Dental processing machine alert notification device, alert notification system, and computer program for alert notification

Abstract

To provide a dental machining device which, when an error occurs in the dental machining device, is capable of notifying a maintenance company which executes the maintenance of the dental machining device, of an alert concerning the error at an earlier stage.SOLUTION: An alert notification device of the dental machining device comprises a reception part, a first extraction part, and a notification part. The reception part receives error information E1 from the dental machining device. The first extraction part extracts, as first extracted error information E21, error information E1 having occurred in a preset first period T1, out of error information E1 received by the reception part. The notification part notifies a management device used by the maintenance company which executes the maintenance of the dental machining device, of an alert AL1 concerning the first extracted error information E21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an alert notification device, an alert notification system, and a computer program for alert notification for a dental processing machine. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a cutting device that cuts (hereinafter, also referred to as "machining") a workpiece made of a predetermined material such as ceramic or resin into a desired shape to produce an object. The cutting device disclosed in Patent Document 1 uses a rod-shaped machining tool having a blade portion, and processes the workpiece by changing the relative position between the machining tool and the workpiece while rotating the machining tool around the central axis. As a result, the desired object can be produced. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-120222 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, an example of the cutting machine is a dental processing machine used in the dental field. An error may occur in the dental processing machine while processing a workpiece with the dental processing machine. Depending on the type of error, the user of the dental processing machine may not be able to resolve the error. In that case, the user contacts a maintenance company such as a call center. Therefore, the maintenance company often finds out that an error has occurred in the dental processing machine through a call from the user. While the error is occurring, the dental processing machine may not be usable, leading to a decrease in work efficiency.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and its object is to provide an alert notification device, an alert notification system, and a computer program for alert notification for a dental processing machine that are capable of notifying a maintenance company that maintains the dental processing machine of an alert regarding an error more quickly when an error occurs in the dental processing machine. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The alert notification device for a dental processing machine according to the present invention includes a receiving unit, a first extraction unit, and a notification unit. The receiving unit receives error information from the dental processing machine. The first extraction unit extracts, from the error information received by the receiving unit, the error information that occurred during a first period set in advance, as first extracted error information. The notification unit notifies an alert regarding the first extracted error information to a management device used by a maintenance company that performs maintenance on the dental processing machine.

[0007] According to the alert notification device for the dental processing machine, when an error occurs in the dental processing machine, error information related to the error is received, and the error information occurring in a first period is extracted as first extracted error information. Then, an alert related to the first extracted error information is notified to a maintenance company. Therefore, the maintenance company can know what type of error has occurred in the dental processing machine by being notified of the alert. Therefore, the maintenance company can know that an error has occurred in the dental processing machine more quickly without waiting for a contact from a user of the dental processing machine. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an alert notification device, an alert notification system, and a computer program for alert notification for a dental processing machine that can notify a maintenance company of an error regarding the error more quickly when an error occurs in the dental processing machine. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a conceptual diagram of an alert notification system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of the dental processing machine with the cover open; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a tool magazine, a rotating support member, and a clamp. [Diagram 5] 1 is a block diagram of an alert notification system according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure for notifying an alert related to first extraction error information from the alert notification device to the management device. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 illustrates an example of error information. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an email notifying an alert regarding error information. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of the alert notification device when a maintenance company sets a first period. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of types of errors that occurred in a first period and a second period. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a management screen displayed on a management display screen of the management device. [Figure 12] 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure for notifying an alert related to second extraction error information from the alert notification device to the management device. [Figure 13] 13 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of the alert notification device when a maintenance company sets a second period and a reference occurrence count. [Figure 14] 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure for notifying a predicted alert. [Figure 15] 11 is a flowchart showing a procedure for notifying a replacement alert regarding a replacement part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an alert notification system including an alert notification device for a dental processing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described here is not intended to limit the present invention in any particular way.

[0011] 1 is a conceptual diagram of an alert notification system 1 according to this embodiment. The alert notification system 1 is a system for notifying a maintenance company, which will be described later, of an alert related to the dental processing machine 100 based on error information when an error occurs in the dental processing machine 100.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the alert notification system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a dental processing machine 100, an operation terminal 110, an alert notification device for the dental processing machine (hereinafter also referred to as an alert notification device) 120, and a management device 150. The number of dental processing machines 100 according to the present embodiment is not particularly limited. The dental processing machine 100 may be one or more. The operation terminal 110 is a terminal used when a user operates the dental processing machine 100. One or more dental processing machines 100 are communicatively connected to the operation terminal 110. In the present embodiment, one operation terminal 110 is communicatively connected to one dental processing machine 100, but multiple operation terminals 110 may be connected. The number of operation terminals 110 according to the present embodiment is also not particularly limited.

[0013] The alert notification device 120 collectively manages information related to the dental processing machines 100, and notifies the management device 150 of an alert as necessary. A plurality of dental processing machines 100 are communicatively connected to the alert notification device 120. In this embodiment, a plurality of operation terminals 110 are also communicatively connected to the alert notification device 120, and a plurality of dental processing machines 100 are connected via the operation terminals 110. The number of alert notification devices 120 may be one or more.

[0014] The management device 150 is a device used by a maintenance company that performs maintenance on the dental processing machine 100, and is a device to which an alert related to the dental processing machine 100 is notified from the alert notification device 120. Here, the management device 150 is communicably connected to the alert notification device 120. The number of management devices 150 is not particularly limited. The number of management devices 150 may be one as in this embodiment, or may be multiple.

[0015] In this embodiment, the alert notification system 1 may be realized by a client-server type system or by cloud computing. The dental processing machine 100, the operation terminal 110, the alert notification device 120, and the management device 150 will be described in detail below.

[0016] First, the dental processing machine 100 will be described. The multiple dental processing machines 100 may be different models. However, the basic configuration of the multiple dental processing machines 100 is the same. Therefore, the basic configuration of the dental processing machine 100 will be described here.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the dental processing machine 100. FIG. 3 is a front view of the dental processing machine 100, showing a state in which the cover 12 is open. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the tool magazine 14, the rotary support member 15, and the clamp 16 described later. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the alert notification system 1 according to this embodiment. In the following description, the left and right mean the left and right sides as seen from a user who is in front of the dental processing machine 100, i.e., facing the cover 12. The bottom surface forming the processing space 26 (see FIG. 3) inside the main body 11 of the dental processing machine 100 is inclined downward from the front to the back as seen from the user. Therefore, in this embodiment, the side where the user moves away from the dental processing machine 100 along the bottom surface is defined as the front, and the side where the user moves toward the dental processing machine 100 along the bottom surface is defined as the rear. In addition, in the direction perpendicular to the bottom surface, the top is the top of the dental processing machine 100, and the bottom is the bottom of the dental processing machine 100. Note that F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings mean front, back, left, right, top, and bottom, respectively.

[0018] In this embodiment, the dental processing machine 100 is arranged on a plane formed by the X-axis and the Y-axis, where the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis are mutually orthogonal. For example, the X-axis is an axis extending in the left-right direction, the Y-axis is an axis extending in the front-back direction, and the Z-axis is an axis extending in the up-down direction. Also, the symbols θx, θy, and θz in the drawings indicate the directions of rotation around the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis, respectively. However, the above directions are merely directions determined for the convenience of explanation, and do not limit the installation mode of the dental processing machine 100, nor limit the present invention.

[0019] The dental processing machine 100 cuts the workpiece 5 (see FIG. 4 ) to produce an object. Here, the type of the object is not particularly limited, but an example is a crown prosthesis. Examples of crown prostheses include inlays, crowns, and bridges. In this embodiment, the dental processing machine 100 is used in the dental field, and produces a crown prosthesis from the workpiece 5.

