Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

For example, an object of the present invention is to enable a user to easily and accurately identify a machine tool suitable for producing a desired processed product from among a plurality of different machine tools. [Solution] The information processing device includes a drawing data acquisition unit that acquires drawing data representing a target machined product, an extraction unit that extracts processing information including first shape information, first material information, first tool type information, first tool number information, first rotation speed information, and first feed speed information from the drawing data, a machine tool information acquisition unit that acquires machine tool information including second shape information, second material information, second tool type information, second tool number information, second rotation speed information, and second feed speed information for each of a plurality of machine tools, and a selection unit that selects a target machine from the plurality of machine tools based on the processing information and the machine tool information.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] As disclosed in Patent Document 1, a machining center operation device equipped with a CNC device that is connected to a machine tool and performs numerical control is known. The machining center operation device is equipped with a trained model that has been trained by associating machining conditions, tool trajectories, and machining data including the execution program, and automatically sets the machining process of a target machined product based on the trained model. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2021-39567 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Machine tools differ in the size and material of the workpieces they can process, the content and process of processing they can perform, etc., depending on their predetermined equipment performance and holding tools. Therefore, for example, a user who wishes to procure a target processed product selects and uses a machine tool having equipment performance and holding tools suitable for producing the processed product from among a plurality of machine tools having different equipment performance and holding tools.

[0005] However, in cases where a plurality of machine tools are owned by a plurality of companies, for example, it may be difficult for a user to select an appropriate machine tool.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to enable, for example, a user to easily and accurately identify a machine tool suitable for producing a desired processed product from among a plurality of different machine tools. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a drawing data acquisition unit that acquires drawing data representing a target processed product; an extraction unit that extracts from the drawing data processing information including first shape information representing the shape of the processed product, first material information representing the material of the processed product, first tool type information representing the type of tool required to process the processed product, first tool number information representing the number of the tools, first rotation speed information representing the rotation speed of the tool, and first feed speed information representing the feed speed of the tool; a machine tool information acquisition unit that acquires the machine tool information from a storage device that stores machine tool information including, for each of a plurality of machine tools, second shape information representing the shape of a workpiece that can be machined, second material information representing one or more materials of the workpieces that can be machined, second tool type information representing the type of tool held, second tool number information representing the number of the tools held, second rotation speed information representing the maximum rotation speed of the tools held, and second feed speed information representing the maximum feed speed of the tools held; and a selection unit that selects a target machine from the plurality of machine tools based on the processing information and the machine tool information.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is an information processing method executed by an information processing device, in which the information processing device acquires drawing data representing a target processed product, extracts processing information from the drawing data, including first shape information representing the shape of the processed product, first material information representing the material of the processed product, first tool type information representing the type of tool required for processing the processed product, first tool number information representing the number of the tools, first rotation speed information representing the rotation speed of the tool, and first feed speed information representing the feed speed of the tool, acquires the machine tool information from a storage device that stores machine tool information, including second shape information representing the shape of a workpiece that can be machined, second material information representing one or more materials of the workpieces that can be machined, second tool type information representing the type of tool held, second tool number information representing the number of the tools held, second rotation speed information representing the maximum rotation speed of the tools held, and second feed speed information representing the maximum feed speed of the tools held, for each of the multiple machine tools, acquires the machine tool information from a storage device that stores machine tool information, including second shape information representing the shape of a workpiece that can be machined, second material information representing one or more materials of the workpieces that can be machined, second tool type information representing the type of tool held, second tool number information representing the number of the tools held, second rotation speed information representing the maximum rotation speed of the tools held, and second feed speed information representing the maximum feed speed of the tools held, and selects a target machine from the multiple machine tools based on the processing information and the machine tool information.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention is a program to be executed by an information processing device, which causes the information processing device to acquire drawing data representing a target processed product, extract from the drawing data processing information including first shape information representing a shape of the processed product, first material information representing a material of the processed product, first tool type information representing a type of tool required for processing the processed product, first tool number information representing the number of the tools, first rotation speed information representing the rotation speed of the tool, and first feed speed information representing a feed speed of the tool, acquire the machine tool information from a storage device that stores machine tool information including second shape information representing a shape of a workpiece that can be machined, second material information representing one or more materials of the workpieces that can be machined, second tool type information representing the type of tool held, second tool number information representing the number of the tools held, second rotation speed information representing the maximum rotation speed of the tools held, and second feed speed information representing the maximum feed speed of the tools held, for each of the multiple machine tools, and select a target machine from the multiple machine tools based on the processing information and the machine tool information. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a terminal device illustrated in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a server illustrated in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a control unit of the server illustrated in FIG. 1; [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a target processed product represented by drawing data. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of processing information. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a data configuration of machine tool information. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a flowchart of a main process executed by the server. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a flowchart of the matching process in S805 of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flowchart of a notification process in step S809 of FIG. 8. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for notifying information related to a target machine. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or equivalent elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an information processing system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the information processing system 100 includes a terminal device 102, a server 103, a terminal device 104, and a machine tool 105, which are connected via a network 101 (e.g., the Internet).

[0013] For example, the terminal device 102 is installed in a procurement company that procures a target processed product from a processing company. The server 103 is installed in a service provider that provides the information processing system 100. The terminal device 104 and the machine tool 105 are installed in each of a plurality of processing companies. The machine tool 105 in this embodiment includes a processing control device, which is a computer that controls the machine tool 105, and an NC (Numerical Control) machine tool that performs a predetermined processing on a workpiece according to the control of the processing control device.

