Monitor control apparatus

• US 5,880,716 A
• Filed: 01/24/1997
• Issued: 03/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kunugi, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffrey A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIEU, JULIE BICHNGOC
• Application Number:
  US08/788,694
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/326, 345/331, 345/335, 364/146, 348/552
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41875 characterised by quality surveillance of production
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31474 Icon display for quick access of detailed information
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31479 Operator select part of process he wants to see, video image is displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36168 Touchscreen
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

An operator designates an image of equipment or a device using a pointing device and touch coordinate detector which detects touch coordinates of the designated equipment or device on a graphic screen. A specifier compares the display coordinates on the image of each equipment or device sent from a display coordinate detector to the touch coordinates on the graphic screen output from the touch coordinate detector and outputs data specifying the equipment or device touched by the operator to a camera switching section. The camera switching section switches from a plant equipment and device monitor camera to an operating board monitor camera. The image of the operating board is displayed in a window in a predetermined area on the graphic screen. A CRT display controller causes an operating window to be displayed for the specified equipment or device displayed in a window on the CRT display unit. The operator manipulates the plant equipment and devices on the operating window corresponding to the operating board displayed on the display unit. Data indicating any specific operation is sent to a controller through an output data transmitter together with data representing the equipment or device specified by the pointing device to thereby control the specified equipment or device.

Claims

1. A monitor control apparatus comprising:

first imaging means for taking an image of equipment and devices of a plant;

equipment and device display means for displaying the image of the equipment and devices imaged by said first imaging means on at least a part of a graphic screen displaying symbols of the equipment and devices of said plant;

pointing means for designating an equipment and device on the image displayed by said equipment and device display means;

graphic coordinate detection means for detecting first data representing first coordinates on the graphic screen, the first coordinates corresponding to second coordinates representing the equipment and device on the image designated by said pointing means;

image coordinate detection means for detecting second data indicating coordinates of the equipment and devices on the image taken by said first imaging means; and

equipment and device specifying means for specifying at least one of the equipment and devices on the graphic screen which corresponds to the equipment and devices on the image designated by said pointing means, said specifying being on the basis of the first data detected by said graphic coordinate detection means and the second data detected by said image coordinate detecting means.

2. The monitor control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pointing means is a touch panel.

3. The monitor control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image coordinate detection means comprises:

first storage means for storing pattern data required for recognizing the image of the equipment and devices taken by said first imaging means;

pattern data recognition means for recognizing the pattern data stored in said first storage means from the image of said equipment and devices taken by said first imaging means;

second storage means for storing the second data representing the coordinates on the image corresponding to the pattern data stored in the first storage means; and

first detection means for detecting the second data representing the coordinates an the image stored in said second storage means, the second data corresponding to the pattern data recognized by said pattern data recognition means.

4. The monitor control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said equipment and device display means displays the image of the equipment and devices taken by said first imaging means in a window on the graphic screen.

5. A monitor control apparatus comprising:

first imaging means for taking an image of equipment and devices of plant;

equipment and device display means for displaying the image of the equipment and devices imaged by said first imaging means on at least a part of a graphic screen displaying symbols of the equipment and devices of said plant;

pointing means for designating an equipment and device on the image displayed by said equipment and device display means;

graphic coordinate detection means for detecting first data representing first coordinates on the graphic screen, the first coordinates corresponding to second coordinates representing the equipment and device on the image designated by said pointing means;

image coordinate detection means for detecting second data indicating coordinates of the equipment and devices on the image taken by said first imaging means;

equipment and device specifying means for specifying at least one of the equipment and devices on the graphic screen which corresponds to the equipment and devices on the image designated by said pointing means, said specifying being on the basis of the first data detected by said graphic coordinate detection means and the second data detected by said image coordinate detection means;

second imaging means for taking an image of the operating board for operating said equipment and devices;

operating board display means for displaying the image of said operating board taken by said second imaging means in at least a part of the graphic screen;

switching means for displaying the image of the operating board on the graphic screen by said operating board display means in place of the image of the equipment or device displayed by said equipment and device display means in the case where the at least one of the equipment and devices on said graphic screen is specified by said equipment and device specifying means;

operating icon display means for displaying on said graphic screen the operating icons corresponding to the operating board display means in the case where the image of said operating board is displayed on the graphic screen by said switching means;

icon designating means for designating an operating icon displayed by the operating icon display means; and

control means for controlling the equipment or device specified by said equipment and device specifying means on the basis of the designation of said operating icons by said icon designation means.

6. The monitor control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said pointing means is a touch panel.

7. The monitor control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said image coordinate detection means comprises:

first storage means for storing pattern data required for recognizing the image of the equipment and devices taken by said first imaging means;

pattern data recognition means for recognizing the pattern data stored in said first storage means from the image of said equipment and devices taken by said first imaging means;

second storage means for storing the second data representing the coordinates of the image corresponding to the pattern data stored in the first storage means; and

first detection means for detecting the second data representing the coordinates on the image stored in said second storage means, the second data corresponding to the pattern data recognized by said pattern data recognition means.

8. The monitor control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said equipment and device display means displays the image of the equipment and devices taken by said first imaging means in a window on the graphic screen.

9. A monitor control apparatus comprising:

imaging means for taking an image of equipment and devices of a plant;

operating condition data acquisition means for acquiring operating condition data representing operating conditions of said equipment and devices in a predetermined sequence;

equipment and device coordinate detection means for detecting first data representing coordinates of the equipment and devices on the image taken by said imaging means;

first storage means for storing a relation between the operating condition data and the equipment and devices;

specifying means for specifying at least one of the equipment and devices corresponding to the operating condition data acquired by said operating condition data acquisition means on the basis of the relation stored in said first storage means;

relating means for relating the at least one of the equipment and devices specified by said specifying means to said operating condition data and the first data detected by said equipment and device coordinate detection means;

second storage means for storing symbol data representative of said equipment and devices;

first display means for displaying the image of the equipment and devices taken by said imaging means; and

second display means for displaying the symbol data stored in said second storage means in superposed relation on said equipment and devices on the image displayed by said first display means on the basis of the relation stored in said first storage means, said operating condition data and said first data related to each other by said relating means.

10. The monitor control apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said equipment and device coordinate detection means comprises:

third storage means for storing pattern data required for recognizing the image of the equipment and devices taken by said imaging means;

pattern data recognition means for recognizing the pattern data stored in said third storage means from the image of said equipment and devices taken by said imaging means;

fourth storage means for storing third data indicating the coordinates of the image corresponding to the pattern data stored in said third storage means; and

detection means for detecting the first data indicating the coordinates of the image stored in said fourth storage means corresponding to the pattern data recognized by said pattern data recognition means.