Packaging machine video viewing system and packaging machine video viewing method

Abstract

To efficiently identify the cause of errors that occur in packaging machines. [Solution] A packaging machine video viewing system 100 comprises a packaging machine 10 for packaging product W, a server 20 for managing errors of the packaging machine 10, and a viewing terminal 30 capable of checking errors. The packaging machine 10 includes a plurality of measuring devices 11a to 11d for monitoring packaging operations, a control device 12 for detecting errors based on measurement data from the plurality of measuring devices 11a to 11d, and a plurality of imaging devices 15a to 15f for recording video before and after the occurrence of an error. The server 20 receives and associates the errors and video detected by the control device 12 from the packaging machine 10 and stores them, and the viewing terminal 30 receives multiple videos from the server 20 and displays them in a synchronized manner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging machine video viewing system and a packaging machine video viewing method.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a packaging machine that can continuously package a large number of products with a packaging material such as a film. Such a packaging machine can automatically seal and protect the products while transporting the products and the packaging material on the packaging line and wrapping the products with the packaging material through a plurality of processes, and performing operations such as folding of the film and heat bonding. However, the behavior of the products and the packaging material being transported may be unexpected, and errors may occur as abnormal operations. Therefore, it is preferable to arrange a plurality of imaging devices on the packaging line so that the situation at the time of error occurrence can be grasped. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for acquiring video data before and after an error occurs when an error occurs in a packaging machine, and associating the error content with the video data so that it can be easily confirmed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, since the sensor position where an error is detected and the position where the cause of the error occurs are not necessarily the same, there has been a problem that it takes time to grasp the entire situation at the timing when the error occurs and identify the true cause of the error.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a packaging machine video viewing system and a packaging machine video viewing method that can efficiently identify the cause of an error. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] <First aspect of the present invention> A first aspect of the present invention is a packaging machine video viewing system comprising: a packaging machine for packaging goods; a server for managing errors in the packaging machine; and a viewing terminal capable of checking the errors, wherein the packaging machine includes a plurality of measuring devices for monitoring packaging operations; a control device for detecting errors based on measurement data from the measuring devices; and a plurality of imaging devices for recording video before and after the occurrence of the errors, the server receives and associates the errors and video detected by the control device from the packaging machine, and the viewing terminal receives a plurality of the videos from the server and displays them synchronously.

[0007] The packaging machine video viewing system according to the first aspect of the present invention records video of the packaging machine using multiple imaging devices, detects errors based on measurement data of the packaging operation, and stores multiple videos of the error and the events before and after its occurrence in association with each other on a server. The packaging machine video viewing system is configured to display multiple such videos synchronously on a viewing terminal. Therefore, the user can simultaneously check not only the video of the part where the error was detected, but also the conditions of each part that are physically and temporally upstream of the occurrence of the abnormality. Accordingly, the packaging machine video viewing system according to the first aspect of the present invention makes it possible to efficiently identify the cause of the error.

[0008] <Second aspect of the present invention> A second aspect of the present invention is a packaging machine video viewing system according to claim 1, wherein, in the first aspect of the present invention described above, the server repeatedly checks the packaging machine for the presence or absence of the error, stores the error as an abnormality history if one exists, and receives the measurement data and a plurality of the videos from the packaging machine and associates them with the abnormality history.

[0009] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the packaging machine video viewing system allows for the collective management of measurement data at the time of error occurrence in the packaging machine, along with multiple video recordings, via an anomaly history.

[0010] <Third aspect of the present invention> A third aspect of the present invention is a packaging machine video viewing system in which, in the first or second aspect of the present invention described above, the viewing terminal receives the measurement data from the server and displays the measurement data and a plurality of videos in synchronization.

[0011] According to the third aspect of the present invention, the packaging machine video viewing system allows for synchronized viewing of the video and measurement data of the packaging machine associated with the abnormality history, thereby enabling more efficient identification of the cause of errors.

[0012] <Fourth aspect of the present invention> A fourth aspect of the present invention is a packaging machine video viewing system in which, in the second aspect of the present invention described above, the packaging machine records the recovery time when the error is resolved and the reset button is pressed after the error occurs, and the server calculates the downtime of the packaging machine based on the recovery time and stores it in the abnormality history.

[0013] According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the packaging machine video viewing system allows for checking the downtime for each error based on the error history. This makes it possible to implement fundamental solutions, such as identifying types of errors that have a significant impact when they occur and modifying the control and configuration.

[0014] <Fifth aspect of the present invention> A fifth aspect of the present invention is a packaging machine video viewing system in which, in the first or second aspect of the present invention described above, the viewing terminal is capable of selecting the playback speed and reverse playback of the video.

[0015] According to the packaging machine video viewing system according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the situation at the time of error occurrence can be grasped in more detail, and the cause at the time of error occurrence can be specified more efficiently.

