Production system, repair system, production method and information storage medium

Abstract

The present invention relates to a production system, a repair system, a production method and an information storage medium. The production system (1) includes an industrial device (30) capable of executing each of a plurality of processes. A detection unit (202) of the production system (1) detects an abnormality occurring in the industrial device (30). When the detection unit (202) detects an abnormality, the receiving unit (102) receives the designation of one or more processes to be executed for repair based on process information, wherein the process information associates at least the name of the process with a variable for each of the plurality of processes, the variable being at least one of referenced and changed in a process program that represents an action of the industrial device (30) and is executed in the process. The recording unit (103) records repair process information representing the one or more processes received by the receiving unit (102).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a production system, a repair system, a production method and an information storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is a known technique for executing each of a plurality of processes in a system having a plurality of industrial devices, such as a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique for creating a program by describing the actions of a PLC in a ladder diagram.

[0003] Prior Art Literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-194678 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to reduce the trouble for repairing an abnormality occurring in an industrial device.

[0008] Means used to solve problems

[0009] One embodiment of the present invention provides a production system, comprising: an industrial device capable of executing each of a plurality of processes; a detection unit for detecting an abnormality occurring in the industrial device; a receiving unit for accepting, when the detection unit detects the abnormality, a designation of one or more of the processes to be executed for repair based on process information, wherein the process information associates, for each of the plurality of processes, at least the name of the process with a variable, the variable being at least one of referenced and changed in a process program executed in the process; and a recording unit for recording repair process information representing the one or more processes accepted by the receiving unit.

[0010] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a repair system, comprising: a detection unit, which detects an abnormality occurring in an industrial device, wherein the industrial device is capable of executing each of a plurality of processes; a receiving unit, which, when the detection unit detects the abnormality, accepts the designation of one or more of the processes to be executed for repair based on process information, wherein the process information associates, for each of the plurality of processes, at least the name of the process with a variable, and the variable is at least one of referenced and changed in a process program executed in the process; and a recording unit, which records repair process information representing the one or more processes accepted by the receiving unit.

[0011] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a production method, which is performed by an industrial device capable of executing each of a plurality of processes, wherein an abnormality occurring in the industrial device is detected, and when the abnormality is detected, the method accepts the designation of one or more of the processes to be executed for repair based on process information, wherein the process information associates, for each of the plurality of processes, at least the name of the process with a variable, the variable being at least one of referenced and changed in a process program executed in the process; and records repair process information representing the one or more processes.

[0012] Another embodiment of the present invention provides an information storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to perform the functions of the following units: a detection unit for detecting an abnormality occurring in an industrial device capable of executing each of a plurality of processes; a receiving unit for accepting, when the detection unit detects the abnormality, the designation of one or more processes to be executed for repair based on process information, wherein the process information associates, for each of the plurality of processes, at least the name of the process with a variable, the variable being at least one of referenced and changed in a process program executed in the process; and a recording unit for recording repair process information representing the one or more processes accepted by the receiving unit.

[0013] In addition, one embodiment of the present invention relates to a production system, which further includes a repair unit. When the detection unit detects the abnormality again, the repair unit obtains the one or more processes represented by the repair process information recorded by the recording unit, and executes the obtained one or more processes to repair the abnormality.

[0014] In addition, one embodiment of the present invention relates to a production system, which further includes a type acquisition unit, wherein the type acquisition unit acquires the type of the abnormality detected by the detection unit, and the recording unit records the repair process information in association with the type of the abnormality acquired by the type acquisition unit, and when the detection unit detects the abnormality again, the repair unit acquires the one or more processes represented by the repair process information associated with the type of the abnormality, and executes the acquired one or more processes to repair the abnormality.

[0015] In addition, one embodiment of the present invention relates to a production system, which further includes a determination unit, which determines the process in which the abnormality detected by the detection unit occurs, and the recording unit records the repair process information in association with the process determined by the determination unit. When the detection unit detects the abnormality again, the repair unit obtains the one or more processes represented by the repair process information associated with the process in which the abnormality occurred, and executes the obtained one or more processes to repair the abnormality.

[0016] In addition, one embodiment of the present invention relates to a production system, which further includes a status acquisition unit, wherein the status acquisition unit acquires the status of the industrial device when the detection unit detects the abnormality, and the recording unit records the repair process information in association with the status of the industrial device acquired by the status acquisition unit, and when the detection unit detects the abnormality again, the repair unit acquires the one or more processes represented by the repair process information associated with the status of the industrial device when the abnormality occurred, and executes the acquired one or more processes to repair the abnormality.

[0017] In addition, one embodiment of the present invention relates to a production system, which further includes a display control unit, and when the detection unit detects the abnormality, the display control unit displays a repair process production screen based on the process information of each of the multiple processes, the repair process production screen includes the names of each of the multiple processes, and can specify the process to be performed for repair, and the acceptance unit accepts the specification of the one or more processes in the repair process production screen.

[0018] In addition, in a production system involved in one embodiment of the present invention, the receiving unit receives the designation of one or more processes to be performed by at least one of the industrial device and the other industrial device based on the process information of each of the industrial device detected by the detection unit and the other industrial device that performs the previous process of the industrial device, and the recording unit records the repair process information representing the one or more processes to be performed by the industrial device and at least one of the other industrial devices.

[0019] In the production system according to one aspect of the present invention, the receiving unit receives a designation of an execution order of the plurality of steps, and the recording unit records the repair step information based on the execution order received by the receiving unit.

[0020] In the production system according to one aspect of the present invention, the recording unit records the repair process information in another device, and the other device can communicate with a control device that controls the industrial device.

[0021] In addition, in a production system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the receiving unit receives a designation of a process to be restarted after the abnormality detected by the detecting unit is repaired, and the recording unit records the restarted process received by the receiving unit in association with the repair process information.

[0022] Effects of the Invention

[0023] According to the above invention, it is possible to reduce the trouble for repairing an abnormality occurring in an industrial device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a production system according to an embodiment.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing a state in which a controller controls an industrial device.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an example of a repair process creation screen.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing a state where the user manually repairs an anomaly.

[0028] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing a state in which an abnormality is repaired based on the repair process information.

[0029] Figure 6 It is a functional block diagram that represents the functions implemented in the production system.

[0030] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing an example of data storage in a process database.

[0031] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing an example of data storage in a repair process database.

[0032] Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the processing performed in the production system.

[0033] Fig.10 is a flowchart showing the processing performed in the production system.

[0034] Fig.11 This is a functional block diagram in a modified example.

[0035] Fig.12 This is a diagram showing a data storage example of a repair process database according to modification (1).

[0036] Fig.13 This is a diagram showing a data storage example of a repair process database according to modification (2).

[0037] Fig.14This is a diagram showing a data storage example of a repair process database according to modification (3).

[0038] Fig.15 This is a diagram showing a data storage example of a repair process database according to modification (4). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] According to the knowledge of the inventor of the present invention, whenever an abnormality occurs in an industrial device that performs each of a plurality of processes, a user needs to repair the abnormality by manual work, which is very troublesome. Therefore, the inventor of the present invention has deliberately conducted research and development to reduce the trouble of repairing abnormalities that occur in industrial devices, and as a result, a novel and original production system has been conceived. The production system involved in this embodiment is described in detail below.

[0040] (1. Overall structure of the production system)

[0041] Figure 1 : is a diagram showing the overall structure of the production system involved in the embodiment. Figure 1 As shown, the production system 1 includes a user terminal 10, a controller 20, industrial devices 30A, 30B, and a server 40. These devices are connected to each other in a communicative manner using an arbitrary network such as Ethernet (registered trademark) or a communication standard dedicated to industrial devices. In addition, in the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the industrial devices 30A and 30B, they are simply described as industrial devices 30. Similarly, when there is no need to distinguish between the CPUs 31A and 31B, the storage units 32A and 32B, and the communication units 33A and 33B, they are simply described as the CPU 31, the storage unit 32, and the communication unit 33.

