JP7654192B2 - Method, program and system for storing procedures - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method and system for storing a procedure, and in particular to a method, program, and system for storing a procedure including multiple elements by a computer.

The state of a plant, device, or system is generally defined based on measurements from sensors, the passage of time, and the logical relationships between them. For example, when any of the measurements of the plant's pressure, temperature, or water volume exceed an upper limit for a specified period of time or more, it can be determined that the plant is in a fault state. To perform such judgment processing using a computer, it is necessary to have the computer store the processing procedures for making the judgment.

JP 2013-164861 A

One method for having a computer memorize procedures is to read flow information from electronic resources that show the procedures as diagrams, and memorize the procedures based on the connections between the diagrams from the diagram's attribute information. However, such electronic resources are often created for humans to visually recognize procedures, and the connections between the diagrams are not always drawn accurately. For example, diagrams may be slightly separated and not connected, or multiple overlaps may make it unclear where they should be connected. When such unclear points exist, the computer cannot accurately recognize and memorize the procedures.

In order to draw an accurate processing flow, it is possible to use dedicated software such as that described in Patent Document 1. However, in order to use the dedicated software, it is necessary to become familiar with the operation method, and knowledge and experience in creating flowcharts are also required. Furthermore, in an environment without the dedicated software, it is not possible to modify and update the procedures.

Therefore, there was a need for a method, program, and system that could easily and accurately store procedures in a computer without using dedicated software.

The above problem can be solved by a method for storing a procedure including a plurality of elements by a computer, the method including the steps of receiving a first spreadsheet in which cells corresponding to the elements are arranged according to the procedure and a second spreadsheet in which each element is represented by a symbol, and generating an object corresponding to each element, each object including link information, the link information including information on a predecessor object corresponding to a cell adjacent to the upstream side of the cell corresponding to the element, and information on a successor object corresponding to a cell adjacent to the downstream side of the cell corresponding to the element.

A first spreadsheet in which the elements of a procedure are represented by cells and the procedure is represented by an arrangement of cells is received together with a second spreadsheet in which the elements of the procedure are represented by visually easy-to-understand symbols, and the procedure can be stored in a computer based on the first spreadsheet, so that there is no need to master the operation of dedicated software or knowledge or experience of flowcharts, and inaccuracies caused by drawings can be eliminated. In addition, since the spreadsheet can be edited using general-purpose software, it is possible to modify and update the procedure in a variety of environments.

In this application, a "spreadsheet" refers to a sheet having cells arranged in columns and rows. An "element" refers to a processing unit having an input state, an element state, and an output state, and the relationship between these states is regulated by a predetermined rule. An "element" also includes a processing unit in which the input state is the element state and the output state as it is. Additionally, "upstream" and "downstream" refer to the direction of the flow of processing when arranging cells in the first spreadsheet. For example, when cells are arranged so that processing is performed from left to right, "upstream" refers to the left side, and "downstream" refers to the right side. On the other hand, when cells are arranged so that processing is performed from top to bottom, "upstream" refers to the upper side, and "downstream" refers to the lower side.

In contrast, "preceding" and "successor" refer to the order of the actual processing steps. In principle, the upstream element is processed as the "preceding" element, and the downstream element is processed as the "successor" element, but when returning to the processing of an element placed upstream, such as in an iterative process, the element placed upstream is processed as the "successor" element.

In addition, it is preferable that the object further includes element state information, input state information, and output state information, and the method further includes the steps of displaying the second spreadsheet by the computer, receiving input for the element, updating, for the element corresponding to the input, the element state information and output state information of the object corresponding to the element and the input state information of the subsequent object, and updating the display of the symbol of the element corresponding to the input in accordance with the updated state information.

This configuration allows the user to input elements on the second spreadsheet, which is displayed with symbols that are easily visually recognizable, and to grasp the status of each element processed according to a procedure. Because the computer performs processing based on the procedure stored on the basis of the first spreadsheet, inaccuracies in the drawings on the second spreadsheet do not affect the storage of the procedure.

Here, it is desirable that the input to the element is at least one of an input to a symbol, a signal input from outside the computer, a timer input, and a change in input state information. It is possible to determine the output state according to various input states such as a user input, a measurement signal from an external device, the passage of a certain amount of time, and the output state of a preceding element.

It is also desirable that each of the element state information, input state information, and output state information includes information on a non-transition state, a confirmation waiting state in which user confirmation is awaited for a transition, and a transition state. This allows state management according to the user's management style.

Furthermore, it is desirable that the above method further includes a step of updating, for each column from the most upstream to the most downstream of the first spreadsheet, the element state information and output state information of the object corresponding to each cell in the column, as well as the input state information of the subsequent object, according to the input state information of the object; and, when the input state information of the object corresponding to the upstream cell is updated, a step of repeatedly updating the element state information and output state information of the object, as well as the input state information of the subsequent object, according to the input state information of the object corresponding to each cell in the column, for each column from the column to which the most upstream cell of the updated cells belongs to to the most downstream column of the first spreadsheet.

