Processing apparatus, processing method, and program

Abstract

This system allows for the adaptive retrieval of necessary information from among information on multiple products that have a relationship where the nth-th product yields the (n+1th)th-th product. [Solution] The processing device 10 receives input of identification information that identifies at least one product from among the first to the Nth products that have product relationships with each other, obtains at least one of the following pieces of information: product information of the product identified by the identification information, identification information of products that have a product relationship with the product identified by the identification information, and product information of products that have a product relationship with the product identified by the identification information, and outputs response information that identifies the said information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a processing device, a processing method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In the manufacturing industry, the production of the (n + 1)-th product from the n-th product is carried out. For example, a thick plate (steel product), which is a primary product, is processed (e.g., cut) to produce a secondary product, and the secondary product is further processed (e.g., welded) to produce a tertiary product. In this case, the first product to the third product are products that are mutually related. As a technology for managing such a relationship, there is the technology described in Patent Document Ⅰ.

[0003] Patent Document Ⅰ discloses creating and outputting an inventory history statement showing the processing history from a base material (e.g., a coil) to a product. Specifically, in Patent Document Ⅰ, first, the product code and lot number of the specified base material are sorted in that "order" as the top-level product code and top-level lot number. Then, with the order of the sorted lot data as the row order, an inventory history statement including a history statement showing the level corresponding to the level of processing from the base material, including the hierarchy, product, lot number, number of employees, and asset quantity, and a header part including the product code, lot, number of employees, asset quantity, and yield rate of the base material is displayed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document Ⅰ

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, a list of the aforementioned relationships between a base material specified by the operator and each product manufactured from that base material is displayed on one screen of the terminal device. Therefore, only those who can specify the base material can search for information on multiple products with such relationships. Consequently, if a business handling the base material (for example, a processor that processes the base material) is not aware of the base material's information, it is not easy for that business to search for information on the base material.

[0006] This disclosure was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to enable adaptive retrieval of necessary information from information on multiple products that are related in such a way that the nth product leads to the (n+1th)th product. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A first example of the processing apparatus of the present disclosure is a processing apparatus for processing a plurality of products having a relationship in which an nth product is obtained from an n+1th product, comprising: a request receiving unit that receives input of identification information that identifies at least one product from the first to the nth product; a response acquisition unit that acquires product information of the product identified by the identification information; and an output unit that outputs information that identifies the product information acquired by the response acquisition unit, wherein N is an integer of 2 or more, and n is N-1 integers selected from 1 to N-1. A second example of the processing apparatus of the present disclosure is a processing apparatus for processing a plurality of products having a relationship in which an n+1th product can be obtained from an nth product, comprising: a request receiving unit that receives input of identification information that identifies at least one product from the first to the nth product; a response acquisition unit that acquires product information of products having the relationship with the product identified by the identification information; and an output unit that outputs information that identifies the product information acquired by the response acquisition unit, wherein N is an integer of 2 or more, and n is N-1 integers selected from 1 to N-1. A third example of the processing apparatus of the present disclosure is a processing apparatus for processing a plurality of products having a relationship in which an nth-th product is obtained from an n+1th-th product, comprising: a request receiving unit that receives input of identification information that identifies at least one product from the first-th product to the nth-th product; a response acquisition unit that acquires identification information of products having the relationship with the product identified by the identification information; and an output unit that outputs the identification information acquired by the response acquisition unit, wherein N is an integer of 2 or more, and n is N-1 integers selected from 1 to N-1.

[0008] A first example of the processing method of the present disclosure is a processing method for managing a plurality of products having a relationship in which an n+1th product can be obtained from an nth product, comprising: a request receiving procedure for receiving input of identification information that identifies at least one product from the first to the nth product; a response acquisition procedure for acquiring product information of the product identified by the identification information; and an output procedure for outputting information that identifies the product information acquired by the response acquisition procedure, wherein N is an integer of 2 or more, and n is N-1 integers selected from 1 to N-1. A second example of the processing method of the present disclosure is a processing method for managing a plurality of products that have a relationship from the nth product to the (n+1)th product, comprising: a request receiving procedure for receiving input of identification information that identifies at least one product from the first to the nth product; a response acquisition procedure for acquiring product information of products that have a relationship with the product identified by the identification information; and an output procedure for outputting information that identifies the product information acquired by the response acquisition procedure, wherein N is an integer of 2 or more, and n is N-1 integers selected from 1 to N-1. A third example of the processing method of the present disclosure is a processing method for managing a plurality of products that have a relationship in which an n+1th product can be obtained from an nth product, comprising: a request receiving procedure for receiving input of identification information that identifies at least one product from the first to the nth product; a response acquisition procedure for acquiring identification information of products that have the relationship with the product identified by the identification information; and an output procedure for outputting the identification information acquired by the response acquisition procedure, wherein N is an integer of 2 or more, and n is N-1 integers selected from 1 to N-1.

[0009] The program of this disclosure causes a computer to function as one of the components of the processing apparatus. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to this disclosure, the system accepts input of identification information that identifies at least one product from the first to the nth product order, which have a relationship such that the n+1th product can be obtained from the nth product order. The system then retrieves and outputs product information for the product identified by the identification information, identification information for products that have a relationship with the product identified by the identification information, or product information for products that have a relationship with the product identified by the identification information. Therefore, using the identification information of at least one product from the first to the nth product order as a key, the system can adaptively retrieve the necessary information from the information of the multiple related products. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a processing system. [Figure 2A] This figure shows an example of identification information for thick plates. [Figure 2B] This figure shows an example of identification information for cut plates. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of a processing unit and a terminal device. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of a product management table. [Figure 5A]This figure shows an example of product usage location information represented using captured images. [Figure 5B] This figure shows an example of component usage position information represented using computer graphics. [Figure 6A] This flowchart illustrates an example of a processing method for controlling memory storage in a product management table. [Figure 6B] This flowchart illustrates one example of how to process response information when outputting it. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the same values ​​for the physical quantities being compared, such as length, position, size, and spacing, may include not only cases where they are strictly identical, but also cases where they differ to the extent that they do not depart from the spirit of the invention. For example, even if multiple values ​​of a certain physical quantity differ within the tolerance range determined at the time of design, these multiple values ​​may be considered the same.

[0013] Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of a processing system. Figure 1 illustrates a case where the processing system comprises a processing unit 10 and terminal devices 20a to 20d. In this embodiment, the processing unit 10 functions as a server, and the terminal devices 20a to 20d function as clients.

[0014] The processing device 10 performs processing for managing a plurality of products having a relationship that the (n + 1)-th product is obtained from the n-th product. In the following description, the relationship that the (n + 1)-th product is obtained from the n-th product is referred to as a product relationship as necessary. The processing device 10 includes, for example, one or more hardware processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and one or more memories such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory), and executes various operations by executing one or more programs stored in the memory by one or more hardware processors. Further, the processing device 10 includes an input device and an output device. At least one of the input device and the output device may exist outside the processing device 10. In this case, the processing device 10 and the input device and the output device may be connected to each other so as to be communicable by wire or wirelessly.

[0015] As long as there is a relationship (product relationship) that the (n + 1)-th product is obtained from the n-th product, the plurality of products are not limited. Here, a case where the first product is the first manufactured product among the products managed by the processing device 10 is illustrated. Also, a case where the N-th product is the last manufactured product among the products managed by the processing device 10 is illustrated. Note that the first product may be a product manufactured from another product. Also, another product may be manufactured from the N-th product. In these cases, in the present embodiment, a case where these other products are products not managed by the processing device 10 is illustrated. N is an integer of 2 or more, and n is N - 1 integers selected from being 1 or more and N - 1 or less. The larger the number of N, the higher the possibility that the product relationship becomes more complicated. Although details will be described later, in the present embodiment, the processing device 10 can manage the product relationships of a plurality of products even when the number of N is large. From such a viewpoint, N may be an integer of 3 or more. Here, n of the n-th product is referred to as the order number.

[0016] Product relatedness may include a relatedness in which, for at least one n, one (n + 1)-th product is obtained from the n-th product. Also, product relatedness may include a relatedness in which, for at least one n, a plurality of (n + 1)-th products are obtained from the n-th product. For example, when the n-th product is cut, the n-th product and the (n + 1)-th product have a relatedness in which a plurality of (n + 1)-th products are obtained from the n-th product. In this case, the (n + 1)-th product is a plurality of products obtained from a part of the n-th product. Note that even when the n-th product is cut, the number of (n + 1)-th products may be one. In this case, the (n + 1)-th product is one product obtained from a part of the n-th product.

[0017] The relatedness in which one (n + 1)-th product is obtained from the n-th product may hold for all n from n = 1 to N - 1, may hold only for some n from n = 1 to N - 1, or may not hold for all n from n = 1 to N - 1. Also, the relatedness in which a plurality of (n + 1)-th products are obtained from the n-th product may hold for all n from n = 1 to N - 1, may hold only for some n from n = 1 to N - 1, or may not hold for all n from n = 1 to N - 1.

