# US 11,586,168 B2 · Storage medium and PLC system construction support device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,586,168 B2 - Document ID: US11586168B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/762,739 - Filed: 2019-11-18 - Published: 2022-10-27 - Granted: 2023-02-21 - Earliest claimed: 2019-11-18 - Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Inventors: Koichiro Noda - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11586168B2 ## CPC - G05B 19/05: Programmable logic controllers, e.g. simulating logic interconnections of signals according to ladder diagrams or function charts - G05B 19/056: {Programming the PLC} - G05B 2219/15011: Configuration of operating system - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) ## Abstract A PLC system construction support program for creating a system configuration diagram depicting a configuration of a PLC system constructed causes a computing terminal to function as: an image acquisition section that acquires image data of an image of the PLC system; a system configuration recognition section that creates system configuration information including arrangement information and selected unit information; a system configuration diagram generation section that creates a system configuration diagram based on the system configuration information; and a system configuration diagram editor section that performs display processing for displaying the system configuration diagram on a display section. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A non-transitory storage medium readable by a computer, the non-transitory storage medium storing a programmable logic controller system construction support program for creating a system configuration diagram depicting a configuration of a programmable logic controller system constructed, the programmable logic controller system construction support program causing the computer to perform: acquiring image data of an image of the programmable logic controller system; recognizing, from the image data, arrangement information indicating arrangement of units constituting the programmable logic controller system and information indicating features of the units, creating selected unit information by selecting each of the units, and creating system configuration information including the arrangement information and the selected unit information; creating a system configuration diagram based on the system configuration information; and performing display processing for displaying the system configuration diagram on a display section, wherein from the information indicating the features of the units included in the image data and from unit information stored in a storage and including feature information of units selectable for constructing a programmable logic controller system, match degrees between the units included in the image data and the unit information are calculated, and the selected unit information including the match degrees is created. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1, wherein when the system configuration diagram includes a plurality of candidate units for one unit included in the image data, the programmable logic controller system construction support program causes the computer to perform display processing for displaying the plurality of candidate units in association with the match degrees such that the candidate units are selectable. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 2, wherein the selected unit information is created including information on a substitute unit and a production status with respect to the units included in the image data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 3, wherein when the system configuration diagram includes a unit to be replaced that is a unit that goes out of production and/or a unit scheduled to go out of production, the programmable logic controller system construction support program causes the computer to perform display processing for displaying unit selection information corresponding to the unit to be replaced. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the selected unit information is created including information on a substitute unit and a production status with respect to the units included in the image data. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 5, wherein when the system configuration diagram includes a unit to be replaced that is a unit that goes out of production and/or a unit scheduled to go out of production, the programmable logic controller system construction support program causes the computer to perform display processing for displaying unit selection information corresponding to the unit to be replaced. ### Claim 7 A programmable logic controller system construction support device for creating a system configuration diagram depicting a configuration of a programmable logic controller system constructed, the programmable logic controller system construction support device comprising: a processor; and a memory to store a program which, when executed by the processor, perform processes of: acquiring image data of an image of the programmable logic controller system; recognizing, from the image data, arrangement information indicating arrangement of units constituting the programmable logic controller system and information indicating features of the units, creating selected unit information by selecting each of the units, and creating system configuration information including the arrangement information and the selected unit information; creating a system configuration diagram based on the system configuration information; performing display processing for displaying the system configuration diagram on a display; calculating, from the information indicating the features of the units included in the image data and from unit information stored in a storage and including feature information of units selectable for constructing a programmable logic controller system, match degrees between the units included in the image data and the unit information; and creating the selected unit information including the match degrees.