WO2021044654A1

WO2021044654A1 - Information processing system, programmable display device, and information processing device

Info

Publication number: WO2021044654A1
Application number: PCT/JP2020/009959
Authority: WO
Inventors: 茂俊三宮; 雄大永田
Original assignee: オムロン株式会社
Priority date: 2019-09-04
Filing date: 2020-03-09
Publication date: 2021-03-11
Also published as: JP7352152B2; JP2021039568A

Abstract

Provided is an information processing system that is connected to a control device for controlling a control subject, said information processing system being provided with a user interface and a collection means. The user interface displays one or more screens containing information pertaining to the control device, and receives operations with respect to the one or more screens. The collection means collects statistical information pertaining to operation of the user interface. Thus, items that should be improved regarding the screen of the user interface connected to the control device can be quickly ascertained.

Description

Information processing system, programmable display and information processing equipment

This disclosure relates to an information processing system, a programmable display, and an information processing device.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-128696 (Patent Document 1) discloses a programmable display such as an HMI (Human Machine Interface) that is configured to be able to communicate with a control device such as a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). The programmable display user interface displays a screen with multiple objects such as icons, buttons, and text. Workers at the manufacturing site operate various production equipment by operating the screen.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-128696

The screen displayed on the user interface is developed by the developer and may be difficult for the worker to use. Therefore, the developer conducts hearings with the operator as appropriate and updates the screen configuration according to the result. However, due to the limited time and content of hearings, it is difficult for developers to accurately grasp the needs of workers. That is, it is not possible to quickly grasp the matters to be improved for the screen displayed on the user interface.

The present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems, and the purpose of the present disclosure is an information processing system, programmable display, which can quickly grasp matters to be improved regarding the screen of the user interface connected to the control device. It is to provide a device and an information processing device.

According to an example of the present disclosure, the information processing system connected to the control device that controls the controlled object includes a user interface and collecting means. The user interface displays one or more screens containing information related to the control device and receives operations on the one or more screens. The collecting means collects statistical information about the behavior of the user interface.

According to this disclosure, the collected statistics show trends in user interface behavior. Therefore, by checking the statistical information, for example, the tendency of the screen display of the user interface, the tendency of the operator's operation on the screen, and the like can be easily confirmed. As a result, it is possible to quickly grasp the matters to be improved regarding the screen of the user interface.

In the above disclosure, the information processing system creates at least one of the graphs and figures in a predetermined format by analyzing the statistical information, and further provides an analytical means for displaying at least one of the created graphs and figures. Be prepared. According to this disclosure, by checking at least one of the graph and the figure, it becomes easier to grasp the tendency of the operation of the user interface.

In the above disclosure, the information processing system further includes a presentation means for generating improvement information for one or more screen configurations based on statistical information and presenting the improvement information. According to this disclosure, it is possible to grasp how the screen configuration should be updated according to the tendency of the operation of the user interface.

In the above disclosure, the information processing system further includes an update means for updating the configuration of one or more screens according to the improvement information. According to this disclosure, improvements to the screen configuration can be promptly implemented.

In the above disclosure, the user interface can accept touch operations on one or more screens. The statistical information shows the distribution of the positions where the touch operation is performed in the area around the target object arranged on one or more screens. According to this disclosure, the tendency of the operator's operation position can be grasped.

In the above disclosure, the improvement information indicates that the target object is expanded in the direction of the area in which the frequency of touch operations exceeds the reference value among the plurality of areas included in the surrounding area. According to this disclosure, by updating the screen configuration according to the improvement information, the size of the target object is changed according to the tendency of the operation position of the operator, and the operation efficiency of the operator is improved.

In the above disclosure, one or more screens include a plurality of screens. The statistical information indicates the display frequency of each of the plurality of screens. According to this disclosure, the tendency of the screen confirmed by the worker can be grasped.

In the above disclosure, the improvement information indicates that a shortcut button for calling a screen whose display frequency exceeds the reference value among a plurality of screens is added to one or more screens. According to this disclosure, by updating the screen configuration according to the improvement information, the screen frequently confirmed by the worker can be immediately called up, and the operation efficiency of the worker is improved.

In the above disclosure, one or more screens include a first screen, a second screen, and a third screen. The statistical information shows the distribution of the display time of the second screen when the screen transitions in the order of the first screen, the second screen, and the third screen. According to this disclosure, the tendency of screen transition can be grasped.

In the above disclosure, the presenting means generates improvement information when the ratio of the display time being less than the predetermined time exceeds the reference value. The improvement information indicates that a transition button for transitioning to the third screen is arranged on the first screen. When the ratio of the display time being less than the predetermined time exceeds the reference value, it means that the second screen is often displayed merely for transitioning to the third screen. According to the above disclosure, by updating the screen configuration according to the improvement information, it is possible to omit an unnecessary transition to the second screen and directly transition from the first screen to the third screen. As a result, the operation efficiency of the operator is improved.

In the above disclosure, the statistical information indicates the frequency for each operation order of a plurality of objects arranged on one screen of one or more screens. According to this disclosure, it is possible to grasp the tendency of the operation order of a plurality of objects.

In the above disclosure, the improvement information indicates that a plurality of objects are rearranged according to the most frequent operation order. According to this disclosure, by updating the screen configuration according to the improvement information, the arrangement order of the plurality of objects matches the operation order, and the operation efficiency of the operator is improved.

In the above disclosure, the statistical information indicates the operation frequency for the target objects arranged on one or more screens. According to this disclosure, the tendency of the worker to use the target object can be grasped.

In the above disclosure, the presenting means generates improvement information when the operation frequency is less than the reference value. The improvement information indicates that the target object is deleted. According to this disclosure, by updating the screen configuration according to the improvement information, unused objects are deleted and the screen becomes easier to see.

According to an example of the present disclosure, a programmable display connected to a control device that controls a controlled object displays one or more screens containing information related to the control device, and a user interface that receives an operation on the one or more screens. And a collection means for collecting statistical information about the operation of the user interface.

Even with this disclosure, it is possible to quickly grasp the matters to be improved regarding the screen of the user interface connected to the control device.

In the above disclosure, the programmable display generates improvement information for one or more screen configurations based on statistical information, presents a presenting means for presenting the improvement information, and configures one or more screens according to the improvement information. Further provided with an update means for updating. According to this disclosure, in the programmable display, the screen configuration can be appropriately updated according to the improvement information.

According to an example of the present disclosure, an information processing device capable of communicating with a programmable display connected to a control device that controls a controlled object includes a display unit, a graph in a predetermined format by analyzing statistical information, and a graph. It is provided with an analysis means for creating at least one of the figures and displaying the created graph and at least one of the figures on the display unit.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to quickly grasp the matters to be improved regarding the screen of the user interface connected to the control device.

It is the schematic which shows the whole structure of the control system including the information processing system which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the conventional improvement process of a project data. It is a schematic diagram which shows the hardware configuration example of HMI. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the example of the hardware configuration of the support device. It is a schematic diagram which shows the functional configuration example of a support device. It is a schematic diagram which shows the functional structure example of HMI. It is a figure which shows an example of the operation log information recorded in the main memory. It is a figure which shows an example of the event log information recorded in the main memory. It is a figure which shows the flow of the advance preparation process in an information processing system. It is a figure which shows the flow of the collection process of statistical information in an information processing system. It is a figure which shows the flow of the analysis processing of the statistical information in an information processing system. It is a figure which shows the flow of the generation / presentation processing of improvement information in an information processing system. It is a figure which shows an example of the improvement table. It is a figure which shows an example of improvement rule information. It is a figure which shows the target object and its surroundings. It is a figure which shows an example of the statistical information corresponding to the improvement item "button size change". It is a figure which shows an example of the analysis result screen of the statistical information corresponding to the improvement item "button size change". It is a figure which shows an example of the improvement information generated based on the statistical information corresponding to the improvement item "button size change". It is a figure which shows an example of the statistical information corresponding to the improvement item "addition of a shortcut". It is a figure which shows an example of the analysis result screen of the statistical information corresponding to the improvement item "addition of a shortcut". It is a figure which shows an example of the improvement information generated based on the statistical information corresponding to the improvement item "addition of a shortcut". It is a figure which shows an example of the statistical information corresponding to the improvement item "addition of a screen transition button". It is a figure which shows an example of the analysis result screen of the statistical information corresponding to the improvement item "addition of a screen transition button". It is a figure which shows the example of the layout of the target screen. It is a figure which shows an example of the statistical information corresponding to the improvement item "screen layout change". It is a figure which shows an example of the analysis result screen of the statistical information corresponding to the improvement item "screen layout change". It is a figure which shows the presentation screen example of the improvement information generated based on the statistical information corresponding to the improvement item "screen layout change". It is a figure which shows an example of the statistical information corresponding to the improvement item "object deletion". It is a figure which shows the presentation screen example of the improvement information generated based on the statistical information corresponding to the improvement item "button deletion". It is a schematic diagram which shows the functional structure of the support device which concerns on a modification.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding parts in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will not be repeated.

