JP2003015935A - Inspection/inspection-device data processing unit and control method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a stable inspection device that is hardly susceptible to delay time from when the inspection device makes a request for inspection result registration until a DBMS(database management system) registers the inspection result, the shutdown of a DB server or the like, and that registers the inspection result data in real time. SOLUTION: This invented inspection system has an inspection part for conducting the inspection of an inspection object, the inspection device having a storage part for storing a queue of the inspection result, a registration part that extracts the inspection result in the queue sequentially, a database management system for storing the extracted inspection result and a database server having a nonvolatile memory part.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an inspection system and its control method.

In the manufacturing process, for quality control,
Parts, semi-finished products, completed products, etc. are inspected, and the inspection results (eg, product measurement results, product quality judgment results, etc.) are stored in a database server.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 illustrates the configuration of an inspection system of Conventional Example 1. In FIG. 3, the inspection system of Conventional Example 1 has an inspection device 31 and a database server (hereinafter referred to as “DB server”) 32. The DB server 32 has a database management server (referred to as “DBMS”) 19. Inspection device 31 and DB server 3
2 is connected to the LAN 33 via the LAN 33 and can communicate with each other. The DBMS 19 manages a database in which inspection results are organically associated with inspection lots, inspection dates and times, inspection device numbers, and the like. When the inspection device 31 inspects the product, the inspection result data is immediately sent to the DBMS 1
9 is transmitted. The DBMS 19 registers (stores) the received inspection result data.

For example, the inspection device 31 incorporated in a line of an automatic manufacturing process is required to have a real-time property of performing an inspection within the tact of the line and registering the inspection result. However, when the number of data items registered in the DBMS 19 increases, it takes time to register new data. or,
Many inspection devices are connected to the DB server 32,
When the DBMS 19 is in a busy state for registering data transmitted from another inspection device and searching for data requested by another search terminal, and the DBMS 19 cannot immediately accept the data registration request from the inspection device 31. There is. At this time, there is no guarantee that the time required for data registration from the inspection device 31 will be within the line tact time.

FIG. 4 illustrates the configuration of the inspection system of Conventional Example 2. In FIG. 4, the inspection system of Conventional Example 2 has an inspection device 41 and a DB server 42. The DB server 42 has a directory 44 for temporarily storing the file 46, the DBMS 19, and a registration unit 45. The inspection device 41 and the DB server 42 are connected to each other via a LAN 43 and can communicate with each other. In FIG. 4, when the inspection device 41 inspects the product, the inspection device 41 immediately transmits the inspection result data to the DB server 42. The DB server 42 temporarily registers the inspection result data in the directory 44 as a file 46.

The registration unit 45 retrieves the file 46 (inspection result data) registered in the directory 44 and stores it in the DB.
Register with MS19. The inspection device 41 is a directory 44
Since the file 46 is only registered in the file (searching is not necessary), the communication between the inspection device 41 and the DB server 42 can be completed in a short time. However, for example, when the DB server 42 is stopped due to a trouble or the like, the inspection device 41 cannot register the data as the file 46 in the directory 44. Therefore, when the DB server 42 stops, it is necessary to stop the line of the automatic manufacturing process and wait for the DB server 42 to recover. Also, the inspection system must discard the inspection result data when the DB server 42 is stopped.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and after the inspection device requests registration of the inspection result, the DB
An object of the present invention is to provide a stable inspection system that registers an inspection result in real time and a control method thereof that is not easily affected by a delay time until an MS registers an inspection result or a stop of a DB server.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an inspection unit having an inspection unit for inspecting an object to be inspected and a storage unit for storing a queue queue of inspection results, and the inspection device for the queue queue. The inspection system includes a registration unit that sequentially extracts inspection results, a database management system that stores the extracted inspection results, and a database server that includes a nonvolatile storage unit.

According to a second aspect of the invention, each time the inspection unit inspects one inspected object and outputs an inspection result, the storage unit generates one file of the inspection result, and the inspection result is generated. 2. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the file is registered in the queue queue of.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, an inspection step in which the inspection device inspects an object to be inspected to generate an inspection result, and a file of the inspection result generates a queue queue in a storage unit built in the inspection device. A first storage step for storing the inspection result of the queue queue, a transmission step of transmitting the inspection result of the queue queue from the inspection device to the database server according to a first-in first-out (FIFO) rule, and the inspection result of the database server. A method of controlling an inspection system, comprising: a second storage step of storing the inspection result in a nonvolatile storage unit; and a registration step of registering the inspection result in a database management system.

