The present invention relates to a program and an electronic-manual display apparatus that displays a digitized user manual.
Conventionally, user operation manuals (a manual) for a product are provided in printed form or electronic data form (an electronic manual). Furthermore, an FA system is configured, for example, from a large number of products. The individual products from which an FA system is configured generally have a large number of functions. Information concerning one product is sometimes mentioned in separate volumes of a plurality of manuals. For these reasons, when designing an FA system, a user will often possess a large number of manuals. There is a problem in that extracting the desired information from such a number of manuals imposes a heavy work load on the user.
Patent Literature 1, for example, discloses a technology related to this problem in which electronic manuals are related to each other by using relational information in which links to the electronic manuals are given. By using this technology, the user can display, from one electronic manual, another electronic manual that is already associated with the first electronic manual. Further, by using related information, the user can search the electronic manuals using the same keyword at the same time.
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-271662
As described above, the products used in an FA system are various, and one product has a large number of functions. Consequently, even if the technology disclosed in Patent Literature 1 is used, the task of identifying electronic manuals according to functions and product types is still necessary, and therefore there is still a problem in that the searchability of the electronic manuals is poor.
The present invention has been made in view of the above and it is an objective of the present invention to provide a program and an electronic-manual display apparatus that can easily and clearly display the content desired by a user from among an electronic manual group.
In order to solve the problems and achieve the objective, one aspect of the present invention relates to a program that causes a computer including a storage device to execute: a step of registering, in the storage device, data of a plurality of electronic manuals, each including text data of a product manual, the electronic manual data including attribute information in which, for each product that is an explanation target of the electronic manual data, a correspondence relation between the product and a group ID is recorded; a step of receiving, from an outside source, a first input for designating a product; a step of extracting a group ID associated with the designated product from the attribute information in the electronic manual data stored in the storage device; a step of specifying the electronic manual data including the attribute information in which the extracted group ID is recorded; a step of displaying, when data of one electronic manual is specified, in a first region of a display device, text data included in the specified electronic manual data; and a step of connecting, when data of a plurality of electric manuals is specified, text data included in the specified electronic manual data and displaying the text data in the first region.
A computer that executes a program according to the present invention can omit the task of specifying the electronic manual data on the product desired by a user from among electronic manual data. Therefore, it is possible to easily display the content desired by the user that is among an electronic manual group. Further, with the computer that executes the program according to the present invention, when electronic manual data is specified, text data related to the specified electronic manual data is displayed in association with one another in the first region of the output device. Therefore, it is possible to improve visibility compared with a case where different items of data are respectively displayed on different screens. That is, with the program according to the present invention, it is possible to clearly display the content desired by the user from among the electronic manual group.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.
The electronic-manual display apparatus is realized by a computer 1 including an arithmetic unit 11, a volatile storage device 12, a nonvolatile storage device (a storage device) 13, an input device 14, an output device (a display device) 15, and a network interface 16. The arithmetic unit 11, the volatile storage device 12, the nonvolatile storage device 13, the input device 14, the output device 15, and the network interface 16 are connected to one another via a bus line.
The computer 1 is connectable to a server 2 via a network 3. The network 3 is wired, wireless, or a combination of the two. The communication standard of the network 3 is not limited to a specific standard. The timing with which the computer 1 is connected to the server 2 can be any timing. The computer 1 is capable of functioning as, in a standalone state, the electronic-manual display apparatus in the embodiment of the present invention and executing operations excluding the registration process explained below.
The network interface 16 is a connection device for connecting the computer 1 to the network 3. The output device 15 is, for example, a liquid crystal monitor and is a device capable of displaying various screens. The output device 15 displays a screen generated by the arithmetic unit 11. The input device 14 includes, for example, a pointing device (e.g., a mouse) and a keyboard. Operation input to the computer 1 from the user is input to the input device 14. The input operation information is sent to the arithmetic unit 11.
The arithmetic unit 11 is a processor that operates in accordance with a program. The volatile storage device 12 is, in general, a memory accessible at a higher speed than the nonvolatile storage device 13 and is, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory). The volatile storage device 12 is used as a region where the program for controlling the arithmetic unit 11 is expanded or a work area of the arithmetic unit 11.
