Intelligent production station and production method

• US 9,058,567 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2011
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aviat U.S., Inc. (Aviat Networks Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aviat U.S., Inc. (Aviat Networks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Srikumar, Kesavan, Pong, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): KASENGE, CHARLES R
• Application Number:
  US13/271,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20120029680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 700/95, 700/97, 700/98, 700/103, 700/108, 700/109, 700/110, 700/115, 700/116, 700/117, 700/118, 702/81, 702/82, 702/84, 702/182, 702/183, 709/203, 709/219, 703/1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4183 characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31044 Assembly of modular products, variant configurability
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31061 Selection of assembly process parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31095 Read write intelligent chip on workpiece, pallet, tool for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31104 Remote configuration of parameters of controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32197 Inspection at different locations, stages of manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33199 Transponder
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

One aspect related to design of systems and methods for manufacturing products that include technology in skilled areas is configuring a production station for use by an operator without specialized skills. The present invention contemplates an approach to designing a station configurable to perform one or more of incoming inspection, assembly, testing, and branding. A preferred approach includes verifying data associated with units prior to accepting them for incorporation, preventing incorporation of an incorrect unit, and guiding an operator in possible remedial action. This approach includes storing data in a server and making such data substantially instantly accessible to production stations once written in the server. Such data preferably includes software to configure the production station such that the operator need not have specialized skills. A production station designed using this approach is particularly useful in the manufacture of an outdoor unit of a split-mount microwave radio system.

Claims

1. A production station for processing a product to be manufactured, the product including two or more units, the production station comprising:

a data retrieval component communicatively coupled to a first unit of the two or more units to be included in the product, the data retrieval component operative to retrieve data from the first unit, the data from the first unit including actual software configuration revision information regarding a revision of software on the first unit and licensing information regarding an applicable license of the software on the first unit;

a data access component operative to obtain from a server data associated with the first unit, the associated data including desired software configuration revision information and current license data indicating at least one software license associated with the desired software configuration revision;

a data verification component operative to compare the retrieved data with the obtained data to verify that the software configuration revision information from the first unit is acceptable based on a comparison with the desired software configuration revision information and to verify that the applicable license of the software on the first unit is an acceptable license based on the licensing information from the first unit and the current license data from the server, and to generate an output based on the comparison, the output indicating whether the first unit should be accepted for processing and included in the product, further processing of the first unit being allowed based on the output; and

a data writing component operative to write new software to the first unit if the verification of the data verification component indicates that the software configuration revision information from the first unit is not acceptable or if the verification of the data verification component indicates that the applicable license of the software on the first unit is not an acceptable license.

2. The production station as in claim 1, configured to be operated by a person who is unskilled in an area of technology of the first unit.

3. The production station as in claim 1, in which the data retrieval component, the data access component, and the data verification component are together operative to perform a production function.

4. The production station as in claim 3, wherein the production function includes one or more of incoming inspection, assembly, testing, branding, and post functional testing of the manufactured product.

5. The production station as in claim 3, wherein the data access component is further operative to obtain from the server software, instructions, and specifications associated with the production function and wherein the data retrieval component, the data access component, and the data verification component are further operative to execute such obtained software, instructions, and specifications, the software, instructions, and specifications having been developed and written in the server.

6. The production station as in claim 5, wherein the data access component is further operative to initiate obtaining the software, instructions, and specifications from the server.

7. The production station as in claim 5, wherein the data access component is further configured to download the software, instructions, and specifications from the server in response to a download command initiated remotely.

8. The production station as in claim 1, further comprising a data generation component communicatively coupled with the server and operative to generate data associated with the first unit, with the manufactured product, or with both.

9. The production station as in claim 8, further comprising a data writing component communicatively coupled to the first unit and operative to write the obtained data and the generated data to the first unit and further operative to write the retrieved data and the generated data in the server.

10. The production station as in claim 8, wherein the generated data comprises one or more of new or updated assembly data, calibration files, test data, and branding data.

11. The production station as in claim 1, further comprising an interface component communicatively coupled to a peripheral device and operative to transfer the obtained data, the retrieved data, and the generated output to the peripheral device and to retrieve data from the peripheral device.

12. The production station as in claim 11, wherein the peripheral device is a printer, a data logger, a fixture, a spectrum analyzer, a power meter, a keyboard, a key pad, a pointing device, a voice recognition device, a display, or a light source.

13. The A production station as in claim 1, wherein the data retrieval component comprises a scanner, a bar code reader, a keyboard, a key pad, a pointing device, a voice recognition device, or a combination thereof.

14. The production station as in claim 1, wherein the first unit comprises one or more of an intermediate frequency subassembly, a radio frequency local oscillator subassembly, a transceiver subassembly, a power module subassembly, a diplexer subassembly, and a mechanical subassembly.

15. The production station as in claim 1, wherein the manufactured product comprises an outdoor unit of a split-mount microwave radio system.

16. The production station as in claim 1, wherein the obtained data includes read-only data, portions of which comprise restricted access read-only data.

17. The production station as in claim 1, wherein the obtained data includes read-and-write data, portions of which comprise restricted access read-and-write data.

18. The production station as in claim 1, wherein the communicative coupling to the first unit comprises a data cable, an optical link, a universal serial bus, a fire wire cable, or a wireless link.

19. The production station as in claim 1, wherein the associated data includes data having been written in the server by a data writing component of another production station.

20. A method for processing a product to be manufactured, the product including two or more units, the method comprising:

obtaining, from a server, data associated with a first unit of the two or more units to be included in the product, the data from the server including desired software configuration revision information and current license data indicating at least one software license associated with the desired software configuration revision;

retrieving data from the first unit, the data from the first unit including actual software configuration revision information regarding a revision of software on the first unit and licensing information regarding an applicable license of the software on the first unit;

comparing the data retrieved from the first unit with the data obtained from the server to verify that the software configuration revision information from the first unit is acceptable based on a comparison with the desired software configuration revision information and to verify that the applicable license of the software on the first unit is an acceptable license based on the licensing information from the first unit and the current license data from the server;

generating an output based on the comparison, the output indicating whether the first unit should be accepted for processing and included in the product, further processing of the first unit being allowed based on the output; and

writing new software to the first unit if the verification of the data verification component indicates that the software configuration revision information from the first unit is not acceptable or if the verification of the data verification component indicates that the applicable license of the software on the first unit is not an acceptable license.

21. The method as in claim 20, wherein the new software comprises new or updated assembly data, calibration files, test data, or branding data.

22. A production station for processing a product to be manufactured, the product including two or more units, the production station comprising:

means for retrieving data from a first unit of the two or more units to be included in the product, the data from the first unit including actual software configuration revision information regarding a revision of software on the first unit and licensing information regarding an applicable license of the software on the first unit;

means for obtaining from a server data associated with the first unit, the data including desired software configuration revision information and current license data indicating at least one software license associated with the desired software configuration revision;

means for comparing the retrieved data with the obtained data to verify that the software configuration revision information from the first unit is acceptable based on a comparison with the desired software configuration revision information and to verify that the applicable license of the software on the first unit is an acceptable license based on the licensing information from the first unit and the current license data from the server;

means for generating an output based on the comparison, the output indicating whether the first unit should be accepted for processing and included in the product, further processing of the first unit being allowed based on the output; and

means for writing new software to the first unit if the verification of the data verification component indicates that the software configuration revision information from the first unit is not acceptable or if the verification of the data verification component indicates that the applicable license of the software on the first unit is not an acceptable license.