§1 Application example First, an example of a situation in which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an overall configuration of a control system including an information processing system according to an embodiment. The control system SYS illustrated in FIG. 1 includes one or more devices 400, a control device 100 that controls the device 400, and an information processing system 1 connected to the control device 100.

The device 400 is an embodiment of the "controlled object" of the control device 100. The device 400 includes, for example, various industrial devices for automating the production process. As an example, the device 400 includes a robot controller that controls an arm robot, a servo driver that controls a servomotor, a visual sensor for photographing a workpiece, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and other devices used in the production process. Including.

The control device 100 is an FA device that constitutes a network system in factory automation, and is, for example, a computer such as a PLC. The control device 100 executes a control program 170 for controlling each device 400 such as a manufacturing device and a manufacturing facility.

The control program 170 is a so-called sequence program, and is a concept including a program in which the entire program is scanned for each execution and one or a plurality of command values are calculated for each execution. The sequence program includes, for example, a program consisting of one or more instructions described in accordance with the international standard IEC61131-3 specified by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The sequence program may include sequence instructions and / or motion instructions. The sequence program is not limited to the instructions described in accordance with the international standard IEC61131-3, and may include instructions independently specified by the PLC manufacturer or vendor.

The information processing system 1 executes information processing related to the control device 100. The control device 100 and the information processing system 1 are connected via a network. For this network, for example, it is preferable to adopt a field network that performs constant periodic communication with a guaranteed data arrival time. As a field network that performs such constant cycle communication, EtherCAT (registered trademark), EtherNet / IP (registered trademark), CompoNet (registered trademark), and the like are known.

As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing system 1 includes an HMI 200 and a support device 300.

The HMI 200 is a kind of computer, and is a programmable display having a user interface for displaying one or more screens including information related to the control device 100 and receiving operations on the one or more screens. The term "HMI" is generally used as a general term for interfaces such as devices and computer programs that transmit between humans and machines, but here, such interfaces are used. The equipped device itself is referred to as "HMI".

The HMI 200 displays the screen on the user interface according to the project data 250. The project data 250 is developed by defining the object 50 by using the support program 370 in the support device 300 that provides the program development environment. The object 50 is an operation target arranged on the screen, and includes, for example, an icon, a window, a toolbar, a button, a slider, and text.

The support device 300 is, for example, a general-purpose computer, and provides an environment for developing by integrating various programs of the control system SYS. A support program 370 for constructing and providing a development environment is installed in the support device 300.

The developer designs the screen displayed on the HMI 200 by executing the support program 370 on the support device 300, and creates the project data 250 by building the design contents. The created project data 250 is transferred to the HMI 200.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a conventional improvement process of project data. The developer develops the projector data using the support device and delivers the developed project data (step S100). Next, the production engineer in charge of the maintenance of the manufacturing apparatus installs the project data delivered to the HMI, which is a programmable display, and performs the start-up work (step S101). In the start-up work, the linked operation of the project data and the control device such as PLC is confirmed. The project data developer also participates in the launch work as needed. After the start-up work is completed, the control system including the HMI is put into operation. The worker at the manufacturing site operates the control system by operating the screen according to the project data (step S102).

As in steps S100 to S102, the project data is developed by the developer and used by the worker. However, the screen according to the project data may be difficult for the worker to use. Therefore, the developer witnesses the site and conducts a hearing with a worker using the HMI (step S103). As a result, the developer grasps the improvement request by the worker. In step S103, the production engineer may conduct a hearing with the worker instead of the developer, and the production engineer may transmit the improvement request to the developer.

The developer changes the design of the screen configuration according to the improvement request and updates the project data (upgrades the project data) (step S104). As a result, the screen displayed on the HMI is improved so that it is easy for the operator to use.

In the on-site witness in step S103, there is a limit to the time and content of the hearing with the worker, so it is difficult for the developer to accurately grasp the improvement request of the worker. Therefore, steps S101 to S104 are periodically repeated. As a result, the speed of improvement of the screen displayed on the HMI is slow. In view of such problems, in the present embodiment, the following processing is executed so that the matters to be improved for the screen of the HMI 200 can be quickly grasped.

As shown in FIG. 1, the developer creates an improvement table 260 when developing the project data 250 using the support device 300. The improvement table 260 is a list of improvement items that can be executed for the screen of the HMI 200. Improvement items include, for example, adding shortcut buttons to screens that are frequently displayed, and changing the screen layout according to the operation order. In the improvement table 260, the type of statistical information corresponding to the improvement item is registered for each improvement item. The created improvement table 260 is transferred to the HMI 200 together with the project data 250.

Statistical information is information showing the tendency of the operation of the user interface included in the HMI 200. Statistics typically indicate at least one of the frequency of screen display of the user interface and the frequency of operations on the user interface. The statistical information is used to determine whether or not the screen configuration should be updated.

The HMI 200 collects statistical information of the type indicated by the improvement table 260 for the target object indicated by the improvement table 260. The statistics collected indicate trends in user interface behavior. Therefore, by checking the statistical information, for example, the tendency of the screen display of the user interface, the tendency of the operator's operation on the screen, and the like can be easily confirmed. As a result, it is possible to quickly grasp the matters to be improved for the screen of the HMI 200.

§2 Specific example Next, a specific example of the information processing system according to the present embodiment will be described.

<A. HMI hardware configuration example>
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of HMI hardware configuration. The HMI 200 may be a stationary type, or may be provided in the form of a notebook type personal computer having excellent portability at the manufacturing site where the control device 100 is arranged.

As shown in FIG. 3, the HMI 200 is for non-volatilely storing a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 211, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 212, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 213, and various programs and data. It includes a flash ROM 214, an operation key 216 for accepting a user's operation, a data reader / writer 217, a touch screen 218, and a communication interface 219. Each of these parts is connected to each other via an internal bus.

The CPU 211 realizes various processes by reading the program and data stored in the flash ROM 214, expanding the program and data in the RAM 213, and executing the program. The RAM 213 is composed of a volatile storage device such as a DRAM or SRAM.

The flash ROM 214 stores, for example, the system program 270, the project data 250 including one or a plurality of objects 50, the improvement table 260, and the improvement rule information 265. The improvement rule information 265 indicates an improvement rule corresponding to each improvement item. Details of the improvement table 260 and the improvement rule information 265 will be described later.

The project data 250 consists of code that can be executed by the HMI 200. When the project data 250 is read, a screen including a picture, a character string, or the like corresponding to the object 50 is displayed. The screen may include an image based on the value of a variable used by the control program 170 executed by the control device 100, a user operation reception for setting a value in the variable, and the like.

The touch screen 218 includes a display 281 that functions as a display unit and a touch panel 282 for receiving input from an operator. The communication interface 219 communicates with an external device including the control device 100 and the support device 300.

The data reader / writer 217 mediates data transmission between the CPU 211 and the memory card 220, which is an example of an external storage medium. Further, another output device such as a printer may be connected to the HMI 200, if necessary.

<B. Support device hardware configuration example>
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of the hardware configuration of the support device. The support device 300 may be a stationary type, or may be provided in the form of a notebook-type personal computer having excellent portability at the manufacturing site where the control device 100 is arranged.

As shown in FIG. 4, the support device 300 stores a CPU 302 that executes various programs including an OS (Operating System), a ROM 304 that stores a BIOS and various data, and data necessary for executing the program on the CPU 302. It includes a RAM 306 that provides a work area for the purpose, and an HDD (hardware) 308 that non-volatilely stores various programs including a support program 370 executed by the CPU 302.

The support device 300 further includes an input unit 311 including a keyboard 310 and a mouse 312 that accept the developer's operations, and a display 314 for presenting information to the developer. The support device 300 includes a communication interface 318 for communicating with an external device including the control device 100 and the HMI 200. The input unit 311 may be provided as a touch panel integrally configured with the display 314. Each part of the support device 300 communicates with each other by the internal bus 320.

