JP4555736B2 - Parts management apparatus and method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a parts management equipment Contact and method thereof and determines life or availability of components using the wireless tag.

For example, life management that manages the durability time and the number of durability of NC (Numerical Control) machine tool drills and consumables such as rechargeable batteries for power tools should be recorded by the administrator in the form. Etc. have been done.
For the purpose of efficiently and accurately managing the life of the consumables, Patent Document 1 acquires information on the operation state of the pump in a storage unit installed in each pump, and stores the information on the operation state in a server. In this server, a management system that performs failure diagnosis and operational efficiency diagnosis of each pump is disclosed.
JP 2004-270451 (paragraphs 0023 to 0028, paragraphs 0039 to 0043, FIGS. 1 and 2)

  However, in the management system described in Patent Document 1, the server collects and accumulates information on the operation state of the pump transmitted from the storage device installed in the pump, and stores the information on the operation state in advance. Since the pump is diagnosed by comparing it with the reference value, the failure diagnosis or the like cannot be performed by a single storage unit installed in the pump. In addition, the storage unit installed in the pump is configured to include a sensor for collecting information on the operating state of the pump, and is difficult to reduce in size due to its complicated configuration, and is configured from a plurality of parts such as a pump. Although it is suitable for the management of relatively large articles, it is difficult to attach to parts that are the smallest unit constituting the article.

  Furthermore, since the management system described in Patent Document 1 performs a diagnosis such as failure and operation efficiency by a server provided separately from the pump, the server is provided with the server in order to view the diagnosis result of an article such as a pump. There is also a problem that it is necessary to connect and cannot be used in an environment where the network is not maintained.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a means that can determine the life of a component, which is the minimum unit to be managed, or whether or not it can be used regardless of the place where the component is used.

The parts management apparatus according to the present invention, which has been made to solve the above-described problems, includes identification information for identifying a part, information indicating the use status of the part, and the life of the part from wireless tags attached to the part. Alternatively, a wireless tag reading unit that reads information used as a criterion for determining whether or not it can be used, a display unit that displays information read by the wireless tag reading unit, information indicating the usage status of the component, and determination of the lifetime or availability of the component It is characterized by including a processing unit that generates determination information for determining the life or availability of a component based on information serving as a reference, and displays the determination information on a display unit.
Other embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail in embodiments described later.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to determine the life or availability of each part, and it is possible to determine the life or availability of each part with a simple configuration.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(First embodiment)
First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, parts management is performed by storing information for identifying the drill, information for determining the life, and information indicating the use history in a wireless tag attached to a drill that is a part of the life management target. It is an example. Moreover, in this embodiment, the drill which is a component shall be used with NC machine tool which is a component use apparatus, and in this NC machine tool, a drill is used for the punching and cutting which are drilling operations.

(Parts management system)
For example, FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a parts management system according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the component management system of this embodiment is installed in at least one component 1 that is a life management target to which a wireless tag 2 is attached, and a component use place 3 where the component 1 is used. The component use device 5 which is an NC machine tool to which the RFID tag read / write device 4 is connected and the RFID tag reader 7 installed in the component storage place 6 where the drill which is the component 1 is stored are connected. The component management device 8 is mainly configured.
The wireless tag read / write device 4 can transmit / receive information to / from the wireless tag 2 by wireless communication, write information to the wireless tag 2, and read information stored in the wireless tag 2. This is a device that can correspond to the RFID tag writing unit in the claims. The wireless tag reader 7 is a device that can read information stored in the wireless tag 2 and corresponds to a wireless tag reader in the claims.
Next, each component of the component management system of this embodiment described above will be described in detail.

(Wireless tag)
As the wireless tag 2, various types of conventionally known wireless tags configured to include an antenna that transmits and receives radio waves, a memory that stores information, a control unit that controls the wireless tag 2, and the like can be used.
Next, information stored in the wireless tag 2 will be described. For example, FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of information stored in the wireless tag 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the wireless tag 2 stores a component ID indicated by reference numeral 100 that is identification information unique to the wireless tag 2 and component management information indicated by reference numeral 101 for performing life management. Has been. The component ID is stored in advance when the wireless tag 2 is manufactured, and the component 1 can be identified. Further, the component management information includes the “last update date” of the component management information indicated by reference numeral 111, the “type” indicating the type of the component indicated by reference numeral 112, and the “lifetime limit” indicated by reference numeral 113. "Replacement time", indicated by reference numeral 114, "integrated count" indicating the cumulative number of punches when part 1 is used for punching (drilling), and part 1 indicated by part 115 was used for cutting It consists of each item of “integrated time” indicating the accumulated usage time.
Note that the wireless tag reader / writer 4 and the wireless tag reader 7 are adapted to the type of the wireless tag 2. Further, in the present embodiment, the “integrated count” that is the cumulative number of punches when the drill that is the part 1 is used for drilling and the “integrated time” that is used when the drill is used for cutting are the relevant drills. It is used as information for determining the lifetime of The items “cumulative count” and “cumulative time” correspond to information indicating the usage status of the claims, and the item “replacement time” corresponds to information used as a criterion for determining the life of the claims. is doing.

