[0062]
This embodiment uses an object described in UIDL as in the first embodiment. When the check button 303 is pressed, an event is passed to the check button object in steps 702 and 703, and in step 704, a corresponding action is specified as an object in the ITV camera image that can be specified or specified as a target for performing an operation check. Issue a rectangle display command. The in-video object that has received the instruction through steps 702 and 703 creates rectangular data in step 704, and displays rectangles 407, 801, 802, and 803 on the screen in step 705, respectively.
[0063]
When there are a plurality of selectable targets in a video as in this embodiment, a method for clarifying the targets will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, only when the cursor 304 is on the item 406 of the boiler A in the operation inspection item menu 405, a rectangle 407 for highlighting the boiler A 401 is drawn. This is a method of highlighting only the operation inspection target that the operator intends to select. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6, by moving the cursor 304 over the item 406 of the boiler A, the color and line thickness of the rectangle 407 for highlighting the boiler A 401 can be changed, or the rectangle can be highlighted. Display blinking. In this method, the operation inspection target that can be selected or to be selected is clearly indicated in the video, and the operation inspection target to be selected is further emphasized and displayed.
[0064]
These are also realized using objects described in UIDL as in the second embodiment. That is, the event that the cursor 304 has moved onto the item 406 is passed to the object corresponding to the operation / inspection item menu 405 via steps 702 and 703. In step 704, a command for highlighting is sent to the object corresponding to the boiler A401 as a corresponding operation. In steps 704 and 705, the object corresponding to the boiler A401 that has received the instruction through steps 702 and 703 draws the rectangle 407, performs color change, thickness change, and blink display of the rectangle 407.
[0065]
In addition, when specifying an object to be subjected to operation inspection, by performing such highlighting using graphics, it is possible to prioritize the object to be specified on the video. That is, in FIG. 13, the operation and inspection can be performed by changing the color, line thickness, type of line, and the like of the rectangles 407, 901, 902, and 903 to be displayed, or by superimposing characters such as numbers thereon. The priority, importance, and the like when performing the operation can be clearly indicated on the video. The operator can designate the next operation or inspection target based on the priority specified on the video.
[0066]
Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
[0067]
By displaying the rectangle 407 in the video display area 302 (FIG. 3), the boiler A 401 is highlighted. The operator brings the cursor 304 inside the rectangle 407 and inputs a confirmation input in an operation check or the like. The rectangle 407 is erased to indicate that confirmation has been made. That is, by directly inputting the confirmation input regarding the inspection and operation into the image of the object, the operator must always see the image of the object when confirming the executed operation and inspection. It is possible to carry out the confirmation operation ascertained. In addition, when a confirmation input is input, by highlighting the target on the video, the confirmation operation can be performed more easily. Further, by clearly indicating on the video on which the object is performed that the confirmation operation has been performed, the confirmation operation can be made more reliable. As described above, by specifying the confirmation target, confirming input, and confirming execution on the video, an operation such as pointing and calling performed at a site such as a plant is performed while being in the operation room. be able to.
[0068]
The above example is an example of confirmation in operation inspection. Similarly, when performing various operations in plant control, regarding the specification of the operation inspection target performed by the operator, (1) the target can be directly specified on the video. , (2) highlight the target in the video so that the operator specifies it when specifying, and (3) clearly indicate that the specification has been performed on the video when the operator specifies the target. And the like. As a result, not only can the target be specified as if at the site, but also the support of a computer that cannot be obtained at the site can be received.
[0069]
This embodiment can also be realized by using the object described in UIDL described in the first embodiment. Information such as operation and check completion is input from the control computer 102 to the workstation 104 via the LAN 103. Through steps 702 and 703, the event of the operation / inspection confirmation command is passed to the object corresponding to the object on which the operation / inspection has been executed. In steps 704 and 705, a rectangle 407 for emphasizing the object is drawn. When the operator brings the cursor 304 here and performs a confirmation input, in steps 702 and 703, the event of the confirmation input extends to the object related to the operation inspection target. As a result, the rectangle 407 is erased in step 704 as an operation corresponding to the confirmation input.