[0020] The shape of the workpiece 5 is, for example, a disk shape. The workpiece 5 is formed of a material such as zirconia, wax, polymethylmethacrylate resin (PMMA), hybrid resin, PEEK (polyetheretherketone resin), gypsum, etc. When zirconia is used as the material of the workpiece 5, for example, semi-sintered zirconia is used. However, the shape and material of the workpiece 5 are not particularly limited.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the dental processing machine 100 includes a main body 11, a cover 12, a processing mechanism 13 (see FIG. 3), a tool magazine 14 (see FIG. 4), a rotation support member 15, and a clamp 16 (see FIG. 4). The main body 11 is formed in a box shape and has a space inside. This space is a processing space 26 (see FIG. 3). The processing space 26 is a space in which the workpiece 5 is cut. Although detailed illustration is omitted, as described above, the bottom surface forming the processing space 26 is inclined downward from the front to the rear. The front part of the main body 11 is open. As shown in FIG. 3, the cover 12 is supported by the main body 11 so that the opening of the main body 11 can be freely opened and closed. The cover 12 is provided with a window portion 12a. A user can view the processing space 26 in the main body 11 from the window portion 12a.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, the processing mechanism 13 cuts the workpiece 5 using the processing tool 8. The processing mechanism 13 processes the workpiece 5 by rotating the processing tool 8 and bringing it into contact with the workpiece 5. The processing mechanism 13 has a spindle 31 and a tool gripping part 32. The spindle 31 and the tool gripping part 32 are arranged in the processing space 26 of the main body 11. The spindle 31 rotates the tool gripping part 32 and the rod-shaped processing tool 8 gripped by the tool gripping part 32 about the central axis of the processing tool 8. The spindle 31 is replaceably provided with respect to the main body 11. The spindle 31 extends in the vertical direction and is configured to be rotatable around the Z axis θz.

[0023] The tool gripping part 32 grips the processing tool 8 and is provided on the spindle 31. More specifically, the tool gripping part 32 is provided on the bottom surface of the spindle 31. The tool gripping part 32 is replaceably provided on the main body 11. The tool gripping part 32 selectively grips one of the multiple processing tools 8. When the spindle 31 rotates around the Z axis θz, the tool gripping part 32 and the processing tool 8 gripped by the tool gripping part 32 rotate around the Z axis θz, in other words, around the central axis of the processing tool 8.

[0024] In this embodiment, there are a plurality of processing tools 8 held by the tool gripping portion 32. The processing tools 8 are rod-shaped and have a blade portion 8a at the bottom. A plurality of types of processing tools 8 having different shapes of the blade portion 8a are prepared in advance. During processing, the processing tool 8 held by the tool gripping portion 32 is replaced with another processing tool 8 as necessary.

[0025] In this embodiment, the spindle 31 and the processing tool 8 are consumables that are replaced after being used for a predetermined time or a predetermined number of times. Here, parts that are replaced after being used to a certain extent, such as the spindle 31 or the processing tool 8, are referred to as replacement parts 38. The replacement parts 38 are recommended for replacement when a preset reference usage time T5 (see FIG. 15) has elapsed, and are provided in the dental processing machine 100.

[0026] Here, the spindle 31 or the processing tool 8 is given as an example of the replacement part 38, but the replacement part 38 is not limited to the spindle 31 or the processing tool 8. That is, the replacement part 38 may include parts other than the spindle 31 or the processing tool 8 that are recommended to be replaced when the reference use time T5 has elapsed. Here, the reference use time T5 is a conceptual one, and the specific reference use time T5 may not be the same for all parts such as the spindle 31 and the processing tool 8 included in the replacement part 38. That is, the reference use time T5 is a time set for each part included in the replacement part 38, and a different time may be set for each part included in the replacement part 38. For example, the reference use time T5 of the spindle 31 included in the replacement part 38 is approximately 2,000 hours, and the reference use time T5 of the processing tool 8 included in the replacement part 38 is approximately 10 hours to 20 hours.

[0027] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, the dental processing machine 100 includes a moving mechanism 33. The moving mechanism 33 is a mechanism for moving the processing mechanism 13 (specifically, the spindle 31 and the tool gripping part 32). Here, the moving mechanism 33 is configured to move the processing mechanism 13 in the left-right direction and the up-down direction. The configuration of the moving mechanism 33 is not particularly limited. For example, the moving mechanism 33 is configured by a motor, and the processing mechanism 13 moves when the motor is driven.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4, the tool magazine 14 can accommodate a plurality of processing tools 8. In this embodiment, the tool magazine 14 is formed in a box shape. A plurality of storage holes 35 for storing the processing tools 8 are formed on the upper surface of the tool magazine 14. The processing tools 8 are inserted into the storage holes 35 with their upper parts exposed. The number of storage holes 35 is not particularly limited, but is 10 here. Therefore, in this embodiment, the tool magazine 14 can accommodate 10 processing tools 8. When replacing the processing tool 8 held by the tool holding part 32, the processing tool 8 held by the tool holding part 32 is returned to the storage hole 35. Then, the processing mechanism 13 is moved to a position above the processing tool 8 to be used next. After that, the tool holding part 32 holds the upper end of the processing tool 8 located below the tool holding part 32.

[0029] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, the tool magazine 14 is provided with a first rotating shaft 41 that rotatably supports the rotation support member 15. The first rotating shaft 41 extends in the left-right direction and is connected to the rotation support member 15. Although not shown, the tool magazine 14 is provided with a drive mechanism that rotates the first rotating shaft 41. The first rotating shaft 41 is configured to be rotatable about the X-axis θx by the drive mechanism. When the first rotating shaft 41 rotates about the X-axis θx, the rotation support member 15 rotates about the X-axis θx.

[0030] The rotation support member 15 rotatably supports the clamp 16. The rotation support member 15 is formed in a substantially C-shape in a plan view. The rotation support member 15 is connected to the tool magazine 14 via the first rotation shaft 41. The rotation support member 15 has a first portion 51, a second portion 52, and a third portion 53. The first portion 51 is disposed to the left of the tool magazine 14 and extends in the front-rear direction. The second portion 52 extends leftward from the rear end of the first portion 51. The third portion 53 extends leftward from the front end of the first portion 51. The third portion 53 faces the second portion 52. In this embodiment, the clamp 16 is disposed between the second portion 52 and the third portion 53.

[0031] The clamp 16 is a member that supports the workpiece 5 when the workpiece 5 is processed. In this embodiment, an adapter (not shown) is attached to the workpiece 5, and the clamp 16 supports the workpiece 5 via the adapter. For example, the clamp 16 has a shape that corresponds to a part of the shape of the workpiece 5. Here, the clamp 16 is substantially C-shaped in a plan view. The clamp 16 is rotatably supported by the second part 52 and the third part 53 of the rotation support member 15. One end of the second rotating shaft 42 is connected to the rear part of the clamp 16, and the second part 52 is connected to the other end of the second rotating shaft 42. One end of the third rotating shaft 43 is connected to the front part of the clamp 16, and the third part 53 is connected to the other end of the third rotating shaft 43. In this embodiment, the third part 53 is provided with a drive motor 16a (see FIG. 5) that rotates the clamp 16 around the Y axis θy.

[0032] The dental processing machine 100 according to this embodiment may be a dental processing machine with a so-called disc changer. In this case, a conventionally known disc changer can be used. For example, the workpiece transport device described in JP 2018-89763 A can be used as the disc changer.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 2, the dental processing machine 100 is equipped with a control device 60. The control device 60 is a device that controls the processing of the workpiece 5. The control device 60 is made up of a microcomputer, and is provided inside the main body 11. The control device 60 is equipped with, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a ROM that stores programs executed by the CPU, and a RAM. Here, the processing of the workpiece 5 is controlled using the programs stored in the microcomputer.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 5, the control device 60 is communicatively connected to the spindle 31 and controls the rotation of the spindle 31. The control device 60 is communicatively connected to the drive motor 16a that rotates the clamp 16 around the Y axis θy and controls the drive motor 16a. The control device 60 is communicatively connected to the movement mechanism 33 that moves the processing mechanism 13 in the left-right and up-down directions and controls the movement mechanism 33. Although not shown in the figure, the control device 60 is communicatively connected to the drive mechanism that rotates the first rotating shaft 41 and controls the drive mechanism.

