JP7706341B2 - ENGINEERING SYSTEM, ENGINEERING APPARATUS, AND ENGINEERING METHOD - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to an engineering system consisting of multiple engineering devices, the engineering devices, and an engineering method using the engineering system.

Conventionally, there is known an engineering device that creates configuration data for operating multiple devices (e.g., a primary device and a secondary device) that monitor or control equipment installed in a facility (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The engineering device creates configuration data for each device, and downloads (receives) the created configuration data to each device, thereby constructing a facility monitoring system. Each device operates based on the configuration data downloaded from the engineering device, and monitors or controls other devices other than itself, or one or more pieces of equipment installed in the facility.

For example, a facility monitoring system includes a primary device, a secondary device connected under the primary device, and equipment connected under the secondary device. The primary device monitors or controls the secondary device under it by operating based on configuration data downloaded from the engineering equipment. The secondary device monitors or controls the equipment under it by operating based on configuration data downloaded from the engineering equipment.

When constructing a facility monitoring system, the engineering device operates in engineering mode and, for example, displays a setting screen on the display device. The setting screen is a screen for creating and checking setting data, and has items (cells) that indicate the setting data. Then, an administrator or the like performs engineering work by creating setting data using the setting screen. Then, the engineering device stores a compilation of the setting data obtained through the engineering work of the administrator or the like in a single storage unit (database) as engineering data.

JP 2020-160909 A

However, editing (creating, changing, deleting, etc.) engineering data may involve multiple administrators (engineers). For example, editing of the engineering data for the setting data for the primary device may be performed by administrators A and B, while editing of the engineering data for the setting data for the secondary device may be performed by administrators C and D.

Meanwhile, an administrator who coordinates the individual administrators (for example, Administrator X) holds the engineering data in the storage unit of the engineering device he or she uses, and manages this engineering data as master data. Administrator X makes a copy of the engineering data that he or she manages as master data, and sends this copy to the engineering device used by each administrator to request editing. Each administrator then edits the engineering data sent from Administrator X using their own engineering device, and when editing is complete, sends the edited engineering data to the engineering device used by Administrator X.

When Manager X receives the edited engineering data sent from the engineering devices used by each manager using his own engineering device, he imports (reflects) the changes made by each manager into the engineering data managed as master data. The engineering device used by Manager X and the engineering devices used by each manager constitute an engineering system.

Administrator X's engineering device operates in difference check mode when importing changes made through editing by each administrator into the engineering data managed as master data.

An overview of the operation in this case is shown in FIG. 17. When the engineering device 90 used by administrator X operates in the difference check mode, as shown in FIG. 17, for example, it extracts difference data indicating the difference between the engineering data 85 edited by administrator A using the engineering device 80 and the engineering data 95 held in the own device as master data. The engineering device 90 then reflects the extracted difference data in the engineering data 95 held in the own device. At that time, the engineering device 90 displays the extracted difference data on a display device. By checking this difference data, administrator X can understand which part of the engineering data was changed by administrator A.

When the engineering device 90 operates in the difference check mode, it can also extract differences from the setting data 75 acquired (backed up) directly from the device 70, rather than from the engineering data edited by each administrator.

As described above, in a conventional engineering system, when an engineering device 90 extracts the difference from the engineering data 95 held in the device itself, the engineering device 90 must receive the engineering data 85 (engineering data edited by administrator A) from which the difference is to be extracted, for example, from an engineering device 80 used by administrator A, as shown in FIG. 18, and compare the received engineering data 85 with the engineering data 95 held in the device itself.

However, if the volume of the engineering data 85 from which differences are to be extracted is large, transmitting this engineering data 85 to the engineering device 90 from the engineering device 80 may place a heavy load on the communications environment, potentially affecting the engineering work of other managers. To avoid this situation, for example, when transmitting the engineering data 85, the manager A must divide the engineering data 85 into multiple pieces of data before transmitting it. Thus, in conventional engineering systems, there was a problem that as the volume of engineering data increases, the efficiency of the engineering work of managers and others may decrease.

This invention has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to prevent a decline in the efficiency of engineering work that accompanies an increase in the volume of engineering data.

The engineering system according to the present invention comprises a first engineering device that holds at least a portion of engineering data that is a compilation of setting data set for a plurality of devices for monitoring or controlling equipment installed in a facility, and a second engineering device that holds engineering data including at least the data held by the first engineering device. The first engineering device comprises an editing unit that performs editing on the data held by the first engineering device, a difference extraction unit that extracts difference data indicating the difference between the data before and after editing by the editing unit, and a transmission unit that transmits the difference data extracted by the difference extraction unit to the second engineering device. The second engineering device comprises a receiving unit that receives the difference data transmitted from the transmitting unit of the first engineering device, and a reflection unit that reflects the difference data received by the receiving unit in the engineering data held by the first engineering device.

With the above-mentioned configuration, this invention makes it possible to suppress the decrease in efficiency of engineering work that accompanies an increase in the volume of engineering data.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an engineering system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a first engineering device in the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a second engineering device in the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of a first engineering device and a second engineering device in the first embodiment. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of an example of operation of a first engineering device and a second engineering device in the first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a screen on which difference data is displayed in the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which a screen on which difference data is displayed is scrolled in the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional change content display screen. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a second engineering device in the second embodiment. A diagram showing an example of operation of a second engineering device in embodiment 2. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a history display screen in the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displaying an extraction result by a differential extraction unit in the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a first engineering device in the third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a second engineering device in the third embodiment. A diagram showing an example of operation of the first engineering device and the second engineering device in embodiment 3. 13 is a diagram for explaining an example of judgment by a reflection unit in embodiment 3. FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a conventional method for extracting differences in engineering data. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a conventional method for extracting differences in engineering data.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
Embodiment 1.
1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an engineering system 1000 according to embodiment 1. As shown in FIG.

The second engineering device 20 is also connected to the primary device 30 and the secondary device 40. Here, the second engineering device 20, the primary device 30, and the secondary device 40 constitute a facility monitoring system.

