System and method for on-line diagnostics

• US 20080005554A1
• Filed: 06/19/2007
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Juntaro Arima, Masaaki Inaba, Takashi Iizumi
• Inventors: Iizumi, Takashi, Arima, Juntaro, Inaba, Masaaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,849,304 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 diagnostic 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 systems 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 formation is decrypted using the common key, and the decrypted equipment information is outputted.

Claims

1. An on-line diagnostics system comprising one or more pieces of industrial equipment for performing specific processes, and a maintenance apparatus for maintaining 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 transmitting the common key used in encrypting the 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,

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 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.

2. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 1, wherein the input/output unit of the industrial equipment outputs the encrypted equipment information to a memory medium, and wherein the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus receives from the memory medium the encrypted equipment information outputted by the input/output unit of the industrial equipment.

3. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit of the industrial equipment encrypts the common key using an public key associated with the maintenance apparatus before transmitting it, and wherein the communication unit of the maintenance apparatus decrypts the common key received from the communication unit of the industrial equipment, using a secret key associated with the public key.

4. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit of the industrial equipment carries attribute information indicating the attributes of the user of the maintenance apparatus, and condition information indicating a condition concerning the attributes of the user of the maintenance apparatus that is required when transmitting the common key, wherein, when the common key is requested by the maintenance apparatus, the communication unit reads the attribute information about the user and the condition information about the common key, and transmits the common key to the maintenance apparatus only when the attributes in the attribute information that has been read satisfy the condition in the condition information that has been read.

5. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 1, wherein the decryption unit of the maintenance apparatus stores rules limiting the operation on the common key received by the communication unit of the maintenance apparatus, and limits the operation on the common key received by the communication unit of the maintenance apparatus according to the stored rules.

6. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 1, wherein the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus stores rules limiting the operation on the equipment information decrypted by the decryption unit of the maintenance apparatus, and limits the operation on the equipment information decrypted by the decryption unit of the maintenance apparatus according to the stored rules.

7. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 1, wherein the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus outputs the stored equipment information using animation.

8. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 1, wherein the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus outputs the stored equipment information using a timing chart.

9. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 1, wherein the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus outputs a plurality of items of equipment data that has been stored to an output unit such that the items of equipment data are overlaid on a timing chart.

10. The on-line diagnostics system acceding to claim 1, wherein

the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus generates event information indicating the contents of operation carried out by the user of the maintenance apparatus on the equipment information outputted by the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus,

the communication unit of the maintenance apparatus transmits the event information generated by the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus to the industrial equipment that transmitted the common key,

the communication unit of the industrial equipment receives the event information transmitted by the maintenance apparatus to which the common key has been transmitted, and

the input/output unit of the industrial equipment outputs all or part of the event information received by the communication unit of the industrial equipment.

11. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 10, wherein the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus generates event information indicating that the cause of trouble has been identified by the user of the maintenance apparatus.

12. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 11, wherein the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus receives the grounds based on which the user of the maintenance apparatus has decided that a particular event is the cause of trouble, and stores the received grounds in the event information.

13. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 11, wherein the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus generates event information indicating that the common key stored in the decryption unit of the maintenance apparatus has been deleted by the user of the maintenance apparatus.

14. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 11, wherein the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus generates event information indicating that the equipment information stored in the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus has been deleted by the user of the maintenance apparatus.

15. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 10, wherein the communication unit of the maintenance apparatus stores event transmission rules for the transmission of the event information generated by the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus to the industrial equipment, and limits the transmission of the event information generated by the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus to the industrial equipment according to the stored rules.

16. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 15, wherein the communication unit of the maintenance apparatus stores event transmission rules by which the event information indicating the identification of the cause of trouble by the user of the maintenance apparatus is transmitted to the industrial equipment that transmitted the common key.

17. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 16, wherein the communication unit of the maintenance apparatus stores event transmission rules by which the event information indicating the grounds based on which a particular event has been determined to be the cause of trouble is transmitted to the industrial equipment that transmitted the common key.

18. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 15, wherein the communication unit of the maintenance apparatus stores event transmission rules by which event information indicating that the common key stored in the decryption unit of the maintenance apparatus has been deleted by the user of the maintenance apparatus is transmitted to the industrial equipment that transmitted the common key.

19. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 15, wherein the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus stores event transmission rules by which event information indicating that the equipment information stored in the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus has been deleted by the user of the maintenance apparatus is transmitted to the industrial equipment that transmitted the common key.

20. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 1, wherein the maintenance apparatus comprises a registration unit for registering information identifying the industrial equipment, the encrypted equipment information used in identifying the cause of trouble, and a method of dealing with the trouble in a mutually related manner, and wherein the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus outputs a method of dealing with a particular trouble by referring to the registration unit.

21. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 1, wherein the industrial equipment is semiconductor manufacture/inspection equipment.

22. Industrial equipment adapted to be maintained remotely by a maintenance apparatus connected via the Internet, comprising:

an encryption unit for encrypting equipment information indicating the state of the industrial equipment using a particular 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 equipment information in response to a request from the maintenance apparatus that received the encrypted equipment information; 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.

23. The industrial equipment according to claim 22, wherein the input/output unit outputs the encrypted equipment information to a memory medium before it is received by the maintenance apparatus.

24. The industrial equipment according to claim 22, wherein the communication unit encrypts the common key using a public key associated with the maintenance apparatus before transmitting it.

25. The industrial equipment according to claim 22, wherein the communication unit carries attribute information indicating the attributes of a user of the maintenance apparatus, and condition information indicating a condition about the attributes of the user of the maintenance apparatus which is required in transmitting the common key, wherein, when the common key is requested by the maintenance apparatus, the communication unit reads the user'"'"'s attribute information and the condition information about the common key and transmits the common key to the maintenance apparatus only when the condition in the condition information that has been read is satisfied by the attributes in the attribute information that has been read.

26. The industrial equipment according to claim 22, wherein the communication unit receives event information indicating the contents of operation performed by the user of the maintenance apparatus on the equipment information from the maintenance apparatus to which the common key has been transmitted, and wherein the input/output unit outputs all or part of the event information received by the communication unit.

27. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 26, wherein the communication unit receives event information indicating that the cause of trouble has been identified by the user of the maintenance apparatus.

28. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 27, wherein the communication unit receives event information indicating the grounds based on which the user of the maintenance apparatus has determined a particular event to be the cause of trouble.

29. The industrial equipment according to claim 26, wherein the communication unit receives event information indicating that the common key stored in the maintenance apparatus has been deleted by the user of the maintenance apparatus.

30. The industrial equipment according to claim 26, wherein the communication unit receives event information indicating that the equipment information stored in the maintenance apparatus has been deleted by the user of the maintenance apparatus.

31. A maintenance apparatus for remotely maintaining industrial equipment connected via the Internet, comprising:

a communication unit for receiving encrypted equipment information indicating the state of the industrial equipment and encrypted by a specific common key from 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, 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.

32. The maintenance apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the input/output unit receives from a memory medium the encrypted equipment information outputted by the industrial equipment.

33. The maintenance apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the communication unit decrypts the common key received from the industrial equipment, using a secret key associated with the maintenance apparatus.

34. The maintenance apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the decryption unit stores rules limiting the operation on the common key received by the communication unit, and limits the operation on the common key received by the communication unit according to the stored rules.

35. The maintenance apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the input/output unit stores rules limiting the operation on the equipment information decrypted by the decryption unit, and limits the operation on the equipment information decrypted by the decryption unit according to the stored rules.

36. The maintenance apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the input/output unit outputs the stored equipment information using animation.

37. The maintenance apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the input/output unit outputs the stored equipment information using a timing chart.

38. The maintenance apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the input/output unit outputs to the output unit a plurality of items of stored equipment data such that they are overlaid on a timing chart.

39. The maintenance apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the input/output unit generates event information indicating the contents of operation performed by the user of the maintenance apparatus on the equipment information outputted by the input/output unit, and wherein the communication unit transmits the event information generated by the input/output unit to the industrial equipment that transmitted the common key.

40. The maintenance apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the input/output unit generates event information indicating that the cause of trouble has been identified by the user of the maintenance apparatus.

41. The maintenance apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the input/output unit receives the grounds based on which the user of the maintenance apparatus has determined a particular event to be the cause of trouble, and stores the grounds in the event information.

