Method for collecting remote maintenance and diagnostic data from subject equipment, other device and manufacturing execution system

• US 7,035,768 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2003
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Matsuda, Katsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Assouad, Patrick J.
• Application Number:
  US10/385,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20030176989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 702/182, 702/183, 702/184, 702/185, 702/188, 702/84, 700/121, 700/108, 700/109, 700/110, 340/500, 340/540, 340/635, 340/3.1, 340/3.43
• US Class Current: 702/184
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4183 characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31205 Remote transmission of measured values from site, local to host
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31282 Data acquisition, BDE MDE
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32235 Sharing of data between process control and maintenance management computers
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33284 Remote diagnostic
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Upon performing a remote maintenance/diagnosis of a manufacturing equipment, data deriving from the manufacturing equipment that is a subject of the remote maintenance/diagnosis, data deriving from a manufacture related equipment other than the manufacturing equipment, and data regarding a manufacturing execution are collected as data used for the remote maintenance/diagnosis. The data collected as the data used for the remote maintenance/diagnosis is transmitted to a remote center that performs the maintenance/diagnosis of the manufacturing equipment.

Claims

1. A group controller which is connected communicably to a remote center and has a function of acquiring and storing data deriving from manufacturing equipments including a target manufacturing equipment which is to be subjected to a remote maintenance and diagnosis,

wherein said group controller has a function of checking whether there is a shortage of data already acquired and stored, newly acquiring data, which have been already stored as history data in at least one of the manufacturing equipments, so as to make up the shortage, and then sending the data including said newly acquired data to the remote center, in response to reception of a request from the remote center for data required to perform the maintenance and diagnosis of the target manufacturing equipment.

2. The group controller claimed in claim 1, wherein data is newly acquired from the target manufacturing equipment.

3. The group controller claimed in claim 1, wherein data is newly acquired from the manufacturing equipment other than the target manufacturing equipment which is connected to said group controller.

4. The group controller claimed in claim 3, wherein the data newly acquired consists of diagnostic information and process data of the manufacturing equipment other than the target manufacturing equipment which is connected to said group controller.

5. A group controller which is connected communicably to a remote center and a manufacturing execution system, and has a function of acquiring and storing data deriving from manufacturing equipments including a target manufacturing equipment which is to be subjected to a remote maintenance and diagnosis,

wherein said group controller has a function of checking whether there is a shortage of data already acquired and stored, newly acquiring data, which have been already stored as history data in at least one of the manufacturing equipments or the manufacturing execution system, so as to make up the shortage, and then sending the data including said newly acquired data to the remote center, in response to reception of a request from the remote center for data required to perform the maintenance and diagnosis of the target manufacturing equipment.

6. The group controller claimed in claim 5, wherein data is newly acquired from the target manufacturing equipment.

7. The group controller claimed in claim 5, wherein data is newly acquired from the manufacturing equipment other than the target manufacturing equipment which is connected to said group controller.

8. The group controller claimed in claim 7, wherein the data newly acquired consists of diagnostic information and process data of the manufacturing equipment other than the target manufacturing equipment which is connected to said group controller.

9. The group controller claimed in claim 5, wherein data is newly acquired from the manufacturing execution system.

10. The group controller claimed in claim 9, wherein data newly acquired from the manufacturing execution system consists of maintenance history performed in an off-line status of the manufacturing equipment.

11. The group controller claimed in claim 5, wherein data newly acquired consists of data deriving from a separate device, said data being collected in the manufacturing execution system.