JP7462154B2 - Remote Operation System - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a remote operation system that can resolve errors that occur in a work device by operating a remote monitoring device.

Conventionally, remote operation systems are known that are configured so that when an error occurs in a work device, the error can be resolved by operation (remote operation) from a remote monitoring device. In such remote operation systems, when an error occurs in a work device, information about the error (error information) is sent to the remote monitoring device, and when an operator of the remote monitoring device performs an operation to resolve the error (error resolution operation) based on the transmitted error information, the work device is remotely operated based on that operation, and the error that occurred in the work device is resolved (for example, see Patent Document 1 below).

JP 2021-015469 A

In a remote operation system such as the one described above, if multiple remote monitoring devices are installed, a management device can be placed between the operation device and the remote monitoring device. In this way, data (skill data) that accumulates the skills of operators can be created and stored in the management device, making it possible to efficiently allocate error resolution processing tasks according to the skills of the operators.

However, as described above, if the tasks required to resolve an error are mechanically assigned based on the skill data of the operators, there may be cases where the efficient error resolution process intended by the administrator who manages the management device is not carried out until the operator skill data is accumulated.

The present invention aims to provide a remote operation system that can efficiently perform processing to resolve errors that occur in a work device.

The remote operation system of the present invention includes a work device, a management device, a plurality of remote monitoring devices, and a storage unit, and is configured such that, when an error occurs in the work device, the management device transmits a response instruction to a remote monitoring device selected from the plurality of remote monitoring devices to instruct the remote monitoring device to respond to the error, and when an operator performs an operation to resolve the error from the remote monitoring device that has received the response instruction, the work device is remotely operated via the management device to resolve the error that has occurred in the work device, and the storage unit stores priority information indicating in what order the response instructions for the error that has occurred in the work device are to be transmitted. The management device includes a destination selection unit which selects the remote monitoring device to which the response instruction is to be sent based on the priority information stored in the memory unit when the error occurs, and a response instruction sending unit which sends the response instruction to the remote monitoring device selected by the destination selection unit, and when there is no response from the selected remote monitoring device, the destination selection unit sends the response instruction to the remote monitoring device with the next highest priority stored in the memory unit , and when there is no response from the remote monitoring device with the lowest priority, the destination selection unit again sends the response instruction to a remote monitoring device with a higher priority than the remote monitoring device with the lowest priority .

The present invention makes it possible to efficiently carry out processing to resolve errors that occur in a work device.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a remote control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the flow of information in a remote control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side view of a main part of a working device constituting a remote operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a working device provided in a remote operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of a remote control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a mode selection screen displayed on a display of a management device included in the remote operation system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a priority setting screen displayed on a display of a management device included in the remote operation system according to the embodiment of the present invention. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an example of an image of an error occurrence location displayed on a monitor of a remote monitoring device provided in a remote operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention; A flowchart showing a process flow in which a management device included in a remote operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention transmits a response instruction to a remote monitoring device.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figs. 1 and 2 show a remote operation system 1 in one embodiment of the present invention. The remote operation system 1 is configured to include a plurality of operation devices 2, a management device 3, and a plurality of remote monitoring devices 4. Each operation device 2 and the management device 3, and each remote monitoring device 4 and the management device 3 are connected to each other via wires or wirelessly so that they can communicate with each other. Each remote monitoring device 4 is operated by an operator OP arranged corresponding to each remote monitoring device 4.

In this embodiment, each work device 2 is a component mounting device that performs the task of mounting components BH on a board KB (component mounting task). As shown in FIG. 3, the work device 2 includes a base 11, a transport conveyor 12, a tape feeder 13, a head moving mechanism 14, a mounting head 15, and a board camera 16.

In FIG. 3, the transport conveyor 12 extends horizontally on the base 11, transporting the substrate KB horizontally from one end to the other. The tape feeder 13 uses a built-in sprocket 13S (see also FIG. 4) to pull out and transport the carrier tape CT wound around the reel RL.

The carrier tape CT contains many components BH arranged in a row. The tape feeder 13 feeds the carrier tape CT toward the transport conveyor 12, thereby supplying the components BH to the component supply position 13K (Figures 3 and 4).

The head movement mechanism 14 is, for example, an XY table mechanism, and moves the mounting head 15 in a horizontal plane. The mounting head 15 has multiple nozzles 15N that extend downward (Figures 3 and 4).

In Figures 3 and 4, the board camera 16 is attached to the mounting head 15 with its imaging optical axis facing downward. The board camera 16 is moved in a horizontal plane together with the mounting head 15 by the head moving mechanism 14.