[0018] Also, product relatedness is not limited to a relatedness that holds only between two consecutive-degree products (the n-th product and the (n + 1)-th product), and may also hold for two non-consecutive-degree products, three or more non-consecutive-degree products, and three or more consecutive-degree products. For example, when the 1st product is manufactured from the 1st product and the 3rd product is manufactured from the 2nd product, not only the 1st product and the 第2次製品, and the 2nd product and the 3rd product, but also the 1st product and the 3rd product, and the 1st product, the 2nd product, and the 3rd product shall be considered to have product relatedness.

[0019] Furthermore, the nth-th product and the (n+1)th-th product may be manufactured by the same manufacturer. Furthermore, the nth-th product and the (n+1)th-th product may be manufactured by different manufacturers. The fact that the nth-th product and the (n+1)th-th product are manufactured by the same manufacturer may hold true for all n from n=1 to N-1, for only some n from n=1 to N-1, or not for all n from n=1 to N-1. Furthermore, the fact that the nth-th product and the (n+1)th-th product are manufactured by different manufacturers may hold true for all n from n=1 to N-1, for only some n from n=1 to N-1, or not for all n from n=1 to N-1.

[0020] Furthermore, a manufacturer may also be a business that manufactures products and provides quality assurance for those products to their customers. Additionally, an nth-order manufacturer producing the nth-order product and an n+1th-order manufacturer producing the n+1th-order product may each manufacture the nth-order product and the n+1th-order product on separate sites (e.g., factories). Alternatively, an nth-order manufacturer and an n+1th-order manufacturer may each manufacture the nth-order product and the n+1th-order product on the same site (e.g., factory).

[0021] Furthermore, manufacturing is defined as any processing (modification) performed on raw materials or products (intermediate products). For example, assembling multiple products is included in manufacturing. Also, for example, connecting multiple products by welding is included in manufacturing. Also, for example, mechanical processing such as cutting, polishing, and bending is included in manufacturing. Also, for example, heat treatment and surface treatment of products is included in manufacturing. Also, for example, dismantling a product is included in manufacturing. In this case, the dismantled parts become products. Also, scrapping a product is included in manufacturing. In this case, the scrap (waste) becomes products. In addition, manufacturing is also defined as performing at least one of the following on a product: physical treatment, chemical treatment, and biological treatment.

[0022] Figure 1 illustrates a case where the primary product is a thick plate (thick steel sheet) 31a-31b, which is an example of a steel product manufactured in a steelmaking process; the secondary product is a cut plate 32a-32b, which is manufactured by a process that includes cutting the thick plates 31a-31b; and the tertiary product is a rolled steel pipe 33a-33b, which is manufactured by a process that includes forming and welding the cut plates 32a-32b. Note that the use of the thick plates 31a-31b is not limited to rolled steel sheets.

[0023] Furthermore, Figure 1 illustrates a case where the thick plates 31a-31b, cut plates 32a-32b, and rolled steel pipes 33a-33b are each manufactured by different manufacturers (primary, secondary, and tertiary manufacturers). However, two or three of the thick plates 31a-31b, cut plates 32a-32b, and rolled steel pipes 33a-33b may be manufactured by the same manufacturer. For example, the thick plates 31a-31b and cut plates 32a-32b may be manufactured by the same manufacturer. Also, at least one of the thick plates 31a-31b, cut plates 32a-32b, and rolled steel pipes 33a-33b may be manufactured by multiple manufacturers. For example, the rolled steel pipes 33a-33b may be manufactured by multiple manufacturers.

[0024] Furthermore, Figure 1 illustrates a case where the plate-wound steel pipes 33a to 33b are installed underground by a construction company as part of piping such as water pipes. The construction company is an example of an end-user of the primary product (thick plates 31a to 31b in Figure 1). Thus, this embodiment illustrates a case in which not only manufacturers of primary to nth-order products, but also users of the nth-order product (plate-wound steel pipes 33a to 33b, which are an example of third-order products in Figure 1) can utilize the processing system. For example, the construction company may be treated as a manufacturer (i.e., in Figure 1, the construction company may be treated as a fourth-order manufacturer).

[0025] Figure 1 illustrates a case where the processing system includes terminal devices 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d managed by the primary manufacturer, secondary manufacturer, tertiary manufacturer, and construction contractor. Terminal devices 20a to 20d may be, for example, portable terminal devices (e.g., tablet devices and smartphones). Alternatively, terminal devices 20a to 20d may be stationary terminal devices. In this embodiment, it is illustrated that terminal devices 20a to 20d have the function of an imaging device. The imaging device may capture still images or moving images. The imaging device may capture color images or grayscale images. If terminal devices 20a to 20d do not have the function of an imaging device, they may acquire images captured by, for example, an operator's handheld imaging device (not shown).

[0026] The processing unit 10 and terminal devices 20a to 20d are connected to each other so that they can communicate with one another. The communication between the processing unit 10 and terminal devices 20a to 20d may be wired communication, wireless communication, or communication via a network.

[0027] In Figure 1, "123" and "456" displayed on the thick plates 31a-31b and cut plates 32a-32b are examples of identification information that uniquely identifies thick plates 31a and 31b, respectively. Similarly, "123A" and "456A" displayed on the cut plates 32a-32b and rolled steel pipes 33a-33b are examples of identification information that uniquely identifies cut plates 32a and 32b, respectively. Furthermore, "123B" and "456B" displayed on rolled steel pipes 33a-33b are examples of identification information that uniquely identifies rolled steel pipes 33a and 33b, respectively.

[0028] Figures 2A and 2B show examples of how product identification information is displayed. Figure 2A shows an example of identification information for a thick plate 31a. Figure 2A illustrates a case where the identification information 211 of the thick plate 31a and the size information 212 of the thick plate 31a are displayed on the surface of the thick plate 31a after manufacturing. Figure 2A illustrates a case where this information is displayed by the primary manufacturer. This display is done, for example, by stencil. Note that other information may also be displayed on the thick plate 31a.

[0029] The operator of the primary manufacturer may use a terminal device 20a or the like to capture an image of the area of ​​the plate surface of the plate 31a that includes the area where the identification information of the plate 31a is displayed. In this case, an image of the entire surface of the plate 31a where the identification information of the plate 31a is displayed may be captured. If the entire surface of the plate 31a cannot be included in a single captured image, the terminal device 20a may create a captured image of the entire surface of the plate 31a by stitching together multiple captured images. In this case, it is preferable that images of mutually adjacent positions include areas that are common to each other. Such captured images are not necessarily required for primary products, but they can be used, for example, to prove that a primary product (e.g., plate 31a) was manufactured by a primary manufacturer. Furthermore, by using such captured images, a secondary manufacturer can confirm how the identification information of a primary product (e.g., plate 31a) was displayed on the primary product at an Nth-tier manufacturer.

[0030] Figure 2B shows an example of identification information for cut plates. In Figure 2B, before cutting the thick plate 31a, the identification information 221a to 221h of multiple cut plates (cut plates 32a, etc.) to be manufactured from the thick plate 31a is displayed on the surface of the thick plate 31a where the identification information of the thick plate 31a is displayed. In Figure 2B, the display of this information is shown as an example when it is done by a secondary manufacturer. This display is done, for example, by stencil. Note that other information may also be displayed on the thick plate 31a.

[0031] The operator of the secondary manufacturer uses a terminal device 20b or the like to capture an image of the area of ​​the plate surface of the plate 31a that includes the area where the identification information of the plate 31a and the identification information of the cut plate (cut plate 32a, etc.) are displayed. In this case, an image of the entire plate surface of the plate 31a where the identification information of the plate 31a and the identification information of the cut plate are displayed may be captured. If the identification information of the plate 31a and the identification information of the cut plate (for example, the entire plate surface of the plate 31a) cannot be included in a single captured image, the terminal device 20b may create a single captured image (for example, a captured image of the entire plate surface of the plate 31a) that simultaneously displays the identification information of the plate 31a and the identification information of the cut plate by stitching together multiple captured images. In this case, it is preferable that captured images at mutually adjacent positions include areas that are common to each other.

[0032] For example, the identification information for the thick plate 31a and the identification information for the cut plate do not have to be displayed on the same plate surface. In this case, it is preferable for the terminal device 20b to create a single image in which the identification information for the thick plate 31a and the identification information for the cut plate are displayed by stitching together multiple captured images.

[0033] Furthermore, although not shown in the diagram here, this embodiment illustrates a case in which, by using a terminal device 20c or the like, an image of the region including the area where the identification information of the cut plates 32a to 32b and the identification information of the rolled steel pipes 33a to 33b is displayed can be obtained for the rolled steel pipes 33a to 33b as well.