[0014] In the example of Fig. 1, each of the three processing companies A to C is provided with a terminal device 104 and at least one machine tool 105. Processing company A owns three machine tools 105, processing company B owns one machine tool 105, and processing company C owns two machine tools 105.

[0015] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the terminal device 102. As shown in Fig. 2, the terminal device 102 is a computer including a control unit 201, a storage unit 202, an operation unit 203, a display unit 204, a communication unit 205, and the like. The control unit 201 is, for example, a processor such as a CPU, and operates according to a program stored in the storage unit 202. The storage unit 202 is, for example, an information recording medium such as a hard disk, a ROM, or a RAM, and is an information recording medium that holds the program executed by the control unit 201.

[0016] The operation unit 203 is composed of interfaces such as a keyboard, mouse, buttons, etc., and outputs the contents of a user's instruction operation to the control unit 201 in response to the instruction operation. The display unit 204 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, a CRT display, or an organic EL display, and displays information in response to instructions from the control unit 201. The communication unit 205 is a network interface, and transmits and receives information via the network 101 in response to instructions from the control unit 201.

[0017] The hardware configuration of the terminal device 104 of each processing company is similar to the hardware configuration of the above-mentioned procuring company's terminal device 102. In this embodiment, the procuring company's terminal device 102 and each processing company's terminal device 104 are both configured as personal computers.

[0018] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the server 103. As shown in Fig. 3, the server 103 is an information processing device including a control unit 301, a storage unit 302, and a communication unit 303. The control unit 301 is, for example, a processor such as a CPU, and operates according to a program stored in the storage unit 302. The storage unit 302 is, for example, an information recording medium such as a hard disk, a ROM, or a RAM, and is an information recording medium that holds a program executed by the control unit 301. The communication unit 303 is a network interface, and transmits and receives information via the network 101 in response to an instruction from the control unit 301.

[0019] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control unit 301 of the server 103. Fig. 4 also shows the flow of data and information in the information processing system 100 together with the functional configuration of the control unit 301. As shown in Fig. 4, the control unit 301 of the server 103 includes a drawing data acquisition unit 401, an extraction unit 402, a machine tool information acquisition unit 403, a selection unit 404, an area specification unit 405, an operation time acquisition unit 406, and a notification unit 407. These functional blocks are realized by the control unit 301 executing a program stored in the storage unit 302.

[0020] The drawing data acquisition unit 401 acquires drawing data 400 representing a target processed product. For example, a user of a procuring company uses a web browser on a terminal device 102 to access a server 103 of a service provider company. The user of the procuring company inputs drawing data 400 representing a processed product to be procured on a predetermined screen provided by the server 103. The input drawing data 400 is transmitted from the terminal device 102 to the server 103 and acquired by the drawing data acquisition unit 401.

[0021] The drawing data 400 in this embodiment is STL (Standard Triangulated Language) data. The drawing data 400 may be drawing data other than STL data, for example, drawing data in OBJ format. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a target processed product indicated by the drawing data 400. In the example of Fig. 5, the processed product indicated by the drawing data 400 is a square flange with a female screw molded in the center.

[0022] The extraction unit 402 extracts the processing information 600 from the drawing data 400. The processing information 600 includes first shape information representing the shape of a processed product, first material information representing the material of the processed product, first tool type information representing the type of tool required to process the processed product, first tool number information representing the number of tools, first rotation speed information representing the rotation speed of the tool, and first feed speed information representing the feed speed of the tool.

[0023] A specific example of the processing information 600 will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the processing information 600. As shown in FIG. 6, the processing information 600 includes the first shape information, the first material information, and the process chart information extracted by the extracting unit 402 from the drawing data 400. For example, the extracting unit 402 automatically analyzes the 3D data, the file name, the metadata, and the like included in the drawing data 400 to extract these pieces of information. FIG. 6 illustrates the processing information 600 extracted from the drawing data 400 of FIG. 5. The first shape information indicates that the size of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis as the shape of the processed product is 50 mm, 50 mm, and 10 mm. The first material information indicates that the material of the processed product is MC nylon.

[0024] The process chart information indicates a series of machining processes for producing a machined product by the machine tool 105, and includes multiple process detail information indicating details of each process. In the example of FIG. 6, each process detail information includes a process number, first tool type information, first rotation speed information, first feed rate information, first tool number information, etc. The process number indicates the order in which the corresponding process is performed in ascending order. The first tool type information indicates the type of tool required for the corresponding process, and indicates, for example, the application type, tool manufacturer, shank diameter, tool diameter, and tool model. The first rotation speed information indicates the maximum rotation speed of the tool required for the corresponding process. The first feed rate information indicates the maximum feed rate of the tool required for the corresponding process. The first tool number information indicates the number of tools required for the series of machining processes indicated by the process chart information.

[0025] In the example of Fig. 6, the process chart information of the processing information 600 includes 19 detailed process information items, corresponding to the target processed product indicated by the drawing data 400 in Fig. 5 being created through 19 processing steps. In the 19th detailed process information item, the first tool type information indicates the tool of "pointer tap" used in the corresponding process, corresponding to the formation of a female thread in the target processed product as shown in Fig. 5. In addition, in the 19th detailed process information item, the first rotation speed information indicates "640", which is the maximum rotation speed of the tool in the corresponding process, and the first feed rate information indicates "448", which is the maximum rotation speed of the tool in the corresponding process.