The nonvolatile storage device 13 is configured from, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a detachable memory device, or a combination of the forgoing. The nonvolatile storage device 13 functions as a recording medium that stores in advance the program for controlling the arithmetic unit 11. Note that, any recording medium, other than those described above, that stores in advance the program for controlling the arithmetic unit 11 is applicable as long as the recording medium is a non-transitory tangible recording medium. The nonvolatile storage device 13 stores data used by the program.
Specifically, the nonvolatile storage device 13 stores in advance a viewer program 41, which is the program in the embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of (n) electronic manual folders (electronic manual data) 42-1 to 42-n, a traverse management database 43, n databases as manuals 44-1 to 44-n, respectively corresponding to the electronic manual folders 42-1 to 42-n, and an engineering tool program 45.
The arithmetic unit 11 reads out the viewer program 41 from the nonvolatile storage device 13 and expands the viewer program 41 in the program expansion region of the volatile storage device 12. The arithmetic unit 11 executes various kinds of processing of the electronic-manual display apparatus in the embodiment of the present invention in accordance with control performed by the viewer program 41 expanded in the program expansion region. Note that, in the following description, the computer 1 operating in accordance with the viewer program 41 is referred to as electronic-manual display apparatus 1.
A display screen displayed on the output device 15 in accordance with the viewer program 41 is described here.
When the manual display tab 1002 is selected, as illustrated in
The electronic-manual display apparatus 1 divides an electronic manual related to a unit configuring an FA system into a plurality of electronic manuals and stores the electronic manuals (the electronic manual folders 42-1 to 42-n). That is, an electronic manual concerning a unit having one type name is sometimes divided into a plurality of electronic manuals and stored. Each of the electronic manual folders 42-1 to 42-n may sometimes include units of one or more type name as targets to be explained. According to the embodiment of the present invention, when an electronic manual related to a product having a designated type name is divided into a plurality of electronic manuals, the divided electronic manuals can be combined and displayed on the manual display screen 1005. Tables of contents of the divided electronic manuals can be connected and displayed on the table-of-contents display screen 1007.
Note that, on the manual display screen 1005, as illustrated in
When the traverse search tab 1003 is selected, as illustrated in
Note that the layout and the sizes of the display screens 1004 to 1007 and 1012 to 1015 are not limited to by what are described above. Each of the display screens 1004 to 1007 and 1012 to 1015 can be displayed integrally with any display screen among the display screens 1004 to 1007 and 1012 to 1015. The display screens are switched by the traverse search tab 1003 and the manual display tab 1002. However, all of the display screens 1004 to 1007 and 1012 to 1015 can be displayed at the same time on the viewer screen 1001. The display screens 1004 to 1007 and 1012 to 1015 can be switched by three or more tabs and displayed. A part or all of the display screens 1004 to 1007 and 1012 to 1015 can be configured to be capable of being hidden or invoked by operations performed by the user. For example, the product-tree display screen 1004 and the product-selection input screen 1012 can be realized as the same screen. The screen on which the electronic manual is displayed and the screen on which the illustration 1008 is displayed can be divided into different screens.
The arithmetic unit 11 expands the engineering tool program 45 in the program expansion region according to a procedure that is the same as the procedure for executing the viewer program 41 stored by the nonvolatile storage device 13. The arithmetic unit 11 executes various kinds of processing of an engineering tool (a setting tool) in accordance with control performed by the expanded engineering tool program 45.
The engineering tool means a device that performs setting of a programmable logic controller (PLC) in accordance with an input from the user. The PLC is a control system that can control a controlled apparatus. In one example, the PLC is configured by mounting a power supply unit, a CPU unit, and a unit for assisting the CPU unit on a base unit, which is a backplane. A plurality of assisting units can be mounted on the base unit. The power supply unit supplies electric power to the various units from which the PLC is configured. The CPU unit stores, in an internal memory, a user program and one or more state variables (devices) related to the controlled apparatus. The respective devices are associated with memory addresses in the PLC in a one to one relation. The PLC operates values (device values) of the state variables in accordance with the user program. Various types, depending on their functions, of assisting units are present. For example, an analog unit that outputs an analog signal command to the controlled apparatus and receives an input of an analog signal response from the controlled apparatus that corresponds to the assisting unit. A temperature control unit generates a temperature control signal according to a temperature detection value from a temperature sensor and outputs the temperature control signal, which also corresponds to the assisting unit. The assisting units from which the PLC is configured are selected according to which function the user uses the PLC to realize. The assisting unit outputs an output signal to the controlled apparatus that has been predetermined and writes an input signal from the controlled apparatus in the predetermined device. The engineering tool can set up a user program in the CPU unit, define a unit configuration of the PLC, and define a use region of the device for each of the assisting units.