[0034] As described above, this embodiment exemplifies a case where a photograph containing identification information for the primary product is taken by an operator of the primary manufacturer. Furthermore, this embodiment exemplifies a case where a photograph containing identification information for the nth-th product and identification information for the (n+1th)th-th product is taken by an operator of the (n+1th)th- Furthermore, for example, if the nth-order manufacturer can display the identification information of the (n+1)th-order product and the identification information of the nth-order product on the nth-order product, the captured image including the identification information of the nth-order product and the identification information of the (n+1)th-order product may be taken by the operator of the nth-order manufacturer.

[0035] In Figure 2B, for example, by taking a photograph of the entire surface of the plate 31a where the identification information of the plate 31a and the identification information of the cut plate are displayed, it is possible to prove that the cut plate (cut plate 32a, etc.) with identification information 221a to 221h is a product manufactured from the plate 31a. In this embodiment, an example is given in which the photograph used to prove the relationship between the nth-th product and the (n+1th)th-th product. Such a photograph used to prove the relationship between the nth-th product and the (n+1th)th-th product is an example of proof information for proving that the relationship between the nth-th product and the (n+1th)th-th product is obtained (i.e., proving that the (n+1th)th-th product was obtained from the nth-th product). Note that the proof information is not limited to the photograph used to prove the relationship. For example, design data (e.g., CAD (Computer Aided Design) data) showing the display positions of the identification information 211 of the plate 31a and the identification information 221a to 221h of the cut plate on the plate 31a may be used as proof information.

[0036] Furthermore, it is not necessary to prove, through a single piece of proof, that there is a relationship between the nth-th product and the (n+1th)th-th product. For example, if the identification information of the first product is common to both a photograph used to prove a relationship that includes the identification information of the first-th product and the identification information of the second-th product, and another photograph used to prove a relationship that includes the identification information of the first-th product and the identification information of the third-th product, then it can be proven that the third-th product was obtained from the second-th product. In this case, these two photographs used to prove a relationship are examples of proof.

[0037] As described above, the proof information may also be information indicating that information identifying the p-th and q-th products included in the first to Nth-th products is displayed on the p-th product. Here, p is at least one integer selected from 1 to N-1, and q is at least one integer selected from greater than p and less than or equal to N. The proof information may also include a photograph of the area of ​​the p-th product where information identifying the p-th and q-th products is displayed (for example, the aforementioned photograph for proof of association).

[0038] Figure 3 shows an example of the functional configuration of the processing unit 10 and the terminal device 20. Terminal devices 20 correspond to terminal devices 20a to 20c. In other words, Figure 3 illustrates the case where the constituent configurations of terminal devices 20a to 20c are the same.

[0039] Figure 3 illustrates a case where the processing unit 10 comprises a registration information acquisition unit 311, a storage control unit 312, a storage unit 313, a request reception unit 314, a response acquisition unit 315, and an output unit 316. Figure 3 also illustrates a case where the terminal device 20 comprises a registration request unit 321, a request unit 322, a response reception unit 323, and an output unit 324. An example of the function of each unit is described below.

[0040] <Registration Request Section 321> The registration request unit 321 requests the registration of information managed by the processing unit 10. In the following description, the information that the terminal device 20 requests the processing unit 10 to register will be referred to as registration information, as needed.

[0041] In this embodiment, we illustrate a case where the registration information includes one of the following identification pieces of information: the identification information of terminal devices 20a to 20c managed by the w-th manufacturer, and the identification information of terminal device 20d managed by the construction contractor. w is an integer between 1 and N, inclusive.

[0042] In this case, the processing unit 10 may be pre-configured with business identification information, which is information that links the identification information of the business operator (manufacturer and construction company) that manages each terminal device 20 with the identification information of the terminal device 20. Based on the identification information of the terminal device 20 included in the registration information and the business identification information, the processing unit 10 can identify which of the first to Nth products the registration information pertains to.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, examples are given of cases where the registration information includes identification information of terminal devices 20a to 20c managed by the w-th manufacturer, and where the registration information includes identification information of products manufactured by the w-th manufacturer. In the following description, such identification information will be referred to as proprietary product identification information as needed. By transmitting registration information including proprietary product identification information to the processing unit 10, the processing unit 10 can easily determine which product the registration information transmitted from the terminal device 20 represents.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the registration information includes product identification information for a w-th-order product other than the first-order product, we will illustrate the case where the registration information includes at least one identification information for a lower-order product among products that have a product relationship with the product identified by the product identification information. In the following description, such identification information will be referred to as parent product identification information as needed. Note that "lower-order" refers to a small order. For example, a product lower in order than the second-order product is a first-order product. Also, "higher-order" refers to a large order.

[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the registration information includes product identification information for a w-th product other than the first product, the registration information may include product information for the product identified by that product identification information. In the following description, such product information will be referred to as product information as needed.

[0046] Product information includes, for example, information used during the manufacturing of the product. For example, product information may include manufacturing condition information for the s-th product. Here, s is at least one integer selected from 1 to N. The manufacturing condition information includes at least one of the design value (target value), actual value, and estimated value (calculated value) of the product's manufacturing conditions. The manufacturing conditions for the s-th product may be obtained from the s-th product after manufacturing, or from the s-th product during manufacturing.

[0047] The manufacturing conditions for a plate, which is an example of a primary product, may include, for example, the attributes of the plate (e.g., at least one of size, mass, volume, and composition). Here, the composition of the plate remains the same for cut plates and rolled steel pipes. Thus, the composition of the plate is an example of product information common to primary products through Nth-order products. Since product information common to primary products through Nth-order products is information related to the essence of the product, it is often used as important information during the manufacturing of each product.

[0048] Furthermore, the manufacturing conditions for thick plates may include at least one of the following: the temperature during hot rolling, the rolling load during hot rolling, and the temperature after hot rolling (for example, at least one of the temperatures before cooling, during cooling, and immediately after cooling). The temperature during hot rolling and the temperature after hot rolling may also be the distribution in at least one of the following directions: the width direction of the plate, the longitudinal direction (conveying direction), and the thickness direction. The rolling load during hot rolling may also be the distribution in the longitudinal direction of the plate. As described above, the manufacturing condition information may include quality control information, which is information used to control the quality of the product when manufacturing the product.

[0049] Furthermore, the manufacturing conditions for thick plates may include product quality information, such as mechanical properties. Mechanical properties include, for example, tensile strength. Quality information such as mechanical properties may be measured values ​​obtained by testing a sample, or they may be estimated values ​​(calculated values). The estimated values ​​may be distributions in at least one of the following directions: the width direction of the plate, the longitudinal direction (conveying direction), and the thickness direction. The estimated values ​​may be calculated, for example, by using a trained model obtained through machine learning. In this case, explanatory variables for the trained model may include, for example, the aforementioned components, the temperature distribution during hot rolling, the temperature distribution after hot rolling, and the distribution of rolling load. Thus, the manufacturing condition information may include quality estimation information that represents an estimated value of the product quality.

[0050] By including at least one of quality control information and quality estimation information in product information, more detailed information can be provided to businesses handling the product (manufacturers, contractors, etc.) as information useful for product use. For example, information about the distribution of rolling load and temperature during the manufacturing of the thick plate, and the distribution of the mechanical properties of the thick plate, can be provided to processing businesses (manufacturers) of the thick plate, not as representative information of the plate, but information specific to each location on the plate.

[0051] Furthermore, the manufacturing conditions for a cut plate, which is an example of a secondary product, may include cutting conditions, which are an example of product processing conditions. The cutting conditions may include, for example, the operating conditions of the cutting machine and the size after cutting. Furthermore, in the case of rolled steel pipes, which are an example of a tertiary product, the manufacturing conditions may also include forming conditions and welding conditions, which are other examples of product processing conditions. Forming conditions may include the operating conditions of the forming machine and the size after forming. Welding conditions may include, for example, the operating conditions of the welding machine.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, we illustrate a case in which the product information may include product location information indicating the location where the r-th product exists. Here, r is at least one integer selected from 1 to N. The product location information may include information indicating the current location of the r-th product. The information indicating the current location of the r-th product may, for example, be information that the r-th product is located within the premises (e.g., factory) of the r-th manufacturer. Alternatively, the information indicating the current location of the r-th product may be information indicating a more detailed location of the r-th product. For example, the current location of the r-th product may be a location inside the premises (e.g., factory) of the r-th manufacturer. In this case, the information indicating the current location of the r-th product may be represented by identification information (name) of the product's location, or it may be represented by three-dimensional coordinates as an even more detailed location. The method for obtaining the current location of a product can be realized, for example, by using the method described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7506352. Therefore, a detailed explanation is omitted here. In the following explanation, information indicating the current location of the r-th product (product location information) will be referred to as "product current location information" as needed.

[0053] Furthermore, the product location information may include information indicating the position of the r-th product within the product in which it is used. This position may be, for example, the design position of the product in which the r-th product is used, or its actual position. The information indicating this position may also be, for example, information indicating where the r-th product is used in the design drawings or images of the product in which it is used. The images may be photographs or computer graphics (CG) of the product. In the example shown in Figure 1, the product location information may include information indicating where the rolled steel pipes 33a to 33b are used in the piping. In the following explanation, the information indicating the position of the r-th product within the product in which it is used (product location information) will be referred to as product usage location information as needed.

