License management method and license management system

Abstract

To more easily determine excess or deficiency of a license of software used in association with a production line when a facility configuration of the production line is changed.SOLUTION: A license management method manages licenses of a plurality of devices in a production line having the plurality of devices used for production of a mounting board. The license management method includes acquiring apparatus information of a plurality of apparatuses included in a production line, acquiring license information of each of the plurality of apparatuses, and extracting a list of license information of the plurality of apparatuses included in the production line based on the apparatus information and the license information of each apparatus.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a license management method and a license management system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for releasing unused licenses in order to exchange software licenses among a plurality of client terminals. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-4623 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure has been devised in consideration of the above-described conventional situation, and aims to easily determine whether there are excess or shortage of licenses for software used in connection with a production line when the equipment configuration of the production line is changed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present disclosure provides a license management method for managing licenses for a plurality of devices in a production line having a plurality of devices used to produce mounting boards, the license management method comprising: acquiring device information for the plurality of devices equipped in the production line; acquiring license information held by each of the plurality of devices; and extracting a list of license information for all of the plurality of devices equipped in the production line based on the device information and the license information for each device.

[0006] The present disclosure also provides a license management system that manages licenses for a plurality of devices in a production line having a plurality of devices used to produce mounting boards, the license management system comprising: a first acquisition unit that acquires device information for the plurality of devices equipped in the production line; a second acquisition unit that acquires license information held by each of the plurality of devices; and an extraction unit that extracts a list of license information for all of the plurality of devices equipped in the production line based on the device information and the license information for each of the devices.

[0007] These comprehensive or specific aspects may be realized as a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a recording medium, or may be realized as any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, when the equipment configuration of a production line is changed, it is easier to determine whether there is an excess or deficiency of licenses for software used in association with the production line. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of a production management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a production management device and a line management device. [Figure 3] A diagram showing an example of how to reset a software license when there is a change in the facility layout. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of software license resetting according to the present embodiment when there is a change in the facility layout. [Figure 5] Figure showing an example of a software license list screen [Figure 6] Figure 10 shows an example of a software license issuance notification screen [Figure 7]1 is a flowchart showing an example of the overall operation procedure of the production management device according to the present embodiment in chronological order. [Figure 8] 7 is a flowchart showing a detailed example of the operation procedure of step St7 in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] 1. Background to this disclosure When producing mounted boards on a production line used for producing mounted boards, multiple pieces of software are used on the production equipment. Users select or change the software to be used depending on the mounted boards to be produced, or change the software usage depending on whether or not the production equipment on the production line is increased or decreased (i.e., changing the equipment configuration of the production line). Therefore, it is necessary to manage multiple software licenses for multiple pieces of production equipment. In the following explanation, "equipment" refers to each individual piece of equipment that makes up the production line (for example, a printing machine such as a screen printing machine, or a component mounting device), and is not limited to a printing machine or a component mounting device.

[0011] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for releasing unused licenses in order to exchange software licenses among multiple client terminals. However, it is necessary to set software licenses according to the configuration of the production equipment installed on the production line.

[0012] Here, a conventional method for resetting a software license when there is a change in the equipment layout of a production line will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional method for resetting a software license when there is a change in the equipment layout.

[0013] For example, suppose a production line is equipped with a printer and a component mounting device (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "mounting machine"). The software licenses used by these printers and mounting machines (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as "software licenses") are valid for each individual piece of equipment (i.e., printer or mounting machine), and the licenses cannot be transferred to other pieces of equipment. When the equipment configuration of the production line changes (in other words, the layout changes), the software licenses must be reconfigured in accordance with the change, linked to the production line. However, if the manufacturer is requested to reconfigure the software licenses, it takes time to complete the reconfiguration (see Figure 3).

[0014] Suppose there is a change in the equipment configuration of a production line located at a customer's facility (customer site), as shown in Figure 3. In this case, the customer site must wait until an engineer arrives from the manufacturer that legitimately holds the software licenses for the printers, mounting machines, etc. that make up the production line after the change. The engineer brings a personal computer (PC) that holds data F1, ... of software licenses L1, ... encrypted with an encryption key.

[0015] After arriving at the customer's site, the engineer references the software license data F1, F2, F3, ... stored on their PC, and performs the operations required to set up or install different software licenses for each piece of equipment on the modified production line. This requires the engineer's intervention, which is not only time-consuming, but also poses the issue of forcing the customer to halt production of printed circuit boards until the engineer's intervention is complete. In other words, since it is likely to take a certain amount of time for the engineer to arrive, production efficiency will decrease.

[0016] Therefore, in the following embodiments, an example of a license management method and a license management system will be described that makes it easier to determine whether there are excess or insufficient licenses for software used in connection with a production line when the equipment configuration of the production line is changed.

