JPH09106302A - Monitoring method for machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a monitoring method for a machine capable of obtaining data including image data for specifying the cause of fault of the machine. SOLUTION: In the monitoring system of the machine, the respective kinds of signals outputted from the machine 10, a controller 17 or a measuring instrument 18 are fetched to a control means 1 in prescribed sampling cycles and continuously recorded in a RAM 2 and video signals outputted from an image pickup means 6 for picking up the image of the machine 10 or the prescribed part of the machine 10 are simultaneously continuously recorded in a prescribed memory every time prescribed time elapses. When the control means 1 judges that a trouble occurs in the machine 10 or the controller 17 based on the respective kinds of the signals outputted from the machine 10, the controller 17 or the measuring instrument 18, write in the RAM 2 and the prescribed memory is inhibited after the prescribed time from the time when the control means 1 judges that the trouble occurs in the machine 10 or the controller 17.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a machine monitoring method, and more specifically, it monitors industrial robots and machines (hereinafter collectively referred to as machines) with data including image data. The present invention relates to a machine monitoring method capable of obtaining information for failure diagnosis of a machine by transmitting the data to a remote monitoring station via a telephone line as needed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, after a machine maker has delivered a machine to a user and the machine has failed, the failure location or cause of failure is excluded unless the user can easily restore the machine. Diagnosis and restoration of specified machines,
It was common for a maker's service person to go to the user's factory (field) and refer to the data recorded in the storage device for the I / O output signal of the machine.

That is, the conventional method of monitoring a machine has been to equip the machine with various sensors and record various signals from the various sensors in a storage device under the control of the controller of the machine. It was also possible to transmit the data on the history of the machine recorded in this storage device via the telephone line, but if the data is transmitted only to a remote monitoring station, it will not be enough for failure diagnosis of the machine. It didn't mean much.

In this conventional machine monitoring method, a serviceman of the manufacturer goes to the factory of the user, and records the history from the data recorded in the storage device provided in the failure diagnosis system to the failure of the machine and the controller of the machine. By investigating, the cause of failure of the machine or the controller of the machine or the location of the failure was diagnosed.

Therefore, the service person of the manufacturer had to infer the cause of the machine failure and diagnose it on the spot to consider the method for recovery. Actually, it was often impossible to identify the cause of the failure on the spot, and it was often the case to bring back the data to the manufacturer (monitoring station) and consider a countermeasure for the restoration of the machine. Moreover, in the end, the true cause of machine troubles was sometimes unclear. This is because the manufacturer's service person was not present at the moment of machine failure.

This is basically the same even when the data is obtained at the manufacturer's monitoring station via the telephone line. Even if data about the machine were obtained at a remote monitoring station, to identify the cause of failure,
It was because there were many things that I could not understand without actually looking at the moment of machine failure.

As described above, the conventional method of monitoring a machine has a problem in that the service person of the manufacturer has to go out to the factory of the user many times to restore the machine, which is inefficient.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to monitor a factory of a user or a manufacturer (hereinafter referred to as a monitoring station). (Hereinafter referred to as "center"), it aims to provide a method of monitoring a machine in which data including image data for identifying the cause of a machine failure can be obtained.

[0009]

The machine monitoring method according to the present invention has achieved the above-mentioned object, and the method will be described below for each claim. Claim 1 is the following invention.