When there is a transition in the state of an element, it is necessary to update the state of the subsequent elements. If the cell corresponding to the subsequent element is located upstream, for example in an iterative process, after a series of updates has been completed up to the most downstream element, the update process is repeated starting from the most upstream element among the updated elements, making it possible to accurately reflect the state transition of the elements.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the method further includes the steps of: constructing, for each column of the first spreadsheet, a data structure of cell elements in the column and a data structure of column elements including an update flag; and, when the input state information of an object corresponding to a cell located upstream is updated, setting an update flag for the object by the computer. By referring to the update flag, it is possible to easily determine whether the above repetition is necessary, and it is also possible to reduce cases of falling into an infinite loop caused by the repetition.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the above method further includes a step in which the computer issues an alarm based on the state of the element. This allows a user to easily grasp that a particular state, such as a plant failure, has occurred.

It is preferable that a cell in a first spreadsheet and a corresponding symbol in a second spreadsheet are associated with the cell by the same label or data. By making such an association, it becomes possible for a computer to associate a cell in the first spreadsheet with a symbol in the second spreadsheet without using a new correspondence table for associating the cell in the first spreadsheet with the symbol in the second spreadsheet.

Furthermore, the above problem can also be solved by a program for realizing the above-mentioned functions, or a system configured to implement the above-mentioned method.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a system according to the present invention. 1 is an example of a first spreadsheet (logic sheet). 13 is an example of a second spreadsheet (flowsheet). 1 is an example of a data structure. This is an example of an object. 1 is a flowchart (main routine) of a method and program according to the present invention. 1 is a flowchart (subroutine) of a method and program according to the present invention. 1 is a flowchart (subroutine) of a method and program according to the present invention. 1 is a flowchart (subroutine) of a method and program according to the present invention. 1 is a flowchart (subroutine) of a method and program according to the present invention. 1 is a flowchart (subroutine) of a method and program according to the present invention. 13 is an example of displaying the state of each element on a second spreadsheet. 13 is an example of displaying the state of each element on a second spreadsheet.

A schematic diagram of a system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. The system 10 includes a processor 12, a display device 11, an input device 13, a timer 14, a memory 15, and an alarm device 16 connected to the processor 12. Each connection may be a direct wired connection, a wireless connection, or a connection via a network. For example, the memory 15 may be a memory on a server connected via the Internet. In addition, the display device 11, the processor 12, the input device 13, the timer 14, the memory 15, and the alarm device 16 do not need to be composed of a single member, and may be composed of multiple members. For example, the input device 13 may be composed of multiple devices such as a mouse, a keyboard, and a network interface.

The display device 11 is a device that has the function of displaying a spreadsheet, such as an LCD monitor, projector, or mobile terminal. The input device 13 is a device that has the function of receiving spreadsheet data from the system 10 and receiving input from a user or an external device. It may be not only a device operated by a human being, such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel, but also an input/output interface or network interface that receives sensor signals, command signals, etc.

The timer 14 is a device that generates a periodic clock signal and has a timekeeping function. The signals and data from the timer 14 are used as the clock signal for the processor 12 and as the timekeeping signal for timer elements that include the passage of time as a rule.

Memory 15 has a function of storing programs and data to be processed by processor 12, such as RAM, HDD, and flash memory. Memory 15 stores a general-purpose spreadsheet application 151, such as Microsoft Excel or Google spreadsheet, a program 152 executed by processor 12 to realize a function of storing a procedure in memory 15, a logic sheet 153, a flow sheet 154, a data structure 155, and an object 156. Program 152 may be written using the macro function of spreadsheet application 151, or may be an executable file that can be executed independently of spreadsheet application 151.

The alarm device 16 is a device for generating an alarm that can be recognized by the user. For example, this includes devices for generating auditory alarms (alarm sounds) such as speakers and buzzers, devices for generating visual alarms such as lamps, LEDs, and warning displays on the display device 11, and devices for generating alarms by vibration, etc. Alarm devices 16 include not only devices that directly issue alarms to the user, but also devices that transmit alarm signals to external devices.

Next, the configuration of flowsheet 154 (second spreadsheet) will be described with reference to FIG. 3. Flowsheet 154 is a spreadsheet in which elements constituting a procedure are represented by symbols. Flowsheet 154 is divided into three areas 51, 52, and 53, which are processing procedures for determining the status of elements 501, 502, and 503, respectively. Elements 501, 502, and 503 are each displayed as a text box symbol.

The state of element 501 is determined by processing elements 511-515, two timer elements 521 and 522, and three logic elements 531, 532, and 533 according to the procedure shown in area 51. Elements 511-515, timer elements 521 and 522, and logic elements 531, 532, and 533 are connected by connecting elements 551-560, which are represented by arrow symbols. The element states and output states of elements 511-515, timer elements 521 and 522, logic elements 531, 532, and 533, and connecting elements 551-560 transition according to predetermined rules.