The operation of each part of each work device 2, namely the transport conveyor 12, tape feeder 13, head moving mechanism 14, mounting head 15 and board camera 16, is controlled by the work device control unit 17 (Fig. 3), which is its control unit (Fig. 5). As a result, the transport conveyor 12 transports and positions the board KB, and each tape feeder 13 supplies the component BH to the component supply position 13K. The head moving mechanism 14 moves the mounting head 15, and the mounting head 15 picks up the component BH with the nozzle 15N (Fig. 4). The board camera 16 performs an imaging operation based on a command from the work device control unit 17. Image data obtained by the imaging operation of the board camera 16 is sent to the work device control unit 17 and processed.

When the work device 2 performs component mounting work, it first operates the transport conveyor 12 to bring in the board KB and position it at the work position. Once the board KB is positioned at the work position, it operates the head movement mechanism 14 to move the mounting head 15 above the board KB and have the board camera 16 capture an image of the board KB. Once the board camera 16 has captured an image of the board KB, it recognizes the board KB based on that image.

When the work device 2 recognizes the board KB, it causes the tape feeder 13 to supply the components BH while causing the mounting head 15 to perform a component pick-up operation and a component mounting operation. In the component pick-up operation, the mounting head 15 uses the nozzle 15N to suck up (pick up) the components BH supplied by the tape feeder 13, and in the component mounting operation, it mounts the picked-up components BH at a predetermined position on the board KB.

The work device 2 mounts all the components BH to be mounted on the board KB by repeatedly performing component pick-up and component mounting operations on the mounting head 15, and then operates the transport conveyor 12 to transport the board KB out of the work position. This completes the component mounting operation for one board KB.

The operating device 2 performs the component mounting work in the above-mentioned procedure, but some kind of error may occur during the process. In the remote operation system 1 of this embodiment, if an error occurs in the operating device 2, the error can be resolved by remote operation from the remote monitoring device 4, as described below.

In FIG. 5, the work device control unit 17 includes an error detection unit 21, an error information acquisition unit 22, an error information transmission unit 23, and a resolution operation information reception unit 24. The error detection unit 21 detects any error that occurs in the work device 2, and interrupts all or part of the operation of the work device 2. The error information acquisition unit 22 identifies the location of the error detected by the error detection unit 21 (error occurrence location), and acquires information on the error that has occurred (type and content) as "error information."

If the location where the error occurred can be imaged by the board camera 16, the error information acquisition unit 22 operates the head movement mechanism 14 to move the board camera 16 above the location where the error occurred and has the board camera 16 image the location where the error occurred. For example, if the mounting head 15 has failed to pick up a component BH from a certain tape feeder 13 a certain number of times in succession, it identifies the component supply position 13K of that tape feeder 13 as the location where the error occurred and has the board camera 16 image a still image or video of the component supply position 13K.

The error information transmission unit 23 transmits the error information acquired by the error information acquisition unit 22 to the management device 3 (FIG. 2). When the location where the error occurred is imaged by the board camera 16, image data (still image or video data) of the location where the error occurred is transmitted to the management device 3 as part of the error information.

In FIG. 5, the management device 3 includes a skill database 31, a memory unit 32, a destination selection unit 33, and a response instruction transmission unit 34. An administrator input device 35 is connected to the management device 3.

The skill database 31 records skill data for each of multiple operators OP who operate multiple remote monitoring devices 4. The skill data for each operator OP includes data on the work performance of that operator OP (e.g., the number of times an error was successfully resolved and the success rate, the time required to process one error, the types of errors that can be handled, etc.). When an operator OP processes an error, the performance, including the success or failure of the error processing, is recorded in the skill database as part of the operator's work performance.

The memory unit 32 stores priority information for the remote monitoring device 4 to which a response instruction for an error that has occurred in the work device 2 can be sent. Here, "response instruction" refers to an instruction (command) to respond to the error that has occurred. Also, "priority information" refers to information indicating the order in which response instructions for an error that has occurred in the work device 2 should be sent.

When an error occurs in the operation device 2, the destination selection unit 33 selects the remote monitoring device 4 to which the response instruction is to be sent based on the priority order information stored in the memory unit 32 or the skill data of each operator OP recorded in the skill database 31. The response instruction sending unit 34 sends the response instruction to the remote monitoring device 4 selected by the destination selection unit 33.

In this embodiment, the combination of each remote monitoring device 4 and the operator OP who operates it is not fixed. Therefore, each operator OP can operate from any remote monitoring device 4, but before operating a remote monitoring device 4, the operator OP reports the combination of his/her own identifier and the identifier of the remote monitoring device 4 that he/she operates to the management device 3. Therefore, the management device 3 always knows which remote monitoring device 4 is being operated by which operator OP, and sending a response instruction to a remote monitoring device 4 means sending it to the operator OP who operates that remote monitoring device 4.