In the machine monitoring system, various signals output from the machine, the controller of the machine, or the measuring instrument for measuring the state of the machine are fetched into the control means at a predetermined sampling period and continuously recorded in the RAM. at the same time,
The video signal output from the image pickup means for picking up an image of the machine or a predetermined portion of the machine is continuously recorded in a predetermined memory every predetermined time. When the control means determines that a trouble has occurred in the machine or the controller based on various signals output from the machine, the controller or the measuring instrument, the control means determines that the machine or the controller has a trouble. It is a method of prohibiting writing to the RAM and the predetermined memory after a predetermined time has elapsed from the time when it is determined that the error has occurred.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the video signal of the previous frame and the video signal of the current frame are compared, and the control means causes a trouble in the machine based on the change of the video signal. It is a method characterized by determining that it has done. That is, the control means of the monitor system determines that a trouble has occurred in the machine based on the signal from the machine, the controller of the machine or the measuring instrument and the change amount of the video signal.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, when writing to the RAM and the predetermined memory is prohibited, the image data recorded in the predetermined memory is compressed, and the compression is performed. Image data and the RA
The method is characterized in that the data from the machine, the controller or the measuring instrument recorded in M is automatically dialed and transmitted to a remote place via a telephone line. In the present invention, it goes without saying that transmitting the data via the telephone line includes enabling communication between the monitor system and the center with a mobile phone.

The invention of claim 4 is a method characterized in that, in the remote place, these transmitted data are recorded in a storage device, and in other respects, monitoring of the machine of claim 3 is carried out. The method is similar.

[0014]

The control means of the monitor system fetches various signals at a predetermined sampling period via the I / O (input / output interface device) of the monitor system and records them in the RAM of the monitor system. The various signals taken in by the control means are signals from sensors provided in the machine, signals from the controller of the machine (data), signals from a measuring instrument that measures the state of the machine or the controller of the machine (data), etc. is there.

The image pickup means picks up an image of the machine or a predetermined portion of the machine. The video signal picked up by the image pickup means is A / D converted as necessary and recorded in a predetermined memory.

If a monitor system of a machine is provided with image data compression means and the monitor system is connected to a telephone line via a modem, the machine can be transferred to a center in a remote place.
The data from the controller or the measuring instrument and the image data of the machine can be transmitted to the center using a telephone line.

In the monitor system configured as described above, when the machine is operating normally, the image signal of the machine captured by the image pickup means is A / D converted if it is an analog image signal, and the image signal is predetermined. It keeps being recorded in memory.
That is, after the video signal for a predetermined time is recorded in a certain area of the predetermined memory, after the predetermined time has elapsed, the video signal for the next predetermined time is recorded in the next area of the predetermined memory.

The setting of the predetermined time after recording the video signal for the predetermined time in the predetermined memory and before starting recording the video signal for the next predetermined time is a matter of design choice by those skilled in the art. It may be determined in consideration of the capacity and the image quality. On the other hand, as described above, the signal from the machine, the controller or the measuring instrument is taken into the control means of the monitor system via the I / O of the monitor system at a predetermined sampling period and recorded in the RAM of the monitor system. continuing.

When a trouble occurs in the machine or the controller of the machine while the machine is operating normally, the signal from the machine, the controller or the measuring instrument changes in response to the trouble. . The control means of the monitor system can determine that an abnormality has occurred in the machine or the controller of the machine based on a change in the signal from the machine, the controller or the measuring instrument.

Further, the control means controls so as to prohibit the writing of a signal to the RAM and the predetermined memory, respectively, after a predetermined time has passed since it was determined that an abnormality occurred in the machine or the controller of the machine. To do.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the control means of the monitor system determines that a trouble has occurred in the machine when the change in the video signal from the image pickup means exceeds a predetermined reference value. It may be based on that.

In any case, control is performed so that the writing of signals to the predetermined memory and the RAM is prohibited after a predetermined time has passed since the control means determined that a trouble occurred in the machine or the controller. By
Image data of the machine and the machine, the controller, or the measuring instrument from a certain point before the occurrence of the trouble of the machine or the controller of the machine to a predetermined time after the occurrence of the trouble of the machine or the controller of the machine Data is recorded in the predetermined memory and the RAM, respectively.

A machine monitoring method according to a third aspect is the method described above with the following monitoring method added. When it is determined that a trouble has occurred in the machine or the controller of the machine based on a signal from the machine, the controller or the measuring instrument, or based on a comparison between the previous screen and the current screen, control of the monitor system The means automatically dials the center, and when the telephone line is connected between the monitor system and the center, compresses the image data recorded in the predetermined memory and stores the compressed image data and the RAM in the RAM. The recorded data from the machine, the controller and the measuring instrument are transmitted to the center.