[0070]
Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
[0071]
When the boiler A 401 is operated and inspected, predetermined operation and inspection contents are automatically performed by selecting the operation and inspection target 401 with the input device 105 such as a mouse in the video display area 302. As described above, when performing the operation and inspection, the operation and inspection are performed by directly selecting the operation and inspection target on the video. The operator only has to look at the video and select a target to be operated or inspected using a mouse or the like, and direct, quick and reliable inspection and operation can be realized.
[0072]
This embodiment can also be realized by using the object described in UIDL shown in the first embodiment. That is, in steps 702 and 703, an input event from the operator is fetched and passed to the object corresponding to the operation and inspection object. As a corresponding operation in step 704, an operation and check command to be performed on the device corresponding to the object is sent to the control computer 102 via the LAN 103. The control computer 102 performs operation and inspection according to the transmitted command.
[0073]
By combining the above four embodiments, a system for supporting inspection and operation can be created as follows.
[0074]
As shown in FIG. 13, at the time of performing inspection and operation, an object to be designated by the operator as an operation and inspection target is highlighted on the video. When the operator brings the cursor to an object on which inspection and operation are to be performed on the image and selects the object, the operator performs a predetermined inspection and operation on the object, and does not select the object as shown in FIG. The highlighting of the target disappears, and only the target whose operation and inspection are being performed is highlighted. After the operation and inspection are completed, the operator performs the operation and inspection confirmation input on the image in FIG. 14 to confirm the operation and inspection and end the highlighting. Further, after this, candidates that can be selected again as operation inspection targets are highlighted as shown in FIG. As described above, the selection of the operation / inspection target, the execution of the operation / inspection, the grasp of the operation / inspection status, and the confirmation of the operation / inspection can be directly performed by using the ITV camera image displayed on the CRT. Since this is only a combination of the first to fourth embodiments, the realization method is as described in each embodiment.
[0075]
In addition, some of the operation and inspection objects may further include objects to be selected by the operator. For example, even if the boiler A is selected as an operation and inspection target, when it is necessary to further designate some valves included in the boiler A as an operation and inspection target, for example, the following is performed.
[0076]
In FIG. 4, a boiler A 401 is selected by selecting an item 406 from a menu 405. At this time, as shown in FIG. 15, the image of boiler A is enlarged, and some of the operations and inspections included in boiler A that can or cannot be performed are displayed in submenu 1106, and rectangles 1101 and 1102 are displayed. , 1103, 1104 and 1105 are highlighted by drawing. In this way, by combining the zooming of the image with the camera and the emphasis with the graphics, it is possible to more clearly convey the operation and inspection target to the operator.
[0077]
The implementation method for this example is as follows. As an operation to be executed when the item 406 in the operation check item menu 405 is selected, a command to enlarge the object 401 is sent to the ITV camera 107, and a display command is sent to the object related to the submenu 406. The operation of sending a display command to the in-video object corresponding to the rectangles 1101 to 1105 is defined in the operation check item menu object. For the objects corresponding to the submenu 406 and the rectangles 1101 to 1105, an operation for performing display is defined as an operation in response to a command sent. The operation defined as described above is executed when an event occurs by the algorithm shown in FIG.
[0078]
Next, a fifth embodiment will be described.
[0079]
In FIG. 16, by specifying a target on the video using the cursor 304, related information 1201 relating to the operation and inspection of the target is displayed. At this time, the target displaying the related information is emphasized by drawing a rectangle 407 on the video. The related information includes, for example, the name of the operation / inspection target, the inspection content at the time of inspection, the manual display of the inspection operation procedure, the operation / inspection status, the related process data, and the like.
[0080]
At this time, the related information is displayed immediately next to the selected target as indicated by reference numeral 1201, for example. By doing so, it is possible to refer to the relevant information of the target without keeping an eye on the target on the video. Alternatively, avoid areas such as the selected object and its related objects, and parts that clearly indicate process data related to the selected objects, and display related information over the parts that indicate information that is not directly related to the selected objects. . In this way, various data of the selected object is clearly indicated, and the operator can refer to all of them.
[0081]
As described above, various related information can be extracted from the target on the video, and the operator can perform operation and inspection while referring to various information. In addition, by highlighting the target displaying the related information on the video, it is possible to clarify which target in the video the information is related to.