Elements 511 to 515 are elements whose element state and output state change when the input state, which changes due to user input or external signal input, meets certain conditions. Elements 511 to 515 are each displayed as a text box symbol.

The element state and output state of timer elements 521 and 522 transition when a specified time has passed. For example, the element state and output state of timer element 521 transition when a specified input state continues for three hours or more, and the element state and output state of timer element 522 transition when a specified input state continues for 15 minutes or more. Timer elements 521 and 522 are displayed as symbols in text boxes that display the time conditions.

Logic elements 531, 532, and 533 are elements whose element states and output states transition depending on the logical operation of the input states. For example, logic element 531 is a 2/3 logical AND in which the element state transitions when two or more of the three input states transition. Logic element 532 is a two-input logical AND, and logic element 533 is a three-input logical OR. Logic elements 531, 532, and 533 are displayed with logical symbolic symbols.

Connected elements 551-560 are elements whose input state becomes the element state and output state as is. Connected elements 551-560 are displayed with arrow symbols. Element 501, which is the most downstream element in area 51, should actually be connected to the output of connected element 560, but is displayed at the top of the area for visibility. In this way, flowsheet 154 can be configured to allow the user to easily grasp the procedure visually. In other words, since system 10 stores procedures based on logic sheet 153, the notation of flowsheet 154 does not need to accurately describe the flow of processing.

Next, the configuration of logical sheet 153 (first spreadsheet) will be described. Logical sheet 153 is a spreadsheet in which cells corresponding to elements constituting a procedure are arranged according to the procedure. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a portion of logical sheet 153 corresponding to area 51 of flowsheet 154. Since logical sheet 153 is composed of a spreadsheet, the position of a cell can be indicated by the column number (column 1, column 2, column 3, etc.) and row number (row 1, row 2, row 3). For example, linked cell 411 with data "BOX_A25_01_01" is located in column 1, rows 1 to 3, and cell 412 with data "BOX_A25_01_02" is located in column 1, row 4.

In logical sheet 153, cells corresponding to each element displayed in flow sheet 154 are arranged from left to right according to a procedure. Thus, in logical sheet 153, the left side is the upstream side and the right side is the downstream side. The cells of flow sheet 154 and the cells of logical sheet 153 are associated by associating one-to-one with the labels corresponding to each element in flow sheet 154 and the corresponding cells in logical sheet 153. For example, element 511 corresponds to cell 411 in logical sheet 153, so in this embodiment, the association is achieved by making the label "BOX_A25_01_01" of element 511 the data for cell 411.

Elements 512-515, timer elements 521, 522, and logic elements 531, 532, and 533 of flow sheet 154 correspond to cells 412-415, 421, 422, 431, 432, and 433 of logic sheet 153, respectively. In contrast, connected elements may not have a one-to-one correspondence. For example, connected elements 552-555 of flow sheet 154 correspond one-to-one to cells 452-455 of logic sheet 153, respectively, but connected element 551 of flow sheet 154 corresponds to two cells 4511 and 4512 of logic sheet 153. This point will be explained below.

In the logic sheet 153, cells are arranged so that the procedure proceeds from left to right. Therefore, on the downstream side (right side) of the cell 413 corresponding to the element 513, the cell 452 corresponding to the connected element is arranged adjacent to it, and further downstream, the cell 431 corresponding to the logic element 531 is arranged adjacent to it. Similarly, on the downstream side of the cell 414 corresponding to the element 514, the cell 453 corresponding to the connected element is arranged adjacent to it, and further downstream, the cell 431 corresponding to the logic element 531 is arranged adjacent to it. Since the logic element 531 has three inputs, it is a cell in which three cells are connected in the vertical direction. Since two connected elements 554 and 555 are connected to the element 515, the cells 454 and 455 corresponding to the respective connected elements are arranged adjacent to the downstream side of the cell 415 which combines the two cells in the vertical direction. The cell adjacent to the downstream side of cell 454 is cell 431, which corresponds to logic element 531, and the cell adjacent to the downstream side of cell 455 is cell 421, which corresponds to timer element 521.

According to the above rules, a cell corresponding to a concatenated element must be placed downstream of cell 412 corresponding to element 512, and cell 432 corresponding to logical element 532 must be placed downstream of that cell. However, since the output of logical element 531 is also input to logical element 532, cell 432 corresponding to logical element 532 must be placed downstream of cell 456 corresponding to concatenated element 556 connecting logical element 532 and logical element 531. In this case, it is not possible to place three cells, cell 412 corresponding to element 512, cell 432 corresponding to logical element 532, and the cell of the concatenated element connecting them side by side. Therefore, two cells 4511 and 4512 having the same data "ARW_A25_02_04" are placed downstream of cell 412 corresponding to element 512 and upstream of cell 432 corresponding to logical element 532, respectively, to show that they are connected. There are two cells that correspond to the connected element, but they have the same data, so by labeling connected element 551 in flowsheet 154 as "ARW_A25_02_04", it is possible to associate three cells, connected element 551 in flowsheet 154 and cells 4511 and 4512 in logic sheet 153. For the same reason, connected element 557 in flowsheet 154 corresponds to two cells 4571 and 4572 in logic sheet 153, and are associated with them by the same label/data "ARW_A25_04_03".

