Information terminal system getting information based on a location and a direction of a portable terminal device

• US 5,598,572 A
• Filed: 03/15/1995
• Issued: 01/28/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kuzunuki, Shoshiro, Tanikoshi, Koichiro, Tani, Masayuki, Yamaashi, Kimiya, Futakawa, Masayasu, Uchigasaki, Harumi, Nishikawa, Atsuhiko, Horita, Masato, Maruyama, Takekazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Daniel H.
• Application Number:
  US08/404,743
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 395/828, 395/800, 364/DIG. 1, 364/DIG. 2, 364/578, 364/189, 364/449, 364/561, 364/557, 364/551.01, 361/686, 73/23.2, 342/450, 342/451, 342/463, 348/154
• US Class Current: 712/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23161 Hand held terminal PDA displays machine control program when user is near that machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

An information terminal system including a process control computer and a portable terminal device for inputting information to said process control computer and gaining information from said process control, includes component information storing means for storing information for distinguishing each one of plural components composing a plant and component identifying means for identifying a component from plural components composing a plant and existing in the direction indicated by and at the location of the portable terminal device, by using information for distinguishing each one of the plural components stored in the component information storing means.

Claims

1. An information terminal system including a process control computer which controls a plant composed of a plurality of physical components, and a portable terminal device for inputting information to at least one of said process control computer and said components and for obtaining information from at least one of said process control computer and said components, said information terminal system comprising:

component identifying means provided in at least one of said process control computer and said portable terminal device, for identifying a component from a plurality of physical components included in a plant, by using a direction indicated by said portable terminal device,

wherein information pertaining to one of said components, as identified by said component identifying means, is input and obtained by said portable terminal device.

2. An information terminal system including a process control computer which controls a plant composed of a plurality of physical components, and a portable terminal device for inputting information to at least one of said process control computer and said components and for obtaining information from at least one of said process control computer and said components, said information terminal system comprising:

component identifying means provided in at least one of said process control computer and said portable terminal device, for identifying a component which is nearest to said portable terminal device from plurality of physical components included in a plant, by using a direction indicated by said portable terminal device,

wherein information pertaining to one of said components, as identified by said component identifying means, is input and obtained by said portable terminal device.

3. An information terminal system including a process control computer which controls a plant composed of a plurality of physical components, and a portable terminal device for inputting information to at least one of said process control computer and said components and for obtaining information from at least one of said process control computer and said components, said information terminal system comprising:

component map information storing means provided in at least one of said process control computer and said portable terminal device, for storing information on a location of each component of said plurality of physical components composing a plant;

location and direction identifying means provided in at least one of said process control computer and said portable terminal device, for identifying a location and a direction of orientation of said portable terminal device; and

component map collating means provided in at least one of said process control computer and said portable terminal device, for identifying a component indicated by said portable terminal device by collating said measured location and direction of orientation of said portable terminal device with said information on said location of each component of said plurality of components stored in said component map information storing means,

wherein information pertaining to one of said components, as identified by said component map collating means, is input and obtained by said portable terminal device.

4. An information system according to claim 3, wherein said portable terminal device includes a component identifier storing means for storing at least one of said identified components in the form of an identifier.

5. An information system according to claim 3, wherein said component map collating means identifies a component existing in a direction indicated by said portable terminal device and nearest to said portable terminal device as an object component to be treated.

6. An information system according to claim 3, wherein at least two kinds of sensors including a long range sensor and a short range sensor are provided in said location and direction measuring means for measuring said location and direction of said portable terminal device.

7. An information terminal system including a process control computer which controls a plant composed of a plurality of physical components, and a portable terminal device for inputting information to at least one of said process control computer and said components and for obtaining information from at least one of said process control computer and said components, said information terminal system comprising:

component appearance information storing means provided in at least one of said process control computer and said portable terminal device, for storing information on a physical appearance of each component of said plurality of physical components included in a plant;

image pickup means provided in at least one of said process control computer and said portable terminal device, for picking up an image of at least a part of a component existing in a direction indicated by said portable terminal device; and

component appearance collating means provided in at least one of said process control computer and said portable terminal device, for identifying a component to be treated, by collating said picked up image with said information on said physical appearance of each component of said plurality of physical components, stored in said component appearance information storing means,

wherein information pertaining to one of said components, as identified by said component appearance collating means, is input and obtained by said portable terminal device.