[0017] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings as appropriate, detailed descriptions of embodiments specifically disclosing a license management method and a license management system according to the present disclosure will be provided. However, unnecessary detailed descriptions may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of well-known matters and redundant descriptions of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary redundancy in the following description and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. Note that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the subject matter of the claims.

[0018] 2.Configuration of production management system First, a configuration example of a production management system 1 as an example of a license management system according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration example of the production management system 1 according to the present embodiment.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the production management system 1 is a production management system for producing products. For example, the products may be mounted circuit boards on which electronic components and the like are mounted, semiconductors, or food products. The following description will be given using mounted circuit boards as an example of the products. The production management system 1 includes production lines LL1, LL2, ..., line management devices 20, ..., and a production management device 10. The line management device 20 is provided corresponding to one production line. Note that while FIG. 1 shows an example in which multiple production lines are arranged, only one production line may also be arranged, in which case only one line management device 20 is provided corresponding to only one production line.

[0020] The production management device 10 generates production data for producing mounted boards for each production line LL1, LL2, ... and outputs it to each line management device 20, .... The production management device 10 may communicate with each line management device 20, ... wirelessly or via a wired connection. The wireless connection may be Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee, or a specified low-power radio. The production management device 10 is an example of a support device that supports at least one of the multiple production devices M1 to M9 included in each of the production lines LL1, LL2, ... by managing the production preparation work of the at least one device via the line management device 20 that manages the overall status of the production line.

[0021] Each of the production lines LL1, LL2, ... is a production line for producing a product. For example, if the product is a mounted board, the production line is a component mounting line for mounting electronic components on the board. Each of the production lines LL1, LL2, ... is equipped with a plurality of production devices M1 to M9.

[0022] Each of the multiple production devices M1 to M9 is a production device for producing a product. The product is produced through multiple processes performed by the multiple production devices M1 to M9. For example, if the product is a mounted board, production device M1 is a loader that supplies boards to each of production lines LL1, LL2, ..., and production device M2 is a solder printing device (a so-called printer) that prints solder on the board. Also, for example, if the product is a mounted board, each of the multiple production devices M3 to M7 is a component mounting device (a so-called mounting machine) that mounts electronic components on the board, production device M8 is a reflow oven that melts the solder printed on the board, and production device M9 is a loader that ejects the mounted board from the production line. Note that each of production lines LL1, LL2, ... does not have to be equipped with all of the multiple production devices M1 to M9, and may be equipped with at least one. Furthermore, each of the production lines LL1, LL2, . . . may include an inspection device that inspects boards on which solder is printed or boards on which components are mounted.

[0023] The line management device 20 is a device that manages each of the multiple production devices M1 to M9 included in a corresponding one of the production lines LL1, LL2, ... (i.e., a production line connected to its own line management device 20). The line management device 20 acquires production data generated by the production management device 10 from that production management device 10, and causes each production device included in the production line to produce mounted boards based on the production data. The line management device 20 is an example of a support device that manages at least one of the multiple production devices M1 to M9 included in the corresponding production line, thereby supporting that at least one device.

[0024] Each of the production lines LL1, LL2, ... may include one production device instead of multiple production devices. The production management device 10, the line management device 20, and the multiple production devices M1 to M9 are an example of multiple production devices used in the production of mounted substrates.

[0025] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the production management device 10 and the line management device 20. The production management device 10 includes a processor 11 and a storage unit 16 as main components.

[0026] The processor 11 is configured by at least one of, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a graphical processing unit (GPU), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The processor 11 functions as a controller that manages the overall operation of the production management device 10. The processor 11 performs control processing for overseeing the operation of each unit of the production management device 10, data input / output processing between each unit of the production management device 10, data calculation processing, and data storage processing. The processor 11 operates according to a program stored in the memory unit 16. The processor 11 uses the memory unit 16 during operation and temporarily stores data generated or acquired by the processor 11 in the memory unit 16. In the production management device 10, the processor 11 cooperates with the memory unit 16 to execute various processes (e.g., the processes of the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 7 and 8). The processor 11 implements the functions of the acquisition unit 12, allocation unit 13, and input / output unit 14 by cooperating with the memory unit 16.

[0027] The acquisition unit 12 acquires line configuration information related to the equipment configuration of the production line corresponding to the line management device 20 via the line management device 20. The acquisition unit 12 may acquire the line configuration information periodically or irregularly (for example, when a change occurs in the equipment layout, which is the equipment configuration). This allows the acquisition unit 12 to acquire new line configuration information of the production line in accordance with the production line update when the equipment configuration of the production line is updated, such as when a change occurs in the equipment layout. An update to the equipment configuration of the production line corresponds to the removal (reduction) of any one of the multiple production devices M1 to M9 included in each of the production lines LL1, LL2, ..., or the addition of a new production device to each of the production lines LL1, LL2, .... Furthermore, an update to the equipment configuration of each of the production lines LL1, LL2, ... may also refer to the upgrade or downgrade of the software or hardware of any one of the multiple production devices M1 to M9 included in each of the production lines LL1, LL2, ....

