Laser marking device

Abstract

To allow a user to easily recognize a present state of a laser marking device.SOLUTION: A laser marking device L comprises: a display control section 105 displaying an operation picture D4 on a display section 102; a first monitoring section 110 detecting an interlock state; and a second monitoring section 111 detecting a trouble state. When the operation picture D4 is displayed on the display section 102, the display control section 105 shifts the operation picture D4 to a first display mode when an interlock state is detected, and shifts the operation picture D4 to a second display mode when a trouble state is detected. The first display mode and the second display mode have a common layout obtained by commonalizing a part of the layout of the operation picture D4. The display control section 105 shifts display mode to the first display mode in preference to the second display mode when both of the interlock state and the trouble state are detected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5C

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a laser marking device.

Background Art

[0002] In a device for performing marking on a workpiece using laser light, that is, a so-called laser marking device, a configuration for alerting a user to an error occurring inside the device or the like is known.

[0003] As a device adopting such a configuration, for example, the laser marker disclosed in Patent Document 1 can be cited. Specifically, the laser marker disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a display screen for displaying an operating state.

[0004] And the laser marker according to Patent Document 1 can individually display, on the display screen, a dialog (error dialog) indicating that a problem (so-called "error") has occurred in the laser marker itself, such as a decrease in laser power being detected or a malfunction in the operation of the Q-switch, for each type of error.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Incidentally, in addition to the errors disclosed in Patent Document 1, although no error has occurred yet, there is a high possibility that an error may occur, so a user may be warned, or although no problem has occurred in the laser marking device itself, the emission of laser light has been emergently stopped due to circumstances such as the surrounding environment of the device (so-called "interlock state"), etc. It is conceivable to notify the user of various states.

[0007] As a measure for realizing such a notification function, it is conceivable to use a dialog as disclosed in Patent Document 1. However, the inventors of the present application have noticed that it is difficult to immediately grasp the current state of the laser marking device with a configuration in which dialogs are individually displayed according to the content of the alert.

[0008] For example, when the interlock state and the state that should be warned occur simultaneously, at least two dialogs will be displayed on the display screen. However, if a plurality of dialogs are displayed in this way, it will be difficult for the user to immediately grasp the current state of the device.

[0009] Furthermore, in a configuration in which dialogs are individually displayed according to the state, there is a possibility of overlooking a state with a higher priority than a warning, such as an error and an interlock state, and it is also difficult to accurately grasp the current state of the device in terms of the priority that should be grasped by the user.

[0010] The technology disclosed herein has been made in view of such points, and its object is to enable the user to easily grasp the current state of the laser marking device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0011] A first aspect of the present disclosure relates to a laser marking apparatus including a laser light generation unit that generates laser light, a laser light scanning unit that scans the laser light generated by the laser light generation unit on the surface of a workpiece, and a marking control unit that performs marking on the workpiece using the laser light by controlling the laser light generation unit and the laser light scanning unit.

[0012] The laser marking apparatus includes a display control unit that displays an operation screen indicating that the apparatus is in an operating state in which marking can be performed by the marking control unit on a display unit, a first monitoring unit that detects an interlock state in which irradiation of the workpiece with the laser light is prohibited, and a second monitoring unit that detects a trouble state occurring inside the laser marking apparatus.

[0013] According to the first aspect of the present disclosure, when the operation screen is being displayed on the display unit, the display control unit changes the operation screen to a first display mode indicating that the apparatus is in the interlock state when the first monitoring unit detects the interlock state, and changes the operation screen to a second display mode indicating that the apparatus is in the trouble state when the second monitoring unit detects the trouble state. The first display mode and the second display mode have a common layout in which a part of the layout of the operation screen is shared. When both the interlock state and the trouble state are detected, the display control unit preferentially changes the operation screen to the first display mode rather than the second display mode.

[0014] According to the first aspect, the current state of the laser marking apparatus is selectively displayed in either the first display mode or the second display mode. This enables the user to clearly and unambiguously understand the current state of the laser marking apparatus at a glance.

[0015] Furthermore, when performing the alternative display as described above, by setting a priority order between the first display mode and the second display mode, it is possible to more surely and easily enable the user to grasp the state with a higher priority.

[0016] Also, according to the second aspect of the present disclosure, the display control unit can display, on the display unit, a stop screen indicating that the marking by the marking control unit has stopped, instead of the operation screen, and when it is detected by the first monitoring unit that the interlock state is present, regardless of whether the operation screen or the stop screen is being displayed on the display unit, the display control unit may preferentially transition to the first display mode rather than the second display mode.

