Abstract:
A know-how service system capable of handling integrally a life cycle management extended from installment to operation, maintenance, and scrapping of various equipments in a facility such as a plant, a factory, a hospital, a school, a vessel, or the like by utilizing a know-how scattered and held individually via a network, includes a know-how service providing portion, a know-how service utilizing portion, a know-how service applying portion, and a network to which respective portions are connected.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Technical Field  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a know-how service system and, more particularly, a know-how service system capable of handling integrally a life cycle management extended from installment to operation, maintenance, and scrapping of various equipments in the facility such as plant, factory, hospital, or the like, which carries out works by utilizing a wide variety of equipments supplied from a plurality of vendors, by utilizing know-how provided from the vendor, the user, the maintenance service company, and the like.  
         [0003]     2. Background Art  
         [0004]     In JP-A-2002-7518, the configuration of the service system using the network is disclosed.  
         [0005]      FIG. 7  is a conceptual configurative view of the service system for use in the plant disclosed in JP-A-2002-7518. In  FIG. 7 , a plant  10  includes control equipments of a plurality of vendors. In an example of  FIG. 7 , the plant  10  functions as a predetermined plant when an A-company control equipment  11 , a B-company control equipment  12 , a C-company control equipment  13 , and a D-company control equipment  14  cooperate with each other. Here, the control equipments  11  to  14  contain the distributed control system (DCS), the analytical instrument, and the like.  
         [0006]     Remote control computers  31  to  34  of vendor companies A to D and a transit computer  40  are connected to a network  20 . The transit computer  40  is connected to the plant  10  via a line  50  such as a dedicated line, for example. The transit computer  40  accepts collectively the access requests issued from the remote control computers  31  to  34  of the vendor companies A to D, and then send out the requests to the plant  10 . Then, the remote control computers  31  to  34  of the vendor companies A to D get the access to the plant  10  via the transit computer  40 , and then provide the service containing operation monitoring, equipment management, and equipment check to the control equipments  11  to  14  manufactured by their own companies provided to the plant  10 .  
         [0007]     A software storing portion  60  stores softwares used when the vendor companies A to D provide the service respectively. In the example in  FIG. 7 , the softwares used to provide the service to the control equipments  11  to  14  are stored. In this case, the software storing portion  60  may be provided in the transit computer  40 .  
         [0008]     The transit computer  40  has a storing portion  41 , a memory  42 , a distributing portion  43 , and a charging portion  44 .  
         [0009]     The storing portion  41  installs the software, which is used by the vendor of the remote control computer that has the access, into the memory  42  of the transit computer  40  when the remote control computers  31  to  34  of the vendor companies A to D get the access to the transit computer  40 .  
         [0010]     The distributing portion  43  distributes the software installed into the memory  42  to the plant  10  and the remote control computer. The software distributed to the plant  10  provides the service to the control equipment as the object. A monitor screen is displayed on the remote control computer when the software distributed to the remote control computer is executed.  
         [0011]     The charging portion  44  charges a fee for service to the remote control computers  31  to  34  of the vendor companies A to D. The charge is as a use fee of the infrastructure that the transit computer  40  provides or a use fee of the application program that resides in the transit computer  40 , for example. As the charging system executed by the charging portion  44 , for example, the flat-rate charging system in which a fixed-amount fee is charged every predetermined period or the measured-rate charging system in which the charge is made according to an amount of traffic in a predetermined period is employed.  
         [0012]     A personal computer  15  is provided to the plant  10 . This personal computer  15  has a storing portion  16 , an executing portion  17 , and an erasing portion  18 . The storing portion  16  stores the software that is distributed to the plant  10  by the distributing portion  43 . The executing portion  17  executes the software stored in the storing portion  16  to provide the service to the control equipments  11  to  14 . The erasing portion  18  erases the software distributed by the distributing portion  43  when operations of the remote control computers  31  to  34  are ended. When the softwares of respective equipments of the vendor companies A to D always reside in the plant  10 , the personal computer  15  must run respective softwares according to a multitask system. In this case, a burden put on the personal computer  15  is increased and thus a response to the access is delayed. Therefore, in the service system in  FIG. 7 , the burden put on the personal computer  15  is reduced by supplying the necessary software to the personal computer  15  when such software is needed, and erasing the software when the work is ended.  