[0028] The line configuration information includes information indicating the multiple production devices M1 to M9 equipped in the production line (for example, serial numbers for identification). The line configuration information also includes information regarding the software executed by each of the multiple production devices M1 to M9. Specific examples of the software will be described later.

[0029] The allocating unit 13 allocates multiple software licenses to multiple production equipment M1-M9 based on the line configuration information corresponding to the production line acquired by the acquiring unit 12. The multiple software licenses allocated by the allocating unit 13 are software licenses stored in the storage unit 16. That is, the allocating unit 13 determines a software license to allocate to each of the multiple production equipment M1-M9 from the multiple software licenses stored in the storage unit 16 and thus indicated to be owned by the user. Furthermore, when the acquiring unit 12 acquires new line configuration information as a result of an update of the equipment configuration of the production line, the allocating unit 13 may allocate, to the production equipment added by the update, software licenses among the multiple software licenses owned by the user that have not been allocated to multiple production equipment of the new equipment configuration, based on the new line configuration information. Furthermore, the allocating unit 13 may cancel the allocation of software licenses allocated to production equipment removed by the update based on the new line configuration information.

[0030] In addition, the allocation unit 13 may determine, from the new line configuration information, whether there is a shortage of software licenses to allocate to the multiple production devices equipped in the updated production line, and if it determines that there is a shortage, may calculate the number of software licenses that are insufficient.

[0031] Here, a software license corresponds to each of multiple software programs that realizes multiple operations set up for each production device. In other words, a production device can perform multiple operations, and each operation is realized by software corresponding to that operation. Execution of each software program is permitted by the assignment of a software license corresponding to that software program. In other words, a software license is used to permit corresponding software program to be executed on a production device in which that software program is set up. The software program may be software that supports the production preparation of the production device, or software for managing the production device.

[0032] Specific examples of software include, but are not limited to, software for executing the following operations: "recognizing the board after component pickup," "detecting pattern marks on the board," "recognizing mounting points," "detecting defective marks on the board," "determining the defective mark threshold," "recognizing board barcodes," "detecting board warpage," "detecting board orientation determination marks," and "measuring local board height." Operations executed by the software include operations commonly executed by production devices M1 to M9, as well as operations executed only by individual production devices (e.g., printers and mounters). Furthermore, operations executed by the software include operations required to realize a production plan based on the production plan contained in production data 17 (see below) held by production management device 10, but may also include unnecessary operations not required to realize the production plan.

[0033] The allocating unit 13 may also calculate the shortfall in the payment balance held by the user based on the number of software licenses that are insufficient to be allocated to the multiple production devices M1 to M9 and the purchase price associated with the software that is insufficient. Here, the payment balance held by the user is, for example, a balance that the user can use to pay for purchasing software licenses, and can be increased by the user making a deposit in advance into an account set up for the user.

[0034] The input / output unit 14 receives input data based on, for example, operation by a user of the production management system 1, and outputs the input data to the allocation unit 13. Such an input / output unit 14 includes, for example, a keyboard, a touch sensor, a touchpad, or a mouse. The input / output unit 14 also outputs data to the production line and inputs data from the production line via the line management device 20. The production data stored in the memory unit 16 may be output to the production line via this input / output unit 14.

[0035] The display unit 15 displays the status of software licenses assigned to each of the multiple production devices M1 to M9. The display unit 15 can display, for example, information indicating whether a software license is assigned to each of the multiple production devices M1 to M9. The display unit 15 may also display the software licenses assigned to each of the multiple production devices M1 to M9 (see FIG. 5). The display unit 15 may also display the number of software licenses owned by users of each of the multiple production devices M1 to M9 and the number of software licenses assigned to each of the multiple production devices M1 to M9. The display unit 15 may also display information indicating a shortage of software licenses when there is a shortage of software licenses to assign to each of the multiple production devices M1 to M9. The display unit 15 may also display the number of software licenses that are insufficient. The display unit 15 may also display a user interface (UI) having a button that accepts an operation to transition to a software license purchase screen. The display unit 15 may also display the shortfall amount with respect to the remaining payment balance calculated by the allocation unit 13.

[0036] The storage unit 16 is configured using, for example, Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory (ROM), and temporarily stores programs necessary for the operation of the production management device 10 and data acquired or generated during operation. The RAM is, for example, a work memory used during operation of the production management device 10. The ROM, for example, stores and holds programs for controlling the production management device 10 in advance. The storage unit 16 also stores production data 17, line configuration information 18, and software license information 19 as data referenced by the processor 11.