In FIG. 5, the administrator input device 35 includes an input operation unit 36 and a display 37. The input operation unit 36 functions as a priority input means for inputting the priority of the remote monitoring device 4 to be set and storing the input data (priority information) in the memory unit 32.

The administrator of the management device 3 can display a mode selection screen, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, on the display 37 by performing a predetermined operation from the input operation unit 36 of the administrator input device 35. As shown in FIG. 6, this mode selection screen has a mode selection area R1. The "mode selection area R1" is an area for selecting one of a mode (referred to as a "first mode") in which the destination selection unit 33 selects the remote monitoring device 4 to which the response instruction is to be sent based on the priority information stored in the storage unit 32, and a mode (referred to as a "second mode") in which the destination selection unit 33 selects the destination of the response instruction based on the skill data of the operator OP recorded in the skill database 31. When the administrator selects one of the first mode and the second mode from the mode selection area R1 and then operates the confirm button BT1, information on the selected mode (information on whether the first mode or the second mode has been selected) is sent to the management device 3 and stored in the storage unit 32.

In this embodiment, the input operation unit 36 also functions as a mode selection means for selecting one of a first mode in which the destination selection unit 33 selects a remote monitoring device 4 to which the response instruction is to be sent based on the priority information stored in the memory unit 32, and a second mode in which the destination selection unit 33 selects a destination of the response instruction based on the skill data of the operator OP recorded in the skill database 31.

Figure 7 shows an example of a priority setting screen displayed on the display 37 of the administrator input device 35. In this example, the order in which processing for errors that occur in the work device 2 is to be assigned to three operators OP (OPA, OPB, OPC) who operate the three remote monitoring devices 4 as shown in Figure 1 can be assigned for each type of error (type "1", type "2", ...). The priority setting screen shown in Figure 7 can be displayed by selecting the first mode on the mode selection screen in Figure 6 and then performing a specified operation on the input operation unit 36.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, the type of error can be selected from multiple tabs TAB (type "1", type "2", ...). The priority can be specified by inputting the numbers "1", "2", ... in the priority input field corresponding to each operator OP (OPA, OPB, OPC) in the priority input box BX1 shown in the figure. In addition, the timing at which the priority moves from high to low, i.e., the waiting time until moving to the next operator OP, can be specified by inputting the time (for example, seconds as shown in the figure) as a number in the time input box BX2 shown in the figure.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, if the operator OP with the lowest priority, i.e., the last operator OP, is called and the operator OP does not respond, the operator OP can select from the procedure selection area R2 a processing procedure (second round processing procedure) of returning to the operator OP with the highest priority (first priority) and sending a response signal again, or notifying the administrator of the management device 3 and terminating the error processing without returning. When the administrator finally operates the setting button BT2, the contents entered on the priority setting screen are confirmed, and the contents are sent to the management device 3 and stored in the memory unit 32.

In this embodiment, the administrator input device 35 serves as a priority order input means for inputting priorities and storing them in the memory unit 32.

When an error occurs in a working device 2 and error information is sent from the working device 2, if the first mode is selected, the management device 3 selects a remote monitoring device 4 (operator OP) to which a response instruction is to be sent based on the priority information stored in the memory unit 32, and sends the response instruction to the selected remote monitoring device 4 (operator OP). On the other hand, if the second mode is selected, the management device 3 selects a remote monitoring device 4 (operator OP) to which a response instruction is to be sent based on the skill data of each operator OP recorded in the skill database 31, and sends the response instruction to the selected remote monitoring device 4 (operator OP).

In FIG. 1, each of the multiple remote monitoring devices 4 is, for example, a personal computer. As also shown in FIG. 5, each remote monitoring device 4 includes a remote monitoring control unit 41, a monitor 42, and an input device 43.

In FIG. 5, the remote monitoring control unit 41 includes a response instruction receiving unit 51, an error information display control unit 52, and a resolution operation information sending unit 53. The response instruction receiving unit 51 receives a response instruction sent from the management device 3, and the error information display control unit 52 causes the monitor 42 to display error information, which is the specific content of the response instruction received by the response instruction receiving unit 51.