The electronic manual folders 42-1 to 42-n are each digitized product user manuals (electronic manual data). Note that any one of the electronic manual folders 42-1 to 42-n is sometimes referred to as electronic manual folder 42. An electric manual can explain one or more models.
Note that the server 2 is a computer including a storage device, an arithmetic unit, and a network interface. The server 2 (or more accurately, the storage device of the server 2) has stored therein an electronic manual folder group 52. The electronic manual folders 42-1 to 42-n are downloaded from the electronic manual folder group 52 stored by the server 2 via the network 3. The electronic-manual display apparatus 1 can download the electronic manual folder 42 of the latest version by accessing the server 2.
The electronic manual folder 42 includes manual structure data (text data) 103.
The Navi ID is an exclusive identification number in a range of all the electronic manual folders 42 given to the “Head” and is used as position information. That is, the Navi ID is recorded in the manual structure data 103 for each predetermined unit. It is assumed here that the Navi ID is recorded for each “Head” provided for each of the headings. A keyword described in the “Head” is used by an application for narrowing down search-target text bodies. The keyword is permitted to be redundantly recorded among a plurality of the “Heads”. Note that the Navi ID or the keyword can be recorded in a place other than the “Head”. However, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 does not recognize the Navi ID and the keyword recorded in the place other than the “Head”.
Note that, in this specification, the range of all the electronic manual folders 42 means a range including not only the electronic manual folders 42-1 to 42-1 stored by the nonvolatile storage device 13 but also electronic manual folders having the manual number 101 that are different from the manual number 101 of the electronic manual folders 42-1 to 42-n in the electronic manual folder group 52 stored in the server 2. The Navi ID is configured by combining the manual number 101 and a number (e.g., a number given as a serial number from the top) peculiar to one manual, which is a number allocated to each “Head”. That is, the Navi ID includes the manual number 101 in a part thereof.
The electronic manual folder 42 includes attribute information 104 indicating a type name of a product that is an explanation target of the electronic manual folder 42. The attribute information 104 is used to combine and display a plurality of electronic manuals.
The separate volume group ID (a group ID) is identification information for specifying a combination-target of one piece or more of manual structure data 103. That is, the same separate volume group ID is permitted to be used among any two or more electronic manual folders 42 across the range of all the electronic manual folders 42. Note that, in the example illustrated in
The electronic manual folder 42 includes illustration table-of-contents information 105, product illustration link information 106, a product illustration image 107, and table-of-contents information 108. The product illustration image 107 is image data of an illustration displayed on the manual display screen 1005. When there are a plurality of type names that the electronic manual folder 42 describes, the product illustration image 107 is retained in the electronic manual folder 42 for each of the type names. Note that the electronic manual folder 42 may also not retain the product illustration image 107. The illustration table-of-contents information 105 is a table in which the correspondence relation between a type name and an identification name of the product illustration image 107 is recorded as illustrated in
Note that, as described above, electronic manual data is described as being configured by storing a plurality of kinds of information (the manual number 101, the version information 102, the manual structure data 103, the attribute information 104, the illustration table-of-contents information 105, the product illustration link information 106, the product illustration image 107, and the table-of-contents information 108) in a folder. However, the configuration of the electronic manual data is not limited to the above. For example, the electronic manual data can be configured by collecting these kinds of information in one set of data.
The traverse management database 43 is a database for collectively managing the electronic manual folders 42-1 to 42-n. The electronic-manual display apparatus 1 updates the traverse management database 43 when the electronic manual folder 42 is added, deleted, or updated to a new version.