[0082]
Also in this embodiment, the realization method uses the object described in UIDL described in the first embodiment. That is, in steps 702 and 703, an event is sent to the object in the video selected by the operator, and in step 704, as the corresponding operation, related information related to the object is read from the hard disk 203 or sent from the monitoring target 101. Drawing data is created by processing the process data for display or reading it from the database 115. The display location is determined using the display position 621, size 622, and related object list 625 of the object in the video, and display is performed in step 705.
[0083]
Next, a sixth embodiment will be described.
[0084]
This embodiment is an extension of the second embodiment. The operation inspection that can be selected or can be selected based on the process data output by the control target 101, the operation inspection history, the data related to the operation inspection such as the operator ID and the group ID. An object is determined, and the object is highlighted on an ITV camera image.
[0085]
As described in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, when the operator designates an object to be operated or inspected in FIG. The operation inspection target 401 is highlighted by drawing a rectangle 407 on the video. Here, the operation inspection target 401 is selected by designating the item 406 in the menu 405 using the cursor 304. If the process data related to this object is not a normal value, as shown in FIG. 15, the objects 1101 to 1105 which are present in the selected object 401 and which should be designated by the operator are displayed as images. Highlight above. On the other hand, at the time of normal operation inspection, designation of such a fine target can be omitted.
[0086]
Furthermore, depending on the value of the process data, it is necessary to carry out the operation and inspection of the target as soon as possible. In this case, when selecting the operation / inspection target, other objects are not highlighted, and only the object requiring immediate operation / inspection is highlighted, or when highlighted as shown by 407 in FIG. Using a rectangle color change, line thickness change, blink display, etc., the degree of emphasis is made higher than that of other objects.
[0087]
At this time, if the video of the target whose process data value is abnormal is not displayed, the camera is switched to a camera that can display the target, the camera is remotely operated to display the target, and the target is further displayed. Can also be highlighted.
[0088]
Thus, when the system starts up or when the process data sent from the control computer 102 to the workstation 104 has an abnormal value, the operator is highlighted on the video over the details of the target to output the process data. It is possible to designate an operation and inspection target while observing the target, or to preferentially designate an output target of the abnormal process data.
[0089]
In FIG. 17, reference numeral 1301 denotes a group ID and user ID input unit. The operator uses the input device 106 to enter the ID here. An operation inspection target that can be specified or specified by the operator based on the input ID is determined. When the operator specifies the operation and inspection target, only the operation and inspection target is highlighted on the ITV camera image. As a result, only the inspection and operation target determined for each individual operator or group are highlighted, so that the inspection and designation of the operation target are simplified, and operation errors and inspection errors due to unfamiliar operation inspection are prevented. be able to.
[0090]
Further, at this time, as shown by reference numeral 407 in FIG. 6, by using a rectangular color for highlighting, changing the line thickness, blinking display, or the like, the operator can preferentially operate and inspect that part. It is possible to indicate to the operator that the part should be carefully inspected.
[0091]
The implementation method according to this embodiment also uses an object described in UIDL. Process data sent from the control computer 102 to the workstation 104 and data sent from the database 115 are stored in the process database 610 in step 702. When an instruction to designate an operation and inspection target is sent to the operation and inspection target object in Steps 702 and 703, the data 611 in the process database 610 is referred to as a corresponding operation in Step 704, and the data value is set. In order to allow the operator to specify over the details of the operation and inspection target as described above, send a display command to the object corresponding to the detailed target or specify the target with priority. , Etc., are performed.
[0092]
On the other hand, the user ID input by the operator to the user ID input unit 1301 is passed to the object corresponding to the user ID input unit 1301 via steps 702 and 703. In step 704, this user ID is stored in the display attribute definition contents 502. In step 704, the object in the video that has received the instruction to perform highlighting to specify the operation / inspection target is to be highlighted with reference to the user ID held by the object corresponding to the user ID input unit. Decisions are made and those that are subject to operation and inspection are highlighted.
[0093]
Next, a seventh embodiment will be described.
[0094]
This embodiment is an extension of the fourth embodiment. The system according to the fourth embodiment uses process data output from the control target 101 or data relating to the control target such as the operator ID and group ID, and the operator who performs operations and inspections. Is to determine the contents of inspections and operations to be performed.
[0095]
For example, in FIG. 14, by designating an operation / inspection target 401 of a target on the video with the cursor 304, when the process or inspection of the target is performed, if the process data related to the target has an abnormal value, the system Performs detailed operation and inspection of the target. If not, do it easily. As a result, when an abnormality is found while watching the ITV camera image, by specifying the target, an operation and an inspection corresponding to the abnormality are automatically performed. Further, the input operation of the operator can be simplified.
