System and method for on-line diagnostics

• US 20030226010A1
• Filed: 05/22/2003
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Iizumi, Takashi, Arima, Juntaro, Inaba, Masaaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,373,501 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/150
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4184 characterised by fault tolerance, reliability of production system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31457 Factory remote control, monitoring through internet
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33284 Remote diagnostic
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36542 Cryptography, encrypt, access, authorize with key, code, password
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0267 Fault communication, e.g. human machine interface [HMI]
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/34 Encoding or coding, e.g. Huffman coding or error correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0435 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply symmetric encryption, i.e. same key used for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for symmetric key encryption H04L9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0825 using asymmetric-key encryption or public key infrastructure [PKI], e.g. key signature or public key certificates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

An on-line diagnostics system and method enable equipment information stored in each piece of industrial equipment to be safely disclosed to maintenance personnel to the extent permitted by the user of the industrial equipment. The on-line diagnostics system comprises industrial equipment and a maintenance apparatus for the maintenance of the industrial equipment, which are connected via the Internet. Equipment information indicating the state of the industrial equipment is encrypted using a specific common key, and the encrypted equipment information is transmitted to the maintenance apparatus in response to a request therefrom. The fact that the common key has been transmitted from the industrial equipment to the maintenance apparatus is outputted. After receiving the encrypted equipment information and the common key that have been transmitted, the encrypted equipment information is decrypted using the common key, and the decrypted equipment information is outputted.

Claims

1. An on-line diagnostics system comprising industrial equipment and a maintenance apparatus for the maintenance of the industrial equipment, which are connected via the Internet, the industrial equipment comprising:

an encryption unit for encrypting equipment information indicating the state of the industrial equipment using a specific common key;

a communication unit for transmitting the encrypted equipment information encrypted by the encryption unit to the maintenance apparatus in response to a request therefrom; and

an input/output unit for outputting the fact that the industrial equipment has transmitted the common key to the maintenance apparatus.

8. The on-line diagnostics system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the industrial equipment is semiconductor manufacture/inspection equipment.

9. The on-line diagnostics system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the maintenance apparatus comprises a calculation unit for calculating a countervalue for the contents of maintenance carried out on the industrial equipment based on the equipment information, wherein the calculated countervalue is transmitted by the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus.

2. An on-line diagnostics system comprising industrial equipment and a maintenance apparatus for the maintenance of the industrial equipment, which are connected via the Internet, wherein the maintenance apparatus comprises:

a communication unit for receiving encrypted equipment information indicating the state of the industrial equipment and a common key;

a decryption unit for decrypting the encrypted equipment information using the common key; and

an input/output unit for outputting the decrypted equipment information decrypted by the decryption unit.

3. An on-line diagnostics system comprising industrial equipment and a maintenance apparatus for the maintenance of the industrial equipment, which are connected via the Internet, the industrial equipment comprising:

an encryption unit for encrypting equipment information indicating the state of the industrial equipment using a specific common key;

a communication unit for transmitting the encrypted equipment information encrypted by the encryption unit to the maintenance apparatus in response to a request therefrom; and

an input/output unit for outputting the fact that the industrial equipment has transmitted the common key to the maintenance apparatus, and wherein

the maintenance apparatus comprises a communication unit for receiving the encrypted equipment information and the common key transmitted by the communication unit of the industrial equipment;

a decryption unit for decrypting the encrypted equipment information using the common key; and

an input/output unit for outputting the equipment information decrypted by the decryption unit.

4. An on-line diagnostics system comprising one or more pieces of industrial equipment for performing specific processes and a maintenance apparatus for the maintenance of the industrial equipment, which are connected via the Internet, wherein

the industrial equipment comprises an encryption unit for encrypting equipment information indicating the state of the industrial equipment using a specific common key, a communication unit for transmitting the encrypted equipment information encrypted by the encryption unit to the maintenance apparatus in response to a request therefrom, and for transmitting the common key used in encrypting the encrypted equipment information to the maintenance apparatus that received the encrypted equipment information, in response to a request therefrom, and an input/output unit for outputting all or part of the history of transmission of the common key from the industrial equipment to the maintenance apparatus, and wherein

the maintenance apparatus comprises a communication unit for receiving the encrypted equipment information transmitted by the communication unit of the industrial equipment, and for receiving the common key used in encrypting the encrypted equipment information from the industrial equipment after requesting it therefrom, a decryption unit for storing the common key received by the communication unit of the maintenance apparatus and for decrypting the encrypted equipment information using the stored common key, and an input/output unit for storing the decrypted equipment information decrypted by the decryption unit and for outputting all or part of the stored equipment information.

