SETTING OPERATION SUPPORT DEVICE FOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS, SETTING OPERATION SUPPORT METHOD AND STORAGE MEDIUM HAVING PROGRAM STORED THEREIN

• US 20080192023A1
• Filed: 02/12/2008
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: YAMAMOTO, Masakazu
• Granted Patent: US 8,686,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A setting operation support device includes an operation target object among components constituting a substrate processing apparatus, an operation setting of which can be selected, a simulator that simulates an operation of the operation target object, a touch-panel type operator operation display unit and a touch-panel type simulation operation display unit and a function setting button. The correlation between the operation target object and a screen related to its operation settings is stored in advance in a screen storage unit. As the function setting button is first depressed and then the operation target object is specified through a touch operation while a dynamic image of the operation target object is on display at the operator operation display unit, the setting screen correlated to the particular operation target object is searched at the screen storage unit and is brought up on display at the operator operation display unit.

Claims

1. A setting operation support device for a substrate processing apparatus, which supports a setting operation performed to select a setting in said substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

an operator interface object via which said substrate processing apparatus is operated;

a touch-panel type operation display unit at which at least a screen related to settings for said operator interface object can be brought up on display;

a setting storage unit in which contents of a setting selected in said screen related to the settings for said operator interface object are stored;

a setting support button;

a screen storage unit in which operator interface object setting-related screen information indicating a predetermined correlation between said operator interface object and said screen related to the settings for said operator interface object is stored; and

a control unit that engages said operation display unit to display said screen correlated to said operator interface object searched from said screen storage unit, in response to an operation of said operator interface object following a depression of said setting support button.

2. A setting operation support device for a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said operator interface object is an operation button displayed at said operation display unit or an operation button provided independently of said operation display unit;

said setting support button is a function setting button displayed at said operation display unit or a function setting button provided independently of said operation display unit; and

said screen related to the settings for said operator interface object is a function setting screen.

3. A setting operation support device for a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said setting support button includes said function setting button and a function description button;

operator interface object setting-related screen information indicating a predetermined correlation of a specific function setting screen and a specific function description screen to said operator interface object is stored in said screen storage unit; and

as an operation is performed via said operator interface object following a depression of said function setting button, said control unit searches for said function setting screen correlated to said operator interface object at said screen storage unit and engages said operation display unit to display said function setting screen resulting from the search, whereas as an operation is performed via said operator interface object following a depression of said function description button, said control unit searches for said function description screen correlated to said operator interface object at said screen storage unit and engages said operation display unit to display on display said function description screen resulting from the search.

4. A setting operation support device for a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a simulator capable of executing a simulation for an operation target object engaged in operation as said operator interface object is operated, wherein;

following a setting operation performed in a screen brought up on display at said operation display unit, said control unit stores contents of a selected setting into said setting storage unit, then engages said simulator in execution of a simulation corresponding to the setting contents stored in said setting storage unit for said operation target object engaged in operation in response to the operation of said operator interface object and brings up a simulation image on display at said operation display unit.

5. A setting operation support device for a substrate processing apparatus, which supports a setting operation performed to select a setting for said substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

an operation target object constituting part of said substrate processing apparatus for which an operation setting can be selected;

a simulator that executes a simulation of an operation of said operation target object;

a touch-panel type operation display unit at which at least a screen related to operation settings for said operation target object and a dynamic image of the simulation of said operation target object can be displayed;

a setting storage unit in which contents of a setting selected in said screen related to the operation settings for said operation target object are stored;

a setting support button;

a screen storage unit in which operation target object setting-related screen information indicating a predetermined correlation between said operation target object and said screen related to the operation settings for said operation target object is stored;

a control unit that searches for said screen correlated to said operation target object at said screen storage unit and engages said operation display unit to display said screen resulting from the search as said operation target object for which simulation execution is underway is specified through a touch operation at said operation display unit following a depression of said setting support button while the dynamic simulation image of said operation target object is on display at said operation display unit.

6. A setting operation support device for a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

said setting support button is a function setting button displayed at said operation display unit or a function setting button provided independently of said operation display unit; and

said screen related to the operation settings for said operation target object is a function setting screen related to operations of said operation target object.