[0016] <The sixth aspect of the present invention> The sixth aspect of the present invention is a packaging machine video viewing system in which, in the first or second aspect of the present invention described above, the viewing terminal is installed at a remote location away from the packaging machine.

[0017] According to the packaging machine video viewing system according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, a user located at a location away from the packaging machine can also check the situation of the packaging machine.

[0018] <The seventh aspect of the present invention> The seventh aspect of the present invention is a packaging machine video viewing system in which, in the first or second aspect of the present invention described above, the server receives the control log of the control device in the packaging machine and stores the control log in a displayable manner in synchronization with the video.

[0019] According to the packaging machine video viewing system according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the control signal of the packaging machine itself at the time of error occurrence can be displayed in synchronization with the video, the cause at the time of error occurrence can be specified more efficiently.

[0020] <The eighth aspect of the present invention> The eighth aspect of the present invention is a packaging machine video viewing system in which, in the first or second aspect of the present invention described above, the viewing terminal arranges and displays a plurality of the videos in the order of the flow of the goods and the packaging materials in the packaging machine.

[0021] According to the packaging machine video viewing system according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, when checking the video, the flow of the goods and the packaging materials can be easily imaged, and the causal relationship between the generated error and its cause can be easily grasped.

[0022] <The ninth aspect of the present invention> The ninth aspect of the present invention is a packaging machine video viewing system in which, in the first or second aspect of the present invention described above, the viewing terminal is set to be able to select non-display or enlarged display of the video.

[0023] According to the packaging machine video viewing system according to the ninth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to hide the video unnecessary for identifying the cause of the error and also to check the details by enlarged display, so that the cause at the time of error occurrence can be identified more efficiently.

[0024] <The tenth aspect of the present invention> The tenth aspect of the present invention is a packaging machine video viewing system in which, in the first or second aspect of the present invention described above, the server pre-learns the relationship between the content of the error detected by the control device and a plurality of the videos by machine learning, and the viewing terminal estimates the video related to the detected error among the plurality of the videos based on the machine learning and displays it first after the operation of image display.

[0025] According to the packaging machine video viewing system according to the tenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to preferentially display the videos necessary for identifying the cause of the error, so that the cause at the time of error occurrence can be identified more efficiently.

[0026] <The eleventh aspect of the present invention> The eleventh aspect of the present invention is a packaging machine video viewing system in which, in the first or second aspect of the present invention described above, each of the plurality of imaging devices can be in API cooperation with the server, and the server receives the video from each of the imaging devices.

[0027] According to the packaging machine video viewing system according to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, since the server controls the plurality of imaging devices instead of the control device in the packaging machine, an inexpensive control device can be adopted, and the cost of the packaging machine can be reduced.

[0028] <The twelfth aspect of the present invention> A twelfth aspect of the present invention is a packaging machine video viewing system in which, in the first or second aspect of the present invention described above, the control device uses the first error that occurred as the starting point for abnormality detection when the errors occur consecutively.

[0029] According to the packaging machine video viewing system of the twelfth aspect of the present invention, even if multiple errors occur due to a single anomaly, duplicate processing can be prevented.

[0030] <13th aspect of the present invention> A thirteenth aspect of the present invention is a method for viewing images of a packaging machine, comprising: a packaging step of packaging a product with a packaging machine; a measurement step of measuring the operating state of the packaging machine with a plurality of measuring devices; a recording step of recording images of the packaging machine in operation with a plurality of imaging devices; an error detection step of detecting an error in the packaging machine based on measurement data measured by the measuring devices; a storage step of saving the error and the images before and after the occurrence of the error in association; and a viewing step of displaying a plurality of the images in sync.

[0031] The packaging machine video viewing method according to the 13th aspect of the present invention records video of the packaging machine using multiple imaging devices, detects errors based on measurement data of the packaging operation, and stores multiple videos of the error and the video before and after its occurrence in association with each other on a server. The packaging machine video viewing method is configured to display multiple such videos in synchronous order. Therefore, the user can simultaneously check not only the video of the part where the error was detected, but also the conditions of each part that are physically and temporally upstream of the occurrence of the abnormality. Accordingly, the packaging machine video viewing method according to the 13th aspect of the present invention makes it possible to efficiently identify the cause of the error. [Effects of the Invention]

[0032] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a packaging machine video viewing system and a packaging machine video viewing method that can efficiently identify the cause of an error when it occurs. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0033] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the packaging machine itself in the packaging machine video viewing system. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the packaging machine video viewing system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart illustrating the control procedure for the packaging machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart illustrating the server control procedure according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart illustrating the control procedure for the browsing terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is an example of a screen for viewing the history of abnormal activity. [Figure 7] This is an example of a video viewing screen. [Figure 8] This is an example of the video viewing screen when you select to hide or enlarge the image. [Figure 9] This is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the packaging machine video viewing system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a flowchart illustrating the control procedure for the packaging machine according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart illustrating the server control procedure according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0034] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to what is described below, and can be modified and implemented as long as the gist of the invention is not altered. Furthermore, the drawings used in describing the embodiments are schematic representations of the components, and may have been partially emphasized, enlarged, reduced, or omitted to enhance understanding, and may not accurately represent the scale or shape of the components.

