Abstract:
The objects of the present invention are to simplify the construction of the whole electric device system, to avoid cost increase, and to reduce the number of required works even if function updating, performance upgrading, etc. are requested. An electric device system, in which an electric device and a computer system are connected, and an application repository server, which intervenes between the above electric device and the above computer system and is provided with various software program modules as well as provided with panel function modules that construct display functions based on the combination of the above software program modules, is further installed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to an electric device system which comprises electric devices including programmable controllers, control devices, data acquisition devices that collect various data, recorders, oscilloscopes, and the like, that operate and monitor apparatuses installed in various industrial processes, production lines in factories, and in various experimental facilities, and a computer system that is connected to these electric devices via communication networks and exchanges various commands and data with the electric devices; a method of constructing an electric devices system; a computer program; and a computer-readable recording medium (hereinafter the recording medium is abbreviated simply as “medium”).  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     As a bibliography of prior arts relative to an electric device system which comprises various electric devices and a computer system that is connected to these electric devices via communication networks and exchanges commands and data, the one shown below is mentioned. 
        Gazette for Japanese National Open Patent Application No. 2002-503410     U.S. Pat. No. 5,805,442 Specification        
 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a configuration block diagram indicating an example of conventional electric device systems described above.  
         [0008]     In  FIG. 1 , electric device  10  which operates, monitors, and controls devices and acquires data from those devices installed in various industrial processes, production lines in factories, various experimental facilities, etc. is provided with control blocks  11  and web server  12  and further provided with web page files  13  that handle input/output data related to control blocks  11 .  
         [0009]     Control blocks  11  are the core parts of electric device  10  and operate, monitor, and control devices and acquire data from those devices installed for industrial processes, production lines, various experimental facilities, etc.  
         [0010]     Web server  12  is a block provided with ordinal web server functions which are used quite generally.  
         [0011]     Web page files  13  are the blocks which fetch data acquired by control blocks  11  and include software program components such as JAVA (registered trademark)(object-oriented programming language made by Sun Microsystems Inc.; hereafter simply called “JAVA”) Applet downloaded to a client and executed.  
         [0012]     Electric device  10  as described above is connected to a communication network L such as wired or wireless Internet, Local Area Network LAN or the like, via network interface  14 .  
         [0013]     In addition, a plurality of such electric devices  10  may also be connected to communication network L.  
         [0014]     Computer system  20  is an ordinary client computer system which is provided with display  21  and browsing software  23  and is connected to communication network L via network interface  22 .  
         [0015]     In these electric device systems, browsing software  23  in client computer system  20  accesses electric device  10  if necessary. This makes electric device  10  download various commands and data in web page files  13  from web server  12  to browsing software  23  via network interface  14 , communication network L and network interface  22  located in computer system  20 . Browsing software  23  interprets various downloaded commands and data and displays the results in display  21 .  
         [0016]     More concretely, for example, the following operations are executed: field temperature data acquired by control blocks  11  having temperature measuring functions are transmitted to computer system  20  together with thermometer graphics set in web page files  13 , and browsing software  23  receives these various commands and data, and displays thermometer graphics in display  21 .  
         [0017]     As mentioned above, in conventional electric device systems, computer system  20  implements monitoring of electric device  10  in the form of web page files.  
         [0018]     However, in conventional systems as described above, there are the following problems:  
         [0019]     Construction of the whole system is troublesome because, in many cases, multiple sets of electric device  10  are installed on communication network L and this necessitates web page files  13  and their accompanying software components to be installed for every set in advance.  
         [0020]     In addition, ordinarily electric device  10  has small memory capacity storage and the like, thus introducing a cost increase to store large capacity web page file functions, software program components etc. in large quantities.  
         [0021]     Further, when upgrading the contents of web page files  13  and accompanying software program components in response to requests for system function updating and performance upgrading, installation for every set of electric device  10  has to be done one-by-one, and so the number of installation operations becomes tremendously large.  
         [0022]     Accordingly, for the above mentioned problems to be solved, the tasks to be achieved by the present invention are to make the construction of the whole system simpler, to avoid cost increase, and to reduce the number of required operations even if function updating, performance upgrading, etc. are requested.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0023]     The present invention which is designed to achieve these objectives is composed of the following items:  
         [0024]     (1) An electric device system, in which an electric device and a computer system are connected, and an application repository server is installed, which intervenes between the above described electric device and computer system and is fitted with various software program modules as well as provided with panel function modules that construct display functions based on the combination of the above software program modules.  
         [0025]     (2) An electric device system in accordance with the description of (1), in which the above mentioned electric device is equipped with a configuration file in which arrangements of each of the above software program modules corresponding to each function of the above electric device are described.  
         [heading-0026]     (3) An electric device system in accordance with the description of (1), in which the above mentioned computer system downloads the above panel function modules to use them as panel function blocks.  
         [heading-0027]     (4) An electric device system in accordance with the description of (1) or (3), in which the above mentioned computer system is provided with a launcher that downloads the above panel function modules to use them as panel function blocks.  
         [heading-0028]     (5) An electric device system in accordance with the description of (3) or (4), in which the above mentioned panel function blocks download the above software program modules referring to the above configuration file.  
         [heading-0029]     (6) An electric device system in accordance with the description of (2) or (5), in which the above mentioned configuration file describes the information for versions of the above electric device.  
         [0030]     (7) An electric device system in accordance with the description of any of (1) to (6), in which the above mentioned computer system executes the above panel function blocks, acquires the data from the above electric device and indicates the statuses of the above electric devices in a display.  
         [heading-0031]     (8) An electric device system in accordance with the description of any of (3) to (7), in which the above mentioned computer system stores the above described panel function blocks in the storage.  
         [0032]     (9) An electric device system in accordance with the description of (8), in which the above mentioned computer system stores the downloaded above software program modules into the above described storage together with the above panel function blocks.  
         [heading-0033]     (10) An electric device system in accordance with any of the description of (1) to (9), in which the above mentioned electric device is configured integrally with the above computer system.  
         [heading-0034]     (11) An electric device system in accordance with any of the description of (1) to (10), in which the above described application repository server is installed inside the above computer system.  
         [heading-0035]     (12) A method of constructing an electric device system where an electric device is connected to a computer system, in which setting is performed in the above computer system; further comprising the following steps:  
         [none]    
       