The support device 300 includes a recording medium reading device 317 for detachably mounting the recording medium 322 and reading the support program 370 stored therein from the mounted recording medium 322. The read support program 370 is stored in the HDD 308.

When the support program 370 is executed, the development environment of the project data 250, the improvement table 260, and the improvement rule information 265 in the support device 300 is realized. The recording medium 322 can be distributed in a state in which a support program 370 or the like executed by the support device 300 is stored. The recording medium 322 is a general-purpose semiconductor storage device such as SD (Secure Digital), a magnetic storage medium such as a flexible disk (Flexible Disk), or an optical storage medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory). And so on.

<C. Function configuration example of support device>
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a functional configuration example of the support device. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the support device 300 includes a storage unit 31, a user interface (UI) 32, a development support module 33, a compiler 34, and an analysis module 35. The storage unit 31 is composed of the ROM 304, the RAM 306, and the HDD 308 shown in FIG. The user interface 32 includes an input unit 311 and a display 314 shown in FIG. The development support module 33, the compiler 34, and the analysis module 35 are realized by the CPU 302 shown in FIG. 4 executing the support program 370.

The storage unit 31 stores the project data 250, the improvement table 260, and the improvement rule information 265. Further, the storage unit 31 may store the statistical information 280.

The project data 250 includes screen data 251 and variable data 252. The screen data 251 indicates the type, position, size, and the like of the object 50 for each of one or more screens. The variable data 252 indicates the assignment of variables to the object 50.

Variables are the data itself and the container or storage area in which the data is stored. For example, the data itself representing the state of the device 400 (see FIG. 1), and a container or storage area in which the data is stored. Typically, the variable is the data used by the control program 170 of the control device 100 to control the device 400, not only the data representing one value, but also the data represented as a structure or an array. Also includes data expressed as.

The development support module 33 supports the development of the project data 250, the improvement table 260, and the improvement rule information 265. The development support module 33 includes a screen creation tool 36 and a code editor 37.

The screen creation tool 36 is a tool for editing the configuration of each of one or more screens displayed on the HMI 200. Further, the screen creation tool 36 sets information related to the improvement items that can be executed for the created screen. The code editor 37 edits the source code.

The development support module 33 generates a source code 340 that defines one or more screens displayed on the HMI 200 and improvement item setting data 350. The source code 340 is described using, for example, XML (Extensible Markup Language).

The compiler 34 generates the project data 250 by compiling the source code 340. The generated project data 250 is stored in the storage unit 31.

Further, the compiler 34 generates the improvement table 260 and the improvement rule information 265 based on the improvement item setting data 350. The generated improvement table 260 and improvement rule information 265 are stored in the storage unit 31.

The project data 250, the improvement table 260, and the improvement rule information 265 stored in the storage unit 31 are transferred to the HMI 200 according to the instruction from the developer.

The analysis module 35 creates at least one of a graph and a figure in a predetermined format by analyzing the statistical information 280 stored in the storage unit 31, and an analysis result screen including at least one of the created graph and the figure. Is displayed on the user interface 32.

<D. HMI functional configuration example>
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the HMI. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the HMI 200 includes a storage unit 21, a user interface 23, a control unit 24, and a calculation module 27. The storage unit 21 is composed of the ROM 212, the RAM 213, and the flash ROM 214 shown in FIG. The user interface 23 is composed of the display 281 and the touch panel 282 shown in FIG. The user interface 23 may include a mouse and a keyboard. The control unit 24 and the calculation module 27 are realized by the CPU 211 shown in FIG. 3 executing various programs including the system program 270.

The storage unit 21 includes the main memory 22, and stores the project data 250, the improvement table 260, the improvement rule information 265, and the statistical information 280.

For example, information regarding an operation on the user interface 23 (hereinafter, referred to as "operation log information 90") is recorded in the main memory 22.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of operation log information recorded in the main memory. The operation log information 90 of the example shown in FIG. 7 includes a log element 91 for each operation. Each log element 91 includes a time when the operation is received (hereinafter, referred to as "operation time"), screen identification information for identifying the screen on which the operation is received, and a position on the operated screen (hereinafter, "operation position"). ”). The log element 91 after a certain period of time is deleted from the operation log information 90.

Event log information 92 is also recorded in the main memory 22. The event log information 92 indicates the occurrence status of a pre-registered event. An "event" is an event in which a specified variable satisfies a predetermined condition.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of event log information recorded in the main memory. The event log information 92 of the example shown in FIG. 8 includes a log element 93 for each event occurrence. Each log element 93 indicates an event occurrence time and event identification information that identifies the event.

Returning to FIG. 6, the control unit 24 controls the operation of the HMI 200. The control unit 24 includes an OS 25 and a runtime module 26. The OS 25 performs the basic functions of the HMI 200. The runtime module 26 includes a screen manager 26a, a variable manager 26b, a statistics manager 26c, and an editing manager 26d.

The screen manager 26a creates a screen based on the screen data 251 (see FIG. 5) constituting the project data 250, and displays the created screen on the user interface 23. For example, in the screen manager 26a, when the object corresponding to the operation position indicated by the latest log element 91 of the operation log information 90 (see FIG. 7) is a button for screen transition, the transition destination screen is based on the project data 250. To create. Then, the screen manager 26a displays the created screen on the user interface 23.

Alternatively, the screen manager 26a may create a transition destination screen based on the project data 250 when an event requiring screen transition occurs. For example, the screen manager 26a creates an error handling screen when an event occurs in which the variable representing the number of errors satisfies 1 or more.

The variable manager 26b acquires the variables assigned to the object 50 from the control device 100. The screen manager 26a allocates the variable acquired by the variable manager 26b to the object 50 based on the variable data 252 of the project data 250. Further, the variable manager 26b creates a log element 93 when the variable corresponding to the event registered in advance satisfies the condition corresponding to the event, and adds the created log element 93 to the event log information 92.

The statistics manager 26c manages the statistical information 280. When the new improvement table 260 is stored in the storage unit 21, the statistics manager 26c outputs an instruction to create statistical information 280 corresponding to each improvement item shown in the improvement table 260 to the calculation module 27.

Further, the statistic manager 26c outputs an update instruction of the statistic information 280 to the calculation module 27 based on the operation log information 90 or the event log information 92.

The editing manager 26d determines whether or not the number of elements included in the statistical information 280 has reached the specified value. The default value is preset to a value sufficient to grasp the tendency of the operation of the user interface 23. When the number of elements included in the statistical information 280 reaches the specified value, the editing manager 26d outputs an instruction to generate improvement information to the calculation module 27. The editing manager 26d reads the improvement information generated in response to the generation instruction from the main memory 22, and displays the read improvement information on the user interface 23. Further, the editing manager 26d displays a window on the user interface 23 for receiving an instruction as to whether or not to update the screen configuration according to the improvement information. Upon receiving an instruction to update the screen configuration according to the improvement information, the editorial manager 26d updates the project data 250 according to the improvement information.

Further, the editing manager 26d may transfer the statistical information 280 to the support device 300 when the number of elements included in the statistical information 280 reaches a specified value. The transferred statistical information 280 is stored in the storage unit 31 of the support device 300 and analyzed by the analysis module 35.

The calculation module 27 executes various calculation processes. The calculation module 27 includes a statistical processing unit 28 and an improvement information generation unit 29.

When the statistical processing unit 28 receives an instruction to create new statistical information 280, the statistical processing unit 28 reads out the improvement table 260 from the storage unit 21. The statistical processing unit 28 creates statistical information 280 corresponding to each improvement item based on the improvement table 260. That is, the statistical processing unit 28 creates statistical information 280 of the type shown in the improvement table 260 for each improvement item, and stores the created statistical information 280 in the storage unit 21. The newly created statistical information 280 indicates null.

Further, when the statistical processing unit 28 receives the update instruction of the statistical information 280, the statistical processing unit 28 updates the statistical information 280 according to the operation log information 90 or the event log information 92 stored in the main memory 22.

Upon receiving the improvement information generation instruction, the improvement information generation unit 29 generates improvement information based on the improvement rule information 265 and the statistical information 280.

<E. Flow of preparatory processing>
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a flow of preparatory processing in the information processing system. As shown in FIG. 9, the user interface 32 of the support device 300 receives from the developer an operation for developing a screen to be displayed on the HMI 200 and setting improvement items (step S1). The development support module 33 generates the source code 340 that defines the screen and the improvement item setting data 350 according to the operation received by the user interface 32 (step S2).