[0037] The production data 17 includes not only a production plan (e.g., product name, quantity to be produced, production delivery date, etc.) for a product (e.g., a mounted board) to be produced on a production line managed by each line management device 20, but also data specifying what types and how many of each part will be used to produce the product. The production data 17 may also include operation data that specifies the operation to be performed by each of the multiple production devices that make up the production line. The production data 17 is created in advance by the line management device 20 before production of a product (e.g., a mounted board) on the production line begins, and is stored in both the production management device 10 and the line management device 20 corresponding to the production line.

[0038] The line configuration information 18 is acquired by the acquisition unit 12 and includes information (e.g., serial numbers for identification) indicating the multiple production devices M1 to M9 included in the production line managed by each line management device 20. The line configuration information 18 may also include information regarding the software executed by each of the multiple production devices M1 to M9.

[0039] The software license information 19 is information data of software licenses corresponding to licenses to use software used in each of the multiple production devices M1 to M9 provided in the production line managed by each line management device 20, and has an expiration date according to the type of software license. As described above, while this software license information 19 is valid, processing by the software corresponding to the software license information 19 can be executed in the corresponding production device.

[0040] Furthermore, the storage unit 16 may store the number of software licenses assigned to each of the production devices M1 to M9, and the number of unassigned software licenses. When software licenses assigned to a production device that has been removed by an update are released, the number of assigned software licenses is reduced by the number of released software licenses. Furthermore, the number of unassigned software licenses is increased by the number of released software licenses. In other words, the number of software licenses assigned to the production devices M1 to M9, and the number of unassigned software licenses, which are stored in the storage unit 16, are updated as the production line is updated.

[0041] The storage unit 16 may also store the number of purchased software licenses. In this case, the number of unassigned software licenses is increased by the number of purchased software licenses.

[0042] The line management device 20 includes a processor 21 and a storage unit 25 as main components.

[0043] The processor 21 is configured by at least one of, for example, a CPU, a DSP, a GPU, or an FPGA. The processor 21 functions as a controller that manages the overall operation of the line management device 20. The processor 21 performs control processing for overseeing the operation of each unit of the line management device 20, data input / output processing between each unit of the line management device 20, data arithmetic processing, and data storage processing. The processor 21 operates according to a program stored in the storage unit 25. The processor 21 uses the storage unit 25 during operation, and temporarily stores data generated or acquired by the processor 21 in the storage unit 25. In the line management device 20, the processor 21 cooperates with the storage unit 25 to execute various processes. The processor 21 implements the functions of the control unit 22 and the input / output unit 23 by cooperating with the storage unit 25.

[0044] The control unit 22 controls each of the multiple production devices M1 to M9 included in the production line that is the subject of management of the line management device 20. The control unit 22 controls the operation of each production device included in the production line, thereby causing the production of mounted boards based on the production data 26 stored in the storage unit 25.

[0045] The input / output unit 23 receives input data based on, for example, operations by a user of the production management system 1, and outputs the input data to the control unit 22. Such an input / output unit 23 may include, for example, a keyboard, a touch sensor, a touchpad, or a mouse. The input / output unit 23 also outputs data to the production management device 10 and inputs data from the production management device 10. For example, the input / output unit 23 acquires production data from the production management device 10 and stores the production data in the memory unit 25.

[0046] The display unit 24 displays production data and the like stored in the storage unit 25. Specific examples of the display unit 24 include, but are not limited to, a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, or an organic EL display.

[0047] The storage unit 25 is configured using, for example, RAM and ROM, and temporarily stores programs necessary for the operation of the line management device 20 and data acquired or generated during operation. The RAM is, for example, a work memory used during the operation of the line management device 20. The ROM, for example, stores and holds programs for controlling the line management device 20 in advance. The storage unit 25 also saves production data 26 and software license information 27 as data referenced by the processor 21. Note that the production data 26 has the same content as the production data 17 sent from the production management device 10 to the line management device 20 for the corresponding production line, and therefore a description of the production data 26 will be omitted.

[0048] The software license information 27 is information data of a software license corresponding to a license to use software used in each of the multiple production devices M1 to M9 included in the production line managed by the line management device 20, and has an expiration date according to the type of software license. As described above, while the software license information 27 is valid, processing by the software corresponding to the software license information 27 can be executed in the corresponding production device.

[0049] Next, the resetting of a software license according to this embodiment when there is a change in the equipment layout of a production line will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the resetting of a software license according to this embodiment when there is a change in the equipment layout. It is assumed that the production management system 1 shown in Fig. 1 is installed in a customer's factory, for example.

[0050] 4, in the production management device 10, software called a setting management tool is stored in the storage unit 16, and this software is installed so as to be executable by the processor 11. The production management device 10 is connected to a production line XX1 (LINE X) via a line management device 20a, and is also connected to a production line YY1 (LINE Y) via a line management device 20b.