Figure 8 (a) shows an image GZ of the location where an error has occurred as an example of error information displayed on the monitor 42 by the error information display control unit 52. The image GZ shown in Figure 8 (a) shows an area including the component supply position 13K of the tape feeder 13 when the aforementioned pickup error of the component BH has occurred, and the center position of the image GZ of the location where the error has occurred coincides with the position of the bottom end of the nozzle 15N (nozzle bottom end position KC). When the image GZ of the location where the error has occurred is displayed on the monitor 42, the operator OP performs an operation to resolve the error using the input device 43 while looking at the image GZ.

The nozzle bottom end position KC should normally coincide with the component supply position 13K, but in image GZ of FIG. 8(a) where an error has occurred, the nozzle bottom end position KC and the component supply position 13K do not coincide. In this case, the operator OP performs an operation to move the position of the mounting head 15 during component suction so that the nozzle bottom end position KC coincides with the component supply position 13K of the tape feeder 13. Specifically, the operator OP inputs an offset amount (movement direction and movement amount) for moving the position of the mounting head 15 during component suction from the input device 43 so that the difference between the nozzle bottom end position KC and the component supply position 13K in image GZ of FIG. 8(a) is canceled to result in the state of FIG. 8(b).

The resolution operation information transmission unit 53 transmits information on the error resolution operation input from the input device 43 (resolution operation information) to the management device 3. When the management device 3 receives the resolution operation information, it transmits (transfers) the received resolution operation information to the operation device 2 that is the sender of the error information (Figure 2).

The operation device 2 to which the resolution operation information has been transmitted (transferred) from the management device 3 (the operation device 2 that transmitted the error information to the management device 3) receives the resolution operation information by the resolution operation information receiver 24. The operation device control unit 17 of the operation device 2 that has received the resolution operation information resolves the error by operating a part related to the location where the error occurred based on the received resolution operation information.

In this embodiment, when the operator OP performs an operation to resolve the error from the remote monitoring device 4 that has received a response instruction from the management device 3, the operation device 2 is remotely operated via the management device 3 to resolve the error that occurred in the operation device 2. Once the error is resolved, the operation device control unit 17 releases the interrupted state of the component mounting work and resumes the component mounting work.

In this way, in the remote operation system 1 in this embodiment, when an error occurs in the operating device 2, the management device 3 transmits a response instruction to a remote monitoring device 4 selected from the multiple remote monitoring devices 4 to instruct the remote monitoring device 4 to respond to the error, and when the operator OP performs an operation to resolve the error from the remote monitoring device 4 that received the response instruction, the operating device 2 is remotely operated through the management device 3 to resolve the error that occurred in the operating device 2. The memory unit 32 of the management device 3 stores information on the priority of the remote monitoring devices 4 that can be the destination of the response instruction for the error that occurred in the operating device 2, and the destination selection unit 33 selects the remote monitoring device 4 to which the response instruction is to be transmitted based on the priority information stored in the memory unit 32 when an error occurs, or selects the remote monitoring device 4 to which the response instruction is to be transmitted based on the skill data of each operator OP recorded in the skill database. Therefore, according to the remote operation system 1 in this embodiment, the operation of resolving the error that occurred in the operating device 2 can be efficiently performed without necessarily relying on the skill data of the operator OP.

In the second mode, the administrator can set in advance how the destination selection unit 33 selects a remote monitoring device 4 based on the skill data of each operator OP. Therefore, for example, it is possible to preferentially select a remote monitoring device 4 operated by an operator OP who has a small amount of work (or work time) within a certain period of time as the destination of a response instruction.

Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the process flow in which the destination selection unit 33 sends a response instruction to the remote monitoring device 4 when the first mode is set in the remote operation system 1 in this embodiment.

When the first mode is set and error information is sent from the work device 2 to the management device 3, the destination selection unit 33 first recognizes the type of error (step ST1). Then, it sets the priority N to the highest level of "1" (N=1) (step ST2), and then sets the remote monitoring device 4 with priority N as the destination of the response instruction, and calls the operator OP of the remote monitoring device 4 set as the destination (step ST3).

After reading out the operator OP of the remote monitoring device 4 with priority N, it is determined whether or not there has been a response from that operator OP (step ST4). If there has been a response from the operator OP, a response instruction (specifically, error information) is sent to the remote monitoring device 4 operated by that operator OP (step ST5), and if there has been no response, it is checked whether or not the set waiting time has elapsed (step ST6). If the waiting time has not elapsed, the process returns to step ST3 to continue calling the operator OP, and if the waiting time has elapsed, "1" is added to the value of priority N (N = N + 1) to send a response instruction to the remote monitoring device 4 with the next highest priority N, and the value of priority N is updated (step ST7).

