FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
[See section 10, Rule 13]
INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, DATA PROCESSING METHOD, AND
PROGRAM;
MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION, A CORPORATION ORGANISED
AND EXISTING UNDER THE LAWS OF JAPAN, WHOSE ADDRESS IS 7-3,
MARUNOUCHI 2-CHOME, CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO 1008310, JAPAN
THE FOLLOWING SPECIFICATION PARTICULARLY DESCRIBES THE
INVENTION AND THE MANNER IN WHICH IT IS TO BE PERFORMED.
2
DESCRIPTION
Title of Invention
INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, DATA PROCESSING METHOD, AND
PROGRAM
5
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, a data
processing method, and a program.
Background Art
10 [0002] Multiple cloud manufacturers provide cloud infrastructures such as
infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS). A corporate user
builds a specific system on such a cloud infrastructure provided by a cloud manufacturer
to provide specific cloud services to customers. The use of such cloud services has
received attention in the field of factory automation (FA).
15 [0003] To build a system for providing the cloud services described above, various
applications may be installed on the cloud infrastructure to respond to various requests
from the customers (see, for example, Patent Literature 1). Patent Literature 1 describes
a technique for accessing a central server and applying, when a new update is available
for an application stack in the cloud environment, the new update to the application
20 environment.
Citation List
Patent Literature
[0004] Patent Literature 1: Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication
(Translation of PCT Application) No. 2020-534587
25 Summary of Invention
Technical Problem
[0005] At an FA site, machines are typically controlled to perform various
3
processes such as processes on a production line. An application using information
about control of such machines can be executed on a cloud infrastructure to provide
various useful cloud services to customers at the site.
[0006] However, the application on the cloud infrastructure is developed based on
5 an application programming interface (API) of the cloud infrastructure by a corporate
user that is different from the cloud manufacturer providing the cloud infrastructure and is
thus likely to increase the development processes. Additionally, developing various
applications to respond to customer requests may involve application processes that
overlap one another. The development processes of such applications can be redundant.
10 A single application that integrates multiple applications including overlapping processes
may reduce cloud resources but involves complicated development. The workload is
thus to be reduced for developing an application executable in a cloud environment for
use at an FA site.
[0007] Under such circumstances, an objective of the present disclosure is to reduce
15 the workload of developing an application executable in a cloud environment for use at
an FA site.
Solution to Problem
[0008] To achieve the above objective, an information processing apparatus
according to the present disclosure is connectable through a network to a facility in which
20 a machine is controlled. The information processing apparatus includes providing
means for receiving data about control of the machine through the network and providing
the data, a plurality of individual processing means for outputting, to the network, results
acquired by performing different processes on the data provided by the providing means,
and integration means for selecting two or more individual processing means of the
25 plurality of individual processing means in accordance with a predetermined condition,
and outputting, to the network, integration information acquired by integrating results of
processes performed by the selected two or more individual processing means.
4
Advantageous Effects of Invention
[0009] In the structure according to the present disclosure, the integration means
outputs, to the network, integration information acquired by integrating the results of the
processes performed by the selected individual processing means. The application for
5 implementing the integration means and the application for implementing the individual
processing means are both likely to be developed by a corporate user, and thus the
integration means can be developed independently of an API of a cloud infrastructure.
The integration means reuses the results of the processes performed by the individual
processing means and thus reduces resources for developing the individual processing
10 means and the integration means. This can reduce the workload of developing an
application executable in a cloud environment for use at an FA site.
Brief Description of Drawings
[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a facility and an information processing apparatus
according to Embodiment 1;
15 FIG. 2 is a diagram of the information processing apparatus according to
Embodiment 1, illustrating the hardware configuration;
FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the information processing apparatus
according to Embodiment 1;
FIG. 4 is a diagram describing condition information and determination
20 information in Embodiment 1;
FIG. 5 is a table of example management information in Embodiment 1;
FIG. 6 is a flowchart of data processing in Embodiment 1;
FIG. 7 is a flowchart of connection processing in Embodiment 1;
FIG. 8 is a diagram describing condition information and determination
25 information in Embodiment 2;
FIG. 9 is a flowchart of first connection processing in Embodiment 2; and
FIG. 10 is a flowchart of second connection processing in Embodiment 2.
5
Description of Embodiments
[0011] An information processing apparatus according to one or more
embodiments of the present disclosure is described in detail below with reference to the
drawings. The information processing apparatus is a server device provided by a cloud
5 manufacturer and including a basic service infrastructure available to a user. The user
develops applications executable on this service infrastructure and executes the
applications on the information processing apparatus to provide various cloud services to
customers. Additionally, the information processing apparatus selects an application
that satisfies a specific condition from multiple applications and executes an upper
10 application that integrates the results of the processes performed by selected applications.
[0012] Embodiment 1
An information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment is a
server device on a network that provides, to an external device, processing results of data
acquired from an external device. More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the
15 information processing apparatus 10 is connectable through a network 20 to a facility 300
in which machines 31 are controlled. The network 20 may be a wide area network such
as the Internet, or a virtual network or a dedicated network such as a virtual private
network (VPN).
