Automatic remote monitoring and diagnosis system

• US 9,703,754 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2010
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tmeic Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Maehata, Noriyuki, Matsuda, Shigehiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bryan
• Application Number:
  US13/819,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20130185022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,461 Days
• Field of Search: 702188
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13 Plc programming
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2223/06 Remote monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0275 Fault isolation and identification, e.g. classify fault; estimate cause or root of failure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0038 System on Chip
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends

Abstract

An automatic remote monitoring and diagnosis system includes an environmental sensor and a physical sensor which measure environmental data and physical data, respectively, on electronic control devices and send the data by wireless communication, a wireless server which collects the measurement data of the sensors, a diagnostic client connected to the wireless server by a first communication network and that collects the measurement data from the wireless server, a diagnostic server connected to the diagnostic client by a second communication network and that carries out a diagnosis based on the measurement data from the diagnostic client, a data retaining device which retains the measurement data, and a knowledge database which stores information necessary for the diagnosis. The diagnostic server sends results of the diagnosis and a remedy to the diagnostic client via the second communication network.

Claims

1. An automatic remote monitoring and diagnosis system which diagnoses electronic control devices or equipment, comprising:

an environmental sensor which measures environmental data related to an installation environment of the electronic control devices or equipment with a prescribed measurement cycle and sends measurement data by wireless communication;

a plurality of physical sensors which measures physical data related to the electronic control devices or equipment and sends measurement data by wireless communication;

a wireless server which collects the measurement data sent from the environmental sensor and the plurality of physical sensors by wireless communication and sends the collected measurement data at prescribed time intervals;

a diagnostic client which is communicably connected to the wireless server by a first communication network, collects the measurement data sent from the wireless server via the first communication network, and sends the collected measurement data at prescribed time intervals;

a diagnostic server which is communicably connected to the diagnostic client by a second communication network, receives the measurement data sent from the diagnostic client via the second communication network, and carries out a diagnosis of the electronic control devices or equipment based on the received measurement data;

a data retaining device which retains the measurement data received by the diagnostic server; and

a knowledge database which stores information necessary when the diagnostic server carries out the diagnosis,

wherein

the diagnostic server sends results of the diagnosis to the diagnostic client via the second communication network and in a case where as a result of the diagnosis there is a problem in the electronic control devices or equipment, the diagnostic server determines a remedy for the problem and sends the remedy to the diagnostic client via the second communication network,

the plurality of physical sensors includes;

a first sensor group including a sensor configured to measure voltage and current with a first measurement cycle of an order of 10 milliseconds; and

a second sensor group including a sensor configured to measure electromagnetic wave and static electricity with a second measurement cycle of an order of 10 nanoseconds.

2. The automatic remote monitoring and diagnosis system according to claim 1, wherein the environmental sensor, the plurality of physical sensors, the wireless server, and the diagnostic client are installed in a factory of a diagnosis requester who requests a diagnosis of the electronic control devices or equipment,

wherein the diagnostic server, the data retaining device, and the knowledge database are installed on a side of a diagnosis executor who is requested to perform the diagnosis and carries out the diagnosis,

wherein the first communication network is a local area network (LAN) laid in the factory of the diagnosis requester, and

wherein the second communication network uses the Internet.

3. The automatic remote monitoring and diagnosis system according to claim 2, wherein the diagnostic server brings the measurement data retained in the data retaining device together for a prescribed period, outputs the measurement data as an electronic file, and sends the electronic file to the diagnostic client via the second communication network.

4. The automatic remote monitoring and diagnosis system according to claim 2, wherein the diagnostic server diagnoses deterioration of the electronic control devices or equipment by comparing the measurement data sent from the diagnostic client with past measurement data retained in the data retaining device, summarizes diagnosis results of deterioration in a prescribed report format, sends the diagnosis results of deterioration summarized in report format to the diagnostic client via the second communication network, determines, in a case where there is a problem in the electronic control devices or equipment as a result of deterioration, a remedy for the problem, and sends the remedy to the diagnostic client via the second communication network.

5. The automatic remote monitoring and diagnosis system according to claim 2, wherein based on the measurement data sent from the diagnostic client, the diagnostic server detects whether an abnormality has occurred at least in any of the environmental sensor, the plurality of physical sensors, the wireless server, and the diagnostic client, and sends, in a case where the occurrence of the abnormality has been detected, a signal to that effect to the diagnostic client via the second communication network.

6. The automatic remote monitoring and diagnosis system according to claim 2, wherein based on the measurement data sent from the wireless server, the diagnostic server detects whether an abnormality has occurred at least in any of the environmental sensor, the plurality of physical sensors, and the wireless server, and issues, in a case where the occurrence of the abnormality has been detected, an alarm to that effect.

7. The automatic remote monitoring and diagnosis system according to claim 1, wherein the environmental sensor, the plurality of physical sensors, the wireless server, and the diagnostic client are installed in a factory of a diagnosis requester who requests a diagnosis of the electronic control devices or equipment,

wherein the diagnostic server, the data retaining device, and the knowledge database are arranged at a head office of the diagnosis requester,

wherein the first communication network is a local area network (LAN) laid in the factory of the diagnosis requester, and

wherein the second communication network is an intranet which communicably connects the factory of the diagnosis requester and the head office.