         [0013]     However, following problems exist in the foregoing service system.  
         [0014]     In the service system in  FIG. 7 , the control equipments  11  to  14  of the vendor companies A to D set up in the plant site can be operated and monitored from a remote place by using the remote control computers  31  to  34 .  
         [0015]     In this event, the plant  10  functions as the predetermined plant when the control equipments  11  to  14  of the vendor companies A to D, which are different in type respectively, act in cooperation with each other. Therefore, in order to carry out smoothly and effectively the operation and the maintenance of the overall plant  10 , the engineers who have experience in operation and maintaining the overall plant  10  built up by the control equipments  11  to  14  of the vendor companies A to D or the engineers who are engaged in operation and maintenance of the plant  10  in the company that possesses the plant  10  must use positively their own know-hows.  
         [0016]     Also, it is possible for the engineer, who is engaged in operation and maintenance of the plant  10  in the company that possesses the plant  10 , to execute the operation and maintenance of sensors, controllers, control systems, and the like used in controlling and monitoring the plant  10 . However, in order to diagnose the facilities such as pumps, boilers, and the like as the particular controlled objects, the know-hows regarding these equipments in the vendor companies A to D are indispensable. Thus, it is difficult for the engineers, who belong to the companies except the concerned vendors, to conduct these diagnoses exactly.  
         [0017]     Also, the program used in operating and maintaining the plant runs only on the particular platform. Therefore, the general-purpose platform such as the management personal computer  15  shown in  FIG. 7  must be interposed.  
         [0018]     In addition, the charging system in the service system shown in  FIG. 7  depends upon the communication time or the communication charges. Therefore, such a problem lies that only the same charging system as that applied to the simple operation can be applied to the operation and the diagnosis containing high-level know-hows.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]     An object of the present invention is to provide a know-how service system capable of handling integrally a life cycle management extended from installment to operation, maintenance, and scrapping of various equipments in a facility such as a plant, a factory, a hospital, a school, a vessel, or the like by utilizing the know-how scattered and held individually via the network.  
         [0020]     The present invention provides a know-how service system, which includes a know-how service providing portion; a know-how service utilizing portion; a know-how service applying portion; and a network to which the know-how service providing portion, the know-how service utilizing portion, and the know-how service applying portion are connected.  
         [0021]     In the know-how service system, the know-how service providing portion includes  
         [0022]     a know-how describing portion which describes a know-how to be provided, in XML, and  
         [0023]     a know-how encrypting portion which encrypts the know-how described in XML.  
         [0024]     In the know-how service system, the know-how service providing portion installs a know-how into an agent to provide the know-how.  
         [0025]     In the know-how service system, the know-how service providing portion hierarchizes a know-how to be provided, according to a hierarchical structure of the know-how service applying portion.  
         [0026]     In the know-how service system, the know-how service providing portion makes a predetermined charge according to a hierarchy of a know-how service that the know-how service utilizing portion utilizes.  
         [0027]     In the know-how service system, an object to which a know-how service is provided is a facility that is built up by equipments supplied from a plurality of vendors.  
         [0028]     In the know-how service system, the facility is at least one of a plant, a factory, a hospital, a school, and a vessel.  
         [0029]     In the know-how service system, the know-how service applying portion executes processes as to a know-how service based on a self-diagnosis result.  
         [0030]     In the know-how service system, the know-how service is a service regarding a life cycle management extended from installment to operation, maintenance, and scrapping of an equipment.  
         [0031]     According to the know-how service system, the environment in which the operating situation/abnormality sensing and the preventive maintenance service of various equipments can be carried out effectively can be provided. Also, the service offered based on the know-how that respective companies possess can be provided via the Internet in a chargeable mode and also utilized.  