[0096]
In FIG. 17, when the operator inputs the ID to the user ID input unit 1301, the inspection and operation to be executed when the operator specifies the operation inspection target are determined. By specifying the device highlighted on the video, the operation to be performed and the inspection contents are determined by the group ID and the ID input to the user ID input unit, thereby sharing the tasks of the inspection and operation in the group. can do. In addition, erroneous operation and inspection operation can be prevented by partially restricting the execution of the inspection operation content depending on the operator.
[0097]
The method of realizing this embodiment is almost the same as the method of realizing the sixth embodiment. In step 702, the process data is held in the process database 610. When an event for executing an operation check is received in steps 702 and 703, the data 611 of the process database 610 is referred to as a corresponding operation, the value of the data is evaluated, and the operation to be executed and the check contents are determined and executed. Are performed in step 704. Similarly, the user ID input to the user ID input unit 1301 by the operator is passed to the object corresponding to the user ID input unit 1301, and the user ID is stored in the display attribute definition content 502 in step 704. When performing the operation check, an operation of determining and executing the operation check content with reference to the user ID held by the object corresponding to the user ID input unit is executed in step 704.
[0098]
In the same manner as in the sixth and seventh embodiments, the fifth embodiment can be extended as follows. That is, the content of the related information to be extracted by the operator selecting an object on the video or the like is determined by the value of the process data, the operator ID, or the like. As a result, the operation check procedure, the operation check manual, and the like depend on the target situation at the time of reference and the referred operator, and necessary information can be obtained more easily.
[0099]
Next, an eighth embodiment will be described.
[0100]
This embodiment is an extension of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 18, by specifying the item 406 using the cursor 304, when operating and inspecting the boiler A 401, the operation / inspection target is not only displayed and highlighted on the video but also displayed as a rectangle 407. Highlighting is performed by changing or blinking the color of the process data 1401, 1402, 1403 related to the target among the process data in the middle. In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, at the time of operation and inspection, not only the operation / inspection target is highlighted on the video but also the target related to the target. For example, in FIG. 6, the boiler A401 is set as a target of operation and inspection, and the boilers B402 and C403 are highlighted as related devices. Here, the operation inspection target and its related target can be distinguished by the color of the rectangle to be highlighted, the thickness of the line, the blink, the highlight display, and the like. As described above, when performing the operation and inspection, not only the operation and inspection target in the video but also the process data related thereto and the target in the relevant video are highlighted to comprehensively detail the operation and inspection target. Can be shown to the operator.
[0101]
The method of realizing these embodiments is as follows. In the first embodiment, the operation table 602 that defines that the operation / inspection target is to be highlighted is displayed on the operation table 602. An operation of sending a command for highlighting as described above to a table object or the like is added. When this operation is performed in step 704, a command for highlighting is sent to the related in-video object, graph object, and table object. This command is distributed to the respective objects in steps 702 and 703, and in step 704, the respective objects perform the highlighting as described above.
[0102]
The ninth embodiment is an extension of the second embodiment in the same manner as the eighth embodiment. That is, in FIG. 18, when designating an operation inspection target, the operator brings the cursor 304 onto the item 406 to highlight the operation inspection target 401 on the video by displaying a rectangle 407 or the like. In addition, highlighting is performed by changing or blinking the color of the process data 1401, 1402, 1403 related to the target among the process data being displayed.
[0103]
In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, when designating an operation or inspection target, not only the target on which the operation / inspection can be performed or should be performed is highlighted, but also the target related to the target is highlighted. For example, in FIG. 6, a boiler A401 is set as an operation inspection target to be designated or designated by an operator, and boiler B402 and boiler C403 are highlighted as related devices. Here, the target that can or should be subjected to the operation check can be distinguished from the target related thereto by the color of the highlighted rectangle, the thickness of the line, the blink, the highlight display, and the like. Thereby, when designating the operation inspection target, it is possible to specify the target in which the operation inspection can be performed or should be performed in the video, the target in the video related thereto, the related process data being displayed, and the like.
