EP0258553A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Knowledge-based apparatus for troubleshooting employing image for use in plant
Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
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Filing: 1987-06-19
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-06-19
Abstract
Abstract A system for tracing a fault for use in a plant based on expert knowledge of specialized technology in various plants such as power plants, chemical plants, manufacturing factories, and steel and iron plants is disclosed which takes inference steps for troubleshooting by means of a computer including a knowledge base in which such expert knowledge is turned to software as well as an inference engine. In the system, data required for the inference process such as layout of the installation in each portion of the plant, internal construction and systems connections of each installation, and diagnostic menus are stored as image data in its image data reproduction device and, in response to outputs of the computer, necessary images are taken out from the reproduction device to be displayed on the display device of the type of a television receiver, and further, character data in which items of question as a result of the inference process developed by the computer are expressed in the form of sentence are displayed superimposed on the above mentioned image display by its superimposer. There is provided a touch sensor panel disposed in front of the image display, whereby it is adapted such that an answer to the question made by the computer is provided by a touch of the fingertip of the operator on the portion of the touch sensor panel corresponding to the character data based on the inference operations in progress superimposed on a certain region of the image display, and thus, the troubleshooting in the plant is executed in an interactive manner.
Inventors
- 👤 Junichiro Mitsubishi Denki Ozawa
- 👤 Shigeki Mitsubishi Denki Nakano
- 👤 Shozo Mitsubishi Denki Inoue
- 👤 Takayuki Mitsubishi Denki Tanaka
- 👤 Kazuo Mitsubishi Denki Maeda
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 11:17
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/03; G06F3/033; G06F11/00; G06F11/30; G06F11/32
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
253 words
A knowledge-based apparatus for troubleshooting employing an image for use in a plant comprising: a computer including a knowledge base as a file of highly specialized technical knowledge about the plant and an inference engine for inferring based on the knowledge base the occurrence, location, and cause of trouble in each of the installations constituting the plant, method for eliminating the cause of trouble and the substance of the action to be taken; an image data reproduction device with a recording medium loaded therein on which images describing the overall arrangement of the plant and individual installations thereof are recorded for outputting image data based on operations for troubleshooting and according to an instruction from said computer; a display device in response to output from said reproduction device based on the output instruction from said computer for displaying an image necessary for the troubleshooting including an area for dialogue therein; a superimposer based on inference steps taken by said computer for outputting character or pattern data so as to be displayed in the area for dialogue in the image data from said reproduction device superimposed on the displayed image; and a touch sensor panel attached onto the front face of the display screen of said display device as an input device for enabling inference operations for troubleshooting to be developed in succession by outputting a certain electric capacity upon touching thereon of the fingertip of the operator thereby inputting a signal as to on what position the touching was made to said computer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
253 words
A knowledge-based apparatus for troubleshooting employing an image for use in a plant comprising: a computer including a knowledge base as a file of highly specialized technical knowledge about the plant and an inference engine for inferring based on the knowledge base the occurrence, location, and cause of trouble in each of the installations constituting the plant, method for eliminating the cause of trouble and the substance of the action to be taken; an image data reproduction device with a recording medium loaded therein on which images describing the overall arrangement of the plant and individual installations thereof are recorded for outputting image data based on operations for troubleshooting and according to an instruction from said computer; a display device in response to output from said reproduction device based on the output instruction from said computer for displaying an image necessary for the troubleshooting including an area for dialogue therein; a superimposer based on inference steps taken by said computer for outputting character or pattern data so as to be displayed in the area for dialogue in the image data from said reproduction device superimposed on the displayed image; and a touch sensor panel attached onto the front face of the display screen of said display device as an input device for enabling inference operations for troubleshooting to be developed in succession by outputting a certain electric capacity upon touching thereon of the fingertip of the operator thereby inputting a signal as to on what position the touching was made to said computer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
73 words
An apparatus for troubleshooting according to claim 1, wherein: said image data reproduction device is made up of a video disk device including a certain recording medium on which the layout of the installations of the entire plant as the object of supervisory, layouts and connection diagrams of machines and equipment mounted in each individual installation, and flow charts down to the locating of the cause of fault in the plant are stored.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
61 words
An apparatus for troubleshooting according to claim 2, wherein: the video disk device as said image data reproduction device is made up of a magnetic disk device for reproducing by means of a head said image data as an electric signal from a magnetic disk having said image data recorded on the disk surface as differences in the directions of magnetization.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
93 words
An apparatus for troubleshooting according to claim 2, wherein: the video disk device as said image data reproduction device is made up of an optical disk device for reproducing said image data as an image by detecting by means of a laser beam said image data as electric capacity from an optical disk having said image data recorded as small pits made by a laser beam in a thin film of a metal of low melting point or of a plastic polymer in which metallic powder is dispersed applied to the disk surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
48 words
An apparatus for troubleshooting according to claim 1, wherein: said display device is made up of a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device as an active display for reproducing an image by scanning an electron beam output in accordance with an electric signal converted from said image data.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus for troubleshooting according to claim 5, wherein: said CRT display device is made up of a receiver for use in the existing television receiving system.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
63 words
An apparatus for troubleshooting according to claim 1, wherein: said display device is adapted to output a light beam in accordance with an electric signal converted from said image data and includes a liquid crystal display device as a passive display which uses a nematic liquid crystal changing its optical property when subjected to the light transmitted through the liquid crystal is displayed.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
44 words
An apparatus for troubleshooting according to claim 1, wherein: said superimposer also functions as an output control device for controlling the image output from said image data reproduction device and image output for character or pattern as data for the inference from said computer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
67 words
An apparatus for troubleshooting according to claim 1, wherein: said touch sensor panel is formed of a transparent glass substrate and a resin plate stuck together, shaped in the form of the front face of the screen of said display device, and provided with conductive thin films evaporated between said glass substrate and resin plate corresponding to input selection menu or graphic keyboard displayed on said screen.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
61 words
An apparatus for troubleshooting according to claim 9, wherein: said touch sensor panel is provided with a common electrode in each key region of said input selection menu or graphic keyboard of the thin films evaporated in said touch sensor panel for generating a certain value of oscillation voltage when the key region is touched by the fingertip of the operator.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
130 words
An apparatus for troubleshooting according to claim 9, wherein: said touch sensor panel includes a region to display thereon as an image the layout of the plant as the object of supervisory, internal construction of each of individual installations, and image data as to substance of causes of fault as well as common electrodes of evaporated conductive thin film corresponding to keys of selection input menus such as "Location", "Method", "Meaning", "YES", and "NO" displayed on regions of the screen, other than said area for dialogue indicating therein certain items or rules based on the inference steps taken by said computer, whereby it is adapted such that certain oscillation voltage is output to said computer when a portion equivalent to a key is touched by the fingertip of the operator.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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