[0035] <First Embodiment> Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the packaging machine body 1 in the packaging machine video viewing system 100. The packaging machine body 1 is a machine for automatically packaging a large number of products W, such as food or pharmaceuticals, with packaging materials such as film. In this embodiment, the products W are assumed to have a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0036] The packaging machine body 1 comprises, as its main components, a belt conveyor 2, an elevator section 3, a film reel 4, a dance lever section 5, a tear tape reel 6, a turret section 7, and a discharge section 8.

[0037] The belt conveyor 2 is a conveying mechanism that transports a large number of products W, which are continuously supplied to the packaging machine body 1, in a single line in a horizontal direction. The elevator unit 3 is a lifting mechanism that pushes the products W placed on the belt conveyor 2 up from the belt conveyor 2, supplying the products W one by one to the height of the turret unit 7.

[0038] The film reel 4 is a roll of film that will be used as packaging material. The dance lever section 5 is a mechanism for adjusting the tension of the packaging material being pulled out from the film reel 4. The tear tape reel 6 is a roll of thin tear tape (opening tape) used to peel the packaging material from the packaged product W. The film that will be used as packaging material is joined together with the tear tape, cut to the appropriate length, and then supplied to the upstream side of the turret section 7.

[0039] The turret unit 7 is a rotating unit that has a horizontal axis and multiple pockets around its circumference, each capable of accommodating one product W. It rotates intermittently in increments corresponding to the spacing between the pockets. The product W, pushed up by the elevator unit 3, is stored in the pockets of the turret unit 7 by pushing the packaging material, which is transported vertically from above, into contact with the packaging material on three sides of the rectangular parallelepiped. Furthermore, the packaging material stored in the pockets of the turret unit 7 along with the product W is heat-sealed into a cylindrical shape by a mechanism (not shown) while the intermittent rotation of the turret unit 7 is stopped.

[0040] The discharge section 8 is a table-shaped conveying line that receives the products W from the turret section 7 and seals the products W with film by folding and heat-sealing both ends of the cylindrical packaging material covering the products W using a mechanism (not shown). The discharge section 8 then discharges each product W using a pusher P that moves downstream along the conveying line.

[0041] Here, in addition to the various components of the packaging machine body 1, multiple measuring devices 11 (not shown in Figure 1) are provided at various points on the packaging machine body 1 to monitor unintended behavior of the product and packaging material, and are detected as errors when problems occur in the packaging process, as will be described later. For example, the measuring devices 11 can include position sensors that detect overflow of the product W or packaging material, and temperature sensors that detect abnormal high temperatures in components of the packaging machine body 1, such as the blower motor.

[0042] Furthermore, multiple imaging units camA to camF are installed in various locations on the packaging machine body 1 so that the state when an error occurs can be confirmed as video. Imaging unit camA is a camera that captures the product cutting state of the elevator unit 3. Imaging unit camB is located in the input section of the turret unit 7 and is a camera that captures the state of wrapping the packaging material around the product W. Imaging unit camC is a camera that captures the state of folding the packaging material on the side flaps of the packaging material wrapped around the product W, that is, on both sides perpendicular to the transport direction of the product W.

[0043] Furthermore, the imaging unit camD is a camera that captures images of the packaging material transport state in the dance lever unit 5. The imaging unit camE is positioned at the junction of the packaging material and the tear tape and captures images of the alignment of the tear tape to the packaging material. The imaging unit camF is a camera that captures images of the adhesion of the tear tape to the packaging material in the tear tape application section.

[0044] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the packaging machine video viewing system 100. The packaging machine video viewing system 100 is a video verification system for identifying the cause of an error when an error occurs in the packaging machine body 1 described above, and in this embodiment it comprises a packaging machine 10, a server 20, and a viewing terminal 30.

[0045] The packaging machine 10 comprises the packaging machine body 1 described above, the plurality of measuring devices 11 described above, the control device 12, the storage unit 13, the communication unit 14, and the plurality of imaging devices 15.

[0046] In this embodiment, the multiple measuring devices 11 consist of four measuring devices 11a to 11d, which are sensors placed at various locations on the packaging machine body 1 for error detection. Each of the measuring devices 11a to 11d monitors the operation of the packaging machine body 1 by acquiring measurement data that changes moment by moment, such as the position of the product W or packaging material, or the temperature of the components, as time-series data.

