JP3014507B2 - Remote monitoring system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a remote monitoring system used for facility management of a host computer room, abnormality prediction and maintenance of containers and warehouses, environmental protection of hospital private rooms, facility maintenance of unmanned base stations, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Facility management services
Conventionally, periodic inspections by specialists for each type of equipment,
Cleaning, parts replacement, repair, and reporting were common. However, in recent years, in order to realize labor saving and constant monitoring, adoption of a so-called remote monitoring system has been attempted.

[0003]

However, since the conventional so-called remote monitoring system does not have a failure prediction function, it has been necessary to always arrange a specialist engineer at the management center to ask for the judgment. In addition, in order to perform constant monitoring, it is necessary to occupy the communication line, which is problematic in terms of cost. In some cases, communication is performed after a failure has occurred, but this method is too late and has a drawback that it cannot be said to be a satisfactory facility management service.

The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and a function of predicting a failure of a target facility in advance is added to a remote monitoring system, and communication of management information is performed through a public telephone line only when necessary. It is an object of the present invention to provide a remote monitoring system having high reliability and economical efficiency by using a system to be used.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, a remote monitoring system according to the present invention is provided by a mutual communication between a management computer installed in a management center and a monitoring computer installed in a customer facility. In the remote monitoring system for remotely monitoring the facilities in the above, the management computer is provided with communication control means for communicating with the plurality of monitoring computers using a public telephone line in order to manage the plurality of customer facilities in parallel, and the monitoring computer has A failure prediction diagnosis means for predicting a failure in advance is provided, and communication control means for communicating using a public telephone line for communication of management information relating to failure prediction from the monitoring computer to the management computer is provided. Equipment start and stop means for starting and stopping individual equipment from
A report issuing means that can issue a report from the management computer or from the monitoring computer is provided, and the management computer can conduct detailed fault diagnosis by talking to the system while referring to the time series measurement values. Has features. In the remote monitoring system according to the present invention, the monitoring computer includes a sensor group for measuring each monitored device in real time, a converter group for converting input / output data from the sensor group, and a controller for controlling the converter group. A remote measurement unit group, a management board for managing the remote measurement unit group, a memory 38 storing failure data and history data, a device driver memory 37 as an OS system, and support for the device driver memory. The management computer is provided with a memory 22 storing received data, a system memory 21 as an OS system, and a system memory 20 supporting the system memory. have.

[0006]

In the remote monitoring system according to the present invention, the status of the target equipment is measured by various sensors under the control of a monitoring computer installed at the customer facility. The measured value is taken into a monitoring computer via a dedicated network. The measurement value taken into the monitoring computer is compared with failure data, history data, and the like stored in a memory in advance to determine whether the data is normal or abnormal. When the monitoring computer predicts the failure of the target equipment in advance, it communicates the management information to the management computer of the management center using the public telephone line only when necessary. In addition, the management computer can start and stop individual facilities at the customer's facility as needed, and the administrator can perform detailed failure diagnosis by talking with the system while referring to the time-series measurement values. it can. Further, a report can be issued from the management computer or the monitoring computer.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First, the features of the remote monitoring system according to the present invention will be described. 1. Manage multiple facilities at multiple customers in parallel. For this reason, multi-user / multi-task O
S is adopted. In the embodiment, unix was adopted. A dedicated network is used to collect measurements and maintain real-time monitoring. In the embodiment, a measurement value collection system that supports a multi-user multi-task OS has been developed and used. The computer used is a PC class at the customer's site and a workstation class at the management center, and is connected by a public telephone line.

It has a failure prediction function of 2.2 layers. Although the failure prediction function of the remote monitoring system is a so-called expert system, this system responds to the request of the facility management service by providing this function in two layers. The first is a function of a monitoring facility at a customer, which predicts a failure by reacting to a measured value in real time and notifies the management center. This part is developed and written in C language.
The program is written so that it does not lose its immediacy. The second is a function provided to the management center, which lacks immediacy, but allows a manager to perform detailed failure diagnosis by talking with the system. In the embodiment, this part is a program developed and described by using EXCORE as a construction tool of the expert system.