         [0032]     A particular service with a high degree of specialization can be realized in cooperation with a plurality of know-how possessors.  
         [0033]     The operating environment of these know-how services is not limited to the particular platform. These know-how services can be utilized in the open environment.  
         [0034]     A distribution of the know-how can be attained safely without fail by disclosing a know-how describing method, a hiding encrypting method, an access method, and the like.  
         [0035]     Then, the service of carrying out the diagnosis, the operation, etc. of measuring/controlling equipments and also the facility can be utilized not to disclose the know-how to an unspecified large number of people.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0036]      FIG. 1  is a configurative view showing an embodiment of a know-how service system according to the present invention;  
         [0037]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing a configurative example of know-how providing servers;  
         [0038]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram showing a configurative example of a know-how managing server;  
         [0039]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram showing a configurative example of control equipments constituting plants;  
         [0040]      FIG. 5  is a conceptual view showing descriptions of a service know-how;  
         [0041]      FIG. 6  is a hierarchical explanatory view showing a concept of a diagnosis agent; and  
         [0042]      FIG. 7  is a conceptual view showing the related service system using the network. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0043]     An embodiment of a know-how service system according to the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings hereinafter.  FIG. 1  is a configurative view showing an embodiment of a know-how service system according to the present invention. A network  70  is the Internet, for example. A plant  80  and a plant  90  having control equipments of a plurality of vendors respectively are connected to this network  70 . Here, the plant  80  has an A-company control equipment  81 , a B-company control equipment  82 , a C-company control equipment  83 , and a D-company control equipment  84 , and also the plant  90  has an A-company control equipment  91  and a C-company control equipment  92 , for example. These control equipments contain the sensor, the controller, the pump and the boiler controlled by the controller, and the like.  
         [0044]     Also, know-how providing servers  100 A to  100 D of respective companies to provide the know-hows of the vendor companies A to D are connected to the network  70 .  FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing a configurative example of these know-how providing servers  100 A to  100 D. Each of the know-how providing servers  100 A to  100 D has a network communication controlling portion  101 , an internal bus  102 , a service registering portion  103 , a cryptographic-key utilization managing portion  104 , a know-how service holding portion  105 , a service interface describing portion  106 , and a know-how description holding portion  107 .  
         [0045]     In  FIG. 2 , the network communication controlling portion  101  functions as an interface to connect the network  70  and the internal bus  102  of the know-how providing server  100 . The service registering portion  103 , the cryptographic-key utilization managing portion  104 , and the know-how service holding portion  105  are connected to the internal bus  102 . The service interface describing portion  106  is connected to the service registering portion  103 . The know-how description holding portion  107  is connected to the know-how service holding portion  105 .  
         [0046]     In case the know-how is described in XML, it is possible that a third person knows the contents of the know-how because this XML is described by the character string. Therefore, the know-how provider encrypts the know-how by using the cryptographic-key utilization managing portion  104  of the know-how providing server  100 , and then entrusts a know-how managing server  110  with the management of the cryptographic key.  
         [0047]     In  FIG. 1 , the know-how managing server  110  for managing collectively the know-hows provided from the know-how providing servers  100 A to  100 D of the vendor companies A to D is connected to the network  70 .  FIG. 3  is a block diagram showing a configurative example of the know-how managing server  110 . The know-how managing server  110  has a network communication controlling portion  111 , an internal bus  112 , a service registering portion  113 , a service search responding portion  114 , a cryptographic-key issuance managing portion  115 , a know-how service holding portion  116 , a charging processing portion  117 , a service registering directory  118 , and a charging database  119 .  
         [0048]     In  FIG. 3 , the network communication controlling portion  111  functions as an interface to connect the network  70  and the internal bus  112  of the know-how managing server  110 . The service registering portion  113 , the service search responding portion  114 , the cryptographic-key issuance managing portion  115 , the know-how service holding portion  116 , and the charging processing portion  117  are connected to the internal bus  112 . The service registering directory  118  is connected to the service registering portion  113 , the service search responding portion  114 , the cryptographic-key issuance managing portion  115 , and the know-how service holding portion  116 . The charging database  119  is connected to the charging processing portion  117 .  