[0047] The control device 12 is a well-known PLC (programmable logic controller) that includes a microprocessor and memory necessary for control calculations, and mainly controls each component of the packaging machine body 1. The control device 12 also acquires measurement data from multiple measuring devices 11 and determines an error if data outside the normal range is detected.

[0048] Furthermore, the control device 12 may determine an error not only when a malfunction occurs in the equipment constituting the packaging machine body 1, but also when the safety cover provided on the packaging machine body 1 opens during operation. In addition, if, for example, multiple proximity sensors or photoelectric sensors are used as measuring devices 11, the control device 12 may determine the occurrence of an error based on the combination of ON / OFF states of each sensor, or when the ON / OFF state of a particular proximity sensor continues for a certain period of time.

[0049] The storage unit 13 is a known SD card and stores measurement data acquired by multiple measuring devices 11. Here, the storage unit 13 constantly stores measurement data while the packaging machine body 1 is in operation, and when the storage capacity allocated for measurement data is full, it overwrites the oldest data, thereby updating and retaining measurement data for a certain period in the past. In addition, the storage unit 13 receives and stores video before and after an error occurs from multiple imaging devices 15, as will be described in detail later. Note that the storage unit 13 is not limited to an SD card, but may also be other storage media such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or a hard disk drive (HDD).

[0050] The communication unit 14 is a communication module for exchanging information with multiple imaging devices 15 via a wired or wireless network. The communication unit 14 also exchanges information with a server 20 located outside the packaging machine 10 via a network such as an internet connection.

[0051] In this embodiment, the multiple imaging devices 15 consist of six imaging devices 15a to 15f, each being a camera module including the imaging units camA to camF described above. Each of the imaging devices 15a to 15f includes an imaging storage unit 16, an imaging control unit 17, and an imaging communication unit 18, and each independently performs imaging control.

[0052] The imaging memory unit 16 is, for example, a known RAM, which continuously stores images while the packaging machine body 1 is in operation, and when the memory capacity allocated for shooting is filled, it overwrites the oldest data, thereby updating and retaining images from a certain period in the past.

[0053] The imaging control unit 17 controls the start and stop of imaging, and, if the control device 12 detects an error, it extracts images from the images stored in the imaging storage unit 16 for a predetermined period before and after the error and saves them separately to the imaging storage unit 16.

[0054] The imaging communication unit 18 is a communication module for exchanging information with the communication unit 14. It receives notification of errors from the control device 12 and transmits the extracted video to the storage unit 13 via the communication unit 14.

[0055] Server 20 is a computer installed away from the packaging machine 10 that manages errors in the packaging machine 10, and comprises a server control unit 21, a server communication unit 22, and a server storage unit 23.

[0056] The server control unit 21 is a computing unit including a CPU and memory, and as will be described in detail later, it periodically checks the status of the packaging machine 10 and manages information regarding errors occurring in the packaging machine 10 as an anomaly history. The server communication unit 22 is a communication module that transmits instructions for acquiring various information from the server control unit 21 to the packaging machine 10 and receives error-related information, measurement data, and recorded data from the packaging machine 10. The server communication unit 22 also exchanges information with the viewing terminal 30. The server storage unit 23 is a storage unit for saving data related to the anomaly history, and it saves measurement data before and after the error occurred, as well as recorded data, received from the packaging machine 10 via the server communication unit 22.

[0057] The error history here includes information such as the packaged product at the time the error occurred, the date and time the error occurred, and the nature of the error (which sensor detected the error) (see Figure 6).

[0058] The viewing terminal 30 is a computer capable of viewing anomaly history, measurement data at the time of error, and recorded data stored on the server 20, and comprises a terminal control unit 31, a terminal communication unit 32, an operation unit 33, and a display unit 34.

[0059] The terminal control unit 31 is a computing device including a CPU and memory. By accessing the server 20 from the terminal communication unit 32, which acts as a communication module, it receives information on the status and abnormality history of the packaging machine 10. When a user performs an operation to view measurement data and recorded data at the time of an error via the operation unit 33, it displays the respective data on a display unit 34 such as a display.

[0060] Next, the procedure for viewing packaging machine video using the packaging machine video viewing system 100 will be explained. Here, the operation of the packaging machine 10, server 20, and viewing terminal 30 will be explained in detail separately.

[0061] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the control procedure of the packaging machine 10 according to the first embodiment. The packaging machine 10 starts the control procedure shown in Figure 3 when the power is switched from OFF to ON. When the control procedure starts, the control device 12 of the packaging machine 10 starts measurement and recording on the measuring device 11 and the imaging device 15, respectively (Step S1, measurement process). The control device 12 also starts the packaging machine body 1 and starts packaging control for the product W (Step S2, packaging process).