[0035] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the control device 60 includes a dental storage unit 61, a dental receiving unit 62, a dental transmitting unit 63, an error detection unit 64, a current value acquisition unit 65, and a time calculation unit 66. The dental receiving unit 62 receives various information from the operation terminal 110 and the alert notification device 120. The dental transmitting unit 63 transmits various information (e.g., error information E1 (see FIG. 7)) to the operation terminal 110 and the alert notification device 120. The error detection unit 64 detects an error of the dental processing machine 100 that occurs while processing the workpiece 5. The current value acquisition unit 65 acquires a spindle current value A1 (see FIG. 14), which is the value of the current flowing through the spindle 31. The time calculation unit 66 calculates a usage time T6 (see FIG. 15) during which the processing tool 8 and the replacement parts 38 such as the spindle 31 are actually used.

[0036] Next, the operation terminal 110 shown in Fig. 1 will be described. In this embodiment, the multiple operation terminals 110 have the same configuration. Therefore, the configuration of one operation terminal 110 will be described below. The operation terminal 110 is a terminal that operates the dental processing machine 100. The operation terminal 110 is realized by, for example, a personal computer. The operation terminal 110 may be realized by a general-purpose computer or a dedicated computer.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 1, the dental processing machine 100 is communicatively connected to the operation terminal 110. The operation terminal 110 is capable of operating the communicatively connected dental processing machine 100. As shown in Fig. 5, the operation terminal 110 includes, for example, a terminal display screen 111, a terminal operation unit 112, and a terminal control device 113.

[0038] The type of the terminal display screen 111 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a display of a desktop personal computer or a notebook personal computer (in other words, a laptop computer). The terminal operation unit 112 may be, for example, a keyboard and a mouse of a personal computer. However, the terminal operation unit 112 may be a touch panel provided on the terminal display screen 111.

[0039] The terminal control device 113 is, for example, a microcomputer. The hardware configuration of the microcomputer is not particularly limited, but includes, for example, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and a storage device. The terminal control device 113 is communicatively connected to the terminal display screen 111 and the terminal operation unit 112. The terminal control device 113 is also communicatively connected to the control device 60 of the dental processing machine 100.

[0040] A dedicated application for operating the dental processing machine 100 is installed in the terminal control device 113. A user can operate the dental processing machine 100 by operating the terminal operation unit 112 to display the application on the terminal display screen 111 and operating the application via the terminal operation unit 112.

[0041] 5, the terminal control device 113 includes a terminal storage unit 115, a terminal receiving unit 116, and a terminal transmitting unit 117. The terminal receiving unit 116 receives various information from, for example, the dental processing machine 100 and the alert notification device 120. The terminal transmitting unit 117 transmits various information to, for example, the dental processing machine 100 and the alert notification device 120.

[0042] Next, the alert notification device 120 shown in Fig. 1 will be described. The alert notification device 120 is a device that notifies the management device 150 of an alert when a malfunction occurs in the dental processing machine 100 or when a situation is likely to occur in which a malfunction may occur. Here, a malfunction of the dental processing machine 100 refers to, for example, when an error occurs in the dental processing machine 100 or when maintenance of the dental processing machine 100 becomes necessary.

[0043] For example, when the alert notification system 1 is realized by a client-server type system, the alert notification device 120 functions as a server. On the other hand, when the alert notification system 1 is realized by cloud computing, the alert notification device 120 functions as a cloud.

[0044] 5, in this embodiment, the alert notification device 120 includes an alert display screen 121, an alert operation unit 122, and an alert control device 123. The alert display screen 121 is, for example, a desktop display constituting a server. The alert operation unit 122 is, for example, a keyboard and mouse of a personal computer constituting the server.

[0045] The alert control device 123 is, for example, a microcomputer. The alert control device 123 includes, for example, a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The alert control device 123 is communicably connected to the alert display screen 121 and the alert operation unit 122. Furthermore, the alert control device 123 is communicably connected to the control device 60 of the dental processing machine 100 and the terminal control device 113 of the operation terminal 110. The detailed configuration of the alert control device 123 will be described later.

[0046] The management device 150 shown in Fig. 1 is a device for managing the dental processing machine 100. In this embodiment, the management device 150 is a device used, for example, by a maintenance company when managing the dental processing machine 100. Here, the maintenance company is a company that undertakes maintenance of the dental processing machine 100. The maintenance company may be the manufacturer of the dental processing machine 100. The maintenance company may also be a so-called call center.

[0047] The management device 150 is realized, for example, by a personal computer. The management device 150 may be realized by a general-purpose computer or a dedicated computer. The management device 150 may also be a portable terminal such as a so-called smartphone or a tablet-type personal computer.

[0048] 5, the management device 150 includes a management display screen 151, a management operation unit 152, and a management control device 153. The management display screen 151 is, for example, a display of a desktop personal computer, a notebook personal computer (in other words, a laptop computer), or a display of a portable terminal. The management operation unit 152 is, for example, a keyboard and a mouse of a personal computer. However, the management operation unit 152 may be a touch panel provided on the management display screen 151.

[0049] The management control device 153 is, for example, a microcomputer. The management control device 153 includes, for example, a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The management control device 153 is communicatively connected to the management display screen 151 and the management operation unit 152. In addition, the management control device 153 is communicatively connected to the alert control device 123 of the alert notification device 120.

[0050] The management control device 153 includes a management storage unit 155, a management receiving unit 156, and a management transmitting unit 157. The management receiving unit 156 receives various information from the alert notification device 120 (for example, an alert notified from the alert notification device 120). The management transmitting unit 157 transmits various information to the alert notification device 120 etc.

[0051] However, an error may occur when the dental processing machine 100 processes the workpiece 5. When an error occurs in the dental processing machine 100, if the user can resolve the error, the user can continue to use the dental processing machine 100 by resolving the error. However, when the error cannot be resolved by the user, the user contacts a maintenance company. The maintenance company then visits the installation location of the dental processing machine 100, performs maintenance on the dental processing machine 100, and resolves the error. Thus, in the past, when an error occurred in the dental processing machine 100, the maintenance company sometimes learned of the occurrence of the error when they received a call from the user. Therefore, there was a time lag between when an error occurred in the dental processing machine 100 and when the maintenance company learned of the occurrence of the error. Therefore, in this embodiment, a system is provided that automatically notifies the maintenance company of an alert regarding the error when an error occurs in the dental processing machine 100, thereby reducing the above-mentioned time lag.

[0052] In this embodiment, when an error occurs in the dental processing machine 100, in order to notify the maintenance company of an alert regarding the error, as shown in FIG. 5, the alert control device 123 of the alert notification device 120 includes a storage unit 131, a receiving unit 133, a transmitting unit 135, an address setting unit 137, a period setting unit 139, a first extracting unit 141, a second extracting unit 142, a time determining unit 145, a current value determining unit 147, and a notifying unit 149. Each unit of the alert control device 123 may be configured by software or may be configured by hardware. Each unit of the alert control device 123 may be realized by one or more processors, or may be incorporated by a circuit. Specific control and processing of each unit of the alert control device 123 will be described later.

[0053] Next, a procedure for notifying an alert from the alert notification device 120 to the management device 150 will be described. Here, an example of a procedure for notifying an alert when an error occurs in the dental processing machine 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 6. In this embodiment, when an error occurs in the dental processing machine 100, the alert notification device 120 receives error information E1 (described below) related to the error. Thereafter, the alert notification device 120 notifies the maintenance company of an alert as necessary based on the received error information E1. Here, by notifying the management device 150 of the alert, the maintenance company is notified of the alert.

[0054] 6, the receiving unit 133 of the alert notification device 120 receives the error information E1 from the dental processing machine 100. Before this step S101, the following control is performed on the dental processing machine 100 side.

