Remote monitoring and diagnostic system

• US 7,809,529 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2008
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sumi, Katsuhiro, Idemori, Kimito, Ooba, Yoshikazu, Seki, Yoshiro, Kobayashi, Shuichiro, Oohashi, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Charioui; Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US12/206,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20090013311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 702/81, 702/82, 702/119, 702/122, 702/123, 702182-184, 702/188, 709/200, 709224-226, 726/12, 717/120, 717/127, 463/20
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31457 Factory remote control, monitoring through internet
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0213 Modular or universal configuration of the monitoring system, e.g. monitoring system having modules that may be combined to build monitoring program; monitoring system that can be applied to legacy systems; adaptable monitoring system; using different communication protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport

Abstract

A center-side processing system and monitoring processing systems of monitoring objects are connected through a network. The center-side processing system includes a module for producing monitoring and diagnostic algorithms of the monitoring objects, software producing module for producing monitoring and diagnostic software from the monitoring and diagnostic algorithm, a module for producing a transmission schedule of the monitoring and diagnostic software, transmitting module for transmitting software according to the transmission schedule, a module for correcting and changing the monitoring and diagnostic software from data received from the monitoring processing system, and verification module for performing verification before the transmission of the monitoring and diagnostic software. Each of the monitoring processing systems includes a module for receiving the monitoring and diagnostic software, execution processing module for executing the monitoring and diagnostic software, a module for automatically verifying the monitoring and diagnostic software, and transmitting module.

Claims

1. A remote monitoring and diagnostic system in which a center-side processing system and a plurality of monitoring processing systems which monitor and diagnose monitoring objects are connected through a communication network to monitor and diagnose each monitoring object,

wherein the center-side processing system includes:

first algorithm producing module for analyzing data and a specification relating to said each monitoring object to produce a monitoring and diagnostic algorithm of the monitoring object;

software producing module for producing monitoring and diagnostic software based on the produced monitoring and diagnostic algorithm, the monitoring and diagnostic software being used to monitor and diagnose said each monitoring object;

transmission schedule producing module for producing a transmission schedule in transmitting the produced monitoring and diagnostic software to the monitoring processing system;

transmitting module for transmitting the monitoring and diagnostic software to said each monitoring processing system through the communication network according to the transmission schedule, the monitoring processing system requiring the monitoring and diagnostic software;

receiving module for receiving monitoring data and diagnostic result of said each monitoring object from said each monitoring processing system, the monitoring data and diagnostic result being of result executed by the monitoring and diagnostic software; and

second algorithm producing module for accepting the monitoring data and diagnostic result received by the receiving module, confirming the execution result of the monitoring and diagnostic software executed by said each monitoring processing system, and correcting and changing the monitoring and diagnostic software, and

said each monitoring processing system includes;

receiving module for receiving the monitoring and diagnostic software transmitted from the transmitting module;

software execution processing module for executing the received monitoring and diagnostic software; and

transmitting module for transmitting monitoring data and diagnostic result of said each monitoring object to the center-side processing system through the communication network, the monitoring data and diagnostic result being of result executed by the software execution processing module.

2. The remote monitoring and diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein said each monitoring processing system includes automatic verification module for automatically verifying whether operation of the monitoring and diagnostic software executed by the software execution processing module becomes processing result of an unexpected malfunction, software falsification, or normal processing by imparting a predetermined test signal to the software execution processing module.

3. The remote monitoring and diagnostic system according to claim 2, wherein said each monitoring processing system includes an update trigger generating module for transmitting a trigger of update request for the monitoring and diagnostic software when it is determined that an update of the monitoring and diagnostic software is required according to at least one of following conditions (d) to (f) based on each of the monitoring data and diagnostic result of said each monitoring object which are the execution result of the software execution processing module and verification result of the automatic verification module:

(d) when adjustment of the monitoring and diagnostic software is required from the diagnostic result,

(e) when a secular change is generated from the monitoring data, and

(f) when it is verified from the verification result that the monitoring and diagnostic software is abnormal, and

the center-side processing system includes update trigger corresponding algorithm producing module which takes place of the first algorithm producing module, the update trigger corresponding algorithm producing module producing a software updating algorithm when center-side processing system receives the trigger of the monitoring and diagnostic software update request from an update trigger generating module of said each monitoring processing system.