Note that the server 2 also stores a version management table 51 having a data structure the same as the data structure of the version management table 205. That is, the version management table 51 is a table in which a correspondence relation between the manual number 101 and the version information 102 is recorded for each Navi ID concerning the electronic manual folder group 52. The electronic-manual display apparatus 1 can determine, by comparing the version management table 205 stored by the apparatus 1 and the version management table 51 stored by the server 2, whether the electronic manual folder 42 stored by the apparatus 1 is the latest version.
Each of the individual manual databases 44-1 to 44-n is a database for managing the electronic manual folder 42 corresponding thereto. Note that any one of the individual manual databases 44-1 to 44-n is sometimes referred to as the individual manual database 44.
The operation of the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 configured as described above is described here. Note that, in the description, it is assumed that an operation entity is the electronic-manual display apparatus 1. However, in reality, the arithmetic unit 11 realizes each of the kinds of processing on the basis of control performed by the viewer program 41.
Subsequently, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 registers the content of the attribute information 104 included in the downloaded electronic manual folder 42 between the combination table 202 and the classification management table 203 (step S3). Specifically, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 registers, in the combination table 202, a correspondence relation among a separate volume group ID, separate volume listing order, and a supervision ID in information included in the attribute information 104. When registering an entry in the combination table 202, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 generates a combination ID anew and registers the combination ID. The electronic-manual display apparatus 1 registers, in the classification management table 203, a correspondence relation among a series name, a unit name, a model name, and a type name of a product included in the attribute information 104. In such a case, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 numbers anew a classification ID of the entry registered anew. The electronic-manual display apparatus 1 stores, in a field of the combination ID of the classification management table 203, a combination ID corresponding to the combination ID in the entry registered anew in the combination table 202. The electronic-manual display apparatus 1 stores, in a field of the supervision ID of the classification management table 203, a supervision ID corresponding to the supervision ID in the entry registered anew at step S1.
Subsequently, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 duplicates the table-of-contents information 108, the illustration table-of-contents information 105, and the product illustration link information 106 included in the downloaded electronic manual folder 42 and registers the duplicated respective kinds of information in the individual manual database 44 (step S4). The electronic-manual display apparatus 1 registers, for each Navi ID registered in the manual structure data 103 included in the downloaded electronic manual folder, a correspondence relation among the Navi ID, the version information 102, and the manual number 101 in the version management table 205 (step S5). The electronic-manual display apparatus 1 creates the search table 304 on the basis of the manual structure data 103 included in the downloaded electronic manual folder 42 and registers the created search table 304 in the individual manual database 44 (step S6). The search table 304 is created according to, for example, a procedure described below. That is, “Head” and “Body” located at the top among “Bodies” following the “Head” are extracted as a pair. A Navi ID and a keyword are extracted from the “Head”. The extracted ID and the extracted keyword are registered in one entry of the search table 304 in association with a text body described in the “Body”.
Following the processing at step S6, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 registers a correspondence relation between the manual number 101 and a type name (in the illustration supervision table 204 (step S7). Specifically, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 can read, from the illustration table-of-contents information 105 included in the downloaded electronic manual folder 42, a type name corresponding to the product illustration image 107 included in the electronic manual folder 42 and register the read-out type name and the manual number 101 included in the electronic manual folder 42 in the illustration supervision table 204 in association with each other.
Subsequently, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 updates the product-tree display screen 1004 and the product-selection input screen 1012 on the basis of the classification management table 203 updated by the processing at step S3 (step S8) and ends the registration processing. Note that, on the product-tree display screen 1004 and the product-selection input screen 1012, a series name, a unit name, and a model name are in a tree-display for each type name. The tree display is realized, for example, as described below. First, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 extracts a valid entry referring to the supervision table 201. The electronic-manual display apparatus 1 searches through the classification management table 203 using a supervision ID of the extracted entry as the search key. The electronic-manual display apparatus 1 displays a combination of a series name, a unit name, a model name, and a type name described in entries of the searched classification management table 203. When displaying a plurality of items related to entries in a common category on the high order side, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 displays each of the items such that the portion of which category is common is collectively made one row and the portions of which category are different are divided into other rows as making a branch that branches from the different portions. Thus, the tree display is completed. In the processing at step S7, the tree display is updated according to the update of the classification management table 203.