In FIG. 1, the facility monitoring system has one primary device 30 and three secondary devices 40, but the number of primary devices 30 and secondary devices 40 is not limited to this. Also, the secondary devices 40 are connected to devices to be controlled or monitored, but these devices are not shown in FIG. 1.

The second engineering device 20 is used by, for example, the administrator X. The second engineering device 20 performs engineering processing including the creation of the above-mentioned setting data, and constructs a facility monitoring system. The setting data is, for example, setting data for the primary device 30 for the primary device 30 to monitor or control the secondary device 40 under it, and setting data for the secondary device 40 for the secondary device 40 to monitor or control the equipment under it. The second engineering device 20 also stores data that combines the setting data for the primary device 30 and the setting data for the secondary device 40 as engineering data in the storage unit 205 (see FIG. 3). Here, the administrator X manages the engineering data stored in the storage unit 205 as master data.

In addition, the second engineering device 20 creates a copy of the engineering data stored in the storage unit 205 and transmits the created copy of the engineering data to the first engineering device 10.

The first engineering device 10 is used by administrator A. The first engineering device 10 receives a copy of the engineering data managed as master data from the second engineering device 20. Then, the first engineering device 10 edits the engineering data received from the second engineering device 20 in accordance with instructions from administrator A. The first engineering device 10 also extracts difference data that indicates the difference between the engineering data before and after this editing. Then, the first engineering device 10 transmits the extracted difference data to the second engineering device 20.

The second engineering device 20 receives the differential data from the first engineering device 10. Then, the second engineering device 20 reflects the differential data received from the first engineering device 10 in the engineering data stored in the storage unit 205.

The primary device 30 downloads configuration data corresponding to itself from the engineering data held by the second engineering device 20 from the second engineering device 20, and monitors or controls the secondary device 40 under its control by operating based on the downloaded configuration data.

The secondary device 40 downloads from the second engineering device 20 the configuration data corresponding to itself among the engineering data held by the second engineering device 20, and operates based on the downloaded configuration data to monitor or control the equipment under its control. The equipment is installed within the facility and is composed of, for example, a sensor, a thermometer, a motor, a damper, or a power meter.

Note that, here, an example is described in which the first engineering device 10 receives a copy of the engineering data managed as master data from the second engineering device 20, but the first engineering device 10 does not necessarily need to receive a copy of the entire engineering data, and may receive, for example, a copy of at least a portion of the engineering data. For example, the first engineering device 10 may receive only a copy of the setting data that is a portion of the engineering data and that is edited by administrator A.

In addition, an example is described here in which the administrator A uses the first engineering device 10 to receive a copy of the engineering data from the second engineering device 20 via communication, but the method by which the administrator A receives the copy of the engineering data is not limited to this. For example, the administrator A may directly receive a copy of the engineering data stored in a storage medium from the administrator X, and have the first engineering device 10 read the copy of the engineering data from this storage medium.

Next, an example configuration of the first engineering device 10 and the second engineering device 20 in embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3.

<First Engineering Device 10>
2, the first engineering device 10 includes a receiving unit 101, an editing unit 102, a difference extracting unit 103, a transmitting unit 104, a registering unit 105 (a first registering unit 1051 and a second registering unit 1052), and a holding unit 106 (a first holding unit 1061 and a second holding unit 1062). The first engineering device 10 is also connected to a display device 50 such as a display.

The receiving unit 101 receives a copy of the engineering data transmitted from the transmitting unit 202 of the second engineering device 20, which will be described later.

The first registration unit 1051 registers a copy of the engineering data received by the receiving unit 101 in the first holding unit 1061.

The copy of the engineering data registered in the first holding unit 1061 by the first registration unit 1051 is substantially the same as the engineering data held by the second engineering device 20. Therefore, in the following description, the copy of the engineering data registered in the first holding unit 1061 will be simply referred to as "engineering data."

The editing unit 102 edits the engineering data registered in the first holding unit 1061 in accordance with instructions from administrator A.

The second registration unit 1052 registers the engineering data edited by the editing unit 102 in the second holding unit 1062.

The difference extraction unit 103 extracts difference data indicating the difference between the engineering data held for editing in the own device before and after editing. Specifically, the difference extraction unit 103 extracts difference data indicating the difference between the engineering data held in the first holding unit 1061 and the post-edit engineering data held in the second holding unit 1062.

The transmission unit 104 transmits the difference data extracted by the difference extraction unit 103 to the second engineering device 20.

The first holding unit 1061 holds various information used by the first engineering device 10. For example, the first holding unit 1061 holds engineering data transmitted from a transmitting unit 202 (described later) of the second engineering device 20.

The second holding unit 1062 holds various information used by the first engineering device 10. For example, the second holding unit 1062 holds engineering data edited by the editing unit 102.

The first holding unit 1061 and the second holding unit 1062 are composed of, for example, a hard disc drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a memory. In addition, while FIG. 2 shows a case where the first holding unit 1061 and the second holding unit 1062 are provided inside the first engineering device 10, the first holding unit 1061 and the second holding unit 1062 may be provided outside the first engineering device 10.

Furthermore, the functions of the receiving unit 101, the editing unit 102, the difference extraction unit 103, the transmitting unit 104, and the registration unit 105 are realized, for example, by a central processing unit (CPU) (not shown) provided in the first engineering device 10 executing a predetermined program deployed in a memory (not shown).

In the above description, the receiving unit 101 receives a copy of the engineering data from the transmitting unit 202 (described later) of the second engineering device 20, but the receiving unit 101 does not necessarily need to receive a copy of the entire engineering data. For example, the receiving unit 101 may receive a copy of at least a portion of the engineering data (e.g., a copy of the setting data that the administrator A is responsible for editing).

The first engineering device 10 may also include an output unit (not shown) that outputs the difference data extracted by the difference extraction unit 103. For example, the output unit may output the difference data extracted by the difference extraction unit 103 to a file.