[0051] In this embodiment, the setting management tool of the production management device 10 acquires software license information related to software used in each of the multiple production devices included in the production line at the time of initial installation of the production management system 1, when there is a change in the equipment layout, or at predetermined intervals, and stores the information in the storage unit 16. For example, the setting management tool acquires data F1, F2, F3, ... of software licenses L1, L2, L3, ... related to software used in each of the multiple production devices included in the production line XX1 (LINE X) via the line management device 20a, and stores the information in the storage unit 16.

[0052] Furthermore, suppose that the equipment layout of production line YY1 (LINE Y) is changed in a customer's factory. The setting management tool of the production management device 10 determines whether or not there is a software license (i.e., a software license within its validity period) that can be used for each of the multiple production devices included in the changed production line YY1 (LINE Y) in response to this change in the equipment layout. If the setting management tool determines that there is no software license (i.e., a software license within its validity period) that can be used for each of the multiple production devices included in the changed production line YY1 (LINE Y), in response to an operation by the user of the production management device 10, the setting management tool performs a process of granting trial licenses L11, L12, L13, ..., which are software licenses that can be temporarily used, to one or more production devices determined to have no software license (i.e., transmitting trial license data F11, F12, F13, ...). The details of the operation procedure of the setting management tool at this time will be described later with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

[0053] Next, examples of screens displayed by processing of the setting management tool of the production management device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a software license list screen. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a software license issuance notification screen.

[0054] The software license list screen WD1 shown in Fig. 5 is displayed on the display unit 15 of the production management device 10 by processing of the setting management tool. This software license list screen WD1 provides an overview of what software licenses for what operations (functions) each individual production device possesses and to what extent, among all the multiple production devices included in a production line after, for example, a change has been made to the equipment layout of the production line. For example, this software license list screen WD1 is displayed on the display unit 15 by the setting management tool (processor 11) when step St6 in Fig. 7, which will be described later, is executed.

[0055] The software license list screen WD1 shows how many of the six production devices (e.g., printer A, mounter B, mounter C, mounter D, mounter E, and mounter F) on production line XX1 (LINE X) have a "product version" (i.e., a legitimate license) as the type of software license for "XX function," and how many have a "trial version" (i.e., a temporary license) rather than a "product version." In the example of Figure 5, printer A, mounter B, mounter C, mounter D, mounter E, and mounter F all have a "product version" (i.e., a legitimate license) as the type of software license for "XX function" (6 / 6).

[0056] Furthermore, the software license list screen WD1 shows how many of the six production devices (e.g., printer A, mounter B, mounter C, mounter D, mounter E, and mounter F) on production line XX1 (LINE X) have a "product version" (i.e., a legitimate license) as the type of software license for "△△ function," and how many have a "trial version" (i.e., a temporary license) rather than a "product version." In the example of Figure 5, printer A, mounter B, mounter C, mounter D, mounter E, and mounter F all have a "product version" (i.e., a legitimate license) as the type of software license for "△△ function" (6 / 6).

[0057] Furthermore, the software license list screen WD1 shows how many of the six production devices (e.g., printer G, mounter H, mounter I, mounter J, mounter K, and mounter L) on production line YY1 (LINE Y) have a "production version" (i.e., a legitimate license) as a type of software license for "XX function," and how many have a "trial version" (i.e., a temporary license) instead of a "production version." In the example of Figure 5, of printer G, mounter H, mounter I, mounter J, mounter K, and mounter L, only four devices (printer G, mounter H, mounter I, mounter J, mounter K, and mounter L) have a "production version" (i.e., a legitimate license) as a type of software license for "XX function" (4 / 6), while two devices (mounter K and mounter L) do not have a "production version" (i.e., a legitimate license) as a type of software license for "XX function" (2 / 6). The setting management tool may display the existence of production devices (for example, mounting machine K and mounting machine L) that do not have a "production version" (that is, a legitimate license) in a manner that emphasizes the presence of the production devices to the user.

[0058] Furthermore, the software license list screen WD1 shows how many of the six production devices (e.g., printer G, mounter H, mounter I, mounter J, mounter K, and mounter L) on production line YY1 (LINE Y) have a "production version" (i.e., a legitimate license) as a type of software license for "△△ function," and how many have a "trial version" (i.e., a temporary license) instead of a "production version." In the example of Figure 5, of printer G, mounter H, mounter I, mounter J, mounter K, and mounter L, only five devices (printer G, mounter H, mounter I, mounter J, and mounter K) have a "production version" (i.e., a legitimate license) as a type of software license for "△△ function" (5 / 6), while one device, mounter L, does not have a "production version" (i.e., a legitimate license) as a type of software license for "△△ function" (1 / 6). The setting management tool may display the existence of a production device (for example, mounting machine L) that does not have a "production version" (that is, a legitimate license) in a form that emphasizes the existence of the production device to the user.