Here, the reason why the image data is compressed is to shorten the transmission time of the image data from the monitor system to the center.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the method of the third aspect, a storage device for storing transmitted data is prepared on the center side and these data are recorded in the storage device. Is the way to do it. By reproducing these data recorded in the storage device, it becomes possible to reproduce these data in a desired format at any time later. That is, the image data and the data from the machine, the controller of the machine, or the measuring instrument for measuring the state of each part of the machine can be reproduced and displayed at the same time to check the history of the machine and the controller of the machine in a visual format. It will be possible.

[0026]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Generally, a machine monitoring system using a telephone line is
It can be shown by the configuration as shown in FIG.

A CPU (control means) 1, a RAM 2, a ROM 4, an I / O drawn in a factory (sending side) 16 of FIG.
Although the (input / output interface device) 5 and the modem 8a are installed outside the machine 10, the place where these devices are installed may be inside the machine 10 or inside the controller 17 of the machine 10.

In any case, the method for monitoring a machine according to the present invention includes an image pickup means 6, a predetermined memory for recording a video signal from the image pickup means, and image data compression in a normal monitor system for monitoring the machine on a telephone line. A structure provided with means (not shown) can be easily applied. In FIG. 1, a frame memory 3 is used as the predetermined memory. In the present invention, the video signal from the image pickup means 6 may be recorded in a predetermined memory selected by those skilled in the art, and the predetermined memory is not necessarily a frame memory. Since a frame memory is widely used and is easily available, the following description will be made assuming that a frame memory is used as the predetermined memory.

The A / D converter 7 is an element required for digitizing the video signal from the image pickup means 6 when the video signal is an analog signal.

The image pickup means 6 picks up an image of a predetermined portion of the machine 10, and the image of the machine 10 is continuously recorded in the frame memory 3 in units of predetermined time, for example, in units of one frame. When the video signal is recorded up to the capacity of the frame memory 3, the writing of the video signal may be continued from the head address of the frame memory 3.

After the video signal for one frame is recorded in the frame memory 3, the video signal for the next one frame is recorded at the next address of the frame memory 3 after a lapse of a predetermined time. In this way, the video signal (frame signal) for a predetermined time, in this case, one frame is sequentially recorded in the frame memory 3 every time the predetermined time elapses.

On the other hand, the CPU 1 fetches various signals from various sensors 9 from the I / O 5 at a predetermined sampling period and records them in the RAM 2. Although the area of the RAM 2 for recording the signal from the sensor 9 is limited, the area of the RAM 2 is sequentially overwritten to record the signal. When the CPU 1 takes in signals from the various sensors 9 of the machine 10, it may take in signals from the controller 17 of the machine 10 via the I / O 5, or once in the measuring instrument 18 for measuring the state of each part of the machine 10 and the controller 17. It may be input and then loaded via the I / O 5. Of course, as described above, the CPU 9 directly from the sensor 9 through the I / O 5
May be input to.

From the controller 17 of the machine 10 to C
It goes without saying that the signal output to the PU 1 includes not only the signal from the sensor 9 but also the signal output by the CPU in the controller 17 to each part of the machine 10 (for example, a signal for driving an actuator of the machine). is there.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a method of recording a video signal from the image pickup means 6 and a signal from the sensor 9, the controller 17 and the measuring device 18 in the machine monitoring method according to the present invention. Note that, hereinafter, the signal from the sensor 9, the controller 17, or the measuring instrument 18 will be referred to as an I / O signal in the sense that it is a signal to be taken into the CPU 1 via the I / O 5 of the monitor system.