          (a) a step downloading the panel function modules that construct the display function based on the combination of software program modules,  
          (b) a step downloading a configuration file in which arrangements of each of the above software program modules corresponding to the above mentioned electric device functions are described, and  
          (c) a step downloading the above software program modules referring to the above configuration file. 
 
 (13) A method of constructing an electric device system in accordance with the description of (12), in which the above mentioned step (a) is replaced with a launcher. 
 
 (14) A method of constructing an electric device system in accordance with the description of (12) or (13), in which the above mentioned computer system has a step to acquire data from the above electric device and to indicate the status of this electric device in the display. 
 
 (15) A computer program to be executed in a computer system which is connected to an electric device; further comprising the following steps: 
 
          (a) a step downloading the panel function modules constructing the display function based on the combination of software program modules,  
          (b) a step downloading a configuration file in which arrangements of each of the above software program modules corresponding to the above mentioned electric device functions are described, and  
          (c) a step downloading the above software program modules referring to the above configuration file. 
 
 (16) A computer program in accordance with the description of (15), in which the above mentioned step (a) is replaced with a launcher. 
 
 (17) A computer program in accordance with the description of (15) or (16), in which the above mentioned computer system has a step to acquire data from the above electric device and to indicate the status of the above electric device in the display. 
 
 (18) A computer-readable recording medium in which the computer programs to be executed in a computer system are recorded, the above computer system being connected to an electric device; further recording a computer program having the following steps: 
 
          (a) a step downloading the panel function modules constructing the display function based on the combination of software program modules,  
          (b) a step downloading a configuration file in which arrangements of each of the above software program modules corresponding to the above mentioned electric device functions are described, and  
          (c) a step downloading the above software program modules referring to the above configuration file. 
 
 (19) A computer-readable recording medium in accordance with the description of (18), in which the above mentioned step (a) is replaced with a launcher. 
 