Note that cells 421 and 422 corresponding to timer elements 521 and 522 are adjacently arranged upstream to cells 491 and 492 for connecting to timer 14.

Next, the data structure 155 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The data structure 155 is constructed in the memory 15 by the processor 12 based on the logical sheet 153. The data structure 155 includes column element structures 210, 220, 230, 240 corresponding to each column of the logical sheet 153. The data structures 210, 220, 230, 240 of each column element include cell element data structures 211, 212, 224, 241 corresponding to each cell of the logical sheet 153 and update flags 219, 229, 249. Furthermore, the data structures 211, 212, 224, 241 of each cell element are composed of areas that store the cell data 2111, 2121, 2241, 2411, the start line of the cell 2112, 2122, 2242, 2412, the end line of the cell 2113, 2123, 2243, 2413, and the corresponding object reference information 2114, 2124, 2244, 2414.

For example, cell 411 located in row 1 to row 3 of column 1 of logical sheet 153 corresponds to cell element data structure 211 in column element structure 210. "BOX_A25_01_01", which is the data of cell 411, is registered in cell data 2111 of cell element data structure 211. Furthermore, 1 and 3 are registered in the cell start row 2112 and cell end row 2113 areas, respectively. Furthermore, object reference information 2114 registers the object name (obj_511) of the object corresponding to element 511 corresponding to cell 411. The object reference information does not have to be an object name as long as it is information that can identify the corresponding object.

When there are multiple cells that correspond to the same element, the same object reference information is registered in the data structure of each cell element. For example, in the cell element structures 224, 241 of the two cells 4511, 4512 that correspond to element 551, the cell data 2241, 2411, the cell start lines 2242, 2412, and the cell end lines 2243, 2413 register the data, start line, and end line of the corresponding cells 4511, 4512, but the object reference information 2244, 2414 registers the same object name "obj_551" that corresponds to element 551.

Next, the object 156 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. The object 156 is generated in the memory 15 by the processor 12 in correspondence with each element of the flowsheet 154. The object 156 includes link information 260 including predecessor object information 261 and successor object information 262, element state information 263, input state information 264, output state information 265, and rules 266.

In the preceding object information 261, reference information of the object that is processed immediately before the processing of the element in question is registered. On the other hand, in the succeeding object information 262, reference information of the object that is processed immediately after the processing of the element in question is registered. For example, in the preceding object information 261 of the object (object name: obj_531) corresponding to logical element 531, the object names (obj_552, obj_553, obj_554) of connected elements 552, 553, 554 that are processed immediately before logical element 531 are registered, and in the succeeding object information 262, the object name (obj_556) of connected element 556 that is processed immediately after logical element 531 is registered.

Element state information 263 stores the element state, input state information 264 stores the input state of the element, and output state information 265 stores the output state of the element. Here, the element state, input state, and output state can be set appropriately depending on the function of the element, but in this embodiment, each element has three states: a non-transition state, a confirmation waiting state in which the element is waiting for user confirmation to transition, and a transition state.

Rule 266 specifies the relationship between the input state, element state, and output state. For example, rule 266 for the object (object name: obj_531) corresponding to the logical element 531 of 2/3 logical AND registers a rule that the element state and output state transition when two or more of the input states corresponding to each of the three inputs transition.

Next, the operation of system 10, which is an embodiment of the present invention, will be described with reference to the flowcharts of Figures 6 to 11. Except as otherwise specified below, system 10 is realized by processor 12 executing instructions of program 152 stored in memory 15. Figure 6 is a flowchart 30 of the main routine, and Figures 7 to 11 are flowcharts 31 to 35 of subroutines.

First, the input device 13 receives the logical sheet 153 and the flow sheet 154 (step 301). Next, the processor 12 generates objects based on the logical sheet 153 and constructs the data structure 155 (steps 302 to 304). By constructing the data structure 155, preceding object information 261 corresponding to the cell adjacent to the upstream side of the cell corresponding to the element and succeeding object information 262 corresponding to the cell adjacent to the downstream side of the cell corresponding to the element are registered in the connection information 260 of the object 156 corresponding to each element. This associates the cells of the logical sheet 153, the elements of the flow sheet 154, and the objects corresponding to the elements.

Then, the flow sheet 154 is displayed on the display device 11, and the input state, element state, and output state registered in each object 156 are initialized to a non-transition state (step 305). Next, the processor 12 waits until it receives an external signal input to the input device 13, a timer input from the timer 14, a change in the input state information 264 of the object 156 corresponding to each element, etc. (step 306). When it receives an input, the processor 12 judges whether the input is an instruction to end the operation (step 307), and if it is an end instruction, it ends the operation of the main routine 30. On the other hand, if it is not an end instruction, it updates the element state information 263, input state information 264, and output state information 265 of the object 156 corresponding to each element in the flow sheet according to the element corresponding to the input (step 308).