7. A setting operation support device for a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

said setting support button includes said function setting button and a function description button;

operation target object setting-related screen information indicating a predetermined correlation of a specific function setting screen and a specific function description screen to said operation target object is stored in said screen storage unit; and

as said operation target object for which the simulation execution is underway is specified following a depression of said function setting button while an image of the simulated operation of said operation target object is on display at said operation display unit, said control unit searches for said function setting screen correlated to said operation target object at said screen storage unit and engages said operation display unit to display said function setting screen resulting from the search, whereas as said operation target object for which the simulation execution is underway is specified following a depression of said function description button while the image of the simulated operation of said operation target object is on display at said operation display unit, said control unit searches for said function description screen correlated to said operation target object at said screen storage unit and engages said operation display unit in display said function description screen resulting from the search.

8. A setting operation support device for a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

following a setting operation performed in said screen related to the operation settings for said operation target object, said control unit stores contents of a selected setting into said setting storage unit, then engages said simulator in execution of a simulation corresponding to the setting contents stored in said setting storage unit for said operation target object and engages said operation display unit to display a simulation image.

9. A setting operation support device for a substrate processing apparatus, which supports a setting operation performed to select a setting for a substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

a setting target object constituting part of said substrate processing apparatus, a setting of which can be selected;

a simulator that executes a simulation display for said setting target object;

a touch-panel type operation display unit at which at least a screen related to the settings for said setting target object and an image of said setting target object provided through the simulation can be displayed;

a setting support button;

a screen storage unit in which setting target object setting-related screen information indicating a predetermined correlation between said setting target object and said screen related to settings for said setting target object is stored; and

a control unit that searches for said screen correlated to said setting target object at said screen storage unit and engages said operation display unit to display said screen resulting from the search as said setting target object on display is specified through a touch operation at said operation display unit following a depression of said setting support button while the simulation image of said setting target object is on display at said operation display unit.

10. A setting operation support device for a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

said setting support button is a function setting button displayed at said operation display unit or a function setting button provided independently of said operation display unit; and

said screen related to the settings for said setting target object is a function setting screen related to said setting target object.

11. A setting operation support device for a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

said setting support button includes said function setting button and a function description button;

setting target object setting-related screen information indicating predetermined correlation of a specific function setting screen and a specific function description screen to said setting target object is stored in said screen storage unit; and

as said setting target object the simulated image of which is on display is specified following a depression of said function setting button while the simulation image of said setting target object is on display at said operation display unit, said control unit searches for said function setting screen correlated to said setting target object at said screen storage unit and engages said operation display unit to display said function setting screen resulting from the search, whereas, as said setting target object the simulated image of which is on display is specified following a depression of said function description button while the simulation image of said setting target object is on display at said operation display unit, said control unit searches for said function description screen correlated to said setting target object at said screen storage unit and engages said operation display unit to display said function description screen resulting from the search.

12. A setting operation support device for a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a setting storage unit in which contents of a setting selected in said screen related to the settings for said setting target object are stored, wherein;

following a setting operation performed in said screen related to the settings for said setting target object, said control unit stores setting contents into said setting storage unit, then engages said simulator in execution of a simulation corresponding to the setting contents stored in said setting storage unit for said setting target object and engages said operation display unit to display an image of the simulation.

13. A setting operation support method adopted in a substrate processing apparatus to support a setting operation performed for said substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

a process in which a decision is made as to whether or not a setting support button disposed at said substrate processing apparatus has been depressed;

a process in which a decision is made, upon determining that said setting support button has been depressed, as to whether or not either an operation related to a target object for which a specific setting can be selected among components constituting said substrate processing apparatus or a specifying operation for specifying an operation target object or a setting target object in a simulation image on display at an operation display unit has been performed; and

a process in which upon determining that either operation has been performed, a screen correlated to said target object for which said operation has been performed is searched and brought up on display at said operation display unit based upon target object setting-related screen information indicating correlations between individual target objects and screens related to settings for said target objects, which is stored in advance in a screen storage unit.

14. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a program enabling a computer to execute steps of a setting operation support method for supporting a setting operation performed to select a setting for a substrate processing apparatus, wherein:

said setting operation support method executed by said computer comprises;

a step in which a decision is made as to whether or not a setting support button disposed at said substrate processing apparatus has been depressed;

a step in which a decision is made, upon determining that said setting support button has been depressed, as to whether or not either an operation related to a target object for which a specific setting can be selected among components constituting said substrate processing apparatus or a specifying operation for specifying an operation target object or a setting target object in a simulation image on display at an operation display unit has been performed; and

a step in which upon determining that either operation has been performed, a screen correlated to said target object for which said operation has been performed is searched and brought up on display at said operation display unit based upon target object setting-related screen information indicating correlations between individual target objects and screens related to settings for said target objects, which is stored in advance in a screen storage unit.