[0026] In the machining information 600, when the first tool type information in each process does not match, different types of tools are used in each process. In the example of FIG. 6, in the processes with process numbers "3" and "4", tools with the application type "roughing" are used, but the shank diameters and the like are different, so the first tool type information does not match. Therefore, the number of tools used in the process numbers "3" and "4" is counted as two in total. On the other hand, in the processes with process numbers "1" and "5", the first tool type information matches each other. Therefore, the number of tools used in the process numbers "1" and "5" is counted as one in total. In this way, "11", which is the number of tools of different types counted among the tools used in the 19 machining processes, is set as the first tool number information.

[0027] The machine tool information acquisition unit 403 acquires the machine tool information 700 from a storage device that stores the machine tool information 700. The machine tool information 700 includes, for each of the multiple machine tools 105, second shape information representing the shape of a workpiece that can be machined, second material information representing one or more materials of the workpiece that can be machined, second tool type information representing the type of tool held, second tool number information representing the number of tools held, second rotation speed information representing the maximum rotation speed of the tool held, and second feed speed information representing the maximum feed speed of the tool held.

[0028] A specific example of machine tool information 700 will be described. For example, a user of each processing company uses a web browser on the terminal device 102 to access the server 103 of the service provider company. The user of each processing company pre-registers the machine tool 105 owned by his / her processing company in the machine tool information database 410 on a predetermined screen provided by the server 103. The machine tool information database 410 is a database managed by the service provider company, and may be provided in the storage unit 302 of the server 103 or in a storage device different from the server 103. The machine tool information database 410 stores machine tool information 700 corresponding to each of the registered machine tools 105.

[0029] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of machine tool information 700. As shown in Fig. 7, the machine tool information 700 includes a registration number, machine specification information, tool information, operating status information, operating time information, and machine position information. The registration numbers are automatically assigned to the machine tool information 700 in ascending order in the order in which the corresponding machine tools 105 were registered in the machine tool information database 410. In this way, the machine tool information 700 includes information on the registration order associated with each of the multiple machine tools 105.

[0030] For example, when registering a machine tool 105, a user of each processing company inputs and sets machine specification information and tool information related to that machine tool 105. The machine tool information 700 of each machine tool information database 410 is set with the machine specification information and tool information input and set for the corresponding machine tool 105. Furthermore, the user of each processing company appropriately updates the machine specification information and tool information of the corresponding machine tool information 700 in response to repairs and improvements to the machine tool 105, replacement of held tools, and the like.

[0031] The machine specification information is information on the specifications of the corresponding machine tool 105, and includes machine identification information, second shape information, second tool number information, second rotation speed information, second feed speed information, etc. The machine identification information is information for identifying the corresponding machine tool 105, and is, for example, a unique name including the manufacturer name and model name. The second shape information indicates the maximum size of the work shape that the corresponding machine tool 105 can machine, and in the example of Figure 7, the maximum sizes of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are all 1000 mm. The second rotation speed information indicates the maximum rotation speed of the tool that the corresponding machine tool 105 can execute. The second feed speed information indicates the maximum feed speed of the tool that the corresponding machine tool 105 can execute. The second tool number information indicates the maximum number of tools that the corresponding machine tool 105 can hold.

[0032] The tool information is information about a tool held by the corresponding machine tool 105, and includes second tool type information and second material information for each tool held by the corresponding machine tool 105. The second tool type information indicates the type of the corresponding tool, and indicates, for example, the application type, tool manufacturer, shank diameter, tool diameter, and tool model, similar to the first tool type information. The second material information indicates a material that can be machined by the corresponding tool. In the example of FIG. 7, tool information about a plurality of center drills held by the corresponding machine tool 105 is illustrated. In the second tool type information of these pieces of tool information, the application type, tool manufacturer, and shank diameter are all the same, but the tool diameter and tool model are different from each other. In addition, in the second material information of these pieces of tool information, ABS resin, MC nylon, and POM are set as materials that can be machined.

[0033] Of the machine tool information 700, the operating status information, operating time information, and machine position information are information collected from the corresponding machine tool 105. The machine tool information 700 includes operating status information relating to the operating status of each of the multiple machine tools 105. For example, if the corresponding machine tool 105 is currently operating, in other words, if it is in a state where it can be used for product processing, the operating status information indicates "in operation." If the corresponding machine tool 105 is currently not operating due to a breakdown, maintenance, or the like, in other words, if it is in a state where it cannot be used for product processing, the operating status information indicates "unavailable."

[0034] The operating time information indicates the cumulative operating time counted by the corresponding machine tool 105. The machine position information indicates a position identified by the GPS function of the corresponding machine tool 105. For example, the machine position information indicates the administrative district of the prefecture and city / ward / town / village where the corresponding machine tool 105 is installed, and in the example of Fig. 7, it is "Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture." Note that the machine position information may indicate a larger administrative district such as a prefecture, or an administrative district smaller than a city / ward / town / village, or may indicate the GPS position of the machine tool 105, or may indicate a block of a predetermined range centered on this GPS position.