According to the present invention, the inspection result data is registered in real time, which is unlikely to be affected by the delay time from the inspection device requesting the inspection result registration to the DBMS registering the inspection result or the stoppage of the DB server. It has the effect of realizing a stable inspection system and its method. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention has an effect that it is possible to realize an inspection system and a control method thereof that operate stably even when used in a manufacturing process with a short tact or a manufacturing process in which many inspection devices are connected. Preferably, the storage units are all non-volatile storage units (for example, hard disk devices).

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments specifically showing the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<< Embodiment 1 >> An inspection system and a control method thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the inspection system of the embodiment. The inspection system of FIG. 1 includes 15 inspection devices 11, one DB server 12, and a plurality of inspection terminals 14. Fifteen inspection devices 11, one DB server 12, and a plurality of inspection terminals 14 are connected by a LAN 13, and data can be mutually transmitted. The 15 inspection devices 11 are sequentially arranged on one automatic manufacturing process line. The line tact of the line is 10 seconds, and no delay is allowed. The inspection results of the 15 inspection devices 11 are all 1 DB
It is sent to the server 12 and stored in one DBMS 19 included in the DB server 12. The user can search the inspection result of each inspection device and the inspection result of the DBMS 19 by operating the search terminal 14 installed in another room. Further, the search terminal 14 has a built-in program for analyzing the data registered in the DBMS 19.

The inspection device 11 has an inspection unit 15 and a hard disk device 16. All 15 inspection devices have the same configuration. The DB server 12 has 15 sets of a registration unit 17 and a hard disk device 18 associated with each inspection device 11, and one DBMS 19 (stored in the hard disk device). The inspection unit 15 inspects an object to be inspected and generates an inspection result. The hard disk device 16 (storage unit) stores the inspection result file 111 in the form of a queue queue. Hard disk device 16
Arranges the inspection result files in the order of generation, and each time there is a request (queue) for sending the inspection result files from the DB server 12, the DB server 12 is in order from the oldest file.
To send. That is, the file of the inspection result is input / output in the FIFO format. In this specification and in the claims, such a file storage method is called a "queue queue". The hard disk device 16 has a sufficient storage capacity,
It is possible to accumulate the test results for about one year. The hard disk drive 16 only sorts and stores the inspection result files in the order in which they are generated, and does not require searching or the like.
The inspection result file can be registered in the queue queue in an extremely short time.

With one registration unit (registration software) 17 and one hard disk device (backup storage device) 18 as one set, the DB server 12 has 15 sets associated with each of the 15 inspection devices 11. It has a registration unit 17 and a hard disk device 18. The DB server 12 operates under a multitasking OS, and
The set registration unit 17 and the DBMS 19 operate substantially in real time. Each registration unit 17 requests the hard disk device 16 of the inspection device 11 associated with it to send the inspection result file 111 (sends a queue). The hard disk device 16 transmits the file 111 of the oldest inspection result among the files arranged in the queue queue format to the registration unit 17.

The registration unit 17 stores the input inspection result file 111 in the hard disk device 18 in the FIFO format as the file format. Further, the registration unit 17 sends the input inspection result file 111 to the DBMS 19. The DBMS 19 converts the input inspection result file into a database and registers it. The fifteen registration units 17 arbitrarily access the DBMS 19. Multiple registration units 17
When the registration processing from the and the search processing from the plurality of search terminals 14 are concentrated on the DBMS 19 at the same time, the response of the DBMS is delayed, but the inspection system operates stably.
The hard disk device 18 is a backup storage device used when the DB server 12 fails. 15
The hard disk devices in which the individual hard disk devices 18 and the DBMS 19 are stored are physically separate hard disk devices.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the control method of the inspection apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. First, the inspection device 11 executes the inspection of the inspection target (step 201). next,
The inspection device 11 stores the inspection result file in the FIFO format (step 202). Next, in response to a request (queue) from the DB server 12, the inspection device 11 sequentially transmits the oldest inspection result to the DB server 12 (step 203). The DB server 12 receives the inspection result (step 204). The DB server 12 stores the received inspection result file in the hard disk device 18 in the FIFO format (step 205). Next, the DB server 12 registers the inspection result in the DBMS 19 (step 206).