In addition, FIG. 2 shows a case where the receiving unit 101 and the registration unit 105 are provided in the first engineering device 10, but these units are not essential components and may be omitted.

<Second Engineering Device 20>
3, the second engineering device 20 includes a generating unit 201, a transmitting unit 202, a receiving unit 203, a reflecting unit 204, and a retaining unit 205. The second engineering device 20 is also connected to a display device 60 such as a display.

The storage unit 205 stores various information used by the second engineering device 20. For example, the storage unit 205 stores engineering data that is a compilation of setting data set for multiple devices (primary device 30 and secondary device 40) for monitoring or controlling equipment installed in a facility. Here, the engineering data stored in the storage unit 205 is managed as master data.

The generation unit 201 generates a copy of the engineering data stored in the storage unit 205.

The transmitting unit 202 transmits a copy of the engineering data generated by the generating unit 201 to the first engineering device 10.

The receiving unit 203 receives the differential data transmitted from the transmitting unit 104 of the first engineering device.

The reflection unit 204 reflects the differential data received by the receiving unit 203 into the engineering data stored in the storage unit 205.

The storage unit 205 is composed of, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a memory. In addition, while FIG. 2 shows a case where the storage unit 205 is provided inside the second engineering device 20, the storage unit 205 may be provided outside the second engineering device 20.

The functions of the generating unit 201, the transmitting unit 202, the receiving unit 203, and the reflecting unit 204 are realized, for example, by a central processing unit (CPU) (not shown) provided in the second engineering device 20 executing a predetermined program deployed in a memory (not shown).

The second engineering device 20 may also include, in addition to the receiving unit 203, a receiving unit (not shown) that receives difference data indicating the difference between at least a portion of the engineering data before and after the data is edited. The reflecting unit 204 may reflect the difference data received by the receiving unit into the engineering data held in the holding unit 205.

In addition, FIG. 3 shows a case where the generating unit 201 and the transmitting unit 202 are provided in the second engineering device 20, but these units are not essential components and may be omitted.

Next, an example of the operation of the first engineering device 10 and the second engineering device 20 in embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the first engineering device 10 and the second engineering device 20 in embodiment 1. Also, Figure 5 is a diagram explaining an overview of an example of the operation of the second engineering device 20 in embodiment 1. Note that numbers such as ST401 in Figure 5 correspond to the step numbers in the flowchart shown in Figure 4.

For ease of understanding, it is assumed here that administrator A uses the first engineering device 10 to receive a copy of the engineering data from the second engineering device 20 via communication.

First, the generation unit 201 of the second engineering device 20 generates a copy of the engineering data stored in the storage unit 205 of the second engineering device 20 (step ST401).

Next, the transmitting unit 202 of the second engineering device 20 transmits a copy of the engineering data generated by the generating unit 201 in step ST401 to the first engineering device 10 (step ST402).

Next, the receiving unit 101 of the first engineering device 10 receives a copy of the engineering data transmitted from the transmitting unit 202 of the second engineering device 20 (step ST403).

Next, the first registration unit 1051 of the first engineering device 10 registers a copy of the engineering data received by the receiving unit 101 in step ST403 in the first holding unit 1061 (step ST404). In the following explanation, as described above, the copy of the engineering data registered in the first holding unit 1061 will be simply referred to as "engineering data".

Next, the editing unit 102 of the first engineering device 10 edits the engineering data registered in the first holding unit 1061 in response to instructions from administrator A (step ST405).

Next, the second registration unit 1052 of the first engineering device 10 registers the engineering data edited by the editing unit 102 in the second holding unit 1062 (step ST406).

Next, the difference extraction unit 103 of the first engineering device 10 extracts difference data indicating the difference between the engineering data held in the first holding unit 1061 and the edited engineering data held in the second holding unit 1062 (step ST407). Note that the extraction of the difference data by the difference extraction unit 103 is performed when the first engineering device 10 operates in the difference check mode.

Next, the transmission unit 104 of the first engineering device 10 transmits the difference data extracted by the difference extraction unit 103 to the second engineering device 20 (step ST408).

The display control unit (not shown) of the first engineering device 10 may cause the display device 50 to display a screen showing the difference data extracted by the difference extraction unit 103 in step ST407.

An example screen in this case is shown in Figure 6. In the example screen in Figure 6, the difference data extracted by the difference extraction unit 103 is displayed. In the center of the screen in Figure 6, information about the two engineering data to be compared is displayed.

For example, the column on the left center of the screen displays information about the pre-edited engineering data stored in the first storage unit 1061. Here, the pre-edited engineering data is composed of setting data for two devices (Device 1 and Device 2).

In addition, the column on the right side of the center of the screen displays information about the edited engineering data stored in the second storage unit 1062. Here, the edited engineering data also consists of setting data for two devices (Device 1 and Device 2).

Also, difference data 601 extracted by the difference extraction unit 103 based on the engineering data before and after editing is displayed at the bottom center of the screen. As shown in FIG. 6, the difference data 601 is composed of multiple difference numbers. Furthermore, each difference number is composed of, for example, a "UD code," a "device name," and a "difference result." The "UD code" and "device name" indicate the UD code and name of the device from which the difference was extracted.

The "difference result" is composed of the "corresponding screen," "discrimination information," "corresponding item," "comparison source setting value," and "comparison destination setting value." The "corresponding screen" indicates the screen from which the difference was extracted, and the "discrimination information" indicates the position of the item (cell) from which the difference was extracted within the corresponding screen. The "corresponding item" indicates the name of the item from which the difference was extracted, the "comparison source setting value" indicates the setting value of the corresponding item in the comparison source (before editing was performed), and the "comparison destination setting value" indicates the setting value of the corresponding item in the comparison destination (after editing was performed).