[0035] In this example, in each processing company, each machine tool 105 is connected to a terminal device 104 by wire or wirelessly. The terminal device 104 periodically or irregularly collects operation status information, operation time information, and machine position information from each machine tool 105, and transmits the information to the server 103 together with the machine identification information of each machine tool 105. Alternatively, when each machine tool 105 is connected to the network 101, the operation status information, operation time information, and machine position information may be transmitted directly from each machine tool 105 to the server 103.

[0036] When the control unit 301 of the server 103 acquires these pieces of information from the terminal device 104 or each machine tool 105, it identifies the corresponding machine tool information 700 from the machine tool information database 410 based on the machine identification information, and updates the operation status information, operation time information, and machine position information of the machine tool information 700. For example, the operation time acquisition unit 406 acquires information indicating the operation time of each of the multiple machine tools 105, and updates the operation time information of the corresponding machine tool information 700.

[0037] The selection unit 404 selects a target machine from the multiple machine tools 105 based on the processing information 600 and the machine tool information 700. When the target machine is selected, the notification unit 407 notifies the terminal device 102 that transmitted the drawing data 400 of information indicating the target machine. The selection unit 404 and the notification unit 407 will be described in detail later.

[0038] The region identification unit 405 identifies the region of the terminal device 102 that transmitted the drawing data 400. In this embodiment, the terminal device 102 that transmitted the drawing data 400 is the terminal device 102 of the procurement company. For example, when the drawing data 400 is input to the terminal device 102 using a web browser as described above, the region identification unit 405 identifies the prefecture and administrative district of the city, town, or village in which the terminal device 102 is located, based on the IP address of the terminal device 102.

[0039] The process executed by the information processing system 100 of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a flowchart of the main process executed by the server 103. As shown in Fig. 8, in S801, the drawing data acquisition unit 401 acquires the drawing data 400 from the terminal device 102 of the procurement company as described above. In S803, the extraction unit 402 analyzes the drawing data 400 and extracts the processing information 600 as described above.

[0040] In S805, the selection unit 404 executes the following matching process. As a result, the selection unit 404 selects, as a target machine, a machine tool 105 that satisfies all of the following conditions among a plurality of machine tools 105: a first condition that the shape indicated by the second shape information is larger than the shape indicated by the first shape information, a second condition that the material indicated by the second material information satisfies the material indicated by the first material information, a third condition that the type of tool indicated by the second tool type information satisfies the type of tool indicated by the first tool type information, a fourth condition that the number indicated by the second tool number information is larger than the number indicated by the first tool number information, a fifth condition that the maximum rotation speed indicated by the second rotation speed information is larger than the rotation speed indicated by the first rotation speed information, and a sixth condition that the feed rate indicated by the second feed rate information is faster than the feed rate indicated by the first feed rate information.

[0041] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a flowchart of the matching process of S805 in Fig. 8. At the start of the matching process, the selection unit 404 acquires one unprocessed piece of machine tool information 700 for which matching process has not yet been executed, from among the multiple pieces of machine tool information 700 registered in the machine tool information database 410. The selection unit 404 determines the first to sixth conditions as follows, with the acquired machine tool information 700 as the processing target.

[0042] 9, in S901, the selection unit 404 determines whether the target machined product has a shape that can be machined by the machine tool 105 based on the first condition. Specifically, when the shape indicated by the second shape information of the machine tool information 700 is larger than the shape indicated by the first shape information of the machining information 600, the first condition is satisfied, and therefore it is determined that the target machined product has a shape that can be machined by the machine tool 105.

[0043] For example, in the machining information 600 in Fig. 6, the first shape information is "X=50, Y=50, Z=10," and in the machine tool information 700 in Fig. 7, the second shape information is "X=1000, Y=1000, Z=1000." In this case, the machineable size of the corresponding machine tool 105 is larger than the target machined product in all of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, so the first condition is satisfied. Therefore, in S901, it is determined that the target machined product has a shape that can be machined by the machine tool 105.

[0044] When the first condition is satisfied, in S903, the selection unit 404 judges, based on the second condition, whether the material of the target machined product is machineable by the machine tool 105. Specifically, when the material indicated by the second material information of the machine tool information 700 includes the material indicated by the first material information of the processing information 600, the second condition is satisfied, and therefore it is judged that the material of the target machined product is machineable by the machine tool 105.

[0045] For example, the first material information in the processing information 600 in Fig. 6 is "MC," and the second material information in the machine tool information 700 in Fig. 7 is "ABS, MC, POM." In this case, the materials that can be processed by the corresponding machine tool 105 include the material of the target processed product, and therefore the second condition is satisfied. Therefore, in S903, it is determined that the material of the target processed product is one that can be processed by the machine tool 105.

[0046] In the machine tool information 700, the material indicated by the second material information of each piece of tool information may differ depending on the corresponding tool. In this case, the selection unit 404 identifies, from the machine tool information 700, tool information corresponding to each of all tools used in a series of machining processes, based on the first tool type information of the machining information 600 and the second tool type information of the machine tool information 700. When the second material information for all of the identified tool information includes the first material information, all of the tools used in the series of machining processes are capable of machining the material of the target machined product. In this case, the selection unit 404 may determine that the material of the target machined product is capable of being machined by the machine tool 105.

[0047] When the second condition is satisfied, in S905, the selection unit 404 judges, based on the third condition, whether the type of tool required for machining the target machined product is available in the machine tool 105. Specifically, when the type of tool indicated by the second tool type information of the machine tool information 700 includes the type of tool indicated by the first tool type information of the machining information 600, the third condition is satisfied, and therefore it is judged that the type of tool required for machining is available in the machine tool 105.

