Information collection system for industrial equipment, control apparatus for industrial equipment, and information collection method for industrial equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11550306-B2
Application number	US-202017097163-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2020
Priority date	Nov 25, 2019
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

An information system for industrial equipment includes processing circuitry that controls processing apparatuses that each execute a predetermined process with respect to at least one workpiece, respectively collects, from the processing apparatuses, processing information sets that are respectively related to processing steps executed by the processing apparatuses until one corresponding product is manufactured from the at least one workpiece, and associates the processing information sets by assigning to the processing information sets a link identifier that permits a linkage between respective steps of the processing steps related to the one corresponding product.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information system for industrial equipment, comprising:
processing circuitry configured to
control a plurality of processing apparatuses that each execute a predetermined process with respect to at least one workpiece,
respectively collect, from the plurality of processing apparatuses, a plurality of processing information sets that are respectively related to a plurality of processing steps executed by the plurality of processing apparatuses until one corresponding product is manufactured from the at least one workpiece, and
associate the plurality of processing information sets by assigning to the plurality of processing information sets a link identifier that permits a linkage between respective steps of the plurality of processing steps related to the one corresponding product, the link identifier being formed by a plurality of process IDs, each of the plurality of process IDs including a common portion that is commonly included in process IDs of two adjacent processing steps, and a unique portion unique to each processing step, and the plurality of process IDs being generated using the unique portion of a first process ID generated for an upstream first processing step as the common portion of a second process ID generated for a downstream second processing step, the upstream first processing step and the downstream second processing step being two mutually adjacent processing steps, such that the unique portion of the first process ID is same as the common portion of the second process ID.

2. The information system for industrial equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to output the plurality of processing information sets that are related to the one corresponding product and are associated with each other, and manage the plurality of processing information sets.

3. The information system for industrial equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to associate the plurality of processing information set by being configured to generate the plurality of process IDs that form the link identifier and respectively correspond to the plurality of processing steps, and respectively assign the plurality of process IDs to the plurality of processing information sets.

4. The information system for industrial equipment according to claim 3 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to detect a start of processing in or a preparatory state of each of the processing apparatuses, and generate the corresponding process ID when the start of the processing in or the preparatory state of one of the processing apparatuses is detected.

5. The information system for industrial equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to associate the plurality of processing information set by being configured to generate one product ID as the link identifier with respect to the one corresponding product, and associate the one product ID with the plurality of processing information sets.

6. The information system for industrial equipment according to claim 5 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to associate the plurality of processing information set by being configured to associate the one product ID with the processing information sets that are respectively related to all the processing steps from a first processing step to a last processing step of the plurality of processing steps.

7. The information system for industrial equipment according to claim 5 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to detect a start of processing in each of the processing apparatuses, and generate the product ID when the start of the processing in the processing apparatus corresponding to a first processing step among the plurality of processing steps is detected.

8. The information system for industrial equipment according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage having a predetermined memory area,
wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to associate the plurality of processing information set by being configured to generate one product ID corresponding to the one product, assign as the link identifier in a first assigning and with respect to the product ID, an area identifier indicating an arrangement in one area included in the memory area, generate the plurality of process IDs respectively corresponding to the plurality of processing steps, and assign as a second link identifier in a second assigning and with respect to the plurality of process IDs, the area identifier having a same content as that assigned in the first assigning.

9. The information system for industrial equipment according to claim 8 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to associate the plurality of processing information set by being configured to, in the second assigning, assign, at the start of each of the plurality of processing steps, the area identifier indicating the arrangement in the one area to the corresponding process ID, and assign, when the area identifier indicating the arrangement in the one area with respect to the process ID corresponding to a final processing step among the plurality of processing steps is assigned, the area identifier indicating the arrangement in the one area with respect to the corresponding product ID.

10. A control apparatus for industrial equipment, comprising:
processing circuitry configured to
respectively collect, from a plurality of processing apparatuses that each execute a predetermined process with respect to at least one workpiece, a plurality of processing information sets that are respectively related to a plurality of processing steps executed by the plurality of processing apparatuses until one corresponding product is manufactured from the at least one workpiece, and
associate the plurality of processing information sets by assigning to the plurality of processing information sets a link identifier that permits a linkage between respective steps of the plurality of processing steps related to the one corresponding product, the link identifier being formed by a plurality of process IDs, each of the plurality of process IDs including a common portion that is commonly included in process IDs of two adjacent processing steps, and a unique portion unique to each processing step, and the plurality of process IDs being generated using the unique portion of a first process ID generated for an upstream first processing step as the common portion of a second process ID generated for a downstream second processing step, the upstream first processing step and the downstream second processing step being two mutually adjacent processing steps, such that the unique portion of the first process ID is same as the common portion of the second process ID.

11. The control apparatus for industrial equipment according to claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to generate the plurality of process IDs that form the link identifier and respectively correspond to the plurality of processing steps.

12. The control apparatus for industrial equipment according to claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to detect a start of processing in each of the processing apparatuses, and generate the corresponding process ID when the start of the processing in one of the processing apparatuses is detected.

13. The control apparatus for industrial equipment according to claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to output the plurality of processing information sets that are related to the one product and are as

Assignees

• Yaskawa Electric Corp

Inventors

• Nagata Takeshi
• Suzuki Takahiko
• Goto Kengo
• Kamiya Yosuke
• Obata Shinichiro

Classifications

• G05B2219/31304

  Identification of workpiece and data for control, inspection, safety, calibration · CPC title

• G05B19/0423 Primary

  Input/output · CPC title

• Y02P90/02

  Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] · CPC title

• G05B19/4183 Primary

  characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification · CPC title

• G05B19/418 Primary

  Total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, e.g. direct or distributed numerical control [DNC], flexible manufacturing systems [FMS], integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] or computer integrated manufacturing [CIM] · CPC title