FACTOR ESTIMATION APPARATUS, FACTOR ESTIMATION METHOD, AND COMPUTER READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20070239651A1
• Filed: 04/03/2007
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Nakajima, Yasuaki, Kojitani, Kazuto, KOGA, Junpei
• Granted Patent: US 8,260,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/60
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/024 Quantitative history assessment, e.g. mathematical relationships between available data; Functions therefor; Principal component analysis [PCA]; Partial least square [PLS]; Statistical classifiers, e.g. Bayesian networks, linear regression or correlation analysis; Neural networks
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/083 Quality monitoring using results from monitoring devices, e.g. feedback loops H05K13/084 takes precedence

Abstract

A factor estimation apparatus which can appropriately estimate a factor without increase in the cost, the factor estimation apparatus includes a characteristic quantity determination unit which determines the characteristic quantity; a user input unit which accepts an input from a user as data for the characteristic quantity determined by the characteristic quantity determination unit; an apparatus-data input unit to which data is inputted from a data obtaining device as the data for the characteristic quantity determined by the characteristic quantity determination unit; an input source defining unit which previously determines that the data for the characteristic quantity is inputted from which one of the user input unit and the apparatus-data input unit; and an estimation unit which estimates the factor using the data inputted from the input unit determined by the input source defining unit.

Claims

1. A factor estimation apparatus which estimates a factor affecting a phenomenon based on data for a characteristic quantity associated with the phenomenon, the factor estimation apparatus comprising:

a characteristic quantity determination unit which determines the characteristic quantity;

a user input unit which accepts an input from a user as data for the characteristic quantity determined by the characteristic quantity determination unit;

an apparatus-data input unit to which data is inputted from a data obtaining device as the data for the characteristic quantity determined by the characteristic quantity determination unit;

an input source defining unit which previously determines that the data for the characteristic quantity is inputted from which one of the user input unit and the apparatus-data input unit; and

an estimation unit which estimates the factor using the data inputted from the input unit determined by the input source defining unit.

2. A factor estimation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of characteristic quantities exist, the estimation unit estimates the factor based on the plurality of characteristic quantities, and

the input source defining unit includes a priority determination unit which previously determines that a priority is assigned to the data inputted from which one of the user input unit and the apparatus-data input unit for the plurality of characteristic quantities.

3. A factor estimation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the priority determination unit includes a reliability determination unit which determines reliability of the input data of each of the user input unit and of the apparatus-data input unit, and

the priority determination unit determines that the priority is assigned to the data inputted from which one of the user input unit and the apparatus-data input unit according to the determination result of the reliability determination unit.

4. A factor estimation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the reliability determination unit determines the reliability from a skill or a role of a user.

5. A factor estimation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the input source defining unit previously determines that the data is inputted from which one of the user input unit and the apparatus-data input unit for the plurality of characteristic quantities according to a target system for which the factor is estimated.

6. A factor estimation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the target system is operated in a plurality of operational phases,

the factor estimation apparatus includes an operational phase input unit which prompts a user to input the operational phase and the usable data obtaining device in the target system, and

the factor estimation apparatus includes a valid factor defining unit which stores the operational phase and the data obtaining device inputted to the operational phase input unit in association with the phenomenon.

7. A factor estimation method of estimating a factor affecting a phenomenon based on data for a characteristic quantity associated with the phenomenon, the factor estimation method comprising the steps of:

determining previously that the data for the characteristic quantity is inputted from which one of a user input unit and a data obtaining device;

determining the characteristic quantity;

inputting the data for the characteristic quantity from previously determined one of the user input unit and the data obtaining device; and

estimating the factor affecting the phenomenon using the inputted data.

8. A computer readable recording medium in which a program for making a computer to execute the factor estimation method according to claim 7 is stored.