3. Communication between the customer facility and the management center uses a public line and automatically calls only when necessary. In the embodiment, u
nix uucp and Comstar 2424 as modem
AT was adopted. The monitoring computer at the customer facility performs a failure prediction diagnosis in real time, and calls the management center and communicates only when it is determined that the monitoring state is required.

[0010] 4. The failure prediction logic may be the same even if the type of facility changes. On the other hand, the value of the judgment condition to which this logic is applied differs depending on the type of facility. This is a database that is determined by integrating the experience value and the theoretical value, and is stored in an external storage.

5. In addition to failure prediction, it is possible to start and stop individual facilities, refer to time-series measured values, and issue inspection reports as needed, both at the customer site and at the management center.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a remote monitoring system according to the present invention. The management computer 10 is a workstation class computer. The data processing unit 14 constantly displays up to four driving conditions on the CRT 12 based on communication information with the monitoring computer 30 of the customer facility. The KEY 13 indicates a keyboard, which allows the monitoring computer 30 of a specific customer to transmit management information as necessary by keyboard input, diagnose failures interactively, and remotely start and stop individual facilities at customer facilities. The self-diagnosis function 15 confirms communication with the monitoring computer 30 of the customer facility at regular time intervals (for example, once every 20 minutes) to confirm the soundness of the system. The communication control unit 17 manages communication with the monitoring computer 30 of each customer facility via a public telephone line. The display board 16 is a panel on which a management status of a large number of customers can be viewed on a map, and changes the blinking / color tone of the indicator light according to a signal from the computer.

The monitoring computer 30 of the customer facility is a computer of a personal computer class. Equipment to be monitored 91-1
The measurement information of data sampling from 01 is taken in via a dedicated network.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of a management computer of the present system. The management computer 10 is a workstation class computer. The system memory 20 supports a system memory (UNIX) 21 and controls the interfaces RS232C 19a to 19d and the modem M / M under the control of the system memory (UNIX) 21.
It communicates simultaneously with four customers via D18a-18d. In other words, this communication network is based on unix ucp under control from the system memory (UNIX) 21.
Communicates with the monitoring computer 30 via the modems M / Ds 18a to 18d.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an outline of a monitoring computer of a customer facility of the present system. This monitoring computer 3
0 is a personal computer class computer. The system memory 36 is a memory for writing and reading measured value data at and after the address C0000 in the main memory 35, and supporting a device driver (UNIX) 37. It communicates with the interface RS232C41 via the modem M / D33 under the control of the device driver (UNIX) 37. In other words, the communication network communicates with the management computer 10 via the modem M / D 33 by the unix ucp controlled by the device driver (UNIX) 37. In the figure, 40 is a management board MIO, 42a- are remote measurement units RIO, 46
a and b are air-conditioning equipment A / C, 47 is an uninterruptible power supply CVCF, and 48 is security maintenance equipment SECU.
Further, 43a- are analog-to-digital converters A / D, 44a is a digital input D / I, 44b is a digital output D / O, and 33 is a modem M / D.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an outline of a management board MIO of a monitoring computer of the present system. The MIO 40 is a management board mounted on an expansion slot of the monitoring computer 30.
1 communicates directly with the monitoring computer 30 and R
It manages the remote measurement units RIO42a-group via S485DRV53 and RS485. Also, MIO
40 has an RS232C port for maintenance, and has a ROM 55 for storing a communication protocol for inputting and outputting data instructed in response to a command from the monitoring computer 30.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an outline of a telemetry unit RIO attached to a monitoring computer of the present system. The RIO 42a also has a CPU 62, and an analog data input ADI6 for inputting / outputting data to / from the outside.
4, pulse data input PI65, no-voltage contact input CI6
6. Equipped with a no-voltage contact output CO67. Address
DATA 69 is an address setting dip switch for communicating with the MIO 40. The RIO 42a has an RS232C port for maintenance.
And stores a communication protocol for inputting and outputting data instructed in response to a command from the PC 30.

