Adaptive maintenance support and control of a process control system via device specification and actual condition information

• US 9,829,865 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2013
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Kanbe, Takahiro, Yamamoto, Mitsuhiro, Ema, Nobuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Booker, Kelvin
• Application Number:
  US14/013,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20140067089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,552 Days
• Field of Search: 700 73, 700 95, 700108, 700174, 700175, 700176, 700177
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41845 characterised by system universality, reconfigurability, modularity
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25057 Configuration stored in distributed database for real time use
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25068 Check correct configuration of device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25074 Check system, change failing element, compare with stored configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32142 Define device, module description using xml format file
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 6/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A maintenance support system include includes: a first storage unit which stores first specification information indicating a specification of a process control system which performs control of an industrial process implemented in a plant; an actual condition information extraction unit configured to extract actual condition information indicating an actual condition for the process control system; and a first comparison unit configured to output first information indicating a result of comparing the first specification information stored in the first storage unit with the actual condition information extracted by the extraction unit.

Claims

1. A maintenance support system, comprising:

a first storage unit which stores first specification information including predetermined configurations and settings for devices of a process control system which performs control of an industrial process implemented in a plant, the first specification information being correctable by a user;

an actual condition information extraction unit configured to extract, from the process control system, actual condition information including current configurations and settings for the devices of the process control system;

a first comparison unit configured to compare the first specification information stored in the first storage unit with the actual condition information extracted by the actual condition information extraction unit, the first comparison unit being configured to generate first difference information when there is a difference between the first specification information and the actual condition information, the first difference information including a location in which the difference was generated;

a notification unit configured to notify the user of the first difference information;

a second storage unit which stores second specification information including configurations and settings for the devices of the process control system;

a second comparison unit configured to compare the second specification information stored in the second storage unit with the actual condition information extracted by the actual condition information extraction unit; and

an updating unit configured to update the second storage unit to reflect contents of correction by the user for the first specification information stored in the first storage unit when there is no difference between the first specification information and the actual condition information.

2. The maintenance support system according to claim 1, wherein the first difference information includes a time at which the difference between the first specification information and the actual condition information was generated.

3. The maintenance support system according to claim 1, wherein the updating unit is configured to update the second storage unit to reflect the contents of correction by the user associated with the first difference information.

4. The maintenance support system according to claim 1, wherein the second comparison unit is configured to generate second difference information when there is a difference between the second specification information stored in the second storage unit and the actual condition information extracted by the actual condition information extraction unit, and the second difference information including a location in which the difference was generated.

5. The maintenance support system according to claim 4, wherein the second difference information includes a time at which the difference between the second specification information stored in the second storage unit and the actual condition information extracted by the actual condition information extraction unit was generated.

6. The maintenance support system according to claim 4, wherein the contents of correction by the user to be reflected in the second specification information in the second storage unit are associated with the first difference information and the second difference information.

7. The maintenance support system according to claim 4, wherein the updating unit is configured to add, to the first difference information, at least one of a time point at which a change occurred in the first difference information and a time point at which a change occurred in the second difference information when updating the second storage unit.

8. The maintenance support system according to claim 1, wherein the actual condition information extraction unit is configured to extract, at least one of:

a current type and current settings for a field device installed in the plant, and

a current installation position of the field device.

9. The maintenance support system according to claim 1, wherein the actual condition information extraction unit is configured to extract current information for a previously defined format.

10. The maintenance support system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a specification information extraction unit configured to extract from the first storage unit, as the first specification information, information associated with the actual condition information extracted by the actual condition information extraction unit,

wherein the first comparison unit is configured to output the first difference information including a result of comparing the first specification information extracted by the specification information extraction unit with the actual condition information extracted by the actual condition information extraction unit.

11. The maintenance support system according to claim 10, wherein the specification information extraction unit is configured to extract the first specification information in a certain period or when the first specification information stored in the first storage unit is changed.

12. The maintenance support system according to claim 1, wherein the first storage unit stores the first specification information in a unified format.

13. The maintenance support system according to claim 1, wherein the first comparison unit is configured to include, in the first difference information, a time at which a difference was resolved between the first specification information and the actual condition information and information indicating a location in which the difference was resolved.

14. The maintenance support system according to claim 1, wherein the first storage unit stores maintenance information of the process control system associated with the first specification information when the first specification information is updated.

15. The maintenance support system according to claim 1, wherein when the first specification information is to be changed, the first storage unit stores the first specification information before the change, without deleting the first specification information before the change.

16. The maintenance support system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a specification information extraction unit configured to extract from the first storage unit, as the first specification information, information associated with the actual condition information extracted by the actual condition information extraction unit,

wherein the second storage unit stores, as the second specification information, the specification information having the same format as the first specification information extracted by the specification information extraction unit.

17. The maintenance support system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an actual condition input unit configured to receive an input of the actual condition information.

18. A maintenance support method, comprising:

extracting, from a process control system which performs control of an industrial process implemented in a plant, actual condition information including current configurations and settings for devices of the process control system;

comparing first specification information, stored in a first storage unit and including a specification of predetermined configurations and settings of the devices of the process control system, with the actual condition information extracted, the first specification information being correctable by a user;

generating first difference information when there is a difference between the first specification information and the actual condition information extracted, the first difference information including a location in which the difference was generated;

notifying the user of the first difference information;

comparing second specification information, stored in a second storage unit and including a specification of configurations and settings of the devices of the process control system, with the actual condition information extracted; and

updating the second storage unit to reflect contents of correction by the user for the first specification information stored in the first storage unit when there is no difference between the first specification information and the actual condition information extracted.

19. The maintenance support method according to claim 18, wherein the first difference information includes a time at which the difference between the first specification information and the actual condition information was generated.

20. The maintenance support method according to claim 18, wherein the update of the second storage unit includes updating the second storage unit to reflect the contents of correction by the user associated with the first difference information.

21. The maintenance support method according to claim 18, further comprising:

generating second difference information when there is a difference between the second specification information stored in the second storage unit and the actual condition information extracted, the second difference information including a place in which the difference was generated.

22. The maintenance support method according to claim 21, wherein the second difference information includes a time at which the difference between the second specification information stored in the second storage unit and the actual condition information extracted was generated.

23. The maintenance support method according to claim 21, wherein the update of the second storage unit includes updating the second storage unit to reflect the contents of correction by the user associated with the first difference information and the second difference information.