(Part use equipment)
Next, the component use apparatus 5 that is an NC machine tool that records the component management information shown in FIG. 2 on the wireless tag 2 attached to the component 1 will be described.
For example, FIG. 3 is a block configuration diagram of the component use apparatus 5 of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the component use device 5 is connected to the wireless tag read / write device 4, and based on the information sent from the wireless tag read / write device 4 and the machine tool control unit 504, these pieces of information are used. The processing unit 501 that performs processing of transmitting to the reading / writing device 4 for the wireless tag or writing to the storage unit 502, the information stored in the wireless tag 2, the information generated by the processing unit 501, etc. A storage unit 502 for storing, a machine tool unit 503 for attaching a part 1 as a drill to perform punching or cutting on a workpiece, a machine tool unit 503, and controlling the number of punches, cutting time, etc. The machine tool control unit 504 transmits control information to the processing unit 501.

Here, the wireless tag reading / writing device 4 corresponding to the wireless tag writing unit in the claims is:
It is a device that can read and write information stored in the wireless tag 2. For example, when a part 1 that is a drill is attached to the machine tool unit 503, it can communicate with the wireless tag 2 attached to the part 1. It is arranged in the position. As a result, the wireless tag read / write device 4 can transmit and receive information to and from the wireless tag 2 attached to the component 1 while the component 1 is attached to the machine tool unit 503. The connection form between the wireless tag reading / writing device 4 and the component using device 5 uses any of various interfaces such as a serial interface such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) and RS232C, a parallel interface such as a printer port, and a network interface. be able to.
Further, the machine tool control unit 504 counts the accumulated time of the cutting process and the accumulated count of the number of punches during this period from the beginning to the end of a series of machining operations of the NC machine tool, and transmits the counted count to the processing unit 501. be able to.

Next, FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the component use apparatus 5. The operation of the component use device 5 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.
First, when the wireless tag 2 exists within the communicable range, that is, when the component 1 is attached to the machine tool unit 503, the wireless tag read / write device 4 is configured to perform the individual wireless tag 2 shown in FIG. The identification information and the component management information are read and transmitted to the component using device 5.

  At this time, the processing unit 501 of the component using device 5 determines whether or not the component ID and the component management information are received from the wireless tag read / write device 4 (step S10). If the component ID and the component management information cannot be received (“No” in step S10), the process waits until it can be received. When the component ID and the component management information are received from the RFID tag reader / writer 4 (“Yes” in step S10), the processing unit 501 stores the received component ID and component management information in the storage unit 502. Is stored (step S11).

  An example of information stored in the storage unit 502 is shown in Table 1 below. As shown in Table 1, it can be seen that the storage unit 502 stores the component ID and component management information stored in each wireless tag 2 for each record.

  Next, the processing unit 501 of the component use apparatus 5 determines whether or not control information such as the number of punches or the cutting time has been received from the machine tool control unit 504 (step S12). Here, as described above, the machine tool control unit 504 transmits control information such as the number of punches or the cutting time when a series of machining operations in the NC machine tool is completed. If the control information is not received (“No” in step S12), the control information waits until it is received. When the control information is received (in the case of “Yes” in step S12), the “last update date” corresponding to the component ID of the wireless tag 2 stored in the storage unit 502 is displayed by the internal calendar of the processing unit 501. At the same time, the component management information is updated by adding the integration time or the integration count included in the control information to the “integration count” or “integration time” and stored in the storage unit 502 (step S13).

  The updated component management information recorded in the storage unit 502 is transmitted to the wireless tag reading / writing device 4 (step S14), and a writing success notification or writing failure notification is received from the wireless tag reading / writing device 4. By doing so, it is determined whether or not the writing of the component management information has succeeded (step S15). If a component management information write failure notification is received (in the case of “No” in step S15), the process returns to step S14, and the wireless tag read / write device 4 again updates the component management information. Send. Further, when the notification of successful writing of the component management information is received (in the case of “Yes” in step S15), the processing is terminated.

  According to the component usage apparatus configured as described above, each time the component 1 is used, the lifetime of the component such as the usage time or the number of times of punching of the component stored in the wireless tag 2 attached to the component 1 is determined. The information for doing so can be updated.

(Parts management device)
Next, the component management device 8 that reads the component management information of the wireless tag 2 written by the component use device 5 at the component use location 3 and determines the life of the component 1 will be described (see FIG. 2 as appropriate). thing).
Here, FIG. 5 is a block configuration diagram showing the configuration of the component management device 8. As shown in FIG. 5, the component management device 8 includes a wireless tag reader 7 that reads information stored in the wireless tag 2. A processing unit 801 that is connected to receive and process information transmitted from the wireless tag reader 7, a storage unit 802 that stores component management information for each component ID of the wireless tag 2, and stores in the storage unit 802. A display unit 803 for displaying the component management information, and an input unit 804 for receiving an operator's operation. As a connection form between the wireless tag reader 7 and the component management device 8, any of various interfaces such as a serial interface such as USB and RS232C, a parallel interface such as a printer port, and a network interface can be used.

