System for managing vehicle inspections

• US 7,330,783 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2005
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (Mitsubishi Materials Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsubota, Tomohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin; Gary
• Application Number:
  US11/105,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20050251303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 65/005 Inspection and final control devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The server includes statistical processing section for sequentially statistically processing a ranking of causes of a defect on the basis of defect information on a vehicle transmitted by the inspection terminal. The repair terminal includes display section for displaying the defect information, instructing section provided in the display section to give an instruction on display of ranking of causes of the defect, and section for causing the ranking of the causes of the defect to be displayed on the display section when the instructing section is operated.

Claims

1. A system for managing vehicle inspections, the system comprising a server used on a vehicle production line and including an inspection master database which stores inspection items for parts to be inspected and an inspection result database storing inspected defects and causes as well as repair methods;

an inspection terminal and repair terminal which communicate with the server via a LAN and which are used at each of a plurality of inspection stages; and

a master managing terminal connected to the LAN to input inspection information, wherein a predetermined inspection items are sent from the server and displayed on the inspection terminal so that an inspector can inspect a part of the vehicle to find out a defect and cause thereof on the basis of the inspection items, wherein the defect information denoting a result of the inspection including the defect and cause is sent to the server via the inspection terminal, and wherein a repairer can perform a repair method based on the defect and cause sent from the server and displayed on the repair terminal for eliminating the defect,

wherein the server comprises;

a statistical processing section configured to sequentially statistically process defects and causes to form the ranking of the defects and causes according to the defects and causes on the basis of defect information and the cause information transmitted from the inspection terminal, and

the repair terminal comprises;

a display section configured to display the defect and cause information sent from the inspection result database;

an instructing section provided in the display section and configured to give an instruction on display of ranking of defects and causes based on frequencies of the causes and the repair methods;

means for transmitting repair method information performed by the repairer based on the defect and cause displayed on the display section to the inspection result database for the statistical processing; and

a display control section configured to cause the ranking of the defects, causes, and the repair methods to be displayed on the display section when the instructing section is operated to repair the defect.

2. The system for managing vehicle inspections according to claim 1, wherein the server further comprises:

second statistical processing section for sequentially statistically processing repair methods for defects and causes thereof based on the defect information sent from the inspection terminal, and

the repair terminal further comprises;

a selecting section configured to select one of the causes displayed in the ranking of the defects; and

the display control section configured to cause display of ranking of repair methods for the defects statistically processed by the second statistical processing section and the cause of the defect selected by the selecting section.

3. The system for managing vehicle inspections according to claim 2, further comprising:

the selecting section configured to select one of the repair methods displayed in the ranking of the repair methods; and

the display control section configured to indicate the procedure of the repair method selected by the selecting section to be displayed on a repair screen.

4. A method for managing vehicle inspections which is used for a system for managing vehicle inspections, the system comprising a server used on a vehicle production line and including an inspection master database which stores inspection items for parts to be inspected;

an inspection terminal and repair terminal which communicate with the server via a LAN and which are used in a plurality of inspection stages; and

a master managing terminal connected to the LAN to input inspection information, wherein a predetermined inspection items are sent from the server and displayed on the inspection terminal so that an inspector can inspect a part of the vehicle to find out a defect and a cause thereof on the basis of the inspection items, wherein the defect information denoting a result of the inspection including the defect and cause is sent to the server via the inspection terminal, and wherein a repairer can perform a repair method based on the defect and cause sent from the server and displayed on the repair terminal for eliminating the defect,

wherein the method comprises;

sequentially statistically processing defects and causes to form a ranking of the defects and causes on the basis of defect and cause information on a vehicle transmitted by the inspection terminal;

displaying the defect and cause information to perform a repair method by a repairer;

giving an instruction on display of the ranking of the defects, causes and repair method based on frequencies of the defects, causes, and repair methods; and

causing the ranking of the defects, causes, and repair methods to be displayed on the display section when the instructing section is operated.

5. The method for managing vehicle inspections according to claim 4, further comprising:

sequentially statistically processing defects and causes based on the defect information sent from the inspection terminal;

selecting one of the causes displayed in the ranking of the defects and causes; and

causing display of ranking of repair methods for the defects and causes statistically processed.

6. The method for managing vehicle inspections according to claim 5, further comprising:

selecting, at the repair terminal, one of the repair methods displayed in the ranking of the repair methods; and

indicating, on a repair screen of the repair terminal, a procedure of the selected repair method.