 (20) A computer-readable recording medium in accordance with the description of (18) or (19), in which the above mentioned computer system has a step to acquire data from the above electric devices and to indicate the status of the above electric device in the display. 
 
       
     
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0053]      FIG. 1  is a configuration block diagram of a conventional electric device system.  
         [0054]      FIG. 2  is a configuration block diagram indicating an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0055]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart representing the operations of the present invention.  
         [0056]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram representing an example of installation concerning the present invention.  
         [0057]      FIG. 5  is a configuration block diagram indicating another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0058]     The present invention will be described in detail below using the drawings.  
         [0059]      FIG. 2  is a configuration block diagram indicating an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0060]     In  FIG. 2 , the present invention is composed of a system configured by electric device  100 , computer system  200 , and application repository server  300 , each connected to communication network L.  
         [0061]     Electric device  100  is connected to communication network L via network interface  101  and includes, for example, a programmable logic controller, control instrument, data acquisition equipment, oscilloscope, recorder, or the like which performs operation, monitoring, control and data acquisition of devices installed for industrial processes, production lines, etc. Electric device  100  is provided with control blocks  102 , the core of electric device  100 , and also provided with configuration file  103 .  
         [0062]     Configuration file  103  is a table-form file in which arrangements of each of the software program modules corresponding to control functions that electric device  100  concerned has, that is, at least IDs (identification numbers and the like) of the software program modules and indicating positions (coordinate values or the like) on the display in computer system  200  described later or the like are described correspondingly.  
         [0063]     Concretely, for example, if control block  102  is a block provided with temperature measuring functions, configuration file  103  specifies a software program module that constructs a thermometer graphic or the like and, in addition, specifies software program modules that realize the control function, monitoring function, etc.  
         [0064]     Computer system  200  is connected to communication network L via network interface  201  and provided with display  202 , launcher  203 , and storage  204  that is a memory means and further panel function blocks  205  are downloaded.  
         [0065]     In this case, panel function blocks  205  download the required information from application repository server  300  according to configuration file  103  in electric device  100  and form displaying information in computer system  200 .  
         [0066]     Application repository server  300  is connected to communication network L via network interface  301  and provided with module block  302 , that is provided with module m 1 , module m 2 , . . . , and, panel function modules  303  which are downloaded to computer system  200  as panel function blocks  205  together with required modules within module block  302 .  
         [0067]     Hereupon, module m 1 , module m 2  . . . are software program modules including modules related to displaying elements, modules related to data acquisition, modules related to various operations, control actions and monitoring actions and the like, and thus these are modules configured with program command groups only that are not related to data acquired by electric device  100 .  
         [0068]     To give an example, if electric device  100  is provided with temperature measuring functions, the above modules are the software program modules equivalent to each function corresponding to graphic elements such as thermometer frames, thermometer scales, etc., data acquisition functions handled within control blocks  102 , and the like.  
         [0069]     Panel function modules  303  are the software program blocks constructing the displaying information, equivalent to conventional web page files. These modules are downloaded to computer system  200  and act as panel function blocks  205 .  
         [0070]     Next, operations of the present invention configured as shown above will be described using the flow chart given in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0071]     In computer system  200 , the following procedures are implemented at system start-up to monitor the status of electric device  100  using the web page scheme:  
         [heading-0072]     (Step ST 11 )  
         [0073]     Start up launcher  203  indicated in display  202 .  
         [heading-0074]     (Step ST 12 )  
         [0075]     Check whether panel function blocks  205  are stored in storage  204  of computer system  200 .  
         [heading-0076]     (Step ST 13 )  
         [0077]     If panel function blocks  205  are not stored in storage  204 , specify URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of application repository server  300  to access the server using launcher  203  and ensure connection to network interface  301 .  