The component management device 8 is implemented by a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a personal computer, or the like, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) as the processing unit 801, a storage device such as a memory or a hard disk as the storage unit 802, and a display unit 803. A display device such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) or LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) as an input device, an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse or a touchpad as an input unit 804, and a serial for connecting to the RFID tag reader 7 The general configuration includes an external interface such as a parallel or network.
The wireless tag reader 7 corresponds to a wireless tag reader in the claims, and is a device that can read information stored in the wireless tag 2.

  In the present embodiment, the storage unit 802 of the component management device 8 stores in advance the component ID and component management information of the component 1 that has been read and stored in the past.

Here, an example of information stored in the storage unit 802 of the component management apparatus 8 is shown in Table 2 below. As shown in Table 2, for each “component ID” of the wireless tag 2, “last updated date”, “type”, “integrated count”, “integrated time”, and “integrated time” corresponding to the component management information shown in FIG. Each item of “replacement time” and an item of “determination result” indicating whether or not the part 1 needs to be replaced, which is generated by the processing unit 801 by a procedure described later, are stored.
The procedure for generating “determination result” information will be described later.

  Next, FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure in which the component management device 8 stores information read from the wireless tag 2 by the wireless tag reader 7 in the storage unit 802 and performs life determination. The operation of the component management apparatus 8 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 (see FIG. 2 as appropriate).

  First, when the wireless tag 2 is within the communicable range, the wireless tag reader 7 reads the component ID and the component management information from the wireless tag 2 and transmits them to the component management device 8. The processing unit 801 of the component management device 8 has the same component management information received from the wireless tag reader 7 and the component management information corresponding to the component ID stored in the storage unit 802 shown in Table 2. Is determined (step S20).

Next, when the received component management information and the component management information stored in the storage unit 802 are not the same (in the case of “No” in step S20), the processing unit 801 of the component management apparatus 8 receives the received component The management information is updated by overwriting the component management information stored in the storage unit 802 (step S21). Then, by comparing the information on the “replacement time” in the updated parts management information with the information on “integration count” or “integration time”, the “integration count” or “integration time” is greater than the “replacement time”. When it is larger, “1” is output as “determination result”, and when “integration count” or “integration time” is smaller than “replacement time”, “0” is output as “determination result”. Then, information of “determination result” is generated (step S22).
Next, the processing unit 801 of the component management apparatus 8 stores the “determination result” information generated in step S22 in a corresponding record in the storage unit 802 (step S23), and returns to the determination procedure of step S20.

In step S20, if the received component management information is the same as the component management information stored in the storage unit 802 (in the case of “Yes” in step S20), the display unit 803 stores it in the storage unit 802. The component management information and determination result information (see Table 2) are displayed as a display screen (step S24), and the process is terminated.
Here, an example of a display screen displayed on the display unit 803 in step S24 is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the display screen displayed on the display unit 803 has a “component ID” indicated by reference numeral 200, a “last updated date” indicated by reference numeral 201, and a “type” indicated by reference numeral 202. "Integrated count" indicated by reference numeral 203, "Integrated time" indicated by reference numeral 204, "Replacement time" indicated by reference numeral 205, and "Replacement alarm" indicated by reference numeral 206 are displayed in a list format. Has been.
Since the display area is limited, the display screen shown in FIG. 7 is provided with a scroll bar 210 including an up button 211, a down button 212, and a slider 213, and the input unit 804 of the component management device 8 is provided. The display range can be changed by clicking or dragging and dropping with a connected mouse or touchpad.

  In this embodiment, since the life management of the component 1 can be performed only by the information stored in the wireless tag 2, it is not necessary to access a server having an external database, and the wireless tag reader 7 is connected. The component management device 8 can be implemented using a general-purpose device such as a personal computer or a PDA. For this reason, for example, the component management apparatus 8 can be brought into a work site where the component 1 is used, and the life of the component 1 can be determined at the work site.

  Further, in the present embodiment, regardless of the operation / non-operation of the component 1, the component 1 to be inspected approaches the communicable range of the wireless tag 2 and the wireless tag reader 7 regardless of the movement of the component 1. It is possible to determine the service life of the component 1 simply by doing.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, as a second embodiment of the present invention, the secondary battery is used as a part for a power tool or the like, and the part use device is a charging device for charging the secondary battery, and the life management of the secondary battery is performed. Will be described.

(Parts management system)
In the present embodiment, the main configuration of the component management system is the same as that of the component management system of the first embodiment shown in FIG. However, in the component management system of the present embodiment, at least one component 1 that is the target of life management with the wireless tag 2 attached is a secondary battery. The place where the component 1 is charged is shown, not the place where it is mounted on a tool or the like. In addition, the component management information stored in the wireless tag 2 includes items unique to the secondary battery.

Furthermore, since the secondary battery has a charging capacity that gradually decreases as the number of times of charging increases, it can be determined that a secondary battery that has reached a predetermined number of times of charging has a lifetime. Further, since the charge capacity can be calculated from the voltage of the secondary battery, the charge capacity suitable for use can be calculated by measuring the voltage of the secondary battery.
Next, components of the component management system of the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

(Wireless tag)
For example, FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a format of information stored in the wireless tag 2 of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the data stored in the wireless tag 2 is indicated by a part ID indicated by a reference numeral 300 for identifying the part 1 which is a secondary battery, and a reference numeral 301 which is information relating to the part 1. It consists mainly of parts management information. Further, the component management information includes a “type” indicated by reference numeral 311 for identifying the type of the component 1, a “self-discharge coefficient” indicating a voltage decay rate per unit time of the component 1 indicated by reference numeral 312, The “replacement time” in which the number of times of charging for a preset life indicated by 313 is input, the “number of times of charging” of the component 1 indicated by reference numeral 314, the “last charging date” indicated by reference numeral 315, and It consists of each item of “voltage” measured at the end of charging by the component using device 5 indicated by reference numeral 316.