[0055] First, an error occurs in the dental processing machine 100. When an error occurs, the error detection unit 64 (see FIG. 5) of the dental processing machine 100 detects the error that occurred in the dental processing machine 100. The type of error that occurs in the dental processing machine 100 is not particularly limited, and includes conventionally known errors. An error occurs when the workpiece 5 cannot be properly processed. Examples of errors include an error caused by the processing tool 8 being broken, an error caused by the tool gripping unit 32 being unable to grip the processing tool 8, an error caused by the spindle 31 not rotating at an appropriate number of rotations per unit time, an error caused by the processing mechanism 13 or the clamp 16 being unable to move to an appropriate position, and an error caused by the replacement of the workpiece 5 by the disc changer in the dental processing machine with the disc changer described above. The error detection unit 64 detects these errors via a sensor (not shown) or the like.

[0056] After the error of the dental processing machine 100 is detected by the error detection unit 64 in this manner, the dental transmission unit 63 (see FIG. 5) of the dental processing machine 100 transmits error information E1 relating to the error that has occurred in the dental processing machine 100 to the alert notification device 120. The dental transmission unit 63 may transmit the error information E1 to the operation terminal 110 together with the alert notification device 120.

[0057] The items included in the error information E1 are not particularly limited. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the error information E1. In this embodiment, the error information E1 has, for example, an error date and time 201, an error ID 202, and a device ID 203. The error date and time 201 is the date and time when an error occurs in the dental processing machine 100. In detail, the error date and time 201 is the date and time when the error detection unit 64 of the dental processing machine 100 detects an error. However, the error date and time 201 may be the date and time when the alert notification device 120 receives the error information E1.

[0058] The error ID 202 uniquely identifies the type of error. The error ID 202 is a unique ID assigned to each type of error. A maintenance company can know what kind of error has occurred in the dental processing machine 100 from the error ID 202. Although detailed illustration is omitted, for example, a list of the error IDs 202 is stored in the dental storage unit 61 (see FIG. 5) of the dental processing machine 100. When the error detection unit 64 detects an error, it refers to the list of the error IDs 202 and transmits the error ID 202 corresponding to the error detected by the error detection unit 64 to the alert notification device 120. The device ID 203 is a unique ID assigned to each dental processing machine 100. The dental processing machine 100 can be uniquely identified from this device ID 203.

[0059] As described above, when the error information E1 is transmitted from the dental transmitting unit 63 of the dental processing machine 100, in step S101 of Fig. 6, the receiving unit 133 of the alert notification device 120 receives the error information E1 transmitted from the dental processing machine 100. The error information E1 received by the receiving unit 133 is stored in the memory unit 131.

[0060] Next, in step S103, the first extraction unit 141 in FIG. 5 extracts the error information E1 that occurred in the first period T1 from the error information E1 received by the receiving unit 133 as the first extracted error information E21, and in step S105, the notification unit 149 in FIG. 5 notifies the alert AL1 regarding the first extracted error information E21. In this manner, in this embodiment, the alert AL1 regarding the error information E1 (first extracted error information E21) that occurred in the preset first period T1 is notified to the management device 150. This first period T1 corresponds to the monitoring period in the example of FIG. 8. The monitoring period is a period going back from the present when the maintenance company wants to know that an error has occurred in the dental processing machine 100. The first period T1 is stored in the storage unit 131 (see FIG. 5) of the alert notification device 120. Note that this first period T1 may be preset or may be set by the maintenance company.

[0061] FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing the control procedure of the alert notification device 120 when the maintenance company sets the first period T1. When the first period T1 is set by the maintenance company, for example, a period setting screen (not shown) is displayed on the management display screen 151 (see FIG. 5) of the management device 150. The maintenance company operates the management operation unit 152 to input a first setting value V1 (see step S201 in FIG. 9) to be set in the first period T1. When the input of the first setting value V1 is completed, the management transmission unit 157 shown in FIG. 5 transmits the first setting value V1 to the alert notification device 120. Next, in step S201 in FIG. 9, the receiving unit 133 of the alert notification device 120 receives the first setting value V1 from the management device 150. After that, in step S203, the period setting unit 139 (see FIG. 5) of the alert notification device 120 sets the first setting value V1 to the first period T1. The first period T1 set to the first set value V1 is stored in the storage unit 131.

[0062] It should be noted that there may be cases where it is desired to vary the first period T1 depending on, for example, the type of error information E1. For example, the first period T1 may be shortened for error information E1 with a high frequency of error occurrence, and the first period T1 may be lengthened for error information E1 with a low frequency of error occurrence. The period setting unit 139 may set the first period T1, which is a monitoring period, for each type of error information E1. Note that here, the type of error information E1 refers to the type of error ID 202 (see FIG. 7). In other words, error information E1 with different error IDs 202 is considered to be of different types of error information E1.

[0063] When the first period T1 is set for each type of error information E1, the period setting screen displayed on the management display screen 151 may be configured to enable the setting of a first set value V1 for each type of error information E1. Then, the first set value V1 set for each type of error information E1 is transmitted to the alert notification device 120, and the period setting unit 139 sets the first set value V1 to the first period T1 for each type of error information E1.

[0064] The specific period of the first period T1 is not particularly limited. For example, the first period T1 may be in months, weeks, or days, or may be in hours, minutes, or seconds. It is also possible to set the first period T1 to 0. When the first period T1 is set to 0, an alert AL1 is notified every time an error in the dental processing machine 100 is detected by the error detection unit 64. That is, in this case, every time an error in the dental processing machine 100 is detected by the error detection unit 64, an alert AL1 is notified in real time of the error occurrence.

[0065] In this embodiment, as described above, in step S105 of FIG. 6, an alert AL1 regarding the error information E1 (first extraction error information E21) occurring in the first period T1 is notified to the management device 150. To this end, in step S103, the first extraction unit 141 of the alert notification device 120 extracts the error information E1 occurring in the first period T1 as the first extraction error information E21 from the error information E1 received by the receiving unit 133. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of types A, B, and C of errors occurring in the first period T1 and the second period T2. In FIG. 10, the horizontal axis indicates time, and "x" indicates the occurrence of an error. In the example of FIG. 10, errors of types A and B occurred in the first period T1, and an error of type C did not occur. In this case, the first extraction unit 141 extracts the error information E1 regarding types A and B as the first extraction error information E21, and does not extract the error information E1 regarding type C as the first extraction error information E21.

[0066] In this way, after extracting the first extraction error information E21 in step S103 of FIG. 6, in step S105, the notification unit 149 of the alert notification device 120 notifies the management device 150 of an alert AL1 related to the first extraction error information E21. Here, the method of notifying the management device 150 of the alert AL1 is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the notification unit 149 notifies the alert AL1 by email M1 as shown in FIG. 8 to an email address preset in the management device 150. In this embodiment, "notifying an alert" refers to displaying information such as the relevant error (for example, the first extraction error information E21).

[0067] In this embodiment, the email address of the notification destination of the alert AL1 is set by the address setting unit 137 shown in Fig. 5. The address setting unit 137 of the alert notification device 120 may set the same email address as the notification destination for all types of the first extraction error information E21, or may set a different email address for each type of the first extraction error information E21. The address setting unit 137 may set the same email address as the notification destination for multiple dental processing machines 100, or may set a different email address for each dental processing machine 100. When there are multiple users of the dental processing machines 100 targeted by the maintenance company, the address setting unit 137 may set a different email address for each user.

[0068] In this embodiment, the email address of the notification destination to which the notification unit 149 notifies the alert AL1 may be set by the maintenance contractor. When the maintenance contractor sets the email address of the notification destination of the alert AL1, first, an email address setting screen (not shown) is displayed on the management display screen 151 (see FIG. 5) of the management device 150. The maintenance contractor operates the management operation unit 152 to input the set email address on the email address setting screen. When input of the set email address is completed, the management transmission unit 157 transmits the set email address to the alert notification device 120. The receiving unit 133 of the alert notification device 120 receives the set email address. Thereafter, the address setting unit 137 of the alert notification device 120 sets the set email address as the email address of the notification destination of the alert AL1.

