Remote maintenance system

• US 6,963,786 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2001
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ogura, Masaya, Ogushi, Nobuaki, Ohta, Hirohisa, Yoneyama, Yoshito
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rapp, Chad
• Application Number:
  US09/988,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20020040251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• Field of Search: 700/65, 700/108, 700/109, 700/110, 702/180, 702/182, 702183-185, 702/188
• US Class Current: 700/108
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70525 Controlling normal operating mode, e.g. matching different apparatus, remote control or prediction of failure
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4184 characterised by fault tolerance, reliability of production system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24084 Remote and local monitoring, local result to remote, remote takes action
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31186 TCP-IP internet protocol
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33284 Remote diagnostic
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33313 Frames, database with environment and action, relate error to correction action
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33318 Knowledge acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2223/06 Remote monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0213 Modular or universal configuration of the monitoring system, e.g. monitoring system having modules that may be combined to build monitoring program; monitoring system that can be applied to legacy systems; adaptable monitoring system; using different communication protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0283 Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Factories (102-104) have host computers (107) for monitoring industrial equipments (106). Each host computer (107) is connected to a management host computer (108) on a vendor (101) side through the internet (105). The host computer (107) on the factory side detects occurrence of a trouble of the industrial equipment (106) and notifies the vendor side of status information representing a trouble state. In response to this, the host computer (108) on the vendor side notifies the factory side of response information representing a countermeasure against the trouble state.

Claims

1. A remote maintenance system for industrial equipment installed at a remote location, said system comprising:

a database system which is connected to an internet and which stores maintenance information relating to the industrial equipment, wherein the maintenance information includes both status information relating to the industrial equipment and response information which is associated with the status information and which is used for handling a problem associated with the industrial equipment, as defined by the status information; and

a security system that allows a limited user of the industrial equipment to access the database system through the internet to derive the maintenance information for handling the problem associated with the industrial equipment.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said database is updated based on the access of the user.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said database stores information for identifying an industrial equipment, problem states that may occur in the identified industrial equipment, and corresponding countermeasures against the problem states.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said database system automatically notifies an appropriate personnel of the problem with the industrial equipment.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said database system automatically sends an e-mail to the appropriate personnel.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprises a LAN system connecting a plurality of computers and the database system, each of the plurality of computers being capable of accessing the database system through the LAN system.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said security system comprises at least one of a codec system providing an encoded communication and a fire wall.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said codec system periodically changes codec algorithms.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the industrial equipment comprises a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and wherein the maintenance information comprises problem information of the semiconductor apparatus.

10. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a information transmitting system which transmits the status information relating to the industrial equipment to the database through the internet.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the internet uses a TCP/IP communication protocol.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the internet is a worldwide communication system.

13. An exposure apparatus maintained by a remote maintenance system defined in claim 1.

14. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

exposing a wafer with a circuit pattern by using an exposure apparatus being maintained by a remote maintenance system defined in claim 1; and

developing the exposed wafer.

15. A method for sharing information relating to industrial equipment, comprising:

providing a database system which is connected to an internet and which stores maintenance information relating to the industrial equipment, wherein the maintenance information includes both status information relating to the industrial equipment and response information associated with the status information and which is used for handling a problem associated with the industrial equipment, as defined by the status information;

allowing a first specified user of the industrial equipment with a first security system to access the database through the internet to derive the maintenance information; and

allowing a second specified user, different from the first specified user, of the industrial equipment with a second security system to access the database system through the internet to derive the maintenance information, wherein the first and second security systems have different kinds of codec systems from each other.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the database stores information for identifying an industrial equipment, problem states that may occur in the identified industrial equipment, and corresponding countermeasures against the problem states.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising a step of automatically notifying an appropriate personnel of the problem associated with the industrial equipment.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said notifying step comprises automatically sending an e-mail to the appropriate personnel.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein each of the first and second security systems comprises at least one of a codec system providing an encoded communication and a fire wall.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein each of the codec systems periodically changes codec algorithms.