For example, difference No. 1 displays the difference data for the setting data for Device 1 contained in the engineering data. Here, it can be seen that, among the setting data for Device 1, the setting data for which the relevant screen is "Function > I/O Object", the discrimination information is "BO-1-1", and the relevant item is "Name" has been changed from "Heat Source Group Command" to "Heat Source Group Command a".

Similarly, Difference No. 2 displays the difference data for the setting data for Device 2 contained in the engineering data. Here, it can be seen that, among the setting data for Device 2, the setting data for which the relevant screen is "Functions > I/O Objects", the discrimination information is "AO-1-2", and the relevant item is "Minimum Value" has been changed from "0" to "10".

In this way, the display control unit of the first engineering device 10 causes the display device 50 to display a screen showing the difference data extracted by the difference extraction unit 103. This allows the manager A to check which parts of the engineering data have been changed. The manager A can also check whether there are any omissions in the edits he or she made.

In addition, the display control unit of the first engineering device 10 may display the corresponding screen on which the changes have been made on the display device 50 in response to an instruction from administrator A.

For example, in the example screen of FIG. 6, administrator A selects difference No. 1 from difference data 601, and while difference No. 1 is selected, he or she presses the corresponding information display icon 602 displayed on the right side of the screen.

When this press is received by the reception unit (not shown) of the first engineering device 10, the display control unit obtains the setting data (screen configuration data) required to display the "Functions > I/O Objects" screen, which is the corresponding screen of Device 1, from the pre-edited engineering data registered in the first holding unit 1061. The display control unit also obtains the setting data (screen configuration data) required to display the "Functions > I/O Objects" screen, which is the corresponding screen of Device 1, from the post-edited engineering data registered in the second holding unit 1062.

Then, the display control unit uses the screen configuration data obtained from the engineering data before editing to generate the "Functions > I/O Objects" screen in the pre-edited state, and similarly uses the screen configuration data obtained from the engineering data after editing to generate the "Functions > I/O Objects" screen in the post-edited state, and displays these screens side by side on the display device 50.

An example of the display in this case is shown in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 7, the display control unit displays the "Functions > I/O Objects" screen for Device 1 in the state before editing on the left center of the screen, and in the state after editing on the right center of the screen. At this time, the display control unit may also display the display color of the items (cells) in which the "comparison source setting value" and "comparison destination setting value" from which the difference was extracted are displayed, for example, in red.

In addition, if the "Functions > I/O Objects" screen displayed on the display device 50 is long enough to be scrolled left and right in FIG. 7, and the actually changed "Comparison Source Setting Value" and "Comparison Destination Setting Value" items are not displayed on the screen, the display control unit may automatically scroll the screen so that the changed "Comparison Source Setting Value" and "Comparison Destination Setting Value" items are displayed.

In this regard, in the past, it was time-consuming for administrators to check the changed contents. For example, in the past, when administrators wanted to check the changed contents, they would click on a node in the tree displayed on the left side of the change contents display screen as shown in FIG. 8, and a screen displaying the setting data related to that node would be displayed on the display device. Then, on this screen, administrators would need to search for the setting values that are differences. Note that in the past, information showing how many setting values there were in total that were differences was not displayed, and there was no function to scroll the screen to the setting values that were differences, so it was time-consuming for administrators to check the differences.

On the other hand, with the first engineering device 10, as described above, administrator A can easily check the changed items without having to scroll the screen himself, significantly reducing the effort required for checking compared to the conventional method.

Next, the receiver 203 of the second engineering device 20 receives the differential data transmitted from the transmitter 104 of the first engineering device 10 (step ST409).

Next, the reflection unit 204 of the second engineering device 20 reflects the differential data received by the receiving unit 203 in step ST409 into the engineering data stored in the storage unit 205 of the second engineering device 20 (step ST410).

Note that, here, an example has been described in which the administrator A uses the first engineering device 10 to receive a copy of the engineering data from the second engineering device 20 via communication, but if the administrator A receives a copy of the engineering data by some other method (e.g., via a storage medium) and registers it in the first holding unit 1061, steps ST401 to ST404 may be omitted.

In this way, in the engineering system 1000 according to the first embodiment, the first engineering device 10 that performed the edit on the engineering data extracts difference data indicating the difference that occurred before and after the edit, and transmits the extracted difference data to the second engineering device 20.

Since the differential data indicates only the edited content by the first engineering device 10, its capacity is sufficiently small compared to the capacity of the entire engineering data. Therefore, in the engineering system 1000, the load on the communication environment can be reduced compared to the conventional configuration in which the first engineering device transmits the entire edited engineering data, which has a large capacity, to the second engineering device. In addition, it is possible to avoid affecting other administrators who use the same communication environment, and to suppress a decrease in the work efficiency of other administrators.

In addition, when sending the edited engineering data to the second engineering device, administrator A no longer needs to split the engineering data into multiple pieces of data, which helps prevent a decrease in his or her own work efficiency.

In the above description, an example has been described in which the second engineering device 20 stores engineering data in the storage unit 205, and transmits a copy of this engineering data to the first engineering device 10. Also, an example has been described in which the first engineering device 10 edits the engineering data received from the second engineering device 20, and extracts difference data that indicates the difference between the engineering data before and after the editing.

However, this is not limited to the above, and the first engineering device 10 may edit at least a portion of the engineering data and extract difference data indicating the difference between the edited data and the engineering data.

For example, the first engineering device 10 receives a copy of the engineering data from the second engineering device 20 and registers the received copy of the engineering data in the first holding unit 1061. After that, the first engineering device 10 acquires (backs up) setting data from any secondary device 40 in response to an instruction from the administrator A, and edits the acquired setting data (i.e., a portion of the engineering data). Then, the first engineering device 10 extracts difference data indicating the difference between the edited setting data and the engineering data held in the first holding unit 1061, and transmits the extracted difference data to the second engineering device 20. Then, the second engineering device 20 may reflect the received difference data in the engineering data held in the holding unit 205.