8. An information terminal system including a process control computer which controls a plant composed of a plurality of physical components, and a portable terminal device for inputting information to at least one of said process control computer and said components and for obtaining information from at least one of said process control computer and said components, said information terminal system comprising:

component sound information storing means provided in at least one of said process control computer and said portable terminal device, for storing features of sounds generated by each component of said plurality of components included within a plant;

component sound pickup means provided in at least one of said process control computer and said portable terminal device, for picking up sounds generated by each component of said plurality of components existing in a direction indicated by said portable terminal device; and

component sound collating means provided in at least one of said process control computer and said portable terminal device, for identifying a component to be treated, by collating said picked up sounds with said features of said sounds of each component of said plurality of components, stored in said component sound information storing means,

wherein information pertaining to one of said components, is identified by said component sound collating means, is input and obtained by said portable terminal device.

9. An information terminal system including a process control computer which controls a plant composed of a plurality of physical components, and a portable terminal device for inputting information to at least one of said process control computer and said components and for obtaining information from at least one of said process control computer and said components, said information terminal system comprising:

component temperature distribution information storing means provided in at least one of said process control computer and said portable terminal device, for storing features of a temperature distribution for each component of said plurality of components included within a plant;

component temperature distribution pickup means provided in at least one of said process control computer and said portable terminal device, for detecting said temperature distribution for each one of said components existing in a direction indicated by said portable terminal device; and

component temperature distribution collating means provided in at least one of said process control computer and said portable terminal device, for identifying a component to be treated, by collating said detected in temperature distribution with said features of said temperature distribution of each component of said plurality of components, stored in said component temperature distribution information storing means,

wherein information pertaining to one of said components, as identified by said component temperature distribution collating means, is input and obtained by said portable terminal device.

10. An information terminal system including a process control computer which controls a plant composed of a plurality of physical components, and a portable terminal device for inputting information to at least one of said process control computer and said components and for obtaining information from at least one of said process control computer and said components, said information terminal system comprising:

device access detecting means provided in preset ones of said plurality of components composing a plant, for detecting access of said portable terminal device to a component;

component identifier transmitting means provided in at least one of said process control computer and said preset ones of said plurality of components, for transmitting an identifier of a component of said preset ones, to which access of said portable terminal device is detected by said device access detecting means; and

component identifier receiving means provided in at least one of said process control computer and said portable terminal device, for receiving said transmitted identifier of said component,

wherein information pertaining to one of said components, as identified by said device access detecting means, is input and obtained by said portable terminal device.

11. A portable terminal device for inputting information to at least one of a process control computer which controls a plant composed of a plurality of physical components, and a portable terminal device for inputting information to and obtaining information from at least one of said process control computer and said components, said portable terminal device comprising:

component map information storing means for storing information on a location of each component of said plurality of components included in a plant; and

detection means for detecting a location of said portable terminal device by using said information on said location of each component of said plurality components included in said plant stored in said component map information storing means,

wherein information on said location of said portable terminal device and on components around said terminal device is input and obtained by said portable terminal device.

12. An information terminal system including a process control computer which controls a plant composed of a plurality of physical components, and a portable terminal device for inputting information to at least one of said process control computer and said components and for gaining information from at least one of said process control computer and said components, said information terminal system comprising:

characteristic information storing means for storing characteristic information which is peculiar to each component of said plurality of components composing a plant;

pickup means for picking up information concerning the peculiar characteristic of a component of said plurality of components existing in a direction indicated by said portable terminal device; and

collating means for identifying said component by collating said picked up information with said characteristic information for each of said components as stored in said characteristic information storing means,

wherein information pertaining to one of said components, as identified by said component collating means, is input and obtained by said portable terminal device.

13. An information system according to claim 12, wherein said characteristic information is component appearance information and said pickup means includes an image pickup device.

14. An information system according to claim 12, wherein said characteristic information is sound information indicating features of sounds generated by said components.

15. An information system according to claim 12, wherein said characteristic information is temperature distribution information indicating features of a temperature distribution of each of said components.