         [0078]     If panel function blocks  205  are stored in storage  204  of computer system  200  in step ST 12 , jump to step ST 17 .  
         [heading-0079]     (Step ST 14 )  
         [0080]     Next, network interface  201  of computer system  200  downloads panel function modules  303  from network interface  301  via communication network L.  
         [heading-0081]     (Step ST 15 )  
         [0082]     Confirm the setting whether downloaded panel function modules  303  are stored in computer system  200  as panel function blocks  205  or not. If setting is that panel function blocks  205  are not stored in storage  204 , jump to step ST 17  described later without storing panel function blocks  205  in storage  204 .  
         [heading-0083]     (Step ST 16 )  
         [0084]     If setting is that panel function blocks  205  are stored in storage  204 , store them in the above storage  204  in this step.  
         [heading-0085]     (Step ST 17 )  
         [0086]     In this status, computer system  200  executes panel function blocks  205 . Panel function blocks  205  operate as software programs equivalent to web page construction in computer system  200 .  
         [heading-0087]     (Step ST 21 )  
         [0088]     Subsequently, launcher  203  specifies the IP address of object electric device  100  and connects the address to network interface  101 . In addition, if a plurality of electric device  100  is connected to communication network L, the IP addresses of a plurality of electric device  100  may be specified at the same time and in this case, the same operation as steps subsequent to step ST 21  are executed for each of the specified electric devices.  
         [heading-0089]     (Step ST 22 )  
         [0090]     Next, network interface  201  of computer system  200  downloads configuration file  103  from network interface  101  of electric device  100 .  
         [0091]     In configuration file  103 , as described before, configuration of each module m 1 , m 2 , . . . corresponding to control functions which electric device  100  has, is described in the form of table, list, or map (IDs, display positions, etc.) and in addition, information for versions of electric device  100  and the like are also described.  
         [heading-0092]     (Step ST 23 )  
         [0093]     Panel function blocks  205  read downloaded configuration file  103 .  
         [heading-0094]     (Step ST 24 )  
         [0095]     Panel function blocks  205  check modules m 1 , m 2  . . . to be set in configuration file  103 . Modules to be set are assumed to be modules m 1  and m 2 , for example. Panel function blocks  205  check if modules m 1  and m 2  are stored in storage  204 . As the result of the check, if modules m 1  and m 2  are stored in storage  204 , jump to step ST 28  described later.  
         [heading-0096]     (Step ST 25 )  
         [0097]     If modules m 1  and m 2  are not stored in storage  204 , download modules m 1  and m 2  from module block  302  in application repository server  300  referring to version information and the like.  
         [heading-0098]     (Step ST 26 )  
         [0099]     Panel function blocks  205  confirm the setting if downloaded modules m 1  and m 2  are stored in storage  204 . If the setting is that modules m 1  and m 2  are not stored in storage  204 , jump to step ST 28  described later without storing them in storage  204 .  
         [heading-0100]     (Step ST 27 )  
         [0101]     If the setting is that modules m 1  and m 2  are stored in storage  204 , store them in storage  204  in this step.  
         [heading-0102]     (Step ST 28 )  
         [0103]     Subsequently, panel function blocks  205  start up modules m 1  and m 2  fetched by downloading.  
         [heading-0104]     (Step ST 29 )  
         [0105]     Modules m 1  and m 2  access control blocks  102  in electric device  100  and acquire or operate the required data. The data in this case are transferred from electric device  100  to computer system  200  using the method already known to the public, for example, using FTP (File Transfer Protocol) or the like. That is, only the data acquired by electric device  100  (process data or the like), not the program commands, are transferred from electric device  100  to computer system  200 .  
         [heading-0106]     (Step ST 30 )  
         [0107]     Subsequently, modules m 1  and m 2  implement various processing to the data obtained.  
         [heading-0108]     (Step ST 31 )  
         [0109]     Modules m 1  and m 2  indicate the processed data in display  202 .  
         [0110]     For example, temperature graphics and the like are formed and indicated in display  202 . This gives the effect equivalent to monitoring electric device  100  using web page files in computer system  200 .  
         [0111]     Figuratively speaking, panel function blocks  205  are hereupon the mounts or frames for displaying web page files, and various data or the like processed by modules m 1  and m 2  are numerical values and graphics embedded in these mounts or frames.  
         [0112]     Up to this step, operations at system start-up have been described. However, panel function blocks  205  equipped with modules m 1  and m 2  downloaded from application repository server  300  are hereinafter stored and saved in storage  204  within computer system  200 .  
         [0113]     For this reason, from the second operation onward, steps ST 12 , ST 13 , ST 14 , ST 15 , and ST 16  for downloading panel function modules  303  from application repository server  300 , and steps ST 24 , ST 25 , ST 26 , and ST 27  in which panel function blocks  205  download necessary modules m 1  and m 2  among the above mentioned actions can be omitted realizing high speed processing.  