Alternatively, in the above case, the second engineering device 20 may not store the entire engineering data in the storage unit 205, but may store, for example, the setting data acquired from all the secondary devices 40 (i.e., the engineering data including at least the setting data stored in the first engineering device 10) in the storage unit 205. In this case, the second engineering device 20 transmits a copy of the setting data acquired from all the secondary devices 40 to the first engineering device 10. Then, the first engineering device 10 registers the received copy of the setting data in the first storage unit 1061. After that, the first engineering device 10 acquires (backs up) the setting data from any secondary device 40 in response to an instruction from the administrator A, and edits the acquired setting data (i.e., a part of the engineering data). Then, the first engineering device 10 extracts difference data indicating the difference between the edited setting data and the setting data acquired from all the secondary devices 40 stored in the first storage unit 1061, and transmits the extracted difference data to the second engineering device 20. Then, in the second engineering device 20, the received differential data may be reflected in the configuration data acquired from all secondary devices 40 and stored in the storage unit 205.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the engineering system 1000 includes a first engineering device 10 that holds at least a part of the engineering data that is a compilation of setting data set for a plurality of devices for monitoring or controlling equipment installed in a facility, and a second engineering device 20 that holds engineering data including at least the data held by the first engineering device 10. The first engineering device 10 includes an editing unit 102 that performs editing on the data held by the first engineering device, a difference extraction unit 103 that extracts difference data indicating the difference between the data before and after editing by the editing unit 102, and a transmission unit 104 that transmits the difference data extracted by the difference extraction unit 103 to the second engineering device 20. The second engineering device 20 includes a receiving unit 203 that receives the difference data transmitted from the transmitting unit 104 of the first engineering device 10, and a reflecting unit 204 that reflects the difference data received by the receiving unit 203 in the engineering data held by the first engineering device. As a result, the manager A who uses the first engineering device 10 does not need to send large amounts of data, and does not have to take the trouble of dividing the data into multiple pieces of data. In addition, the load on the communication environment can be reduced compared to conventional methods, and the impact on other managers who use the same communication environment can be avoided. Therefore, the engineering system 1000 can suppress a decrease in the efficiency of the engineering work of managers and others that occurs due to an increase in the volume of engineering data.

The first engineering device 10 also includes a display control unit that displays the difference data extracted by the difference extraction unit 103 on the display device 50. This allows the manager A to check which parts of the engineering data have been changed. The manager A can also check whether there are any omissions in the edits he or she has made.

Embodiment 2.
In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which the first engineering device 10 transmits differential data extracted based on engineering data before and after a change to the second engineering device 20, and the second engineering device 20 reflects the differential data received from the first engineering device 10 in the engineering data held by the second engineering device 20. In the second embodiment, an example will be described in which the second engineering device 20 reflects the differential data in the engineering data held by the second engineering device 20 and then restores (rolls back) the engineering data to a state before the reflection.

For example, in the first embodiment, there are cases where the difference data transmitted from the first engineering device 10 contains an error. For example, in the first engineering device 10, a change is made to an item that should not have been changed, and this point is overlooked and the difference data is transmitted.

In that case, if the differential data is reflected in the engineering data held by the second engineering device 20, the errors contained in the differential data will remain in the engineering data managed as master data. Therefore, it is desirable for the second engineering device 20 to restore the engineering data held by itself to the state before the reflection. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the second engineering device 20 is made capable of restoring the engineering data held by itself to the state before the reflection.

Note that the first engineering device 10b in embodiment 2 has the same configuration as the first engineering device 10 in embodiment 1, so illustrations and explanations thereof are omitted.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the second engineering device 20b in the second embodiment. The second engineering device 20b in the second embodiment is obtained by adding a history generation unit 206, a display control unit 207, a reception unit 208, and a recovery unit 209 to the second engineering device 20 in the first embodiment. The other configuration of the second engineering device 20b is similar to that of the second engineering device 20 in the first embodiment, so the same reference numerals are used and the description thereof is omitted.

The history generation unit 206 generates change history data in which information indicating the date and time when reflection was performed by the reflection unit 204 is added to the difference data.

The display control unit 207 causes the change history data generated by the history generation unit 206 to be displayed on the display device 60.

The reception unit 208 receives an instruction to restore the engineering data stored in the storage unit 205 from an administrator (e.g., administrator X).

When the reception unit 208 receives a restoration instruction from an administrator or the like, the restoration unit 209 restores the engineering data stored in the storage unit 205 to the state before reflection by the reflection unit 204. The restoration unit 209 can also perform restoration in units of the date and time included in the change history data generated by the history generation unit 206.

Next, an example of the operation of the second engineering device 20b according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 10. In the following, an example will be described in which the recovery unit 209 performs recovery in units of the date and time included in the change history data generated by the history generation unit 206.

First, the history generation unit 206 generates change history data in which information indicating the date and time when the reflection unit 204 reflected the difference data is added to the difference data (step ST1001). Note that the history generation unit 206 may output the generated change history data to a file.

Next, the display control unit 207 causes the display device 60 to display a history display screen on which the change history data generated by the history generation unit 206 is displayed (step ST1002).

Here, an example of the history display screen is shown in FIG. 11. The history display screen is a screen on which change history data generated by the history generation unit 206 is displayed.

The "Import No." in the example screen of FIG. 11 indicates the unit of import when the differential data was imported (reflected) into the engineering data. In other words, differential data imported at the same time is managed with the same import No. In the example of FIG. 11, the differential data from the first to third lines was imported at the same import date and time (2021/01/10 10:10:20), and this differential data is managed as Import No. 1.

In the example of FIG. 11, the differential data from the 4th to 9th lines are imported at the same import date and time (2021/02/22 13:40:50), and this differential data is managed as Import No. 2.

Similarly, in the example of FIG. 11, the difference data from lines 10 to 12 was imported at the same import date and time (2021/04/01 09:03:12), and this difference data is managed as Import No. 3.