Next, the compiler 34 generates the project data 250 by compiling the source code 340, and stores the generated project data 250 in the storage unit 31 (step S3). Further, in step S3, the compiler 34 generates the improvement table 260 and the improvement rule information 265 based on the improvement item setting data 350, and stores the generated improvement table 260 and the improvement rule information 265 in the storage unit 31.

The project data 250, the improvement table 260, and the improvement rule information 265 stored in the storage unit 31 are transferred from the support device 300 to the HMI 200 (step S4). The transferred project data 250, improvement table 260, and improvement rule information 265 are stored in the storage unit 21 of the HMI 200.

Next, the control unit 24 of the HMI 200 confirms the completion of the transfer of the project data 250, the improvement table 260, and the improvement rule information 265 (step S5). The statistics manager 26c of the control unit 24 outputs an instruction to create statistical information 280 corresponding to each improvement item shown in the newly stored improvement table 260 to the calculation module 27 (step S6).

The statistical processing unit 28 of the calculation module 27 reads the improvement table 260 from the storage unit 21 (step S7). The statistical processing unit 28 creates statistical information 280 of the type shown in the improvement table 260 for each improvement item, and stores the created statistical information 280 in the storage unit 21 (step S8). However, at this stage, the created statistical information 280 indicates null.

<F. Flow of statistical information collection process>
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a flow of statistical information collection processing in an information processing system. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the statistical information collection process includes a first process route performed in the order of S11, S12, S13, S14, and S15, and a second process performed in the order of S11', S13, S14, and S15. Including the route.

In the first processing route, the user interface 23 of the HMI 200 receives an operation on the screen from the operator (step S11). When the user interface 23 accepts the operation, the log element 91 (see FIG. 7) corresponding to the operation is added to the operation log information 90 (step S12). The addition of the log element 91 to the operation log information 90 is executed by the OS 25.

Next, the control unit 24 reads out the latest log element 91 of the operation log information 90 (step S13). When the read log element 91 satisfies the update condition defined for each improvement item, the statistics manager 26c of the control unit 24 outputs an update instruction of the statistical information 280 to the calculation module 27 (step S14). The update conditions are defined in the improvement table 260, as will be described later.

The statistical processing unit 28 of the calculation module 27 updates the statistical information 280 according to the update instruction (step S15).

On the other hand, in the second processing route, step S11'is performed instead of steps S11 and S12. In step S11', the variable manager 26b creates the log element 93 when the variable corresponding to the event registered in advance satisfies the condition corresponding to the event, and adds the created log element 93 to the event log information 92. ..

Next, the control unit 24 reads out the latest log element 93 of the event log information 92 (step S13). When the read log element 93 satisfies the update condition defined for each improvement item, the statistics manager 26c of the control unit 24 outputs an update instruction of the statistical information 280 to the calculation module 27 (step S14). Then, the statistical processing unit 28 of the arithmetic module 27 updates the statistical information 280 according to the update instruction (step S15).

<G. Flow of statistical information analysis process>
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a flow of analysis processing of statistical information in an information processing system. When the number of elements included in the statistical information 280 reaches the specified value, the editing manager 26d transfers the statistical information 280 from the HMI 200 to the support device 300 (step S21). Alternatively, the support device 300 may acquire statistical information 280 from the HMI 200 according to the instruction of the developer.

The analysis module 35 of the support device 300 analyzes the statistical information 280 according to the analysis method specified for each improvement item (step S22). The analysis method is defined in the improvement table 260, as will be described later. The analysis module 35 displays a screen showing the analysis result (hereinafter, referred to as “analysis result screen”) on the user interface 32 (step S23). By checking the analysis result screen, the developer can easily grasp the tendency of the operator's operation in the HMI 200. The developer can update the screen configuration according to the tendency of the operator's operation by using the development support module 33.

<H. Flow of improvement information generation / presentation process>
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a flow of improvement information generation / presentation processing in the information processing system. As shown in FIG. 12, the editing manager 26d of the HMI 200 determines whether or not the number of elements included in the statistical information 280 has reached the specified value (step S31). When the number of elements included in the statistical information 280 has reached the specified value, the editing manager 26d outputs an instruction to generate improvement information to the arithmetic module 27 (step S32).

The improvement information generation unit 29 of the calculation module 27 reads the improvement rule information 265 and the statistical information 280 from the storage unit 21 (step S33). The improvement information generation unit 29 generates improvement information based on the read improvement rule information 265 and statistical information 280, and writes the generated improvement information in the main memory 22 (step S34).

The editing manager 26d reads the improvement information written in the main memory 22 (step S35), and displays the read improvement information on the user interface 23 (step S36). As a result, improvement information is presented to the worker.

The user interface 23 can receive an instruction to update the screen configuration according to the improvement information from the operator (step S37). Upon receiving the screen configuration update instruction, the editing manager 26d edits the project data 250 according to the improvement information (step S38). As a result, the screen configuration is updated according to the improvement information.

<I. Specific example of improvement table>
FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an improvement table. As described above, the improvement table 260 is created in the support device 300 according to the operation to the user interface 32. As shown in FIG. 13, the improvement table 260 includes records 261 corresponding to each of one or more improvement items. Each record 261 has six fields 262a-262f. In each record 261, the information input in the fields 262a to 262f are associated with each other.

The valid / invalid flag of the improvement item is input to the field 262a. The enable / disable flag is a flag for switching whether or not to improve the screen configuration according to the improvement item. The enable / disable flag may be set by the developer using the support device 300 and then changed by the operator in the HMI 200. The statistics manager 26c of the HMI 200 controls the arithmetic module 27 to collect statistical information for improvement items for which the enable / disable flag indicates “valid”.

The type of improvement item is input in the field 262b. In the example shown in FIG. 12, "button size change", "shortcut addition", "screen transition button addition", "screen layout change", and "object deletion" are input as the types of improvement items. "Button size change" is an improvement item for changing the button to a size that is easy for the operator to operate. "Add shortcut" is an improvement item that adds a shortcut button to the screen that the operator frequently checks. "Add screen transition button" is an improvement item for adding a button for immediately transitioning to a desired screen by bypassing an unnecessary screen. "Screen layout change" is an improvement item that changes the arrangement of objects on the target screen according to the operation order of the operator. "Object deletion" is an improvement item that deletes unnecessary objects.

In the field 262c, a condition (update condition) for updating the statistical information 280 is input. When the latest log element of the operation log information 90 or the event log information 92 satisfies the update condition, the statistics manager 26c of the HMI 200 outputs an update instruction of the statistical information 280 corresponding to the update condition to the calculation module 27.

In the field 262d, the type of statistical information of the operation for the target object is input. Upon receiving the instruction to create the statistical information, the statistical processing unit 28 of the HMI 200 creates the statistical information 280 of the type registered in the field 262d, and stores the created statistical information 280 in the storage unit 21.

In the field 262e, an analysis method for statistical information is input. The analysis module 35 of the support device 300 analyzes the statistical information 280 according to the analysis method registered in the field 262e. In the example shown in FIG. 13, the analytical method shows the form of a graph or diagram. Therefore, the analysis module 35 creates a graph or figure in the format registered in the field 262e by analyzing the statistical information.

The display method of the analysis result is input to the field 262f. The analysis module 35 of the support device 300 displays the analysis result screen on the user interface 32 according to the display method registered in the field 262f.

<J. Specific example of improvement rule information>
FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of improvement rule information. The improvement rule information 265 of the example shown in FIG. 14 corresponds to the improvement table 260 of the example shown in FIG. That is, the improvement rule information 265 includes each improvement rule of the five improvement items "button size change", "shortcut addition", "screen transition button addition", "screen layout change", and "button deletion".

As shown in FIG. 14, the improvement rule defines an update condition indicating a criterion for determining whether or not the screen configuration should be updated, and a screen configuration update method. When the statistical information 280 satisfies the update condition, the editing manager 26d of the HMI 200 outputs an instruction for creating improvement information to the calculation module 27. The improvement information generation unit 29 of the calculation module 27 generates improvement information according to the update method defined in the improvement rule information 265.

<K. Specific examples of information processing in information processing systems>
Next, a specific example of information processing when the improvement table 260 shown in FIG. 13 and the improvement rule information 265 shown in FIG. 14 are generated will be described.

(K-1. Improvement item "Button size change")
In the improvement table 260 shown in FIG. 13, when the enable / disable flag corresponding to the improvement item "button size change" is set to "valid", for example, the following processing is executed.