[0059] The software license list screen WD1 also has a license issuance button LAB1. The license issuance button LAB1 is pressed by an operation of a user of the production management system 1, for example, when the setting management tool determines that there is a production device that does not have a "production version" (i.e., a legitimate license). When the setting management tool detects that the license issuance button LAB1 has been pressed, the setting management tool generates a software license issuance notification screen WD2 (see FIG. 6) for granting a "trial version" (i.e., a temporary license) to the production device that does not have a "production version" (i.e., a legitimate license), and displays the software license issuance notification screen WD2 on the display unit 15.

[0060] The software license issuance notification screen WD2 in Fig. 6 notifies production equipment that does not have a "product version" (i.e., a legitimate license) that a "trial version" (i.e., a temporary license) will be granted after indicating the validity period (e.g., February 1, 2024 to February 15, 2024), and prompts the purchase of a "product version" (i.e., a legitimate license). For example, when the license issuance button LAB1 is pressed for the mounting machine K and mounting machine L that have not been granted a "product version" software license for "XX function," which are shown in a highlighted form on the software license list screen WD1 in Fig. 5, the software license issuance notification screen WD2 in Fig. 6 is displayed on the display unit 15 by the setting management tool.

[0061] As a result, users of the production management system 1 can continue producing printed circuit boards without stopping production on production line YY1 by being aware that among the multiple production devices on production line YY1 (LINE Y), there is production device that does not have a "production version" (i.e., a legitimate license) and by being quickly granted a "trial version" (i.e., a temporary license) for a certain period of time until the "production version" can be purchased.

[0062] 3. Operation of the production control system Next, the operation procedure of the production management system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the overall operation procedure of the production management device according to this embodiment in chronological order. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the detailed operation procedure of step St7 in Fig. 7 in chronological order. The series of processes shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 are mainly executed by the processor 11 (for example, a setting management tool) of the production management device 10.

[0063] 7, for each production line connected to the production management device 10 via the line management device 20, the processor 11 acquires device information (e.g., device type, serial number, etc.) of each of the multiple production devices included in the production line (step St1). For each production line connected to the production management device 10 via the line management device 20, the processor 11 acquires software license information, which is data on software licenses held by each of the multiple production devices included in the production line (step St2). For each production line connected to the production management device 10 via the line management device 20, the processor 11 extracts, for each production device, software license information held by each of the multiple production devices included in the production line, based on the device information for each production device acquired in step St1 and the software license information for each production device acquired in step St2 (step St3).

[0064] Processor 11 acquires from storage unit 16, for each production line connected to production management device 10 via line management device 20, production data 17 including a production plan for the product (e.g., mounted board) to be produced by that production line (step St4). Based on the software license information for each production device extracted in step St3 and the production plan in production data 17 acquired in step St4, processor 11 determines which operations (in other words, software) are necessary for production and which operations (in other words, software) are not necessary for production for each of the multiple production devices included in that production line. For each production line connected to production management device 10 via line management device 20, processor 11 extracts, for each production device, software licenses (i.e., missing licenses) for executing operations that are insufficient for executing the production plan for each of the multiple production devices included in that production line (in other words, operations for which software licenses have expired) based on the determination result (step St5).

[0065] Here, a missing license refers to a license for an operation that is necessary for multiple devices constituting a production line to perform an operation for producing a product (e.g., a mounted board), but for which the licensee has not been granted permission to use that necessary operation. For example, if the device is a printing press, the information on the missing license includes first missing license information, which is a license for an operation that is necessary for the printing press to perform a first operation for producing a product (e.g., a mounted board), but for which the licensee has not been granted permission to use that necessary operation. Also, if the device is a mounting machine, the information on the missing license includes second missing license information, which is a license for an operation that is necessary for the mounting machine to perform a second operation for producing a product (e.g., a mounted board), but for which the licensee has not been granted permission to use that necessary operation.

[0066] The processor 11 generates a software license list screen WD1 including the missing license information that is the extraction result of step St5, and displays it on the display unit 15 (step St6). In response to an operation by the user of the production management system 1 on the software license list screen WD1 displayed in step St6, the processor 11 performs a process of granting a "trial version" (i.e., a temporary license) to the production device corresponding to the operation (step St7). Details of the process of step St7 will be described later with reference to FIG. 8. After step St7, the processor 11 performs a process of prompting the production device to which the temporary license has been granted to purchase a "product version" (i.e., a regular license) (for example, displaying the software license issuance notification screen WD2 in FIG. 6) (step St8).

[0067] 8, the processor 11 detects that the license issuance button LAB1 is pressed by the user of the production management system 1 on the software license list screen WD1 (step St11). In response to the detection in step St11, the processor 11 determines whether the number of times a "trial version" (i.e., temporary license) of the software corresponding to the insufficient license information for each production device has been issued (granted) is less than or equal to a specified number (e.g., three times) for each software license corresponding to the insufficient license information (step St12).