[0054] Furthermore, the product information may include the aforementioned photographic images used to prove the relationship between products, as an example of proof information that demonstrates a relationship where the nth-th product can be obtained from the n+1th-th product.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the registration information includes identification information of a terminal device 20d managed by the construction company, an example is given in which the registration information includes identification information of the Nth-th product and product usage location information of the Nth-th product. In the example shown in Figure 1, the identification information of the Nth-th product is the identification information of the plate-wrapped steel pipes 33a to 33b. As mentioned above, when the construction company is a fourth-tier manufacturer, the terminal device 20d managed by the construction company (fourth-tier manufacturer) may also transmit the same registration information as the other terminal devices 20a to 20c.

[0056] Registration information may be input to the terminal device 20 based on an operator's input operation to the terminal device 20. For example, the operator may input information indicating the content of the registration information to the terminal device 20 by operating the terminal device 20. Alternatively, registration information may be input to the terminal device 20 by being read from a storage medium connected to the terminal device 20. Furthermore, registration information may be input to (received by the terminal device 20) by being transmitted from an external device.

[0057] <Registration Information Acquisition Unit 311> The registration information acquisition unit 311 acquires registration information. The registration information acquired by the registration information acquisition unit 311 from each terminal device 20 is managed by the processing unit 10. In this embodiment, an example is given where the registration information is information stored in the storage unit 313 by the storage control unit 312, which will be described later. In this embodiment, an example is given where the registration information acquisition unit 311 acquires registration information by receiving it transmitted from the terminal device 20 (registration request unit 321).

[0058] <Memory control unit 312, memory unit 313> The memory control unit 312 performs storage control for storage media inside or outside the device (processing device 10). In this embodiment, an example is given of the memory control unit 312 performing storage control for registered information to the storage unit 313. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a product management table 400 stored in the storage unit 313. The product management table 400 stores registered information acquired by the registered information acquisition unit 311. In this embodiment, an example is given of the storage unit 313 being realized by using a storage medium inside the processing device 10. However, at least some of the information stored in the product management table 400 may be stored in a storage medium outside the processing device 10. In this case, for example, the storage medium may be connected to the processing device 10 via wired or wireless communication. Thus, there may be one or more storage media on which the information stored in the product management table 400 is stored.

[0059] Figure 4 illustrates a case where identification information and product information for each of the first to nth products are stored as a product management table 400. Furthermore, Figure 4 illustrates a case where, for each of multiple products with product relationships, the identification information for the first to nth products and the product information for that product are stored in association. Specifically, in Figure 4, the information for the (n+1)th product and the information for the nth product stored in a field of a record common to the record (row) where the information for the (n+1)th product is stored are examples of product relationship information. For example, a second-order product identified by the identification information stored in fields 401b to 401c is a product manufactured from a first-order product identified by the identification information stored in field 401a, and the first-order product and the second-order product are products with a product relationship. Figure 4 illustrates how the information of the n+1th-order product (identification information and product information) and the information of the nth-order product (identification information and product information) can be stored in a table in this manner, thereby creating a mutually related storage environment. Figure 4 illustrates how the information stored in record group 402a represents the first group of information (identification information and product information) of first-order to Nth-order products that have mutual product relationships, and similarly, how the information stored in record group 402b represents the second group of information (identification information and product information) of first-order to Nth-order products that have mutual product relationships.

[0060] Furthermore, as mentioned above, if the information stored in the product management table 400 is stored on multiple storage media, the aforementioned associations should be maintained across the multiple storage media. In this case, for example, the identification information of the primary product may be used as key information (linking information for the aforementioned associations).

[0061] If the product identification information included in the registration information is not stored in the product management table 400, the memory control unit 312 creates (adds) a field in the product management table 400 to store the product identification information and the product information included in the registration information.

[0062] For example, if the memory control unit 312 determines, based on the aforementioned business identification information, that the registration information includes identification information for a terminal device 20a managed by the w-th manufacturer, it determines that the registration information is the registration information for the w-th product. In this case, the memory control unit 312 determines whether the self-product identification information included in the registration information is already stored in the product management table 400 as information for the "w-th product" (any one of the "first-generation product" to the "n-th-generation product") in Figure 4. If, as a result of this determination, the self-product identification information included in the registration information is not already stored as information for the "w-th product" in Figure 4, the memory control unit 312 creates a group of fields to store the self-product identification information and self-product information included in the registration information as a group of fields to store information for the "w-th product" in Figure 4, and stores the self-product identification information and self-product information in the created group of fields.

[0063] If w is 1 (i.e., the identification information of terminal device 20 included in the registration information is the identification information of terminal device 20a managed by the primary manufacturer), the storage control unit 312 creates a group of fields to store the self-product identification information and self-product information in the bottom column of the "Primary Product" column in Figure 4, for example. In this case, in Figure 4, the group of fields belonging to the "Primary Product" column included in the record group 402b is the most recent group of fields among the group of fields in which the primary product information is stored.

[0064] If w is 2 or greater, the storage control unit 312 creates a group of fields to store the self-product identification information and self-product information included in the registration information at a position where the aforementioned association can be made with the field in which the parent product identification information included in the registration information is stored, and stores the self-product identification information and self-product information in the created group of fields. Specifically, in the product management table 400, the storage control unit 312 creates a group of fields to store the self-product identification information and self-product information included in the registration information in a record that is common to the record to which the field in which the parent product identification information included in the registration information is stored belongs, and stores the self-product identification information and self-product information in the created group of fields. For example, the group of fields 401b and 401f is a group of fields created (added) based on registration information in which the identification information stored in field 401a is included as parent product identification information, and the identification information stored in field 401b is included as self-product identification information. Note that in Figure 4, for the sake of notation, the "Manufacturing Conditions Information," "Product Location Information," and "Certification Information" columns for "Second-Term Product"..."Nth-Term Product" are not shown. However, similar to "First-Term Product," the "Product Information" column for "Second-Term Product"..."Nth-Term Product" also contains columns for "Manufacturing Conditions Information," "Product Location Information," and "Certification Information."

[0065] Furthermore, when the memory control unit 312 creates (adds) fields to the product management table 400 in the manner described above, it leaves blank any fields for items not included in the registered information. Also, as mentioned earlier, the manufacturing condition information has multiple items. Although not shown in Figure 4, the memory control unit 312 creates multiple fields to store the manufacturing condition information for each of these multiple items.

[0066] On the other hand, if the self-product identification information included in the registration information is already stored as information for the "wth product" in Figure 4, the storage control unit 312 stores the self-product information included in the registration information in the field that stores the product information of the product identified by the self-product identification information.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the registration information includes product current location information as product information, and the product current location information of the product information is already stored in the product management table 400, the memory control unit 312 updates the already stored product current location information to the product current location information included in the registration information. In this case, the memory control unit 312 may store the already stored product current location information as history information of product location information, as separate information from the updated product current location information, in the product management table 400. Also, if the memory control unit 312 stores the product current location information of an n+1th-order product that has a product relationship with the nth-order product, it may delete the product current location information of the nth-order product, because the nth-order product itself no longer exists.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the registration information includes product usage location information, the memory control unit 312 stores the product usage location information in the product management table 400 (in the "Usage Location" column of the product location information). The product usage location information for the mth-th product may be created by the (m+1th)-th manufacturer. m is at least one integer selected from 1 to N-1. In this case, the memory control unit 312 may store the component usage location information included in the registration information transmitted from the terminal device 20 managed by the (m+1th)-th manufacturer in a field belonging to the "Usage Location" column of the "Product Location Information" in the product management table 400, in the field where information on the "mth-th product" that has a product relationship with the product identified by the self-product identification information included in the registration information is stored. For example, if the registration information includes the identification information stored in field 401b as the self-product identification information, the component usage location information included in the registration information is stored in field 401d.

[0069] Furthermore, the product usage location information for the Nth-th product may be created by the construction contractor. In this case, the memory control unit 312 may store the component usage location information included in the registration information transmitted from the terminal device 20d managed by the construction contractor in a field belonging to the "Usage Location" column of the "Product Location Information" in the product management table 400, in the field where the information of the Nth-th product included in the registration information is stored.

[0070] Furthermore, the product usage location information for the mth-th product may be provided by the mth-th manufacturer. In this case, the memory control unit 312 may store the component usage location information included in the registration information transmitted from the terminal device 20 managed by the mth-th manufacturer in a field belonging to the usage location column of the product location information in the product management table 400, specifically in the field where the information for the mth-th product is stored. In this case, the terminal device 20d managed by the construction company does not need to transmit the registration information.

[0071] Furthermore, as mentioned above, product usage location information may be information using captured images or information using computer graphics of the product. Figures 5A and 5B show examples of product usage location information. Figure 5A shows an example of product usage location information represented using a captured image. In Figure 5A, the Nth product is a rolled steel pipe 33a to 33b, and the captured image is an image of the area including the rolled steel pipes 33a to 33b after installation. As illustrated in Figure 5A, for example, product usage location information may be written on a construction blackboard 510, and then the area including the construction blackboard and the rolled steel pipes 33a to 33b may be photographed, and the captured image may be used as product usage location information.