[0017] According to the second aspect, a preferential transition is made to the first display mode rather than the second display mode both when the operation screen is being displayed on the display unit and when the stop screen is being displayed on the display unit. In this way, by setting a common priority order when the operation screen is being displayed and when the stop screen is being displayed, it becomes possible to notify the user of information with an unambiguous priority order.

[0018] Also, according to the third aspect of the present disclosure, the first monitoring unit may detect that it is in the interlock state upon receiving an interlock signal from outside the laser marking device.

[0019] Also, according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure, after receiving the interlock signal, upon receiving that the irradiation of the laser beam on the workpiece is prohibited in the laser marking device, the display control unit may execute the transition to the first display screen.

[0020] According to the fourth aspect, by notifying the user that it is in the interlock state after the irradiation of the laser beam is prohibited, it becomes possible to more accurately notify the current state of the laser marking device.

[0021] Further, according to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure, when it is detected that the driving screen is in the trouble state even in the state where the driving screen has been transitioned to the first display mode, a notification mark indicating that the driving screen is in the trouble state may be superimposed and displayed on the first display mode without transitioning from the first display mode to the second display mode.

[0022] According to the fifth aspect, when the interlock state and the trouble state occur simultaneously, by notifying the user of the latter state by a notification mark, it is possible to notify the user of the trouble state without impairing the priority order between the second display mode and the first display mode. Thereby, the usability of the laser marking device can be improved.

[0023] Further, according to the sixth aspect of the present disclosure, among the display items of the first and second display modes, the display items having the same layout as the driving screen may have different background colors in the first display mode and the second display mode.

[0024] According to the sixth aspect, by making the background colors of the display items having the same layout different between the first display mode and the second display mode, it becomes possible to more intuitively notify the current state of the laser marking device. This is advantageous for allowing the user to grasp the current state at a glance.

[0025] Further, according to the seventh aspect of the present disclosure, among the display items of the first and second display modes, the display items having the same layout as the driving screen may include a switch for switching from another screen to the driving screen.

[0026] According to the seventh aspect, by using the switch for switching the screen as the common layout, even if the driving screen is transitioned to each display mode, it is possible to maintain the usability of the screen without deteriorating it.

[0027] Further, according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, the laser marking device performs marking on a workpiece conveyed in a predetermined conveyance direction, and the operation screen includes a progress screen indicating the progress of the marking on the workpiece and a setting screen for performing settings related to the marking. The setting screen may include a first setting screen for setting the content of the character string to be marked and a second setting screen for performing settings related to the conveyance of the workpiece.

[0028] Further, according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, the display control unit may cause the display unit to display a switching screen for switching only the setting items on the first setting screen.

Advantages of the Invention

[0029] As described above, according to the present disclosure, the current state of the laser marking device can be easily grasped by the user.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0030]

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MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0031] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description is illustrative.

[0032] That is, in the present embodiment, printing (hereinafter also referred to as "marking", "printing", or simply "processing") as a representative example of marking using a laser beam will be described. However, the present disclosure can be applied to any marking consisting of a plurality of scanning lines, such as marking of a figure.

[0033] <Overall Configuration> FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the laser marking system S, and FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of the laser marking device L in the laser marking system S. Further, FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the replacement of the printing device 1001 and the marker head 1.

[0034] The laser marking system S illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a laser marking device L, an external device 400 connected thereto, and a processing facility 500 to which the laser marking device L is attached and which conveys the work W. Among these, the laser marking device L illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 irradiates a laser beam toward a predetermined irradiation area R1 and scans the laser beam on the surface of the work W.

[0035] By scanning the laser beam as described above, this laser marking device L can perform marking using the laser beam on the sheet-like flexible work W (hereinafter, the "flexible work" is simply referred to as the work). Note that this marking is performed corresponding to a preset printing pattern Pp, a printing job Pb, and a printing job Pj.

[0036] Note that the irradiation area R1 mentioned here is an area set on the surface of the workpiece W and corresponds to the printed surface area pre-associated with the set plane R2 on the display unit 101. The irradiation area R1 as the printed surface area can take various forms according to the relative positional relationship between the laser marking device L and the workpiece W, the specifications of the laser marking device L, the movement path of the workpiece W, etc. For example, the irradiation area R1 of the workpiece W moving along a two-dimensional plane is a plane along its movement path. On the other hand, the irradiation area R1 of the workpiece W moving in a three-dimensional space can be a curved surface along its movement path.