[0013] The facility 300 is a factory or a plant. The facility 300 may be any
20 building in which the machines 31 are controlled. For example, the facility 300 may be
a farm on which the machines 31 as agricultural robots are controlled.
[0014] In the facility 300, the multiple machines 31 are controlled by a controller
32 through an industrial network 33. Each machine 31 is, for example, a sensor for
detecting workpieces transported by a conveyor belt, a machining tool for machining the
25 workpieces, an inspector for determining the quality of the workpieces, a robot for
removing defective workpieces from a line, or another FA machine.
[0015] The controller 32 is, for example, a programmable logic controller (PLC)
6
that controls the machines 31 and interrelates the operations of the machines 31 to operate
a production line, a machining line, an inspection line, and other processing lines. FIG.
1 illustrates one controller 32 as a typical example. However, multiple controllers 32
may control the machines 31 in the facility 300. For example, a first controller 32 may
5 acquire sensing results from a machine 31 being a sensor, and a second controller 32
sharing the sensing results with the first controller 32 may transmit a control instruction to
a machine 31 being a robot.
[0016] A communication device 34 as a gateway is located between the industrial
network 33 and the network 20. The information processing apparatus 10 acquires data
10 about the control of the machines 31 from at least one of the machines 31 or the
controller 32 through the communication device 34. Data about the control of the
machines 31 may be, for example, the sensing results from the machine 31 being the
sensor, the control instruction to the machines 31 from the controller 32, the state of a
control program executed by the controller 32, device values stored in a memory of the
15 controller 32 being a programmable logic controller (PLC), or other information. Data
about the control of the machines 31 may be hereafter referred to as control data.
[0017] The information processing apparatus 10 provides, in response to a request
from a terminal 35 connected to the network 20, processing results of the control data to
the terminal 35. The information provided from the information processing apparatus
20 10 to the terminal 35 may be, for example, the operation states of the multiple machines
31, the operation rate of the production line, or other information. The terminal 35
corresponds to a user interface (UI) device for a customer who uses the applications
prepared by the user.
[0018] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the information processing apparatus
25 10, illustrating the hardware configuration. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the information
processing apparatus 10 is a computer including a processor 101, a main storage 102, an
auxiliary storage 103, an input device 104, an output device 105, and a communicator
7
106. The main storage 102, the auxiliary storage 103, the input device 104, the output
device 105, and the communicator 106 are connected to the processor 101 with an
internal bus 107.
[0019] The processor 101 includes a processing circuit such as a central processing
5 unit (CPU). The processor 101 executes programs P1, P2, and P3 stored in the auxiliary
storage 103 to implement various functions to perform the processing described later.
[0020] The main storage 102 includes a random-access memory (RAM). The
programs P1, P2, and P3 are loaded into the main storage 102 from the auxiliary storage
103. The main storage 102 is used as a work area for the processor 101.
10 [0021] The auxiliary storage 103 includes a nonvolatile memory such as an
electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) or a hard disk drive
(HDD). The auxiliary storage 103 stores the program P1 prepared by the cloud
manufacturer and the programs P2 and P3 prepared by the user. The auxiliary storage
103 also stores various pieces of data used for processing performed by the processor
15 101. The auxiliary storage 103 provides data to be used by the processor 101 to the
processor 101 as instructed by the processor 101. The auxiliary storage 103 stores the
data provided from the processor 101.
[0022] The input device 104 includes, for example, a hardware switch, an input
key, a keyboard, or a pointing device. The input device 104 acquires information input
20 by a manager of the information processing apparatus 10 and provides the acquired
information to the processor 101.
[0023] The output device 105 includes, for example, a display device such as a
light-emitting diode (LED) or a liquid crystal display (LCD), and an acoustic device such
as a buzzer or a speaker. The output device 105 provides various types of information
25 to the user or the customer as instructed by the processor 101.
[0024] The communicator 106 includes an interface circuit for communicating with
external devices. The communicator 106 receives signals through the network 20 and
8
outputs data carried by these signals to the processor 101. The communicator 106 also
transmits signals carrying data output from the processor 101 to the network 20.
[0025] With cooperation of the above hardware components, the information
processing apparatus 10 performs various functions. More specifically, as illustrated in
5 FIG. 3, the information processing apparatus 10 includes, as functional components, a
base 11 corresponding to middleware that performs basic functions such as a
communication function, individual applications 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d that each process
control data using the base 11, and an integration application 13 that integrates the results
of processes from two or more of the individual applications 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d.
10 Each of the individual applications 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d may be hereafter referred to as
an individual application 12 without distinguishing one from another.
[0026] The base 11 is mainly implemented by the processor 101 that executes the
program P1 and the communicator 106 in cooperation. The base 11 includes a web
server and a database server and provides, using an API function, a function to
15 communicate through the network 20 to the individual applications 12. More
specifically, the base 11 acquires control data from a partner device specified by an
individual application 12 and provides the acquired control data to the individual
application 12 requesting the data. The base 11 corresponds to an example of providing
means for receiving data about control of the machine through the network and providing
20 the data.