Note that the items to the right of the "Difference No." in the example screen of FIG. 11 are generally the same as the items included in the difference data 601 described in FIG. 6. In FIG. 11, the "Difference result" described in FIG. 6 is displayed as "Imported item," the "Comparison source setting value" is displayed as "Pre-import setting value," and the "Comparison destination setting value" is displayed as "Post-import setting value."

In this way, the change history data is updated every time difference data is incorporated into the engineering data. At that time, the change history data is updated in such a way that a new change history is added to the change history up to the previous time. At this time, the history generation unit 206 may assign a version each time the change history data is updated, and generate change history data for each version.

In step ST1002, after the history display screen is displayed on the display device 60, the reception unit 208 receives an instruction to restore the engineering data stored in the storage unit 205 from the administrator X (step ST1003).

For example, if administrator X looks at the history display screen displayed on the display device 60 and notices that there is an error in the differential data imported into the engineering data, he or she issues an instruction to restore the engineering data.

At that time, the administrator X presses the rollback icon 1101 displayed in the operation area at the right end of the history display screen in FIG. 11. At that time, the administrator X also checks the change history data displayed on the history display screen in FIG. 11 and instructs which import number to cancel the import, that is, the date and time to which the engineering data should be restored.

Next, when a recovery instruction is received from administrator X by reception unit 208, recovery unit 209 recovers the engineering data held in holding unit 205 to the state before reflection by reflection unit 204 based on the change history data generated by history generation unit 206 (step ST1004).

Specifically, the recovery unit 209 recovers the engineering data to a past point in time in units of import No. For example, when the reception unit 208 receives an instruction from the administrator X to cancel the import of import No. 3, the recovery unit 209 cancels the import of import No. 3 for the engineering data and restores the state of the engineering data to the point when the import of import No. 2 was completed.

At this time, the restoration unit 209 refers to the changes indicated by the differential data managed by import No. 3, and restores the state of the engineering data by reverting the changes. For example, the restoration unit 209 restores the setting data for Device 1, in which the corresponding screen is "Function>I/O Object", the discrimination information is "BO-1-1", and the corresponding item is "Name", from the post-import setting value "Heat Source Group Command a" to the pre-import setting value "Heat Source Group Command".

Similarly, the recovery unit 209 restores the setting data for Device 2, where the relevant screen is "Functions > I/O Objects", the discrimination information is "AO-1-2", and the relevant item is "Minimum Value", from the post-import setting value of "10" to the pre-import setting value of "0".

The recovery unit 209 cannot perform the above recovery by omitting (skip) canceling the contents imported after the specified import number. For example, when the reception unit 208 receives an instruction from the administrator X to cancel the import of import number 2, the recovery unit 209 must also cancel the import contents of import number 3.

In this way, when the second engineering device 20b receives an instruction to restore the engineering data, it restores the engineering data to the state before it was reflected by the reflection unit 204 based on the change history data. In addition, at that time, the second engineering device 20b restores the engineering data to the past import point in import number units. This allows the administrator, etc. to easily restore the engineering data to the desired point, improving workability.

The second engineering device 20b also generates change history data indicating the change history of the engineering data based on the engineering data before and after reflection by the reflection unit 204, and displays the generated change history data on the display device 60. This allows the administrator or the like to easily check how the engineering data was actually changed.

In addition, when the change history data is generated for each version by the history generation unit 206, the second engineering device 20b may be provided with a difference extraction unit (not shown) that extracts the differences between the change history data of different versions.

For example, the difference extraction unit of the second engineering device 20b extracts the difference between the change history data generated by the history generation unit 206, which is the change history data generated after import No. 1 is imported (e.g., version 1), and the change history data generated by the history generation unit 206, which is the change history data generated after import No. 3 is imported (e.g., version 3).

The display control unit 207 may also cause the display device 60 to display a screen that displays the extraction results by the difference extraction unit. For example, the display control unit 207 causes the display device 60 to display a screen as shown in FIG. 12. The screen shown in FIG. 12 is an example of a screen that displays the extraction results by the difference extraction unit.

In FIG. 12, the left center of the screen displays the change history data generated by the history generation unit 206, which is the change history data generated after import No. 1 was imported. The right center of the screen displays the change history data generated by the history generation unit 206, which is the change history data generated after import No. 3 was imported.

In this case, the difference extraction unit extracts the import of import No. 2 and the import of import No. 3 as the difference between the two data. In this case, the display control unit 207 may display a symbol (here, a ">" in a circle) indicating that they have been extracted as differences, for example, at the left end of the line displaying the import of import No. 2 and the import of import No. 3.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, the second engineering device 20b includes a reception unit 208 that receives an instruction to restore the engineering data held in the holding unit 205, and a restoration unit 209 that restores the engineering data held in the holding unit 205 to the state before the data was reflected by the reflection unit 204 when the restoration instruction is received by the reception unit 208. This allows an administrator, for example, to return the engineering data to the state before the reflection by the reflection unit 204, when an error is contained in the contents reflected by the reflection unit 204.

The second engineering device 20b also includes a history generation unit 206 that generates change history data in which information indicating the date and time when reflection was performed by the reflection unit 204 is added to the differential data, and the recovery unit 209 performs recovery in units of the date and time included in the change history data generated by the history generation unit 206. This allows the administrator or the like to easily recover engineering data up to a desired point in time, improving workability.

Embodiment 3.
In the second embodiment, an example was described in which the second engineering device 20b generates change history data and restores the engineering data held therein based on the change history data in units of import numbers of the change history data. In the third embodiment, an example will be described in which changes can be imported into the engineering data in units of import numbers of the change history data.

For ease of explanation, an example will be described in which the change history data generated by the second engineering device 20b in embodiment 2 is sent to the first engineering device 10, and the first engineering device imports the changes into the engineering data stored in the first storage unit 1061 in units of the import number of the change history data.

Figure 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the first engineering device 10c in the third embodiment. In the first engineering device 10c in the third embodiment, the receiving unit 101 is changed to a receiving unit 101c, and a reflecting unit 107 is added to the first engineering device 10 in the first embodiment. The other configuration of the first engineering device 10c is similar to that of the first engineering device 10 in the first embodiment, so the same reference numerals are used and the description thereof is omitted.