Next, the operation of constructing the data structure 155 (steps 302 to 304) will be described in detail. FIG. 7 is a flowchart 31 of a subroutine corresponding to data structure construction 1 (step 302). In this subroutine, the data structure 155 is constructed based on the logical sheet 153. FIG. 8 is a flowchart 32 of a subroutine corresponding to data structure construction 2 (step 303). In this subroutine, an object 156 of each element is generated, and information of the corresponding object 156 is registered in the object reference information 2114, 2124, 2244, 2414 of the data structures 211, 212, 224, 241 of each cell element of the data structure 155. FIG. 9 is a flowchart 33 of a subroutine corresponding to data structure construction 3 (step 304). In this subroutine, link information 260 of the object 156 corresponding to each element is registered based on the cell arrangement of the logical sheet 153. These three subroutines allow the construction of a data structure 155 having linkage information 260 including preceding object information 261 corresponding to the cell adjacent to the upstream side of the cell corresponding to the element, and succeeding object information 262 corresponding to the cell adjacent to the downstream side of the cell corresponding to the element. The operation of each of the subroutines for data structure construction 1 to 3 will be described in detail below.

In the subroutine 31 of data structure construction 1 shown in FIG. 7, the processor 12 first reserves an area for the data structure 155 in the memory 15, creates the starting point of the entire data structure, and creates data structures 210, 220, 230, and 240 of column elements corresponding to each column of the logical sheet 153 in the data structure 155 (step 311). Next, the processor 12 searches the cells in one column of the logical sheet 153 in the row direction, starting from row 1, and obtains cell information of the cells corresponding to the elements (step 312). Since there is a cell 411 corresponding to element 511 of the flow sheet in row 1 of column 1 of the logical sheet 153, the data "ARW_A25_01_01" of cell 411, cell range information (start row (row 1), end row (row 3)), and other cell information are obtained. Next, the processor 12 creates a data structure 211 for a cell element corresponding to element 511 in the data structure 210 for column elements of one column (step 313), and registers the cell information obtained from the logical sheet 153 in each of the cell data 2111, the cell's starting row 2112, and the cell's ending row 2113 (step 314).

Next, processor 12 determines whether there are any unprocessed cells in the column (step 315). At this point, only cell 411 in rows 1 to 3 of column 1 has been processed, and there are still unprocessed cells 412 to 415 in rows 4 and onward of column 1, so the process returns to step 312 and performs steps 312 to 314 on the next cell, i.e., cell 412 in row 4 of column 1, to create a cell element data structure 212 and register the cell information obtained from cell 412 (cell data 2121, start row 2122, end row 2123). In this way, cell element data structures corresponding to cell 413 in row 5 of column 1, cell 414 in row 6 of column 1, and cell 415 in rows 7 to 8 of column 1 are generated and registered in sequence, completing the processing of all cells in column 1.

Next, the processor 12 determines whether there are any unprocessed columns in the logical sheet 153 (step 316). At this point, processing of only column 1 has been completed, and there are unprocessed columns from column 2 onwards, so the processor returns to step 312 and performs steps 312 to 314 on the next column, i.e., cells 441, 442, 4431, ... in the second column, to create a data structure for cell elements in the data structure 220 for column elements of column 2, and register the cell information. In this way, the processor sequentially processes the data structure 230 for column elements of column 3, the data structure 240 for column elements of column 4, ... and returns to the main routine when processing of all columns is completed.

When there are multiple logical sheets 153, in order to register the structures of multiple sheets in one data structure 155, an offset may be added to the column numbers before registration. For example, an offset of 20 is added to the second logical sheet, and the first column is registered as a data structure of column elements of 21 columns, the second column is registered as a data structure of column elements of 22 columns, and the third column is registered as a data structure of column elements of 23 columns. Furthermore, an offset of 40 is added to the third logical sheet, and the first column is registered as a data structure of column elements of 41 columns, the second column is registered as a data structure of column elements of 42 columns, and the third column is registered as a data structure of column elements of 43 columns. The size of the offset is set appropriately depending on the size of the logical sheets 153.

By executing data structure construction 1 as described above, it is possible to construct a data structure 155 based on logical sheet 153.

Next, the operation of the subroutine 32 of the data structure construction 2 shown in FIG. 8 will be described. In the data structure construction 2, the processes of steps 321 to 324 are performed sequentially for each of the data structures 210, 220, 230, and 240 of the column elements of the data structure 155. First, the processor 12 acquires the cell information corresponding to the data structure 211 of the first cell element of the data structure 210 of one column element, that is, the element 511 (cell 411) (step 321), and determines whether or not a corresponding object exists in the memory 15 (step 322). At this time, since there is no object corresponding to the element 511 in the memory 15, the processor 12 generates an object 156 corresponding to the element 511 in the memory 15 (step 323, object name: obj_511). Then, the processor 12 registers the object name "obj_511" in the object reference information 2114 of the data structure 211 of the cell element corresponding to the element 511 of the data structure 155 (step 324). Note that the object reference information does not have to be the object name as long as it is information that can identify the corresponding object.