[0027] Each individual application 12 is mainly implemented by the processor 101
that executes the program P2 being application software. Each program P2 is created by
the user and individually installed on the information processing apparatus 10 by the user
or the customer. Each individual application 12 individually performs a predetermined
25 process on data and provides functions usable by the customer. The main functions of
the individual applications 12 are implemented based on the control data acquired from
the base 11. For example, each individual application 12 is an engineering application,
9
a digital twin application, a dedicated application for a specific type of machines 31 or the
controller 32, a general-purpose application, or another application for processing the
control data.
[0028] Each individual application 12 includes determination information 121 for
5 determining whether the condition for cooperating with the integration application 13 are
satisfied, a processing unit 122 that processes the control data, and an output device 123
that outputs the processing result of the control data to the terminal 35 through the
network 20.
[0029] The determination information 121 is indicated by the program P2. The
10 program P2 preliminarily including the determination information 121 may be installed
on the information processing apparatus 10, or the determination information 121 may be
read from a predetermined address or an address specified by the user or the customer
after the program P2 is executed and then may be added to the individual application 12.
This address may be an address on a network or an address indicating an area of a storage
15 device. The details of the determination information 121 are described later.
[0030] The processing unit 122 performs a predetermined process on the control
data and outputs the results of the process to the output device 123. The control data to
be processed by the processing unit 122 and the details of the process differ among the
individual applications 12. For example, the individual application 12a acquires, as a
20 device value of the controller 32, data indicating the sensing results from the machine 31
being a sensor through the base 11 and performs the process of detecting abnormal values
in the sensing results or the process of generating a record of the detection count per unit
time based on detection of workpieces indicated by the sensing results. The individual
application 12b directly acquires the results of determining the workpiece quality from
25 the machines 31 using the base 11 not via the controller 32 being an inspector in the
controller 32, and calculates the yield.
[0031] The output device 123 outputs, in response to a request from the terminal
10
35, information indicating the results of the process from the processing unit 122 to the
network 20 through the base 11 with the terminal 35 as the destination. Each individual
application 12 corresponds to an example of individual processing means, first individual
processing means, or second individual processing means for outputting, to the network,
5 results acquired by performing different processes on data provided by the providing
means.
[0032] The integration application 13 is mainly implemented by the processor 101
that executes the program P3 being application software. The program P3 is created by
the user and installed on the information processing apparatus 10 by the user or the
10 customer. The integration application 13 performs predetermined data processing and
provides functions usable by the customer. Substantial functions of the integration
application 13 are implemented based on the results of the processes performed by the
individual applications 12. The integration application 13 is thus an upper application
located on an upper level than the multiple individual applications 12.
15 [0033] The integration application 13 includes condition information 131 indicating
the conditions for cooperating with an individual application 12, a data manager 132 that
selects the individual application 12 with which the integration application 13 cooperates
and acquires the results of the process from the selected individual application 12, a
processing unit 133 that performs integration processing for integrating the results of the
20 processes performed by the individual applications 12, and an output device 134 that
outputs the processing results from the processing unit 133 to the terminal 35 through the
network 20.
[0034] The condition information 131 is indicated by the program P3. Similarly
to the determination information 121, the program P3 preliminarily including the
25 condition information 131 may be installed on the information processing apparatus 10,
or the condition information 131 may be read from a predetermined address or an address
specified by the user or the customer after the program P3 is executed and then may be
11
added to the integration application 13.
[0035] The details of the condition information 131 and the determination
information 121 are described. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the condition information 131
and the determination information 121 indicate the types of data. More specifically, the
5 condition information 131 indicates the types of data to be acquired by the integration
application 13 for performing the integration processing, and the determination
information 121 indicates one or more types of data provided as the results of the process
from the individual application 12.
[0036] In the example in FIG. 4, the condition information 131 indicates AA data
10 and BB data. The determination information 121 in the individual application 12a
indicates CC data, the determination information 121 in the individual application 12b
indicates DD data and AA data, the determination information 121 in the individual
application 12c indicates BB data and EE data, and the determination information 121 in
the individual application 12d indicates FF data, AA data, and CC data. In this
15 example, the determination information 121 in each of the individual applications 12b,
12c, and 12d indicates the data types matching the data types indicated by the condition
information 131. The individual applications 12b, 12c, and 12d thus satisfy the
condition for transmitting data to the integration application 13.
[0037] The determination information 121 in the individual application 12a does
20 not indicate the data type matching the data type indicated by the condition information
131. The individual application 12a thus does not satisfy the condition for transmitting
data to the integration application 13.
[0038] The data types may be of any format. For example, a single data type may
be a result of a process on control data derived from a specific type of the machines 31 or
25 the controller 32, a specific device value of the controller 32 that is a PLC, or a result
acquired by performing a specific process performed on any control data.