42. The maintenance apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the input/output unit generates event information indicating that the common key stored in the decryption unit of the maintenance apparatus has been deleted by the user of the maintenance apparatus.

43. The maintenance apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the input/output unit generates event information indicating that the equipment information stored in the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus has been deleted by the user of the maintenance apparatus.

44. The maintenance apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the communication unit stores rules for the transmission of the event information generated by the input/output unit to the industrial equipment, and transmits the event information generated by the input/output unit to the industrial equipment according to the stored rules.

45. The maintenance apparatus according to claim 44, wherein the communication unit stores event transmission rules by which event information indicating that the cause of trouble has been identified by the user of the maintenance apparatus is transmitted to the industrial equipment that transmitted the common key.

46. The maintenance apparatus according to claim 45, wherein the communication unit stores event transmission rules concerning the transmission of event information indicating the grounds based on which a particular event has been determined to be the cause of trouble to the industrial equipment that transmitted the common key.

47. The maintenance apparatus according to claim 45, wherein the communication unit stores event transmission rules concerning the transmission of event information indicating that the common key stored in the decryption unit has been deleted by the user of the maintenance apparatus to the industrial equipment that transmitted the common key.

48. The maintenance apparatus according to claim 45, wherein the input/output unit stores event transmission rules by which event information indicating that the equipment information stored in the input/output unit has been deleted by the user of the maintenance apparatus is transmitted to the industrial equipment that transmitted the common key.

49. The maintenance apparatus according to claim 31, further comprising a registration unit in which information identifying the industrial equipment, the encrypted equipment information used in identifying the cause of trouble, and a method of dealing with trouble are stored in a mutually related manner, wherein the input/output unit outputs a method of dealing with the trouble by referring to the registration unit.

50. 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 from 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 in response to a request from the maintenance apparatus that received the encrypted equipment information, 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.

51. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 50, wherein the input/output unit of the managing apparatus outputs the encrypted equipment information to a memory medium, and the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus receives from the memory medium the encrypted equipment information outputted by the input/output unit of the managing apparatus.

52. The one-line diagnostics system according to claim 50, wherein the communication unit of the managing apparatus encrypts the common key using a public key associated with the maintenance apparatus before transmitting it, and the communication unit of the maintenance apparatus decrypts the common key received from the communication unit of the industrial equipment, using a secret key associated with the public key.

53. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 50, wherein the communication unit of the managing apparatus carries attribute information indicating the attributes of a user of the maintenance apparatus, and condition information indicating a condition concerning the attributes of the user of the maintenance apparatus which is necessary for the transmission of the common key, wherein, when the common key is requested by the maintenance apparatus, the communication unit reads the user'"'"'s attribute information and the condition information about the common key, and transmits the common key to the maintenance apparatus only when the condition in the condition information that has been read is satisfied by the attributes in the attribute information that has been read.

54. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 50, wherein the decryption unit of the maintenance apparatus stores rules limiting the operation on the common key received by the communication unit of the maintenance apparatus, and limits the operation on the common key received by the communication unit of the maintenance apparatus according to the stored rules.

55. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 50, wherein the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus stores rules limiting the operation on the equipment information decrypted by the decryption unit of the maintenance apparatus, and limits the operation on the equipment information decrypted by the decryption unit of the maintenance apparatus according to the stored rules.

56. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 50, wherein the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus outputs the stored equipment information using animation.

57. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 50, wherein the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus outputs the stored equipment information using a timing chart.

58. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 50, wherein the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus outputs a plurality of items of stored equipment data to the output unit such that they are overlaid on a timing chart.

59. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 50, wherein

the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus generates event information indicating the contents of the operation performed by the user of the maintenance apparatus on the equipment information outputted by the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus,

the communication unit of the maintenance apparatus transmits the event information generated by the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus to the managing apparatus that transmitted the common key, and

the communication unit of the managing apparatus receives the event information transmitted by the maintenance apparatus to which the common key has been transmitted, and

the input/output unit of the managing apparatus outputs all or part of the event information received by the communication unit of the managing apparatus.

60. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 59, wherein the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus generates event information indicating that the cause of trouble has been identified by the user of the maintenance apparatus.

61. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 59, wherein the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus receives the grounds based on which the user of the maintenance apparatus has determined a particular event to be the cause of trouble, and stores the received grounds in the event information.

62. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 59, wherein the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus generates event information indicating that the common key stored in the decryption unit of the maintenance apparatus has been deleted by the user of the maintenance apparatus.

63. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 59, wherein the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus generates event information indicating that the equipment information stored in the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus has been deleted by the user of the maintenance apparatus.

64. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 50, wherein the communication unit of the maintenance apparatus stores rules regarding the transmission of the event information generated by the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus to the managing apparatus, and transmits the event information generated by the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus to the managing apparatus in accordance with the stored rules.

65. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 64, wherein the communication unit of the maintenance apparatus stores event transmission rules regarding the transmission of event information indicating that the cause of trouble has been identified by the user of the maintenance apparatus to the managing apparatus that transmitted the common key.

66. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 64, wherein the communication unit of the maintenance apparatus stores event transmission rules regarding the transmission of event information indicating the grounds based on which the a particular event has been determined to be the cause of trouble to the managing apparatus that transmitted the common key.

67. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 64, wherein the communication unit of the maintenance apparatus stores event transmission rules regarding the transmission of event information indicating that the common key stored in the decryption unit of the maintenance apparatus has been deleted by the user of the maintenance apparatus to the managing apparatus that transmitted the common key.

68. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 64, wherein the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus stores event transmission rules regarding the transmission of event information indicating that the equipment information stored in the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus has been deleted by the user of the maintenance apparatus to the managing apparatus that transmitted the common key.

69. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 50, wherein the maintenance apparatus comprises a registration unit for registering information identifying the industrial equipment, the encrypted equipment information used in identifying the cause of trouble, and a method of dealing with trouble in a mutually related manner, and wherein the input/output unit of the maintenance apparatus outputs a method of dealing with trouble by referring to the registration unit.

70. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 50, wherein the industrial equipment is semiconductor manufacture/inspection equipment.

71. A managing apparatus for managing information transmitted from one or more pieces of industrial equipment for performing specific processes, 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 a maintenance apparatus connected via the Internet in response to a request therefrom, and for transmitting the common key used in encrypting the encrypted equipment information in response to a request from the maintenance apparatus that received the encrypted equipment information; and

an input/output unit for outputting all or part of the history of transmission of the common key to the maintenance apparatus.

72. The managing apparatus according to claim 71, wherein the input/output unit outputs to a memory medium the encrypted equipment information to be received by the maintenance apparatus.

73. The managing apparatus according to claim 71, wherein the communication unit encrypts the common key using a public key associated with the maintenance apparatus before transmitting it.

74. The managing apparatus according to claim 71, wherein the communication unit carries attribute information indicating the attributes of a user of the maintenance apparatus, and condition information indicating a condition concerning the attributes of the user of the maintenance apparatus which is necessary for the transmission of the common key, wherein, when the common key is requested by the maintenance apparatus, the communication unit reads the attribute information about the user of the maintenance apparatus and the condition information about the common key, and transmits the common key to the maintenance apparatus only when the condition in the condition information that has been read is satisfied by the attributes in the attribute information that has been read.

75. The managing apparatus according to claim 71, wherein the communication unit receives event information from the maintenance apparatus to which the common key has been transmitted, the event information indicating the contents of operation performed by the user of the maintenance apparatus on the equipment information, and the input/output unit outputs all or part of the event information received by the communication unit.

76. The managing apparatus according to claim 75, wherein the communication unit receives event information indicating that the cause of trouble has been identified by the user of the maintenance apparatus.

77. The managing apparatus according to claim 75, wherein the communication unit receives event information indicating the grounds based on which the user of the maintenance apparatus has determined a particular event to be the cause of trouble.

78. The managing apparatus according to claim 75, wherein the communication unit receives event information indicating that the common key stored in the maintenance apparatus has been deleted by the user of the maintenance apparatus.

79. The managing apparatus according to claim 75, wherein the communication unit receives event information indicating that the equipment information stored in the maintenance apparatus has been deleted by the user of the maintenance apparatus.

80. 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 a 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 in response to a request from the maintenance apparatus that received the encrypted equipment information, 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.

81. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 80, wherein the determination unit of the industrial equipment stores quality information indicating the quality of maintenance work that can be provided by each maintenance apparatus, and determines one or more maintenance apparatus to which a maintenance request requesting maintenance is to be transmitted, based on the stored quality information, and wherein the communication unit of the industrial equipment transmits a maintenance request and the encrypted equipment information to the maintenance apparatus determined by the determination unit of the industrial equipment.

82. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 80, wherein the determination unit of the industrial equipment generates at least one maintenance apparatus candidate to which a maintenance request is to be transmitted, the input/output unit of the industrial equipment outputs the candidate(s) generated by the determination unit of the industrial equipment, wherein the determination unit of the industrial equipment determines the maintenance apparatus selected by the user of the industrial equipment from among the candidate(s) outputted by the input/output unit of the industrial equipment, as the maintenance apparatus to which the maintenance request is transmitted.

83. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 80, wherein the industrial equipment is semiconductor manufacture/inspection equipment.

84. Industrial equipment remotely maintained by one or more maintenance apparatus connected via the Internet, comprising:

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 in response to a request from the maintenance apparatus that received the encrypted equipment information, 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.

85. The industrial equipment according to claim 84, wherein the determination unit stores quality information indicating the quality of maintenance work that can be provided by each maintenance apparatus, determines one or more maintenance apparatus to which a maintenance request requesting maintenance is to be transmitted, based on the quality information received by the communication unit of the industrial equipment, wherein the communication unit transmits a maintenance request and the encrypted equipment information to the maintenance apparatus determined by the determination unit of the industrial equipment.

86. The industrial equipment according to claim 84, wherein the determination unit generates at least one maintenance apparatus candidate to which a maintenance request is to be transmitted, the input/output unit of the industrial equipment outputs the candidate(s) generated by the determination unit, and the determination unit determines the maintenance apparatus selected by the user of the industrial equipment from among the candidate(s) outputted by the input/output unit as the maintenance apparatus to which a maintenance request is transmitted.

87. 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 in response to a request from the maintenance apparatus that received the encrypted equipment information, 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.

88. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 87, wherein the determination unit of the managing apparatus stores quality information indicating the quality of maintenance work that can be provided by each maintenance apparatus, and determines, based on the stored quality information, one or more maintenance apparatus to which a maintenance request requesting maintenance is to be transmitted, and wherein the communication unit of the managing apparatus transmits a maintenance request and the encrypted equipment information to the maintenance apparatus determined by the determination unit of the managing apparatus.

89. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 87, wherein the determination unit of the managing apparatus generates at least one maintenance apparatus candidate to which a maintenance request is to be transmitted, the input/output unit of the managing apparatus outputs the candidate(s) generated by the determination unit of the managing apparatus, and the determination unit of the managing apparatus determines the maintenance apparatus selected by the user of the managing apparatus from among the candidate(s) outputted by the input/output unit of the managing apparatus as the maintenance apparatus to which a maintenance request is transmitted.

90. The on-line diagnostics system according to claim 87, wherein the industrial equipment is semiconductor manufacture/inspection equipment.

91. A managing apparatus for managing information transmitted from one or more pieces of industrial equipment for performing specific processes, comprising:

an encryption unit for encrypting equipment information received from the industrial equipment using a specific common key;

a determination unit for determining a 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 communication unit to the maintenance apparatus.

92. The managing apparatus according to claim 91, wherein the determination unit stores quality information indicating the quality of maintenance work that can be provided by each maintenance apparatus, and determines, based on the stored quality information, one or more maintenance apparatus to which a maintenance request requesting maintenance is to be transmitted, and wherein the communication unit transmits a maintenance request and the encrypted equipment information to the maintenance apparatus determined by the determination unit.

93. The managing apparatus according to claim 91, wherein the determination unit generates at least one maintenance apparatus candidate to which a maintenance request is to be transmitted, the input/output unit outputs the candidate(s) generated by the determination unit of the managing apparatus, and the determination unit determines the maintenance apparatus selected by the user of the managing apparatus from among the candidate(s) outputted by the input/output unit as the maintenance apparatus to which a maintenance request is to be transmitted.