Abstract:
An alarm control apparatus which collects alarms from a plant and handles the alarms includes: a defining section for defining a conditioning process which is executed when performing a filtering process on the alarms; and a filtering section for performing the filtering process on the collected alarms in accordance with the conditioning process defined by the defining section.

Description:
This application claims foreign priority based on Japanese Patent application No. 2005-138582, filed May 11, 2005, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an alarm control apparatus which collects alarms from a plant and handles the alarms. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Because of the spread of a distributed control system (hereinafter, abbreviated as DCS) and advancement of a field bus network, recently, self-diagnostic information (a message or an alarm) notified from a field equipment of a plant can be handled on the DCS. 
     Therefore, alarm control, such as early detection and early response to an abnormality in a field equipment, and integrated management of detailed statuses, is available by using an alarm control apparatus which is typified by a RPM (Plant Resource Manager) connected to the DCS for communication. 
       FIG. 6  is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of a DCS to which a related alarm control apparatus is connected. The reference numeral  1  denotes a higher-level apparatus which executes operating and monitoring processes in the DCS, and which is connected to a control bus  2 . 
     The reference numeral  3  denotes a control station which is connected to the control bus  2  to communicate with the higher-level apparatus  1 , and also with field equipments (not shown) placed in a plant  4  to execute a control based on an application program. 
     The reference numeral  5  denotes a gateway which relays communication between the control bus  2  and a field bus  6  that operates on a different standard. The reference numeral  7  denotes a control station which forms a sub system, and which communicates with the higher-level apparatus  1  via the field bus  6  and the control bus  2 , and also with field equipments (not shown) placed in the plant  4  to execute a control based on an application program. 
     The reference numeral AL 1  denotes an alarm which is sent from the plant  4  to the control bus  2  via the control station  3 , and AL 2  denotes an alarm which is sent from the plant  4  to the control bus  2  via the control station  7  and the gateway  5 . 
     The reference numeral  8  denotes an OPC (OLE for Process Control) server which is connected to the control bus  2 , which collects the alarms AL 1 , AL 2 , and which passes data according to the OPC standard to the alarm control apparatus  9 . The reference numeral  10  denotes an operator of the alarm control apparatus  9 . 
     The reference numeral  11  denotes a general-purpose communication bus which is typified by Ethernet (registered trademark), and which is connected to the alarm control apparatus  9  and the higher-level apparatus  1 , and  12  denotes a client PC which obtains delivery information from the alarm control apparatus via the general-purpose communication bus  11 . 
     As required, also the higher-level apparatus  1  obtains the delivery information from the alarm control apparatus  9  via the general-purpose communication bus  11 . The reference numeral  13  denotes a maintenance staff who patrols and maintains the plant  4 , and who obtains the delivery information from the alarm control apparatus  9  via a mobile terminal  14 , and  15  denotes an operating staff who operates and monitors the higher-level apparatus  1 . 
     In the alarm control apparatus  9 ,  91  denotes data collecting and processing section for collecting the alarms AL 1 , AL 2  which are sent from the OPC server  8 , for performing required data processing on the alarms, and for storing the alarms into a database  92 . 
     The reference numeral  93  denotes an application program which reads out alarm information of a predetermined time period that is stored in the database  92 , which executes a process of analyzing the cause of a fault or the like, and which shows a result of the process to the operator  10  through a display device  94 . 
     The reference numeral  95  denotes a delivering section for reading out the alarm information stored in the database  92  on the basis of a predetermined delivery period or a delivery request, and for delivering the alarm information to the client PC  12 , the mobile terminal  14  of the maintenance staff  13 , and the higher-level apparatus  1 . 
     JP-A-2005-84774 discloses an alarm control system which collects message data of alarms generated in a process, and which analyzes behaviors of the alarms. 
     The related alarm control apparatus have the following problems. 
     (1) All alarms which are generated in the plant, and each of which is indicative of an abnormal status of an equipment are to be collected. Important alarms which require immediate response are mixed with alarms of a negligible level. The operator and maintenance staffs must conduct troublesome checking operations, and hence there is a risk of overlooking an important alarm.