The user interface 23 has a touch panel 282. The touch panel 282 accepts an operator's touch operation on the screen. The operator may touch the area around the object 50 even if he / she intends to touch the object 50. In such a case, the size of the object 50 is considered to be too small for the operator. Therefore, statistical information 280 showing the tendency of the operation position by the operator is collected.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an object (target object) that is the target of the improvement item “button size change” and its surroundings. As shown in FIG. 15, the peripheral area 70 of the button 50a, which is the target object, is divided into a plurality of areas. The plurality of areas include an upper area 71 of the button 50a, a lower area 72 of the button 50a, a left area 73 of the button 50a, and a right area 74 of the button 50a. The left end of the upper area 71 overlaps with the left area 73, and the right end of the upper area 71 overlaps with the right area 74. Similarly, the left end of the lower area 72 overlaps the left area 73, and the right end of the lower area 72 overlaps the right area 74.

The statistical processing unit 28 creates statistical information 280 showing the distribution of the positions where the touch operation is performed in the button 50a and the surrounding area 70.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of statistical information corresponding to the improvement item “button size change”. The statistical information 280 of the example shown in FIG. 16 includes the button 50a, which is the target object, the number of touch operations (number of operations) and the operation position for each of the upper area 71, the lower area 72, the left area 73, and the right area 74. Is shown.

The statistics manager 26c determines whether or not the operation position indicated by the latest log element 91 of the operation log information 90 overlaps with the button 50a or the surrounding area 70. The statistics manager 26c outputs an update instruction of the statistical information 280 to the calculation module 27 when the operation position overlaps with the button 50a or the surrounding area 70. The statistical processing unit 28 of the calculation module 27 updates the statistical information 280 by adding the number of operations of the area overlapping the operation position by 1 and adding the operation position.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of an analysis result screen of statistical information corresponding to the improvement item “button size change”. The analysis module 35 generates an analysis result screen as shown in FIG. 17 by analyzing the statistical information 280 shown in FIG. 16, and displays the generated analysis result screen on the user interface 32. The analysis result screen of the example shown in FIG. 17 includes a button 50a which is a target object, an upper area 71, a lower area 72, a left area 73 and a right area 74 around the button 50a, and a plot 75 showing an operation position. Further, the analysis result screen includes text indicating the number of operations of each of the upper area 71, the lower area 72, the left area 73 and the right area 74. As a result, the developer can easily grasp the tendency of the operator's operation position with respect to the button 50a. As a result, the developer can change the size and shape of the button 50a so that the operator can easily operate the button 50a.

When the number of elements of the statistical information 280 (the total value of the number of operations to the button 50a and the surrounding area 70) reaches the specified value (for example, 100), the editing manager 26d outputs an instruction to generate improvement information to the calculation module 27. To do. The improvement information generation unit 29 of the calculation module 27 determines whether or not the statistical information 280 satisfies the update condition defined in the improvement rule information 265. When the statistical information 280 satisfies the update condition, the improvement information generation unit 29 generates improvement information according to the update method defined in the improvement rule information 265.

For example, the improvement information generation unit 29 generates improvement information indicating that the button 50a is expanded in the direction of the area where the frequency of touch operations exceeds the reference value according to the improvement rule information 265 shown in FIG. The frequency of touch operations for an area is indicated, for example, as the ratio of the number of operations for the area to the total number of operations for the button 50a and the surrounding area 70. The reference value is, for example, 5%.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of improvement information generated based on the statistical information corresponding to the improvement item “button size change”. Since the frequency of touch operations in the lower area 72 exceeds the reference value, the improvement information generation unit 29 generates improvement information indicating that the button 50a is expanded in the direction of the lower area 72.

(K-2. Improvement item "Shortcut addition")
In the improvement table 260 shown in FIG. 13, when the enable / disable flag corresponding to the improvement item "add shortcut" is set to "valid", for example, the following processing is executed.

The operation efficiency of the operator is improved by constantly displaying the shortcut button for calling the screen that the operator frequently confirms among multiple screens. Therefore, statistical information 280 showing the tendency of the screen confirmed by the operator is collected.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of statistical information corresponding to the improvement item “add shortcut”. The statistical information 280 of the example shown in FIG. 19 indicates the frequency of display of each of the plurality of screens displayed on the HMI 200. Specifically, the statistical information 280 indicates the number of impressions and the cumulative display time of each screen.

The statistics manager 26c outputs an update instruction of the statistical information 280 to the calculation module 27 every time the screen transition is executed by the screen manager 26a.

Specifically, when a new log element 91 is added to the operation log information 90, the statistics manager 26c determines whether or not the operation position indicated by the latest log element 91 overlaps with the screen transition button. The statistics manager 26c outputs an update instruction of the statistical information 280 to the calculation module 27 when the operation position overlaps with the screen transition button.

Further, when a new log element 93 is added to the event log information 92, the statistics manager 26c determines whether or not the event indicated by the latest log element 93 is an event that requires screen transition. The statistics manager 26c outputs an update instruction of the statistical information 280 to the arithmetic module 27 when the event indicated by the latest log element 93 is an event that requires a screen transition.

The statistical processing unit 28 of the calculation module 27 adds 1 to the number of impressions corresponding to the transition destination screen, and starts counting the cumulative display time corresponding to the transition destination screen. Further, the statistical processing unit 28 ends counting the cumulative display time corresponding to the screen before the transition. In this way, the statistical information 280 is updated.

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of an analysis result screen of statistical information corresponding to the improvement item “add shortcut”. The analysis module 35 generates an analysis result screen as shown in FIG. 20 by analyzing the statistical information 280 shown in FIG. 19, and displays the generated analysis result screen on the user interface 32. The analysis result screen of the example shown in FIG. 20 includes a bar graph showing the number of impressions and the cumulative display cases of each of the plurality of screens. As a result, the developer can easily grasp the tendency of the screen confirmed by the operator. As a result, the developer can add a shortcut button for calling a screen that is frequently checked by the operator.

When the number of elements of the statistical information 280 (for example, the total value of the number of impressions) reaches the specified value (for example, 500), the editing manager 26d outputs an instruction for generating improvement information to the calculation module 27. The improvement information generation unit 29 of the calculation module 27 determines whether or not the statistical information 280 satisfies the update condition defined in the improvement rule information 265. When the statistical information 280 satisfies the update condition, the improvement information generation unit 29 generates improvement information according to the update method defined in the improvement rule information 265.

For example, the improvement information generation unit 29 adds a shortcut button for calling a screen in which the number of impressions exceeds the first reference value and the cumulative display time exceeds the second reference value according to the improvement rule information 265 shown in FIG. Generate improvement information that indicates what to do.

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of improvement information generated based on the statistical information corresponding to the improvement item “add shortcut”. In the example shown in FIG. 21, the number of times the "screen b" and the "screen z" are displayed exceeds the first reference value, and the cumulative display time of the "screen b" and the "screen z" exceeds the second reference value. Therefore, the improvement information generation unit 29 generates improvement information indicating that the shortcut button 51b for calling the “screen b” and the shortcut button 51z for calling the “screen z” are to be added.

In the above explanation, it is assumed that statistical information 280 indicating the number of impressions and the cumulative display time of each screen is collected. However, for each screen, statistical information 280 indicating either the number of impressions or the cumulative display time may be collected.

(K-3. Improvement item "Addition of screen transition button")
In the improvement table 260 shown in FIG. 13, when the enable / disable flag corresponding to the improvement item "add screen transition button" is set to "valid", for example, the following processing is executed.

For example, if the display time of "screen c" is short in the case of transitioning from "screen c" to "screen d" after transitioning from "screen a" or "screen b" to "screen c", "screen c" is , Is only displayed for the transition to "Screen d". In this case, the operation efficiency of the operator is improved by omitting the display of "screen c" and adding a new screen transition button with "screen d" as the transition destination to "screen a" or "screen b". To do. Therefore, statistical information 280 showing the distribution of the display time of the "screen c" when the screen transitions in the order of the "screen a" or the "screen b", the "screen c", and the "screen d" is collected. In the following, in order to simplify the explanation, the screen before the transition to the “screen c” is only the “screen a” and the “screen b”, and the transition destination screen of the “screen c” is only the “screen d”. An example will be described.

FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of statistical information corresponding to the improvement item “addition of screen transition button”. The statistical information 280 of the example shown in FIG. 22 shows the number and rate of transitions to the “screen c” and the “screen c” for each of the “screen a” and the “screen b” that can be the screen before the transition to the “screen c”. The distribution of the display time of "" is shown.

The statistics manager 26c outputs an update instruction of the statistical information 280 to the calculation module 27 every time the transition to the “screen c” is executed by the screen manager 26a.

