JP2006244064A - Controller information transmission system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a controller information transmission system performing information transmission between controllers by use of data capable of being read and comprehended by a person, and being processed by a computer. <P>SOLUTION: In this controller information transmission system for an elevator, operation control of the elevator is performed while transmitting the data between the controller CT1 and the other controller CT2 each controlling at least one elevator, or a data server DS, and information metadata are transmitted. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a controller information transmission system for controlling an apparatus, for example, an elevator, and more particularly to a controller information transmission system for transmitting information between a controller and another controller or a data server.

  In recent years, the importance of communication between controllers has increased, and in particular, not only the data transmission efficiency between controllers but also high readability for the operator is required at the same time for communication of monitoring information and setting information.

  For example, an elevator controller is an important device that is used not only for controlling the operation of an elevator but also for controlling riding comfort and the like. Because of this, the movement to develop elevator controllers has recently accelerated. In particular, in order to more effectively transmit information between the elevator and the controller, the communication function is enhanced.

  Then, by applying the Internet, which has been widely used in recent years, for example, a method of mounting a Web server on a controller and transmitting controller information from the Web server is considered. The Web page that is the origin of the Web server is characterized by being readable by humans, easy to update, and suitable for remote access.

  However, since the information on the Web page is originally intended for handling information for human beings, it does not directly contribute to the improvement of the function even if it is used for elevator control. That is, the Web page is only a means for visually presenting information to humans, and is not a command language but a simple character string for a computer.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a controller information transmission system that is easy for humans to handle and easy to process by a computer.

In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention,
A controller information transmission system for controlling operation of a device while transmitting information metadata between a controller that controls the device and another controller or data server.

  As described above, since the present invention uses information metadata as information transmitted between controllers for device control, a person understands the contents from a character string of data, while a computer also understands the meaning and relative relationship of data. This is an information transmission system that can be understood and is convenient for both people and computers. For this reason, the information transmission function for device control can be enhanced.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[Embodiment 1]
FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of an elevator control system to which the present invention is applied. This system is configured by connecting two elevator control controllers CT1 and CT2, a remote monitoring computer CMP, and a data server DS through a communication path L.

  The control data in this control system includes information metadata and definition metadata, and the communication path L between the controllers CT1 and CT2 and between the controllers CT1 and CT2 and the remote monitoring computer CMP and the data server DS. Is transmitted through.

  Here, the information metadata is metadata to which information indicating the meaning of the data is added, and the definition metadata is definition metadata that defines the meaning of the vocabulary in the information metadata and the hierarchical structure of the data. It is.

<Information metadata and definition metadata>
The information metadata is described in RDF (Resource Description Framework), which is an XML format metadata format. And this lump is hereinafter referred to as a description.

  By the information metadata, the controller information is not a simple character string or binary data, but semantic information is given to clarify “what the data is”, for example, “this data is the current car position”, “ The controller means that this data has a specific meaning such as “call information for the next stop floor” without any human instruction.

Example 1 below shows an example of information metadata.

  Further, the definition metadata is described by a format RDF schema for RDF narrative definition based on RDF. Then, the description of the definition metadata makes it possible to express even the mutual relationship of data such as “data of“ current car position ”is information included in“ attributes of elevator 1 ””. Each controller interprets the narrative definition in the information data based on the description of the definition metadata when data is transmitted / received or processed, and performs reading / updating of data, control operation based on the data, and the like.

Example 2 below shows an example of definition metadata.

  In the RDF format metadata, the appearance position of the description in the data does not affect the meaning of the data, and the content of the RDF data is interpreted only by the hierarchical structure of the description and the “identifier indicating the meaning of the data”.

  Programs and systems that can handle RDF interpret the metadata based on this rule, so even if a new description is added to the metadata, the meaning of the original description is not changed as long as the hierarchical structure itself does not change. Does not change. As can be seen from this, information metadata and definition metadata can cope with data update and data structure change.

  Even when the data structure is redesigned, a part of the system component that does not need to interpret newly added or changed data is characterized in that no program change is required.

  As a result, the transmission data of each controller can be freely updated without affecting the existing data portion, and the functions of the entire system can be gradually improved.