21. The method according to claim 15, wherein the industrial equipment comprises a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and the information comprises problem information associated with the semiconductor apparatus.

22. The method according to claim 15, further comprising a step of transmitting the status information relating to the industrial equipment to the database through the internet.

23. The method according to claim 15, wherein the internet uses a TCP/IP communication protocol.

24. The method according to claim 15, wherein the internet is a worldwide communication system.

25. An exposure apparatus, maintenance information thereof being shared by a method defined in claim 15.

26. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

exposing a wafer with a circuit pattern by using an exposure apparatus, maintenance information thereof being shared by a method defined in claim 15; and

developing the exposed wafer.

27. A method for sharing information of industrial equipment, comprising:

providing a first database system which is connected to an internet and which stores first maintenance information relating to first industrial equipment, wherein the first maintenance information includes both first status information of the first industrial equipment and first response information which is associated with the first status information and which is used for handling a problem associated with the first industrial equipment as defined by the first status information;

providing a second database system which is connected to the internet and which stores second maintenance information relating to second industrial equipment, wherein the second maintenance information includes both second status information of the second industrial equipment and second response information which is associated with the second status information and which is used for handling a problem associated with the second industrial equipment as defined by the second status information; and

allowing a limited user of the first industrial equipment and the second industrial equipment with security systems to access the first database system and the second database system through the internet and derive the first and second maintenance information.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein each of the databases stores information for identifying industrial equipment, problem states that may occur in the identified industrial equipment, and corresponding countermeasures against the problem states.

29. The method according to claim 27, further comprising a step of automatically notifying an appropriate personnel of the problem associated with the first industrial equipment or the second industrial equipment.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein said notifying step comprises automatically sending an e-mail to the appropriate personnel.

31. The method according to claim 27, wherein the security system includes at least one of a codec system providing an encoded communication and a fire wall.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein each of the codec systems periodically changes codec algorithms.

33. The method according to claim 27, wherein each of the first industrial equipment and the second industrial equipment includes a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and the information includes problem information associated with the semiconductor apparatus.

34. The method according to claim 27, wherein the first database system and the second database system are provided by different venders.

35. The method according to claim 27, further comprising a step of transmitting the status information relating to the industrial equipment to the first and second database through the internet.

36. The method according to claim 27, wherein the internet uses TCP/IP communication protocol.

37. The method according to claim 27, wherein the internet is a worldwide communication system.

38. An exposure apparatus, maintenance information thereof being shared by a method defined in claim 27.

39. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

exposing a wafer with a circuit pattern by using an exposure apparatus, maintenance information thereof being shared by a method defined in claim 27; and

developing the exposed wafer.

40. A method for sharing information relating to industrial equipment, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a database system which is connected to an internet and which stores maintenance information relating to industrial equipment, wherein the maintenance information includes both status information of the industrial equipment and response information which is associated with the status information and which is used for handling a problem associated with the industrial equipment, as defined by the status information;

connecting a plurality of departments of a vendor which provides the industrial equipment, with a computer network system such that each of the plurality of departments is able to access the database system to derive the maintenance information, the plurality of departments including at least a maintenance department, a manufacturing department and a developing department; and

allowing a user of the industrial equipment with a security system to access the database system through the internet to derive the maintenance information.

41. The system according to claim 40, wherein each of the departments is able to fully access the database system and the user is able to access limited information of the database system.

42. The method according to claim 40, wherein the database stores information for identifying an industrial equipment, problem states that may occur in the identified industrial equipment, and corresponding countermeasures against the problem states.

43. The method according to claim 40, further comprising a step of automatically notifying an appropriate personnel of problem associated with the industrial equipment.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein said notifying step includes automatically sending an e-mail to the appropriate personnel.

45. The method according to claim 40, wherein the security system includes at least one of a codec system providing an encoded communication and a fire wall.