[0048] For example, the machining information 600 in Fig. 6 indicates that 11 types of tools are used in a total of 19 machining processes. In the machine tool information 700 shown in Fig. 7, second tool type information of a plurality of tools (e.g., 100 types of tools) possessed by the corresponding machine tool 105 is registered. Although not shown, in this machine tool information 700, the plurality of second tool type information includes all 11 types of first tool type information, and therefore the third condition is satisfied. Therefore, in S905, it is determined that the machine tool 105 has the type of tool required for machining.

[0049] If the third condition is satisfied, in S907 the selection unit 404 judges, based on the fourth condition, whether the machine tool 105 has the number of tools necessary for machining the target machined product. Specifically, if the number of tools indicated by the second tool number information in the machine tool information 700 is greater than the number of tools indicated by the first tool number information in the machining information 600, the fourth condition is satisfied, and therefore it is judged that the machine tool 105 has the number of tools necessary for machining.

[0050] For example, in the machining information 600 in Fig. 6, 11 types of tools are used in a series of machining steps, so the first tool number information is "11". The second tool number information in the machine tool information 700 shown in Fig. 7 indicates "500", which is the maximum number of tools that the corresponding machine tool 105 can hold, and is greater than the first tool number information, so the third condition is satisfied. Therefore, in S907, it is determined that the machine tool 105 has the number of tools necessary for machining.

[0051] If the fourth condition is satisfied, in S909, selection unit 404 determines whether machine tool 105 can perform the rotation speed required to machine the target machined product based on the fifth condition. Specifically, if the maximum rotation speed indicated by the second rotation speed information of machine tool information 700 is greater than the rotation speed indicated by the first rotation speed information of machining information 600, the fifth condition is satisfied and therefore it is determined that machine tool 105 can perform the rotation speed required for machining.

[0052] For example, in the machining information 600 in Fig. 6, the fifth process among a series of machining processes has the highest tool rotation speed, and its first rotation speed information is "3490". The second rotation speed information of the machine tool information 700 shown in Fig. 7 indicates "12000", which is higher than the first rotation speed information, as the maximum rotation speed of the corresponding machine tool 105, and therefore satisfies the fifth condition. Therefore, in S909, it is determined that the machine tool 105 can execute the rotation speed required for machining.

[0053] If the fifth condition is satisfied, in S911, the selection unit 404 determines whether the machine tool 105 can execute the feed rate required for machining the target machined product based on the sixth condition. Specifically, if the feed rate indicated by the second feed rate information of the machine tool information 700 is greater than the feed rate indicated by the first feed rate information of the machining information 600, the sixth condition is satisfied, and therefore it is determined that the machine tool 105 can execute the feed rate required for machining.

[0054] For example, in the machining information 600 in Fig. 6, the third process among the series of machining processes has the highest tool feed speed, and its first feed speed information is "805". The second feed speed information of the machine tool information 700 shown in Fig. 7 indicates "20000" as the maximum feed speed of the corresponding machine tool 105, which is higher than the first rotation speed information, and therefore satisfies the sixth condition. Therefore, in S911, it is determined that the machine tool 105 can execute the feed speed required for machining.

[0055] If all of the above-mentioned first to sixth conditions are met, in S913 the selection unit 404 determines that the machine tool 105 corresponding to the machine tool information 700 to be processed has been matched with the target machined product, and sets this machine tool 105 as a selection candidate in the storage unit 302. On the other hand, if at least one of the above-mentioned first to sixth conditions is not met, in S915 the selection unit 404 determines that the machine tool 105 corresponding to the machine tool information 700 to be processed has not been matched with the target machined product.

[0056] After execution of S913 or S915, in S917 the selection unit 404 judges whether or not there is unprocessed machine tool information 700 for which matching processing has not yet been performed in the machine tool information database 410. If there is unprocessed machine tool information 700, the selection unit 404 repeats the above-mentioned processing of S901 to S917 for that machine tool information 700 as the processing target. If there is no unprocessed machine tool information 700, the selection unit 404 ends the matching processing and returns the processing to the main processing (see FIG. 8).

[0057] As shown in Fig. 8, in S807, the selection unit 404 determines whether matching has been established. For example, when at least one machine tool 105 is set as a selection candidate in the storage unit 302 as a result of the above-mentioned matching process, the selection unit 404 determines that matching has been established. In this case, the selection unit 404 executes a notification process described below in S809 and ends the main process. When it is not determined that matching has been established in S807, the selection unit 404 ends the main process.

[0058] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a flowchart of the notification process of S809 in Fig. 8. In the following notification process, the selection unit 404 selects a target machine based on the operation status information from at least one machine tool 105 that satisfies all of the first to sixth conditions. The selection unit 404 also selects a target machine based on the area specified by the area specification unit 405 from at least one machine tool 105 that satisfies all of the first to sixth conditions.

[0059] 10, at the start of notification processing, the selection unit 404 reads out at least one machine tool 105 set in the storage unit 302 as a selection candidate. In S1001, the selection unit 404 judges whether or not there is an operating machine tool 105 among the at least one machine tool 105 read out. For example, the selection unit 404 refers to the operation status information in the machine tool information 700 of each machine tool 105, and when this operation status information indicates "in operation", judges that there is an operating machine tool 105.

