System and method for controlling an in-line apparatus

• US 6,606,524 B1
• Filed: 02/11/2000
• Issued: 08/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yun, Hyung-Jin, Byun, Sung-Joon, Heo, Min-Young, An, Jong-Beom
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hartman, Jr., Ronald D
• Application Number:
  US09/503,157
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 700/19-20, 700/1, 700/121, 414/935
• US Class Current: 700/19
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31225 System structure, plc's and pc's communicate over lan
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Disclosed is an in-line apparatus system that comprises a plurality of sub-apparatuses, a host, a plurality of apparatus controllers, and a master controller. The sub-apparatuses perform predetermined jobs on the substrates. The host stores information on the substrate to be processed in the sub-apparatuses and information on jobs performed by the sub-apparatuses. The apparatus controllers respectively control substrate jobs in the sub-apparatuses according to the information on the substrates and jobs, and are interconnected through a network and share information on the substrates. The master controller, connected to the apparatus controllers, controls the apparatus controllers and receives job information of the sub-apparatuses from the apparatus controllers and transmits the job information to the host. The in-line apparatus system and its control method enable overall easy control and increase reliability.

Claims

1. An in-line apparatus system, comprising:

a plurality of sub-apparatuses, each sub-apparatus sequentially performing a predetermined job;

a host storing information on a substrate to be processed in the sub-apparatuses and information on jobs to be performed by the sub-apparatuses;

a plurality of apparatus controllers, each apparatus controller controlling the jobs to be performed on the substrate by the sub-apparatuses according to the information on the substrate and the information on the jobs, and each apparatus controller sharing the information on the substrate through a connection that allows data communications between each apparatus controller; and

a master controller, connected to the apparatus controllers to control the apparatus controllers, the master controller receiving information on the jobs processed by the sub-apparatuses from the apparatus controllers and transmitting the information to the host, and transmitting to a corresponding apparatus controller the information on the substrate and the information on the jobs received from the host.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the master controller and the apparatus controllers are configured with a programmable logic controller.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises an apparatus server connected to the host, the apparatus server receiving information on the jobs processed by the sub-apparatuses from the sub-apparatuses, updating the received information, transmitting the information to the host, receiving information on the jobs processed by the sub-apparatuses from the host, determining whether the jobs of the substrate loaded on the sub-apparatuses can be processed, and transmitting the results of this determination to the sub-apparatuses.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a handler connected to the master controller and a apparatus server, the handler converting the information transmitted from the apparatus server into a format that can be recognized by the master controller and converting the information transmitted from the master controller into a format that can be recognized by the apparatus server.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the apparatus controllers share the substrate information transmitted from the host through a link module.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the substrate information comprises information on a loader on which a job has been started, a cassette, a substrate set, and a type and a grade of the substrate.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the information on the jobs is transmitted between the sub-apparatuses and comprises information on a receipt status of the substrates on left and right sub-apparatuses, information on the substrates, and information on a start and an end of a substrate set.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the apparatus controllers receive the information on the jobs processed by a previous sub-apparatus from a previous apparatus controller through a parallel input output device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the apparatus controllers are interconnected through cables, and predetermined apparatus controllers are connected to the master controller through cables.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the predetermined apparatus controllers connected to the master controller through cables are a left-most apparatus controller and a right-most apparatus controller.

11. A method for controlling an in-line apparatus system, the system comprising a plurality of sub-apparatuses each sequentially performing predetermined jobs on a substrate, a plurality of apparatus controllers each controlling substrate jobs of the sub-apparatuses and connected to the sub-apparatuses to enable communications with the sub-apparatuses, and a host storing substrate information and job information to be performed by the sub-apparatuses, comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting a message to the host through the apparatus controllers, the message indicating that the substrate has been loaded to a first sub-apparatus;

(b) receiving information on the substrate and job information of the first sub-apparatus from the host, and performing a job by the first sub-apparatus;

(c) conveying the substrate to a second sub-apparatus after the job is performed by the first sub-apparatus, and transmitting the information on the substrate processed by the first sub-apparatus from the apparatus controller of the first sub-apparatus to the apparatus controller of the second sub-apparatus; and

(d) receiving information on the substrate received from the apparatus controller of the first sub-apparatus and information on the job of the second sub-apparatus received from the host, and controlling a job of the second sub-apparatus.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises a step of repeating the steps (a) through (d).

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the in-line apparatus system further comprises a master controller that receives the information on the substrate and the job information from the host and transmits the information to corresponding apparatus controllers, the apparatus controllers and the master controller sharing the information on the substrate via a communications network.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the information on the substrate is transmitted through a link module and comprises the information on a loader on which a job has been started, a cassette, a substrate set, and a type and a grade of the substrate.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the information on the jobs is transmitted through a parallel input output device coupled between the apparatus controllers, the information on the jobs comprising information on a receipt status of the substrates on left and right sub-apparatuses, information on the substrates, and information on a start and an end of the substrate set.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein conveying the substrate to a second sub-apparatus in step (c) comprises the steps of:

checking whether or not a start signal of a substrate set exists in the sub-apparatuses; and

checking whether or not an end signal of the substrate set exists in the sub-apparatuses.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

recognizing a starting point of the substrate set when a starting signal of the substrate set is detected, and transmitting the starting point to a next sub-apparatus through a parallel input output device; and

recognizing an end point of the substrate set when an ending signal of the substrate set is detected, and transmitting the ending point to a next sub-apparatus through the parallel input output device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

recognizing, when the starting signal of the substrate set is not detected, a substrate next to the last substrate of the substrate set previously processed as a starting point of the substrate set, and transmitting the starting point to the next sub-apparatus through the parallel input output device; and

recognizing, when the ending signal of the substrate set is not detected, a substrate previous to the first substrate of the substrate set to be processed as an ending point of the substrate set, and transmitting the ending point to the next sub-apparatus through the parallel input output device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises the step of detecting the starting point and the ending point using a substrate set ID and a substrate cassette ID when the starting point and the ending point of the substrate set are not present.