[0039] Referring back to FIG. 3, the data manager 132 inquires of each individual
12
application 12 as to whether the individual application 12 can provide any data type
indicated by the condition information 131 to determine whether the individual
application 12 satisfies the condition, and selects the individual application 12 including
the determination information 121 satisfying the condition. More specifically, the data
5 manager 132 selects the individual application 12 including the determination
information 121 indicating the data type matching any of the data types indicated by the
condition information 131. The data manager 132 outputs data acquired from the
selected individual application 12 to the processing unit 133.
[0040] The data manager 132 performs monitoring to determine an individual
10 application 12 from which data is to be acquired and a device in the facility 300 from
which the control data is to be acquired and performs control accordingly. In other
words, the data manager 132 manages a channel of information including first
transmission of the control data from a device corresponding to the data source in the
facility 300 to the individual application 12 and second transmission of data from the
15 individual application 12 to the integration application 13. The device in the facility 300
may be any of the machines 31 or the controller 32, or another device. The data
manager 132 corresponds to an example of management means for managing the channel
of information transmission including first transmission of data about control of the
machine from the device corresponding to the data source in the facility to the individual
20 processing means and second transmission of the results of the processes from the
individual processing means to the integration means.
[0041] More specifically, the data manager 132 includes, as illustrated in FIG. 5,
management information indicating the transmission channel of data acquired by the
integration application 13 from inside the facility 300. For example, the first record in
25 FIG. 5 indicates that the control data is transmitted from a device D1 in the facility to the
individual application 12b, and AA data is transmitted from the individual application
12b to the integration application 13. In the management information in FIG. 5, the
13
identifiers of the integration application 13, the individual application 12, and the device
are in the square brackets, and the identifiers of the integration application 13 and the
individual application 12 are the same as the reference signs in FIG. 3.
[0042] The data manager 132 inquires of the individual application 12 selected in
5 the above manner as to a device corresponding to the data source of the control data in
the facility 300 and a device through which the control data is transmitted, and generates
management information. The data manager 132 repeatedly acquires system
configuration information indicating the configuration of the control system in the facility
300 and updates the management information. The control system includes the
10 machines 31, the controller 32, and the device corresponding to the data source. The
data manager 132 may acquire the system configuration information by inquiring of the
individual application 12, inquiring of the device in the facility 300 through the base 11
and without using the individual application 12, inquiring through a connector (not
illustrated) without using the base 11, or any combination of these. For example, when
15 the device from which the individual application 12b acquires the control data is changed
from a device D1 to a device D99, the data manager 132 reflects the change on the
management information in FIG. 5. The data manager 132 corresponds to an example
of management means for repeatedly acquiring the system configuration information
indicating the configuration of a system including the machines and the devices in the
20 facility and managing the channel of information transmission based on the acquired
system configuration information.
[0043] The data manager 132 monitors the individual applications 12 installed on
the information processing apparatus 10. When a new individual application 12 is
added, the data manager 132 determines whether the new individual application 12
25 satisfies the condition. When the new individual application 12 satisfies the condition,
the data manager 132 determines the new individual application 12 to be a source from
which the results of a process are to be acquired similarly to the individual applications
14
12 selected previously, and adds the new individual application 12 to the management
information. The data manager 132 corresponds to an example of management means
for performing monitoring to determine whether the individual processing means
included in the information processing apparatus 10 include new individual processing
5 means, and determining whether the results of the process performed by the new
individual processing means are to be acquired from the new individual processing
means.
[0044] The data manager 132 may also change the management information as
instructed by the user or the customer and control the information transmission channel
10 based on the changed management information. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5,
when the multiple individual applications 12 provide the same type of AA data, the data
manager 132 may acquire the AA data from simply one of the individual applications 12
without acquiring the AA data from the others, or may also acquire the AA data from the
other individual applications 12 and discard the data. The device corresponding to the
15 data source of the control data may also be changed based on the change of the
management information.
[0045] Referring back to FIG. 3, the processing unit 133 performs predetermined
integration processing on the results of the processes acquired from the individual
applications 12 and outputs the results of the integration processing to the output device
20 134. The integration processing may be, for example, the processing of calculating the
operation rate of the entire production line including the multiple machines 31 based on
the results of the processes performed individually on the machines 31 by the individual
applications 12, the processing of combining the states of the individual machines 31 to
detect an indication of the production line being stopped, or other processing.
25 [0046] The output device 134 outputs, in response to the request from the terminal
35, the integration information indicating the results of the integration processing
performed by the processing unit 133 to the network 20 through the base 11 with the
15
terminal 35 as the destination. The integration application 13 corresponds to an
example of integration means for selecting two or more individual processing means of
the multiple individual processing means in accordance with predetermined conditions,
and outputting, to the network, integration information acquired by integrating the results
5 of the processes performed by the selected two or more individual processing means.
[0047] Example of data processing performed by the information processing
apparatus 10 is described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. The data processing
illustrated in FIG. 6 corresponds to an example of a data processing method including a
series of procedures for operating the individual application 12 and the integration
10 application 13 in cooperation. The data processing illustrated in FIG. 6 is merely an
example, and the order of the procedures may be changed as appropriate.