[0069] In this embodiment, the timing of the notification of the alert AL1 by the notification unit 149 is not particularly limited. Here, the notification unit 149 notifies the alert AL1 at a timing when a predetermined notification time T3 (see FIG. 5) has elapsed since the previous notification of the alert AL1. As shown in FIG. 5, this notification time T3 is stored in the storage unit 131. The notification time T3 may be set in advance or may be set by a maintenance company. The notification time T3 is, for example, 12 hours or 24 hours. For example, when the notification time T3 is 12 hours, an alert notification email is delivered twice a day. For example, when the notification time T3 is 24 hours, an alert notification email is delivered once a day at an arbitrary time.

[0070] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a management screen DP1 displayed on the management display screen 151 of the management device 150. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the management screen DP1 is displayed on the management display screen 151. The management screen DP1 is a screen on which an error history and a maintenance history are displayed. A maintenance contractor can know the date and time of an error occurrence in the dental processing machine 100 and the date and time of maintenance by looking at the management screen DP1. In this embodiment, for example, in step S101 of FIG. 6, when the alert notification device 120 receives the error information E1, the transmission unit 135 of the alert notification device 120 transmits the error information E1 to the management device 150. Thereafter, the management control device 153 of the management device 150 displays the error information E1 as an error history on the management screen DP1 as shown in FIG. 11. Note that a message 204 may be displayed in the error history of FIG. 11. For example, the specific error content for the error ID 202 is displayed in the message 204. Also, a specific method for eliminating the error for the error ID 202 may be displayed in the message 204.

[0071] In the above, the procedure for notifying the alert AL1 regarding the error information E1 (here, the first extracted error information E21) of the error that occurred in the dental processing machine 100 during the monitoring period that is the first period T1 has been described. However, the alert AL2 (see FIG. 8) regarding the error information E1 of the error that occurred during the second period T2 different from the first period T1 may be notified. Here, as shown in FIG. 10, the second period T2 is a period that goes back from the present to the past, similar to the first period T1 that is the monitoring period. The second period T2 is a period longer than the first period T1. The second period T2 partially overlaps with the first period T1. The second period T2 corresponds to the retrospective period in the example of FIG. 8. Here, the alert AL2 (see FIG. 8) regarding the type of error information E1 in which an error occurred a preset reference occurrence count C2 (see FIG. 12) during the retrospective period, among the types of errors that occurred during the monitoring period (first period T1), is notified.

[0072] The procedure for notifying the above-mentioned alert AL2 will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 12. In step S301 of FIG. 12, similar to step S101 of FIG. 6, the receiving unit 133 of the alert notification device 120 receives the error information E1 from the dental processing machine 100. Next, in step S303, similar to step S103 of FIG. 6, the first extracting unit 141 of the alert notification device 120 extracts the type of the error information E1 that occurred in the first period T1 from the error information E1 received by the receiving unit 133 as the first extracted error information E21. After that, in step S305, the second extracting unit 142 (see FIG. 5) of the alert notification device 120 extracts the first extracted error information E21 that occurred the reference occurrence number C2 in the second period T2 as the second extracted error information E22.

[0073] In this embodiment, the second period T2 and the reference occurrence number C2 are stored in the storage unit 131 of the alert notification device 120. Note that the second period T2 and the reference occurrence number C2 may be set in advance, or may be set by a maintenance company.

[0074] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of the alert notification device 120 when the maintenance company sets the second period T2 and the reference occurrence number C2. When the second period T2 and the reference occurrence number C2 are set by the maintenance company, for example, a period number setting screen (not shown) is displayed on the management display screen 151 (see FIG. 5). At this time, the maintenance company operates the management operation unit 152 to input the second setting value V2 for the second period T2 and the set occurrence number V3 for the reference occurrence number C2. Thereafter, the management transmission unit 157 of FIG. 5 transmits the second setting value V2 and the set occurrence number V3 to the alert notification device 120. Next, in step S401 of FIG. 13, the receiving unit 133 of the alert notification device 120 receives the second setting value V2 and the set occurrence number V3. Then, in step S403, the period setting unit 139 of the alert notification device 120 sets the second setting value V2 to the second period T2. In step S405, the period setting unit 139 sets the set occurrence count V3 to the reference occurrence count C2. The second period T2 set to the second set value V2 and the reference occurrence count C2 set to the set occurrence count V3 are stored in the storage unit 131.

[0075] The period setting unit 139 may set the second period T2 and the reference occurrence number C2 for each type of error information E1, similarly to the first period T1, or may set the same second period T2 and reference occurrence number C2 for all types of error information E1. The period setting unit 139 may set the second period T2 and the reference occurrence number C2 to the same values ​​for a plurality of dental processing machines 100, or may set different values ​​for each dental processing machine 100.

[0076] In this embodiment, as described above, among the types of errors that occurred during the monitoring period (first period T1), an alert AL2 is notified regarding the type of error information E1 in which an error occurred the reference number of times C2 during the retrospective period (second period T2). For this purpose, in step S305 of FIG. 12, the second extraction unit 142 of the alert notification device 120 extracts, as the second extracted error information E22, the type of error information E1 in which an error occurred the reference number of times C2 during the second period T2 from the error information E1 received by the receiving unit 133. Here, for example, even if an error of the type of error information E1 occurred the reference number of times C2 during the second period T2, if no corresponding error occurred during the first period T1, it is not extracted as the second extracted error information E22.

[0077] For example, in the example of FIG. 10, when the reference occurrence count C2 is 5, the type A error occurs 3 times in the second period T2, which is less than the reference occurrence count C2. Therefore, the error information E1 related to the type A is not extracted as the second extraction error information E22. The type B error occurs in the second period T2 more than the reference occurrence count C2. Furthermore, the type B error also occurs in the first period T1. Therefore, the error information E1 related to the type B is extracted as the second extraction error information E22. The type C error occurs in the second period T2 more than the reference occurrence count C2, but does not occur in the first period T1. Therefore, the error information E1 related to the type C is not extracted as the second extraction error information E22. Thus, in the example of FIG. 10, the second extraction unit 142 extracts the error information E1 related to the type B as the second extraction error information E22.

[0078] In this way, after the second extraction error information E22 is extracted by the second extraction unit 142 in step S305 of FIG. 12, in step S307, the notification unit 149 of the alert notification device 120 notifies the management device 150 of the alert AL2 related to the second extraction error information E22. Here, as shown in FIG. 8, similarly to the alert AL1 related to the first extraction error information E21, the notification unit 149 notifies the alert AL2 related to the second extraction error information E22 to an email address preset in the management device 150. Here, the alert AL2 related to the second extraction error information E22 may be notified by the same email M1 as the alert AL1 related to the first extraction error information E21, or may be notified by an email different from the alert AL1 related to the first extraction error information E21. In addition, the email address of the notification destination of the alert AL2 related to the second extraction error information E22 may be different from that of the alert AL1 related to the first extraction error information E21, or the email address may be the same. In this embodiment, the timing at which the alert AL2 regarding the second extraction error information E22 is notified is the timing at which a predetermined notification time T3 (see FIG. 5) has elapsed, similarly to the timing at which the alert AL1 regarding the first extraction error information E21 is notified.

[0079] The above describes the notification of alerts AL1 and AL2 related to error information E1 when an error occurs in the dental processing machine 100. The above-mentioned alerts AL1 and AL2 are alert notifications when an error occurs, but in this embodiment, an alert that predicts the occurrence of an error can be notified before an error occurs in the dental processing machine 100, that is, a predicted alert can be notified. For example, while the dental processing machine 100 is processing the workpiece 5, a sensing value for a predetermined part is detected. Then, the alert notification device 120 acquires the sensing value, and when the acquired sensing value is greater than a predetermined threshold, it notifies the management device 150 of an alert related to the sensing.