(Part use equipment)
Next, the component use device 5 that is a charging device that records the component management information shown in FIG. 8 on the wireless tag 2 attached to the component 1 will be described.
For example, FIG. 9 is a block configuration diagram of the component use apparatus 5 of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the component using device 5 is connected to the wireless tag read / write device 4, and based on the information sent from the wireless tag read / write device 4 and the charging control unit 514, these pieces of information are used. The processing unit 510 that performs processing of transmitting to the wireless tag reading / writing device 4 or processing of writing to the storage unit 511, information stored in the wireless tag 2, information generated by the processing unit 510, and the like Storage unit 511 for storing, charging unit 512 for charging component 1 which is a secondary battery, measurement unit 513 for measuring presence / absence of connection of component 1, voltage indicating the charging status of component 1, and measurement unit 513 The charging unit 512 is instructed to start charging, charge control and charging end based on the measurement result sent from the terminal, and at the end of charging due to completion of charging or release of connection with the component 1, Measured Composed of the charge controller 514. for transmitting pressure.

Here, the wireless tag reading / writing device 4 of the present embodiment can communicate with the wireless tag 2 attached to the component 1 when the component 1 as a secondary battery is connected to the charging unit 512, for example. It is arranged in the position. Thus, the wireless tag read / write device 4 can transmit / receive information to / from the wireless tag 2 attached to the component 1 while the component 1 is connected to the charging unit 512.
In addition, when the wireless tag read / write device 4 writes the information sent from the component use device 5 to the wireless tag 2, if the information is successfully written, the wireless tag read / write device 4 sends a write success notification to the component use device 5. When the information writing fails, it has a function of transmitting a writing failure notification.

Next, FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the component use apparatus 5 of the present embodiment. The operation of the component use apparatus 5 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 10 (see FIG. 9 as appropriate).
First, when the wireless tag 2 is within the communicable range of the wireless tag read / write device 4, that is, when the component 1 is connected to the charging unit 512, the wireless tag read / write device 4 is configured as shown in FIG. The component ID and the component management information of the wireless tag 2 shown in FIG. 6 are read and transmitted to the processing unit 510 of the component use apparatus 5.

  At this time, the processing unit 510 of the component using device 5 determines whether or not the component ID and the component management information are received from the wireless tag reading / writing device 4 (step S30), and the component ID and the component management information are obtained. If it cannot be received (“No” in step S30), it waits until it can be received. When the component ID and the component management information are received from the wireless tag reading / writing device 4 (“Yes” in step S30), the processing unit 510 stores the received component ID and component in the storage unit 511. Management information is stored (step S31).

  An example of information stored in the storage unit 511 is shown in Table 3. As shown in Table 3, the storage unit 511 stores, for each record, the component ID shown in FIG. 8 and the “type”, “self-discharge coefficient”, “replacement time”, “charge” constituting the component management information. It can be seen that the items “number of times”, “last charging date” and “voltage” are stored.

Next, the processing unit 510 of the component using device 5 determines whether or not voltage information has been received from the charging control unit 514 (step S32). Here, as described above, the charging control unit 514 measures the component 1 that is a secondary battery at the time when the charging of the component 1 is completed or when the connection between the charging unit 512 and the component 1 is released. Sends information on the correct voltage.
If the voltage information is not received (in the case of “No” in step S32), it waits until it is received. When the voltage information is received (in the case of “Yes” in step S32), the wireless tag 2 By updating the “last charging date” corresponding to the component ID by the internal calendar of the processing unit 510, updating the “charging capacity” from the voltage at the end of charging, and further incrementing the information on “number of times of charging” The component management information is updated and stored in the storage unit 511 (step S33).

  The updated component management information recorded in the storage unit 511 is transmitted to the wireless tag reading / writing device 4 (step S34), and a writing success notification or writing failure notification is received from the wireless tag reading / writing device 4. Thus, it is determined whether or not the writing of the component management information to the wireless tag 2 is successful (step S35). If a component management information write failure notification is received (in the case of “No” in step S35), the process returns to step S34 and the wireless tag read / write device 4 again updates the component management information. Send. If the component management information write success notification is received (“Yes” in step S35), the process is terminated.

  According to the component use device 5 configured as described above, every time the component 1 is charged, the “number of times of charging” for determining the lifetime of the component 1 stored in the wireless tag 2 attached to the component 1. Information and “voltage” information for determining whether or not the component 1 can be used can be updated.