The receiving unit 101c receives a copy of the engineering data transmitted from the transmitting unit 202c (described later) of the second engineering device 20c. The receiving unit 101c also receives the change history data transmitted from the transmitting unit 202c (described later) of the second engineering device 20c.

The reflection unit 107 reflects the change history indicated by the change history data received by the receiving unit 101c into the engineering data stored in the first storage unit 1061 in units of the date and time when the change was made.

Figure 14 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the second engineering device 20c in the third embodiment. In the second engineering device 20c in the third embodiment, the transmitting unit 202 is changed to a transmitting unit 202c in comparison with the second engineering device 20b in the second embodiment. The other configurations of the second engineering device 20c are similar to those of the second engineering device 20b in the second embodiment, so the same reference numerals are used and the description thereof is omitted.

The transmission unit 202c transmits a copy of the engineering data generated by the generation unit 201 to the first engineering device 10. The transmission unit 202c also transmits the change history data generated by the history generation unit 206 to the first engineering device 10c.

Next, an example of the operation of the first engineering device 10c and the second engineering device 20c in embodiment 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 15.

First, the transmission unit 202c of the second engineering device 20c transmits the change history data generated by the history generation unit 206 to the first engineering device 10c (step ST1501). For example, the transmission unit 202c of the second engineering device 20c transmits the change history data (change history data including imports No. 1 to No. 3) described in FIG. 11 as the change history data generated by the history generation unit 206 to the first engineering device 10c.

Next, the receiving unit 101c of the first engineering device 10c receives the change history data transmitted from the transmitting unit 202c of the second engineering device 20c (step ST1502).

Next, the reflection unit 107 of the first engineering device 10c reflects the change history indicated by the change history data received by the receiving unit 101c into the engineering data stored in the first storage unit 1061 in units of the date and time when the change was made (step ST1203).

Here, in the first holding unit 1061 of the first engineering device 10c, as in the first embodiment, (a copy of) the engineering data transmitted from the transmitting unit 202c of the second engineering device 20c is registered. Furthermore, this engineering data is data that has not yet been modified.

The reflection unit 107 of the first engineering device 10c then imports (reflects) the change history indicated by the change history data received by the receiving unit 101c into the engineering data stored in the first storage unit 1061 in units of the date and time when the change was made, i.e., in units of the import number.

At this time, the change history up to which import number is to be imported into the engineering data is instructed, for example, by administrator A. Furthermore, when importing change history up to a certain import number, the reflection unit 107 cannot omit (skip) importing change history for import numbers prior to that import number.

For example, if administrator A issues an instruction to import the change history up to import No. 3 into the engineering data, the reflection unit 107 also imports the change history from imports No. 1 and No. 2, which precede import No. 3, into the engineering data. This is because, as described above, the change history data is updated in such a way that new change history is added to the change history up to the previous time. In other words, since new change history is added on the premise that the change history up to the previous time exists, the reflection unit 107 maintains the consistency of the engineering data by making it impossible to import only the new change history without importing the change history up to the previous time.

In addition, as a prerequisite for the import by the reflection unit 107, the engineering data held in the first holding unit 1061 of the first engineering device 10c and the engineering data held in the holding unit 205 of the second engineering device 20c must be the same data at the time of the import. For example, if the above two pieces of engineering data are separate engineering data, even if the reflection unit 107 imports the change history data into the engineering data held in the first holding unit 1061, there is a possibility that a problem will occur in the engineering data after import, or that the results will not be as intended by the administrator, etc.

Therefore, to avoid such a situation, the reflection unit 107 may perform the following checks when importing the change history data into the engineering data stored in the first storage unit 1061.

For example, the reflection unit 107 compares the value of the "pre-import setting value" in the change history managed by each import number in the change history data with the value corresponding to the "pre-import setting value" in the engineering data held in the first holding unit 1061, and checks whether the two match.

For example, in the change history data described in FIG. 11, the value of the "pre-import setting value" in the first line of the change history managed by import No. 1 is "input." Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16, the reflection unit 107 checks whether the value corresponding to the "pre-import setting value" in the engineering data held in the first holding unit 1061 is "input." As a result, if the value corresponding to the "pre-import setting value" in the engineering data held in the first holding unit 1061 is "input," the reflection unit 107 determines that the two match.

On the other hand, if the value corresponding to the "pre-import setting value" in the engineering data held in the first holding unit 1061 is not set as "input", or if there is no value corresponding to the "pre-import setting value" in the engineering data held in the first holding unit 1061, it is determined that the two do not match.

The reflection unit 107 then performs the above-mentioned check on all "pre-import setting values" in the change history managed by each import number of the change history data. If the check results in no mismatches, the reflection unit 107 imports the change history data into the engineering data held in the first holding unit 1061. This allows the reflection unit 107 to avoid situations in which problems occur in the engineering data after import, or where the results are not as intended by the administrator, etc.

In the above description, an example has been described in which the change history data generated by the second engineering device 20b is transmitted to the first engineering device 10c, and the first engineering device 10c imports the changes into the engineering data stored in the first storage unit 1061 in units of the import number of the change history data. However, this is not limited to the above, and for example, the reflection unit 107 of the first engineering device 10c may import the changes indicated by the change history data into the edited engineering data stored in the second storage unit 1062.

Alternatively, after the recovery unit 209 has restored the engineering data held in the holding unit 205, if the second engineering device 20c wishes to re-incorporate the changes indicated by the change history data into the engineering data held in the holding unit 205, the second engineering device 20c may incorporate the changes indicated by the change history data into the engineering data held in the holding unit 205.