After that, returning to step 321, steps 321 to 324 are performed for the data structure 212 of the second cell element in column 1 to register object reference information 2124. In this way, object reference information is registered sequentially for each cell element data structure registered in the data structure 210 of column element 1 (step 325). When processing of the data structure 210 of column element 1 is completed, processing is sequentially performed on the data structure 220 of column element 2, the data structure 230 of column element 3, the data structure 240 of column element 4, and so on, performing steps 321 to 325 for all columns (step 326), and then returning to the main routine.

Here, if it is determined in step 322 that a corresponding object exists in memory 15, a new object is not generated, and reference information for the existing object is registered in the data structure of the cell element. For example, there are two cells in logic sheet 153 corresponding to connected element 551, one with two columns and four rows (cell 4511) and the other with four columns and four rows (cell 4512). Therefore, when processing data structure 224 of cell elements with two columns, a corresponding object (object name: obj_551) is generated, and when processing data structure 241 of cell elements with four columns, a corresponding object already exists in memory 15. Therefore, when processing data structure 241 of cell elements with four columns, no object is generated (step 323), and reference information "obj_551" of the already existing corresponding object is registered in object reference information 2414 of data structure 241 of cell elements.

By executing data structure construction 2 as described above, it is possible to generate an object 156 for each element and register information about the corresponding object 156 in the object reference information of the data structures 211, 212, 224, and 241 of each cell element.

Next, the operation of the subroutine 33 of the data structure construction 3 shown in FIG. 9 will be described. In the subroutine 33, the processes of steps 331 to 334 are performed sequentially for each column of the logical sheet 153. First, the processor 12 obtains the cell information of the cell 411 in the first column, rows 1 to 3 (step 331), and determines whether there is an adjacent cell downstream of the corresponding logical sheet cell 411 (step 332). Since the three connected element cells 441, 442, and 4431 are adjacent downstream of the cell 411, the data of each cell, "BOX_A25_02_01", "BOX_A25_02_02", and "BOX_A25_02_03", are obtained (step 333), and the data is stored in the succeeding object information 262 of the object 156 corresponding to the cell 411. Also, the data "BOX_A25_01_01" of cell 411 is registered in the preceding object information 261 of each object 156 corresponding to cells 441, 442, and 4431 of the connected element. This allows the link information 260 to be registered in each object corresponding to cell 411 and cells 441, 442, and 4431 adjacent to the downstream side of cell 411 (step 334). After that, returning to step 331, link information 260 is registered in the object corresponding to cell 412 in column 1, row 4, and the object of cell 4511 adjacent to the downstream side (step 334). In this way, the processes 331 to 334 are sequentially performed for cells 413, 414, and 415 in column 1 (step 335). When the processing of the cells in column 1 is completed, the cells 441, 442, ... in column 2, and the cells 431, 421, ... in column 3 are sequentially processed (step 336). When the processing of all columns is completed, the process returns to the main routine.

Here, if it is determined in step 332 that there is no adjacent cell downstream, no special processing is performed and the data structure of the next cell element is processed. For example, cell 4511 (element 551) in column 2, row 4 has no adjacent downstream cells with values (blank cell 470), so nothing is registered in the successor object information (262) of the corresponding object (object name: obj_551). Note that for the object (object name: obj_551) corresponding to element 551, the preceding object information is registered when cell 412 in column 1, row 4 is processed, and the successor object information is registered when cell 4512 in column 4, row 4 is processed.

As described above, by executing data structure construction 3, it is possible to register link information 260 for objects 156 corresponding to each element based on the cell arrangement of the logical sheet 153.

Next, the operation of the subroutine (step 308) for updating the state of each of the element state information 263, input state information 264, and output state information 265 of the object 156 will be described with reference to the flowchart 34 in FIG. 10. First, the processor 12 performs update subroutine processing for the object corresponding to the input (step 341). This allows the state transition due to the input to be reflected in the related object. For example, when an external signal input for causing a state transition for the element 511 is received, or when an input for causing a state transition for the symbol of the element 511 displayed on the display device 11 is received from the user, the input state information of the object corresponding to the element 511 is updated in response to the input, and update subroutine processing for the object corresponding to the element 511 is performed.

Figure 11 shows a flowchart 35 of the update subroutine process. First, the processor 12 obtains information on the target object 156 (step 351). In the above example, the processor 12 obtains information on the object 156 corresponding to element 511. Next, the processor 12 determines the element state and output state of element 5111 from the input state of element 511 according to the rule 266 of the object 156, and updates the element state information 263 and output state information 265 of the object 156 corresponding to element 511 (step 352).

