Risk evaluation support device, program product and method for controlling safety network risk evaluation support device

• US 7,840,430 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2005
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Nakamura, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): LOFTIS, JOHNNA RONEE
• Application Number:
  US11/221,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20060038688A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,904 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 700/253, 700/258
• US Class Current: 705/7.11
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/058 Safety, monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management

Abstract

A risk evaluation support device is used for a safety network which serves to cause an output device to make a controlled device operable based on a detection signal outputted from an input device when the input device detects a safety condition. The support device creates a parameter setting table for correlating a danger source with the input and output devices and a PLC for risk evaluation based on configuration data of the safety network obtained through a communication part and device data on devices obtained from a component database. Operating data for the safety network are obtained according to conditions provided by the parameter setting table and a current risk evaluation value for the danger source is calculated based on the obtained operating data. The calculated risk evaluation value is outputted to a display part.

Claims

1. A risk evaluation support device for a safety system having a safety network connected to a controller, an input device and an output device, said safety network serving to cause said controller to output an enabling signal to said output device to thereby make a controlled device of a danger source operable based on a safety signal outputted from said input device when said input device detects a safety condition and to cause said controller to output a stop signal to said output device to thereby stop said controlled device of said danger source based on a danger signal outputted from said input device when said input device detects an unsafe condition, said risk evaluation support device comprising:

a communication interface connected to said safety network for communicating with each of the devices of said safety network;

table creating means for creating a parameter setting table for risk evaluation, said parameter setting table containing information correlating said input device and said output device related with said controlled device of said danger source of said safety system and operations thereof and item information that relates to operation history stored in said devices or operations of said safety system and becomes a danger condition for said controlled device of said danger source;

a recording medium;

recording means for storing said parameter setting table on said recording medium;

data obtaining means for obtaining operating data for said safety network corresponding to said item information of the danger condition of the controlled device of said danger source of said parameter setting table for risk evaluation stored by said recording means by communicating through said communication interface with the devices or by monitoring data flowing through said network;

calculating means for calculating a current risk evaluation value for said controlled device of said danger source by preliminarily recording a formula having danger conditions of said controlled device of said danger source as elements and substituting said obtained operating data into said elements of said formula; and

outputting means for outputting data related to said risk evaluation value calculated by said calculating means;

wherein said parameter setting table for risk evaluation includes information showing in steps the magnitude of injury when said controlled device of said danger source contacts a person while in operation, and said calculating means includes at least an element in a calculation formula indicating the magnitude of the injury caused by said controlled device and calculates said risk evaluation value based at least on the scale of injury by said danger source based on said calculating formula.

2. The risk evaluation support device of claim 1 wherein said parameter setting table contains setting data that correlate observation parameters corresponding to items which become danger conditions for said controlled device of said danger source and standard evaluation values of said observation parameters, said observation parameters being related to said operation history stored in said input and output devices or to operations of said safety system;

and

wherein said calculating means obtains current values of said observation parameters based on said obtained operating data and calculates said current risk evaluation value for said controlled device of said danger source from said current value and said standard values.

3. The risk evaluation support device of claim 2 wherein said calculating means calculates said risk evaluation value at least based on data related to frequency of approach to said danger source.

4. The risk evaluation support device of claim 3 adapted to output an alarm when said risk evaluation value exceeds a preliminarily specified threshold value.

5. The risk evaluation support device of claim 2 adapted to output an alarm when said risk evaluation value exceeds a preliminarily specified threshold value.

6. The risk evaluation support device of claim 1 wherein said parameter setting table stores standard setting values of observation parameters correlated to risk elements related to maximum lifetimes of said input device and said output device;

and

wherein said calculating means obtains current values of said observation parameters based on said obtained operating data and calculates said current risk evaluation value for said danger source at least from said current value and said standard setting values.

7. The risk evaluation support device of claim 6 wherein said calculating means calculates said risk evaluation value at least based on data related to frequency of approach to said danger source.

8. The risk evaluation support device of claim 7 adapted to output an alarm when said risk evaluation value exceeds a preliminarily specified threshold value.

9. The risk evaluation support device of claim 6 adapted to output an alarm when said risk evaluation value exceeds a preliminarily specified threshold value.

10. The risk evaluation support device of claim 1 wherein said calculating means calculates said risk evaluation value at least based on data related to frequency of approach to said danger source.

11. The risk evaluation support device of claim 10 adapted to output an alarm when said risk evaluation value exceeds a preliminarily specified threshold value.

12. The risk evaluation support device of claim 1 adapted to output an alarm when said risk evaluation value exceeds a preliminarily specified threshold value.