[0080] Hereinafter, the procedure for notifying the predictive alert AL3 will be described along the flowchart of FIG. 14, taking the sensing value for the spindle 31 (see FIG. 3) of the processing mechanism 13 of the dental processing machine 100 as an example of the sensing value. As described above, in the dental processing machine 100, the processing tool 8 rotated by the spindle 31 comes into contact with the workpiece 5, so that the workpiece 5 is processed. At this time, the spindle 31 rotates according to the magnitude of the value of the current flowing through the spindle 31. However, if a malfunction occurs during processing and the spindle 31 does not rotate appropriately even though the necessary current is flowing, the current value flowing through the spindle 31 increases, causing an error. Therefore, in this embodiment, the current value flowing through the spindle 31 is sensed, and the predictive alert AL3 is notified based on the current value of the spindle 31.

[0081] Here, first, the current value acquisition unit 65 (see FIG. 5) of the dental processing machine 100 acquires a spindle current value A1 which is the value of the current flowing through the spindle 31. Then, the dental transmission unit 63 of the dental processing machine 100 transmits the spindle current value A1 flowing through the spindle 31 to the alert notification device 120. Next, in step S501 of FIG. 14, the receiving unit 133 of the alert notification device 120 receives the spindle current value A1.

[0082] Thereafter, in step S503, the current value determination unit 147 (see FIG. 5) of the alert notification device 120 determines whether or not the spindle current value A1 received by the receiving unit 133 is higher than the threshold value Th1. Here, the threshold value Th1 is a value indicating that a malfunction has occurred because the current flowing due to the spindle current value A1 is an overcurrent. The threshold value Th1 is set in advance in the storage unit 131 shown in FIG. 5. This threshold value Th1 may be set for each dental processing machine 100, or may be set by a maintenance company.

[0083] Here, in step S503, if the current value determination unit 147 determines that the spindle current value A1 is equal to or less than the threshold value Th1, the predicted alert AL3 regarding the spindle 31 is not notified. On the other hand, if the current value determination unit 147 determines that the spindle current value A1 is greater than the threshold value Th1, the process proceeds to step S505 in FIG. 14. In step S505, the notification unit 149 notifies the management device 150 of the predicted alert AL3 regarding the spindle 31. Note that the method of notifying the predicted alert AL3 regarding the spindle 31 is not particularly limited. The predicted alert AL3 may be notified by sending an email to an email address set in the management device 150, or by displaying a predetermined message on the management screen DP1 (see FIG. 11) displayed on the management display screen 151.

[0084] The alert notification device 120 according to the present embodiment may be configured to notify the management device 150 of an alert regarding the maintenance of the dental processing machine 100. For example, the dental processing machine 100 includes the replacement part 38 (see FIG. 3) as described above. The replacement part 38 is recommended to be replaced when a preset reference use time T5 (see FIG. 15) has elapsed. The replacement part 38 is, for example, the processing tool 8 or the spindle 31. The processing tool 8 and the spindle 31 are consumables, and are replaced with new ones after being used for a predetermined time or a predetermined number of times. Here, the reference use time T5 is set for each of the multiple processing tools 8, and the reference use time T5 is also set for the spindle 31.

[0085] Next, a procedure for notifying a replacement alert AL4 regarding the spindle 31 of the replacement part 38 will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 15. In this embodiment, the time calculation unit 66 (see Fig. 5) of the dental processing machine 100 calculates the usage time T6, which is the time during which the spindle 31 of the replacement part 38 has been used. Thereafter, the dental transmission unit 63 of Fig. 5 transmits the usage time T6 to the alert notification device 120. Next, in step S601 of Fig. 15, the receiving unit 133 of the alert notification device 120 receives the usage time T6 of the spindle 31 of the replacement part 38.

[0086] Next, in step S603, the time determination unit 145 (see FIG. 5) of the alert notification device 120 determines whether the usage time T6 received by the receiving unit 133 is longer than the reference usage time T5. Here, the reference usage time T5 is a time set for each replacement part 38 as described above, and in this embodiment, is set for the machining tool 8 and for the spindle 31. The reference usage time T5 is a reference time for prompting replacement of the replacement part 38. The reference usage time T5 is stored in advance in the storage unit 131.

[0087] Here, in step S603, if the time determination unit 145 determines that the usage time T6 of the replacement part 38 on the spindle 31 is equal to or less than the reference usage time T5, the notification of the replacement alert AL4 for prompting the replacement of the replacement part 38 is not performed. On the other hand, if the time determination unit 145 determines that the usage time T6 of the replacement part 38 on the spindle 31 is longer than the reference usage time T5, the process proceeds to step S605 in FIG. 15. In step S605, the notification unit 149 notifies the management device 150 of the replacement alert AL4 regarding the replacement of the spindle 31 of the replacement part 38. Note that the method of notifying the replacement alert AL4 regarding the replacement of the replacement part 38 is not particularly limited. The notification of the replacement alert AL4 may be performed by sending an email to an email address set in the management device 150. Also, as shown in FIG. 11, the usage time T6 of the spindle 31 is displayed on the management screen DP1. Therefore, the replacement alert AL4 may be notified by changing the usage time T6 to a bold font or a red font.

[0088] In this embodiment, the management screen DP1 in FIG. 11 displays an automatic correction completion time T8, which is the date and time when the automatic correction was performed, and a gripper maintenance time T9, which is the date and time when the maintenance for the tool gripper 32 was performed. Here, the automatic correction refers to maintenance for correcting the origin position of the spindle 31. As described above, the spindle 31 is moved by the moving mechanism 33 (see FIG. 5), and positional deviation may occur due to long-term use. A predetermined origin position is set for the spindle 31, and by adjusting this origin position, positional deviation of the spindle 31 is unlikely to occur. For example, when the automatic correction is performed, an automatic correction completion signal is transmitted from the dental processing machine 100 to the management device 150 via the alert notification device 120. At this time, the management control device 153 displays the date and time when the automatic correction completion signal is received as the automatic correction completion time T8 on the management screen DP1 in FIG. 11. However, the automatic correction completion time T8 may be the date and time when the automatic correction is actually completed (i.e., the operation of the automatic correction is physically completed). For example, the terminal receiving unit 116 of the operation terminal 110 receives a notification that the automatic correction has been completed in the dental processing machine 100. The date and time when the terminal receiving unit 116 received the notification is stored in the terminal storage unit 115 as an automatic correction completion time T8. The automatic correction completion time T8 stored in the terminal storage unit 115 is transmitted to the management device 150 via the alert notification device 120 and displayed on the management screen DP1 in FIG.

[0089] The maintenance related to the tool gripping unit 32 is maintenance to check whether the tool gripping unit 32 can properly grip the processing tool 8. For example, when maintenance related to the tool gripping unit 32 is performed, a gripping unit completion signal is transmitted from the dental processing machine 100 to the management device 150 via the alert notification device 120. At this time, the management control device 153 displays the date and time when the gripping unit completion signal is received as the gripping unit maintenance time T9 on the management screen DP1 in FIG. 11. Note that, when a preset elapsed time (not shown) has elapsed, the automatic correction completion time T8 and the gripping unit maintenance time T9 may be changed to bold or red to notify an alert encouraging maintenance.

[0090] In this embodiment, when the optional maintenance is completed in the dental processing machine 100, the maintenance information E3 (see FIG. 11) is transmitted to the management device 150 via the alert notification device 120. The management control device 153 that receives the maintenance information E3 displays the maintenance information E3 as a maintenance history on the management screen DP1 of FIG. 11. The items of the maintenance information E3 are not particularly limited. The maintenance information E3 includes, for example, a maintenance date and time 211, a device ID 212, a maintenance content 213, and a message 214. The maintenance date and time 211 is the date and time when the optional maintenance was performed, for example, the date and time when the management device 150 received the maintenance information E3. The device ID 212 is a unique ID given to each dental processing machine 100, and is the device ID of the dental processing machine 100 on which the optional maintenance was performed. The maintenance content 213 is the content of the maintenance performed on the dental processing machine 100. For example, details of the maintenance content 213 are displayed as the message 214.