5. An on-line diagnostics system comprising one or more pieces of industrial equipment for performing specific processes, a managing apparatus for managing information transmitted from the industrial equipment, and a maintenance apparatus for the maintenance of the industrial equipment, which are connected via the Internet, wherein

the industrial equipment comprises a communication unit for transmitting equipment information indicating the state of the industrial equipment to the managing apparatus,

the managing apparatus comprises an encryption unit for encrypting the equipment information transmitted by the industrial equipment using a specific common key, a communication unit for transmitting the encrypted equipment information encrypted by the encryption unit to the maintenance apparatus in response to a request therefrom, and for transmitting the common key used in encrypting the encrypted equipment information to the maintenance apparatus that received the encrypted equipment information, in response to a request therefrom, and an input/output unit for outputting all or part of the history of transmission of the common key from the managing apparatus to the maintenance apparatus, and

the maintenance apparatus comprises a communication unit for receiving the encrypted equipment information transmitted by the communication unit of the managing apparatus, and for receiving the common key used in encrypting the encrypted equipment information from the managing apparatus after requesting it therefrom, a decryption unit for storing the common key received by the communication unit of the maintenance apparatus and for decrypting the encrypted equipment information using the stored common key, and an input/output unit for storing the equipment information decrypted by the decryption unit and for outputting all or part of the stored equipment information.

6. An on-line diagnostics system comprising one or more pieces of industrial equipment for performing specific processes, and one or more maintenance apparatus for the maintenance of the industrial equipment, which are connected via the Internet, wherein

the industrial equipment comprises an encryption unit for encrypting equipment information indicating the state of the industrial equipment using a specific common key, a determination unit for determining the maintenance apparatus to which the encrypted equipment information encrypted by the encryption unit is to be transmitted, a communication unit for transmitting the encrypted equipment information encrypted by the encryption unit to the maintenance apparatus determined by the determination unit, and for transmitting the common key used in encrypting the encrypted equipment information to the maintenance apparatus that received the encrypted equipment information in response to a request therefrom, and an input/output unit for outputting all or part of the history of transmission of the common key from the industrial equipment to the maintenance apparatus, and wherein

the maintenance apparatus comprises a communication unit for receiving the encrypted equipment information transmitted by the communication unit of the industrial equipment, and for receiving the common key used in encrypting the encrypted equipment information from the industrial equipment after requesting it therefrom, a decryption unit for storing the common key received by the communication unit of the maintenance apparatus and for decrypting the encrypted equipment information using the stored common key, and an input/output unit for storing the equipment information decrypted by the decryption unit and for outputting all or part of the stored equipment information.

7. An on-line diagnostics system comprising one or more pieces of industrial equipment for performing specific processes, a managing apparatus for managing information transmitted from the industrial equipment, and one or more maintenance apparatus for the maintenance of the industrial equipment, which are connected via the Internet, wherein

the industrial equipment comprises a communication unit for transmitting equipment information indicating the state of the industrial equipment to the managing apparatus,

the managing apparatus comprises an encryption unit for encrypting the equipment information transmitted by the communication unit of the industrial equipment using a specific common key, a determination unit for determining the maintenance apparatus to which the encrypted equipment information encrypted by the encryption unit is to be transmitted, a communication unit for transmitting the encrypted equipment information encrypted by the encryption unit to the maintenance apparatus determined by the determination unit, and for transmitting the common key used in encrypting the encrypted equipment information to the maintenance apparatus that received the encrypted equipment information in response to a request therefrom, an input/output unit for outputting all or part of the history of transmission of the common key from the managing apparatus to the maintenance apparatus, and

the maintenance apparatus comprises a communication unit for receiving the encrypted equipment information transmitted by the communication unit of the managing apparatus, and for receiving the common key used in encrypting the encrypted equipment information from the managing apparatus after requesting it therefrom, a decryption unit for storing the common key received by the communication unit of the maintenance apparatus and for decrypting the encrypted equipment information using the stored common key, and an input/output unit for storing the equipment information decrypted by the decryption unit and for outputting all or part of the stored equipment information.

10. An on-line diagnostics method for industrial equipment to which a maintenance apparatus for the maintenance thereof is connected via the Internet, the method comprising the steps of:

encrypting equipment information indicating the state of the industrial equipment using a specific common key;

transmitting the encrypted equipment information to the maintenance apparatus in response to a request therefrom; and

outputting the fact that the common key has been transmitted from the industrial equipment to the maintenance apparatus.

13. The on-line diagnostics method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the industrial equipment is semiconductor manufacture/inspection equipment.

14. The on-line diagnostics method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein a countervalue for the contents of maintenance carried out by the maintenance apparatus on the industrial equipment based on the equipment information is calculated and transmitted.

11. An on-line diagnostics method for industrial equipment to which a maintenance apparatus for the maintenance thereof is connected via the Internet, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving encrypted equipment information indicating the state of the industrial equipment and a common key;

decrypting the encrypted equipment information using the common key; and

outputting the decrypted equipment information.

12. An on-line diagnostics method for industrial equipment to which a maintenance apparatus for the maintenance thereof is connected via the Internet, the method comprising the steps of:

encrypting equipment information indicating the state of the industrial equipment using a specific common key;

transmitting the encrypted equipment information to the maintenance apparatus in response to a request therefrom;

outputting the fact that the common key has been transmitted from the industrial equipment to the maintenance apparatus;

receiving the encrypted equipment information and the common key that have been transmitted;

decrypting the encrypted equipment information using the common key; and

outputting the decrypted equipment information.