         [0049]     In  FIG. 1 , a plant equipment maintaining/managing system  120  of the service company that contacts for maintenance/management of the control equipments  81  to  84 ,  91  and  92  constituting the plants  80 ,  90 , and a plant operating/managing system  130  that the department of the company that possesses the plants  80 ,  90  utilizes to manage the plant operating condition are connected to the network  70 .  
         [0050]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram showing a configurative example of control equipments  81  to  84 ,  91  and  92  constituting the plants  80 ,  90 . In  FIG. 4 , explanation will be made by referring to the control equipments  81  to  84 ,  91  and  92  collectively as a control equipment  140 . The control equipment  140  has a network communication controlling portion  141 , an internal bus  142 , a service searching portion  143 , a cryptography processing portion  144 , a measurement controlling portion  145 , a service registering portion  146 , an XML interpretation processing portion  147 , and a diagnose data saving portion  148 .  
         [0051]     In  FIG. 4 , the network communication controlling portion  141  functions as an interface to connect the network  70  and the internal bus  142  of control equipment  140 . The service searching portion  143 , the cryptography processing portion  144 , and the measurement controlling portion  145  are connected to the control equipment  140 . The service registering portion  146  is connected to the service searching portion  143 . The XML interpretation processing portion  147  is connected between the cryptography processing portion  144  and the measurement controlling portion  145 . The diagnose data saving portion  148  is connected to the measurement controlling portion  145  and the XML interpretation processing portion  147 .  
         [0052]     An operation of the know-how service system in the present embodiment will be explained hereunder.  
         [0053]     The know-how providers of the vendor companies A to D, who are the vendors of the control equipments  81  to  84 ,  91  and  92  constituting the plants  80 ,  90 , describe the diagnosis know-how concerning the control equipments, e.g., the diagnosis know-how concerning a lifetime of the pump, in XML and also describe its service interface approach in WSDL (Web Service Description Language), as shown in  FIG. 5 . More particularly, the diagnosis know-how is described by the know-how description holding portion  107  of the know-how providing server  100  shown in  FIG. 2  in XML, and also the service interface approach is described by the service interface describing portion  106  in WSDL.  
         [0054]     Then, the know-how providers of respective vendors register the search information such as names, contents, store addresses, etc. of the know-how, which are described in XML, on the UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration) service registering directory  118  of the know-how managing server  110  via the service registering portion  103  of the know-how providing server  100  and the service registering portion  113  of the know-how managing server  110  such that the user of the know-how can search the information as occasion demands. In this case, charging tables that are set individually according to the application range of the available know-how service are stored in the service registering directory  118 . Here, the users of the know-how contain the service company that contracts for maintenance/management of the control equipments, which connects the plant equipment maintaining/managing system  120  to the network  70 , the company that possesses the plant, which connects the plant operating/managing system  130  to the network  70 , and the like.  
         [0055]     Then, in order to provide the know-how described in XML as Web service, the know-how provider of the vendor stores the know-how described in XML in a predetermined storing destination described in WSDL, particularly the know-how service holding portion  105  of the know-how providing server  100  managed by vendor&#39;s self, the know-how service holding portion  116  of the external know-how managing server  110 , or the like.  
         [0056]     Here, the facility manager, that is registered in advance in the know-how managing server  110  as the user of the know-how and possesses the plant operating/managing system  130 , utilizes the diagnosis know-how regarding a lifetime of the pump as the control equipment  140  in the plant. The facility manager searches the service registering directory  118  via the service search responding portion  114  of the know-how managing server  110 , and then specifies the Web service relating to the diagnosis know-how about a lifetime of the pump from the registered service data. Then, the facility manager instructs the control equipment  140 , which monitors and controls the pump as the diagnosed object, to execute the specified Web service.  