[0042] The user terminal 10 is a computer operated by a user. For example, the user terminal 10 is a personal computer, a mobile terminal (including a tablet terminal), or a mobile phone (including a smart phone). In addition, the user terminal 10 is not limited to this, and may also be an operator terminal, a programmer, or a panel controller such as an HMI (Human Machine Interface). The user terminal 10 includes a CPU 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, an operation unit 14, and a display unit 15. In addition, although Figure 1 Although lines are omitted in the figure, the user terminal 10 can also be connected to the controller 20 and the server 40 separately.

[0043] The CPU 11 includes at least one processor. The storage unit 12 includes a RAM and a hard disk, and stores various programs and data. The CPU 11 performs various processes based on these programs and data. The communication unit 13 includes a communication interface such as a network card and various communication connectors, and communicates with other devices. The operation unit 14 is an input device such as a mouse and a keyboard. The display unit 15 is a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, etc., and displays various screens according to the instructions of the CPU 11.

[0044] The controller 20 is a computer that controls at least one industrial device 30. For example, the controller 20 may be a computer called a PLC, or may be a computer with other names having equivalent functions to the PLC. For example, the entire controller 20 and the industrial device 30 may be referred to as a unit, which is a smaller unit than a line. In this case, the controller 20 may be referred to as a unit controller.

[0045] The controller 20 includes a CPU 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23. The physical structures of the CPU 21, the storage unit 22, and the communication unit 23 may be the same as those of the CPU 11, the storage unit 12, and the communication unit 13, respectively. In addition, the controller 20 is an example of a control device. Therefore, the place recorded as the controller 20 in the present embodiment can be replaced by a control device. The control device may be any device other than the controller 20. The controller 20 can not only control the industrial device 30, but also directly control the equipment such as robots and motors directly connected thereto, or request the server 40 to analyze data indicating the operation results of the industrial device 30.

[0046] The industrial device 30 is a device for executing a process. The industrial device 30 can be applied to any type of device, such as a robot controller, a lower device of a robot controller, an industrial robot, a motor controller, a lower device of a motor controller, a machine tool, a stamping machine, or a handling machine. PLC is also an industrial device. The industrial device 30 includes a CPU 31, a storage unit 32, and a communication unit 33. The physical structures of the CPU 31, the storage unit 32, and the communication unit 33 can be the same as those of the CPU 11, the storage unit 12, and the communication unit 13, respectively.

[0047] In addition, the industrial device 30 may also include other physical structures, for example, it may also include an integrated circuit for a specific purpose called ASIC. In addition, any physical structure may be connected to the industrial device 30, for example, a device to be controlled such as a motor, a sensor for detecting the movement of a motor, a camera for photographing the state of a workpiece to be processed, an input / output device, or other industrial devices. In addition, in the present embodiment, the controller 20 controls two industrial devices 30, but the number of industrial devices 30 controlled by the controller 20 may be any number, for example, one or more than three.

[0048] The server 40 is a server computer. The server 40 includes a CPU 41, a storage unit 42, and a communication unit 43. The physical structures of the CPU 41, the storage unit 42, and the communication unit 43 may be the same as those of the CPU 11, the storage unit 12, and the communication unit 13, respectively. For example, the server 40 collects data representing the operation results of the controller 20 and the industrial device 30, or performs operation analysis based on the collected data.

[0049] In addition, the programs and data described as the programs and data stored in the storage units 12, 22, 32, and 42, respectively, can also be provided via a network. In addition, the hardware structure of each device is not limited to the above examples, and various hardware can be applied. For example, it can also include a reading unit (for example, an optical drive or a memory card slot) for reading a computer-readable information storage medium or an input / output unit (for example, a USB terminal) for direct connection to an external device. In this case, the program or data stored in the information storage medium can be provided via the reading unit or the input / output unit.

[0050] (2. Introduction to the production system)

[0051] In this embodiment, the controller 20 stores a system program for controlling the industrial device 30. When the controller 20 and the industrial device 30 are collectively referred to as a unit, the system program is sometimes also referred to as a unit program. The system program is a program for controlling the execution order of processes using variables. The execution order refers to the order in which the processes are executed.

[0052] A variable is at least one of information that is referenced and changed when a process is executed. In the present embodiment, a process program for executing a process is stored in the storage unit 32 of the industrial device 30, and a variable is at least one of information that is referenced and changed in the process program. Reference means that a register corresponding to a variable is read. Change means that the value of a register corresponding to a variable is rewritten.

[0053] Variables become the execution conditions of the process and are prepared for each process. Variables can also be referred to as information representing the action of the industrial device 30. For example, in the process, a start variable that becomes the start condition of the process, an interrupt variable that becomes the interrupt condition (pause condition), or an end variable that becomes the end condition is prepared. In addition to these variables, there may also be arbitrary variables, for example, there may also be variables indicating that the process is busy, variables indicating the execution result of the process, variables indicating midway calculations, variables indicating the settings of the industrial device 30, or variables indicating the detection results of sensors. Variables are sometimes also referred to as input / output variables. Variables correspond to registers of the industrial device 30. The variable can be referenced by the industrial device 30 or other devices (such as the controller 20).

[0054] The so-called process refers to the work or action performed by the industrial device 30. The process may include only one work or action, or may include a combination of multiple works or actions. The industrial device 30 can perform a process corresponding to any purpose, for example, identification of a workpiece, holding of a workpiece, opening and closing of a door, placement of a workpiece, action of fixing a workpiece on a machine tool, or processing using a machine tool as a process. The industrial device 30 performs at least one process. The industrial device 30 may perform only one process, or may perform multiple processes.

[0055] The process program is a program that defines each step in the process. The process program can also be said to be a program that defines the action of the industrial device 30. The process program can be made in any language, for example, by ladder diagram language or robot language. Depending on the industrial device 30, the language of the process program may also be different. For example, the process program of the industrial device 30A may be a ladder diagram language, and the process program of the industrial device 30B may be a robot language. For example, in order to make the start variable a condition for the start of execution, the process program describes a start switch or coil in the ladder diagram, or describes a conditional branch in the source code. In addition, for example, the process program describes an instruction to change the end variable when the final processing of the process is completed. In addition, for example, the process program describes an instruction to change the interrupt variable when an exception occurs during the execution of the process.

[0056] In this embodiment, a process program is prepared for each process, and the process and the process program are in a one-to-one relationship. Therefore, when a certain industrial device 30 performs n (n is a natural number) processes, the industrial device 30 stores at least n process programs. In addition, the process and the process program may not be in a one-to-one relationship. For example, multiple processes may be executed by one process program, or multiple process programs may be prepared to execute one process.

[0057] Figure 22 is a diagram showing a state where the controller 20 controls the industrial device 30. In this embodiment, the industrial device 30A is a machine tool and the industrial device 30B is an industrial robot. For example, the process may be repeated periodically. Figure 2 , the processes executed in one cycle are shown. The controller 20 executes the system program to cause the industrial device 30B to execute the recognition process as the first process of the cycle. The recognition process is a process of recognizing a workpiece using a sensor.

[0058] As described above, in this embodiment, a variable is prepared for each process, and the start of the process is controlled by the variable. Therefore, the controller 20 changes the start variable for starting the identification process to a specified value. This value is a value for starting the process, for example, 1. An initial value (for example, 0) is set in the start variable, and the process starts when the start variable changes from the initial value to the specified value.

[0059] When the industrial device 30B detects that the start variable of the recognition process has changed to a specified value, it executes the process program of the recognition process and starts the recognition process. When the recognition process ends normally, the industrial device 30B changes the end variable of the recognition process to a specified value. This value is a value indicating the end of the process, for example, 1. An initial value (for example, 0) is set in the end variable, and when the process ends, it changes from the initial value to the specified value.

[0060] When the controller 20 detects that the end variable of the recognition process has been changed to a specified value, the controller 20 changes the start variable of the next holding process to the specified value. The holding process is a process of holding the recognized workpiece with a robot and moving it to a specified position. When the industrial device 30B detects that the start variable of the holding process has been changed to a specified value, it executes the process program of the holding process and starts the holding process. When the holding process ends normally, the industrial device 30B changes the end variable of the holding process to the specified value.