[0048] In the data processing, the user or the customer selects the individual
application 12 and the integration application 13 to be implemented on the information
processing apparatus 10 (step S1). More specifically, one of the preregistered programs
15 P2 and P3 selected by the user or the customer is installed on the information processing
apparatus 10 to implement the selected individual application 12 and the integration
application 13. The connection processing for connecting one of the multiple individual
applications 12 that satisfies the predetermined condition and the integration application
is then performed (step S2). This causes the integration application 13 to be ready,
20 causing the information processing apparatus 10 to be usable by the customer. The
details of the connection processing are described later.
[0049] The integration application 13 then acquires the results of the process from
the individual application 12 connected in step S2 (step S3), performs the integration
processing on the acquired results of the process (step S4), and outputs the results of the
25 integration processing in step S4 to the terminal 35 in response to the request from the
customer (step S5). The information processing apparatus 10 then repeats the
processing from step S3. The results of the process in step S3 are provided to the
16
terminal 35 by the individual application 12 in response to the request from the customer.
[0050] FIG. 7 illustrates the details of the connection processing in step S2. In the
connection processing, all the individual applications 12 provide the determination
information 121 to the integration application 13 (step S21). The individual applications
5 12 may provide the determination information 121 in response to the request from the
integration application 13 or may automatically provide the determination information
121 independently of a request.
[0051] The integration application 13 then temporarily selects one of the individual
applications 12 unselected in the connection processing (step S22). For example, the
10 data manager 132 in the integration application 13 selects the individual application 12a
illustrated in FIG. 3. The individual applications 12 may be selected in any order and
may thus be selected in ascending or descending order of the identifiers of the individual
applications 12 that distinguish the individual applications 12 from one another, or in
order in which the determination information 121 is provided. Each identifier is, for
15 example, a process identification (ID) assigned by an operating system (OS), the name of
the individual application 12, the program P2 that implements the individual application
12, or the hash value of the program P2.
[0052] The integration application 13 then determines, based on the determination
information 121 of the individual application 12 selected in step S22, whether the
20 condition indicated by the condition information 131 is satisfied(step S23). For
example, as illustrated in FIG. 4, when the condition information 131 and the
determination information 121 indicate the data types, the data manager 132 in the
integration application 13 compares the determination information 121 and the condition
information 131 to determine whether both the determination information 121 and the
25 condition information 131 indicate the same data type. When the individual application
12a is selected in step S22, the determination information 121 and the condition
information 131 do not indicate the same data type as illustrated in FIG. 4, and the
17
determination result in step S23 is negative.
[0053] When the condition is determined to be unsatisfied (No in step S23), the
integration application 13 determines whether all the individual applications 12 have been
selected (step S25). When determining that not all the individual applications 12 have
5 been selected (No in step S25), the integration application 13 repeats the processing in
step S22 and subsequent steps. Thus, for example, the individual application 12b
illustrated in FIG. 3 is selected, and steps S22 to S25 are repeated.
[0054] When the individual application 12b is selected, both the determination
information 121 and the condition information 131 indicate the AA data as illustrated in
10 FIG. 4. The integration application 13 thus determines that the condition is satisfied.
When determining that the condition is satisfied (Yes in step S23), the integration
application 13 determines connection to the individual application 12 selected in step S22
(step S24). Thus, the results of the process performed by the individual application 12
determined to be connected are transmitted to the integration application 13, and the
15 integration application 13 performs the integration processing using the transmitted
results of the process. The integration application 13 then advances the processing to
step S25. The data type providable by the individual application 12 but unsatisfying the
condition, such as the DD data of the individual application 12b illustrated in FIG. 4, is
not provided to the integration application 13.
20 [0055] In step S25, when the integration application 13 determines that all the
individual applications 12 have been selected (Yes in step S25), the information
processing apparatus 10 returns from the connection processing illustrated in FIG. 7 to
the data processing illustrated in FIG. 6.
[0056] As described above, the integration application 13 in the present
25 embodiment outputs, to the network 20, the integration information acquired by
integrating the results of the processes performed by the selected individual applications
12. The user is likely to develop both an application to implement the integration
18
application 13 and an application to implement the individual application 12. Thus, the
integration application 13 can be developed independently of the API of the cloud
infrastructure. The integration application 13 reuses the results of the processes
performed by the individual applications 12, reducing resources used for developing the
5 individual applications 12 and the integration application 13. The workload of
developing an application executable in a cloud environment for use at an FA site can
thus be reduced.
[0057] The integration application 13 as an upper application than the individual
applications 12 being independent of the base 11 builds an application hierarchy
10 including the integration application 13, the individual application 12, and the base 11 in
this order.
[0058] Each individual application 12 can be implemented by application software
indicating the determination information 121 for determining whether the condition for
selecting the individual application 12 is satisfied. The integration application 13 is
15 implemented by application software indicating the condition information 131 and selects
the individual application 12 indicating the determination information 121 that satisfies
the condition. Thus, simply installing the integration application 13 allows hierarchical
selection of the individual applications 12 to be used, thus building an application system
appropriate in the cloud environment. The integration application 13 functions as a
20 package application packaging the individual applications 12.