As described above, the configuration shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 has the following features. <Monitoring computer side> 1. Since the management board MIO is mounted and used in an expansion slot of the monitoring computer, the system can be simplified. 2. 2-port RAM for communication between MIO and monitoring computer
I / O management can be performed without synchronizing since direct communication is used. 3. Speeds up data collection. <I / O side> Since the remote measurement unit RIO is also equipped with a CPU, terminal management is possible with this board. 2. The number of I / O points can be increased. 3. It is possible to monitor I / O by itself.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the method of artificial intelligence for predicting failure of the present system. In the figure, reference numerals 80a to 80c denote diagnosis table sheets. Each point of the low-pressure range, the high-pressure range, and the three-dimensional area of the external temperature indicates whether the state is a normal operation area. Assign the expected failure cause name. Four squares in the center mesh of the diagnostic table sheet 80a are normal areas, 20 squares on the outer periphery thereof are monitoring areas, and 24 squares shaded are failure areas. This assignment varies depending on the type of facility, and is a database created in advance in consideration of experience values and theoretical values. The data sampling process is based on the estimated failure cause group 81 read from the diagnostic table sheets 80a to 80c.
Based on the inference logic, each of the failure estimation factors 82a is compared with the sensor value and the five sense data (inspection record) to determine whether or not a predictive failure is to be taken and determine the failure type. This determination is made by comparing a failure cause determination table describing determination conditions for each failure cause with the current state. If all the conditions in the failure cause determination table are satisfied, the failure is determined as a predictive failure cause. By using this method, it is possible to quickly perform a fault inference without sequentially examining all fault causes.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of software of the present system. In the management center software, data sampling, inspection maintenance, and maintenance are deleted from this, the EXCORE calling process for detailed inference is inserted instead, and the communication manager is rewritten for the management center. Needless to say, a countermeasure is made based on the difference between the CPUs. After starting the system, you can use each process by selecting the required function from the system menu, but each process of process monitoring, communication manager, data sampling, equipment monitoring is always executed as back processing after startup. I have.

Next, an outline of a typical process will be described. 1) Process monitoring This module manages the entire process. 2) Communication manager Manages communication between the management computer and the monitoring computer. Unix uucp is used as the communication method. Conventionally, uucp has been set to distinguish between the calling side and the receiving side, so that two lines per local station were required in order to prepare a position where transmission and reception are possible at any time. Software that automatically switches between them has been developed and improved to require only one line.

3) Starting / stopping equipment In addition to starting / stopping equipment at the customer's site by keyboard input, starting / stopping can also be performed by commands from a management computer through communication control. 4) Data sampling Measurement for each equipment through a dedicated network Capture values. The measured value is written to a specific address of the monitoring computer (address C0000H of the main memory 35 in FIG. 3). 5) Device Driver In the unix system, it is not possible to directly refer to the specific address of the main memory. Therefore, in the present system, the device driver UNIX 37 and the specific address of the main memory 35 (in the example of FIG. 3, the area from address C0000H to 4 KB) are mutually connected. A writable and readable device driver has been developed.

6) Procedure of Failure Prediction The following describes how real-time failure prediction is performed. I) Sensor Screening The data sampling process first determines if the measurements measured from the sensors are sound. This is performed by verifying whether a logical condition to be satisfied between a plurality of measured values is maintained. For example, the rotational speed of the main motor is significant only when the load current of the motor has a positive value. II) Determination of environmental conditions The data sampling process then determines an index (environmental conditions) for largely sorting the operation status of the equipment. For example, in the case of an air conditioner, the environmental conditions are determined by the temperature and humidity inside and outside the room. The environmental condition is an index that affects the reference value of the failure prediction judgment.