[0061] When the controller 20 detects that the end variable of the holding process has been changed to a specified value, the controller 20 changes the start variable of the next door opening process to a specified value. The door opening process is a process of opening the door of the industrial device 30A in order to put in the workpiece. When the industrial device 30A detects that the start variable of the door opening process has been changed to a specified value, it executes the process program of the door opening process and starts the door opening process. When the door opening process is normally completed, the industrial device 30A changes the end variable of the door opening process to a specified value.

[0062] When the controller 20 detects that the end variable of the door opening process has been changed to a specified value, the controller 20 changes the start variable of the next placement process to the specified value. The placement process is a process of placing a workpiece in an open door. When the industrial device 30B detects that the start variable of the placement process has been changed to a specified value, it executes the process program of the placement process and starts the placement process. When the placement process ends normally, the industrial device 30B changes the end variable of the placement process to the specified value.

[0063] When the controller 20 detects that the end variable of the placement process has been changed to a specified value, the controller 20 changes the start variable of the next clamping process to a specified value. The clamping process is a process for fixing the workpiece for processing. When the industrial device 30A detects that the start variable of the clamping process has been changed to a specified value, it executes the process program of the clamping process and starts the clamping process. When the clamping process ends normally, the industrial device 30A changes the end variable of the clamping process to a specified value.

[0064] When the controller 20 detects that the end variable of the clamping process is changed to a specified value, the controller 20 changes the start variable of the next processing process to a specified value. The processing process is a process of processing a workpiece. When the industrial device 30A detects that the start variable of the processing process is changed to a specified value, it executes the process program of the processing process and starts the processing process. When the processing process ends normally, the industrial device 30A changes the end variable of the processing process to a specified value.

[0065] Thus, all processes in one cycle are completed. When the end variable of the processing process is detected to be changed to a specified value, the controller 20 changes the start variable of the identification process to a specified value in order to start the next cycle. Thereafter, the next cycle is started in the same manner as the first cycle. In addition, the start variable and the end variable of each process are restored to the initial value at a specified timing such as when the cycle ends.

[0066] When an abnormality occurs in a process executed by each industrial device 30, the execution of the process is interrupted and the interruption variable is changed to a specified value. The process of detecting the occurrence of an abnormality is described in the process program. For example, when the door is not opened in the door opening process, the industrial device 30A changes the interruption variable of the door opening process to a specified value. In addition, for example, when the workpiece cannot be held in the holding process, the industrial device 30B changes the interruption variable of the holding process to a specified value.

[0067] When it is detected that the interrupt variable of a certain process is changed to a specified value, the controller 20 sends an abnormality occurrence notification indicating that an abnormality has occurred to the user terminal 10. In this embodiment, the case where the abnormality occurrence notification is sent by email is described, but other media can also be used for notification. For example, a push notification, a notification in an engineering tool, or a message application can be used for abnormality occurrence notification.

[0068] In addition, for example, the abnormality occurrence notification is not limited to the information output to the user terminal 10, and may be performed by other methods. For example, a light-emitting unit such as an LED lamp may be provided in the controller 20, and the abnormality occurrence notification may be performed by making the light-emitting unit emit light. In addition, for example, the abnormality occurrence notification is not limited to visual notification, and may be auditory or tactile notification. For example, the abnormality occurrence notification may be performed by an alarm sound output from a speaker or vibration of a vibrator.

[0069] After the user confirms the abnormality occurrence notification, the user terminal 10 is connected to the industrial device 30 to repair the abnormality. The user terminal 10 and the industrial device 30 can be connected by wire or wirelessly. In this embodiment, the steps of repairing the abnormality occurring in the processing process of the industrial device 30A are used as an example for description. For example, when the user starts the engineering tool installed on the user terminal 10, a repair process creation screen for repairing the abnormality is displayed.

[0070] Figure 3 : is a diagram showing an example of a repair process production screen. Figure 3 As shown, a list L of processes executable by the industrial device 30 is displayed in the repair process creation screen G. For example, the list L displays the names of all processes executable by each of the industrial device 30A and the industrial device 30B. In the list L, not only the names of processes executed in the cycle, but also the names of other processes are displayed. For example, in the list L, not only the names of processes executed to repair an abnormality, but also the names of processes not particularly used in repairing an abnormality are displayed.

[0071] The user specifies at least one process from the repair process preparation screen G to repair the abnormality occurring in the industrial device 30. The user can specify any process in the list L. For example, the user can specify processes of both the industrial device 30A and the industrial device 30B, or can specify processes of either the industrial device 30A or the industrial device 30B. Each of the industrial device 30A and the industrial device 30B executes the process selected by the user.

[0072] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the state where the user manually fixes the anomaly. Figure 4 As shown, for example, the user selects the door opening process, tool retreat process, tool withdrawal process, and clamp release process of the industrial device 30A from the repair process creation screen G. The tool retreat process and the tool withdrawal process are processes for moving the processing tools provided by the industrial device 30A. The clamp release process is a process for releasing the clamp state. The industrial device 30A executes each process in the order specified by the user.

[0073] Then, the user selects the moving process of the industrial device 30B from the repair process creation screen G. The moving process is the process of moving the robot. The industrial device 30B executes the moving process according to the user's instructions. After the user confirms that the abnormality has been repaired, he selects the repair completion button B from the repair process creation screen G. When the user selects the repair completion button B, the interrupt variable of the processing process is restored to the initial value and the cycle is restarted. Figure 2 The example of FIG. 1 shows a case where the process is restarted from the clamping process before the processing process in which the abnormality occurred.

[0074] In this embodiment, when the user manually repairs the abnormality, the process specified at this time is recorded in the server 40 as the repair process information. The details will be described later. The repair process information of this embodiment is a macro for executing the process specified by the user in the execution order. The repair process information recorded in the server 40 is called by the controller 20 when an abnormality occurs again in the industrial device 30. The controller 20 executes the process according to the steps specified by the user in the past according to the called repair process information to repair the abnormality. In addition, the repair may not be performed automatically, but after asking the user whether to repair.

[0075] Figure 5 is a diagram showing the state of repairing an abnormality according to the repair process information. Figure 5 As shown, when an abnormality occurs again in the processing process of the industrial device 30A, the controller 20 requests the server 40 for the repair process information. The server 40 sends the repair process information registered in the past to the controller 20. According to the repair steps received from the server 40, the controller 20 causes the industrial device 30A to perform the door opening process, the tool retreat process, the tool withdrawal process, and the clamp release process, and causes the industrial device 30B to perform the moving process. Afterwards, if the controller 20 detects that the interrupt variable of the processing process has returned to the initial value, the start variable of the clamp process is changed to a specified value and the cycle is restarted.

[0076] As described above, in the production system 1 of the present embodiment, the repair process information is recorded in the server 40, and when an abnormality occurs again in the industrial device 30, the controller 20 calls the repair process information, thereby reducing the trouble of repairing the abnormality occurring in the industrial device 30. The production system 1 of the present embodiment is described in detail below.

[0077] (3. Functions implemented in the production system)

[0078] Figure 61 is a functional block diagram showing functions implemented in the production system 1. In this embodiment, the functions implemented by each of the user terminal 10, the controller 20, the industrial device 30, and the server 40 will be described. In addition, since each of the industrial devices 30A and 30B implements the same function, Figure 6 It is recorded as an industrial device 30.

[0079] (3-1. Functions implemented in user terminals)

[0080] like Figure 6 As shown, in the user terminal 10 , a data storage unit 100 , a display control unit 101 , a receiving unit 102 , and a recording unit 103 are implemented.

[0081] (Data storage unit)

[0082] The data storage unit 100 is mainly realized by the storage unit 12. The data storage unit 100 stores data necessary for recording the repair process information in the server 40. For example, the data storage unit 100 stores the process database DB1.

[0083] Figure 7 : is a diagram showing an example of data storage in the process database DB1. Figure 7 As shown, the process database DB1 is a database that stores process information of each process. For example, the process database DB1 stores the name of the industrial device 30 and the process information of the process executed by the industrial device 30.