[0072] Figure 5B shows an example of component usage location information represented using computer graphics (CG). In Figure 5B, the Nth-th product is a steel frame, and the CG is a structure constructed using the steel frame. In Figure 5B, component usage location information is represented by displaying a dashed line and text information indicating the position of a steel frame, which is an example of the Nth-th product and has the identification information "TR1," within the structure, together with the CG displaying the structure.

[0073] In addition, in the third-tier manufacturer illustrated in Figure 1, at least one of the photographic images and CG of the rolled steel pipes 33a to 33b may be acquired as part usage position information. Based on this part usage position information, it is determined that, among the rolled steel pipes 33a to 33b, the cut plate 32a with identification information "123A" is located relatively to the left side of the plane of Figure 1, and the cut plate 32b with identification information "456A" is located relatively to the right side of the plane of Figure 1.

[0074] The memory control unit 312 may store the storage location (address, etc.) of the image file as part usage location information in the product management table 400. The memory control unit 312 may also store the hyperlink to the image file in the product management table 400.

[0075] <Request part 322> The request unit 322 requests the processing unit 10 to transmit or display information on primary to Nth-order products managed by the processing unit 10. In the following description, the information transmitted from the request unit 322 to the processing unit 10 at this time will be referred to as request information as needed. In this embodiment, an example is given in which the request unit 322 requests the transmission of information managed by the processing unit 10 (in this embodiment, information stored in the product management table 400).

[0076] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example is given in which the processing unit 10 can transmit arbitrary information stored in the product management table 400 to all terminal devices 20a to 20d identified by the aforementioned business operator identification information that is pre-configured in the processing unit 10. However, for example, the processing unit 10 may be configured to not transmit information stored in the product management table 400 to the terminal devices 20. Such a configuration may be one in which the information is not transmitted to all terminal devices 20, or it may be one in which the information is not transmitted to some terminal devices 20. In this case, even if a request for such information is made by the terminal device 20, the processing unit 10 will not transmit the information to the terminal device 20. The processing unit 10 may also send a transmission failure message to the terminal device 20 indicating that the information cannot be transmitted.

[0077] Furthermore, the management of the information stored in the product management table 400 may be performed only by a specific manufacturer (for example, a primary manufacturer). In this case, updates to information other than the current product location information (information stored in the "Current Location" column of "Product Location Information" in Figure 4) may be performed only by that specific manufacturer. In this case, the processing unit 10 may be a device managed by that specific manufacturer.

[0078] Request information may also be input to the terminal device 20 based on the operator's input operation to the terminal device 20. In this case, the operator may input the identification information of the u-th product as information to be included in the request information. u is at least one integer selected from 1 to N. The identification information of the u-th product may be the identification information of the operator's own product, or it may be the identification information of a product other than the operator's own product.

[0079] Furthermore, the operator may input related order identification information, which is information for identifying the order of products that have a product relationship with the u-th product, as information to include in the request information. Related order identification information may include a number indicating the order. For example, when requesting information on the 1st-th product that has a product relationship with the u-th product, the related order identification information may include "1". Also, related order identification information may include information that indirectly indicates the order. For example, when requesting information on the u-th product from the 1st-th product that has a product relationship with the u-th product, the related order identification information may include information indicating all orders lower than u. Also, when requesting information only on the u-th product that has a product relationship with the u-th product, the information indicating an order one order lower than u may be included. Also, when requesting information on the u-th product (i.e., information on products manufactured by the u-th manufacturer itself), the related order identification information may include "u" or "unspecified (null)".

[0080] Furthermore, the operator may input request type information, which indicates the type of information to be sent to the processing unit 10 from the information stored in the product management table 400, as information to be included in the request information. The type of information indicated by the request type information may include, for example, at least one of identification information and product information.

[0081] Furthermore, for example, if product information is specified as the type of information indicated by the request type information, the type of information may be specified for each item included in the product information. For example, only "manufacturing condition information" may be specified in the request type information. Also, as mentioned above, manufacturing condition information has multiple items. One or more of these multiple items may be specified. Product location information also includes product current location information (current location) and product usage location information. These pieces of information may be specified individually in the request type information.

[0082] As described above, this embodiment illustrates a case in which the request unit 322 transmits request information to the processing unit 10, which includes identification information for the u-th product, related order identification information, and request type information.

[0083] When transmitting request information, the request unit 322 may display a request information creation screen on a display device provided by the terminal device 20 or a display device connected to the terminal device 20, based on the operator's input to the terminal device 20. For example, the request information creation screen may display a selection field for the identification information of the u-th product, a selection field for the related order identification information, and a selection field for the request type information (the type of information mentioned above). These selection fields may be a GUI (Graphical User Interface). For example, the GUI may be a pull-down menu and radio buttons. When creating the request information creation screen, the request unit 322 may communicate with the processing device 10 to obtain the information necessary for creating the request information creation screen from the processing device 10. The request information creation screen may also be a screen displayed by a web browser.

[0084] <Request Reception Unit 314> The request receiving unit 314 receives input of identification information that identifies at least one product from the first-order product to the Nth-order product. In this embodiment, an example is given where the request receiving unit 314 receives input of identification information for any product from the first-order product to the Nth-order product. In this way, for example, the terminal device 20 can flexibly and efficiently search for the information it needs from the information managed by the processing device 10 (in this embodiment, the information stored in the product management table 400). For example, if only the input of identification information for the first-order product is received, the second-order to Nth-order products that have a product relationship with the first-order product identified by the identification information stored in field 401a will be the products identified by the identification information stored in record group 402a. On the other hand, for example, by receiving input of identification information for the second-order product, it is possible to search for identification information and product information of the first-order product that has a product relationship with the said second-order product. In this way, it is possible to search for information on products of lower indices that have a product relationship with products of higher indices. Furthermore, for example, identification information and product information for the Nth-order product can be searched from a third-order product that has a product relationship with a second-order product. In this way, the searched information can be narrowed down by searching for information on higher-order products that have a product relationship with a higher-order product. However, the request receiving unit 314 may accept input of identification information for a specific product from the first-order to the Nth-order products. The number of specific products (number of orders) may be 1 or 2 or more.

[0085] In this embodiment, an example is given in which the request receiving unit 314 receives request information transmitted from the terminal device 20 (request unit 322). However, the request receiving unit 314 does not necessarily have to accept the input of request information in this manner. For example, an operator of the processing unit 10 may input information indicating the content of the request information to the processing unit 10 by operating an input device provided by the processing unit 10 or an input device connected to the processing unit 10. In this case, the request receiving unit 314 may input this information as request information.

[0086] <Answer acquisition unit 315> The response acquisition unit 315 acquires at least one of the following: product information of a product identified by the identification information received as input by the request reception unit 314; identification information of a product related to that product; and product information of the product related to that product.

[0087] In this embodiment, we illustrate a case in which the response acquisition unit 315 acquires the requested information from the information stored in the product management table 400 based on the request information received by the request reception unit 314. As mentioned above, in this embodiment, we illustrate a case in which the request information includes the identification information of the u-th product, related order identification information, and request type information.

[0088] As mentioned above, the related order identification information includes information for identifying the order of products that have a product relationship with the u-th product. The request type information indicates the type of information to be requested to be transmitted to the processing unit 10. The request type information includes, for example, at least one of the following: product information of products that have a product relationship with the n-th product, identification information of products that have a product relationship with the n-th product, and product information of the n-th product. In addition, the request type information may specify items for product information.

[0089] The response acquisition unit 315 selects at least one product from "1st-order product" to "Nth-order product" in the product management table 400, for example, based on the related order identification information. The product selected in this way will be called the v-th-order product, where v is at least one integer selected between 1 and N. If the related order identification information is not expressed as a number, the response acquisition unit 315 can select the v-th-order product, for example, based on the identification information of the u-th-order product and the related order identification information.

[0090] Next, the response acquisition unit 315 selects an item of the type indicated in the request type information from the "vth product" item (identification information and product information), and reads the information of the fields belonging to the record (row) that is common to the record to which the field containing the identification information of the uth product belongs.

[0091] For example, suppose the request information includes identification information (identification information for the second-order product) stored in field 401b as identification information for the u-th order product, "1" as related order identification information, and product current location information as request type information. In this case, the response acquisition unit 315 selects the "first-order product" in the product management table 400 as the v-th order product based on the related order identification information. Next, the response acquisition unit 315 selects the "current location" of the "product location information" from the items of the first-order product selected as the v-th order product based on the request type information, and reads the information of field 401e belonging to the record that is common to the record to which field 401b, which stores the identification information for the u-th order product, belongs among the records of the selected "current location".