After that, the processor 12 updates the symbols of the flow sheet 154 displayed on the display device 11 according to the updated element state information 263 of the corresponding object (step 353). In this embodiment, each element has three states: a non-transition state in which the conditions specified in the rule are not met, a confirmation waiting state in which the conditions are met but the user's confirmation has not been obtained, and a transition state after the user's confirmation. Figures 3, 12, and 13 show display examples of each state. Figure 3 shows a display when all elements are in a non-transition state. Each element is displayed with a thin solid line. Figure 12 shows a display example when element 515 is in a confirmation waiting state. Element 515 is displayed with a dotted line. Also, the connected elements 554 and 555 following element 515 are in a confirmation waiting state, so they are displayed with a dotted line. After that, when the user clicks on element 515 to input confirmation, it enters a transition state and is displayed with a thick solid line as shown in Figure 13. The connected elements 554 and 555 following element 515 are also displayed with a thick solid line. The state of an element may be represented by differences in line color or symbol background color, rather than line type as described above.

Next, the processor 12 identifies the succeeding object based on the succeeding object information 262 of the object 156 corresponding to the element 511, acquires the object information (step 354), and registers and updates the determined output state in the input state information 264 of the succeeding object (step 355). In the above example, the updated output state of the element 511 is registered in the input state information 264 of the object 156 corresponding to the connected elements 541, 542, and 543 subsequent to the element 511. At this time, if there is no change in the input state of the object 156 corresponding to the subsequent connected elements 541, 542, and 543, no update is performed.

Next, the processor 12 compares the position of the cell on the logical sheet 153 corresponding to the object 156 updated in step 352 with the position of the cell on the logical sheet 153 corresponding to the subsequent object updated in step 355, and determines whether the cell corresponding to the updated subsequent object is located upstream (step 356). More specifically, it determines whether the synchronization timing of the subsequent object is the same (i.e., this subsequent object already has the same synchronization signal. In other words, since it has already been evaluated, it is upstream in terms of the order of evaluation), and whether the input state information of the subsequent object has changed by passing the output state information to the subsequent object. In other words, it determines whether the subsequent object is upstream and whether the input state of the subsequent object has changed. If the condition is met, the update flags 219, 229, and 249 of the data structures 210, 220, 230, and 240 to which the subsequent object belongs are set (step 357). In the above example, cell 411 corresponding to object 156 updated in step 352 is a cell in one column, and cells 441, 442, and 4431 corresponding to the subsequent object updated in step 355 are cells in two columns located downstream, so no update flag is set. In contrast, when the input state information of an element located upstream is updated by iterative processing or the like, an update flag is set for the data structure of the column element of the updated object.

Then, the update subroutine processing ends and the process returns to the state update subroutine 34. In this way, the object update subroutine 35 updates the element state information 263 and output state information 265 of the object 156, as well as the input state information 264 of the subsequent object, according to the input state information 264 of the object, and further, when the input state information of an object corresponding to a cell located upstream is updated, the update flags 219, 229, 249 of the columns to which the updated cell belongs can be set.

After returning from the state update subroutine 34, the processor 12 then calls the update subroutine 35 for all objects in sequence (step 342). This allows the effect of state transitions due to input to be reflected in all objects. Specifically, the update subroutine process is performed for each cell in each column from the most upstream (column 1) to the most downstream (column 11) of the logic sheet 153. This allows the element state information 263 and output state information 265 of the object corresponding to each cell, as well as the input state information 264 of the subsequent object, to be updated according to the input state information 264 of the object 156 corresponding to that cell, and further, when the input state information of the object corresponding to the upstream cell is updated, the update flags 219, 229, and 249 of the column to which the updated cell belongs can be set.

Then, the processor 12 refers to the update flags 219, 229, and 249 of the data structures 210, 220, 230, and 240 of each column element to determine whether the input state information of the object corresponding to the cell located upstream has been updated during the execution of step 342 (step 343). If the input state information of the object corresponding to the cell located upstream has been updated, the update subroutine process 35 is performed for each cell in the column, from the most upstream column among the columns with the update flags 219, 229, and 249 set to the most downstream column of the logical sheet 153 (step 344). If the input state information of the object corresponding to the cell located upstream has been updated during the execution of step 344, the update subroutine process 35 is further performed for each cell in the column, from the column to which the most upstream cell among the updated cells belongs to to the most downstream column of the logical sheet 153 (step 344). In this way, if the cell corresponding to the subsequent element is located upstream, after a series of updates has been completed up to the most downstream element, the update process is repeated starting from the most upstream element among the updated elements, making it possible to accurately reflect the state transition of the elements.

Then, the processor 12 determines whether each element has reached a preset state (predetermined state) (step 345), and if a predetermined state has been reached, issues an alarm by the alarm device 16 (step 346). An alarm may be issued not only by directly acting on the user's five senses, but also by transmitting a signal to an external device. The "predetermined state" that is the condition for issuing an alarm may be set in advance and registered in each object 156. When the alarm processing (steps 345, 346) is completed, the processing of the subroutine 34 is terminated and the process returns to the main routine.