[0084] The process information is the basic information of the process. The content of the process information can be specified by the user or set by the tool that generates the process program P. For example, when the process program P of a new process is generated, the process information of the new process is registered in the process database DB1. The process information can also be edited after being registered in the process database DB1.

[0085] In this embodiment, the process information of all industrial devices 30 to be controlled by the controller 20 is stored in the process database DB1, but only the process information of a part of the industrial devices 30 may be stored in the process database DB1. In addition, the process information of all processes executable by the industrial devices 30 is stored in the process database DB1, but only the process information of a part of the processes may be stored in the process database DB1. For example, the process information stores the name of the process and the name of the variable.

[0086] The name of the process is a name specified when the process program P is created. The name of the process only needs to be able to uniquely identify the process in the industrial device 30, and may be the same as the name of the process of other industrial devices 30. For example, the name of the process may be specified by the user, or may be automatically assigned according to a predetermined rule. In addition, the name of the process may be a name that can uniquely identify the process, such as a process ID.

[0087] The name of the variable is the name set when the process program P is created. For example, the names of the start variable, interrupt variable, and end variable of the process are stored in the process information. It is also possible to specify any variable for the process. In this case, the name of the variable specified by the user can also be stored in the process information. In this embodiment, the name of the variable includes the name of the process (a string such as "A1") and a string indicating the type of the variable (a string such as "Start"), and the name of the variable is not repeated between processes.

[0088] In addition, the name of the variable can be set by any rule, not limited to the example of this embodiment. For example, the name of the variable can include the name of the industrial device 30 (a string such as "EquipA"), and can identify which industrial device 30 the variable belongs to. In addition, for example, the name of the variable may not specifically include the name of the industrial device 30 and the name of the process, but may be determined by a string that can uniquely identify the variable in the production system 1 or the industrial device 30. Similar to the name of the process, the name of the variable may also be a name that can uniquely identify the variable, such as a variable ID.

[0089] In addition, for example, the name of the variable managed by the controller 20 may be different from the name of the variable managed by the industrial device 30. That is, the name of the variable identified by the controller 20 may be different from the name of the variable identified by the industrial device 30. If the former is called a system variable and the latter is called a device variable, the data storage unit 100 stores a table or database for converting system variables and device variables to each other. In the case where the controller 20 refers to the variable of the industrial device 30, after the system variable is converted into a device variable, the register corresponding to the device variable is read. Similarly, when the controller 20 changes the variable of the industrial device 30, the system variable is converted into a device variable.

[0090] In addition, the contents included in the process information are not limited to the above examples. The process information may also include other information related to the process. For example, the process information may also include the estimated time required to execute the process. In addition, for example, the process information may also include the execution order of the process. In addition, for example, the process information may also include the starting conditions of the process and the change conditions of each variable.

[0091] In addition, the data stored in the data storage unit 100 is not limited to the above examples. For example, the data storage unit 100 may store image data of an image displayed on the repair process creation screen G, or may store engineering tools. In addition, for example, the data storage unit 100 may also store a process program P and a system program Q that have been created. In addition, for example, the data storage unit 100 may also store repair process information registered in the server 40.

[0092] (Display control unit)

[0093] The display control unit 101 is mainly implemented by the CPU 11. When the detection unit 202 detects an abnormality, the display control unit 101 displays a repair process creation screen G that includes the names of each of the multiple processes and enables the designation of the process to be performed for repair based on the process information of each of the multiple processes. In this embodiment, since the process information of each process is stored in the process database, the display control unit 101 displays the repair process creation screen G based on the process database.

[0094] The repair process creation screen G has a user interface for accepting at least one process designation. In other words, the repair process creation screen G accepts designation of at least one process to be executed during repair. Figure 3 In such a layout, for example, the display control unit 101 refers to the process database and displays a list L indicating the names of all processes on the repair process creation screen G. In addition, in the list L, the names of all processes whose process information is stored in the process database may not be displayed, and only the names of some processes may be displayed.

[0095] In addition, the repair process production screen G is not limited to Figure 3 The layout of the repair process creation screen G may be any layout. For example, the repair process creation screen G may also accept the selection of the process in a pull-down form or a scroll form. In addition, for example, the repair process creation screen G may be arranged in a time series in the form of a flowchart, or may be arranged in a table form to accept the input of the process name. In addition, for example, the repair process creation screen G may also be arranged with an input format for inputting the name of the actual process.

[0096] (Accepting Department)

[0097] The receiving unit 102 is mainly implemented by the CPU 11. When the detection unit 202 detects an abnormality, the receiving unit 102 receives designation of one or more processes to be executed for repair based on process information, the process information associating at least the name of the process with a variable for each of the plurality of processes, the variable being at least one of referenced and changed in the process program P that represents the operation of the industrial device 30 and is executed in the process.

[0098] The process performed for repair refers to a process required to repair the abnormality detected by the detection unit 202. In other words, the process performed for repair is a process specified by the user when manually repairing the abnormality. The process performed for repair may be one or more. The process performed for repair may have an upper limit or no particular upper limit. The receiving unit 102 receives the designation of the process based on the detection signal of the operation unit 14.

[0099] In the present embodiment, since the process is specified from the repair process creation screen G, the receiving unit 102 receives the specification of one or more processes in the repair process creation screen G. For example, the receiving unit 102 receives the specification of one or more processes from the processes in the list L displayed on the repair process creation screen G. The receiving unit 102 may repeatedly receive the specification of the same process. In addition, for example, the receiving unit 102 may receive the specification of only one process of the industrial device 30, or may receive the specification of each process of a plurality of industrial devices 30.

[0100] For example, when the user specifies multiple processes, the receiving unit 102 receives the designation of the execution order of the multiple processes. In this embodiment, since the user repeatedly specifies the processes in the list L, the order in which the processes are designated is equivalent to the execution order. That is, the receiving unit 102 receives the designation of the execution order by repeatedly receiving the designation of the processes in the list L. The order in which the process designations are received directly becomes the execution order.

[0101] In addition, the designation of the execution order is not limited to the example of this embodiment, and can be performed by any operation. For example, the receiving unit 102 can accept the designation of the execution order by accepting the input of a numerical value indicating the execution order. In addition, for example, if it is a repair process production screen G in the form of a flowchart, the receiving unit 102 can also accept the designation of the execution order by accepting an operation to specify the arrangement order of the processes.

[0102] In this embodiment, it is also possible to specify a repair process for other industrial devices 30 other than the industrial device 30 in which an abnormality has occurred. Figure 3 In the example of , in the repair process preparation screen G, the process of the industrial device 30B that is responsible for the process before the processing process of the industrial device 30A where the abnormality occurred can also be specified. The receiving unit 102 receives the designation of one or more processes to be executed by at least one of the industrial device 30A and the other industrial device 30B based on the process information of each of the industrial device 30A where the abnormality was detected by the detection unit 202 and the other industrial device 30B that executes the previous process of the industrial device 30A. The receiving unit 102 can accept the designation of the process of both the industrial device 30A and the industrial device 30B, or can accept the designation of the process of only one of the industrial device 30A or the industrial device 30B.

[0103] (Records Department)

[0104] The recording unit 103 is mainly implemented by the CPU 11. The recording unit 103 records the repair process information representing one or more processes accepted by the receiving unit 102. The repair process information is information for identifying the process specified by the user when repairing the abnormality. In other words, the repair process information is information representing the execution result of the process used to repair the abnormality. In the present embodiment, the case where the repair process information is data in the form of a macro is described, but the repair process information can be in any data form. For example, the repair process information can be in a text format, a document format, a CSV format, etc. In addition, for example, a program that sequentially changes the start variables of the processes specified by the user can also be automatically generated and recorded as the repair process information.

[0105] In this embodiment, the recording unit 103 records the repair process information in another device (e.g., server 40) that can communicate with the controller 20 that controls the industrial device 30, but the recording unit 103 may also record the repair process information in another computer or information storage medium. The other device that records the repair process information is not limited to the server 40. For example, the recording unit 103 may record the repair process information in the user terminal 10, the controller 20, or the industrial device 30, or may record the repair process information in another computer such as a database server or a simulation server that is not shown.