(Parts management device)
Next, the component management apparatus 8 of this embodiment that reads the component management information of the wireless tag 2 written by the component usage device 5 at the component usage location 3 shown in FIG. Will be described. Since the configuration of the component management apparatus 8 of this embodiment is the same as the configuration of the component management apparatus 8 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the configuration of the component management apparatus 8 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. The same reference numerals as those of the elements are used and description thereof is omitted (see FIG. 5 below).
In the present embodiment, the storage unit 802 of the component management device 8 stores the component ID of the component 1, the component management information, and the like that are stored by reading the wireless tag 2 in the past in advance.

Here, an example of information stored in the storage unit 802 of the component management apparatus 8 according to the present embodiment is shown in Table 4 below. As shown in Table 4, the storage unit 802 stores “type”, “self-discharge coefficient”, “replacement time”, “replacement time” corresponding to the part management information for each part ID of the wireless tag 2 shown in FIG. Each item of “number of times of charging”, “last charging date” and “voltage”, “usability” indicating whether or not the component 1 can be used, which is generated by the processing unit 801 according to the procedure described later, and charging of the component 1 A “life” item indicating whether or not the number of times is less than a predetermined value is stored.
The procedure for generating information on the items “usability” and “life” will be described later.

  Next, FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure in which the component management device 8 stores information read from the wireless tag 2 by the wireless tag reader 7 in the storage unit 802 and performs life determination and the like. The operation of the component management apparatus 8 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 11 (see FIG. 5 as appropriate).

  First, when the wireless tag 2 is within the communicable range, the wireless tag reader 7 reads the component ID and the component management information from the wireless tag 2 and transmits them to the component management device 8. The processing unit 801 of the component management device 8 has the same component management information received from the wireless tag reader 7 and the component management information corresponding to the component ID stored in the storage unit 802 shown in Table 4. Is determined (step S40).

  Next, when the received component management information is not the same as the component management information stored in the storage unit 802 (in the case of “No” in step S40), the processing unit 801 of the component management apparatus 8 receives the received component The management information is updated by overwriting the component management information stored in the storage unit 802 (step S41). Then, the “charge capacity” is calculated from the “voltage” information included in the updated component management information and the specified voltage of the component 1, and this “charge capacity” is equal to or less than a predetermined value (for example, 0.8). If it is, “1” indicating “unusable” is output to the “usability” item, the “number of times of charging” information included in the part management information is compared with the information of “replacement time”, ”And“ replacement time ”are the same, it is determined that the product is at the end of life, and“ 1 ”is output to the“ life ”information. Is generated (step S42).

  Next, the processing unit 801 of the component management apparatus 8 stores the “usability” and “life” information generated in step S42 in the corresponding record of the storage unit 802 (step S43), and the determination procedure of step S40. Return to.

If the received component management information is the same as the component management information stored in the storage unit 802 in step S40 (in the case of “Yes” in step S40), the display unit 803 stores it in the storage unit 802. The parts management information and "usability" and "life" information (see Table 4) are displayed as a display screen (step S44), and the process is terminated.
Here, an example of a display screen displayed on the display unit 803 in step S44 is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 12, the display screen displayed on the display unit 803 has a “component ID” indicated by reference numeral 400, a “type” indicated by reference numeral 401, and a “self-discharge coefficient” indicated by reference numeral 402. "Replacement time" indicated by reference numeral 403, "Number of times of charging" indicated by reference numeral 404, "Last charging date" indicated by reference numeral 405, "Voltage" indicated by reference numeral 406, and reference numeral 407 Each item of “charge capacity”, “usability” indicated by reference numeral 408, and “life” indicated by reference numeral 409 are displayed in a list format.
In the display screen shown in FIG. 12, the items “usability” and “lifetime” are “0” and “1”, “OK” and “NG”, “●” and blank, respectively. It is replaced with and displayed.

  The wireless tag reader 7 has a function of writing to the wireless tag 2 in the same manner as the wireless tag reader / writer 4, and the component management device 8 periodically stores the components stored in the wireless tag 2. The management information is read, the storage period in the parts storage place 6 is calculated from the “last charging date” item shown in FIG. 8 and the internal clock information of the parts management device 8, and the “self-discharge coefficient” item is calculated. A configuration in which the estimated voltage of the current component 1 is calculated using the storage period, the item “voltage” of the battery management information stored in the wireless tag 2 is updated, and the latest information is displayed on the display unit 803 It is good. At this time, an item of “last updated date” may be newly created in the component management information and stored in the storage unit 802.

  Further, the life determination algorithm of the component management device 8 (for example, step S42 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 11) may be switched based on the information of the item “type” included in the component management information. That is, in the present embodiment, the component 1 is a secondary battery, but the information on the drill that is the component 1 of the first embodiment is also stored in the storage unit 802 of the component management device 8 and the “type” of the component management information is stored. According to the item, when the component 1 is a secondary battery, the determination result of the component 1 is output according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 11, and when the component 1 is a drill, step S42 of the flowchart shown in FIG. By replacing the step S22 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 and outputting the determination result information, the life management of various components 1 can be performed by one component management device 8.

  As described above, according to the component management apparatus 8 of the present embodiment described above, it is possible to determine the life of the component 1 that is a secondary battery and the availability of use with a device having a simple configuration.