III) Diagnostic Table The data sampling process then refers to a point in a three-dimensional region determined by a combination of the measurements of two particular sensors and the environmental conditions described in the preceding paragraph. Each point in the three-dimensional area is assigned a failure cause name that is expected when the state is not the normal operation area, and whether the state is the normal operation area. This assignment differs depending on the type of equipment, and is a database created in advance in consideration of experience values and theoretical values, and is called a diagnosis table. The data sampling process knows the estimated cause of failure by referring to the diagnostic table. By using this method, it is possible to quickly perform a fault inference without sequentially examining all fault causes. IV) Failure Cause Determination Table The data sampling process determines whether each of the estimated failure cause groups read from the diagnosis table is adopted as a predictive failure. This determination is made by comparing a failure cause determination table describing determination conditions for each failure cause with the current state. If all the conditions in the failure cause determination table are satisfied, the failure is determined as a predictive failure cause.

V) Sensor Table The data sampling process checks whether the measured values of a particular sensor are within a specified range. A table that describes a failure cause group that is expected in the case of being out of the specified range is called a sensor table. The failure cause group read from the sensor table is also determined to be adopted or not according to the failure cause determination table described in the preceding section. Like the diagnostic table, the sensor table is a database created in advance in consideration of the experience value and the logical value.

VI) Monitoring Needed When a predictive failure is determined by the diagnosis table and the sensor table, the data sampling process shifts to a monitoring required process. The monitoring required process rewrites display data used by the equipment monitoring process for screen display, and communicates necessary information to the management center through the communication manager. VII) Failure handling If the equipment stops operating for some reason (usually automatically stops by the operation of the protection device), this means that the failure prediction function was not in time or the system issues a failure prediction alarm. Either it was issued but left abandoned, at which time the data sampling process moves to failure handling. In response to a failure, the name of the activated protection device is notified to the facility monitoring process, and the measured value stored immediately before the stop is stored in the system, and a failure prediction diagnosis is performed as usual, and the result is notified to the facility monitoring process. .

7) Facility monitoring The operating status of each facility obtained by the data sampling process is displayed on a CRT screen. The equipment monitoring screen displays the location of the customer building and the equipment using a cross-sectional view and a plan view, and shows the operating status of the equipment in real time. Details of the measured value of the specific equipment are displayed in real time by the equipment monitoring detailed routine. The table displays the current state of the diagnosis table on a monitor in real time using a change in the color tone of each failed part on the equipment schematic diagram. The inference process shows the collated failure cause determination table and actual measured values, and displays the equipment and technical level required for repair to facilitate handling.

8) Inspection and Maintenance This is a process for setting and correcting various databases for failure prediction. 9) Report editing Print out the operation management monthly report, equipment history report, and inspection and maintenance report. 10) Maintenance This is a process for setting initial values of the system.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a diagnosis process in the air conditioner of the present system. In the figure, a numerical value following S indicates a step number. [S1] The gas pressure is read by the pressure sensor. [S2] It is determined whether or not the measured value of the data sampling is sound in consideration of the environmental conditions determined by the temperature and humidity inside and outside the room. If abnormal, proceed to S3. [S3] A corresponding diagnosis table is selected. [S4] A group of estimated failure factors is selected from the corresponding cell (FIG. 6). [S5] The defect conditions are checked in order of priority. [S6] A corresponding diagnostic procedure is selected. [S7] If the condition is poor due to the diagnosis, proceed to S8, otherwise proceed to S9. [S8] The processing method is displayed. [S9] One is subtracted from the number of defects. [S10] If the number of defects is 0, the process proceeds to S11; otherwise, the process proceeds to S5. [S11] Monitoring is continued.