[0106] For example, when the user specifies multiple processes, the recording unit 103 records the repair process information based on the execution order accepted by the receiving unit 102. In this case, the execution order specified by the user and the name of each process are stored in the repair process information in association. That is, the recording unit 103 records the repair process information in such a way that each process specified by the user can be executed in the execution order specified by the user.

[0107] In this embodiment, since the execution of the process is controlled by variables, the recording unit 103 generates the repair process information in such a way that the start variable of each process becomes a predetermined value in the execution order specified by the user. Figure 8 In the example of data storage, the recording unit 103 creates the repair process information in such a way that the start variable of the door opening process becomes a specified value. In addition, when the end variable of the door opening process becomes a specified value, the recording unit 103 creates the repair process information in such a way that the start variable of the next tool retreat process becomes a specified value. Similarly, in the future, when the end variable of a certain process becomes a specified value, the recording unit 103 creates the repair process information in such a way that the start variable of the next process is changed to the specified value. In this embodiment, the repair process information is generated in which the instructions for changing the values ​​of these variables are recorded as macros.

[0108] In addition, for example, the recording unit 103 records the repair process information indicating one or more processes executed by at least one of the industrial device 30A and the other industrial device 30B. That is, when the user specifies each process of a plurality of industrial devices 30, the recording unit 103 generates the repair process information in such a way that each industrial device 30 executes the process specified by the user. Figure 8 In the data storage example, the recording unit 103 generates the repair process information so that the industrial device 30B performs the moving process after the industrial device 30A performs the four processes such as the door opening process. As described above, in the repair process information, the instructions for changing the start variables of each process are described as macros.

[0109] In addition, in this embodiment, if the repair process information is recorded by the recording unit 103, the user terminal 10 changes the system program Q so that the repair process information is called when an abnormality occurs. For example, when an abnormality occurs, the user terminal 10 adds a track switch or a coil for requesting the repair process information from the server 40 to the ladder diagram of the system program Q, or adds an instruction indicating the request to the source code of the system program Q. By changing the system program Q, the repair process information is called when an abnormality occurs again.

[0110] (3-2. Functions implemented by the controller)

[0111] like Figure 6 As shown, in the controller 20 , a data storage unit 200 , a system program execution unit 201 , a detection unit 202 , and a repair unit 203 are implemented.

[0112] (Data storage unit)

[0113] The data storage unit 200 is mainly implemented by the storage unit 22. The data storage unit 200 stores data required for controlling the execution order of the process. For example, the data storage unit 200 stores the system program Q. As described above, the system program Q describes instructions in a manner that makes the start variables of each process become specified values ​​according to a predetermined execution order. The system program Q stored in the data storage unit 200 is created by the user terminal 10. In addition, for example, the data storage unit 200 can store information such as the names and IP addresses of the industrial devices 30A and 30B that are the control objects of the controller 20. In addition, for example, the data storage unit 200 can also store the process database DB1. In addition, for example, the data storage unit 200 can also store the values ​​of the variables of each industrial device 30. In this case, the variables in the data storage unit 200 and the variables in the data storage unit 300 are periodically matched.

[0114] (System program execution unit)

[0115] The system program execution unit 201 is mainly implemented by the CPU 21. The system program execution unit 201 controls the execution order of the processes based on the system program Q. For example, the system program execution unit 201 sends a start instruction of each process to each industrial device 30 so that the industrial device 30 operates in the execution order specified by the user. For example, when executing the system program Q, the system program execution unit 201 changes the start variable of the first process to a specified value. The system program execution unit 201 regularly refers to the end variable of each industrial device 30, and when the changed variable of a certain process becomes a specified value, the start variable of the next process becomes the specified value. The system program execution unit 201 restores the start variable of the next process to the initial value at any timing after the start of the next process. Thereafter, the execution order of the processes is controlled by the same processing.

[0116] (Detection Department)

[0117] The detection unit 202 is mainly implemented by the CPU 21. The detection unit 202 detects an abnormality that occurs in the industrial device 30. In the present embodiment, when an abnormality occurs in each process, the process program P changes the interruption variable of the process to a specified value. The detection unit 202 refers to the value of the interruption variable of each process and determines whether it has reached the specified value. The detection unit 202 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the process in which the interruption variable has reached the specified value.

[0118] In addition, the abnormality detection method is not limited to the method using variables. The abnormality detection method itself can apply a known method. For example, the detection unit 202 can determine that an abnormality has occurred when a certain process has not been completed within a certain period of time, or can determine that an abnormality has occurred when a detection signal of a sensor connected to the controller 20 or the industrial device 30 indicates an abnormal value.

[0119] In addition, for example, when an abnormality occurs, the industrial device 30 may send a predetermined abnormality occurrence notification to the controller 20. The abnormality occurrence notification may include arbitrary information, for example, the name of the industrial device 30 where the abnormality occurs, the name of the process where the abnormality occurs, the type of abnormality that occurs, and the date and time when the abnormality occurs. The detection unit 202 determines whether the abnormality occurrence notification is received from the industrial device 30. When the detection unit 202 receives the abnormality occurrence notification, it determines that an abnormality has occurred.

[0120] (Restoration Department)

[0121] The repair unit 203 is mainly implemented by the CPU 21. When the detection unit 202 detects an abnormality again, the repair unit 203 obtains one or more processes represented by the repair process information recorded by the recording unit 103, and executes the obtained one or more processes to repair the abnormality. In this embodiment, the process specified by the user when the abnormality occurred in the past is represented in the repair process information, so the repair unit 203 executes the process according to the steps described in the repair process information to repair the abnormality. The process during repair is the same as the normal process, and the execution is controlled by the process program P and the variables, so the repair unit 203 executes the process based on the variables of the process shown in the repair process information.

[0122] For example, when multiple processes are executed in a specified order, the repair unit 203 sends an instruction to the industrial device 30 to change the start variable of the first process to a specified value. The industrial device 30 executes the first process when the change in the variable is detected. When the first process ends normally, the industrial device 30 changes the end variable of the process to a specified value. When it is detected that the end variable of the first process becomes the specified value, the repair unit 203 sends an instruction to the industrial device 30 to change the start variable of the second process to the specified value. In the same way, the processes are executed sequentially until the end indicated by the repair process information.

[0123] (3-3. Functions implemented in industrial devices)

[0124] like Figure 6 As shown, in the industrial device 30 , a data storage unit 300 and a process program execution unit 301 are realized.

[0125] (Data storage unit)

[0126] The data storage unit 300 is mainly implemented by the storage unit 32. The data storage unit 300 stores data required for the industrial device 30 that can execute each of the multiple processes to execute each process. For example, the data storage unit 300 stores the process program P. In the present embodiment, since the process information is prepared for each process program P, the data storage unit 300 may store the process program P and the process information in association with each other. In addition, the data storage unit 300 stores the variable values ​​of each process. As described above, the variables of the data storage unit 300 and the variables of the data storage unit 200 are matched. In addition, the data storage unit 300 may also store parameters for controlling the motor, teaching data of the robot, and the like.

[0127] (Process execution department)

[0128] The process program execution unit 301 is mainly implemented by the CPU 31. The process program execution unit 301 executes each process based on the process program P and variables stored in the data storage unit 300. For example, according to the instruction received from the controller 20, the start variable of each process becomes a specified value, and the process program execution unit 301 starts the process when detecting this situation. In addition, for example, when the last processing described in the process program P of the process is completed, the process program execution unit 301 changes the end variable of the process to a specified value. When the system program Q detects that the end variable of the process has become a specified value, the start variable of the next process is changed to a specified value, and the process program execution unit 301 starts executing the process program P of the next process. Thereafter, each process is executed in sequence through the same processing.