Note that the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 can be configured to, when a desired heading is selected by, for example, a pointing device from the table of contents displayed on the table-of-contents display screen 1007, jump a display position in the manual display 1000 displayed on the manual display screen 1005 to a page corresponding to the selected heading. For this purpose, for example, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 is configured as described below. That is, in the table-of-contents information 108, for each heading displayed as a table of contents, the heading and a Navi ID described in “Head” following immediately after the heading are described in advance. Alternatively, the table-of-contents information 108 can be configured by the Navi ID described in the “Head” immediately after the heading displayed as the table of contents. The electronic-manual display apparatus 1 can generate display content of the table-of-contents display screen 1007 on the basis of the Navi ID described in the table-of-contents information 108. When one heading in the displayed table of contents is selected, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 reads a Navi ID corresponding to the selected heading from the table-of-contents information 108 and displays, in a frame of the manual display screen 1005, a position specified by the read-out Navi ID in the manual display 1000.
Note that, in the following description, processing at steps S12 to S16 is referred to as display processing.
As described above, when receiving an input for designating a product from the user, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 automatically specifies the electronic manual folder 42 that describes the product; and when there are a plurality of the specified electronic manual folders 42, it displays the manual display 1000 on the basis of the manual structure data 103 stored in the specified electronic manual folders 42 on the manual display screen 1005. Consequently, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 is capable of omitting work for specifying the electronic manual folder 42 of a product desired by the user among the electronic manual folders 42-1 to 42-n. Therefore, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 can easily display content desired by the user from among an electronic manual group. When a plurality of the electronic manual folders 42 are specified, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 displays the manual displays 1000 related to the specified electronic manual folders 42 on one manual display screen 1005 in association with one another. Therefore, it is possible to improve visibility compared with when the manual displays 1000 related to the electronic manual folders 42 are respectively displayed on different screens. That is, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 can clearly display the content desired by the user among the electronic manual group.
When a plurality of the electronic manual folders 42 are specified, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 displays tables of contents of the manual displays 1000 related to the respective electronic manual folders 42 on the table-of-contents display screen 1007 in association with one another. Consequently, by viewing the table-of-contents display screen 1007, the user can easily grasp the contents of the plurality of the manual displays 1000 displayed on the manual display screen 1005 in association with one another.
The electronic-manual display apparatus 1 displays a list of products, which are described by the electronic manual folders 42-1 to 42-n, on the product-tree display screen 1004 to enable the user to select individual products. The electronic-manual display apparatus 1 can receive an input for selecting a product via the product-tree display screen 1004. Consequently, the user is capable of selecting a product desired to be displayed without the necessity of typing the type name of the product.
The products are classified into categories in a hierarchical structure in the order of series name, unit name, model name, and type name. The electronic-manual display apparatus 1 displays the list of products in a tree display according to the hierarchical structure of the categories. Consequently, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 can improve the visibility of the product-tree display screen 1004. As a result, the user is capable of easily finding and selecting a product, or an electronic manual that the user desires to be displayed, from the product-tree display screen 1004. Note that a display form of the product-tree display screen 1004 is not limited to only the form of a tree display. The display form of the product-tree display screen 1004 can be in the form of a list display.
The engineering tool includes, as system configuration information, a list of the type names of units from which a PLC is configured. Alternatively, the engineering tool can extract the system configuration information from the PLC connected to the engineering tool. That is, the engineering tool can output the PLC system configuration information. The electronic-manual display apparatus 1 can receive an input of the system configuration information from the engineering tool and automatically display the manual display 1000 concerning the units described in the input system configuration information.
As described above, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 automatically searches through one or more electronic manuals related to all the products from which the PLC is configured on the basis of the system configuration information output by the engineering tool and connects and displays the found electronic manuals. The user can display the electronic manuals related to the products from which the PLC is configured without performing the task of checking the type names of the products from the PLC is configured every time and inputting the found type names to the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 every time.
When the electronic manual folder 42, which describes the products from which the PLC is configured, is not present locally (not in the nonvolatile storage device 13), the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 automatically downloads the pertinent electronic manual folder 42 from the server 2. Therefore, it is possible for the user not to perform the tasks of instructing registration of the locally not present electronic manual folder 42.