 
(2) The apparatus is not provided with customizing section for enabling the user to arbitrarily add information to alarm information generated by an equipment of the plant. Therefore, a fine-tuned delivery service is not available.
 
(3) It is impossible to apply a process of stopping delivery on an alarm which is not required to be delivered.
 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an alarm control apparatus which can deliver collected alarm information after executing a predetermined conditioning process on the alarm information. 
     In some implementations, an alarm control apparatus which collects alarms from a plant and handles the alarms includes: 
     a defining section for defining a conditioning process which is executed when performing a filtering process on the alarms; and 
     a filtering section for performing the filtering process on the collected alarms in accordance with the conditioning process defined by the defining section. 
     In the alarm control apparatus of the invention, the conditioning process is customized by a user. 
     In the alarm control apparatus of the invention, the conditioning process is executed based on if-then rule. 
     In the alarm control apparatus of the invention, the conditioning process includes a stop of delivery of at least one of the alarms. 
     In the alarm control apparatus of the invention, the conditioning process includes a change of significance of at least one of the alarms. 
     In the alarm control apparatus of the invention, the conditioning process includes an attachment of a message to at least one of the alarms. 
     In the alarm control apparatus of the invention, the filtering section executes the conditioning process sequentially in an order of definitions defined by the defining section. 
     As apparent from the above description, the present invention can achieve the following effects. 
     (1) Because of the conditional filtering process, the significance of an alarm can be easily managed, and hence failures that the operator and maintenance staffs overlook an important alarm are reduced. 
     (2) Customization in which the user can arbitrarily add information to alarm information generated by an equipment of the plant is enabled. Therefore, a fine-tuned service is available. 
     (3) A process of stopping delivery can be applied on an alarm which is not required to be delivered. 
     (4) The conditioning process can be executed on the basis of a simple if-then rule. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a functional block diagram showing an embodiment of a DCS to which an alarm control apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention is connected. 
         FIG. 2  is a table showing an example of contents of alarms AL 1 , AL 2 , AL 3  which are generated in the plant and collected. 
         FIG. 3  is a table showing an example of contents of a filter condition defining file which is customizable. 
         FIGS. 4A to 4D  are image diagrams illustrating a flow of a process of filtering section. 
         FIG. 5  shows an example of a screen for customizing the filter condition defining file by a filter condition defining section. 
         FIG. 6  is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of a DCS to which a related alarm control apparatus is connected. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.  FIG. 1  is a functional block diagram showing an embodiment of a DCS to which an alarm control apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention is connected. The components identical with those of the related DCS which has been described with reference to  FIG. 6  are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description is omitted. Hereinafter, the alarm control apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention will be described. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 ,  100  denotes an alarm control apparatus to which the invention is applied. A data collecting and processing section  101 , a database  102 , an application program  103 , a display  104 , and a delivering section  105  have the same functions as the components  91  to  95  of the related alarm control apparatus which has been described with reference to  FIG. 6 , respectively. 
     The reference numeral  106  denotes a filtering section which is a principal portion of the invention, which is disposed between the data collecting and processing section  101  and the database  102 , and which applies a conditioning process on alarms stored in the database  102 . 
     The reference numeral  107  denotes a filter condition defining section that has a form of a file in which conditions are defined in accordance with an if-then rule. The filtering section  106  executes a filtering process on the basis of the definition file. 
     The reference numeral  108  denotes input section such as a keyboard. The operator  10  can freely customize the definition contents described in the file of the filter condition defining section  107 , through the input section. 
     The defining section corresponds to a portion configured by the filter condition defining section  107  and the input section  108 . 
     Hereinafter, a specific example of the filtering process will be described with reference to  FIGS. 2 to 4D .  FIG. 2  is a table showing an example of the contents of the alarms AL 1 , AL 2 , AL 3  which are generated in the plant and collected. Each of the alarms is configured by a tag name FIC 100 , FIC 200 , or FIC 300 , a message type  100 ,  200 , or  300 , the significance High, Low, or Mid, and the body text. 