[0129] (3-4. Functions implemented by the server)

[0130] like Figure 6 As shown, in the server 40, a data storage unit 400 is implemented. The data storage unit 400 is mainly implemented by the storage unit 32. The data storage unit 400 stores the repair process information. For example, the data storage unit 400 stores the repair process database DB2, and the repair process database DB2 stores at least one repair process information. If the server 40 receives the repair process information from the user terminal 10, it is stored in the repair process database DB2.

[0131] Figure 8 2 is a diagram showing an example of data storage in the repair process database DB2. Figure 8 As shown, in the repair process database DB2, the repair process information is stored by the name of the repair process information. For example, the repair process information stores the execution order of the process, the name of the industrial device 30 that executes the process, and the name of the process. Figure 8 In the embodiment, the contents of the repair process information are shown in a table, but in the present embodiment, since the repair process information is macroed, these relationships are recorded as macro instructions. That is, in the repair process information, there are recorded instructions for changing the start variable to a specified value in the order of the door opening process, the tool retreat process, the tool withdrawal process, the clamp release process, and the moving process.

[0132] (4. Operations performed in the production system)

[0133] Fig. 9 as well as Fig.10 It is a flowchart showing the processing executed in the production system 1. Fig. 9 as well as Fig.10 The processing shown is executed by the CPUs 11 , 21 , 31 , and 41 operating according to the programs stored in the storage units 12 , 22 , 32 , and 42 , respectively. Fig. 9 as well as Fig.10The processing shown is done by Figure 6 An example of the processing executed by the functional blocks shown.

[0134] like Fig. 9 As shown, the controller 20 executes the system program Q, and the industrial device 30 executes the process program P, thereby executing each process (S1). In S1, the controller 20 executes the system program Q and changes the start variable of a certain process to a specified value. When the process is completed normally, the industrial device 30 executing the process changes the end variable to a specified value. If the controller 20 detects this situation, it changes the start variable of the next process to a specified value. In the same way, each process within a cycle is executed thereafter. When an abnormality occurs in any process, the industrial device 30 executing the process interrupts the process and changes the interrupt variable of the process to a specified value.

[0135] The controller 20 determines whether an abnormality has occurred in a certain process (S2). In S2, the controller 20 refers to the interruption variables of each process and determines whether there is an interruption variable that has reached a specified value. As long as there is a process in which the interruption variable reaches the specified value, the controller 20 determines that an abnormality has occurred.

[0136] When it is determined that an abnormality has occurred (S2: Yes), the controller 20 determines whether the repair process information has been registered (S3) based on the system program Q. When the repair process information has been registered, through the processing of S12 described later, an instruction to obtain the registered repair process information is recorded in the system program Q. In S3, the controller 20 determines whether the instruction is recorded in the system program Q.

[0137] If it is determined that the repair process information has not been registered (S3: No), the controller 20 sends an abnormality occurrence notification to the user terminal 10 (S4). In S4, the controller 20 sends the abnormality occurrence notification in a predetermined format by using an e-mail or the like. The abnormality occurrence notification includes information such as the name of the process where the abnormality occurred, the name of the industrial device 30 executing the process, and the date and time when the abnormality occurred.

[0138] When receiving the abnormality occurrence notification, the user terminal 10 starts the engineering tool (S5) and displays the repair process creation screen G based on the process database (S6). In S6, the user terminal 10 refers to the process database, identifies the process for which the process program is stored in the industrial device 30, and displays a list L indicating the names of all processes on the repair process creation screen G. In addition, when executing the subsequent processing, it is assumed that the user terminal 10 and the industrial device 30A and the industrial device 30B are connected to each other so as to be communicable.

[0139] The user terminal 10 receives the user's designation of a process based on the detection signal of the operation unit 14 (S7), and the industrial device 30 executes the process (S8). In S7, the user specifies any process in the list L. When the user specifies multiple processes, the user also specifies the execution order. The processes specified by the user are recorded in the user terminal 10 in a time series. When the user specifies a process, the user terminal 10 changes the starting variable of the process to a specified value. When it is detected that the starting variable is changed to a specified value, the industrial device 30 executes the process specified by the user in S8.

[0140] The user terminal 10 determines whether the repair completion button B is selected (S9) based on the detection signal of the operation unit 14. If it is determined that the repair completion button B is not selected (S9: No), the process returns to S7. In this case, the process designation by the user is repeated until the abnormality is repaired.

[0141] On the other hand, when it is determined that the repair completion button B is selected (S9: Yes), the user terminal 10 transmits a request to record the repair process information to the server 40 (S10). The recording request is performed by transmitting data in a predetermined format. It is assumed that the recording request includes the repair process information. The user terminal 10 generates the repair process information in a manner that the user-specified process is executed in the execution order specified by the user, and transmits the repair process information by including it in the recording request.

[0142] When the server 40 receives the recording request, it stores the repair process information included in the recording request in the repair process database DB2 (S11). Fig.10 , the user terminal 10 updates the system program Q so that the repair process information is called in the process where the abnormality occurs (S12), and the controller 20 restarts the process (S13). In S12, the user terminal 10 updates the system program Q so that the server 40 is requested to repair the process information when the abnormality occurs. In S13, the user terminal 10 sends a specified instruction to the controller 20, and the controller 20 restores the interruption variable of the process where the abnormality occurs to the initial value and restarts the process. In addition, the user terminal 10 may also perform the process of restoring the interruption variable to the initial value.

[0143] On the other hand, in S3, when it is determined that the repair process information has been registered (S3: Yes), the controller 20 sends a request to obtain the registered repair process information to the server 40 (S14). The acquisition request is performed by sending data in a predetermined format. For example, the acquisition request includes the name of the repair process information to be acquired. The name of the repair process information to be acquired is recorded in the system program Q when it is updated in S12.

[0144] If the server 40 receives the acquisition request, it sends the repair process information to the controller 20 based on the repair process database DB2 (S15). If the controller 20 receives the repair process information, it executes each process in the execution order indicated by the repair process information, repairs the abnormality that occurred (S16), and then restarts the process (S17). In S16, the process of S8 is executed in time series. The process of S17 is the same as the process of S13.

[0145] On the other hand, in S2, when it is determined that no abnormality has occurred in the industrial device 30 (S2: No), the controller 20 determines whether a predetermined end condition is satisfied (S18). The end condition is a condition for terminating the loop, and an arbitrary condition such as a user performing a predetermined operation or accessing at a predetermined date and time can be set. When it is determined that the end condition is not satisfied (S18: No), the process returns to S1 and the execution of each process is continued. On the other hand, when it is determined that the end condition is satisfied (S18: Yes), the present process is terminated.

[0146] According to the production system 1 of the present embodiment, when an abnormality occurring in the industrial device 30 is detected, the specification of one or more processes executed for repair is accepted based on the process information, and recorded as repair process information, thereby eliminating the need to create a repair program using a ladder diagram or the like, and reducing the trouble of repairing the abnormality occurring in the industrial device 30. The process program P stored in the industrial device 30 controls execution by the value of a variable, so as long as the user specifies a process, repair process information for changing the variable of the process can be generated, so there is no need to create a repair program. For example, in the industrial device 30, various abnormalities may sometimes occur, and it is very troublesome to create a repair program for each abnormality, but by specifying the process executed to repair the abnormality and recording the execution results, such trouble can be avoided. For example, by combining processes in any order, various abnormalities can be dealt with.

[0147] Furthermore, when an abnormality is detected again, the abnormality occurring in the industrial device 30 can be easily repaired by acquiring one or more steps indicated by the repair step information and executing the acquired one or more steps to repair the abnormality.

[0148] Furthermore, when an abnormality is detected, based on process information of each of the multiple processes executable by the industrial device 30, a repair process creation screen G including the names of the multiple processes and capable of specifying the process to be executed for repair is displayed, thereby making repair work more efficient.

[0149] In addition, even in a case where an abnormality cannot be repaired if the processes are not performed sequentially, the reliability of the repair can be improved by recording the repair process information according to the execution order of the processes.

[0150] Furthermore, by recording the execution results of the repair process in the server instead of the controller 20 that controls the industrial device 30 , the execution results of the repair process can be centrally managed by the server.