  For example, when there is “elevator error log” and “elevator movement information” as information to be raised from a certain controller to a higher-level controller, a new “calling status by time zone” item is transmitted in some controllers. Even if it is added to the above, the host controller does not need to update the program unless this “call status for each time period” item is used. For this reason, it is possible to take measures such as changing the host system program when all the controllers are changed to the new transmission data format.

  Further, according to the present invention, the controller can also determine what data is defined in the information metadata by referring to the description of the definition metadata for the information metadata in an unknown data format. I can understand. As a result, when a new controller or data source is added on the control system and the format of the distribution data must be changed, the system configuration that needs to interpret the newly added or changed data With respect to elements, each controller can automatically interpret the meaning of new data according to the description of the definition metadata without modifying the communication program, data interpretation, and generation program. For this reason, the cost of program update can be reduced.

  In addition, the definition metadata format rule has a mechanism that can express the relationship between items indicating the same information among “identifiers indicating the meaning of data” defined by different names. This mechanism is described based on an XML-based inference rule description language OWL (Web Ontology Language) and can be mixed in an RDF schema document.

  By using this mechanism, it is possible to describe the correspondence relationship between data elements described based on different definition metadata on different systems. If this is used, information metadata distributed on different systems can be distributed to each other without modification. Then, when integrating separately created systems in a network, it is possible to greatly reduce the time and effort required to modify the system program.

  FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the control system according to the present invention. In this system, two controllers CT1 and CT2 are connected by a communication channel L. Each controller CT1 and CT2 has a control means CON that controls the control object, and generates and interprets information metadata and definition metadata. , Metadata generation / interpretation means DATA for saving, and metadata received from the metadata generation / interpretation means DATA are released to the communication path L, and metadata received from the communication path L is generated as metadata generation / interpretation means DATA Is provided with communication means COM.

Here, the metadata generation / interpretation means DATA converts the information received from the control means CON into metadata, transmits the control data interpreted from the metadata to the control means CON, and reflects the data on the control target. It is something to let you.
For description of information metadata and definition metadata, RDF (Resource Description Framework), which is a metadata description framework based on XML, formulated by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is used.

  RDF describes the relationship between resources in metadata using a three-way relationship between a subject (resource), a predicate (property), and an object (literal: property value). RDF itself does not assume a specific application and knowledge domain, but merely represents the interrelationships of each resource, property, and literal. The meaning and interrelationship of vocabulary (resources, properties) in RDF metadata is defined by RDF schema, and humans and computers creating RDF describe RDF metadata based on this schema definition.

  In the present invention, information metadata is described in RDF and definition metadata in RDF schema format. In addition, OWL, which is an XML-based semantic description language formulated by the W3C, is used to describe detailed and precise meanings and relationships that cannot be fully explained in the RDF schema. OWL descriptions can be mixed in RDF Schema documents.

  Here, a case where the controller that controls one elevator transmits the elevator information to the communication partner controller will be described, and the metadata description at that time will be described. In the exemplified transmission information metadata, an identifier for identifying the elevator, data collection time, current car position floor, next stop floor, operation state, and whether or not inspection is in progress are described.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing how the RDF and RDF schema shown in the first and second examples are related. In the figure, circles represent resources (subjects), arrows represent properties (predicates), and square boxes represent literals (objects). The resources and properties with the namespace “ev” are elevator-related vocabularies defined in the definition metadata, and literals (values of each data) are specified by information metadata using these definitions. I understand that. The description of Example 1, Example 2 and FIG. 3 follows the rules of RDF and RDF schema defined by W3C.

  Table 1 below shows data items included in the exemplified transmission information metadata.

The elevator is specified by `` elevator: toshiba-fuchu- # 101-west-1 '', and the elevator control data (current car) at the time of `` 2004/8/17 14:47:20 '' (Position floor, next stop floor, operating state, inspection state).

Next, Table 2 below describes the data structure of the “definition metadata” given in Example 2 above. “Definition metadata” is metadata that defines the meaning of a vocabulary used in information metadata. The information metadata must be described according to the description of the definition metadata.

Table 3 below describes members of the vocabulary name “cabPosition” property portion of Table 2 above. This relates to the description on the 26th and subsequent lines in Example 2.