[0068] When processor 11 determines that the number of times that a "trial version" (i.e., temporary license) of the software corresponding to the insufficient license information for each production device has been issued (granted) is less than a specified number (e.g., three times) (step St12, YES), processor 11 issues (grant) a "trial version" (i.e., temporary license) of the corresponding software (step St13). This makes it possible to continue production on the production line at the customer's site without stopping production on the production line until an engineer from the manufacturer arrives at the customer's site, as in the conventional method shown in Figure 3, and makes it possible to suppress deterioration in production efficiency.

[0069] On the other hand, if the processor 11 determines that the number of times that a "trial version" (i.e., temporary license) of the software corresponding to the insufficient license information for each production device has been issued (granted) is greater than the specified number (e.g., three times) (step St12, NO), the processor 11 generates a notification screen (not shown) indicating that the "trial version" (i.e., temporary license) of the corresponding software cannot be issued (granted) and displays the notification screen on the display unit 15 (step St14). This enables the user of the production management system 1 to quickly purchase a "product version" (i.e., regular license) of the software that has been used with the "trial version" (i.e., temporary license) more than the specified number (e.g., three times).

[0070] Summary of the Disclosure The above description of the embodiments discloses technical concepts corresponding to the following items.

[0071] (Item 1) A license management method for managing licenses for a plurality of devices (production devices M1 to M9) used in the production of mounting boards in a production line (L1, L2, ...) having the plurality of devices, acquiring device information (e.g., device type, serial number) of the plurality of devices included in the production line; acquiring license information (e.g., software license information) held by each of the plurality of devices; extracting a list of license information for the plurality of devices included in the production line based on the device information and the license information for each device (see the extraction result of software license information for each production device in FIG. 5 ); License management method. As a result, according to the license management method, when the equipment configuration of a production line is changed in a production management system at a customer site, etc., it is easier to determine whether there are excess or shortage of software licenses used in each of multiple devices linked to the changed production line.

[0072] (Item 2) the plurality of devices include at least a printing machine and a mounting machine; Acquiring operation data (production data) for a first operation (e.g., an operation of printing solder on a board) performed by the printer for producing the mounting board, and a second operation (e.g., an operation of attaching components to solder positions on a board) performed by the mounting machine for producing the mounting board; extracting, based on the device information, the license information for each device, and the operation data, first missing license information, which is a license required to perform the first operation but for which a license for the required operation has not been obtained, and second missing license information, which is a license required to perform the second operation but for which a license for the required operation has not been obtained. Item 1. The license management method according to item 1. As a result, according to the license management method, when the equipment configuration of a production line is changed, it is possible to appropriately determine whether there are excess or deficiency of software licenses to perform operations appropriate for production, taking into consideration the operations that each of the multiple devices that make up the production line must perform for production.

[0073] (Item 3) and displaying the device information, the license information for each device, the first lacking license information, and the second lacking license information in association with each other on a display unit. Item 2. The license management method. As a result, according to the license management method, the user of the license management system can visually determine which production devices on the production line are short of software licenses for which operations, thereby enabling early confirmation of the purchase of software licenses in line with the production plan.

[0074] (Item 4) and further including granting, based on the first shortage license information or the second shortage license information, a temporary license that is a license with a limit on the number of times or a limit on the period of time when the number of license issuances is equal to or less than a predetermined number or the number of license issuances is equal to or less than a predetermined period, to a device corresponding to the first shortage license information or the second shortage license information. Item 2 or 3. The license management method according to item 2 or 3. As a result, the license management method can not only effectively prevent the issuance of an unlimited number of temporary licenses, but also accurately improve the production efficiency of the product by maintaining an acceptable level of operational flexibility to avoid production stoppages.

[0075] (Item 5) The method further includes prompting the issuance of a regular license, the regular license having a longer limit on the number of times or the longer limit on the period of time than the temporary license, for an operation corresponding to the temporary license. Item 2 or 4. The license management method according to item 2 or 4. As a result, according to the license management method, by promoting the issuance (purchase) of legitimate licenses, it is possible to appropriately avoid a decline in production efficiency by allowing production equipment to stably perform almost essential operations that may be indispensable for producing products in accordance with the production plan.

[0076] (Item 6) extracting the list of license information includes extracting, based on the occurrence of a production line change in which some of the plurality of devices included in the production line are changed, the list of license information for the plurality of devices included in the production line after the change. 6. The license management method according to any one of items 1 to 5. As a result, according to the license management method, whenever there is a change in the equipment configuration (equipment layout) of a production line at a factory or the like, it is easier to determine whether there are excess or shortage of software licenses used in each of the multiple devices equipped in the changed production line.