[0151] Furthermore, even if it is necessary to cause another industrial device 30 that is responsible for a preceding process of the abnormal industrial device 30 to execute a repair process, the process executed by the other industrial device 30 can be recorded in the repair process information, thereby improving the reliability of the repair.

[0152] (5. Modifications)

[0153] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified appropriately without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0154] Fig.11 is a functional block diagram in a modified example. Fig.11 As shown, in the modified example described later, in addition to the functions described in the embodiment, the type acquisition unit 104, the identification unit 105, and the state acquisition unit 106 are realized. For example, these functions are mainly realized by the CPU 11.

[0155] (1) For example, even in the same process, depending on the type of abnormality that occurred, sometimes different processes are required for repair. Therefore, the type of abnormality that occurred and the repair process information may be associated and recorded in the server 40, and the repair process information corresponding to the type of abnormality that occurred in the industrial device 30 may be called.

[0156] In the user terminal 10 of this variant, a type acquisition unit 104 is implemented. The type acquisition unit 104 acquires the type of anomaly detected by the detection unit 202. The type of anomaly is represented by identification information such as an error code. In this variant, the type of anomaly is determined based on the value of an interrupt variable. For example, in the event of an abnormality, the process program P changes the interrupt variable in a manner that becomes a value corresponding to the type of the abnormality. The type acquisition unit 104 acquires the type of anomaly with reference to the value of the interrupt variable of the process in which the abnormality occurred. In addition, the method for acquiring the type of anomaly is not limited to the above-mentioned example, and any method can be used. For example, in the case where the industrial device 30 in which an abnormality occurs sends an abnormality occurrence notification to the controller 20, the identification information of the abnormality type can also be included in the abnormality occurrence notification.

[0157] Fig.12 1 is a diagram showing an example of data storage in the repair process database DB2 of the modification example (1). Fig.12As shown, the recording unit 103 records the repair process information in association with the abnormality type acquired by the type acquisition unit 104. In the repair process database DB2, the repair process information is stored according to the type of abnormality of each process. For example, the recording unit 103 sends the identification information of the abnormality type and the repair process information to the server 40. When the server 40 receives this information, it stores it in the repair process database DB2 in association with each other.

[0158] When the detection unit 202 detects an abnormality again, the repair unit 203 obtains one or more processes indicated by the repair process information associated with the type of the abnormality, and executes the obtained one or more processes to repair the abnormality. The repair unit 203 obtains the repair process information associated with the type of abnormality that occurred from the repair process information stored in the repair process database DB2. The repair unit 203 repairs the abnormality based on the obtained repair process information. The step of repairing the abnormality based on the repair process itself is as described in the embodiment.

[0159] According to variation (1), when an abnormality is detected again, one or more steps indicated by repair step information associated with the type of the abnormality are acquired, and the abnormality is repaired by executing the acquired one or more steps, thereby improving the reliability of the repair.

[0160] (2) In addition, for example, depending on the process where the abnormality occurs, the process required for repair may be different. Therefore, the process where the abnormality occurs and the repair process information may be associated and recorded in the server 40, and the repair process information corresponding to the process where the abnormality occurs may be called.

[0161] In the user terminal 10 of this variant, a determination unit 105 is implemented. The determination unit 105 is used to determine the process in which the abnormality is detected by the detection unit 202. For example, the determination unit 105 obtains the name of the process in which the interrupt variable becomes a specified value as the name of the process in which the abnormality occurs. In addition, the method for determining the process in which the abnormality occurs is not limited to the above example, and any method can be used. For example, in the case where the industrial device 30 in which the abnormality occurs sends an abnormality occurrence notification to the controller 20, the name of the process in which the abnormality occurs can also be included in the abnormality occurrence notification.

[0162] Fig.13 : is a diagram showing an example of data storage of the repair process database DB2 of the modification example (2). Fig.13 As shown, the recording unit 103 records the repair process information in association with the process determined by the determination unit 105. In the repair process database DB2, the repair process information is stored for each process. For example, the recording unit 103 sends the name of the process in which the abnormality occurred and the repair process information to the server 40. When the server 40 receives this information, it stores it in the repair process database DB2 in association with each other.

[0163] When the detection unit 202 detects an abnormality again, the repair unit 203 acquires one or more processes indicated by the repair process information associated with the process where the abnormality occurred, and executes the acquired one or more processes to repair the abnormality. The repair unit 203 acquires the repair process information associated with the process where the abnormality occurred from the repair process information stored in the repair processing database DB2. The repair unit 203 repairs the abnormality based on the acquired repair process information. The step of repairing the abnormality based on the repair process itself is as described in the embodiment.

[0164] According to variant example (2), when an abnormality occurs again, one or more processes represented by repair process information associated with the process where the abnormality occurred are obtained, and the abnormality is repaired by executing the obtained one or more processes, thereby improving the reliability of the repair.

[0165] (3) In addition, for example, depending on the state of the industrial device 30 when the abnormality occurs, the repair process may be different. Therefore, the state of the industrial device 30 when the abnormality occurs may be associated and recorded in the server 40, and the repair process information corresponding to the state when the abnormality occurs may be called.

[0166] In the user terminal 10 of this modification, a state acquisition unit 106 is implemented. The user terminal 10 also has a state acquisition unit 106, which acquires the state of the industrial device 30 when the detection unit 202 detects an abnormality. The state refers to the operating state of the industrial device 30 when the abnormality occurs, such as the torque value, the rotation speed of the motor, the temperature, the state of the workpiece, the CPU usage rate or the communication volume. The state of the industrial device 30 can be detected by the controller 20 or a sensor connected to the industrial device 30, or can also be obtained by the calculation result in the controller 20 or the industrial device 30.

[0167] For example, when the industrial device 30 stores a variable indicating its own state, the state acquisition unit 106 refers to the variable value to acquire the state of the industrial device 30. In addition, the method of acquiring the state of the industrial device 30 is not limited to the above example, and any method can be used. For example, when the industrial device 30 that has an abnormality sends an abnormality occurrence notification to the controller 20, the abnormality occurrence notification may also include information indicating the state of the industrial device 30.

[0168] Fig.14 : is a diagram showing an example of data storage of the repair process database DB2 of the modification example (3). Fig.14As shown, the recording unit 103 records the repair process information in association with the state of the industrial device 30 acquired by the state acquisition unit 106. In the repair process database DB2, the repair process information is stored according to the state of each industrial device 30. For example, the recording unit 103 sends the state of the industrial device 30 and the repair process information to the server 40. When the server 40 receives this information, it stores it in the repair process database DB2 in association with each other.

[0169] When the detection unit 202 detects the abnormality again, the repair unit 203 obtains one or more processes represented by the repair process information associated with the state of the industrial device when the abnormality occurred, and executes the acquired one or more processes to repair the abnormality. The repair unit 203 obtains the repair process information associated with the state of the industrial device 30 from the repair process information stored in the repair process database DB2. In addition, when there is no exactly the same state in the repair process database DB2, the repair unit 203 obtains the repair process information associated with the state similar to the state when the abnormality occurred. Here, "similar" means that the difference in the value representing the state is less than a threshold. The repair unit 203 repairs the abnormality based on the acquired repair process information. The step of repairing the abnormality based on the repair process itself is as described in the embodiment.

[0170] According to variant example (3), when an abnormality occurs again, one or more processes represented by repair process information associated with the state of the industrial device 30 when the abnormality occurred are obtained, and the abnormality is repaired by executing the obtained one or more processes, thereby improving the reliability of the repair.

[0171] (4) In addition, for example, the receiving unit 102 may also receive the designation of a process to be restarted after the abnormality detected by the detection unit 202 is repaired. The restarted process may be any process included in the normal cycle, and is not limited to the process in which the abnormality occurred. For example, in the case of restarting from the beginning, the first executed process may be designated as the restarted process, or the process before the process in which the abnormality occurred may be designated as the restarted process.