[0037] In addition, the printing pattern Pp in the following description includes, in addition to the pattern of characters to be marked on the workpiece W, patterns of figures to be marked on the workpiece W, such as ":", "×", barcodes, QR codes (registered trademarks), etc.

[0038] In particular, the laser marking device L according to this embodiment can emit laser light having a wavelength near 350 nm as the laser light for processing the workpiece W. This wavelength is included in the wavelength range of ultraviolet light. Therefore, in the following description, the laser light for processing the workpiece W may be referred to as "UV laser light" to distinguish it from other laser lights such as near-infrared light.

[0039] Hereinafter, a case will be described in which a workpiece (the aforementioned "flexible workpiece") W composed of a sheet-like film is a marking target and the film contains a UV reaction layer (not shown) that chemically reacts with UV laser light.

[0040] Note that the workpiece W in the present disclosure may be composed of a plastic film, a film containing an aluminum layer, a film containing an aluminum vapor deposition layer, or a film containing a paper layer. The workpiece W can be composed of films made of various materials. Further, the film constituting the workpiece W may have a three-layer structure or a multilayer structure of three or more layers.

[0041] Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the work W according to the present embodiment is formed by arranging a plurality of work elements We along a predetermined conveyance direction At. Each work element We may be integrally connected along the conveyance direction At, or may be arranged at intervals along the conveyance direction At. Each work element We is individually marked by a laser marking device L. The work element We can also be referred to as a plurality of work areas or printing areas that are set on the surface of the work W and arranged at equal intervals along the conveyance direction At.

[0042] Here, in order to perform the same marking on each of the plurality of work elements We, it is conceivable to detect the relative position of each work element We with respect to the marker head 1 each time. For this purpose, alignment marks Mr are provided on the surface of the work W at equal intervals along the conveyance direction. As shown in FIG. 1, each alignment mark Mr may be provided at a portion between the work elements We arranged along the conveyance direction At. Alternatively, each alignment mark Mr may be provided on one side in the conveyance width direction of each work element We (+X side or -X side in FIG. 1) (not shown).

[0043] Further, the laser marking device L according to the present embodiment is configured to perform so-called two-dimensional printing by two-dimensionally scanning laser light. However, since this laser marking device L is configured to have a deeper depth of focus than conventional products, so-called three-dimensional printing can also be performed. Therefore, this laser marking device L can even mark the work W conveyed along a three-dimensional movement path.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the laser marking device L according to the present embodiment includes a marker head 1 and a marker controller 100. The marker head 1 and the marker controller 100 are separate from each other in the present embodiment and are connected by a cable 200. The cable 200 according to the present embodiment may be configured by bundling at least a part of an electrical wiring for transmitting power from inside the marker controller 100 to the marker head 1, such electrical wiring, and a signal wiring for transmitting and receiving analog signals, digital signals, and the like.

[0045] (Marker controller 100) The marker controller 100 has a controller main body 100a for controlling the marker head 1 and a user terminal 100b for receiving various inputs by the user.

[0046] Among these, the controller main body 100a can scan the laser beam on the surface of the workpiece W by controlling the marker head 1 according to, for example, settings regarding the printing pattern Pp. The controller main body 100a has a storage device 120 for storing such settings. This storage device 120 is a combination of a volatile memory and / or a non-volatile memory.

[0047] For example, the controller main body 100a includes a marking control unit 109 illustrated in FIG. 2 as a functional element for controlling the marker head 1. This marking control unit 109 is electrically connected to a laser beam generation unit 2 and a laser beam scanning unit 3, which will be described later, in the marker head 1, and by controlling these, marking using a laser beam can be performed on the workpiece W. Other details in the controller main body 100a will be described later.

[0048] On the other hand, the user terminal 100b has, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory, and is connected to the controller main body 100a so as to be able to transmit and receive electrical signals by wire or wirelessly.

[0049] In particular, the user terminal 100b according to the present embodiment can be configured by a touch panel type console. The user terminal 100b may be configured separately from the controller main body 100a or integrally. When configured separately, instead of the touch panel type console, the user terminal can be configured by a tablet terminal, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or the like.