Now, it is assumed that the frame memory 3 can record n frame signals and that addresses from 0 to n-1 are assigned. The first frame signal is recorded in the address 0 of the frame memory 3, and after a predetermined time, the second frame signal is recorded in the address 1 of the frame memory 3. Further, after the lapse of a predetermined time, the third frame signal is recorded in the address 2 of the frame memory 3, the frame signals are sequentially recorded in the frame memory 3, and the nth frame signal is recorded in the frame memory 3. Recorded at address n-1.

The nth frame signal is the frame memory 3
N + 1, after a lapse of a predetermined time from the recording at address n-1
The frame signal of the first frame is recorded by overwriting the address 0 which is the head address of the frame memory 3. n + 2
Similarly, the frame signals of the first and subsequent frames are sequentially overwritten and recorded at addresses 1 and later of the frame memory 3.

While the video signal from the image pickup means 6 continues to be recorded in the frame memory 3 every time a predetermined time elapses in units of one frame, at the same time, the I / O signal outputs I / O 5 at a predetermined sampling cycle. It is taken into the CPU 1 via the RAM and continuously recorded in a predetermined area of the RAM 2.

Therefore, in FIG. 2, the I / O signal fetched at the time point A and the I / O signal fetched at the time point B are written to the same address of the RAM 2. That is, the I / O signal fetched at the point B at the start address of the storage area of the signal from the I / O 5 is overwritten on the I / O signal fetched at the point A.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing the relationship between the two continuous frame signals in FIGS. 2 and 3 and the clock signal for fetching the signal from the I / O 5. I / O
From 5, the I / O is synchronized with the rising edge of the clock signal.
The signal is sampled. It is a matter of design choice for those skilled in the art whether to capture the signal from the machine in synchronization with the rising edge of the clock signal or to capture the signal from the machine in synchronization with the falling edge of the clock signal.

If one frame of video signal is 1/30 second, it means that the frame signal is captured and recorded every 1/10 second in FIG. That is, 1
The video signal of 10 frames per second is recorded in the frame memory 3.

As described above, when the video signal of one frame unit is recorded in the frame memory 3 at a predetermined time interval and the I / O signal is recorded in the RAM 2 at a predetermined sampling period, the CPU 1 causes the machine 10 or the controller to operate. 17
When it is determined that a trouble has occurred in the CPU 1, the CPU 1 determines that the RAM 1 has been stored in the RAM 2 a predetermined time after the CPU 1 determines that the trouble has occurred in the machine 10 or the controller 17.
And writing of signals to the frame memory 3 is prohibited.

In the present invention, when the CPU 1 determines that a trouble has occurred in the machine 10 or the controller 17, the following two cases can be considered. One is I / O
The second case is based on the signal, and the second case is based on the change amount by comparing the video signals of the previous frame and the current frame.

FIG. 3 shows the machine 10 or the controller 17
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment of a method of recording a video signal and an I / O signal from the occurrence of the trouble to the prohibition of writing to the frame memory 3 and the RAM 2. When the CPU 1 determines that a trouble has occurred in the machine 10 or the controller 17, after a predetermined time has passed, R
Writing to the AM 2 and the frame memory 3 is prohibited.

For example, it is assumed that this predetermined time is 1 second. As described with reference to FIG. 4, 10 seconds per second
If you record the video signal of the frame, in this example,
The video signal is recorded as follows.

If the CPU 1 determines that a trouble has occurred in the machine 10 or the controller 17 at the time C point when the n-8th frame signal is recorded in the frame memory 3, it is shown by a one-dot chain line. At time point D, which is immediately before writing the (n + 2) th frame signal, writing to the frame memory 3 is prohibited. At the same time, writing to the RAM 2 is prohibited at time point D.

The frame signal of the (n + 2) th frame signal is drawn for the sake of convenience of description, and the frame memory 3 at the time point D.
Of course is write-protected, so of course it is not written in the frame memory 3.

In the above example, when it is desired to reproduce the video signals in chronological order, the video signals sequentially recorded from the address 1 to the address n of the frame memory 3 to the address 0 may be read and reproduced. Similarly, the recorded I / O signals can be read from the RAM 2 in time sequence.