[0060] In this case, in S1003, the selection unit 404 judges whether or not there is a machine tool 105 in the vicinity of the ordering area among the at least one machine tool 105 that has been read out. The ordering area is the area in which the procuring company's terminal device 102 is installed in this example, but it may be the area in which the procuring company's head office, branch office, or factory is installed. For example, the selection unit 404 judges whether or not there is a machine tool 105 in the vicinity of the ordering area based on the administrative district indicated by the machine position information in the machine tool information 700 of each machine tool 105 and the administrative district of the terminal device 102 identified by the area identification unit 405.

[0061] In this example, the area specifying unit 405 specifies a plurality of intervals between the administrative district in which the terminal device 102 is installed and each administrative district in which the plurality of machine tools 105 are installed. The selecting unit 404 selects the machine tools 105 belonging to the administrative district corresponding to an interval less than a predetermined interval from among the plurality of intervals as the target machine. For example, the area specifying unit 405 specifies the straight-line distance between the administrative district of the terminal device 102 and the administrative district of the machine tool 105, the number of administrative districts on the shortest route between the two administrative districts, or the like, as the interval between the administrative district of the terminal device 102 and the administrative district of the machine tool 105. The selecting unit 404 determines that the machine tool 105 is located near the ordering district when the straight-line distance between the administrative districts of the terminal device 102 and the machine tool 105 is less than a predetermined distance (e.g., 100 km) or when the number of administrative districts on the shortest route between the administrative districts is less than a predetermined number (e.g., three prefectures).

[0062] In this case, in S1005, the selection unit 404 judges whether only one machine tool 105 satisfies both the conditions of being in operation and being located near the ordering area. For example, if only one machine tool 105 is judged to be in operation in S1001 and to be located near the ordering area in S1003, the selection unit 404 judges that only one machine tool 105 satisfies both conditions. In this case, in S1007, the selection unit 404 selects one machine tool 105 that satisfies both conditions as the target machine.

[0063] If the multiple machine tools 105 satisfy both of the above-mentioned conditions in S1005, the multiple machine tools 105 belong to administrative districts corresponding to intervals less than the predetermined interval. In this case, the selection unit 404 selects, as the target machine, the machine tool 105 installed in the administrative district closest to the administrative district in which the terminal device 102 is installed, from among the multiple machine tools 105. Specifically, in S1009, the selection unit 404 extracts the machine tool 105 closest to the ordering district from among the multiple machine tools 105 satisfying both of the above-mentioned conditions.

[0064] For example, the selection unit 404 extracts the machine tool 105 with the shortest straight-line distance from among the multiple machine tools 105 with the straight-line distance between the two administrative districts being less than a predetermined distance. Alternatively, the selection unit 404 extracts the machine tool 105 with the smallest number of administrative districts (for example, "0", meaning that the two administrative districts are adjacent to each other) from among the multiple machine tools 105 with the number of administrative districts between the two administrative districts being less than a predetermined number.

[0065] In S1011, the selection unit 404 judges whether only one machine tool 105 was extracted in S1009. If only one machine tool 105 was extracted in S1009, the selection unit 404 selects the extracted one machine tool 105 as the target machine in S1013. On the other hand, if multiple machine tools 105 are extracted in S1009, there are multiple machine tools 105 that belong to the administrative district closest to the ordering district. In this case, the selection unit 404 selects the machine tool 105 with the shortest operating time as the target machine. Specifically, in S1015, the selection unit 404 refers to the machine tool information 700 of the multiple extracted machine tools 105, compares the operating time information of each machine tool 105, and extracts the machine tool 105 with the shortest operating time.

[0066] In S1017, the selection unit 404 judges whether only one machine tool 105 was extracted in S1015. If only one machine tool 105 was extracted in S1015, the selection unit 404 selects the extracted one machine tool 105 as the target machine in S1013. On the other hand, if only multiple machine tools 105 are extracted in S1015, there are multiple machine tools with the shortest operating times. In this case, the selection unit 404 selects the machine tool 105 with the earliest registration order as the target machine. Specifically, in S1019, the selection unit 404 refers to the machine tool information 700 of the multiple extracted machine tools 105, compares the registration numbers of the machine tools 105, and extracts the one machine tool 105 with the smallest registration number. In S1013, the selection unit 404 selects the extracted one machine tool 105 as the target machine.

[0067] When one machine tool 105 is selected as the target machine in S1007 or S1013, the notification unit 407 notifies the terminal device 102 of the procuring company of information indicating the target machine in S1021. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a screen 1100 for notifying information regarding the target machine. For example, the notification unit 407 refers to the machine tool information 700 of the machine tool 105 selected as the target machine, generates a screen 1100 including a photo, an installation location, a machine name, etc. of the machine tool 105, and transmits it to the terminal device 102. In the terminal device 102, the received screen 1100 is displayed on the display unit 204, and can be viewed by a user of the procuring company. By referring to the screen 1100, the user of the procuring company can easily and accurately identify a target machine suitable for manufacturing a target processed product represented by the drawing data 400 from among multiple different machine tools 105.

[0068] 11 includes an order button and other candidate buttons in addition to information about the target machine. For example, when the order button is pressed on the screen 1100, an inquiry about ordering the target processed product including the drawing data 400 is transmitted to the terminal device 104 of the processing company that owns the target machine.