[0092] In this embodiment, we illustrate a case in which the response acquisition unit 315 acquires at least one of the following from the product management table 400 in the manner described above: product information of a product identified by the identification information input received by the request acceptance unit 314; identification information of a product related to the product identified by the identification information input received by the request acceptance unit 314; and product information of a product related to the product identified by the identification information input received by the request acceptance unit 314.

[0093] In the following explanation, the product information of the product identified by the identification information received by the request reception unit 314 will be referred to as the requested product information, as necessary. Furthermore, the identification information of products related to the product identified by the identification information received by the request reception unit 314 will be referred to as the related product identification information, as necessary. The product information of products related to the product identified by the identification information received by the request reception unit 314 will be referred to as the related product information, as necessary.

[0094] <Output section 316> The output unit 316 outputs the requested product information, related product identification information, and information that identifies the information acquired by the response acquisition unit 315 from the related product information. In the following description, the information output by the output unit 316 will be referred to as response information as necessary. In this embodiment, an example is given in which the output unit 316 transmits the response information obtained based on the requested information to the terminal device 20 that transmitted the requested information. In addition to or instead of transmitting the requested information to the terminal device 20, the output unit 316 may also display the requested information on a display device provided by the processing unit 10 or a display device connected to the processing unit 10.

[0095] <Response Reception Department 323> The response receiving unit 323 receives the response information output from the processing unit 10 (output unit 316). In this embodiment, an example is given in which the response information is received by receiving the response information transmitted from the processing unit 10 (output unit 316).

[0096] <Output section 324> The output unit 324 outputs the response information received by the response reception unit 323. For example, the output unit 324 may display the response information on a display device provided by the terminal device 20 or a display device connected to the terminal device 20. Alternatively, for example, the output unit 324 may transmit the response information to an external device. Alternatively, for example, the output unit 324 may store the response information on an internal or external storage medium of the terminal device 20.

[0097] <Processing method> Next, an example of a processing method performed using the processing device 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts in Figures 6A and 6B. First, referring to the flowchart in Figure 6A, we will explain an example of the processing method for performing memory control on the product management table 400.

[0098] In the first step S601, the registration information acquisition unit 311 acquires (receives) the registration information transmitted from the terminal device 20 (registration request unit 321).

[0099] As described above, this embodiment exemplifies a case where the registration information includes one of the following identification information: the identification information of terminal devices 20a to 20c managed by the w-th manufacturer, and the identification information of terminal device 20d managed by the construction contractor.

[0100] Furthermore, as mentioned above, in this embodiment, when the registration information includes identification information of terminal devices 20a to 20c managed by the w-th manufacturer, we illustrate the case where the registration information includes identification information of products manufactured by the w-th manufacturer (self-product identification information).

[0101] Furthermore, as mentioned above, in this embodiment, when the registration information includes product identification information for a w-th-order product other than the first-order product, we illustrate the case where the registration information includes at least one identification information (parent product identification information) for a lower-order product among products that have a product relationship with the product identified by the product identification information.

[0102] Furthermore, as mentioned above, in this embodiment, if the registration information includes product identification information for a w-th product other than the first product, we will illustrate a case where the registration information may include product information (product information) for the product identified by the product identification information.

[0103] Furthermore, as mentioned above, this embodiment exemplifies a case where product information includes at least one of the following: manufacturing condition information, product location information, and certification information (certification images). Manufacturing condition information may include, for example, product attribute information, quality control information, quality estimation information, and processing condition information. Product information may include information on at least one of these multiple items. Product location information may include, for example, current product location information and product usage location information. Product information may include information on at least one of these two items.

[0104] Furthermore, as mentioned above, in this embodiment, when the registration information includes identification information of a terminal device 20d managed by the construction company, we will illustrate the case where the registration information includes identification information of the Nth-th product and product usage location information of the Nth-th product.

[0105] Next, in step S602, the memory control unit 312 determines whether the registration information obtained in step S601 is registration information from manufacturer w, based on the identification information of the terminal device 20 included in the registration information. If, as a result of this determination, the registration information obtained in step S601 is not registration information from manufacturer w (the result in NO in step S602), the process in step S607, which will be described later, is performed. In this case, the registration information obtained in step S601 is registration information from the construction contractor.

[0106] On the other hand, if the registration information obtained in step S601 is registration information from the wth manufacturer (if the answer is YES in step S602), the process in step S603 is performed. In step S603, the memory control unit 312 determines whether the self-product identification information included in the registration information obtained in step S601 is stored in the product management table 400 as the identification information for the "wth product" in Figure 4 (where w is an integer between 1 and N). If the result of this determination is that the self-product identification information is stored in the product management table 400 (if the answer is YES in step S603), the process in step S604 is performed.

[0107] In step S604, the memory control unit 312 stores the product information of the product identified by the product identification information included in the registration information acquired in step S601 in a field that stores the product information of the product identified by the product identification information included in the registration information acquired in step S601. Here, if the registration information acquired in step S601 includes product current location information as product information, and the product current location information of the product information is already stored in the product management table 400, the memory control unit 312 updates the already stored product current location information with the product current location information included in the registration information. When the processing in step S604 is completed, the processing according to the flowchart in Figure 6A is completed.

[0108] If the result of the determination in step S603 is that the product identification information is not stored in the product management table 400 (the result is NO in step S603), the process in step S605 is performed. In step S605, the storage control unit 312 creates a group of fields to store the product identification information and product information included in the registration information obtained in step S601, as a group of fields to store the information of the "wth product" in Figure 4.

[0109] Next, in step S606, the memory control unit 312 stores the product identification information and product information included in the registration information acquired in step S601 in the group of fields created in step S605. When the processing in step S606 is completed, the processing shown in the flowchart in Figure 6A is completed.

[0110] If, as a result of the determination in step S602 described above, the registration information obtained in step S601 is not registration information from the wth manufacturer but from the construction company (if the result is NO in step S602), then the process in step S607 is performed. In step S607, the memory control unit 312 stores the product usage location information contained in the registration information in the field belonging to the "Usage Location" column of the "Product Location Information" of the "Nth Product" in the product management table 400, which stores the Nth product identified by the identification information of the Nth product contained in the registration information obtained in step S601. When the process in step S607 is completed, the process according to the flowchart in Figure 6A is completed.

[0111] Next, an example of the processing method when the processing unit 10 outputs response information will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 6B. Note that the information read from the product management table 400 in the flowchart in Figure 6B is assumed to have been stored in the product management table 400 according to the flowchart in Figure 6A before the processing in the flowchart in Figure 6B begins.

[0112] In the first step S611, the request receiving unit 314 acquires (receives) the request information transmitted from the terminal device 20 (request unit 322). As described above, this embodiment exemplifies a case where the request information includes identification information for the u-th product, related order identification information, and request type information. The related order identification information is information for identifying the order of products that have a product relationship with the u-th product. The request type information is information indicating the type of information stored in the product management table 400 that is requested to be sent to the processing unit 10.

[0113] Next, in step S612, the response acquisition unit 315 determines whether the request based on the request information is a request for requested product information, based on the related order identification information included in the request information acquired in step S611. The requested product information is the product information for the u-th product. The determination in step S612 is made, for example, by determining whether the request based on the request information is a request for information for the u-th product, based on whether the related order identification information includes, for example, "u" or "not specified (null)".

[0114] As a result of this determination, if the request based on the request information obtained in step S611 is a request for requested product information (if the result is YES in step S612), the process in step S613 is performed. In step S613, the response acquisition unit 315 acquires (reads) the product information of the type (item) indicated in the request type information included in the request information for the u-th product identified by the identification information included in the request information obtained in step S611, from the product management table 400 as requested product information.

[0115] Then, in step S614, the output unit 316 outputs (sends) information identifying the requested product information acquired in step S613 as response information to the processing unit 10, which was the source of the request information acquired in step S611. When the processing in step S614 is completed, the processing according to the flowchart in Figure 6B is completed.

[0116] If, as a result of the determination in step S612 described above, the request based on the request information obtained in step S611 is not a request for requested product information (the result is NO in step S612), the process in step S615 is performed. In step S615, the response acquisition unit 315 determines whether the request based on the request information is a request for related product identification information, based on the request type information included in the request information obtained in step S611. Related product identification information is the identification information of products that have a product relationship with the u-th product. The determination in step S612 is performed, for example, by determining whether the type (item) shown in the requested product identification information is identification information.

[0117] As a result of this determination, if the request based on the request information obtained in step S611 is a request for related product identification information (if the result is YES in step S615), the process in step S616 is performed. In step S616, the response acquisition unit 315 acquires (reads) the identification information of products having a product relationship identified based on the related order identification information contained in the request information, for the u-th product identified by the identification information contained in the request information obtained in step S611, from the product management table 400 as related product identification information.

[0118] Then, in step S614 described above, the output unit 316 outputs (sends) information identifying the related product identification information acquired in step S616 as response information to the processing unit 10, which is the source of the request information acquired in step S611. When the processing in step S614 is completed, the processing according to the flowchart in Figure 6B is completed.