[0050] The user terminal 100b functions as a terminal for setting various printing conditions and presenting information related to marking on the workpiece W to the user. This user terminal 100b includes a display unit 102 for presenting information to the user, an operation unit 101 for receiving operation inputs from the user, and a storage device (not shown) for storing various information. Note that the user terminal 100b may also be referred to as a printing setting device for setting various printing conditions. Also, the marker head 1 and the marker controller 100 may be collectively referred to as a laser marker.

[0051] The display unit 102 can display a setting plane R2 defined by orthogonal coordinates. This display unit 102 is an example of the "display means" in the present embodiment. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, an input interface Iu for receiving an input of characters to be marked (hereinafter referred to as "print pattern Pp") is arranged on the setting plane R2 displayed by the display unit 102. This input interface Iu consists of a user interface such as a frame indicating the range of the setting plane R2 and a figure indicating the position of the print pattern Pp on the setting plane R2, and based on an operation input to the operation unit 101, it can receive an input of the print pattern Pp and display the content of the received print pattern Pp on the setting plane R2.

[0052] Specifically, the display unit 102 can be configured by a liquid crystal display or an organic EL panel. When the user terminal 100b is incorporated into the controller main body 100a or a touch panel type console is used, the display screen provided on the controller main body 100a or the console can be used as the display unit.

[0053] The operation unit 101 can be configured by a keyboard and a pointing device. The pointing device includes a mouse, a joystick, etc. When the user terminal 100b is incorporated into the controller main body 100a or a touch panel type console is used, the switches, buttons provided on the controller main body 100a or the console, or the display itself can be used as the operation unit.

[0054] As described above, the user terminal 100b configured as such can set the printing conditions in the marking based on the operation input by the user. These printing conditions include, in addition to the details of the printing pattern Pp, the target output (laser power) of the laser light and the scanning speed (scan speed) of the laser light on the workpiece W, etc.

[0055] The printing conditions set by the user terminal 100b are output to the controller main body 100a and stored in the storage device 120 of the controller main body 100a. If necessary, the printing conditions may be stored in the storage device of the user terminal 100b.

[0056] (Marker head 1) On the other hand, the marker head 1 is electrically connected to the marker controller 100. The marker head 1 can communicate with the marker controller 100 by wire or wirelessly, and by being controlled by the marker controller 100, it can emit UV laser light toward the irradiation area R1.

[0057] The marker head 1 according to this embodiment is installed on a processing facility 500 that processes a work W composed of a sheet-like film. As shown in FIG. 3, this processing facility 500 includes a support member 501 that supports the marker head 1 and a conveyance roller 502 around which the work W is wound.

[0058] Among these, as shown in FIG. 3, the support member 501 can attach the laser marking device L, particularly the housing 10 of the marker head 1, to a predetermined attachment position. The support member 501 shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 can, as an example of its configuration, suspend the housing 10 from above.

[0059] On the other hand, the conveyance roller 502 is configured in a cylindrical shape having a central axis extending in the short side direction of the work W. In this case, the work W is conveyed in the long side direction along a predetermined movement path by the rotation of the conveyance roller 502.

[0060] Here, as shown in the upper and lower diagrams of FIG. 3, the processing facility 500 according to this embodiment is shared between the marker head 1 according to this embodiment and a printing device 1001 that prints using a method other than marking with laser light.

[0061] That is, the marker head 1 according to this embodiment is configured to be attachable to the support member 501 of the processing facility 500 configured to attach the printing device 1001, instead of the printing device 1001.

[0062] Examples of the printing device 1001 that can be replaced with the marker head 1 include, for example, a thermal transfer type industrial thermal printer (Thermal Transfer Overprinter: TTO), but it can also be replaced with other printing devices 1001.

[0063] Specifically, as the replaceable printing device 1001 described above, for example, it may be any device that includes a housing 1010 configured in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, having a printing surface 1010d formed by exposing a printing unit 1006 that contacts a printing area on the workpiece W, and a connection surface 1010u that is different from the printing surface 1010d and can be connected to the support member 501.

[0064] In this case, as shown in the upper and lower diagrams of FIG. 3, the marker head 1 is supported by the support member 501 that can be connected to the connection surface 1010u, in the same manner as the printing device 1001. The marker head 1 thus supported irradiates the workpiece W with UV laser light toward an irradiation area R1 set corresponding to the printing area (the area that contacts the printing unit 1006 in the printing device 1001), thereby performing marking on the workpiece W.