[0069] Furthermore, when the other candidate button is pressed on the screen 1100, if there are multiple machine tools 105 that satisfy all of the first condition to the sixth condition, a machine tool 105 different from the currently displayed target machine is displayed as a new target machine on the screen 1100. For example, when the other candidate button is pressed, among the multiple machine tools 105 that satisfy all of the first condition to the sixth condition, a machine tool 105 that has the second shortest operating time after the currently displayed target machine may be displayed as a new target machine, or a machine tool 105 that is next closest to the ordering area after the currently displayed target machine may be displayed as a new target machine.

[0070] After executing S1021, the notification unit 407 returns the process to the main process (see FIG. 8). Also, if it is not determined in S1001 that the vehicle is in operation, or if it is not determined in S1003 that the vehicle is in the vicinity of the ordering area, the selection unit 404 returns the process to the main process (see FIG. 8) without issuing the notification in S1021.

[0071] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. The technical scope of the present invention also includes embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the different embodiments. Furthermore, new technical features can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in the respective embodiments.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the case where the extraction unit 402 extracts all of the processing information 600 from the drawing data 400 in S803 has been exemplified. Alternatively, for example, a user of a procurement company may manually input part or all of the processing information 600 in the terminal device 102. In this case, the extraction unit 402 acquires part or all of the input processing information 600, thereby making it possible to omit part or all of the information extraction from the drawing data 400.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the first tool type information and the second tool type information indicate the use type, tool manufacturer, shank diameter, tool diameter, and tool model of the tool. However, there are cases where multiple tools having the same use type, shank diameter, and tool diameter can be regarded as substantially the same type of tool even if the tool manufacturers and tool models are different. In this case, the first tool type information and the second tool type information do not need to include at least one of the tool manufacturer and the tool model.

[0074] In the above embodiment, when a plurality of machine tools 105 satisfy all of the first condition to the sixth condition, one machine tool 105 selected from these machine tools 105 is notified as the target machine. Instead of this, at least one of the plurality of machine tools 105 that satisfy all of the first condition to the sixth condition may be notified as the target machine. For example, S1001 to S1019 in FIG. 10 may be omitted, and all of the plurality of machine tools 105 that satisfy all of the first condition to the sixth condition may be notified as the target machine. When a plurality of machine tools 105 closest to the ordering area are extracted in S1009, all of these machine tools 105 may be notified as the target machines. When a plurality of machine tools 105 with the shortest operating time are extracted in S1015, all of these machine tools 105 may be notified as the target machines.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the case where the machine tool 105 satisfying all of the first condition to the sixth condition is notified as the target machine is exemplified. Instead of this, the machine tool 105 satisfying some of the first condition to the sixth condition may be notified as the target machine. For example, the user of the procuring company may not care about the machineable size of the machine tool 105 in order to manufacture the target processed product in various shapes and sizes. In this case, S901 in FIG. 9 may be omitted and the machine tool 105 satisfying all of the second condition to the sixth condition may be notified as the target machine. In addition, the user of the procuring company may not care about the material that the machine tool 105 can process in order to manufacture the target processed product from various materials. In this case, S903 in FIG. 9 may be omitted and the machine tool 105 satisfying all of the first condition, the third condition to the sixth condition may be notified as the target machine.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the case where it is determined whether each machine tool 105 satisfies all of the first to sixth conditions is exemplified. Instead of this, it may be determined whether each machine tool 105 satisfies some of the first to sixth conditions. Specifically, the extracting unit 402 may not be able to effectively extract some information (e.g., the first shape information) from the drawing data 400 due to, for example, insufficient data in the drawing data 400. When a user of a procurement company manually inputs the processing information 600, for example, it may not be possible to input some information (e.g., the first shape information) because the details of the product specifications have not been decided. In such a case, it is possible to omit the determination of the condition in which some information is used (e.g., S901 in FIG. 9 corresponding to the determination of the first condition) and perform the determination of the other conditions (e.g., S903 to S911 in FIG. 9 corresponding to the determination of the second to sixth conditions).

[0077] In the above embodiment, a case has been exemplified in which functional blocks such as the drawing data acquisition unit 401, the extraction unit 402, the machine tool information acquisition unit 403, the selection unit 404, the area specification unit 405, the operation time acquisition unit 406, and the notification unit 407 are provided in the control unit 301 of the server 103. Alternatively, some or all of these functional blocks may be provided in another electronic device connected to the server 103. In this case, some or all of the processing described in the above embodiment is executed in the other electronic device connected to the server 103, and the processing load on the server 103 can be reduced. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 100 Information processing system, 103 Server, 105 Machine tool, 401 Drawing data acquisition unit, 402 Extraction unit, 403 Machine tool information acquisition unit, 404 Selection unit, 405 Area specification unit, 406 Operation time acquisition unit, 407 Notification unit