[0172] Fig.15 : is a diagram showing an example of data storage of the repair process database DB2 of the modification example (4). Fig.15 As shown, the recording unit 103 records the restarted process received by the receiving unit 102 in association with the repair process information. For example, the recording unit 103 sends the restarted process and the repair process information specified by the user to the server 40. When the server 40 receives this information, it stores them in the repair process database DB2 in association with each other. The repair unit 203 restarts from the process stored in the repair process database DB2.

[0173] According to the modification (4), by recording the process to be restarted after abnormality repair in the repair process information, the process can be quickly restarted.

[0174] (5) In addition, for example, the above-mentioned modified examples may be combined.

[0175] In addition, for example, the user may specify settings such as execution conditions of the process to be executed when repairing an abnormality. In this case, it is assumed that the settings specified by the user are stored in the repair process information. In addition, for example, the production system 1 may execute the processing until the repair process information is called, and the repair is performed by an external computer. In addition, for example, the repair process creation screen G may not be displayed, and the process designation may be accepted. For example, in the case where the user remembers the name of the process or records it in a list at hand, the repair process creation screen G may not be displayed, and the input of the process name may be directly accepted.

[0176] In addition, for example, a case where the production system 1 includes a user terminal 10, a controller 20, an industrial device 30, and a server 40 is described, but the computer included in the production system 1 is not limited to the example described in the embodiment. For example, the production system 1 may not include the controller 20 and the server 40. In addition, for example, a system other than the industrial device 30 may also be referred to as a repair system. The repair system can also be implemented by any computer, for example, the repair system may also be composed of only the user terminal 10 and the server 40. In addition, for example, a case where the main function is implemented by the user terminal 10 is described, but the function implemented by the user terminal 10 may also be implemented by other computers such as the controller 20 or the server 40. In addition, for example, the function described as the function implemented by the user terminal 10 may also be shared by multiple computers.

[0177] In addition, for example, the above-described embodiments are shown as specific examples, and the invention disclosed in this specification is not limited to the structures of these specific examples or the data storage examples themselves. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications to these disclosed embodiments, for example, changing the shape and number of physical structures, data structures, and the execution order of processing. It should be understood that the technical scope of the invention disclosed in this specification also includes such modifications.

Claims

1. A production system comprising: An industrial device capable of executing each of a plurality of repair processes and each of a plurality of processes, detecting changes in a plurality of starting variables corresponding to the plurality of repair processes, and starting the corresponding repair process when the changes in the corresponding starting variables are detected; a detection unit configured to detect an abnormality occurring in the industrial device when the industrial device executes any one of the plurality of processes; a receiving unit that receives, when the detection unit detects the abnormality, designation of one or more repair processes to be executed for repair from a controller based on repair process information, the repair process information associating, for each of the plurality of repair processes, at least a name of the repair process with a variable, the variable representing an action of the industrial device and being changed in a repair process program executed by each of the plurality of repair processes; and a recording unit that records repair process information indicating one or more start variables of the one or more repair processes received by the receiving unit, The controller is an external device different from the industrial device, The controller communicates with a plurality of industrial devices including the industrial device via network communication.

2. The production system according to claim 1, wherein: The production system also includes a repair unit. When the detection unit detects the abnormality again, the repair unit obtains one or more repair processes represented by the repair process information recorded by the recording unit, and executes the obtained one or more repair processes to repair the abnormality.

3. The production system according to claim 2, wherein: The production system further includes a type acquisition unit, the type acquisition unit acquiring the type of the abnormality detected by the detection unit, The recording unit records the repair process information in association with the type of the abnormality acquired by the type acquisition unit. When the detection unit detects the abnormality again, the repair unit acquires the one or more repair processes indicated by the repair process information associated with the type of the abnormality, and executes the acquired one or more repair processes to repair the abnormality.

4. The production system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The production system further includes a determination unit that determines a process in which the abnormality detected by the detection unit occurs. The recording unit records the repair process information in association with the process determined by the determination unit, When the detection unit detects the abnormality again, the repair unit acquires the one or more repair processes represented by the repair process information associated with the process where the abnormality occurred, and executes the acquired one or more repair processes to repair the abnormality.

5. The production system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The production system further includes a state acquisition unit configured to acquire a state of the industrial device when the detection unit detects the abnormality. The recording unit records the repair process information in association with the state of the industrial device acquired by the state acquisition unit, When the detection unit detects the abnormality again, the repair unit acquires the one or more repair processes represented by the repair process information associated with the state of the industrial device when the abnormality occurred, and executes the acquired one or more repair processes to repair the abnormality.

6. The production system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The production system further includes a display control unit, which displays a repair process production screen based on the repair process information of each of the plurality of processes when the detection unit detects the abnormality, wherein the repair process production screen includes the names of each of the plurality of processes and can specify the process to be performed for repair. The receiving unit receives designation of the one or more repairing steps on the repairing step creation screen.

7. The production system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The receiving unit receives designation of the one or more repair processes to be performed by at least one of the industrial device and the other industrial device based on the respective repair process information of the industrial device in which the abnormality is detected by the detection unit and the other industrial device that performs a previous process of the industrial device, The recording unit records the repair process information indicating one or more repair processes to be performed by at least one of the industrial device and the other industrial device.

8. The production system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The receiving unit receives a designation of the execution order of the plurality of repairing steps, The recording unit records the repair process information based on the execution order accepted by the acceptance unit.

9. The production system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The recording unit records the repair process information in another device, and the other device can communicate with a control device that controls the industrial device.

10. The production system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The receiving unit receives a designation of a process to be restarted after the abnormality detected by the detecting unit is repaired, The recording unit records the restarted process accepted by the accepting unit in association with the repair process information.

11. A repair system comprising: a detection unit, which detects an abnormality occurring in the industrial device when the industrial device executes any one of a plurality of processes, the industrial device being capable of executing each of a plurality of repair processes and each of a plurality of the processes, detects changes in a plurality of start variables corresponding to the plurality of repair processes, and starts the corresponding repair process when the changes in the corresponding variables are detected; a receiving unit that receives, when the detection unit detects the abnormality, designation of one or more repair processes to be executed for repair from a controller based on repair process information, wherein the repair process information associates, for each of the plurality of repair processes, at least a name of the repair process with a variable that represents an action of the industrial device and is changed in a repair process program executed by each of the plurality of repair processes; and a recording unit that records repair process information indicating one or more start variables of the one or more repair processes received by the receiving unit, The controller is an external device different from the industrial device, The controller communicates with a plurality of industrial devices including the industrial device via network communication.

12. A production method, performed by an industrial device, the industrial device being capable of performing each of a plurality of repair processes and each of a plurality of processes, detecting changes in a plurality of starting variables corresponding to the plurality of repair processes, and starting the corresponding repair process when the changes in the corresponding variables are detected, the production method comprising the following steps: When the industrial device executes any one of the plurality of processes, detecting an abnormality occurring in the industrial device, When the abnormality is detected, receiving from the controller a designation of one or more repair processes to be performed for repair based on repair process information, wherein the repair process information associates, for each of the plurality of repair processes, at least a name of the repair process with a variable, the variable representing an action of the industrial device and being changed in a repair process program performed by each of the plurality of repair processes; recording repair process information indicating one or more of the start variables of the one or more repair processes, The controller is an external device different from the industrial device, The controller communicates with a plurality of industrial devices including the industrial device via network communication.

13. An information storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to perform the functions of the following components: a detection unit, which detects an abnormality occurring in the industrial device when the industrial device executes any one of a plurality of processes, the industrial device being capable of executing each of a plurality of repair processes and each of a plurality of the processes, detects changes in a plurality of start variables corresponding to the plurality of repair processes, and starts the corresponding repair process when the changes in the corresponding variables are detected; a receiving unit that receives, when the detection unit detects the abnormality, designation of one or more repair processes to be executed for repair from a controller based on repair process information, wherein the repair process information associates, for each of the plurality of repair processes, at least a name of the repair process with a variable that represents an action of the industrial device and is changed in a repair process program executed by each of the plurality of repair processes; and a recording unit that records repair process information indicating one or more start variables of the one or more repair processes received by the receiving unit, The controller is an external device different from the industrial device, The controller communicates with a plurality of industrial devices including the industrial device via network communication.

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