[0104]
In this embodiment, the related video object and the related process data are displayed on the operation table 602 defining that the operation checkable or the object to be performed is highlighted, as in the eighth embodiment. An operation of sending a command for highlighting a graph object, a table object, or the like is added. When this operation is performed in step 704, a command for highlighting is sent to the related in-video object, graph object, and table object. This command is distributed to the respective objects in steps 702 and 703, and in step 704, the respective objects perform the highlighting as described above. This can be realized by combining the implementation methods of the eighth embodiment and the second embodiment.
[0105]
As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, when operating and inspecting an object to be monitored and controlled, the object under operation inspection and the object that can or should be subjected to operation inspection are emphasized on the video. In addition, it is possible to prevent mistakes in selecting the target and to clarify the target of the operation check. The operator is able to select the operation and inspection target after sufficiently understanding the situation at the site, and is also able to sufficiently understand the status of the target for which the operation and inspection is currently being performed.
[0106]
Also, by designating an operation check target on the video, the operation check of the target can be performed. In this way, if an abnormality can be recognized by looking at the video, it can be designated as a target of operation inspection using a pointing device such as a mouse. In addition, it is important for the operator to check the operation and inspection, but by performing this check on the video image of the monitored object, the user can check the situation at the site.
[0107]
With these realizations, the operator can perform operations and inspections as if he were on site while staying in the operation room.
[0108]
Furthermore, by deciding the contents of operations and inspections to be performed at that time depending on the situation of the control target, and determining what can be selected as the target, appropriate operations or inspections can be performed. Also, at this time, only the target to be inspected on the video is emphasized, or the highlighting method is changed according to the importance and priority of the operation and inspection, so that the operator can specify the target more accurately when specifying the target. Can be.
[0109]
Further, by specifying a target on the video, information such as the operation / inspection status, the operation / inspection procedure, the operation / inspection content, other related process data, and other targets in the relevant video can be extracted. In addition, by displaying these display positions in the immediate vicinity of the target on the video, it becomes easy to simultaneously refer to the target in the video and its data. Even in data already displayed in a trend graph or a table, or in an entire plant diagram, etc., it is possible to realize comprehensive monitoring and operation by emphasizing related items.
[0110]
【The invention's effect】
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, when abnormality arises, it becomes possible to implement operation check quickly. In addition, since the inspection target is highlighted, the inspection target is clarified, and more reliable inspection can be performed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the inside of a data display and input reception computer (workstation) shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen displayed on a display.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an inspection item menu.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of highlighting.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another example of highlighting.
FIG. 7 is an object configuration diagram.
FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of event attribute definition contents.
FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram of display attribute definition contents.
FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram of display attribute definition contents of a camera object.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of the monitoring apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 12 is a diagram for creating a three-dimensional model of an operation and inspection target possessed by ITV camera control information and an object and a position and a size of the operation and inspection target to be placed in a video from the model;
FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of highlighting.
FIG. 14 is a diagram showing still another example of highlighting.
FIG. 15 is a diagram showing still another example of highlighting.
FIG. 16 is a diagram showing still another example of highlighting.
FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of an ID input screen.
FIG. 18 is a diagram showing still another example of highlighting.
[Explanation of symbols]
101: control and monitoring target, 102: data collection and monitoring target control unit (control computer), 104: display and operator input receiving computer (workstation), 105: CRT, 106: operator input receiving device, 107 ... ITV camera, 115 ... database, 301 ... process data display area, 302 ... camera video display area from ITV camera, 304 ... cursor, 305 ... trend graph, 405 ... operation inspection item menu, 401 ... operation inspection object (boiler A ).

Claims (2)

A monitoring device that shoots a monitoring target with a plurality of cameras and displays a video image thereof on a screen,
Means for determining whether there is an abnormality in the output data of each monitoring target,
Means for selecting a camera for photographing the abnormality monitoring target when an abnormality occurs;
Means for sending a control command to the selected camera to shoot the abnormality monitoring target object,
Means for displaying a video image by the camera on a screen and displaying the display of the abnormality monitoring object separately from other display objects of the video image. A monitoring device that captures an image of a monitoring target with a plurality of cameras and displays an image captured by the camera on a display,
A monitoring apparatus comprising: means for judging the presence or absence of an abnormality in output data of each monitoring target, selecting a camera capturing the monitoring target in which the abnormality has occurred, and displaying an image of the selected camera on the display.

Images