[0062] Here, the packaging machine body 1 has a status flag that represents one of three states: "running," which means that the packaging operation is being performed normally; "stopped," which means that the packaging operation has stopped; or "abnormal," which means that the operation has stopped due to an error. In addition, the start time of operation is recorded in the "running" status flag, the stop time of operation is recorded in the "stopped" status flag, and the time and details of the error occurred are recorded in the "abnormal" status flag. When the packaging operation of the packaging machine body 1 is started, the control device 12 sets the status flag from "stopped" to "running" (step S3).

[0063] As described above, the control device 12 receives measurement data from the measuring device 11 during the execution of packaging control and determines whether or not an error has occurred based on the measurement data (step S4, error detection step). Here, if one abnormality occurs in the packaging machine body 1, errors may occur consecutively in multiple measuring devices 11 due to that abnormality. For this reason, the control device 12 uses the first error that occurred as the starting point for abnormality detection, and does not use any errors that occur while the error is occurring as the starting point for abnormality detection. When the user resolves the error and presses the reset button on the packaging machine body 1, the state in which the error occurred is resolved and the "first error" becomes detectable again, and the status flag also switches from "abnormal" to "stopped".

[0064] Then, if an error occurs in the packaging machine body 1 (Yes in step S4), the control device 12 sets the status flag to "abnormal" (step S5) and checks whether recording data is necessary in preparation for acquiring the recording data at the time of the error (step S6).

[0065] Here, the necessity check indicates that whether or not to save the recorded data is set for each type of error, and that the system checks whether the error that occurred is of a type that requires saving the recorded data.

[0066] If the error is of a type that requires saving recorded data, the control device 12 receives the recorded data from the imaging storage unit 16 of the imaging device 15 and saves it in the storage unit 13 (step S7). More specifically, when the control device 12 sends a request for recorded data to the imaging device 15, the imaging control unit 17 extracts, for example, 30 seconds before and after the error occurred from the recorded data stored in the imaging storage unit 16 and transmits the extracted data to the storage unit 13 via the communication unit 14 and the control device 12 (recording process).

[0067] Furthermore, the control device 12 may acquire measurement data from multiple measuring devices 11 for, for example, 30 seconds before and after the error occurred, and store it together in the storage unit 13 (step S8), which may be used to identify the cause of the error.

[0068] Furthermore, the control device 12 checks for status flag requests from the server 20 regardless of whether an error has occurred (step S9). If there is a status flag request from the server 20 (Yes in step S9), the control device 12 sends a status flag of "Operating" or "Abnormal" to the server 20. If a status flag request is received while the packaging machine body 1 is stopped, the control device 12 sends a status flag of "Stopped" to the server 20.

[0069] Furthermore, regardless of whether an error has occurred, the control device 12 checks whether recorded data exists in the storage unit 13 based on a request from the server 20 (step S11). If recorded data exists (Yes in step S11), the control device 12 transmits the measurement data and recorded data stored in the storage unit 13 to the server 20 (step S12).

[0070] Then, the control device 12 determines whether or not to continue operating the packaging machine body 1 (step S13), and if it decides to continue (Yes in step S13), it repeatedly executes the error processing from step S4 to step S8 and the communication processing from step S9 to step S12.

[0071] On the other hand, if the packaging process of the packaging machine body 1 is completed, or if the packaging machine body 1 is stopped manually, or if the packaging machine body 1 stops automatically due to an error, the control device 12 determines that operation should not be continued (No in step S13) and stops the operation of the packaging machine body 1 (step S14). The control device 12 then sets the status flag to "Stopped" and terminates the series of procedures (step S15). Even while the packaging machine body 1 is stopped, measurement by the measuring device 11 and recording by the imaging device 15 continue, and when the operation of the packaging machine body 1 is resumed, the control procedure from step S2 onwards in Figure 3 is executed anew. In addition, if the power to the packaging machine 10 itself is turned off, the measuring device 11 and the imaging device 15 terminate measurement and recording, respectively.

[0072] Next, the control procedure for server 20 will be explained. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the control procedure for server 20 according to the first embodiment. Regardless of the state of the packaging machine 10, server 20 is always running and repeatedly executes the procedure shown in Figure 4 to manage the abnormality history of the packaging machine 10.

[0073] The server control unit 21 in server 20 first checks the status flag of the packaging machine 10 (step S20). At this time, the server control unit 21 determines whether the status flag is "abnormal" or not (step S21), and if it is an abnormal flag, it obtains the time of error occurrence and the details of the error from the packaging machine 10 (step S22), and writes and updates the abnormality history created in the server storage unit 23 (step S23).