Claims

1. a drawing data acquisition unit for acquiring drawing data representing a target processed product; an extracting unit that extracts processing information from the drawing data, the processing information including first shape information representing a shape of the processed product, first material information representing a material of the processed product, first tool type information representing a type of a tool required for processing the processed product, first tool number information representing the number of the tools, first rotation speed information representing the rotation speed of the tool, and first feed speed information representing a feed speed of the tool; a machine tool information acquisition unit that acquires machine tool information from a storage device that stores machine tool information including, for each of a plurality of machine tools, second shape information representing the shape of a workpiece that can be machined, second material information representing one or more materials of the workpiece that can be machined, second tool type information representing the type of tool held, second tool number information representing the number of tools held, second rotation speed information representing the maximum rotation speed of the tool held, and second feed speed information representing the maximum feed speed of the tool held; a selection unit that selects, as a target machine, a machine tool that satisfies all of the following conditions from among the plurality of machine tools: a first condition that the shape indicated by the second shape information is larger than the shape indicated by the first shape information; a second condition that the material indicated by the second material information satisfies the material indicated by the first material information; a third condition that the type of tool indicated by the second tool type information satisfies the type of tool indicated by the first tool type information; a fourth condition that the number indicated by the second tool number information is larger than the number indicated by the first tool number information; a fifth condition that the maximum rotation speed indicated by the second rotation speed information is larger than the rotation speed indicated by the first rotation speed information; and a sixth condition that the feed rate indicated by the second feed rate information is faster than the feed rate indicated by the first feed rate information; An information processing device comprising:

2. the machine tool information includes operation status information regarding operation statuses of the respective machine tools, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the selection unit selects the target machine from at least one machine tool that satisfies all of the first condition to the sixth condition based on the operation status information.

3. A region identification unit that identifies a region of a terminal device that has transmitted the drawing data, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the selection unit selects the target machine from at least one machine tool that satisfies all of the first condition to the sixth condition, based on the identified region.

4. the area identification unit identifies a plurality of intervals between the administrative district in which the terminal device is installed and each of the administrative districts in which the plurality of machine tools are installed; The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the selection unit selects, as the target machine, a machine tool that belongs to an administrative district corresponding to an interval that is less than a predetermined interval among the plurality of intervals.

5. 5. The information processing device according to claim 4, wherein, when a plurality of machine tools belong to an administrative district corresponding to an interval less than the predetermined interval, the selection unit selects, from the plurality of machine tools, a machine tool installed in an administrative district closest to the administrative district in which the terminal device is installed as the target machine.

6. An operation time acquisition unit that acquires information indicating operation times of the respective machine tools, The information processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein, when there are a plurality of machine tools belonging to the nearest administrative district, the selection unit selects the machine tool having the shortest operating time as the target machine.

7. the machine tool information includes information on the order of registration associated with each of the plurality of machine tools, The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein, when there are a plurality of machine tools having the shortest operating time, the selection unit selects the machine tool that is registered earliest as the target machine.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a notification unit that, when the target machine is selected, notifies the terminal device that transmitted the drawing data of information indicating the target machine.

9. An information processing method executed by an information processing device, the information processing device comprising: Obtain drawing data that represents the desired processed product, extracting processing information from the drawing data, the processing information including first shape information representing a shape of the processed product, first material information representing a material of the processed product, first tool type information representing a type of a tool required for processing the processed product, first tool number information representing the number of the tools, first rotation speed information representing the rotation speed of the tool, and first feed speed information representing a feed speed of the tool; acquires machine tool information from a storage device that stores machine tool information including, for each of a plurality of machine tools, second shape information representing a shape of a workpiece that can be machined, second material information representing one or more materials of the workpiece that can be machined, second tool type information representing a type of a tool held, second tool number information representing the number of tools held, second rotation speed information representing a maximum rotation speed of the tool held, and second feed speed information representing a maximum feed speed of the tool held; a machine tool that satisfies all of the following conditions among the plurality of machine tools: a first condition that the shape indicated by the second shape information is larger than the shape indicated by the first shape information; a second condition that the material indicated by the second material information satisfies the material indicated by the first material information; a third condition that the type of tool indicated by the second tool type information satisfies the type of tool indicated by the first tool type information; a fourth condition that the number indicated by the second tool number information is larger than the number indicated by the first tool number information; a fifth condition that the maximum rotation speed indicated by the second rotation speed information is larger than the rotation speed indicated by the first rotation speed information; and a sixth condition that the feed rate indicated by the second feed rate information is faster than the feed rate indicated by the first feed rate information. Information processing methods.

10. A program to be executed by an information processing device, the program comprising: Obtain drawing data representing the desired processed product, extracting processing information from the drawing data, the processing information including first shape information representing a shape of the processed product, first material information representing a material of the processed product, first tool type information representing a type of a tool required for processing the processed product, first tool number information representing the number of the tools, first rotation speed information representing the rotation speed of the tool, and first feed speed information representing a feed speed of the tool; acquires machine tool information from a storage device that stores machine tool information including, for each of a plurality of machine tools, second shape information representing a shape of a workpiece that can be machined, second material information representing one or more materials of the workpiece that can be machined, second tool type information representing a type of a tool held, second tool number information representing the number of tools held, second rotation speed information representing a maximum rotation speed of the tool held, and second feed speed information representing a maximum feed speed of the tool held; a machine tool that satisfies all of the following conditions among the plurality of machine tools: a first condition that the shape indicated by the second shape information is larger than the shape indicated by the first shape information; a second condition that the material indicated by the second material information satisfies the material indicated by the first material information; a third condition that the type of tool indicated by the second tool type information satisfies the type of tool indicated by the first tool type information; a fourth condition that the number of tools indicated by the second tool number information is larger than the number of tools indicated by the first tool number information; a fifth condition that the maximum rotation speed indicated by the second rotation speed information is larger than the rotation speed indicated by the first rotation speed information; and a sixth condition that the feed rate indicated by the second feed rate information is faster than the feed rate indicated by the first feed rate information. program.

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