As described above, system 10 can receive flowsheet 154, in which elements of a procedure are represented by visually easy-to-understand symbols, as well as logic sheet 153, in which the elements are represented by cells and the procedure is represented by an arrangement of cells, and can store the procedure based on logic sheet 153, so that there is no need to master the operation of dedicated software or have knowledge or experience of flowcharts, and inaccuracies caused by drawing can be eliminated. In addition, because spreadsheets can be edited with general-purpose software, it is possible to modify and update procedures in a variety of environments.

The user can then input element transitions on the flowsheet 154, which is displayed with symbols that are easily visually recognizable, and can grasp the status of each element that has been processed according to the procedure. In addition, by issuing an alarm, the user can easily grasp that a specific status, such as a plant failure, has occurred.

Although the system and method according to the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and includes all aspects included in the concept of the present invention and the scope of the claims. For example, the method of displaying the symbols and states of each element in the flow sheet (second spreadsheet) can be changed as appropriate according to the usage situation and usage environment. In addition, when there are multiple subsequent objects, the same output state is output to all subsequent objects in the above embodiment, but rules may be set to control what information is sent to which object. In addition, in the above embodiment, the symbol display is updated in the object update subroutine process 35 (step 353), but instead, the symbol display may be updated after all update processes are completed, that is, immediately before step 345 in FIG. 10. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the state of each element has three states: a non-transition state, a confirmation waiting state in which a user's confirmation is awaited for transition, and a transition state, but it may have two states such as true and false, or four or more states.

10 System 11 Display device 12 Processor 13 Input device 14 Timer 15 Memory 16 Alarm device 152 Program 153 Logic sheet 154 Flow sheet 155 Data structure 156 Object

Claims (10)

A method for storing instructions by a computer, the method comprising:
receiving a first spreadsheet in which cells corresponding to the elements are arranged according to the procedure, and a second spreadsheet in which each element is represented by a symbol;
generating an object corresponding to each element,
Each object contains link information,
The connection information includes information of a preceding object corresponding to a cell adjacent to the upstream side of the cell corresponding to the element, and information of a succeeding object corresponding to a cell adjacent to the downstream side of the cell corresponding to the element.
Steps and
A method comprising: the object further includes element state information, input state information, and output state information;
The method includes, by the computer:
displaying the second spreadsheet;
receiving an input for an element;
For an element corresponding to the input, updating element state information and output state information of an object corresponding to the element, and input state information of a successor object;
updating a display of a symbol of the element corresponding to the input in response to the updated element state information;
Further comprising:
The method of claim 1. The method of claim 2, wherein the input is at least one of an input to the symbol, a signal input from outside the computer, a timer input, and a change in input state information. The method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein each of the element state information, the input state information, and the output state information includes information on a non-transition state, a confirmation waiting state that is waiting for user confirmation to transition, and a transition state. updating, for each column from the most upstream to the most downstream of the first spreadsheet, element state information and output state information of the object and input state information of a subsequent object according to input state information of the object corresponding to each cell in the column;
when the input state information of an object corresponding to a cell located upstream is updated, repeating updating of element state information and output state information of the object and input state information of subsequent objects according to input state information of the object corresponding to each cell in each column, for each column from the column to which the most upstream updated cell belongs to to the most downstream column of the first spreadsheet;
The method of claim 2 , further comprising: constructing, for each column of the first spreadsheet, a data structure of cell elements within the column and a data structure of column elements including an update flag;
when the input state information of an object corresponding to the upstream cell is updated, setting an update flag of the object by the computer;
The method of claim 5 further comprising: The method of any one of claims 2 to 6, further comprising the step of the computer issuing an alert based on the state of the element. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a cell of the first spreadsheet and a corresponding symbol of the second spreadsheet are associated with the same label or data. On the computer,
A function of receiving a first spreadsheet in which cells corresponding to elements constituting a procedure are arranged according to the procedure, and a second spreadsheet in which each element is represented by a symbol;
A function for generating an object corresponding to each element,
Each object contains link information,
The connection information includes information of a preceding object corresponding to a cell adjacent to the upstream side of the cell corresponding to the element, and information of a succeeding object corresponding to a cell adjacent to the downstream side of the cell corresponding to the element.
Functions and
A program to achieve this. A system comprising a processor and a memory for storing objects corresponding to elements constituting a procedure,
The processor,
receiving a first spreadsheet in which cells corresponding to the elements are arranged according to the procedure, and a second spreadsheet in which each element is represented by a symbol;
Create an object for each element.
It is configured as follows:
Each object contains link information,
The connection information includes information of a preceding object corresponding to a cell adjacent to the upstream side of the cell corresponding to the element, and information of a succeeding object corresponding to a cell adjacent to the downstream side of the cell corresponding to the element.
system.

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