  The information metadata mentioned in Example 1 is described using the definition metadata definition described in Table 2 and Table 3.

<Elevator data update flow>
2 shows how the controller B (hereinafter referred to as CB) corresponds to the new information metadata of the CA when the controller A (hereinafter referred to as CA) is updated.

Pattern 1: When a new description is added to the information metadata In the following Example 3, information metadata of a new format transmitted by the updated CA to the CB is described. <Ev: newParameter> 222 </ ev: newParameter> in Example 3 is a data item added to the information metadata in Example 1 above.

Here, when the CB does not need to use the new CA data item in the system design, the CB does not need to be modified and is necessary for itself from the CA information metadata as before the CA update. Interpret information.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart in the case where a new description is added to pattern 1, that is, information metadata. First, in step S1, new information metadata is transmitted from the updated CA. Next, in step S2, the CB receives new information metadata from the CA. Subsequently, in step S3, the contents of the information metadata received by the metadata interpretation unit of the CB are analyzed. In this case, a program that complies with the XML specification can correctly interpret a known metadata structure other than that part even if an item that the user does not know exists in the metadata. Thereafter, the CB performs some operation using the contents of the interpreted information metadata. In this case, metadata items that the user does not know are ignored.

Pattern 2: It is assumed that the transmission / reception CA of information metadata and definition metadata is updated by inter-controller transmission, and that the CB needs to use information metadata of a new format sent by the CA. Example 4 shows the new format information metadata that the updated CA transmits to the CB. Here, it is assumed that the <ev: cabInfo> tab in Example 1 is changed to the name <ev: cabInfomation> in the new CA.

Here, in order for the CB to use the information in the </ ev: cabInfomation> tab, the </ ev: cabInfomation> tab of the new CA information metadata is the same as the previous </ ev: cabInfo> tab It is necessary for the CB to grasp that it is a thing. The updated CA prepares the new definition metadata shown in Example 5 in order to make other controllers understand the contents of the new information metadata.

  <Owl: sameAs rdf: resource = "# cabInfo" /> in Example 5 is an OWL statement that means that the parent element of this tag indicates the same content as "cabInfo". The CB receives and interprets this definition metadata before interpreting the information metadata, so that the <ev: cabInfomation> tab of the new information metadata is the same as the previous <ev: cabInfo> tab. I can understand.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart of pattern 2 using definition metadata. As shown in FIG. 5, when new definition metadata is transmitted from the updated CA (step S11) and CB receives the CA definition metadata (step S12), the process proceeds to step S13, and the CB meta data is transferred. The data interpretation means analyzes the content of the received definition metadata and understands that the <ev: cabInfomation> tab is the same as the previous <ev: cabInfo> tab.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S14, and new information metadata is transmitted from the CA to the CB. In step S15, the CB receives the CA information metadata. In step S16, the received information metadata is analyzed by the CB metadata interpreting means for the absence of the received information metadata. This is done by interpreting the contents of the new <ev: cabInfomation> tab as the same as the <ev: cabInfo> tab according to the definition metadata information.

  After the analysis, the process proceeds to step S17, and some operation is performed using the content of the information metadata that has been interpreted by the CB.

  According to such a procedure, the CB can use the contents corresponding to the new metadata format transmitted by the CA without updating the CB program.

Explanatory drawing which shows the system configuration | structure of one Embodiment of this invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Explanatory drawing which shows the example of the simplest system configuration to which this invention is applied. Explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the information metadata used by this invention, and definition metadata. The flowchart which shows the procedure of transmission of the information metadata between controllers. The flowchart which shows the procedure of transmission of the definition metadata between controllers.

Explanation of symbols

CT ... Controller, CMP ... Remote monitoring computer, DS ... Data server,
L ... communication path, CON ... control means, DATA ... metadata generation / interpretation means,
COM: Communication means.

Claims (3)

A controller information transmission system for controlling operation of a device while transmitting information metadata between a controller that controls the device and another controller or a data server. The controller information transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is a control controller or a remote monitoring controller. 2. The controller information transmission system according to claim 1, wherein definition metadata is transmitted in addition to the information metadata.

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