System for monitoring states of components of same kind incorporated

Abstract

The state monitoring system includes a plurality of objects of monitor of the same kind, a monitor unit for monitoring the plurality of objects of monitor to determine if any of them malfunctions, and a consolidating unit interposed between the plurality of objects of monitor and the monitor unit. The consolidating unit consolidates alarm signals sent from the objects of monitor for each group of objects of monitor. When detecting, on the basis of the result of consolidation, that one of each group of objects of monitor has malfunctioned, the consolidating unit notifies an associated monitor unit of the occurrence of one fault. When detecting that two or more objects of monitor have malfunctioned, the consolidating unit notifies the associated monitor unit of the occurrence of a plurality of faults. Each monitor unit is interconnected via a communicator thereof, and judges the states of objects of monitor by mutually transferring monitor data concerning its own system and monitor data concerning the other system. Owing to this configuration, the number of signal lines for use in notifying occurrence of malfunction to a monitor unit can be reduced. This leads to easy judgment of an abnormal state. A change in the number of objects of monitor can be coped with flexibly without the need of modifying the design of each monitor unit.