4. The remote monitoring and diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the center-side processing system includes:

monitoring and diagnostic software execution processing module for executing the monitoring and diagnostic software to supply monitoring and diagnostic result thereof, the monitoring and diagnostic software being produced by the software producing module based on the monitoring data and diagnostic result received by the receiving module, the center-side processing system requiring the monitoring and diagnostic software;

preventive maintenance supporting information producing module for receiving the monitoring data and diagnostic result transmitted from each monitoring processing system and producing maintenance supporting information on each monitoring object based on the monitoring data and diagnostic result and the monitoring and diagnostic result obtained by the monitoring and diagnostic software execution processing module; and

preventive maintenance plan optimization processing module for making an optimum maintenance plan using the produced preventive maintenance supporting information.

5. The remote monitoring and diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the center-side processing system includes:

software version management module for managing a version of monitoring and diagnostic software when the transmitting module transmits the monitoring and diagnostic software; and

retention management module for retaining and managing the monitoring data and diagnostic result from said each monitoring processing system, the monitoring data and diagnostic result being received by the receiving module of the center-side processing system.

6. The remote monitoring and diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the center-side processing system includes verification processing module for enabling appropriate monitoring and diagnostic software to be transmitted to said each monitoring processing system by verifying the monitoring and diagnostic software produced by the software producing module as a simulation basis in the center-side processing system before the monitoring and diagnostic software is transmitted to said each monitoring processing system or by verifying the monitoring and diagnostic software with a monitoring and diagnostic software verifying apparatus in which a local monitoring object real machine connected to the communication network is used.

7. The remote monitoring and diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the center-side processing system is a remote monitoring and diagnostic system,

the remote monitoring and diagnostic system including:

update trigger generating module for generating an update trigger when receiving a monitoring and diagnostic software update request based on at least one of following conditions (a) to (c),

(a) when a new diagnostic method is developed,

(b) when it is determined that an update is required based on a maintenance track record of the monitoring object,

(c) when a change is generated by increase or decrease in number of monitoring items or diagnostic items of the monitoring object; and

update trigger corresponding algorithm producing means for producing a software updating algorithm when receiving the update trigger.

8. The remote monitoring and diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the center-side processing system includes load-related transmission schedule producing module instead of the transmission schedule producing module, the load-related transmission schedule producing module producing update timing of the monitoring and diagnostic software in consideration of a load status or a stop time of said each monitoring object-side monitoring processing system to transmit the update timing to said each monitoring object-side monitoring processing system through the transmitting module when the many monitoring processing systems are connected to the communication network, and

said each monitoring object-side monitoring processing system includes software update processing module for accepting the monitoring and diagnostic software through the receiving module, monitoring and diagnostic software being transmitted from the center-side processing system through the communication network, and for updating the monitoring and diagnostic software of the software execution processing module based on the update timing of the monitoring and diagnostic software.

9. The remote monitoring and diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the load-related transmission schedule producing module of the center-side processing system determines timing at which the monitoring data and diagnostic result received from said each monitoring object-side monitoring processing system is transmitted to a component while considering the load status of the center-side processing system, the component requiring the monitoring data and diagnostic result, and

the load-related transmission schedule producing module transmits the monitoring data and diagnostic result to the component according to the determined timing.

10. The remote monitoring and diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the center-side processing system is divided into an algorithm producing system including an update trigger generating system, a monitoring and diagnostic software producing, executing, and verifying system, a transmission, reception, and management system including the transmission schedule, and a preventive maintenance system, and

each of the algorithm producing system including the update trigger generating system, the monitoring and diagnostic software producing, executing, and verifying system, the transmission, reception, and management system, and the preventive maintenance system includes an individual computing machine.

11. The remote monitoring and diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring and diagnostic software is produced as an agent.