In the machine monitoring method described above, when data is transmitted to a remote place via the telephone line 14, the image data compression means and the modem 8a are provided in the monitor system. The image data compression means may be realized by hardware, or a program therefor may be stored in the ROM 4.

CPU 1 is RAM 2 and frame memory 3
After writing is prohibited, the CPU 1 automatically dials to call the center 11. When the telephone line 14 is connected to the center 11, the compressed image data and I / O signal (data) are transmitted.

The center 11 reproduces these transmitted data (image data and I / O signals) in time sequence. Examples of devices installed in the center 11 include a modem 8b and a personal computer (personal computer system).
12 or the like is recommended.

When the personal computer 12 is installed in the center 11, the data transmitted from the factory 16 can be recorded in the hard disk 13 built in the personal computer main body or attached externally.

[0052]

Since the method of monitoring a machine according to the present invention is the method as described above, the following effects can be obtained. Image data of the machine 10 before and after the moment of failure of the machine 10 or the controller 17 is recorded in the frame memory 3, and I / O signals before and after the moment of failure of the machine 10 or controller 17. (Data) is recorded in the RAM 2. Therefore, the image data and the I / O signal (data) can be reproduced in chronological order.

When the factory 16 and the center 11 are connected by the telephone line 14 and the CPU 1 determines that a trouble has occurred in the machine 10 or the controller 17, it automatically dials and transmits the various data described above. If the center 11 records the transmitted data in a storage device as needed, the machine 11 or the controller 17 of the machine 17 can be operated at the remote center 11.
The data including the image data for identifying the cause of the failure can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a machine monitoring system using a telephone line.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a method of recording a video signal and an I / O signal from an image pickup means.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment of a recording method of a video signal and an I / O signal from occurrence of a trouble of a machine or a controller to prohibition of writing to a frame memory and a RAM.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between two continuous frame signals and a clock signal that captures an I / O signal.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 CPU (control means) 2 RAM 3 frame memory 4 ROM 5 I / O (input / output interface device) 6 imaging means 7 A / D converter 8a modem 8b center modem 9 sensor 10 machine 11 center 12 personal computer (personal computer system) ) 13 hard disk 14 telephone line 15 exchange station 16 factory (sending side) 17 controller 18 measuring instrument A to the start address of the RAM area for storing I / O signals I
Time to write the / O signal B Time to write the signal to the start address of the RAM area for storing the I / O signal after point A A C If a trouble occurs in the machine or controller C
Time judged by PU Time when RAM and frame memory are write protected

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A monitor system for a machine, comprising:
Various signals output from a controller of the machine or a measuring instrument for measuring the state of each part of the machine are taken into the control means at a predetermined sampling period and continuously recorded in the RAM, and at the same time, the machine or a predetermined part of the machine is read. The video signal output from the image pickup means for picking up an image is continuously recorded in a predetermined memory every time a predetermined time elapses, and the control means uses the machine based on various signals output from the machine, the controller or the measuring instrument. Alternatively, when it is determined that a trouble has occurred in the controller, a machine that prohibits writing to the RAM and the predetermined memory after a predetermined time has passed from the time when the control unit determines that a trouble has occurred in the machine or the controller. Monitoring method. 2. The video signal of the previous frame and the video signal of the current frame are compared, and based on the change of the video signal, the control means determines that a trouble has occurred in the machine. Item 1. The machine monitoring method of item 1. 3. When the writing to the RAM and the predetermined memory is prohibited, the image data recorded in the predetermined memory is compressed, and the compressed image data, the R
3. The machine monitoring according to claim 1 or 2, wherein data recorded in the AM from the machine, the controller or the measuring instrument is automatically dialed and transmitted to a remote place via a telephone line. Method. 4. The method for monitoring a machine according to claim 3, wherein the transmitted data is recorded in a storage device at the remote location.