8. The automatic remote monitoring and diagnosis system according to claim 7, wherein the diagnostic server brings the measurement data retained in the data retaining device together for a prescribed period, outputs the measurement data as an electronic file, and sends the electronic file to the diagnostic client via the second communication network.

9. The automatic remote monitoring and diagnosis system according to claim 7, wherein the diagnostic server diagnoses deterioration of the electronic control devices or equipment by comparing the measurement data sent from the diagnostic client with past measurement data retained in the data retaining device, summarizes diagnosis results of deterioration in a prescribed report format, sends the diagnosis results of deterioration summarized in report format to the diagnostic client via the second communication network, determines, in a case where there is a problem in the electronic control devices or equipment as a result of deterioration, a remedy for the problem, and sends the remedy to the diagnostic client via the second communication network.

10. The automatic remote monitoring and diagnosis system according to claim 7, wherein based on the measurement data sent from the diagnostic client, the diagnostic server detects whether abnormality has occurred at least in any of the environmental sensor, the plurality of physical sensors, the wireless server, and the diagnostic client, and sends, in a case where the occurrence of the abnormality has been detected, a signal to that effect to the diagnostic client via the second communication network.

11. The automatic remote monitoring and diagnosis system according to claim 7, wherein based on the measurement data sent from the wireless server, the diagnostic server detects whether an abnormality has occurred at least in any of the environmental sensor, the plurality of physical sensors, and the wireless server, and issues, in a case where the occurrence of the abnormality has been detected, an alarm to that effect.

12. The automatic remote monitoring and diagnosis system according to claim 1, wherein the environmental sensor, the plurality of physical sensors, the wireless server, and the diagnostic client as well as the diagnostic server, the data retaining device, and the knowledge database are arranged in a factory of a diagnosis requester who requests a diagnosis of the electronic control devices or equipment, and

wherein the first communication network and the second communication network are both a local area network (LAN) laid in the factory of the diagnosis requester.

13. The automatic remote monitoring and diagnosis system according to claim 12, wherein the diagnostic server brings the measurement data retained in the data retaining device together for a prescribed period, outputs the measurement data as an electronic file, and sends the electronic file to the diagnostic client via the second communication network.

14. The automatic remote monitoring and diagnosis system according to claim 12, wherein the diagnostic server diagnoses deterioration of the electronic control devices or equipment by comparing the measurement data sent from the diagnostic client with past measurement data retained in the data retaining device, summarizes diagnosis results of deterioration in a prescribed report format, sends the diagnosis results of deterioration summarized in report format to the diagnostic client via the second communication network, determines, in a case where there is a problem in the electronic control devices or equipment as a result of deterioration, a remedy for the problem, and sends the remedy to the diagnostic client via the second communication network.

15. The automatic remote monitoring and diagnosis system according to claim 12, wherein based on the measurement data sent from the diagnostic client, the diagnostic server detects whether an abnormality has occurred at least in any of the environmental sensor, the plurality of physical sensors, the wireless server, and the diagnostic client, and sends, in a case where the occurrence of the abnormality has been detected, a signal to that effect to the diagnostic client via the second communication network.

16. The automatic remote monitoring and diagnosis system according to claim 12, wherein based on the measurement data sent from the wireless server, the diagnostic server detects whether an abnormality has occurred at least in any of the environmental sensor, the plurality of physical sensors, and the wireless server, and issues, in a case where the occurrence of the abnormality has been detected, an alarm to that effect.

17. The automatic remote monitoring and diagnosis system according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic server brings the measurement data retained in the data retaining device together for a prescribed period, outputs the measurement data as an electronic file, and sends the electronic file to the diagnostic client via the second communication network.

18. The automatic remote monitoring and diagnosis system according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic server diagnoses deterioration of the electronic control devices or equipment by comparing the measurement data sent from the diagnostic client with past measurement data retained in the data retaining device, summarizes diagnosis results of deterioration in a prescribed report format, sends the diagnosis results of deterioration summarized in report format to the diagnostic client via the second communication network, determines, in a case where there is a problem in the electronic control devices or equipment as a result of deterioration, a remedy for the problem, and sends the remedy to the diagnostic client via the second communication network.

19. The automatic remote monitoring and diagnosis system according to claim 1, wherein based on the measurement data sent from the diagnostic client, the diagnostic server detects whether an abnormality has occurred at least in any of the environmental sensor, the plurality of physical sensors, the wireless server, and the diagnostic client, and sends, in a case where the occurrence of the abnormality has been detected, a signal to that effect to the diagnostic client via the second communication network.

20. The automatic remote monitoring and diagnosis system according to claim 1, wherein based on the measurement data sent from the wireless server, the diagnostic server detects whether an abnormality has occurred at least in any of the environmental sensor, the plurality of physical sensors, and the wireless server, and issues, in a case where the occurrence of the abnormality has been detected, an alarm to that effect.