[0074] Furthermore, the server control unit 21 checks whether or not recorded data exists in the storage unit 13 of the packaging machine 10 (step S24). If recorded data exists (Yes in step S24), it retrieves the time-series data of the measurement data and recorded data stored in the storage unit 13 and saves it to the server storage unit 23 (step S25). At this time, the server control unit 21 saves the measurement data and recorded data in association with the anomaly history, making it possible to access each data from the anomaly history (save step).

[0075] Next, the server control unit 21 determines whether or not there is a request for an error history from the browsing terminal 30 (step S26). If there is a request for an error history, the server control unit 21 sends the error history to the browsing terminal 30 via the server communication unit 22 (step S27).

[0076] The server control unit 21 also determines whether or not there is a video viewing request from the viewing terminal 30 (step S28). If there is a video viewing request, the server control unit 21 transmits time-series information consisting of measurement data and recording data stored in the server storage unit 23 to the viewing terminal 30 via the server communication unit 22 (step S29).

[0077] In this way, the server 20 repeats a series of controls, from acquiring abnormality history and time-series data from step S21 to step S25, and from communication processing from step S26 to step S29, at intervals of approximately one second. This allows the server 20 to constantly manage the abnormality history of the packaging machine 10 and transmit data in response to requests from the viewing terminal 30, enabling the viewing terminal 30 to check the status of the packaging machine 10 without delay.

[0078] Next, the control procedure for the viewing terminal 30 will be explained. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the control procedure for the viewing terminal 30 according to the first embodiment. The viewing terminal 30 can be installed in a remote location away from the packaging machine 10, and the user performs the procedure shown in Figure 5 when checking the abnormality history of the packaging machine 10, as well as the measurement data and recorded data at the time of the error.

[0079] When the user activates the viewing terminal 30, the terminal control unit 31 sends an error history request to the server 20, thereby obtaining the error history from the server 20 via the terminal communication unit 32 (step S30). The terminal control unit 31 also displays the obtained error history on the display unit 34 (step S31). This allows the user to check the details of the error that occurred in the packaging machine 10.

[0080] Figure 6 shows an example of the error history viewing screen. As described above, the error history displays a list of past error information, including the packaged product, the time the error occurred, and the error details. Depending on the type of error, a "View" button may also be displayed on the error history viewing screen. The user can press the view button via the operation unit 33 to identify the cause of the error.

[0081] The terminal control unit 31 determines whether or not the view button is pressed (step S32), and if pressed, retrieves time-series data of the measurement data and recorded data at the time of the error from the server 20 (step S33). The terminal control unit 31 also displays the video viewing screen on the display unit 34 (step S34) and synchronously plays back multiple recorded data based on the user's playback operation via the operation unit 33 (step S35, viewing process). At this time, the terminal control unit 31 may also play back and display the waveform of the measurement data in sync with the multiple recorded data.

[0082] Figure 7 shows an example of a video viewing screen. The video viewing screen embeds some of the anomaly history information and provides multiple video display areas. In the example in Figure 7, six video display areas are provided to display all the video from imaging units camA to camF.

[0083] Here, the display unit 34 displays multiple images arranged in the order and direction of flow of the product and packaging material in the packaging machine 10. More specifically, in the packaging machine body 1, as shown in Figure 1, the product W is transported from right to left, so the images from imaging units camA to camC are displayed in order from right to left on the image viewing screen. Also, in the packaging machine body 1, as shown in Figure 1, the packaging material is transported from left to right, so the images from imaging units camD to camF are displayed in order from left to right on the image viewing screen. Therefore, users viewing the screen can immediately grasp the upstream-downstream relationship in the flow of the product W and packaging material, which can contribute to the efficient identification of the cause of errors.

[0084] Furthermore, the viewing screen includes buttons for playback, reverse playback, skip, and playback speed selection, allowing users to review the video. Additionally, the viewing screen allows users to choose to hide or enlarge individual videos. For example, it's possible to display another video in the area of ​​a hidden video, or to change the display format by enlarging the display area on the viewing screen.

[0085] Figure 8 shows an example of the video viewing screen when hiding or enlarging is selected. More specifically, Figure 8 shows an example of the screen when imaging unit camC and imaging unit camB are enlarged (or when other video is hidden). By hiding video that the user deems unnecessary, the user can efficiently identify the cause of the error.

[0086] Furthermore, the video displayed on the video viewing screen may be pre-configured depending on which measuring device 11 detects the error, and by selecting the video to be displayed first on the video viewing screen based on the type of error, the cause of the error can be efficiently identified. In particular, the server 20 can pre-learn the relationship between the content of errors occurring in the packaging machine 10 and multiple videos using machine learning, so that when viewing multiple videos from the viewing terminal 30, the server 20 can use machine learning to select the video to be displayed first on the video viewing screen after an image display operation.