Specifically, in the statistics manager 26c, when a new log element 91 is added to the operation log information 90, the operation position indicated by the latest log element 91 is the “screen c” on the “screen a” or “screen b”. It is determined whether or not it overlaps with the transition button to "(hereinafter, referred to as" first transition button "). The statistics manager 26c outputs an update instruction of the statistical information 280 to the calculation module 27 when the operation position overlaps with the first transition button.

Further, when a new log element 93 is added to the event log information 92, the statistics manager 26c determines whether or not the event indicated by the latest log element 93 is an event that requires a transition to the “screen c”. judge. The statistics manager 26c outputs an update instruction of the statistical information 280 to the arithmetic module 27 when the event indicated by the latest log element 93 is an event that requires a transition to the “screen c”.

The statistical processing unit 28 of the calculation module 27 stores the screen before the transition and starts counting the display time of the “screen c”. After that, in the statistical processing unit 28, a log element 91 indicating an operation position overlapping the transition button to the “screen d” on the “screen c” (hereinafter, referred to as a “second transition button”) is added to the operation log information 90. The count of the display time of the "screen c" is continued until the result is displayed. Alternatively, the statistical processing unit 28 counts the display time of the "screen c" until the log element 93 corresponding to the event requiring the transition from the "screen c" to the "screen d" is added to the event log information 92. To continue. When the statistical processing unit 28 finishes counting the display time of the "screen c", it determines whether or not the counted display time is less than 3 seconds. Then, the statistical processing unit 28 updates the number of times and the ratio corresponding to the stored pre-transition screen, and updates the distribution of the display time based on the determination result. In this way, the statistical information 280 is updated.

FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of an analysis result screen of statistical information corresponding to the improvement item “addition of screen transition button”. The analysis module 35 generates an analysis result screen as shown in FIG. 23 by analyzing the statistical information 280 shown in FIG. 22, and displays the generated analysis result screen on the user interface 32. The analysis result screen of the example shown in FIG. 23 includes a diagram showing a transition state between “screen a”, “screen b”, “screen c”, and “screen d”. As a result, the developer can easily grasp the state of the screen transition. Further, on the analysis result screen, a text indicating the distribution of the display time of the "screen c" is displayed. As a result, the developer can easily grasp that the display time of the "screen c" tends to be short when the transition from the "screen b" to the "screen d" via the "screen c". As a result, the developer can improve the operation efficiency of the operator by adding a new screen transition button for directly transitioning to the "screen d" to the "screen b".

When the number of elements of the statistical information 280 (the total value of the number of transitions from the "screen a" and the "screen b" to the "screen c") reaches the specified value (for example, 200), the editing manager 26d generates improvement information. The instruction is output to the calculation module 27. The improvement information generation unit 29 of the calculation module 27 determines whether or not the statistical information 280 satisfies the update condition defined in the improvement rule information 265. When the statistical information 280 satisfies the update condition, the improvement information generation unit 29 generates improvement information according to the update method defined in the improvement rule information 265.

For example, the improvement information generation unit 29 shifts to the “screen d” on the pre-transition screen (for example, “screen b”) in which the ratio of the display time of “screen c” being less than a predetermined time (for example, 3 seconds) exceeds the reference value. Generate improvement information indicating that a screen transition button for transition is added.

(K-4. Improvement item "Screen layout change")
In the improvement table 260 shown in FIG. 13, when the enable / disable flag corresponding to the improvement item "screen layout change" is set to "valid", for example, the following processing is executed.

As shown in FIG. 13, a plurality of objects arranged in the target screen are registered as target objects corresponding to the improvement item "screen layout change". By arranging a plurality of objects in the target screen according to the operation order, the operation efficiency of the operator is improved. Therefore, statistical information 280 showing the tendency of the operator's operation order for a plurality of objects is collected.

FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of the layout of the target screen. As shown in FIG. 23, the target screen includes objects 50b to 50f and a screen transition button 50g for transitioning from the target screen to another screen. Objects 50b to 50f are target objects.

FIG. 25 is a diagram showing an example of statistical information corresponding to the improvement item “screen layout change”. The statistical information 280 of the example shown in FIG. 25 shows the frequency of the objects 50b to 50f for each operation order. Frequency is expressed in number of times. However, the frequency of each operation sequence may be expressed as a ratio of the number of operations in the operation sequence to the total number of operations.

The statistic manager 26c outputs an update instruction of the statistic information 280 to the calculation module 27 every time the screen manager 26a executes a transition from the target screen to another screen.

Specifically, when a new log element 91 is added to the operation log information 90, the statistics manager 26c determines whether or not the operation position indicated by the latest log element 91 overlaps with the screen transition button 50g. The statistics manager 26c outputs an update instruction of the statistical information 280 to the calculation module 27 when the operation position overlaps with the screen transition button 50g.

Further, the statistics manager 26c determines whether or not the event indicated by the latest log element 93 is an event that requires screen transition when a new log element 93 is added to the event log information 92 while the target screen is being displayed. To judge. The statistics manager 26c outputs an update instruction of the statistical information 280 to the arithmetic module 27 when the event indicated by the latest log element 93 is an event that requires a screen transition.

The statistical processing unit 28 of the calculation module 27 extracts a log element indicating the target screen from the operation log information 90, and based on the operation position and operation time indicated by the extracted log element, the operation order of the objects 50b to 50f. To identify. The statistical processing unit 28 updates the statistical information 280 by adding the number of times corresponding to the specified operation order by one.

FIG. 26 is a diagram showing an example of an analysis result screen of statistical information corresponding to the improvement item “screen layout change”. The analysis module 35 generates an analysis result screen as shown in FIG. 26 by analyzing the statistical information 280 shown in FIG. 25, and displays the generated analysis result screen on the user interface 32. The analysis result screen of the example shown in FIG. 26 shows a diagram in which the objects 50b to 50f are arranged in the most frequent operation order. As a result, the developer can easily grasp the tendency of the operation order of the operator with respect to the objects 50b to 50f. As a result, the developer can change the layout of the target screen in consideration of the operation order of the operator.

When the number of elements of the statistical information 280 (for example, the total value of the number of times of all operation sequences) reaches the specified value (for example, 100), the editing manager 26d outputs an instruction for generating improvement information to the calculation module 27. The improvement information generation unit 29 of the calculation module 27 determines whether or not the statistical information 280 satisfies the update condition defined in the improvement rule information 265. When the statistical information 280 satisfies the update condition, the improvement information generation unit 29 generates improvement information according to the update method defined in the improvement rule information 265.

For example, the improvement information generation unit 29 provides improvement information indicating that the objects 50b to 50f are rearranged in the most frequent operation order when the most frequent operation order and the arrangement order of the objects 50b to 50f do not match. Generate.

FIG. 27 is a diagram showing an example of a presentation screen of improvement information generated based on the statistical information corresponding to the improvement item “screen layout change”. As shown in FIG. 27, improvement information indicating that the objects 50d to 50f are moved to the position of the broken line portion is generated according to the most frequent operation order.

When displaying the improvement information on the user interface 23, the editing manager 26d displays a window 60 for receiving an instruction to update the screen configuration according to the improvement information. The window 60 includes a button 61 for instructing the update of the screen configuration according to the improvement information, and a button 62 for instructing not to update the screen configuration. When the button 61 is pressed, the editing manager 26d edits the project data 250 according to the improvement information. As a result, the objects 50b to 50f are arranged according to the most frequent operation order, and the operation efficiency of the operator is improved.

(K-5. Improvement item "Delete object")
In the improvement table 260 shown in FIG. 13, when the enable / invalid flag corresponding to the improvement item "object deletion" is set to "valid", for example, the following processing is executed.

If objects unnecessary for the worker are placed on the screen, the screen becomes difficult to see and the operation efficiency decreases. Therefore, as the target object corresponding to the improvement item "object deletion", an object that can be deleted if unnecessary is registered. Then, statistical information 280 indicating the operation frequency for each object is collected.

FIG. 28 is a diagram showing an example of statistical information corresponding to the improvement item “object deletion”. FIG. 28 shows statistical information 280 when objects 50h to 50o are registered as target objects. Statistical information 280 indicates the number of operations for each of the target objects. Instead of the number of operations, the ratio of the number of operations to the target object to the total number of operations may be used.

