Maintenance method and maintenance system for industrial machinery

• US 6,882,962 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2001
• Issued: 04/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yutaka Electronics Industry Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Yutaka Electronics Industry Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Aoyama, Kouki
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sun, Xiuqin
• Application Number:
  US09/862,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20010047504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,427 Days
• Field of Search: 340/635, 706/50, 702/185, 700/95, 709/250, 356/237.1
• US Class Current: 702/185
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31457 Factory remote control, monitoring through internet
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0229 knowledge based, e.g. expert systems; genetic algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0275 Fault isolation and identification, e.g. classify fault; estimate cause or root of failure
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

At the same time as establishing a means of recording operation data 4, to record the operation data of robots 2 and 2· ·, monitor cameras 5 and 5· ·, to film the operation status of robots 2 and 2· ·, and a means of recording visual data 6 and 6· ·, to record said visual data from said monitor cameras, a central computer 7 is installed, into which an advisor can collect both said operation data and said visual data by means of the Internet N, wherein, if an error occurs in either robot 2 or robot 2· ·, the advisor is able to collect operation data and visual data from before and after the occurrence of the error into said central computer 7, analyze both said types of data in order to investigate the cause of the error, following which, images of the site filmed by monitor camera 5 can be downloaded by means of the Internet N, wherein said advisor is able to issue instructions to an on-site operator as to the recovery procedure for robot 2, while said advisor is referring to said filmed images for verification.

Claims

1. A maintenance system for industrial machinery, wherein, when an error occurs in said industrial machinery, an advisor who is located at a distance from the site is enabled to instruct on-site operators as to the recovery procedure for said industrial machinery, said maintenance system comprising:

acquiring means for acquiring operation data and images and for recording operation data of the industrial machinery and images filmed by a filming means;

a central computer into which the advisor is able to collect the operation data and the images acquired by said means through a telecommunications circuit; and

communications means for enabling said advisor to issue instructions to on-site operations.

2. A maintenance system for industrial machinery, wherein, when an error occurs in said industrial machinery, an advisor who is located at a distance from the site is enabled to instruct on-site operators as to the recovery procedure for said industrial machinery, said maintenance system comprising:

acquiring means for acquiring operation data and images and for recording operation data of the industrial machinery and images filmed by a filming means;

a central computer into which the advisor is able to collect and download the operation data and the images acquired by said means through a telecommunications circuit; and

communications means for enabling said advisor to issue instructions to on-site operations.

3. The maintenance system for industrial machinery according to claim 2, wherein, after the investigation into the cause of the error occurring in the industrial machinery, the filmed images of the site are downloaded by means of a telecommunications circuit, and notification of the recovery procedure is carried out while reference is made to said filmed images for verification.

4. A maintenance system for industrial machinery, wherein, when an error occurs in said industrial machinery, an advisor who is located at a distance from the site is enabled to instruct on-site operators as to the recovery procedure for said industrial machinery, said maintenance system comprising:

acquiring means for acquiring the operation data of the aforementioned industrial machinery;

a central computer into which the advisor, by means of a telecommunications circuit, is able to collect said operation data acquired by said acquiring means; and

communications means for enabling said advisor to issue instructions to on-site operators.

5. The maintenance system for industrial machinery acceding to claim 4, wherein, at the same time as acquiring the operation data, establishing a means of filming the site, wherein filmed images can be downloaded into a central computer by means of a telecommunications circuit.

6. The maintenance system for industrial machinery according to claim 5, wherein, at the same time as filming the sites establishing a means of visual data recording for the recording of filmed images captured by means of filming, said visual data recorded by said means of visual data recording can be downloaded by the advisor into the central computer by means of a telecommunications circuit, and wherein said visual data can be replayed in said central computer.

7. The maintenance method for industrial machinery according to claim 5, wherein the advisor is able to carry out panning and zooming operations of said means of filming by means of a telecommunications circuit.