[0119] If the result of the determination in step S615 is that the request based on the request information obtained in step S611 is not a request for related product identification information (the result in NO in step S615), then the process in step S617 is performed. In this case, the request based on the request information obtained in step S611 is a request for related product information. The related product information is the product information of products that have a product relationship with the u-th product.

[0120] In step S617, the response acquisition unit 315 acquires (reads) from the product management table 400 as related product information the product information of the type (item) indicated in the request type information included in the request information, for the u-th product identified by the identification information included in the request information acquired in step S611, based on the related order identification information included in the request information.

[0121] Then, in step S614 as described above, the output unit 316 outputs (sends) the information identifying the related product information acquired in step S617 as response information to the processing unit 10, which is the source of the request information acquired in step S611. When the processing in step S614 is completed, the processing according to the flowchart in Figure 6B is completed.

[0122] <Summary> As described above, in this embodiment, the processing unit 10 receives input of identification information that identifies at least one product from among the first-order to the Nth-order products that have product relationships with each other, obtains at least one of the following: product information of the product identified by the identification information, identification information of products that have a product relationship with the product identified by the identification information, and product information of products that have a product relationship with the product identified by the identification information, and outputs response information that identifies that information.Therefore, using the identification information of at least one product from among the first-order to the Nth-order products as a key, it is possible to adaptively search for and output the necessary information from the information of multiple products that have product relationships.For example, if a business that handles a product manufactured by another manufacturer (such as a manufacturer or construction company) needs information about that product, by providing the processing unit 10 with product identification information that the business can recognize, the processing unit 10 can use that identification information as a key to search for the information the business needs.This increases the probability of being able to find the necessary information even if, for example, the identification information of a specific product (e.g., a first-order product) is unknown.Also, for example, information on a lower-order product can be searched for as information on a product that has a product relationship with a higher-order product. Conversely, information on products with a product relationship to a lower-order product can be searched for. Therefore, it is possible to narrow down the information needed by businesses that handle products with product relationships.

[0123] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the processing device 10 acquires information as product information that includes at least one of the quality control information and quality estimation information of the product. Therefore, more detailed information can be provided to businesses handling the product, as information that is useful for the use of the product.

[0124] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the processing device 10 acquires information as product information that includes information common to the first to the Nth products that have product relationships. Therefore, it is possible to provide the characteristics common to the first to the Nth products that have product relationships to businesses that handle each of the products that have product relationships with one another.

[0125] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the processing device 10 acquires information including certification information, which is information that proves that a product is related to another product. Therefore, businesses that handle related products can be made to confirm what products their products are manufactured from.

[0126] In this case, by including information in the certification information indicating that information identifying the p-th and q-th products, which are included in the first to nth-th products, is displayed on the p-th product, businesses handling the q-th product can easily and reliably confirm that the q-th product is related to the p-th product. Furthermore, by including a photograph of the area within the p-th product where information identifying the p-th and q-th products is displayed in the certification information, businesses handling the q-th product can more easily confirm that the q-th product is related to the p-th product.

[0127] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the processing unit 10 acquires information including product location information that indicates the location where the r-th product, which is included in the 1st to Nth-th products, exists, as product information. Therefore, it can provide businesses that handle products with product relationships with the location of the products they require. In this case, by updating the product location information, the processing unit 10 can provide businesses that handle products with product relationships with the location of the products they require, with more accurate location information. In addition, by acquiring information including information indicating the location of the r-th product in the product in which the r-th product is used, the processing unit 10 can determine the location of the r-th product even if, for example, it becomes difficult to identify the location of the r-th product after the completion of the product in which the r-th product is used (for example, if the r-th product is hidden and no longer visible).

[0128] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the processing apparatus 10 acquires information including manufacturing condition information for the s-th product, which is included in the first to nth-th products, as product information. Therefore, detailed information useful for the use of the product can be provided to businesses handling the product.

[0129] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the processing unit 10 obtains product information for a product identified by the identification information received as input from information stored in at least one storage medium, either internal or external to the device. This storage medium stores, for each of a plurality of products with product relationships, at least the identification information of the first to the Nth products and the product information of that product, associated with each other. Therefore, product information can be retrieved more easily. In this case, the at least one storage medium may be located internally or externally to the processing unit 10. The processing unit 10 may also perform storage control over the storage medium. In this way, the management of information stored in the storage medium can be achieved using a single processing unit 10. The processing unit 10 also stores the identification information of products with product relationships with the product identified by the identification information stored in the storage medium, associating it with the identification information stored in the storage medium. By associating the identification information of multiple products with mutual product relationships, for example, information on any other product can be retrieved using any of the identification information of the multiple products as a key.

[0130] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the processing unit 10 manages multiple products that have product relationships, including a relationship in which, in at least one n, the (n+1)th-order product is one or more products obtained from a part of the nth-order product. Therefore, even when multiple products have complex product relationships, the necessary information can be reliably retrieved and output using the product identification information as a key.

[0131] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the processing unit 10 manages products from different manufacturers as primary products and Nth-order products. Therefore, for example, the manufacturer of the Nth-order product (Nth-order manufacturer) can obtain information on the primary product without having to query the manufacturer of the primary product (primary manufacturer).

[0132] (Other embodiments) Furthermore, the embodiments of this disclosure described above can be realized by a computer executing a program. A computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded, and computer program products such as the program itself, can also be applied as embodiments of this disclosure. Examples of recording media that can be used include flexible disks, hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, non-volatile memory cards, ROMs, and the like. Furthermore, the embodiments of this disclosure described above are merely examples of concrete implementations of this disclosure, and the technical scope of this disclosure should not be interpreted as being limited by them. In other words, this disclosure can be implemented in various ways without departing from its technical concept or its main features.

[0133] Furthermore, the disclosure of the above embodiments is as follows, for example. [Disclosure 1] A processing apparatus for managing multiple products that have a relationship in which the nth product yields the (n+1)th product, A request receiving unit that receives input of identification information that identifies at least one product from the first to the nth product, A response acquisition unit that acquires product information of the product identified by the aforementioned identification information, An output unit that outputs information identifying the product information obtained by the response acquisition unit, Equipped with, N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, n is an N-1 integer chosen from between 1 and N-1. Processing device. [Disclosure 2] The aforementioned product information includes, as manufacturing condition information for the product, at least one of the quality control information and quality estimation information for the product. The processing apparatus described in Disclosure 1. [Disclosure 3] A processing apparatus for managing multiple products that have a relationship in which the nth product yields the (n+1)th product, A request receiving unit that receives input of identification information that identifies at least one product from the first to the nth product, A response acquisition unit that acquires product information of products having a relationship with the product identified by the aforementioned identification information, An output unit that outputs information identifying the product information obtained by the response acquisition unit, Equipped with, N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, n is an N-1 integer chosen from between 1 and N-1. Processing device. [Disclosure 4] The aforementioned product information includes information common to the aforementioned related first-generation to nth-generation products, The processing apparatus described in any one of disclosures 1 to 3. [Disclosure 5] The product information includes certification information which is information that proves that the product is related to the aforementioned product. The processing apparatus described in any one of disclosures 1 to 4. [Disclosure 6] The aforementioned certification information includes information indicating that the p-th and q-th products included in the first to nth products are displayed on the p-th product, p is at least one integer chosen between 1 and N-1, q is at least one integer chosen from between p and N. The processing apparatus described in Disclosure 5. [Disclosure 7] The aforementioned certification information includes a photograph of the area within the region of the p-th product where information identifying the p-th product and the q-th product is displayed. The processing apparatus described in Disclosure 6. [Disclosure 8] The aforementioned product information includes product location information indicating the location where the r-th product, which is included in the 1st to Nth-th products, is located. r is at least one integer chosen from between 1 and N (inclusive). The processing apparatus described in any one of disclosures 1 to 7. [Disclosure 9] A storage control unit that performs storage control for storage media inside or outside the device, A registration information acquisition unit that acquires information stored in the aforementioned storage medium, Equipped with, The registration information acquisition unit acquires at least the product location information of the third product, The response acquisition unit acquires the product location information from the information stored in the storage medium, The memory control unit updates the product location information of the third product stored in the storage medium with the product location information acquired by the registration information acquisition unit. The processing apparatus described in Disclosure 8. [Disclosure 10] The product location information includes information indicating the location of the r-th product in the product in which the r-th product is used. The apparatus described in disclosure 8 or 9. [Disclosure 11] The aforementioned product information includes manufacturing condition information for the s-th product included in the first to Nth products, s is at least one integer chosen from between 1 and N (inclusive). The processing apparatus described in any one of disclosures 1 to 10. [Disclosure 12] A processing apparatus for managing multiple products that have a relationship in which the nth product yields the (n+1)th product, A request receiving unit that receives input of identification information that identifies at least one product from the first to the nth product, A response acquisition unit that acquires the identification information of products that have a relationship with the product identified by the aforementioned identification information, An output unit that outputs the identification information obtained by the response acquisition unit, Equipped with, N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, n is an N-1 integer chosen from between 1 and N-1. Processing device. [Disclosure 13] The response acquisition unit acquires product information of the product identified by the identification information from information stored in an internal or external storage medium of the device. The aforementioned storage medium consists of at least one, The at least one storage medium stores, for each of the related products, at least the identification information of the first to the Nth product and the product information of that product in association with each of the related products. The processing apparatus described in any one of disclosures 1 to 12. [Disclosure 14] The system includes a storage control unit that performs storage control for the storage medium. The processing apparatus described in Disclosure 13. [Disclosure 15] The storage control unit stores the identification information of products related to the product identified by the identification information stored in the storage medium in association with the identification information stored in the storage medium. The processing apparatus described in Disclosure 14. [Disclosure 16] The response acquisition unit acquires at least one of the following: at least one piece of product information stored in the storage medium in association with the identification information; at least one piece of identification information stored in the storage medium as identification information for a product related to the product identified by the identification information; and at least one piece of product information stored in the storage medium in association with the identification information for the related product. The processing apparatus described in any one of disclosures 13 to 15. [Disclosure 17] The aforementioned relationship includes, in at least one n, the relationship that the (n+1)th-order product is one or more products obtained from a portion of the nth-order product. The processing apparatus described in any one of disclosures 1 to 16. [Disclosure 18] The aforementioned first product and the aforementioned nth product are products of different manufacturers. The processing apparatus described in any one of disclosures 1 to 17. [Disclosure 19] The previous primary product is a steel product. The processing apparatus described in any one of disclosures 1 to 18. [Disclosure 20] A processing method for managing multiple products that have a relationship such that the nth product yields the (n+1)th product, A request acceptance procedure that accepts input of identification information that identifies at least one product from the first to the nth product, A procedure for obtaining a response to obtain product information of a product identified by the aforementioned identification information, An output procedure for outputting information that identifies the product information obtained by the above response acquisition procedure, Equipped with, N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, n is an N-1 integer chosen from between 1 and N-1. Processing method. [Disclosure 21] A processing method for managing multiple products that have a relationship such that the nth product yields the (n+1)th product, A request acceptance procedure that accepts input of identification information that identifies at least one product from the first to the nth product, A response acquisition procedure for obtaining product information of products related to the product identified by the aforementioned identification information, An output procedure for outputting information that identifies the product information obtained by the above response acquisition procedure, Equipped with, N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, n is an N-1 integer chosen from between 1 and N-1. Processing method. [Disclosure 22] A processing method for managing multiple products that have a relationship such that the nth product yields the (n+1)th product, A request acceptance procedure that accepts input of identification information that identifies at least one product from the first to the nth product, A response acquisition procedure for obtaining identification information of products related to the product identified by the aforementioned identification information, An output procedure for outputting the identification information obtained by the above response acquisition procedure, Equipped with, N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, n is an N-1 integer chosen from between 1 and N-1. Processing method. [Disclosure 23] A program for causing a computer to function as a part of the processing apparatus described in any one of disclosures 1 to 19. [Explanation of symbols]

