MAINTENANCE SUPPORT SYSTEM, MAINTENANCE SUPPORT APPARATUS AND MAINTENANCE SUPPORT METHOD

• US 20140067089A1
• Filed: 08/29/2013
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Inventors: KANBE, Takahiro, YAMAMOTO, Mitsuhiro, EMA, Nobuaki
• Granted Patent: US 9,829,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/73
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41845 characterised by system universality, reconfigurability, modularity
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25057 Configuration stored in distributed database for real time use
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25068 Check correct configuration of device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25074 Check system, change failing element, compare with stored configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32142 Define device, module description using xml format file
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 6/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A maintenance support system include includes: a first storage unit which stores first specification information indicating a specification of a process control system which performs control of an industrial process implemented in a plant; an actual condition information extraction unit configured to extract actual condition information indicating an actual condition for the process control system; and a first comparison unit configured to output first information indicating a result of comparing the first specification information stored in the first storage unit with the actual condition information extracted by the extraction unit.

Claims

1. A maintenance support system, comprising:

a first storage unit which stores first specification information indicating a specification of a process control system which performs control of an industrial process implemented in a plant;

an actual condition information extraction unit configured to collect information regarding the process control system, and extract, from the collected information, actual condition information indicating an actual condition for the process control system; and

a first comparison unit configured to output first information indicating a result of comparing the first specification information stored in the first storage unit with the actual condition information extracted by the extraction unit.

2. The maintenance support system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second storage unit which stores second specification information indicating a specification of the process control system;

a second comparison unit configured to output second information indicating a result of comparing the second specification information stored in the second storage unit with the actual condition information extracted by the extraction unit; and

an updating unit configured to update the second storage unit so that the contents of correction for the first specification information stored in the first storage unit are reflected in the second storage unit when the first information output from the first comparison unit indicates that there is no difference between the first specification information and the actual condition information.

3. The maintenance support system according to claim 2, wherein:

the updating unit is configured to add, to the second information, at least one of information on a time point at which a change was occurred in the first information and information on a time point at which a change was occurred in the second information when updating the second storage unit.

4. The maintenance support system according to claim 1, wherein:

the actual condition information extraction unit is configured to extract, as the actual condition information, at least one of;

information indicating a type and setting contents of a field device installed in the plant, and

information indicating an installation position of the field device.

5. The maintenance support system according to claim 1, wherein the actual condition information extraction unit is configured to extract the actual condition information of a previously defined format.

6. The maintenance support system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a specification information extraction unit configured to extract, as the first specification information, information of the same type as the actual condition information extracted by the actual condition information extraction unit,

wherein the first comparison unit is configured to output the first information indicating the result of comparing the first specification information extracted by the specification information extraction unit with the actual condition information extracted by the actual condition information extraction unit.

7. The maintenance support system according to claim 1, wherein the first storage unit stores the first specification information in a unified format.

8. The maintenance support system according to claim 1, wherein:

the first comparison unit is configured to include, in the first information, information indicating a time at which a difference was generated between the first specification information and the actual condition information, and information on a place in which the difference was generated when there is the difference between the first specification information and the actual condition information.

9. The maintenance support system according to claim 1, wherein the first comparison unit is configured to include, in the first information, information indicating a time at which a difference was resolved between the first specification information and the actual condition information and information indicating a place in which the difference was resolved.

10. The maintenance support system according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit configured to notify a terminal device of an engineer managing the process control system of the first information output by the first comparison unit.

11. The maintenance support system according to claim 6, wherein the specification information extraction unit is configured to extract the first specification information in a certain period or when the first specification information stored in the first storage unit is changed.

12. The maintenance support system according to claim 1, wherein the first storage unit stores maintenance information of the process control system in correlation with the first specification information when the first specification information is updated.

13. The maintenance support system according to claim 1, wherein the first storage unit stores the first specification information before updating without deleting the first specification information before updating when the first specification information is updated.

14. The maintenance support system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a specification information extraction unit configured to extract, as the first specification information, information of the same type as the actual condition information extracted by the actual condition information extraction unit,

wherein the second storage unit stores, as the second specification information, the same specification information as a format extracted by the specification information extraction unit.

15. The maintenance support system according to claim 2, further comprising a notification unit configured to notify a terminal device of an engineer managing the process control system of the second information output by the second comparison unit.

16. The maintenance support system according to claim 1, further comprising an actual condition input unit configured to input the actual condition information.

17. A maintenance support apparatus, comprising:

a first comparison unit configured to output first information indicating a result of comparing first specification information indicating a specification of a process control system performing control of an industrial process implemented in a plant with actual condition information indicating an actual condition for the process control system.

18. A maintenance support method, comprising:

storing, in a first storage unit, first specification information indicating a specification of a process control system performing control of an industrial process implemented in a plant;

collecting information regarding the process control system, and extracting, from the collected information, actual condition information indicating an actual condition for the process control system; and

outputting first information indicating a result of comparing the first specification information stored in the first storage unit with the extracted actual condition information.

19. The maintenance support method according to claim 18, comprising:

storing, in a second storage unit, second specification information indicating a specification of the process control system;

outputting second information indicating a result of comparing the second specification information stored in the second storage unit with the extracted actual condition information; and

performing updating so that the contents of correction for the first specification information stored in the first storage unit are reflected in the second specification information when the output first information indicates that there is no difference between the first specification information and the actual condition information.

20. The maintenance support method according to claim 19, comprising:

adding, to the second information, at least one of information on a time point at which a change was occurred in the first information and information on a time point at which a change was occurred in the second information when the second specification information is updated.