The statistics manager 26c determines whether or not the operation position indicated by the latest log element 91 of the operation log information 90 overlaps with the target object. The statistics manager 26c outputs an update instruction of the statistical information 280 to the calculation module 27 when the operation position overlaps with the target object. The statistical processing unit 28 of the calculation module 27 updates the statistical information 280 by adding only 1 the number of operations of the target object that overlaps with the operation position.

The analysis module 35 analyzes the statistical information 280 shown in FIG. 28 to generate, for example, an analysis result screen including a bar graph showing the number of operations for each target object, and displays the generated analysis result screen on the user interface 32. As a result, the developer can easily grasp the tendency of the operator's operation on the target object. As a result, the developer can delete objects that are not needed by the worker.

When the number of elements of the statistical information 280 (for example, the total value of all operations) reaches a specified value (for example, 1000), the editing manager 26d outputs an instruction for generating improvement information to the calculation module 27. The improvement information generation unit 29 of the calculation module 27 determines whether or not the statistical information 280 satisfies the update condition defined in the improvement rule information 265. When the statistical information 280 satisfies the update condition, the improvement information generation unit 29 generates improvement information according to the update method defined in the improvement rule information 265.

For example, the improvement information generation unit 29 generates improvement information indicating that the target object whose operation count is less than the reference value (for example, once) is deleted according to the improvement rule information 265 shown in FIG.

FIG. 29 is a diagram showing an example of a presentation screen of improvement information generated based on the statistical information corresponding to the improvement item “button deletion”. In the example shown in FIG. 29, improvement information indicating that the object 50j whose operation count is less than the reference value is deleted is generated. The editing manager 26d displays a window 63 for receiving an instruction to update the screen configuration according to the improvement information. The window 63 includes a button 64 for instructing the update of the screen configuration according to the improvement information, and a button 65 for instructing not to update the screen configuration. When the button 64 is pressed, the editing manager 26d edits the project data 250 according to the improvement information. As a result, the object 50j that is unnecessary for the operator is deleted, and the screen becomes easier to see.

<L. Modification example>
FIG. 30 is a schematic view showing the functional configuration of the support device according to the modified example. As shown in FIG. 30, the support device 300 may include an improvement information generation unit 39. The improvement information generation unit 39 is realized by the CPU 302 executing the support program 370.

The improvement information generation unit 39 performs the same processing as the improvement information generation unit 29 of the HMI 200 shown in FIG. That is, the improvement information generation unit 39 generates improvement information based on the improvement rule information 265 and the statistical information 280 according to the instruction from the developer, and displays the generated improvement information on the user interface 32. This allows the developer to confirm how to change the screen according to the tendency of the operator's operation. The development support module 33 may update the screen configuration according to the improvement information according to the instruction from the developer.

<M. Action / effect>
As described above, the information processing system 1 connected to the control device 100 that controls the control target includes the user interface 23, the statistics manager 26c, and the statistics processing unit 28. The user interface 23 displays one or more screens including information related to the control device 100, and receives an operation on the one or more screens. The statistics manager 26c and the statistics processing unit 28 operate as collecting means for collecting statistical information regarding the operation of the user interface 23.

According to the above configuration, the collected statistical information shows the tendency of the operation of the user interface 23. Therefore, by checking the statistical information, for example, the tendency of the operator's operation such as the tendency of the screen display of the user interface 23 and the tendency of the operator's operation on the screen can be easily confirmed. As a result, it is possible to quickly grasp the matters to be improved for one or more screens.

The information processing system 1 further includes an analysis module 35 for creating at least one of graphs and figures in a predetermined format by analyzing statistical information and displaying at least one of the created graphs and figures.

According to the above configuration, by checking at least one of the graph and the figure, it becomes easy to grasp the tendency of the operation of the user interface 23.

The information processing system 1 includes an editing manager 26d and an improvement information generation unit 29. The editing manager 26d and the improvement information generation unit 29 operate as presentation means for generating improvement information for one or more screen configurations based on the statistical information and presenting the improvement information.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to grasp how the screen configuration should be changed according to the tendency of the operation of the user interface 23.

The editing manager 26d may operate as an updating means for updating the configuration of one or more screens according to the improvement information. As a result, improvements to the screen configuration can be quickly implemented.

The user interface 23 can accept touch operations on one or more screens. The statistical information indicates, for example, the distribution of the positions where the touch operation is performed in the area around the target object arranged on one or more screens. As a result, the tendency of the operator's operation position can be grasped. In this case, the improvement information indicates, for example, that the target object is expanded in the direction of the area in which the frequency of touch operations exceeds the reference value among the plurality of areas included in the surrounding area. By updating the screen configuration according to the improvement information, the size of the target object is changed according to the tendency of the operator's operation position, and the operator's operation efficiency is improved.

Alternatively, the statistical information may indicate, for example, the display frequency of each of the plurality of screens. As a result, the tendency of the screen confirmed by the operator can be grasped. In this case, the improvement information indicates that a shortcut button for calling a screen whose display frequency exceeds the reference value among the plurality of screens is added to one or more screens. By updating the screen configuration according to the improvement information, the screen frequently confirmed by the worker can be immediately recalled, and the operation efficiency of the worker is improved.

Alternatively, the one or more screens may include a first screen (screen a, screen b), a second screen (screen c), and a third screen (screen d). The statistical information shows the distribution of the display time of the second screen when the screen transitions in the order of the first screen, the second screen, and the third screen. As a result, the tendency of screen transition can be grasped.

The editing manager 26d and the improvement information generation unit 29 may generate improvement information when the ratio of the display time being less than the predetermined time (for example, 3 seconds) exceeds the reference value. The improvement information indicates that a transition button for transitioning to the third screen is arranged on the first screen. When the ratio of the display time being less than the predetermined time (for example, 3 seconds) exceeds the reference value, it means that the second screen is often displayed merely for transitioning to the third screen. Therefore, by updating the screen configuration according to the improvement information, it is possible to omit an unnecessary transition to the second screen and directly transition from the first screen to the third screen. As a result, the operation efficiency of the operator is improved.

Alternatively, the statistical information may indicate the frequency for each operation order of a plurality of objects arranged on one target screen. This makes it possible to grasp the tendency of the operation order of a plurality of objects. In this case, the improvement information indicates that the plurality of objects are sorted according to the most frequent operation order. By updating the screen configuration according to the improvement information, the arrangement order of a plurality of objects matches the operation order, and the operation efficiency of the operator is improved.

Alternatively, the statistical information may indicate the operation frequency for the target objects arranged on one or more screens. As a result, the tendency of the worker to use the target object can be grasped. In this case, the editing manager 26d and the improvement information generation unit 29 may generate improvement information when the operation frequency is less than the reference value. The improvement information indicates that the target object is deleted. By updating the screen configuration according to the improvement information, unused objects are deleted and the screen becomes easier to see.

The above user interface 23, statistics manager 26c, and statistics processing unit 28 are provided in the HMI 200, which is a programmable display. As a result, in the HMI 200, the tendency of the operator's operation can be grasped. Further, the editing manager 26d and the improvement information generation unit 29 may also be provided in the HMI 200. As a result, in the HMI 200, the screen configuration can be appropriately updated according to the improvement information.

Further, the analysis module 35 may be provided in the support device 300, which is an information processing device capable of communicating with the HMI 200. As a result, the developer can easily grasp the tendency of the operator's operation by using the support device 300. The support device 300 may include an improvement information generation unit 39. As a result, the developer can grasp the content to be updated of the screen configuration according to the tendency of the operator's operation.

<N. Addendum>
As described above, the present embodiment and modifications include the following disclosures.

(Structure 1)
An information processing system (1) connected to a control device (100) that controls a controlled object.
A user interface (23) that displays one or more screens including information related to the control device (100) and receives an operation on the one or more screens.
An information processing system (1) comprising collecting means (26c, 28, 211) for collecting statistical information regarding the operation of the user interface.

(Structure 2)
Configuration 1 further comprises an analytical means (35) for creating at least one of graphs and figures in a predetermined format by analyzing the statistical information and displaying at least one of the created graphs and figures. The information processing system (1) described.

(Structure 3)
Configuration 1 or 2 further comprising presentation means (26d, 29, 39, 211, 302) for generating improvement information for the configuration of one or more screens based on the statistical information and presenting the improvement information. (1).

(Structure 4)
The information processing system (1) according to configuration 3, further comprising updating means (26d, 33, 211, 302) for updating the configuration of one or more screens according to the improvement information.

(Structure 5)
The user interface (23) can accept touch operations on one or more screens.
The information processing system (1) according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the statistical information indicates the distribution of positions where the touch operation is performed in the area around the target object arranged on the one or more screens.