In
As described above, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 can display the product illustration image 107 related to the selected product on the manual display screen 1005. Consequently, it is possible to reduce the burden on the user of finding an illustration related to a desired product from a quantity of electronic manual data.
As described above, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 displays the partial region (the region of attention 1009, the draw-out line 1010, and the explanatory note 1011) on the illustration 1008 displayed on the manual display screen 1005. When the partial region is selected, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 calculates, on the basis of the product illustration link information 303, a Navi ID corresponding to the selected partial region and displays, in the frame of the manual display screen 1005, a part specified by the Navi ID in the manual display 1000 by the manual structure data 103 in which the calculated Navi ID is recorded. Consequently, the user is capable of specifying and displaying, with a simple operation, an electronic manual related to a function of a product.
Note that, in the above description, for each of the draw-out lines 1010, the Navi ID is associated with the draw-out line 1010 as position information of a reference destination. However, the position information of the reference destination can be associated with a text body. Specifically, for example, a Navi ID for specifying a position of a link destination is embedded in a part of words forming a text body described in “Body”. When displaying, on the manual display screen 1005, the word (or a display object) in which the Navi ID is embedded, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 performs a highlighted display (link destination display) indicating that the link destination is present, for example, it displays the word (or the display object) in a color different from the color of the other places. The user is capable of selecting the link destination display using the pointing device. When the link destination display is selected, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 calculates the Navi ID embedded in the display place of the link destination display. The electronic-manual display apparatus 1 can display a place corresponding to the extracted Navi ID in the frame of the manual display screen 1005 by executing processing the same as the processing at steps S44 to S46.
After calculating the Navi ID corresponding to the partial region, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 determines whether the electronic manual folder 42 including the manual structure data 103, in which the calculated Navi ID is recorded, is locally present. When the relevant electronic manual folder 42 is not locally present, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 downloads the relevant electronic manual folder 42 from the server 2. Consequently, even if a manual related to a desired function is not stored in the electronic-manual display apparatus 1, the user is capable of displaying the relevant manual without performing the task of specifying and downloading the manual.
The user can search for an electronic manual in a state in which the traverse search tab 1003 is selected and the viewer screen 1001 illustrated in
When the input of the type name is not received (No at step S52) or after the processing at step S56, the electronic-manual display apparatus determines whether an input of a keyword via the keyword input screen 1013 is received (step S57). When the input of the keyword is received (Yes at step S57), the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 searches through the search table 304 using the keyword as the search key and extracts a Navi ID (step S58). Note that, when the processing at step S56 is applied, the search-target search table 304 in the processing at step S58 is the search table 304 included in one or more electronic manual folders 42 specified by the manual number 101 extracted by the processing at step S55. After the processing at step S58, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 aggregates parts specified by the extracted Navi ID and displays the manual display 1000 on the search-result display screen 1015 (step S59).
When the input of the keyword is not received (No at step S57) or after the processing at step S59, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 determines whether an input of a search word via the search-word input screen 1014 is received (step S60). When the input of the search word is received (Yes at step S60), the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 searches through the text body registered in the search table 304 using the input search word as the search key (step S61). A search range at step S61 is a text body associated with the Navi ID extracted by the input of the keyword in the search table 304 included in the electronic manual folder 42 specified by the input of the type name. When the input of the search word is not received (No at step S60), the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 executes the processing at step S51 again. After the processing at step S61, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 displays a search result on the search-result display screen 1015 (step S62) and ends the operation during the search. At step S62, the text body including the search word is reduced in length and displayed for each heading.
Note that when the input of the type name is not received and the input of the keyword is received, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 can set, as the search range at step S61, the text body corresponding to the keyword in the search table 304 included in all the registered electronic manual folders 42. When the input of the type name is received and the input of the keyword is not received, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 can set text bodies, as the search range in the processing at step S61, related to all the entries of the search table 304 included in the electronic manual folder 42 specified by the type name.
As described above, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 narrows down the search range to the electronic manual corresponding to the selected product and performs a search through the text body. Consequently, the user is capable of causing the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 to not search for content related to an undesired product. The electronic-manual display apparatus 1 can improve search speeds by narrowing the search range.