(Third embodiment)
Next, in the component management apparatus 8 of the component management system of the first embodiment or the second embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, information stored in the storage unit 802 illustrated in FIG. 5 (see Tables 2 and 4). ) Is added to the presence / absence information indicating whether or not the part 1 is in the part storage location 6, and based on the presence / absence information, the display unit 803 of the part management apparatus 8 displays the storage position of the part 1. A third embodiment of the invention will be described.
As described above, in this embodiment, the configuration of the component management system is the same as that of the component management system of the first embodiment or the second embodiment shown in FIG.

  Here, it is determined that each part 1 is stored in a predetermined storage position in advance in the part storage place 6, and the user uses the parts management apparatus 8 when returning the part 1 to the part storage place 6. Using the connected wireless tag reader 7, the wireless tag 2 attached to the component 1 is read and returned to a predetermined storage location.

Here, FIG. 13A is a diagram for explaining how the part 1 is stored in the part storage place 6, and FIG. 13B is a part displayed on the part management apparatus 8 shown in FIG. It is drawing which showed the storage position display screen which showed 1 storage position.
As shown in FIG. 13A, the component 1 is returned and stored by the user at a predetermined storage position. The user reads information stored in the wireless tag 2 attached to the component 1 using the wireless tag reader 7 before returning the component 1 to a predetermined storage position. As a result, the component management apparatus 8 adds the presence / absence information indicating that the component 1 is in the component storage location 6 to the information stored in the storage unit 802 (see Tables 2 and 4). . The presence / absence information is updated every time the user reads the wireless tag 2 by replacing information indicating “present” and “none” in the storage location. Then, the processing unit 801 of the component management apparatus 8 shown in FIG. 5 shows an example from the information (see Tables 2 and 4) stored in the storage unit 802 including the presence / absence information to FIG. 13B. The displayed display screen is created and displayed on the display unit 803.
In FIG. 13 (a), the numbers shown in each component 1 indicate the component ID of the component 1 for explanation, and are not actually displayed.

  As shown in FIG. 13B, the storage position display screen 700 is displayed corresponding to the storage position of the part 1 in the part storage place 6 shown in FIG. When the presence / absence information indicating that the part 1 is in the part storage location 6 is stored based on the information stored in the storage unit 802, the processing unit 801 of the part management apparatus 8 For example, a display like a region indicated by reference numeral 701 is performed at a position corresponding to one to one. In the display of the area indicated by reference numeral 701, '0001' indicates the component ID of the component 1, and 'NG' indicates that the component management apparatus 8 is “usable” as in the second embodiment, for example. When this information is output as a determination result, it indicates that it cannot be used. Further, when information indicating that the part 1 is in the part storage location 6 is not stored, for example, there is no part 1 stored at that position by hatching as in the area indicated by reference numeral 702. Is shown.

  Further, on the storage position display screen 700, the display position of the part 1 is selected by clicking or double-clicking the display position of the part 1 on the input part 804 of the part management apparatus 8 with a mouse or the like. The display screen shown in FIG. 7 or FIG. 12 is displayed, and the details of the management state of the selected component 1 can be displayed.

  According to the present embodiment, the presence / absence of each component 1 in the component storage location 6 can be displayed by the component management device 8, and the inventory management of the component 1 can be performed together with the life management of the component 1.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a description will be given of a fourth embodiment of the present invention in which the component management system of the first embodiment or the second embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is applied to the life management of a component 1 such as a consumable to be mounted on an automobile. To do. Here, FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the configuration of the component management system of the present embodiment and the movement of the automobile on which a plurality of components 1 are mounted. The component management system of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
Each component of the component management system of this embodiment shown in FIG. 14 is substantially the same as the component of the component management system of the first embodiment or the second embodiment shown in FIG. The detailed explanation is omitted.
In the present embodiment, the component use device 5 connected to the plurality of components 1 and the RFID tag reading / writing device 4 mounted on the automobile is the property of the user, and the component management device 8 is the component from the user. It should be used by auto dealers who have received a maintenance request of No. 1 and maintenance contractors such as auto repair shops.

  Below, only the characteristic peculiar to this embodiment is demonstrated about the component of the components management system of this embodiment.

(Wireless tag)
In the present embodiment, consumables having various lifetimes such as tires, batteries, and engines mounted on automobiles, brake pads (not shown), light bulbs such as headlights, and suspension devices can be applied to the component 1. A wireless tag 2 is attached to each component 1, and the wireless tag 2 is combined with a component ID, together with a “travel distance”, “use period”, “headlight”, and the like. Component management information including information used for determining the lifetime of the component such as “lighting time” and “braking time” is stored.

(Part use equipment)
The component use device 5 is built in, for example, a computer that controls an engine or the like mounted on an automobile. Based on information sent from various sensors mounted on the vehicle, the component use device 5 is configured as each component 1. Information for determining the lifetime of the component 1 can be transmitted to the wireless tag 2 attached to the.
Then, the component use device 5 stores each wireless tag 2 in accordance with the type of the component 1 from information such as “travel distance”, “use period”, “headlight lighting time”, or “braking time”. Update the managed parts management information.