After updating the value of the priority N, it is checked whether the updated value of the priority N corresponds to the lowest priority N (=Max) (here, since there are three operators OP, Max = 3) (step ST8). If the updated value of the priority N does not correspond to the lowest priority N, the process returns to step ST3 and calls the operator OP of the remote monitoring device 4 corresponding to the updated priority N. If the updated value of the priority N corresponds to the lowest priority N, it is determined whether to return to the remote monitoring device 4 with the highest priority N (N = 1) and send a response instruction (step ST9). If it is determined that the priority N should be returned to the remote monitoring device 4 with the highest priority N, the process returns to step ST2. If it is determined that the priority N should not be returned, the administrator is notified (step ST10) and the process ends.

As described above, the remote operation system 1 in this embodiment includes a management device 3 that transmits a response instruction to a remote monitoring device 4 selected from a plurality of remote monitoring devices 4 when an error occurs in the operating device 2, instructing the remote monitoring device 4 to respond to the error. The management device 3 stores information on the priority of the remote monitoring devices 4 that can be the destination of the response instruction for the error that occurred in the operating device 2, and when an error occurs in the operating device 2, the management device 3 selects the remote monitoring device 4 that is the destination of the response instruction based on the stored priority information and transmits the response instruction to the selected remote monitoring device 4 (when the first mode is set). Therefore, in the remote operation system 1 in this embodiment, the administrator who manages the management device 3 sets the priority based on his own policy and stores it in the management device 3 (more specifically, in the storage unit 32), so that the operator OP can efficiently perform the process of resolving the error that occurred in the operating device 2 without relying on the skill data of the operator OP.

The remote operation system 1 in this embodiment also includes a skill database 31 in which the skill data of each of multiple operators OP who operate multiple remote monitoring devices 4 is recorded, and is capable of selecting one of a first mode in which a remote monitoring device 4 to which a response instruction is to be sent is selected based on stored priority information, and a second mode in which a destination of the response instruction is selected based on the skill data of the operator OP recorded in the skill database 31. Therefore, the destination of the response instruction can be selected based on the skill of the operator OP (when the second mode is set), and the remote operation system 1 in this embodiment can perform error resolution processing work extremely efficiently compared to conventional methods.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above, and various modifications are possible. For example, in the above embodiment, a component mounting device is shown as an example of the working device 2, but the working device 2 may be a working device other than a component mounting device.

To provide a remote operation system that can efficiently carry out processing to resolve errors that occur in operating equipment.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Remote operation system 2 Work device 3 Management device 4 Remote monitoring device 31 Skill database 32 Storage unit 33 Destination selection unit 34 Response instruction transmission unit 36 Input operation unit (priority order input means) (mode selection means)
OP Operator

Claims (5)

A remote operation system comprising a work device, a management device, a plurality of remote monitoring devices, and a storage unit, wherein when an error occurs in the work device, the management device transmits a response instruction to a remote monitoring device selected from the plurality of remote monitoring devices, instructing the remote monitoring device to respond to the error, and when an operator performs an operation to resolve the error from the remote monitoring device that has received the response instruction, the work device is remotely operated via the management device, and the error that has occurred in the work device is resolved;
the storage unit stores priority information indicating an order in which the response instructions for the error occurring in the maintenance device are to be transmitted;
The management device includes:
a transmission destination selection unit that selects, when the error occurs, the remote monitoring device to which the response instruction is to be transmitted based on the priority order information stored in the storage unit;
a response instruction transmission unit that transmits the response instruction to the remote monitoring device selected by the transmission destination selection unit,
the transmission destination selection unit, when there is no response from the selected remote monitoring device, transmits a response instruction to the remote monitoring device having the next highest priority stored in the storage unit;
A remote operation system in which, if there is no response from the remote monitoring device with the lowest priority, the destination selection unit again transmits a response instruction to a remote monitoring device with a higher priority than the remote monitoring device with the lowest priority. The remote operation system according to claim 1, further comprising a priority input means for inputting the priority and storing it in the storage unit. The remote operation system according to claim 1, wherein the management device includes a skill database in which the skill data of each of the multiple operators who operate the multiple remote monitoring devices is recorded, and a mode selection means for selecting one of a first mode in which the destination selection unit selects the remote monitoring device to which the response instruction is to be sent based on the priority information stored in the storage unit, and a second mode in which the destination selection unit selects the destination of the response instruction based on the skill data of the operator recorded in the skill database. 4. A remote operation system as described in claim 3, wherein the skill data of each of the multiple operators recorded in the skill database includes data on the work performance of each operator, and when the operator handles an error, the performance of the error handling is recorded in the skill database as part of the operator's work performance. The remote operation system according to claim 1, wherein the management device sets the priority for each type of error.

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