(Structure 6)
The user interface (23) can accept touch operations on one or more screens.
The statistical information shows the distribution of positions where the touch operation is performed in the area around the target object.
The improvement information is described in configuration 3 or 4, indicating that the target object is expanded in the direction of an area in which the frequency of touch operations exceeds a reference value among a plurality of areas included in the surrounding area. Information processing system (1).

(Structure 7)
The one or more screens include a plurality of screens.
The information processing system (1) according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the statistical information indicates the display frequency of each of the plurality of screens.

(Structure 8)
The one or more screens include a plurality of screens.
The statistical information indicates the display frequency of each of the plurality of screens.
The information processing system according to the configuration 3 or 4, wherein the improvement information indicates that a shortcut button for calling a screen whose display frequency exceeds a reference value among the plurality of screens is added to the one or more screens. 1).

(Structure 9)
The one or more screens include a first screen, a second screen, and a third screen.
The information processing system (1) according to the configuration 1 or 2, wherein the statistical information shows the distribution of the display time of the second screen when the screen transitions in the order of the first screen, the second screen, and the third screen. ).

(Structure 10)
The one or more screens include a first screen, a second screen, and a third screen.
The statistical information indicates the distribution of the display time of the second screen when the screen transitions in the order of the first screen, the second screen, and the third screen.
The presenting means generates the improvement information when the ratio of the display time being less than the predetermined time exceeds the reference value.
The information processing system (1) according to the configuration 3 or 4, wherein the improvement information indicates that a transition button for transitioning to the third screen is arranged on the first screen.

(Structure 11)
The information processing system (1) according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the statistical information indicates the frequency of each operation order of a plurality of objects arranged on one of the one or more screens.

(Structure 12)
The statistical information indicates the frequency for each operation order of a plurality of objects arranged on one of the one or more screens.
The information processing system (1) according to configuration 3 or 4, wherein the improvement information indicates that the plurality of objects are rearranged according to the operation order having the highest frequency.

(Structure 13)
The information processing system (1) according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the statistical information indicates an operation frequency for a target object arranged on one or more screens.

(Structure 14)
The statistical information indicates the operation frequency for the target objects arranged on the one or more screens.
The presenting means generates the improvement information when the operation frequency is less than the reference value.
The information processing system (1) according to the configuration 3 or 4, wherein the improvement information indicates that the target object is deleted.

(Structure 15)
A programmable display (200) connected to a control device (100) that controls a controlled object.
A user interface (23) that displays one or more screens including information related to the control device and receives an operation on the one or more screens.
A programmable display (200) comprising collecting means (26c, 28, 211) for collecting statistical information regarding the operation of the user interface.

(Structure 16)
Based on the statistical information, improvement information for the configuration of one or more screens is generated, and presentation means (26d, 29, 211) for presenting the improvement information, and
The programmable display (200) according to configuration 15, further comprising updating means (26d, 211) for updating the configuration of one or more screens according to the improvement information.

(Structure 17)
An information processing device (300) capable of communicating with a programmable display (200) connected to a control device (100) that controls a controlled object.
The programmable display (200) is
A user interface (23) that displays one or more screens including information related to the control device and receives an operation on the one or more screens.
A collection means (26c, 28, 211) for collecting statistical information regarding the operation of the user interface is provided.
The information processing device (300)
Display (32,314) and
Analytical means for creating at least one of graphs and figures in a predetermined format by analyzing the statistical information and displaying at least one of the created graphs and figures on the display unit (32,314). An information processing device (300) including 35).

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described, the embodiments disclosed this time should be considered to be exemplary in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

1 Information processing system, 21,31 Storage unit, 22 Main memory, 23,32 User interface, 24 Control unit, 26 Runtime module, 26a Screen manager, 26b Variable manager, 26c Statistics manager, 26d Editing manager, 27 Calculation module, 28 Statistical processing unit, 29, 39 improvement information generation unit, 33 development support module, 34 compiler, 35 analysis module, 36 screen creation tool, 37 code editor, 50, 50b to 50f, 50h to 50o objects, 50a, 61, 62, 64,65 button, 50g screen transition button, 51b, 51z shortcut button, 60,63 window, 70 surrounding area, 71 upper area, 72 lower area, 73 left area, 74 right area, 75 plot, 90 operation log information, 91 , 93 log elements, 92 event log information, 100 control device, 170 control program, 211,302 CPU, 212,304 ROM, 213,306 RAM, 214 flash ROM, 216 operation keys, 217 data reader / writer, 218 touch screen , 219 communication interface, 220 memory card, 250 project data, 251 screen data, 252 variable data, 260 improvement table, 261 record, 262a-262g field, 265 improvement rule information, 270 system program, 280 statistical information, 281,314 display , 282 touch panel, 300 support device, 308 HDD, 310 keyboard, 311 input unit, 312 mouse, 317 recording medium reader, 318 communication interface, 320 internal bus, 322 recording medium, 340 source code, 350 improvement item setting data, 370. Support program, 400 devices, SYS control system.

Claims

An information processing system connected to a control device that controls a controlled object.
A user interface that displays one or more screens containing information related to the control device and receives operations on the one or more screens.
An information processing system including a collecting means for collecting statistical information regarding the operation of the user interface.
The first aspect of the present invention, wherein at least one of a graph and a figure in a predetermined format is created by analyzing the statistical information, and an analysis means for displaying at least one of the created graph and the figure is further provided. Information processing system.
The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a presenting means for generating improvement information for the configuration of one or more screens based on the statistical information and presenting the improvement information.
The information processing system according to claim 3, further comprising an updating means for updating the configuration of one or more screens according to the improvement information.
The user interface can accept touch operations on one or more screens.
The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the statistical information indicates the distribution of positions where the touch operation is performed in the area around the target object arranged on the one or more screens.
The user interface can accept touch operations on one or more screens.
The statistical information indicates the distribution of positions where the touch operation is performed in the area around the target object arranged on the one or more screens.
The improvement information according to claim 3 or 4, indicating that the target object is expanded in the direction of an area in which the frequency of touch operations exceeds a reference value among a plurality of areas included in the surrounding area. Information processing system.
The one or more screens include a plurality of screens.
The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the statistical information indicates the display frequency of each of the plurality of screens.
The one or more screens include a plurality of screens.
The statistical information indicates the display frequency of each of the plurality of screens.
The information processing system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the improvement information indicates that a shortcut button for calling a screen whose display frequency exceeds a reference value among the plurality of screens is added to the one or more screens. ..
The one or more screens include a first screen, a second screen, and a third screen.
The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the statistical information indicates the distribution of the display time of the second screen when the screen transitions in the order of the first screen, the second screen, and the third screen.
The one or more screens include a first screen, a second screen, and a third screen.
The statistical information indicates the distribution of the display time of the second screen when the screen transitions in the order of the first screen, the second screen, and the third screen.
The presenting means generates the improvement information when the ratio of the display time being less than the predetermined time exceeds the reference value.
The information processing system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the improvement information indicates that a transition button for transitioning to the third screen is arranged on the first screen.
The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the statistical information indicates the frequency of each operation order of a plurality of objects arranged on one of the one or more screens.
The statistical information indicates the frequency for each operation order of a plurality of objects arranged on one of the one or more screens.
The information processing system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the improvement information indicates that the plurality of objects are rearranged according to the operation order having the highest frequency.
The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the statistical information indicates an operation frequency for a target object arranged on one or more screens.
The statistical information indicates the operation frequency for the target objects arranged on the one or more screens.
The presenting means generates the improvement information when the operation frequency is less than the reference value.
The information processing system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the improvement information indicates that the target object is deleted.
A programmable display connected to a control device that controls a controlled object.
A user interface that displays one or more screens containing information related to the control device and receives operations on the one or more screens.
A programmable display comprising a collecting means for collecting statistical information regarding the operation of the user interface.
Based on the statistical information, improvement information for the configuration of one or more screens is generated, and presentation means for presenting the improvement information and presentation means.
The programmable display according to claim 15, further comprising an updating means for updating the configuration of one or more screens according to the improvement information.
An information processing device that can communicate with a programmable display connected to a control device that controls a controlled object.
The programmable display is
A user interface that displays one or more screens containing information related to the control device and receives operations on the one or more screens.
It is provided with a collecting means for collecting statistical information regarding the operation of the user interface.
The information processing device
Display and
Information processing including an analysis means for creating at least one of a graph and a figure in a predetermined format by analyzing the statistical information and displaying at least one of the created graph and the figure on the display unit. apparatus.