[0065] Further, the laser marking device L according to the present embodiment is configured to include an imaging device 92 for imaging the marking result. This imaging device 92 is disposed on the outer surface of the housing 10 of the marker head 1 or inside the housing 10, and can image the surface of the workpiece W. This imaging device 92 is electrically connected to an image sensor 404 that is one of the external devices 400.

[0066] The external device 400 is connected to the marker controller 100 as necessary. In the examples shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the external device 400 is composed of a conveyance speed sensor 401, a programmable logic controller (PLC) 402, a mark detection sensor 403, and the aforementioned image sensor 404. Among these devices, the conveyance speed sensor 401 is connected to the marker controller 100 via the first interface unit 106. Similarly, the PLC 402 is connected to the marker controller 100 via the second interface unit 107, and the mark detection sensor 403 is connected to the marker controller 100 via the third interface unit 108. Although not shown in the figure, the image sensor 404 may be connected to the marker controller 100 via what could be called a "fourth interface unit".

[0067] Hereinafter, the first interface unit 106, the second interface unit 107, and the third interface unit 108 may be referred to as the first IF unit 106, the second IF unit 107, and the third IF unit 108, respectively.

[0068] The conveyance speed sensor 401 is composed of, for example, a rotary encoder and can detect the conveyance speed of the workpiece W. The conveyance speed sensor 401 outputs a signal (detection signal) indicating the detection result to the marker controller 100. The marker controller 100 controls two-dimensional scanning of the laser light and the like based on the detection signal input from the conveyance speed sensor 401.

[0069] The PLC 402 is composed of, for example, a microprocessor and can input a control signal to the marker controller 100. The PLC 402 is used to control the laser marking system S according to a predetermined sequence.

[0070] The mark detection sensor 403 is constituted by, for example, a light-receiving amount type photoelectric sensor (so-called color sensor), and can detect the position of the alignment mark Mr attached to the surface of the workpiece W. The mark detection sensor 403 outputs a signal (trigger signal) indicating its detection signal to the marker controller 100. The marker controller 100 controls the start timing of marking and the like based on the trigger signal input from the mark detection sensor 403.

[0071] The image sensor 404 is electrically connected to the imaging device 92, and an image signal generated by the imaging device 92 is input thereto. The image sensor 404 inspects the printed content processed on the surface of the workpiece W based on the input image signal. At this time, inspection may be performed based on the shape, color, gloss, etc. of the marking, or in particular when marking a character string, inspection using OCR (Optical Character Reader) may be performed.

[0072] A signal indicating the inspection result by the image sensor 404 can be input to at least one of the PLC 402 and the marker controller 100. The PLC 402 and / or the marker controller 100 can control the operations of the processing facility 500 and / or the laser marking device L based on the input signal.

[0073] Note that the image sensor 404 may be incorporated in the marker controller 100. In other words, by directly connecting the imaging device 92 and the marker controller 100, the marker controller 100 can also perform the functions that the image sensor 404 should perform.

[0074] In addition to the above-described devices and apparatuses, devices for operation and control, computers for performing various other processes, storage devices, peripheral devices, etc. can be connected to the laser marking device L wirelessly or by wire.

[0075] <Marker head 1> As shown in FIG. 2, the marker head 1 mainly includes a laser light generation unit 2 and a laser light scanning unit 3. The laser light generation unit 2 generates laser light (for example, UV laser light) based on the power supplied from outside the marker head 1. The laser light scanning unit 3 scans the laser light on the surface of the workpiece W by reflecting the laser light generated by the laser light generation unit 2 in a desired direction.

[0076] The marker head 1 also includes a housing 10 that houses the above-described components, that is, the laser light generation unit 2 and the laser light scanning unit 3. An emission window 4 that transmits the laser light reflected by the laser light scanning unit 3 is formed in the housing 10. Although details are omitted, the housing 10 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape, and has an emission surface 10d on which the emission window 4 is formed, and an attachment surface 10u that is a surface different from the emission surface 10d and can be connected to the support member 501. The attachment surface 10u is connected to the support member 501 via the attachment 7 (see FIG. 3).

[0077] (Laser light generation unit 2) The laser light generation unit 2 generates excitation light corresponding to the power based on the power supplied via the cable 200. The excitation light source 21 for generating the excitation light may be, for example, a laser diode. The excitation light source 21 may be housed in the marker controller 100 instead of the housing 10. In that case, a part of the laser light generation unit is housed in the marker controller 100, and the other part is housed in the housing 10.