[0059] The condition information 131 and the determination information 121
indicate the data types. The integration application 13 selects the individual application
12 including the determination information 121 indicating the data type matching the data
type indicated by the condition information 131. This eliminates the development of
25 individual applications 12 reflecting the integration processing performed by the
integration application 13 and the development of an integration application 13 reflecting
the processes performed by the individual applications 12. The individual application
19
12 and the integration application 13 can be developed individually using the same data
types. The workload of developing an application can thus be reduced further.
[0060] The integration application 13 includes the data manager 132 that manages
the information transmission channel. Thus, for example, the integration application 13
5 can select any one of the multiple individual applications 12 providing the same type of
the processing results as a connection target and reduce a processing load of the
integration processing.
[0061] The data manager 132 repeatedly acquires the system configuration
information indicating the configuration of the control system to manage the transmission
10 channel based on the acquired system configuration information. Thus, when the
configuration of the control system is changed during the operation of the information
processing apparatus 10, the integration application 13 can perform the integration
processing based on the latest configuration of the control system.
[0062] The data manager 132 performs monitoring to determine whether the
15 individual applications 12 included in the information processing apparatus 10 include a
new individual application 12, and determines whether the results of the process
performed by the new individual processing application 12 are to be acquired from the
new individual application 12. Thus, the user or the customer simply installs the new
individual application 12 for the integration application 13 to perform the integration
20 processing using the new individual application 12.
[0063] Embodiment 2.
Embodiment 2 is described focusing on the differences from Embodiment 1.
Like reference signs denote the same or like components in Embodiment 1. The present
embodiment differs from Embodiment 1 in that the condition information 131 in the
25 integration application 13 indicates the identifier of the individual application 12 allowed
to be connected, and the determination information 121 in the individual application 12
indicates the identifier of the integration application 13 allowed to be connected. The
20
present embodiment also differs from Embodiment 1 in that the information processing
apparatus 10 includes multiple integration applications 13.
[0064] FIG. 8 schematically illustrates an example of the condition information 131
and examples of the determination information 121 in the present embodiment. The
5 condition information 131 includes a list of identifiers of the individual applications 12
allowed to be connected for each application classification group. In the example in
FIG. 8, the classification group of an engineering app is associated with a list of
identifiers 12a and 120a. Each pieces of determination information 121 includes a list
of identifiers of the integration applications 13 allowed to be connected.
10 [0065] An integration application 13 and an individual application 12 in
combination are connectable to each other when the condition information 131 in the
integration application 13 indicates the identifier of the individual application 12 and the
determination information 121 in the individual application 12 indicates the identifier of
the integration application 13. The results of the process performed by the individual
15 application 12 are then transmitted to the integration application 13. Other
combinations are not allowed to be connected, and the results of the process are not
transmitted. However, an integration application 13 and an individual application 12 in
combination may be connectable to each other when the user or the customer allows the
connection upon the data manager 132 in the integration application 13 inquiring whether
20 the connection is allowed.
[0066] The connection processing in the present embodiment is described with
reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. The connection processing in the present embodiment
includes first connection processing included in an initialization sequence of the
integration application 13 added to the information processing apparatus 10 and second
25 connection processing included in an initialization sequence of the individual application
12 added to the information processing apparatus 10.
[0067] The first connection processing illustrated in FIG. 9 is performed on each
21
combination of the added integration application 13 and each existing individual
application 12. In the first connection processing, the added integration application 13
provides the identifier of the added integration application 13 to the individual application
12 (step S31).
5 [0068] The individual application 12 then determines whether the determination
information 121 includes the identifier provided in step S31 (step S32). When the
determination information 121 is determined not to include the identifier (No in step
S32), the first connection processing ends, and the information processing apparatus 10
returns to the data processing.
10 [0069] When the determination information 121 is determined to include the
identifier (Yes in step S32), the individual application 12 provides the identifier of the
individual application 12 to the added integration application 13 (step S33).
[0070] The integration application 13 then determines whether the condition
information 131 includes the identifier provided in step S33 (step S34). When the
15 condition information 131 is determined to include the identifier (Yes in step S34), the
integration application 13 advances the processing to step S36.
[0071] When the condition information 131 is determined not to include the
identifier (No in step S34), the integration application 13 determines whether the user or
the customer allows connection to the individual application 12 (step S35). More
20 specifically, the integration application 13 inquires of the user or the customer as to
whether to allow the connection and acquires an input from the user or the customer.
[0072] When the user or the customer is determined not to allow the connection
(No in step S35), the first connection processing ends. When the user or the customer is
determined to allow the connection (Yes in step S35), the integration application 13
25 determines the connection to the individual application 12 (step S36). More
specifically, the integration application 13 determines to receive the results of the
processes from the individual applications 12 to perform the integration processing.
22
The first connection processing then ends.
[0073] As illustrated in FIG. 10, the second connection processing triggered by an
individual application 12 being added corresponds to the first connection processing, with
the integration application 13 replaced by the individual application 12 and the condition
5 information 131 replaced by the determination information 121. More specifically, the
second connection processing is performed on each combination of the added individual
application 12 and each existing integration application 13. In the second connection
processing, the added individual application 12 provides the identifier of the added
individual application 12 to the integration application 13 (step S41).
