Information management apparatus and information management system

• US 8,849,997 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2012
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Okuno, Susumu, Himono, Ryoichi, Takahashi, Kimikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOOK, PHYLLIS A
• Application Number:
  US13/402,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20120215913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/224, 700/90, 700/95, 700108-110, 700/159, 700/169, 700173-175, 700/180, 700/286, 700/289, 702/33, 702 45- 57, 702/85, 702 98-100, 702103-105, 702/127, 702/130, 702/137, 702/138, 702/187, 702/188, 340/870.01, 340/870.02, 340/870.07, 340/500, 340/501, 340/539.26, 340/286.01
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0221 Preprocessing measurements, e.g. data collection rate adjustment; Standardization of measurements; Time series or signal analysis, e.g. frequency analysis or wavelets; Trustworthiness of measurements; Indexes therefor; Measurements using easily measured parameters to estimate parameters difficult to measure; Virtual sensor creation; De-noising; Sensor fusion; Unconventional preprocessing inherently present in specific fault detection methods like PCA-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks

Abstract

An information management apparatus may include a first collection unit that collects a measurement value measured by a measurement device connected to the information management apparatus via a network, a second collection unit that collects status information indicating statuses of the measurement device and the network, and a correction unit that correcting quality information indicating validity of the measurement value, which has been collected by the first collection unit, by using the status information that has been collected by the second collection unit.

Claims

1. An information management apparatus comprising:

a first collection unit that collects quality information, from at least one of a process controller, a field network, and a field device, and a measurement value measured by the field device, the process controller being connected to the information management apparatus via a control network, the field device being connected to the process controller via the field network, and the quality information indicating a validity of the measurement value based on status information of the at least one of the process controller, the field network, and the field device;

a second collection unit that collects status information from at least one of the process controller, the field network, the field device, and the control network; and

a correction unit that corrects the quality information collected by the first collection unit using the status information collected by the second collection unit,

wherein the second collection unit collects device data of at least one of the process controller, the field device, a path device included in the field network, and a path device included in the control network, in addition to the status information, and

wherein the correction unit generates the status information using the device data collected by the second collection unit for at least one of the process controller, the field network, and the field device, each not having status information.

2. The information management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second collection unit collects a plurality of pieces of status information for the process controller, the field network, and the field device, and the correction unit generates a representative status for the measurement value measured by the field device based on the plurality of pieces of status information.

3. The information management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit that displays the measurement value collected by the first collection unit, and the status information collected by the second collection unit, in parallel on the same time axis.

5. The information management apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the display unit has a filter function of selecting information to be displayed based on the user'"'"'s instruction.

4. An information management apparatus, comprising:

a first collection unit that collects quality information, from at least one of a process controller, a field network, and a field device, and a measurement value measured by the field device, the process controller being connected to the information management apparatus via a control network, the field device being connected to the process controller via the field network, and the quality information indicating a validity of the measurement value based on status information of the at least one of the process controller, the field network, and the field device;

a second collection unit that collects status information from at least one of the process controller, the field network, the field device, and the control network;

a correction unit that corrects the quality information collected by the first collection unit using the status information collected by the second collection unit; and

a display unit that displays the measurement value collected by the first collection unit, and the status information collected by the second collection unit, in parallel on the same time axis, wherein the display unit comprises;

a first display area that displays time-series information regarding a process specified by a process identifier designated by a user; and

a second display area that displays time-series information regarding the field device specified by a device identifier designated by the user.

6. An information management system comprising:

an information management apparatus;

a display apparatus;

a first diagnosis unit disposed in at least one of a process controller, a field network, and a field device, the process controller being connected to the information management apparatus via a control network, the field device being connected to the process controller via the field network, and the first diagnosis unit generating status information indicating a status of the at least one of the process controller, the field network, and the field device; and

a second diagnosis unit disposed in the control network that generates status information indicating a status of the control network,

wherein the information management apparatus comprises;

a first collection unit that collects quality information, from the at least one of the process controller, the field network, and the field device, and a measurement value measured by the field device, the quality information indicating a validity of the measurement value based on the status information of the at least one of the process controller, the field network, and the field device;

a second collection unit that collects the status information from the first and second diagnosis units; and

a correction unit that corrects the quality information-collected by the first collection unit using the status information collected by the second collection unit,

wherein the display apparatus displays the measurement value collected by the first collection unit, and the status information collected by the second collection unit, in parallel on the same time axis,

wherein the second collection unit collects device data of at least one of the process controller, the field device, a path device included in the field network, and a path device included in the control network, in addition to the status information, and

wherein the correction unit generates the status information using the device data collected by the second collection unit for the at least one of the process controller, the field network, and the field device, each not having status information.