[0078] The laser light generation unit 2 also includes a solid laser crystal 22 that generates a fundamental wave based on the generated excitation light, and a non-linear optical crystal (not shown) that generates UV laser light by modulating the fundamental wave.

[0079] As the solid laser crystal 22, for example, a rod-shaped Nd:YVO 4 (yttrium vanadate) can be used. The fundamental wave can be generated by any method such as a one-way excitation method by end pumping.

[0080] The nonlinear optical crystal can be composed of a plurality of optical crystals such as an optical crystal for generating a second harmonic wave and an optical crystal for generating a third harmonic wave. Various optical materials can be used as each optical crystal.

[0081] Note that power is supplied from the external power supply 405 to the laser light generation unit 2, particularly the drive circuit of the excitation light source 21. In FIG. 2, the external power supply 405 and the marker head 1 are directly connected, but the external power supply 405 and the marker controller 100 may be connected, and power may be supplied to the marker head 1 via the marker controller 100. Here, between the external power supply 405 and the marker head 1 (or between the marker head 1 and the marker controller 100), a first lock circuit 406 and a second lock circuit 407 are electrically interposed to ensure an interlock function.

[0082] The first lock circuit 406 and the second lock circuit 407 are connected in series and are each composed of a relay circuit. The contacts of each relay circuit are closed normally. In this case, the power supply from the external power supply 405 to the marker head 1 will be carried out without being obstructed.

[0083] On the other hand, the contacts of each relay circuit are configured to be opened when the safety mechanism operates. In this case, the power supply from the external power supply 405 to the marker head 1 will be cut off by the first lock circuit 406 or the second lock circuit 407. The laser marking device L will be in a so-called "interlock state" where the irradiation of the laser light on the workpiece W is prohibited.

[0084] Note that the safety mechanism is provided individually for each relay circuit and operates when an event specific to the installation environment of the device L occurs, such as when a person enters the installation space of the laser marking device L (for example, when the door of the room where the laser marking device L is installed is opened).

[0085] Although not shown in the drawings, the first lock circuit 406 and the second lock circuit 407 are each electrically connected to the marker controller 100. When the contacts of the first lock circuit 406 and the second lock circuit 407 are each opened, a signal indicating that (interlock signal) is generated. The marker controller 100 can continuously monitor whether it is in an interlock state by monitoring whether this interlock signal is generated.

[0086] Note that the PLC 402 may be electrically connected to the first lock circuit 406 and the second lock circuit 407, and the PLC 402 may monitor whether it is in an interlock state. Also, instead of using a relay circuit, for example, an interlock signal may be generated by a sensor capable of detecting a person.

[0087] The external power supply 405, the first lock circuit 406, and the second lock circuit 407, together with the conveyance speed sensor 401, the PLC 402, the mark detection sensor 403, etc., constitute the external device 400 in the present embodiment.

[0088] (Laser light scanning unit 3) The laser light scanning unit 3 is configured using a so-called two-axis (X-axis and Y-axis) galvanometer scanner, and includes a first scanner (not shown) that scans laser light in the Y direction and a second scanner (not shown) that scans laser light in the X direction.

[0089] The laser light scanning unit 3 polarizes the laser light generated by the laser light generation unit 2 so as to be irradiated toward the irradiation area R1 by driving the first scanner and the second scanner according to the print data created in advance. The thus deflected laser light passes through the emission window 4 and is irradiated onto the irradiation area R1.

[0090] <Marker controller 100> As described above, in addition to the aforementioned user terminal 100b, the marker controller 100 includes a controller main body 100a for controlling the marker head 1. This controller main body 100a mainly includes a setting unit 103, a reception unit 104, a display control unit 105, the aforementioned first IF unit 106, second IF unit 107, and third IF unit 108, the also aforementioned marking control unit 109, a first monitoring unit 110, a second monitoring unit 111, and a third monitoring unit 112.

[0091] (Setting Unit 103) Based on user input through the operation unit 101, the setting unit 103 sets a print block Pb in which a character string (print pattern Pp) to be marked on each work element We by the marking control unit 109 is associated with attribute information of the print pattern Pp.