10 [0074] The integration application 13 then determines whether the condition
information 131 includes the identifier provided in step S41 (step S42). When the
condition information 131 is determined not to include the identifier (No in step S42), the
second connection processing ends, and the information processing apparatus 10 returns
to data processing.
15 [0075] When the condition information 131 is determined to include the identifier
(Yes in step S42), the integration application 13 provides the identifier of the integration
application 13 to the added individual application 12 (step S43).
[0076] The individual application 12 then determines whether the determination
information 121 includes the identifier provided in step S43 (step S44). When the
20 determination information 121 is determined to include the identifier (Yes in step S44),
the individual application 12 advances the processing to step S46.
[0077] When the determination information 121 is determined not to include the
identifier (No in step S44), the individual application 12 determines whether the user or
the customer allows connection to the integration application 13 (step S45).
25 [0078] When the user or the customer is determined not to allow the connection
(No in step S45), the second connection processing ends. When the user or the
customer is determined to allow the connection (Yes in step S45), the individual
23
application 12 determines the connection to the integration application 13 (step S46).
More specifically, the individual application 12 determines to transmit the results of the
process for performing the integration processing to the integration application 13. The
second connection processing then ends.
5 [0079] As described above, the embodiment in which the condition information
131 and the determination information 121 indicate the application identifiers produces
the same effects as in Embodiment 1.
[0080] The first connection processing and the second connection processing are
also performed, in addition to when the information processing apparatus 10 is activated,
10 when a new integration application 13 or a new individual application 12 is added during
the operation of the information processing apparatus 10.
[0081] In the example described above, the user or the customer allows connection.
Here, the user is a developer of the application, and the customer is a target who receives
the functions of the application from the user.
15 [0082] Although one or more embodiments of the present disclosure have been
described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments.
[0083] For example, the example mainly described in Embodiment 1 includes one
integration application 13. In some embodiments, multiple integration applications 13
may be included.
20 [0084] The condition information 131 and the determination information 121 are
each in a list format as illustrated in Embodiments 1 and 2. However, the condition
information 131 and the determination information 121 may be any information that
determines connection between an integration application 13 and an individual
application 12. For example, the condition information 131 may indicate an application
25 certificate of the integration application 13, and the individual application 12 may provide
the results of the process upon confirming the validity of the certificate. The
determination information 121 may indicate an application certificate of the individual
24
application 12, and the integration application 13 may acquire the results of the process
upon confirming the validity of the certificate. In this example, both certificates being
valid satisfy the condition.
[0085] In the examples described above, all the integration applications 13 and the
5 individual applications 12 are implemented by application software, but a part of the
integration applications 13 and the individual applications 12 may be implemented by
dedicated hardware. For example, the process performed by the individual application
12 may be performed by arithmetic processing using a graphic processing unit (GPU).
[0086] In the examples described above, the information processing apparatus 10 is
10 a single computer device. In some embodiments, the information processing apparatus
10 may include multiple computer devices.
[0087] The integration processing performed by the integration application 13 may
or may not involve data processing. The integration processing not involving data
processing may, for example, list the results of processes performed by the multiple
15 individual applications 12 to increase viewability for the customers.
[0088] In the example mainly described above, the information processing
apparatus 10 corresponds to a cloud server. In some embodiments, the information
processing apparatus 10 may be a server device that provides a cloud service or a network
service. For example, in an embodiment in which a cloud service is provided from a
20 central server through a local server, the central server or the local server may perform the
functions of the information processing apparatus 10.
[0089] In the above embodiments, the programs P2 and P3 are preregistered with
the information processing apparatus 10, and the user or the customer selects the
individual applications 12 and the integration applications 13 to be available. With the
25 programs P2 and P3 preregistered with the information processing apparatus 10, the
cooperation between the individual applications 12 and the integration applications 13
may be prepared in advance. For example, after the connection processing in FIG. 6 is
25
performed on any combination of the individual application 12 and the integration
application 13 included in the information processing apparatus 10, the customer may
select the individual application 12 and the integration application 13 to be used. As
described in the above embodiments, the customer may install the programs P2 and P3
5 on the information processing apparatus 10. The customer may prepare an existing
customer’s operation system and implement the information processing apparatus 10 by
shift to the cloud environment to include such an existing system.
[0090] The functions of the information processing apparatus 10 according to the
above embodiments can be implemented by dedicated hardware or a general-purpose
10 computer system.
[0091] For example, the programs P1, P2, and P3 may be stored in a non-transitory
computer-readable recording medium such as a flexible disc, a compact disc read-only
memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disc (DVD), or a magneto-optical (MO) disk, for
distribution. The program P1 may be installed on a computer to provide a device that
15 performs the above processing.
[0092] The programs P1, P2, and P3 may be stored in a disk device included in a
server on a communication network, such as the Internet, and may be, for example,
superimposed on a carrier wave to be downloaded to a computer.