[0091] As described above, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the alert notification system 1 includes the dental processing machine 100, the alert notification device 120 of the dental processing machine 100, and the management device 150 used by a maintenance company that performs maintenance of the dental processing machine 100. As shown in FIG. 5, the alert notification device 120 of the dental processing machine 100 includes a receiving unit 133, a first extracting unit 141, and a notifying unit 149. In step S101 of FIG. 6, the receiving unit 133 receives error information E1 from the dental processing machine 100. In step S103, the first extracting unit 141 extracts error information E1 that has occurred during a preset first period T1 from the error information E1 received by the receiving unit 133 as first extracted error information E21. In step S105, the notification unit 149 notifies the management device 150 used by the maintenance company that performs maintenance on the dental processing machine 100 of an alert AL1 regarding the first extracted error information E21.

[0092] As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, when an error occurs in the dental processing machine 100, error information E1 related to the error that occurred is received, and the error information E1 that occurred in the first period T1 is extracted as the first extracted error information E21. Then, an alert AL1 related to the first extracted error information E21 is notified to the maintenance company. Therefore, the maintenance company can know what kind of error occurred in the dental processing machine 100 by being notified of the alert AL1. Therefore, it is possible to know earlier that an error has occurred in the dental processing machine 100 without waiting for a contact from the user of the dental processing machine 100. Also, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the first period T1 is a monitoring period, and the first extracted error information E21 is information related to the most recent error that occurred in the dental processing machine 100, and is error information necessary for the maintenance company to know whether the current dental processing machine 100 is in a normal state or not. Therefore, it is possible to know earlier the current state of the dental processing machine 100 by being notified of the alert AL1 related to the first extracted error information E21.

[0093] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, the dental processing machine 100 includes a control device 60 having a dental transmission unit 63 that transmits error information E1 to the alert notification device 120. In this manner, when an error occurs in the dental processing machine 100, the error information E1 for the error is transmitted from the dental transmission unit 63 to the alert notification device 120. Therefore, the alert notification device 120 can reliably acquire the error information E1 that occurs in the dental processing machine 100 in real time.

[0094] In this embodiment, in step S201 of FIG. 9, the receiving unit 133 receives the first set value V1 of the first period T1 set by the maintenance company from the management device 150. The alert notification device 120 includes a period setting unit 139 (see FIG. 5) that sets the first set value V1 received by the receiving unit 133 to the first period T1 as in step S203. The first period T1 is a monitoring period (see FIG. 8) during which errors in the dental processing machine 100 are to be monitored. The first set value V1 of the first period T1 differs depending on the maintenance company, the period of use of the dental processing machine 100 to be monitored, and the model, and it is difficult to uniquely determine it. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first set value V1 set by the maintenance company is set to the first period T1, so that the first period T1 can be set according to the period of use and the model of the dental processing machine 100. Therefore, the first set value V1 of the first period T1 can be left to the maintenance company, and the first set value V1 can be given a degree of freedom.

[0095] In this embodiment, the period setting unit 139 shown in FIG. 5 sets the first period T1 for each type of error information E1. Here, the type of error information E1 refers to the type of error that occurred in the dental processing machine 100. The importance differs depending on the type of error. For example, the first period T1 for an error that can be resolved by the user and the first period T1 for an error that cannot be resolved by the user and requires the visit of a maintenance company may differ in the period that the maintenance company considers necessary. Therefore, in this embodiment, by setting the first period T1 for each type of error information E1, the first period T1 that the maintenance company considers necessary can be set for each type of error information E1.

[0096] For example, depending on the dental processing machine 100, errors may occur frequently. In that case, if an alert AL1 is notified every time an error occurs, it may be bothersome for the maintenance company, and the amount of alerts AL1 may become huge, and the error information E1 that is actually required may be buried in the amount of alerts AL1. Therefore, in this embodiment, the notification unit 149 notifies the alert AL1 at a timing when a preset notification time T3 (see FIG. 5) has elapsed since the previous notification of the alert AL1. This can reduce the frequency of the notification of the alert AL1, and therefore the required error information E1 is less likely to be buried in the amount of alerts AL1.

[0097] In this embodiment, the alert notification device 120 includes a second extraction unit 142 (see FIG. 5) that extracts, from the error information E1 received by the receiving unit 133 as in step S305 in FIG. 12, a preset reference occurrence count C2 and the type of error information E1 that has occurred during a preset second period T2 as second extracted error information E22. In step S307, the notification unit 149 notifies the management device 150 of an alert AL2 related to the second extracted error information E22. This makes it possible to set the first period T1 and the second period T2, which are two different periods, as periods for which the alerts AL1 and AL2 are to be notified. Therefore, the alerts AL1 and AL2 related to the error information E1 can be notified in two stages.

[0098] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the second period T2 is a period longer than the first period T1. As shown in step S305 of FIG. 12, the second extraction unit 142 extracts, from the first extraction error information E21 extracted by the first extraction unit 141, the type of the first extraction error information E21 that occurred during the second period T2 with a reference occurrence count C2 as the second extraction error information E22. Here, as shown in FIG. 8, the second period T2 is a retrospective period. The type of the first extraction error information E21 that occurred during the first period T1, which is the monitoring period, and in which an error occurred with the reference occurrence count C2 during the second period T2 can be said to be the type of error information E1 that occurs continuously. The maintenance company can know the type of error that occurs continuously by being notified of the alert AL2 related to the second extraction error information E22.

[0099] In this embodiment, the notification unit 149 notifies the management device 150 of the alert AL1 by email M1 to an email address preset in the management device 150, as shown in Fig. 8. This makes it possible to notify a plurality of management devices 150 of the alert AL1 by the simple method of setting email addresses for the plurality of management devices 150. This allows the maintenance company to know the notification of the alert AL1 more quickly.

[0100] In this embodiment, the alert notification device 120 includes an address setting unit 137 (see FIG. 5) that sets the email address of the notification destination to which the alert AL1 is to be notified for each type of error information E1. Depending on the type of error information E1, the importance may be low or high. By setting the email address of the notification destination of the alert AL1 according to the type of error information E1 in this way, it is possible to separate the notification destination of the alert AL1 for error information E1 with a higher importance from the notification destination of the alert AL1 for error information E1 with a lower importance, for example.

[0101] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, the alert notification system 1 includes a plurality of dental processing machines 100. The notification unit 149 of the alert notification device 120 notifies the plurality of dental processing machines 100 of an alert AL1 related to the first extracted error information E21 collectively. This allows the maintenance company to know the first extracted error information E21 for errors that have occurred in the plurality of dental processing machines 100 by notification of one alert AL1. This makes it easy to manage the error information E1 for the plurality of dental processing machines 100.

[0102] In this embodiment, the address setting unit 137 sets an email address of the notification destination to which the alert AL1 is notified for each dental processing machine 100. As a result, even when managing error information E1 of multiple dental processing machines 100, the notification destinations of the alert AL1 of the error information E1 of the multiple dental processing machines 100 can be separated by email address. Therefore, it is easy to manage the error information E1 for each dental processing machine 100.

[0103] In this embodiment, the dental processing machine 100 includes a replacement part 38 (see FIG. 3) that is replaced when a preset reference use time T5 (see FIG. 15) has elapsed. The replacement part 38 is a processing tool 8 for cutting the workpiece 5 by the dental processing machine 100, or a spindle 31 for rotating the processing tool 8. The dental transmission unit 63 in FIG. 5 transmits the use time T6 during which the replacement part 38 was used to the alert notification device 120. In step S601 in FIG. 15, the receiving unit 133 of the alert notification device 120 receives the use time T6. The alert notification device 120 includes a time determination unit 145 (see FIG. 5) that determines whether the use time T6 received by the receiving unit 133 is longer than the reference use time T5 as in step S603. When the time determination unit 145 determines that the usage time T6 is longer than the reference usage time T5, the notification unit 149 of the alert notification device 120 notifies the replacement alert AL4 regarding the replacement of the replacement part 38 in step S605. As a result, even if the user forgets to replace the replacement part 38, the maintenance company is notified of the replacement alert AL4 regarding the replacement of the replacement part 38. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the forgetting of the replacement part 38. Also, if the usage time T6 of the replacement part 38 exceeds the reference usage time T5 and the replacement part 38 is used, the dental processing machine 100 is more likely to have a malfunction, and the frequency of occurrence of errors may increase. In this embodiment, by suppressing the forgetting of the replacement part 38, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of errors caused by the forgetting of the replacement part 38.