7. The information management system according to claim 6, wherein the second collection unit collects a plurality of pieces of status information for the process controller, the field network, and the field device, and the correction unit generates a representative status for the measurement value measured by the field device based on the plurality of pieces of status information.

9. The information management system according to claim 6, wherein the display apparatus has a filter function of selecting information to be displayed based on the user'"'"'s instruction.

8. An information management system, comprising:

an information management apparatus;

a display apparatus;

a first diagnosis unit disposed in at least one of a process controller, a field network, and a field device, the process controller being connected to the information management apparatus via a control network, the field device being connected to the process controller via the field network, and the first diagnosis unit generating status information indicating a status of the at least one of the process controller, the field network, and the field device; and

a second diagnosis unit disposed in the control network that generates status information indicating a status of the control network,

wherein the information management apparatus comprises;

a first collection unit that collects quality information, from the at least one of the process controller, the field network, and the field device, and a measurement value measured by the field device, the quality information indicating a validity of the measurement value based on the status information of the at least one of the process controller, the field network, and the field device;

a second collection unit that collects the status information from the first and second diagnosis units; and

a correction unit that corrects the quality information-collected by the first collection unit using the status information collected by the second collection unit,

wherein the display apparatus displays the measurement value collected by the first collection unit, and the status information collected by the second collection unit, in parallel on the same time axis, and

wherein the display apparatus comprises;

a first display area that displays time-series information regarding a process specified by a process identifier designated by a user; and

a second display area that displays time-series information regarding the measurement device specified by a device identifier designated by the user.

10. An information management method comprising:

a step of generating status information by a first diagnosis unit indicating a status of at least one of a process controller, a field network, and a field device, the process controller being connected to the information management apparatus via a control network, and the field device being connected to the process controller via the field network;

a step of generating status information by a second diagnosis unit indicating a status of the control network;

a step of collecting quality information, from the at least one of the process controller, the field network, and the field device, and a measurement value measured by the field device, the quality information indicating a validity of the measurement value based on the status information of the at least one of the process controller, the field network, and the field device;

a step of collecting the status information from the first and second diagnosis units;

a step of correcting the quality information using the status information collected from the first and second diagnosis units;

a step of collecting device data of at least one of the process controller, the field device, a path device included in the field network, and a path device included in the control network, in addition to the status information; and

a step of generating the status information using the device data collected for the at least one of the process controller, the field network, and the field device, each not having status information.

11. The information management method according to claim 10, further comprising:

a step of generating a representative status for the measurement value measured by the field device based on a plurality of pieces of status information collected for the process controller, the field network, and the field device.

12. The information management method according to claim 10, further comprising:

a step of displaying the measurement value, which has been collected, and the status information, which has been collected, in parallel on the same time axis.

14. The information management method according to claim 12, further comprising:

a step of selecting information to be displayed based on the user'"'"'s instruction.

13. An information management method, comprising:

a step of generating status information by a first diagnosis unit indicating a status of at least one of a process controller, a field network, and a field device, the process controller being connected to the information management apparatus via a control network, and the field device being connected to the process controller via the field network;

a step of generating status information by a second diagnosis unit indicating a status of the control network;

a step of collecting quality information, from the at least one of the process controller, the field network, and the field device, and a measurement value measured by the field device, the quality information indicating a validity of the measurement value based on the status information of the at least one of the process controller, the field network, and the field device;

a step of collecting the status information from the first and second diagnosis units;

a step of correcting the quality information using the status information collected from the first and second diagnosis units;

a step of displaying the measurement value, which has been collected, and the status information, which has been collected, in parallel on the same time axis;

a step of displaying time-series information regarding a process specified by a process identifier designated by a user; and

a step of displaying time-series information regarding the field device specified by a device identifier designated by the user.