[0093] The above processing may also be performed by the programs P1, P2, and
20 P3 activated and executed while being transferred through a network, such as the Internet.
[0094] The above processing may be performed by entirely or partially executing
the programs P1, P2, and P3 on a server while a computer is transmitting and receiving
information about the processing through a communication network.
[0095] In the system with the above functions implementable partially by the OS or
25 through cooperation between the OS and applications, portions executable by
applications other than the OS may be stored in a non-transitory recording medium that
may be distributed or may be downloaded to a computer.
26
[0096] Means for implementing the functions of the information processing
apparatus 10 is not limited to software, and may be partially or entirely implemented by
dedicated hardware or a dedicated circuit.
[0097] The foregoing describes some example embodiments for explanatory
5 purposes. Although the foregoing discussion has presented specific embodiments,
persons skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail
without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the
specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive
sense. This detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the
10 scope of the invention is defined only by the included claims, along with the full range of
equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
Industrial Applicability
[0098] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure are applicable to the
development of an application executable in a cloud environment.
15 Reference Signs List
[0099]
10 Information processing apparatus
101 Processor
102 Main storage
20 103 Auxiliary storage
104 Input device
105 Output device
106 Communicator
107 Internal bus
25 11 Base
12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d Individual application
121 Determination information
27
122 Processing unit
123 Output device
13 Integration application
131 Condition information
5 132 Data manager
133 Processing unit
134 Output device
20 Network
31 Machine
10 32 Controller
33 Industrial network
34 Communication device
35 Terminal
300 Facility
15 P1 to P3 Program

We Claim :
[Claim 1] An information processing apparatus connectable through a network
to a facility in which a machine is controlled, the information processing apparatus
comprising:
5 providing means for receiving data about control of the machine through the
network and providing the data;
a plurality of individual processing means for outputting, to the network, results
acquired by performing different processes on the data provided by the providing means;
and
10 integration means for selecting two or more individual processing means of the
plurality of individual processing means in accordance with a predetermined condition,
and outputting, to the network, integration information acquired by integrating results of
processes performed by the selected two or more individual processing means.
15 [Claim 2] The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the plurality of individual processing means is implemented by application
software indicating determination information for determining whether the predetermined
condition is satisfied, and
the integration means is implemented by application software indicating condition
20 information indicating the predetermined condition and selects at least one of the plurality
of individual processing means corresponding to the determination information satisfying
the predetermined condition.
[Claim 3] The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
25 the condition information indicates a type of data to be acquired by the integration
means as the predetermined condition,
the determination information indicates a type of data provided by each of the
29
plurality of individual processing means as a result of the process performed by the
individual processing means, and
the integration means selects at least one of the plurality of individual processing
means corresponding to the determination information indicating a type of data matching
5 the type of data indicated by the condition information.
[Claim 4] The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims
1 to 3, wherein
the integration means includes management means for managing a channel of
10 information transmission including first transmission of data about control of the machine
from a device corresponding to a data source in the facility to each of the plurality of
individual processing means and second transmission of the results of the different
processes from the plurality of individual processing means to the integration means.
15 [Claim 5] The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein
the management means repeatedly acquires system configuration information
indicating a configuration of a system including the machine and the device in the facility
and manages the channel of information transmission based on the acquired system
configuration information.
20
[Claim 6] The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 or 5,
wherein
the management means performs monitoring to determine whether the plurality of
individual processing means included in the information processing apparatus include
25 new individual processing means, and determines whether a result of the process
performed by the new individual processing means is to be acquired from the new
individual processing means.
30
[Claim 7] A data processing method implementable by an information
processing apparatus connectable through a network to a facility in which a machine is
controlled, the method comprising:
5 receiving, by providing means, data about control of the machine through the
network and providing the data;
outputting, by a plurality of individual processing means, to the network, results
acquired by performing different processes on the data provided by the providing means;
and
10 selecting, by integration means, two or more individual processing means of the
plurality of individual processing means in accordance with a predetermined condition,
and outputting, by the integration means, to the network, integration information acquired
by integrating results of processes performed by the selected two or more individual
processing means.
15
[Claim 8] A program for causing a computer connectable through a network to
a facility in which a machine is controlled to function as:
integration means for selecting, in accordance with a predetermined condition, two
or more individual processing means of a plurality of individual processing means for
20 outputting, to the network, results acquired by performing different processes on data
about control of the machine and for integrating results of processes performed by the
selected two or more individual processing means to acquire integration information and
output the integration information to the network.
25 [Claim 9] A program for causing a computer connectable through a network to
a facility in which a machine is controlled to function as:
first individual processing means for outputting, to the network, a result acquired
31
by performing a process on data about control of the machine received from the network
and provided by providing means, wherein
the first individual processing means indicates determination information for
determining whether a condition for integration means to select two or more individual
5 processing means from a plurality of individual processing means is satisfied, the
plurality of individual processing means include the first individual processing means and
second individual processing means different from the first individual processing means,
and the first individual processing means provides the result of the process to the
integration means when the condition is determined to be satisfied based on the
10 determination information.