(Parts management device)
The parts management device 8 used by the maintenance company performs life management of a plurality of parts 1 mounted on the automobile, generates a determination result such as the life of the parts 1 and displays the result on the display unit 803, for example, not shown Printing can be performed on paper from an output means such as a printer.
Further, in the present embodiment, the processing unit 801 of the component management apparatus 8 uses the “type” item (see FIGS. 2 and 8) of the component management information stored in the wireless tag 2 attached to the component 1. In addition, an algorithm that outputs a determination result corresponding to each “type” can be selected, and the determination result can be output and stored in the storage unit 802.

According to the component management system of the present embodiment configured as described above, the maintenance company uses a wireless tag for the wireless tag 2 attached to the component 1 requested to be maintained at a component storage location 6 such as an automobile repair shop. By holding the reading device 7 and reading the information stored in the wireless tag 2, it is possible to determine the life of the component 1 and the like, and to improve the efficiency of maintenance and inspection.
Further, the component use device 5 built in the automobile has the same function as that of the component management device 8, and an algorithm for outputting the determination result of the component 1 is executed. It can also be set as the structure displayed on the display means (not shown) installed in the.

(Fifth embodiment)
Next, as a fifth embodiment of the present invention, a component that supports life management of a component 1 mounted on a vehicle in which the component use device 5 is built using the component management system according to the fourth embodiment described above. A management support system will be described.

(Maintenance management system)
Here, for example, FIG. 15 shows that a maintenance contractor who has requested maintenance such as an automobile dealer or an automobile repair shop performs maintenance on a terminal used by a user of the automobile in which the component using device 5 is built via the network. It is the figure which showed the structure of the component management assistance system which receives the report of a result, and the request | requirement of the components replacement | exchange from an owner, and its operation | movement.
In the maintenance management system shown in FIG. 15, the same components as those in the parts management system of the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. Hereinafter, other components will be described (see FIGS. 1 and 14 as appropriate).

(Web server)
For example, the Web server 10 configured by a general server computer is connected to the component management device 8 used by the maintenance company, and includes information indicating a determination result such as the lifetime of each component 1 sent from the component management device 8. Based on the unit price information of the part 1 and the cost of maintenance or replacement stored in a storage means such as a hard disk drive (not shown), a list of the parts 1 that need to be replaced and their costs is displayed. The inspection result screen which is the displayed display screen is created and transmitted via the network 11 to the user terminal 12 used by the user who owns the car.
Further, the Web server 10 receives the order information indicating the part 1 requested to be replaced among the parts 1 recommended to be replaced on the inspection result screen transmitted from the user terminal 12, and stores the order information in the storage unit. And a function for displaying the order information on a display means such as a display (not shown).

(User terminal)
The user terminal 12 is a terminal device used by a user of an automobile in which the component using device 5 is built, and is implemented by, for example, a personal computer that can be connected to the network 11. In addition, by using the network 11 as a mobile phone network, for example, the user terminal 12 can be implemented by a mobile phone having a browser function.

(network)
The network 11 can be embodied by combining various lines such as the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), and a mobile phone network as long as the Web server 10 and the user terminal 12 are connected to each other.

Next, the operation of the component management support system of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 15 (refer to FIG. 14 as appropriate).
First, a maintenance contractor who has requested maintenance of a vehicle in which the component use device 5 is built by a user reads information stored in the wireless tag 2 attached to each component 1 mounted on the vehicle by reading the wireless tag. The vehicle is inspected by reading with the device 7. Then, the component management device 8 uses the procedure shown in FIG. 10 to generate information on the determination result such as the lifetime of the component 1, and based on the information stored in the wireless tag 2, the lifetime of each component 1. And information on determination results such as availability and the like are stored in the storage unit 802 (see FIG. 9) (step S50).

  Next, the information stored in the wireless tag 2 read from the wireless tag 2 and the determination result information generated by the component management device 8 in step S50 are sent from the component management device 8 to the Web server 10. The Web server 10 that has received these pieces of information stores information such as the price of each component 1 stored in advance in a storage unit (not shown) of the Web server 10, the cost of replacement or inspection of the component 1, and information on the determination result. On the basis of the above, an inspection result screen displaying a list of information such as the replacement cost of the part 1 determined to be the inspection result and the life and the repair cost such as disassembly repair is created (step S51). Then, the web server 10 transmits this inspection result screen to the user terminal 12 via the network 11 (step S52).

  Then, the user terminal 12 displays the inspection result screen received from the Web server 10 on a display unit such as a display. Here, an example of the inspection result screen displayed on the display of the user terminal 12 is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 16, in the inspection result screen 900, information indicating the inspection result of each component 1 mounted on the automobile is displayed in the area indicated by reference numeral 901, and it is determined that replacement or inspection is necessary. The part 1 is displayed as an “estimate” of the cost required to replace the part 1 consisting of a part fee and wage. A check box 902 is provided on the right side of the “estimate” item, and the user views the inspection result screen 900 displayed on the user terminal 12 and exchanges it using an input means such as a mouse or a keyboard. Select the check box 902 for the part 1 that you want to check or check. When the desired part 1 such as replacement or inspection is confirmed, the confirm button 903 is selected, whereby the user terminal 12 transmits order information to the Web server 10 via the network 11 (step S53). . The Web server 10 that has received the order information stores the order information in the storage unit and displays the order information on a display unit (not shown).