       FIG. 3  is a table showing an example of the contents of the filter condition defining file which is customizable. In the example, six filter conditions F 1  to F 6  are defined on the basis of an if-then rule. According to the condition F 1  which targets on all the alarms, if the significance is Info, then the delivery is stopped. The significance Info means a level in which the alarm is not an alarm and indicates mere information. According to the condition F 2  which targets on the tag FIC 200 , the significance is compulsively set to Low. 
     According to the condition F 3  which targets on the tag FIC 100  or FIC 200 , the significance is compulsively set to High, and a message S 1  is attached. According to the condition F 4  which targets on a tag FIC 400 , the delivery is stopped. According to the condition F 5  which targets on the message type  200 , the significance is compulsively set to Mid, and a message S 2  is attached. According to the condition F 6  which targets on the message type  100 , the delivery is stopped. 
       FIGS. 4A to 4D  are image diagrams illustrating the flow of the process of the filtering section  106 .  FIG. 4A  shows the input alarms AL 1 , AL 2 , AL 3  having the alarm contents of  FIG. 2 , and  FIG. 4B  shows filter conditions according to which the contents of the filter condition defining file of  FIG. 3  are referred and the filtering process is executed. 
       FIG. 4C  shows results of the filtering process in which the contents of the input alarms AL 1 , AL 2 , AL 3  correspond with one of the filter conditions F 1  to F 6 , and (D) shows output formats of the filtering section  106  based on the filter results. 
     With respect to the input alarm AL 1 , condition correspondence is attained in the filter condition F 3 , and the significance High and the additional message S 1  are attached, but condition correspondence is attained also in the filter condition F 6 , and the delivery is stopped. Therefore, the output format of the filtering section  106  is the stop of delivery. 
     With respect to the input alarm AL 2 , condition correspondence is attained in the filter conditions F 2 , F 3 , F 5 , and the significances High, Low, Mid and the additional messages S 1 , S 2  are added. In the output format of the filtering section  106 , however, the significance High which is the highest level, and the additional messages S 1 , S 2  are added as customize information to the contents of the alarm AL 2 . 
     With respect to the input alarm AL 3 , condition correspondence is not attained by the definition contents of the filter conditions F 1  to F 6 . Therefore, customize information is not added, and the filtering section  106  outputs the contents of the alarm AL 3  as they are. 
     As described above, the filtering section  106  in the invention is characterized in that an alarm which agrees with even one of definitions of delivery stop as a result of the condition correspondence process is blocked and the delivery of the alarm is stopped. To a maintenance alarm which fails to correspond with the definitions of delivery stop, and which agrees with one of the customize definitions, all sets of customize information which are defined in all the agreed conditions are added. 
     As, among the customize definitions, a definition relating to a change of significance, the highest value which is defined in the process of filtering is used. An alarm which fails to correspond with the conditions is passed as it stands. 
       FIG. 5  shows an example of a screen for customizing the filter condition defining file with using the filter condition defining section  107 . The contents of filter conditions which have been already defined are displayed in an upper display region  107   a , and a state where condition No. 5 is being customized is currently shown. 
     Filtering conditions (FIC 01 ? and significance of message 20-40: Medium) are selected in a lower left display region  107   b , and messages to be added are defined in a lower right display region  107   c.    
     In the filter condition defining file which is referred by the filtering section  106 , and which is exemplarily shown in  FIG. 3 , plural conditions are described in an arbitrary order. Irrespective of addition or deletion due to customization, the conditioning process is executed in the description order of definitions in a time sequential manner. 
     The application of the above-described alarm control apparatus of the invention is not restricted to a PRM, and can be applied to a usual system which manages alarms. In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the alarm control apparatus  100  comprises the application program  103  which uses stored data. Alternatively, a usage configuration may be employed in which an application program is provided only in the side of the client PC  12 , and the alarm control apparatus  100  is used as a server for alarm control data. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the described preferred embodiments of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover all modifications and variations of this invention consistent with the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.