As described above, according to the third embodiment, the transmission unit 202c of the second engineering device 20c transmits the change history data generated by the history generation unit 206 to the first engineering device 10c, and the reception unit 101c of the first engineering device 10c receives the change history data transmitted from the transmission unit 202c of the second engineering device 20c. The first engineering device 10c also includes a reflection unit 107 that reflects the change history indicated by the change history data received by the reception unit 101c in the engineering data held in the first holding unit 1061 in units of the date and time when the change was made. This allows the administrator or the like to reflect the change history indicated by the change history data generated by the second engineering device 20c in the engineering data held in the first engineering device 10c.

In addition, when the reflection unit 107 reflects the change history up to a certain date and time in the engineering data held in the first holding unit 1061, the reflection unit 107 also reflects the change history up to a date and time prior to that date and time in the engineering data. This allows the first engineering device 10c to maintain the consistency of the engineering data held in the first holding unit 1061.

The reflection unit 107 also compares the setting value before the change, which is included in the change history indicated by the change history data, with the value corresponding to the setting value in the engineering data held by the first holding unit 1061, and reflects the change if they match. This allows the first engineering device 10c to avoid situations in which defects occur in the engineering data after import, or the results do not match those intended by the administrator, etc.

In addition, within the scope of the present invention, it is possible to freely combine the various embodiments, modify any of the components of each embodiment, or omit any of the components of each embodiment.

10, 10c First engineering device 20, 20b, 20c Second engineering device 30 Primary device 40 Secondary device 50, 60 Display device 70 Device 75 Setting data 80, 90 Engineering device 85, 95 Engineering data 101, 101c Receiving unit 102 Editing unit 103 Difference extraction unit 104 Transmitting unit 105 Registration unit 106 Holding unit 107 Reflecting unit 201 Generating unit 202, 202c Transmitting unit 203 Receiving unit 204 Reflecting unit 205 Holding unit 206 History generating unit 207 Display control unit 208 Accepting unit 209 Recovery unit 601 Difference data 602 Information display icon 1000 Engineering system 1051 First registration unit 1052 Second registration unit 1061 First holding unit 1062 Second holding unit 1101 Rollback icons A, B, C, D, X Administrator

Claims (6)

a first engineering device that holds at least a portion of engineering data that is a compilation of setting data set for a plurality of devices for monitoring or controlling equipment installed in a facility; and a second engineering device that holds the engineering data that includes at least the data held by the first engineering device;
The first engineering device is
an editing section for editing data stored in the device;
a difference extraction unit that extracts difference data indicating a difference between the data before and after the editing unit applies editing;
a transmission unit that transmits the difference data extracted by the difference extraction unit to the second engineering device,
The second engineering device is
a receiving unit that receives the difference data transmitted from the transmitting unit of the first engineering device;
a reflecting unit that reflects the difference data received by the receiving unit in engineering data held in the device itself;
a reception unit that receives an instruction to restore engineering data held in the device;
a recovery unit that recovers the engineering data held in the device itself to a state before the data was reflected by the reflection unit when the recovery instruction is received by the reception unit;
a history generating unit that generates change history data in which information indicating a date and time when the reflection was performed by the reflection unit is added to the difference data;
a transmission unit that transmits the change history data generated by the history generation unit to the first engineering device,
The recovery unit includes:
The restoration is performed in units of dates and times included in the change history data generated by the history generation unit,
The first engineering device further comprises:
a receiving unit that receives the change history data transmitted from the transmitting unit of the second engineering device;
a reflecting unit that reflects the change history indicated by the change history data received by the receiving unit in data held in the device;
An engineering system comprising: The first engineering device is
2. The engineering system according to claim 1, further comprising a display control unit for displaying the difference data extracted by the difference extraction unit on a display device. The reflection unit of the first engineering device
The engineering system described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that when the change history indicated by the change history data up to a certain date and time is reflected in data held by the device, the change history up to a date and time prior to that date and time is also reflected in the data. The reflection unit of the first engineering device
The engineering system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the setting data before the change, which is included in the change history indicated by the change history data, is compared with data corresponding to the setting data among data stored in the own device , and the reflection is performed if the two are identical. an editing unit that edits at least a part of engineering data that is a compilation of setting data that is set for a plurality of devices for monitoring or controlling equipment installed in the facility;
a difference extraction unit that extracts difference data indicating a difference between the data before and after the editing unit applies editing;
an output unit that outputs the difference data extracted by the difference extraction unit;
a receiving unit that receives change history data to which information indicating a date and time when the difference data output from the output unit was reflected in the engineering data is added;
a reflecting unit that reflects the change history indicated by the change history data received by the receiving unit in data held in the device;
An engineering device comprising: a first engineering device that holds at least a portion of engineering data that is a compilation of setting data that is set for a plurality of devices for monitoring or controlling equipment installed in a facility;
a second engineering device that holds engineering data including at least data held by the first engineering device,
a step of extracting difference data indicating a difference between engineering data held in the first engineering device and engineering data held in the first engineering device before and after the engineering data is edited;
a transmitting unit of the first engineering device transmitting the difference data extracted by the difference extracting unit to the second engineering device;
a receiving unit of the second engineering device receiving the difference data transmitted from the transmitting unit of the first engineering device;
a reflecting unit of the second engineering device reflecting the difference data received by the receiving unit of the second engineering device in engineering data held in the second engineering device;
a step of generating change history data by a history generating unit of the second engineering device, the change history data being added to the difference data received by the receiving unit of the second engineering device, the change history data being added to information indicating the date and time when the reflection was performed;
a recovery unit of the second engineering device recovering the engineering data held by the second engineering device to a state before the data was reflected by the reflection unit in units of date and time included in the change history data, when a recovery instruction for the engineering data held by the second engineering device is received by a receiving unit of the second engineering device;
a transmitting unit of the second engineering device transmitting the change history data generated by the history generating unit to the first engineering device;
a receiving unit of the first engineering device receiving the change history data transmitted from a transmitting unit of the second engineering device;
a reflecting unit of the first engineering device reflecting a change history indicated by the change history data received by a receiving unit of the first engineering device in data held in the first engineering device;
13. A method for engineering comprising the steps of:

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