[0030]

As described above, in the remote monitoring system according to the present invention, the management computer is provided with communication control means for communicating with a plurality of monitoring computers using a public telephone line in order to manage a plurality of customer facilities in parallel. The monitoring computer is provided with failure prediction diagnosis means for predicting the failure of the target equipment in advance, and communication control means for communicating using a public telephone line for communication of management information on failure prediction from the monitoring computer to the management computer. Equipment, a means for starting and stopping individual equipment from a management computer or a monitoring computer, a report issuing means for issuing a report from a management computer or a monitoring computer, and a management computer By consulting with the system while referring to the In addition, the remote monitoring system according to the present invention includes, in the monitoring computer, a sensor group for measuring each monitored device in real time, a converter group for converting input / output data from the sensor group, A remote measurement unit group for controlling the device group, a management board for managing the remote measurement unit group are connected, a memory 38 for storing failure data and history data, a device driver memory 37 as an OS system, System memory 36 supporting driver memory
The management computer is provided with a memory 22 storing received data, a system memory 21 that is an OS system, and a system memory 20 that supports this system memory. There is no need to arrange a technician to ask for that judgment, and it is not necessary to occupy a communication line for constant monitoring, and there is no adverse effect due to delay.
Provide facility management services with reliability and economy.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a configuration of a remote monitoring system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of a management computer of the present system.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an outline of a monitoring computer of the present system.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an outline of MIO of a monitoring computer of the present system.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an outline of an RIO of a monitoring computer of the present system.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a fault prediction artificial intelligence technique of the present system.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of software of the present system.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a diagnostic process of the present system.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 10 management computer 11 FDD 12 CRT 13 KEY 14 data processing unit 15 self-diagnosis function 16 display board 17 communication control unit 18a to 18d modem M / D 19a to 19d interface RS232C 20 system memory 21 system memory (UNIX) 22 memory (received data) ) 23 Main memory 30 Monitoring computer 31 Data processing unit 32 Self-diagnosis function 33 Modem M / D 35 Main memory 36 System memory 37 Device driver memory (UNIX) 38 Memory (status data, history data) 39 CRT 40 MIO (Management board) ) 41 interface RS232C 42a to RIO (telemetry unit) 43a to A / D (analog / digital converter) 44a D / I (digital input) 44b D / O (digital Force) 45 sensor group 46a, 46b A / C (air conditioning equipment) 47 CVCF (uninterruptible power supply equipment) 48 SECU (security maintenance equipment) 51 RAM 52 CPU 53 RS485 DRV 54 RS232C DRV 55 ROM 61 RS485 DRV 62 CPU 63RAM 64 ADI (analog data input) 65 PI (pulse data input) 66 CI (no-voltage contact input) 67 CO (no-voltage contact output) 68 ROM 69 ADDRESS DATA (dip switch for address setting for communication with MIO) 70 RS232C DRV 80a ~ Diagnosis table / sheet 81 Estimated failure factor group 82a ~ Estimated failure factor (separate sheet) 91 AOC device (automatic start / stop device of host computer) 92 Power receiving and distribution equipment 93 Generator equipment 94 CVCF equipment (Uninterruptible power supply) Bei) 95 Air Conditioning 96 halon fire extinguishing equipment 97 monitoring device 98 seismic sensor equipment 99 environmental monitoring facility 100 Security Equipment 101 the access control equipment

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A remote monitoring system for remotely monitoring equipment at a customer facility by mutual communication between a management computer installed at a management center and a monitoring computer installed at a customer facility. Communication control means for communicating with a plurality of monitoring computers using a public telephone line is provided for parallel management.Failure prediction diagnosis means for predicting failure of the target equipment is provided in the monitoring computer, and from the monitoring computer to the management computer. For communication of management information related to failure prediction, a communication control unit that communicates using a public telephone line is provided.Equipment start / stop unit that starts / stops individual equipment from a management computer or a monitoring computer is provided. However, a report launching means that can launch reports from the monitoring computer By managing computer to talk to the system with reference to the series measurement time, the remote monitoring system characterized in that an administrator can perform detailed fault diagnosis. 2. The monitoring computer includes: a sensor group for measuring each monitored device in real time; a converter group for converting input / output data from the sensor group; and a remote measurement unit for controlling the converter group. And a management board for managing the telemetry unit group, a memory (38) for storing failure data and history data, and a device driver memory (37) as an OS system
And a system memory (36) that supports the device driver memory. The management computer includes a memory (22) storing received data, a system memory (21) that is an OS system, System memory that supports memory (2
The remote monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein 0) is provided.