[0134] 10 Processing Unit 20, 20a~20d Terminal devices 31a~31b Thick plate 32a~32b cutting board 33a~33b Wound steel pipe 211 Identification information for thick plates 212 Thick Plate Size Information 221a~221h Identification information for cut plates 311 Registration Information Acquisition Department 312 Memory Control Unit 313 Storage section 314 Request Reception Department 315 Answer acquisition part 316 Output section 321 Registration Request Department 322 Request part 323 Response Reception Department 324 Output section 400 Product Management Tables Fields in the product management table (401a-401f) 402a~402b A group of records that store information on products from the first to the nth generation that are related to each other. 510 Construction blackboard

Claims

1. A processing apparatus for managing multiple products that have a relationship in which the nth product yields the (n+1th)th product, A request receiving unit that receives input of identification information that identifies at least one product from the first to the nth product, A response acquisition unit that acquires product information of the product identified by the aforementioned identification information, An output unit that outputs information identifying the product information obtained by the response acquisition unit, Equipped with, N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, n is an N-1 integer chosen from between 1 and N-1. Processing device.

2. The aforementioned product information includes, as manufacturing condition information for the product, at least one of the quality control information and quality estimation information for the product. The apparatus according to claim 1.

3. A processing apparatus for managing multiple products that have a relationship in which the nth product yields the (n+1th)th product, A request receiving unit that receives input of identification information that identifies at least one product from the first to the nth product, A response acquisition unit that acquires product information of products having a relationship with the product identified by the aforementioned identification information, An output unit that outputs information identifying the product information obtained by the response acquisition unit, Equipped with, N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, n is an N-1 integer chosen from between 1 and N-1. Processing device.

4. The aforementioned product information includes information common to the aforementioned related primary to nth products, The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The product information includes certification information which is information that proves that the product is related to the aforementioned product. The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The aforementioned certification information includes information indicating that information identifying the p-th and q-th products included in the first to nth-th products is displayed on the p-th product, p is at least one integer selected from 1 to N-1, q is at least one integer chosen from between p and N. The apparatus according to claim 5.

7. The aforementioned certification information includes a photograph of the area within the region of the p-th product where information identifying the p-th product and the q-th product is displayed. The apparatus according to claim 6.

8. The aforementioned product information includes product location information indicating the location where the r-th product, which is included in the first to Nth-th products, exists. r is at least one integer selected from between 1 and N, The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

9. A storage control unit that performs storage control for storage media inside or outside the device, A registration information acquisition unit that acquires information stored in the aforementioned storage medium, Equipped with, The registration information acquisition unit acquires at least the product location information of the r-th product, The response acquisition unit acquires the product location information from the information stored in the storage medium, The memory control unit updates the product location information of the third product stored in the storage medium with the product location information acquired by the registration information acquisition unit. The apparatus according to claim 8.

10. The product location information includes information indicating the location of the r-th product in the product in which the r-th product is used. The apparatus according to claim 8.

11. The aforementioned product information includes manufacturing condition information for the s-th product included in the first to nth-th products. s is at least one integer selected from between 1 and N, The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

12. A processing apparatus for managing multiple products that have a relationship in which the nth product yields the (n+1th)th product, A request receiving unit that receives input of identification information that identifies at least one product from the first to the nth product, A response acquisition unit that acquires the identification information of products that have a relationship with the product identified by the aforementioned identification information, An output unit that outputs the identification information obtained by the response acquisition unit, Equipped with, N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, n is an N-1 integer chosen from between 1 and N-1. Processing device.

13. The response acquisition unit acquires product information of the product identified by the identification information from information stored in an internal or external storage medium of the device. The aforementioned storage medium is at least one, The at least one storage medium stores, for each of the related products, at least the identification information of the first to the Nth product and the product information of that product in association with each of the related products. The apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 12.

14. The system includes a storage control unit that performs storage control for the storage medium. The apparatus according to claim 13.

15. The storage control unit stores the identification information of products related to the product identified by the identification information stored in the storage medium in association with the identification information stored in the storage medium. The apparatus according to claim 14.

16. The response acquisition unit acquires at least one of the following: at least one product information stored in the storage medium in association with the identification information; at least one identification information stored in the storage medium as identification information for a product related to the product identified by the identification information; and at least one product information stored in the storage medium in association with the identification information for the related product. The apparatus according to claim 13.

17. The aforementioned relationship includes, in at least one n, the relationship that the (n+1)th-order product is one or more products obtained from a portion of the nth-order product. The apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 12.

18. The aforementioned first-order product and the aforementioned Nth-order product are products of different manufacturers. The apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 12.

19. The aforementioned primary product is a steel product. The apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 12.

20. A processing method for managing multiple products that have a relationship such that the nth product yields the (n+1th)th product, A request acceptance procedure that accepts input of identification information that identifies at least one product from the first to the nth product, A procedure for obtaining a response to obtain product information of a product identified by the aforementioned identification information, An output procedure for outputting information that identifies the product information obtained by the above response acquisition procedure, Equipped with, N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, n is an N-1 integer chosen from between 1 and N-1. Processing method.

21. A processing method for managing multiple products that have a relationship such that the nth product yields the (n+1th)th product, A request acceptance procedure that accepts input of identification information that identifies at least one product from the first to the nth product, A response acquisition procedure for obtaining product information of products related to the product identified by the aforementioned identification information, An output procedure for outputting information that identifies the product information obtained by the above response acquisition procedure, Equipped with, N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, n is an N-1 integer chosen from between 1 and N-1. Processing method.

22. A processing method for managing multiple products that have a relationship such that the nth product yields the (n+1th)th product, A request acceptance procedure that accepts input of identification information that identifies at least one product from the first to the nth product, A response acquisition procedure for obtaining identification information of products related to the product identified by the aforementioned identification information, An output procedure for outputting the identification information obtained by the above response acquisition procedure, Equipped with, N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, n is an N-1 integer chosen from between 1 and N-1. Processing method.

23. A program for causing a computer to function as each part of the processing apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 12.

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