[0104] In this embodiment, the spindle 31 of the dental processing machine 100 is configured to rotate the processing tool 8 that processes the workpiece 5 by passing a current through it. The dental transmission unit 63 transmits the spindle current value A1 passed through the spindle 31 to the alert notification device 120. In step S501 of FIG. 14, the receiving unit 133 of the alert notification device 120 receives the spindle current value A1. The alert notification device 120 includes a current value determination unit 147 (see FIG. 5) that determines whether the spindle current value A1 received by the receiving unit 133 is higher than a preset threshold value Th1 as in step S503. When the current value determination unit 147 determines that the spindle current value A1 is higher than the threshold value Th1, in step S505, the notification unit 149 of the alert notification device 120 notifies a predicted alert AL3 regarding the spindle 31. In the dental processing machine 100, the spindle 31 rotates according to the magnitude of the value of the current flowing through the spindle 31. However, if a malfunction occurs during processing and the spindle 31 does not rotate properly even though the necessary current is flowing, the value of the current flowing through the spindle 31 increases, causing an error. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the spindle current value A1 flowing through the spindle 31 is higher than the threshold value Th1, it is determined that an overcurrent has occurred, and a predictive alert AL3 regarding the spindle 31 is notified. Therefore, it is possible to notify the maintenance company of the predictive alert AL3 before an error regarding the spindle 31 occurs.

[0105] In this embodiment, the maintenance company is notified of various alerts AL1 to AL4. Therefore, since the malfunction of the dental processing machine 100 can be known in advance, it becomes easier to plan a visit for performing maintenance of the dental processing machine 100, and it becomes easier to perform maintenance at an appropriate time. In addition, since the malfunction of the dental processing machine 100 can be known in advance, it becomes possible to arrange for replacement parts 38 when a malfunction occurs. Therefore, it is possible to avoid excessive inventory of replacement parts 38 for the dental processing machine 100.

[0106] In this embodiment, a computer program for alert notification is included to realize the storage unit 131, the receiving unit 133, the transmitting unit 135, the address setting unit 137, the period setting unit 139, the first extracting unit 141, the second extracting unit 142, the time determining unit 145, the current value determining unit 147, and the notifying unit 149 of the dental processing machine 100. The computer program for alert notification is a computer program for causing a computer to execute the storage unit 131, the receiving unit 133, the transmitting unit 135, the address setting unit 137, the period setting unit 139, the first extracting unit 141, the second extracting unit 142, the time determining unit 145, the current value determining unit 147, and the notifying unit 149.

[0107] In this embodiment, the error information E1 regarding the error that occurred in the dental processing machine 100 was directly transmitted from the dental processing machine 100 to the alert notification device 120. However, the error information E1 may be transmitted from the operation terminal 110 that operates the dental processing machine 100 to the alert notification device 120. In this case, for example, the error information E1 is transmitted from the dental transmission unit 63 of the dental processing machine 100 to the operation terminal 110, and the terminal reception unit 116 of the operation terminal 110 receives the error information E1. At this time, the error information E1 is stored in the terminal storage unit 115. Thereafter, the terminal transmission unit 117 of the operation terminal 110 transmits the error information E1 to the alert notification device 120. Then, the reception unit 133 of the alert notification device 120 receives the error information E1. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 1. Alert Notification System 8 Processing Tools 31 Spindle 38 Replacement Parts 60 Control device 63 Dental transmitter 100 Dental Processing Machine 120 Alert notification device (dental processing machine alert notification device) 133 Receiving unit 135 Transmitter 137 Address setting section 139 Period Setting Section 141 1st extraction part 142 Second extraction part 145 Time Judgment Section 147 Current value determination unit 149 Notification Department 150 Management device E1 Error Information E21 First extraction error information E22 Second extraction error information

Claims

1. A receiving unit that receives error information from the dental processing machine; a first extraction unit that extracts, from the error information received by the receiving unit, the error information that occurs during a preset first period as first extracted error information; a notification unit that notifies an alert regarding the first extraction error information to a management device used by a maintenance company that performs maintenance of the dental processing machine; An alert notification device for a dental processing machine.

2. The receiving unit receives a setting value of the first period set by the maintenance company from the management device, 2. The alert notification device for a dental processing machine according to claim 1, further comprising a period setting unit that sets the setting value received by the receiving unit to the first period.

3. The alert notification device for a dental processing machine according to claim 2 , wherein the period setting unit sets the first period for each type of the error information.

4. 4. The alert notification device for a dental processing machine according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit issues an alert when a preset notification time has elapsed since a previous alert notification.

5. a second extraction unit that extracts, from the error information received by the receiving unit, a predetermined reference occurrence number and a type of the error information that has occurred during a predetermined second period as second extracted error information; 5. The alert notification device for a dental processing machine according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies the management device of an alert regarding the second extraction error information.

6. The second period is longer than the first period, 6. The alert notification device for a dental processing machine according to claim 5, wherein the second extraction unit extracts, from the first extracted error information extracted by the first extraction unit, the reference occurrence number and a type of the first extracted error information that has occurred during the second period as the second extracted error information.

7. 7. The alert notification device for a dental processing machine according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies the alert by email to an email address preset in the management device.

8. 8. The alert notification device for a dental processing machine according to claim 7, further comprising an address setting unit that sets the email address of a notification destination to which an alert is to be notified for each type of error information.

9. Dental processing machine, An alert notification device for a dental processing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8; A management device used by a maintenance company that performs maintenance on the dental processing machine; Equipped with The dental processing machine includes a control device having a dental transmitting unit that transmits the error information to the alert notification device.

10. The dental processing machine includes a replacement part that is replaced when a preset reference usage time has elapsed, The dental transmission unit transmits to the alert notification device a usage time during which the replacement part was used, The receiving unit of the alert notification device receives the usage time, the alert notification device includes a time determination unit that determines whether the usage time received by the receiving unit is longer than the reference usage time, 10. The alert notification system according to claim 9, wherein the notification unit of the alert notification device issues an alert regarding replacement of the replacement part when the time determination unit determines that the usage time is longer than the reference usage time.

11. The alert notification system according to claim 10 , wherein the replacement part is a processing tool for cutting a workpiece by the dental processing machine, or a spindle for rotating the processing tool.

12. The dental processing machine includes a spindle configured to rotate a processing tool that processes a workpiece when an electric current is passed through the spindle; the dental transmission unit transmits a spindle current value flowing through the spindle to the alert notification device; the receiving unit of the alert notification device receives the spindle current value, the alert notification device includes a current value determination unit that determines whether the spindle current value received by the receiving unit is higher than a preset threshold value, The alert notification system according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the notification unit of the alert notification device notifies an alert regarding the spindle when the current value determination unit determines that the spindle current value is higher than the threshold value.

13. A dental processing machine comprising:

13. The alert notification system according to claim 9, wherein the notification unit of the alert notification device collectively notifies the alerts regarding the first extracted error information for a plurality of the dental processing machines.

14. the notification unit of the alert notification device notifies the alert by email to an email address preset in the management device; 14. The alert notification system according to claim 13, wherein the alert notification device includes an address setting unit that sets, for each of the dental processing machines, the email address of a notification destination to which an alert is to be notified.

15. A receiving unit that receives error information from the dental processing machine; a first extraction unit that extracts, from the error information received by the receiving unit, the error information that occurs during a preset first period as first extracted error information; a notification unit that notifies an alert regarding the first extraction error information to a management device used by a maintenance company that performs maintenance of the dental processing machine; A computer program for alert notification that causes a computer to execute at least the above.

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