         [0057]     The control equipment  140  when is instructed to execute the Web service has the access to the know-how registering server in which the designated Web service is registered, and then identifies the interface. Also, the control equipment  140  gets the access to the know-how managing server  110 , and then acquires the cryptographic key peculiar to the know-how of the Web service designated by the cryptographic-key issuance managing portion  115 . The cryptography processing portion  144  of the control equipment  140  translates the encrypted know-how into the XML-described statement based on the cryptographic key, and then inputs the statement into the XML interpretation processing portion  147 . The XML interpretation processing portion  147  interprets the XML-described statement into the particular measurement controlling operation and then inputs the operation into the measurement controlling portion  145 . The measurement controlling portion  145  executes the Web service to conduct the diagnosis actually. The contents of the interpretation in the XML interpretation processing portion  147  and the diagnosed result of the measurement controlling portion  145  are saved in the diagnose data saving portion  148 , and also are sent out to the facility manager via the plant operating/managing system  130 .  
         [0058]     The know-how managing server  110  calculates a charged amount required to utilize the diagnosis know-how regarding a lifetime of the pump based on the charging table registered in the service registering directory  118 , and then inputs charging data into the charging processing portion  117 . The charging processing portion  117  executes the predetermined charging process every time when the Web service is used, transfers charging history data such as the used day and time and the user of the Web service, an application range of the service, a charged amount, etc. to the charging database  119 , and stores the data in the charging database  119 .  
         [0059]     According to the know-how service system of the present embodiment, the user of the plant, the factory, or the like, for example, can introduce the optimum equipments independent of the particular vendor and also enjoy the diagnosis/operation service most suitable for these equipments via the network at need.  
         [0060]     In contrast, the vendor or the maintenance service company can provide the running/operation/diagnosis service for the user of the plant, the factory, or the like via the network without disclosure of own company&#39;s know-how and also execute the proper charging process in answer to the contents of service or the treatment level.  
         [0061]     Then, the network operator of such know-how service can provide the service that each service user needs, by gathering the information supplied from a plurality of know-how providers. Also, the network operator can perform a facilitator function to connect the know-how user and the know-how provider via charging of a fee to the service user, payment of a use fee to the know-how provider, etc. and thus accept an agency free in exchange for the service.  
         [0062]     Here, in the above embodiment, the case where the diagnosis know-how concerning a lifetime of the pump is utilized by facility-manager&#39;s own will is explained. But the present invention is not limited to the above case. For example, a self-diagnosis function may be installed in advance into the control equipment  140  and then the control equipment  140  may be repaired automatically by utilizing the know-how service when an error occurs. In this case, addresses of the Web services that provide the know-how service to eliminate various errors whose occurrence is predicted is stored in the service registering portion  146  of the control equipment  140 . When the control equipment  140  detects an occurrence of the error by a self-diagnosis function, the service searching portion  143  searches the address of the Web service from the service registering portion  146  to eliminate the error, and then carries out a predetermined know-how service. As the address of the Web service, there are an address of the know-how managing server  110 , an address of the know-how providing server  100 , an internal address that is self-completed by the control equipment  140  itself, and the like.  
         [0063]     Also, in the above embodiment, the case where the know-how described in XML is provided as the Web service is explained. But the equivalent know-how incorporated in the agent can be provided. In case an object of service is a process control system, the agent may be built up by a hierarchical structure shown in  FIG. 6  since the process control system is constructed by various equipments provided to constitute a hierarchical structure.  
         [0064]     Also, in the above embodiment, the case where the diagnosis know-how concerning a lifetime of the pump in the plant is utilized is explained. But the present invention is not limited to the above case. Also, the know-how service system regarding a life cycle management extended from installment to operation, maintenance, and scrapping of various equipments in the facility such as the factory, the hospital, or the like other than the plant can be provided and executed in the similar way.  
         [0065]     Also, in the above embodiment, an example in which a single know-how is utilized is explained. But a plurality of know-hows may be utilized in combination.  
         [0066]     Also, the know-how provider is not limited to the vendor, and the user or the maintenance service company may provide the know-how.