The inspection apparatus of the present invention immediately registers the inspection result of the inspection object to be inspected with a constant tact in the form of queue queue. Since the storage unit only stores the inspection results in the order of occurrence, the time required to store the inspection results is extremely short. Since the inspection result is not directly transmitted to the DB server but is temporarily stored inside the inspection device, it is not affected by a communication failure between the inspection device and the DB server. Queue queue format (FIF
The inspection results registered in the O format) are taken out one by one from the oldest inspection result file by the registration software of the DB server, registered in the DBMS of the DB server, and non-volatile as a backup storage device of the DB server. Save in storage. Even if it takes time to register the inspection results sent from the inspection device to the DB server in the DBMS, the number of inspection result files accumulated in the queue queue of the storage unit only increases. Even if the inspection system of the present invention cannot register the inspection result in the tact, the inspection system does not cause a failure.

When the DB server is stopped due to some trouble, the storage unit of the inspection device sequentially stores the inspection results generated while the DB server is stopped in the queue queue. After that, the restored DB server sequentially registers the inspection results accumulated in the queue queue. Therefore, even if the DB server is stopped while the manufacturing process line is operating, the inspection system does not cause a failure. When the data inside the DBMS 19 is damaged and lost due to some kind of failure, the registration unit 17 switches the retrieval source of the inspection result from the queue queue to the backup storage device, and inspects each inspection device 11 from each hard disk device 18. The result is read out and the inspection result is re-registered in the DBMS 19. As a result, the inspection system operates stably even if the DBMS 19 itself fails.

If the average daily operating time of the line of the automatic manufacturing process is shorter than 24 hours, the inspection result is DBM.
Even when the tact time of the automatic manufacturing process is shorter than the time of registering in S, the inspection system of the present invention operates normally.
During the operation of the line in the automatic manufacturing process, the inspection results that are not registered in time are sequentially accumulated in the queue queue, and the inspection results accumulated in the queue queue are stored in the DBMS while the line is stopped.
By registering in, the inspection system and the control method of the inspection system of the present invention operate stably.

[0021]

According to the present invention, the inspection is performed in real time, which is hardly affected by the delay time from the inspection device requesting the registration of the inspection result to the registration of the inspection result by the DBMS or the stoppage of the DB server. The advantageous effect that a stable inspection system for registering result data and its control method can be realized can be obtained. According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an advantageous effect that it is possible to realize an inspection system and a control method thereof that operate stably even when used in a manufacturing process with a short tact or in a manufacturing process in which many inspection devices are connected. Since the result data can be registered in the DBMS that does not have the real-time property while maintaining the real-time property of the inspection device as it is, it is possible to realize the inspection system corresponding to the short tact that could not be realized until now. In addition, DBM from the search terminal
You can view the test results at any time by searching for S.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an inspection system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a control method for the inspection system according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of an inspection system of Conventional Example 1.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of an inspection system of Conventional Example 2.

[Explanation of symbols]

11, 31, 41 Inspection device 12, 32, 42 DB server 13, 33, 43 LAN 14 Search terminal 15 Inspection Department 16, 18 Hard disk drive 17,45 Registration Department 19 DBMS 111,46 files 44 directories

Continued front page    F-term (reference) 5B082 FA01                 5H223 AA05 AA15 CC08 DD03 DD07                       DD09 EE06

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An inspection apparatus having an inspection unit for inspecting an object to be inspected, and a storage unit for storing a queue queue of inspection results; a registration unit for sequentially extracting the inspection results of the queue queue; An inspection system comprising: a database management system for storing inspection results; and a database server having a non-volatile storage section. 2. Each time the inspection unit inspects one inspected object and outputs an inspection result, the storage unit generates one file of the inspection result and stores it in the inspection result queue queue. The file is registered, and the file is registered.
Inspection system described in. 3. An inspection step in which an inspection device inspects an object to be inspected to generate an inspection result, and a storage unit built in the inspection device stores the inspection result file so as to generate a queue queue. A first storage step, a transmission step of transmitting the inspection result of the queue queue from the inspection device to a database server according to a first-in first-out rule, and a storage step of storing the inspection result in a non-volatile storage unit of the database server. And a registration step of registering the inspection result in the database management system.