[0087] Returning to Figure 5, once the video viewing screen has been confirmed, the terminal control unit 31 determines whether or not to end the video viewing (step S37). The terminal control unit 31 selects whether or not to end the viewing based on the user's operation via the operation unit 33. If the user wishes to view another error in the error history, the viewing is not ended and the system returns to displaying the error history screen (No in step S37).

[0088] On the other hand, if it is determined that viewing has ended (No in step S37), the video viewing screen is closed and the series of procedures is terminated.

[0089] As described above, the packaging machine video viewing system 100 according to this embodiment records video of the packaging machine 10 with multiple imaging devices 15, detects errors based on measurement data of the packaging operation, and saves the error and multiple videos before and after its occurrence to the server 20 in association. The packaging machine video viewing system 100 is configured to display multiple such videos synchronously on the viewing terminal 30. Therefore, the user can simultaneously check not only the video of the part where the error was detected, but also the status of each part that is physically and temporally upstream of the occurrence of the abnormality. Accordingly, the packaging machine video viewing system 100 according to this embodiment makes it possible to efficiently identify the cause of the error.

[0090] <Second Embodiment> Next, the packaging machine video viewing system 200 according to the second embodiment will be described. The packaging machine video viewing system 200 according to the second embodiment differs from the packaging machine video viewing system 100 of the first embodiment described above in some configurations and in the handling of measurement data and recorded data. The following will describe the parts that differ from the first embodiment, and components common to the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and their detailed descriptions will be omitted.

[0091] Figure 9 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the packaging machine video viewing system 200 according to the second embodiment. The packaging machine video viewing system 200 differs from the first embodiment in that the packaging machine 10 does not have a storage unit 13 inside, an inexpensive control device 12' is used, and each of the multiple imaging devices 15' is an API (Application Programming Interface) compatible device. In addition, the multiple imaging devices 15' directly exchange information with the server 20 without going through the communication unit 14.

[0092] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the control procedure for the packaging machine 10 according to the second embodiment. When the power to the packaging machine 10 is turned ON, the measuring device 11 starts measuring, and the multiple imaging devices 15' start recording in conjunction with the startup of the packaging machine 10 (step S40). The control device 12' also starts the packaging machine body 1 and starts packaging control for the product W (step S41), and sets the status flag to "operating" (step S42). Furthermore, the control device 12' receives measurement data from the measuring device 11 while packaging control is being executed and determines whether or not an error has occurred based on the measurement data (step S43).

[0093] Then, if an error occurs in the packaging machine body 1 (Yes in step S43), the control device 12' sets the status flag to "abnormal" (step S44). In this case, unlike the first embodiment, the control device 12' does not perform any control over the measurement data or recorded data when an error occurs.

[0094] Then, if the control device 12' receives a request for a status flag from the server 20 (Yes in step S45), it sends a status flag of "operating" or "abnormal" to the server 20 (step S46). The control device 12' also determines whether or not the server 20 has requested measurement data (step S47), and if there is a request (Yes in step S47), it sends the measurement data at that time to the server 20 (step S48).

[0095] Here, the control (steps S49 to S51) after the determination of whether to continue operating the packaging machine body 1 is the same as steps S13 to S15 of the first embodiment, so the explanation will be omitted.

[0096] Next, the control procedure for the server 20 in the second embodiment will be described. Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the control procedure for the server 20 according to the second embodiment.

[0097] The server control unit 21 in server 20 first checks the status flag of the packaging machine 10 (step S60), and if there is an initial error in the packaging machine 10 (Yes in step S61), it obtains the error details (step S62) and writes and updates the error history to be created in the server storage unit 23 (step S63).

[0098] Furthermore, the server control unit 21 sends a request for measurement data to the packaging machine 10 and acquires the measurement data at that time (step S64). In addition, in the second embodiment, the server control unit 21 performs the check for the necessity of recording data, which was performed by the packaging machine 10 in the first embodiment (step S65), and sends a request for recording data from the server 20 to the multiple imaging devices 15a' to 15d'. As a result, the server 20 acquires the recording data directly from the multiple imaging devices 15' without going through the control device 12' of the packaging machine 10 and stores it in the server storage unit 23 (step S66).

[0099] In the second embodiment, the server control unit 21 determines whether a new error has occurred before the initial error determined in step S61 has been resolved (step S67). If there is a new error in the packaging machine 10 (Yes in step S67), it obtains the error details (step S68) and writes and updates the error history to be created in the server storage unit 23 (step S69). In this case, the procedures in steps S64 to S66 are not performed.

[0100] Here, the control of requests from the browsing terminal 30 (steps S70 to S73) is the same as steps S26 to S29 of the first embodiment, so the explanation is omitted. Also, the control procedure for the browsing terminal 30 is the same as the control procedure of the first embodiment shown in Figure 5, so the explanation is omitted.