46. The method according to claim 45, wherein each of the codec systems periodically changes codec algorithms.

47. A system according to claim 40, wherein the industrial equipment comprises a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and the information comprises problem information relating to the semiconductor apparatus.

48. The method according to claim 40, further comprising a step of transmitting the status information relating to the industrial equipment to the database through the internet.

49. The method according to claim 40, wherein the internet uses a TCP/IP communication protocol.

50. The method according to claim 40, wherein the internet is a worldwide communication system.

51. An exposure apparatus, maintenance information thereof being shared by a method defined in claim 40.

52. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

exposing a wafer with a circuit pattern by using an exposure apparatus, maintenance information thereof being shared by a method defined in claim 40; and

developing the exposed wafer.

53. A remote maintenance system for an exposure apparatus installed at a remote location, said system comprising:

a database system which stores maintenance information relating to the exposure apparatus, wherein the maintenance information includes both status information relating to the exposure apparatus and response information which is associated with the status information and which is used for handling a problem associated with the exposure apparatus, as defined by the status information; and

a security system that allows a limited user of the exposure apparatus to access the database system to derive the maintenance information.

54. An exposure apparatus maintained by a remote maintenance system defined in claim 53.

55. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

exposing a wafer with a circuit pattern by using an exposure apparatus being maintained by a remote maintenance system defined in claim 53; and

developing the exposed wafer.

56. A method for sharing information relating to an exposure apparatus, comprising:

providing a database system which stores maintenance information relating to the exposure apparatus, wherein the maintenance information includes both status information relating to the exposure apparatus and response information associated with the status information and which is used for handling a problem associated with the exposure apparatus, as defined by the status information;

allowing a first specified user of the exposure apparatus with a first security system to access the database to derive the maintenance information; and

allowing a second specified user, different from the first specified user, of the exposure apparatus with a second security system to access the database to derive the maintenance information, wherein the first and second security systems have different kinds of codec systems from each other.

57. An exposure apparatus, maintenance information thereof being shared by a method defined in claim 56.

58. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

exposing a wafer with a circuit pattern by using an exposure apparatus, maintenance information thereof being shared by a method defined in claim 56; and

developing the exposed wafer.

59. A method for sharing information of an exposure apparatus, comprising:

providing a first database system which stores first maintenance information relating to a first exposure apparatus, wherein the first maintenance information includes both first status information of the first exposure apparatus and first response information which is associated with the first status information and which is used for handling a problem associated with the first exposure apparatus as defined by the first status information;

providing a second database system which stores second maintenance information relating to a second exposure apparatus, wherein the second maintenance information includes both second status information of the second exposure apparatus and second response information which is associated with the second status information and which is used for handling a problem associated with the second exposure apparatus as defined by the second status information; and

allowing a limited user of the first exposure apparatus and the second exposure apparatus with security systems to access the first database system and the second database system and derive the first and second maintenance information.

60. An exposure apparatus, maintenance information thereof being shared by a method defined in claim 59.

61. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

exposing a wafer with a circuit pattern by using an exposure apparatus, maintenance information thereof being shared by a method defined in claim 59; and

developing the exposed wafer.

62. A method for sharing information relating to an exposure apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a database system which stores maintenance information relating to an exposure apparatus, wherein the maintenance information includes both status information of the exposure apparatus and response information which is associated with the status information and which is used for handling a problem associated with the exposure apparatus, as defined by the status information;

connecting a plurality of departments of a vender which provides the exposure apparatus, with a computer network system such that each of the plurality of departments is able to access the database system to derive the maintenance information, the plurality of departments including at least a maintenance department, a manufacturing department and a developing department; and

allowing a user of the exposure apparatus with a security system to access the database system to derive the maintenance information.

63. An exposure apparatus, maintenance information thereof being shared by a method defined in claim 62.

64. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

exposing a wafer with a circuit pattern by using an exposure apparatus, maintenance information thereof being shared by a method defined in claim 62; and

developing the exposed wafer.