The maintenance company checks the order information displayed on the display means of the Web server 10, confirms the user's intention, and replaces the component 1 instructed for replacement with a new wireless communication according to the instruction (order information) from the user. The part 1 is replaced with a new part 1 to which the tag 2 is affixed, or the part 1 for which an instruction for disassembly and repair is given is performed.
Further, based on the order information stored in the Web server 10, a work report to the user, a bill, or the like may be created as electronic data and transmitted to the user terminal 12 via the network 11. Of course, work reports, invoices, and the like can be output as a form by connecting printing means to the Web server 10 and sent to the user.

  In addition, the automobile itself in which the component use device 5 is built can also be handled as the component 1, the wireless tag 2 can be added, and life management and replacement history of the component 1 mounted on the vehicle can be recorded as the component management information.

  As described above, according to the component management support system of the present embodiment described above, by performing component management using the wireless tag 2, update of component management information of each component 1, inspection, output of inspection results, inspection and maintenance are performed. Re-inspection can be performed automatically, enabling efficient maintenance, shortening the time required for maintenance, accurate and prompt reporting to the user, and billing.

As described above, the present invention executes a wireless tag attached to a component and a simple determination algorithm without aggregating information for determining the lifetime of each component in a server or the like that manages the lifetime of the component. By configuring with a possible device, it is possible to easily manage the service life of parts.
Moreover, although many matters are specifically shown in the above-mentioned embodiment, this is illustrated for explaining the present invention, and the present invention is the technical idea described in the claims. Determined by.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of an article | item management system. It is drawing which shows the format of the information memorize | stored in the wireless tag. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a component usage apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence in a component usage apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a components management apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence in a components management apparatus. It is drawing which shows the display screen displayed on the display part of a components management apparatus. It is drawing which shows the format of the information memorize | stored in the wireless tag. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a component usage apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence in a component usage apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence in a components management apparatus. It is drawing which shows the display screen displayed on the display part of a components management apparatus. (A) is drawing explaining the state of the parts in a parts storage place, (b) is a drawing which shows the storage position display screen displayed on the display part of a parts management apparatus. It is explanatory drawing explaining the structure of a components management system, and the motion of the motor vehicle which mounts components. It is the block diagram which showed the structure of the components management assistance system. It is drawing which shows the inspection result screen displayed on the display of a user terminal.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Parts 2 Wireless tag 3 Parts storage place 4 RFID tag reader 5 Parts use device 6 Parts use place 7 Wireless tag reading / writing device 8 Parts management device

Claims (2)

A component management device that determines the life and availability of a plurality of secondary batteries,
From each assigned a radio tag to the secondary battery, and the secondary battery of identifiable identification information, and the self-discharge coefficient representing the attenuation factor of the voltage per unit time of the secondary battery, for the rechargeable battery Actual measurement information indicating the number of times of charging that has actually been charged , information on conditions serving as criteria for determining a preset life corresponding to the replacement time for the secondary battery , and the secondary A wireless tag reader that reads a voltage after completion of the latest charge of the battery and a last charge date that is the latest charge completion date of the secondary battery;
A display unit for displaying information read by the wireless tag reading unit;
From the actual measurement information indicating the number of times of charging and the information on the condition serving as the determination criterion for the lifetime, first determination information for determining the lifetime of the secondary battery is generated,
Calculate the current estimated voltage based on the storage period calculated from the last charge date and the current date, the voltage and the self-discharge coefficient,
Whether or not the secondary battery can be used is calculated by calculating a charge capacity that can be additionally charged from the calculated estimated voltage and a specified voltage of the secondary battery, and comparing the calculated charge capacity with a predetermined threshold value. Generating second determination information for determining
A processing unit including a list of the first determination information and the second determination information to be displayed on the display unit,
Parts management device characterized by A component management method using a component management apparatus for determining the life and availability of a plurality of secondary batteries,
The wireless tag reader of the component management device is
From each assigned a radio tag to the secondary battery, and the secondary battery of identifiable identification information, and the self-discharge coefficient representing the attenuation factor of the voltage per unit time of the secondary battery, for the rechargeable battery Actual measurement information indicating the number of times of charging that has actually been charged , information on conditions serving as criteria for determining a preset life corresponding to the replacement time for the secondary battery , and the secondary Read the voltage after the last charge of the battery is completed and the last charge date that is the latest charge completion date of the secondary battery,
The display unit of the component management device is
Display the information read in the wireless tag reader,
The processing unit of the component management apparatus is
From the actual measurement information indicating the number of times of charging and the information on the condition serving as the determination criterion for the lifetime, first determination information for determining the lifetime of the secondary battery is generated,
Calculate the current estimated voltage based on the storage period calculated from the last charge date and the current date, the voltage and the self-discharge coefficient,
Whether or not the secondary battery can be used is calculated by calculating a charge capacity that can be additionally charged from the calculated estimated voltage and a specified voltage of the secondary battery, and comparing the calculated charge capacity with a predetermined threshold value. Generating second determination information for determining
Including displaying a list of the first determination information and the second determination information on the display unit;
A part management method characterized by the above.

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