[0101] As described above, the packaging machine video viewing system 200 according to the second embodiment, like the first embodiment, can simultaneously check not only the video of the part where the error was detected, but also the conditions of each part that are physically and temporally upstream of the occurrence of the abnormality, so that the cause of the error can be efficiently identified. Furthermore, with the packaging machine video viewing system 200 according to the second embodiment, there is no need to provide a storage unit 13 in the packaging machine 10 as in the first embodiment, and since the server 20 controls the multiple imaging devices 15' instead of the control device 12' in the packaging machine 10, an inexpensive control device 12' can be used, thereby reducing the cost of the packaging machine 10.

[0102] This concludes the description of each embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, in the first embodiment described above, a configuration was shown in which measurement data and recorded data are synchronized and played back on the viewing terminal 30 via the server 20 from the packaging machine 10. However, by saving the control log of the control device 12 to the packaging machine body 1 in association with the abnormality history of the server 20, the control log may be displayed on the viewing terminal 30 in synchronization with the recorded data.

[0103] Furthermore, the packaging machine 10 may be configured to record the recovery time when the user resolves the error and presses the reset button, and to send the recovery time to the server 20 along with the error information. In this case, the server 20 calculates the downtime of the packaging machine 10 based on the recovery time and stores it in the abnormality history. This makes it possible to identify types of errors that have a significant impact on production time when they occur, and to implement fundamental solutions such as changing the control method rather than resolving the error by adjusting the position of the packaging material.

[0104] Furthermore, by checking the correspondence between the product being handled at the time of the error and the type of error in the error history, it may be possible to determine whether the error is specific to an individual product or packaging material, or whether it is an error that occurs across different types of products and packaging materials. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0105] 1 Packaging machine body 10 Packaging machine 11 Measuring devices 12, 12′ Control device 15, 15′ Imaging device camA~camF Imaging Unit 20 servers 30 Viewing terminals

Claims

1. A packaging machine video viewing system comprising a packaging machine for packaging products, a server for managing errors of the packaging machine, and a viewing terminal capable of checking the errors, The packaging machine includes a plurality of measuring devices for monitoring the packaging operation, a control device for detecting the error based on the measurement data from the measuring devices, and a plurality of imaging devices for recording video before and after the occurrence of the error. The server receives the error and video detected by the control device from the packaging machine, associates them, and stores them. The aforementioned viewing terminal is a packaging machine video viewing system that receives multiple videos from the server and displays them in a synchronized manner.

2. The packaging machine video viewing system according to claim 1, wherein the server repeatedly checks the packaging machine for the presence or absence of the error, stores the error as an abnormality history if one exists, and receives the measurement data and multiple videos from the packaging machine and associates them with the abnormality history.

3. The packaging machine video viewing system according to claim 2, wherein the viewing terminal receives the measurement data from the server and displays the measurement data and a plurality of videos in synchronization.

4. The packaging machine records the recovery time after the error occurs and the reset button is pressed when the error is resolved. The packaging machine video viewing system according to claim 2, wherein the server calculates the downtime of the packaging machine based on the recovery time and stores it in the abnormality history.

5. The packaging machine video viewing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the viewing terminal allows selection of the playback speed and reverse playback of the video.

6. The packaging machine video viewing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the viewing terminal is installed in a remote location away from the packaging machine.

7. The packaging machine video viewing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the server receives a control log of the control device in the packaging machine and stores the control log so that it can be displayed in synchronization with the video.

8. The packaging machine video viewing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the viewing terminal displays a plurality of the videos arranged in the order of the flow of the product and packaging material in the packaging machine.

9. The packaging machine video viewing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the viewing terminal is configured to allow selection of hiding or enlarging the video.

10. The server learns in advance, by machine learning, the relationship between the content of the error detected by the control device and the multiple videos. The packaging machine video viewing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the viewing terminal estimates, based on machine learning, the video related to the detected error from among a plurality of videos and displays it first after the image display operation.

11. Each of the multiple imaging devices is capable of API communication with the server, The packaging machine video viewing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the server receives the video from each of the imaging devices.

12. The packaging machine video viewing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control device uses the first error that occurred as the starting point for abnormality detection when the errors occur consecutively.

13. The packaging process involves packaging products using a packaging machine, A measurement step in which the operating state of the packaging machine is measured using multiple measuring devices, A recording process in which video of the packaging machine in operation is recorded using multiple imaging devices, An error detection step in which an error in the packaging machine is detected based on measurement data measured by the measuring device, A saving step of saving the aforementioned error and the video footage before and after the occurrence of the error in association, A method for viewing images of a packaging machine, comprising a viewing step of synchronously displaying multiple aforementioned images.

Images