         [0114]     It is most practical that the present invention as described above is realized as a computer program to be installed in general computer systems.  
         [0115]     Also, operability is improved if steps ST 12 , ST 13 , ST 14 , ST 15 , and ST 16 , in which panel function modules  303  are downloaded from application repository server  300  to be manipulated as panel function blocks  205 , are configured as a launcher like JAVA Web Start Application Manager.  
         [0116]     In other words, in general, if JAVA Applet is used, start-up becomes slower because application software is downloaded every time displaying is done in the browser software, but the start-up becomes dramatically faster by utilizing the JAVA Web Start function.  
         [0117]     In addition, communication network L connecting computer system  200  with application repository server  300  is the Internet or LAN (Local Area Network).  
         [0118]     Furthermore, in electric device  100 , it is sufficient to install configuration file  103  and is not necessary to install software program components to be executed originally in a client such as JAVA Applet, Active X, and the like. This enables the storage capacity in electric device  100  to be saved.  
         [0119]     In the past, up to now, software program components such as JAVA Applet, Active X and the like, were applied to each electric device. However, by uploading each of the software program elements in application repository server  300 , the present invention can deal with this problem, enabling greater efficiency.  
         [0120]     Further, if a plurality of electric device  100  connected to communication network L is to be selected, it is sufficient to specify a plurality of IP addresses of relevant electric devices  100  in step ST 21 . This enables the information from a plurality of electric device  100  to be displayed simultaneously.  
         [0121]     Furthermore, it is also acceptable to first start up processing in (step ST 21 ): “Specify the IP address of electric device  100 ” and (step ST 22 ) “Download the configuration file  103  of electric device  100 ” and subsequently execute processing in steps ST 11 , ST 12 , ST 13 , ST 14 , ST 15 , ST 16 , and ST 17 .  
         [0122]     In addition, as shown in  FIG. 4 , updating services for panel function blocks  205  in computer system  200  and module block  302  in application repository server  300  and the like can be performed at maker  500  via communication network L by installing application repository server  300  in the main office of maker  500  that has developed, manufactured and constructed electric device  100  and/or the whole system (system offerer), not around field  400  (customer) where electric devices  100  and computer system  200  are installed.  
         [0123]     Moreover, in the block diagram indicating the configuration of an embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  and the operation flow chart shown in  FIG. 3 , an example of the whole system is presented where three blocks of electric device  100 , computer system  200 , and application repository server  300  are connected to communication network L. However, device systems where electric device  100  is integrated with computer system  200  are also in the range of the applications of the present invention. That is, connection of application repository server  300  to a device system composed of electric device  100  and computer system  200  via communication network L or a control input/output (I/O) line, can give the same effect as stated above.  
         [0124]     An integrated configuration obtained by building the function of application repository server  300  into computer system  200  expressed in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  may also be employed. In this case, the same effect as described above can also be obtained.  
         [0125]     Further, as shown in  FIG. 5 , it is acceptable to equip computer system  200  with both the function of an ordinary computer system and that of application repository server  300  by setting and installing a medium, for example a CD-ROM, on which the function of application repository server  300  is recorded as a computer-readable computer program, into computer system  200 .  
         [0126]     In this case, interconnection between computer system  200  and electric device  100  may be made with control I/O line S such as a digital I/O signal line or an analog I/O signal line or the like without using communication network L.  
         [0127]     Further, when downloading modules from application repository server  300 , accounting may be requested by maker  500  for such downloading.  
         [0128]     As described above, the present invention enables easy installation works and function updating works of web page files for monitoring and operating electric devices and accompanying software components, the storage capacity of electric devices can be reduced, resulting in reduced costs.  
         [0129]     As apparent from the above description, the present invention has the following effects:  
         [heading-0130]     Makes installation and function updating works of web page files for monitoring and operating electric devices and accompanying software components easy, reduces the storage capacity of electric devices, and reduces costs.