When receiving the input of the keyword, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 narrows the search range to a part specified by the input keyword and performs a search through the text body. Consequently, the user can narrow the search range to content related to the key word.
As described above, when receiving the input for the registration instruction while the manual display 1000 is displayed on the manual display screen 1005, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 records the Navi ID corresponding to a position of the display and displays a heading corresponding to the recorded Navi ID on the bookmark display screen 1006. When receiving an input for selecting the heading displayed on the bookmark display screen 1006, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 displays, on the manual display screen 1005, a place specified by the position control code corresponding to the selected heading. Consequently, the user is capable of recording a desired display position in advance and invoking the recorded display position with simple operation.
As described above, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 determines whether an electronic manual folder is stored in the server 2 that has the manual number 101 that is the same as the manual number 101 of the local electronic manual display folder 42 and also has the version information 102 that is different from the version information 102 of the local electronic manual display folder 42. When the electronic manual folder, having the manual number 101 that is the same as the manual number 101 of the local electronic manual display folder 42 and having the version information 102 that is different from the version information 102 of the local electronic manual display folder 42, is stored in the server 2, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 downloads the electronic manual folder 42 from the server 2. Consequently, the user is capable of easily keeping the local electronic manual folder 42 in the latest version.
As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, when receiving an input for designating a product from the user, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 automatically specifies the electronic manual folder 42, which explains the product that is a target. When a plurality of the specified electronic manual folders 42 are present, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 displays, on the manual display screen 1005, the manual displays 1000 based on the manual structure data 103 stored in the specified electronic manual folders 42. Consequently, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 can easily and clearly display the contents desired by the user from among the electronic manual group.
In the above description, it is assumed that the Navi ID is recorded in the manual structure data 103 for each heading. However, a unit in which the Navi ID is recorded is not limited to each heading.
The electronic-manual display apparatus 1 is described as executing the operations by referring to the traverse management database 43 and the individual manual databases 44-1 to 44-n. The traverse management database 43 and the individual manual databases 44-1 to 44-n are configured by the entries generated on the basis of the manual number 101, the version information 102, the manual structure data 103, the attribute information 104, the illustration table-of-contents information 105, and the product illustration link information 106 included in the electronic manual folder 42. Therefore, the operation for referring to the traverse management database 43 and the individual manual databases 44-1 to 44-n is equal to the operation for referring to the manual number 101, the version information 102, the manual structure data 103, the attribute information 104, the illustration table-of-contents information 105, and the product illustration link information 106 included in the electronic manual folder 42. For example, the information obtained by searching through the combination table 202 and the classification management table 203 is also obtained by searching through the attribute information 104 included in the electronic manual folders 42-1 to 42-n. Note that, when the traverse management database 43 and the individual manual databases 44-1 to 44-n are built on the basis of the manual number 101, the version information 102, the manual structure data 103, the attribute information 104, the illustration table-of-contents information 105, and the product illustration link information 106 and information is extracted from the built databases, it is possible to obtain an effect where processing speed is improved compared with a case where information is extracted from the manual number 101, the version information 102, the manual structure data 103, the attribute information 104, the illustration table-of-contents information 105, and the product illustration link information 106.
The version management table 205 is described as being also used as the information for specifying, from a Navi ID, the manual structure data 103 in which the Navi ID is recorded (and the electronic manual folder 42 including the manual structure data 103) (e.g., step S44). However, because the Navi ID includes the manual number 101 in a part thereof, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 can also specify the manual structure data 103 and the electronic manual folder 42 by reading the manual number 101 included in the Navi ID.
According to a second embodiment, an electronic-manual display apparatus can function as a help manual for an engineering tool. The engineering tool can issue a display request using an event code as an argument. The event code is identification information of an event that occurs in the engineering tool. In the second embodiment, the electronic-manual display apparatus has stored therein a correspondence relation between the event code and a Navi ID in advance. When receiving the display request, the electronic-manual display apparatus can display, on the manual display screen 1005, a position corresponding to the event code received as the argument of the display request in the manual display 1000. The event code includes an error code that is identification information of an error that occurs in the engineering tool. The event code includes a help code, which is display-content identification information of a help manual.