[0077] (Item 7) The license information includes first license information corresponding to operations executed by all of the plurality of devices included in the production line (e.g., information data of a software license for executing an operation that is generally used), and second license information corresponding to operations executed by only some of the plurality of devices included in the production line (e.g., information data of a software license for executing an operation that is executed only in a specific production device). 7. The license management method according to any one of items 1 to 6. As a result, the license management method can appropriately determine whether there are excess or deficiency in software licenses for highly versatile operations that can be performed on any production device, and software licenses for individual operations that can be performed only on specific production devices.

[0078] (Item 8) The license information includes third license information corresponding to operations executed by the plurality of devices provided in the production line based on the production plan for the mounted board (e.g., software license information data corresponding to operations of the production devices required to produce products in accordance with the production plan), and fourth license information corresponding to unnecessary operations not based on the production plan (e.g., software license information data corresponding to unnecessary operations that do not conform to the production plan). 7. The license management method according to any one of items 1 to 6. As a result, the license management method can appropriately determine whether there are excess or deficiency of software licenses for high-priority operations that are inherently required by the production line, and software licenses for low-priority operations that are not inherently required and do not conform to the production plan.

[0079] (Item 9) 1. A license management system for managing licenses for a plurality of devices in a production line having a plurality of devices used in the production of mounting boards, comprising: a first acquisition unit that acquires device information of the plurality of devices included in the production line; a second acquisition unit that acquires license information held by each of the plurality of devices; an extracting unit that extracts a list of license information for the plurality of devices included in the production line based on the device information and the license information for each device, License management system. As a result, according to the license management system, when the equipment configuration of a production line is changed in a production management system at a customer's site, etc., it is easier to determine whether there are excess or shortage of software licenses used by each of multiple devices linked to the changed production line.

[0080] Although the embodiments have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications, alterations, substitutions, additions, deletions, and equivalents within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the components in the above-described embodiments may be combined in any manner without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0081] The technology disclosed herein is useful as a license management method and license management system that can more easily determine whether there are excess or insufficient licenses for software used in connection with a production line when the equipment configuration of the production line is changed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1 Production management system 10 Production control device 11 processors 12 Acquisition Department 13 Allocation Section 14 Input / output section 15 Display 16 Memory section 17 Production Data 18 Line configuration information 19 Software License Information 20 Line control device 21 processors 22 Control Unit 23 Input / output section 24 Display 25 Memory section 26 Production Data 27 Software License Information LL1 Production Line LL2 production line

Claims

1. 1. A license management method for managing licenses for a plurality of devices in a production line having a plurality of devices used in the production of mounting boards, comprising: acquiring device information of the plurality of devices included in the production line; acquiring license information held by each of the plurality of devices; extracting a list of license information for the plurality of devices included in the production line based on the device information and the license information for each device. License management method.

2. the plurality of devices include at least a printing machine and a mounting machine; acquiring operation data for a first operation performed by the printing machine for producing the mounting board and a second operation performed by the mounting machine for producing the mounting board; extracting, based on the device information, the license information for each device, and the operation data, first missing license information, which is a necessary operation for executing the first operation but for which a license for the necessary operation has not been obtained, and second missing license information, which is a necessary operation for executing the second operation but for which a license for the necessary operation has not been obtained. The license management method according to claim 1 .

3. the device information, the license information for each device, the first lacking license information, and the second lacking license information are displayed in association with each other on a display unit. The license management method according to claim 2 .

4. The method further includes granting a temporary license, which is a license with a limited number of times or a limited period of time, to a device corresponding to the first lacking license information or the second lacking license information when the number of times a license has been issued is equal to or less than a predetermined number of times or the number of times a license has been issued is equal to or less than a predetermined period of time based on the first lacking license information or the second lacking license information. The license management method according to claim 2 .

5. The method further includes prompting the issuance of a regular license, the regular license having a longer limit on the number of times or the longer limit on the period of time than the temporary license, for an operation corresponding to the temporary license. The license management method according to claim 4.

6. extracting the list of license information includes extracting, based on the occurrence of a production line change in which some of the plurality of devices included in the production line are changed, the list of license information for the plurality of devices included in the production line after the change. The license management method according to claim 1 .

7. the license information includes first license information corresponding to operations executed by all of the plurality of devices included in the production line, and second license information corresponding to operations executed by only some of the plurality of devices included in the production line; The license management method according to claim 1 .

8. the license information includes third license information corresponding to operations to be executed by the plurality of devices included in the production line based on a production plan for the mounting board, and fourth license information corresponding to unnecessary operations not based on the production plan. The license management method according to claim 1 .

9. 1. A license management system for managing licenses for a plurality of devices in a production line having a plurality of devices used in the production of mounting boards, comprising: a first acquisition unit that acquires device information of the plurality of devices included in the production line; a second acquisition unit that acquires license information held by each of the plurality of devices; an extracting unit that extracts a list of license information for the plurality of devices included in the production line based on the device information and the license information for each device, License management system.

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