CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is based on PCT filing PCT/JP2018/048336, filed Dec. 27, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a data delivery control apparatus, a method, and a program.

BACKGROUND ART

Patent Literature 1 describes a data processing apparatus that analyzes time-series data sequentially accumulated in a file to detect a specific event. Upon stopping processing, this data processing apparatus deletes data accumulated in the file and then restarts the processing to avoid operating erroneously by processing unintended data that may be accumulated in the file while the data processing apparatus is stopped. Unintended data not to be processed by the data processing apparatus may be, for example, abnormal data that may be accumulated in the file or accumulated data in the file that may be corrupted due to abnormalities while the data processing apparatus is stopped.

CITATION LIST

Patent Literature

Patent Literature 1: Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-174795

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

Patent Literature 1 describes one application of the data processing apparatus that processes input data and outputs the results. However, complex processing may be divided into multiple steps, and the steps may be assigned to multiple applications included in one or more apparatuses. For example, to detect any failure in a factory automation (FA) device used in a factory production line, data collected from the FA device may be used to diagnose the FA device. This involves preprocessing before analyzing data collected from the FA device, analyzing the data collected from the FA device, and diagnosing the FA device based on the analysis result.

FIG. 8is a diagram of a processing example of multiple steps assigned to multiple processors. In the illustrated example, data collected from a target T to be diagnosed is stored in a file F, and a data processor101performs preprocessing on data stored in the file F. A data processor102analyzes data output by the data processor101, and outputs the analysis result. Based on the analysis result output by the data processor102, a data processor103diagnoses the target T. The functions of the data processor101, the data processor102, and the data processor103are implemented by different applications.

As illustrated, when multiple data processors perform a series of processing, a data sequence indicating the details of each step of processing and the processing sequence is predefined, and the predefined data is stored in each of apparatuses that implement the data processors or an apparatus that controls the data sequence. Each data processor performs processing in accordance with the data sequence. To change the details of the data sequence, a user may temporarily stop the data sequence without stopping the data processors101to103. Also, after data accumulated in the file F is deleted before the processing is restarted with the method described in Patent Literature 1, data is sequentially transferred to each data processor in the structure shown inFIG. 8. Thus, unprocessed data may remain in the data processors102and103when the user temporarily stops the processing of the data processors101to103.

Once the processing is restarted, the data processors102and103first process the remaining data. However, with the details of the data sequence being changed, the data remaining in the data processors102and103may be changed to data not to be processed, or invalid data. The data processors102and103may then process such invalid data, causing the data processor103to feed a wrong diagnosis back to the target T to be diagnosed. This may be avoided by controlling data delivery to data processors to prevent processing of data accumulated before the restart of processing.

In response to the above issue, an objective of the present disclosure is to control data delivery to prevent processing of invalid data not to be processed by a data processor.

Solution to Problem

To achieve the above objective, in a data delivery control apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure, collection means collects data from a device and outputs the data to which collection time information indicating collection time is added. Validity determination means determines whether the data is valid based on whether the collection time indicated by the collection time information added to the data is at or later than a starting time indicating a time at which a data sequence as a preset data processing sequence is started. Delivery means delivers the data in accordance with a data sequence setting defining the data sequence in response to the validity determination means determining that the data is valid.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

The data delivery control apparatus according to the above aspect of the present disclosure determines whether data is valid based on whether a collection time at which the data is collected from a device is at or later than a time at which a data sequence, that is, a preset data processing sequence, starts. When determining that the data is valid, the data delivery control apparatus delivers the data in accordance with a data sequence setting that defines the data sequence. Such control of data delivery can prevent the data processor from processing invalid data.