The configuration of the electronic-manual display apparatus in the second embodiment is equivalent to the configuration in the first embodiment except for the configuration of the search table. Concerning components equivalent to the components, names, reference numerals, and signs in the first embodiment that are the same as the names, the reference numerals, and the signs in the second embodiment, redundant description is omitted.
According to the second embodiment, an event code is described in a field of a keyword embedded in the “Head” in description content of the manual structure data 103. When downloading the electronic manual folder 42 (step S1), the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 records the event code in the search table.
The operation of the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 in the second embodiment is described here. Note that, it is assumed that, in the computer 1, both of the viewer program 41 and the engineering tool program 45 are being executed.
For example, when an error occurs, the engineering tool can display content of the error on the output device 15. The engineering tool can receive the input requesting the troubleshoot display while displaying details of the arisen error. The form of the input for requesting the troubleshoot display is not limited to a particular form. For example, when the “F1” key included in a keyboard is pressed, the engineering tool can recognize it as an input requesting that the troubleshoot display be received. When the input requesting the troubleshoot display is received (Yes at step S92), the engineering tool outputs a display request using an error code for identifying the arisen error as an argument (step S93).
When an error does not occur (No at step S91), if the input for requesting troubleshoot display is not received (No at step S92), or after the processing at step S93, the engineering tool can receive an input requesting a help display. The form of the input requesting the help display can be any form. A help code is incidental to the input for requesting the held display. The engineering tool determines whether the input requesting the held display is received (step S94). When the input for requesting the help display is received (Yes at step S94), the engineering tool outputs a display request using the held code as an argument (step S95). When the input for requesting the held display is not received (No at step S94) or after the processing at step S95, the engineering tool executes the determination processing at step S91 again.
In the above description, it is assumed that the display request is received by the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 while the computer 1 is operating as the electronic-manual display apparatus 1. The engineering tool determines whether the viewer program 41 is started. When the viewer program 41 is not started, the engineering tool can issue a display request after starting the viewer program 41. The engineering tool and the viewer program 41 can be configured such that the start code of the viewer program 41 can be used as the display request.
As described above, according to the second embodiment, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 stores the event correspondence information in advance. When receiving the input of the event code output by the engineering tool, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 calculates a Navi ID corresponding to the input event code by referring to the event correspondence information and displays a part specified by the calculated position control code on the manual display screen 1005. Consequently, while the user is operating the engineering tool, the electronic-manual display apparatus 1 can display an electronic manual corresponding to an operation without requiring a search by the user.
When an error occurs, the event code includes an error code corresponding to the error that has arisen. Consequently, the user can easily check the cause of the error. When an input for displaying help is received, the event code includes a help code corresponding to the display-target help manual to be displayed. Consequently, the burden of creating help manuals is reduced for engineering tool manufacturers.
As described above, the program and the electronic-manual display apparatus according to the present invention are suitable to be applied to a program and an electronic-manual display apparatus that displays a digitized user manual.
1 Electronic-manual display apparatus (Computer)
2 Server
3 Network
11 Arithmetic unit
12 Volatile storage device
13 Nonvolatile storage device
14 Input device
15 Output device
16 Network interface
41 Viewer program
42, 42-1 to 42-n Electronic manual folders
43 Traverse management database
44, 441- to 44-n individual manual databases
45 Engineering tool program
51 Version management table
52 Electronic manual folder group
101 Manual number
102 Version information
103 Manual structure data
104 Attribute information
105 Illustration table-of-contents information
106 Product illustration link information
107 Product illustration image
108 Table-of-contents information
201 Supervision table
202 Combination table
203 Classification management table
204 Illustration supervision table
205 Version management table
301 Table-of-contents information
302 Illustration table-of-contents information
303 Product illustration link information
304, 304a Search tables
1000 Manual display
1001 Viewer screen
1002 Manual display tab
1003 Traverse search tab
1004 Product-tree display screen
1005 Manual display screen
1006 Bookmark display screen
1007 Table-of-contents display screen
1008 Illustration
1009 Region of attention
1010 Draw-out line
1011 Explanatory note
1012 Product-selection input screen
1013 Keyword input screen
1014 Search-word input screen
1015 Search-result display screen
1041 to 1046 Items
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP2013/051582 | 1/25/2013 | WO | 00 |