[0092] Here, the attribute information of the print pattern Pp includes, for example, one or more of the font of the character, the font size, the thickness of the character, the character spacing, and the position of the print pattern Pp as viewed on the setting plane R2.

[0093] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15 described later, the setting unit 103 according to the present embodiment displays the print block Pb on the setting plane R2 on the display unit 102, and at the same time, displays an input field for the print block Pb (for example, the 14th display item I14 in FIG. 15) and an input field for the attribute information (for example, the 15th display item I15 to the 19th display item I19 in FIG. 15) in the vicinity thereof. A character string or numerical value can be input into these input fields through touch panel operations, input to the operation unit 101, etc., and the print block Pb can be set through the user input.

[0094] Here, the setting unit 103 can set a plurality of print blocks Pb for the marking performed on one work element We, such as a first print block Pb indicating the manufacturing date, a second print block Pb indicating the lot number, and a third print block Pb indicating the manufacturing factory.

[0095] By enabling the setting of a plurality of printing blocks Pb, for example, it becomes possible to vary the font of the characters according to the manufacturing date and lot number, and it becomes possible to realize more diverse markings.

[0096] Furthermore, the setting unit 103 can generate a print job Pj in which a plurality of printing blocks Pb are associated with each other and grouped together based on user input through the operation unit 101 (see the upper part of FIG. 4). For example, a first print job Pj in which a first printing block Pb, a second printing block Pb, and a third printing block Pb are grouped together can be generated, or a second print job Pj in which a fourth printing block Pb and a fifth printing block Pb are grouped together can be generated. Note that the numbering such as the first printing block Pb to the fifth printing block Pb is merely an example. By grouping any number of printing blocks Pb together, a print job Pj can be generated.

[0097] Here, the setting unit 103 can set a plurality of different print jobs Pj according to the type of work W, the purpose of marking, etc., such as a first print job Pj in which the printing blocks Pb to be marked on the sachet of food A are grouped together, a second print job Pj in which the printing blocks Pb to be marked on the sachet of food B are grouped together, and a third print job Pj in which the printing blocks Pb to be marked on products other than sachets are grouped together.

[0098] By enabling the setting of a plurality of print jobs Pj, for example, when switching the work W, it is possible to perform marking suitable for the work W after switching only by switching the print job Pj without re-setting each of the plurality of printing blocks Pb. A specific example of the user interface for setting the print job Pj will be described later.

[0099] The setting unit 103 can also set a change rule Cl that defines whether or not to permit changes to the settings of each of the plurality of printing blocks Pb that make up each printing job Pj (see the lower part of FIG. 4). This change rule Cl can be stored in the storage device 120 and can be newly created as needed or overwritten and saved with a previously created one.

[0100] By setting the change rule Cl in advance, for example, when an operator on the production line tries to switch the printing job Pj, for a printing block Pb indicating the manufacturing date, etc., whose printing pattern Pp can vary daily, the setting can be changed each time. On the other hand, for a printing block Pb indicating the manufacturing factory, etc., whose printing pattern Pp is basically unchanged, it can be fixed without changing the setting.

[0101] The setting of the change rule Cl may be permitted on the condition that the user has a predetermined management authority, such as an administrator of the production line. In this case, a user without management authority, such as an operator on the production line, is not permitted to set the change rule Cl and cannot change it.

[0102] In addition, the setting unit 103 can also set information other than character strings, such as the conveyance speed of the work W and parameters characterizing the start timing of marking, as attribute information of the printing job Pj (hereinafter also referred to as "job information").

[0103] For example, the setting unit 103 can set, as job information, the offset amount (so-called "trigger delay") from the irradiation area R1 of the laser light by the laser light scanning unit 3 to the marking start position of the printing pattern Pp in each work element We when a predetermined trigger signal is received.

[0104] Particularly in this embodiment, the trigger signal is output each time the mark detection sensor 403 detects the alignment mark Mr. Therefore, the trigger delay can be set separately into two parameters: the offset amount of the mark detection sensor 403 with respect to the center position of the irradiation area R1, and the offset amount of the alignment mark Mr with respect to the marking start position of each work element We. For example, by having the user manually input these parameters, the setting unit 103 can automatically calculate the trigger delay and store the calculation result in the storage device 120. By setting the trigger delay in advance, it becomes possible to appropriately control the timing to start marking for each work element We.

[0105] Note that all three offset amounts mentioned here are defined as offset amounts as viewed along the conveyance direction At.

[0106] The setting unit 103 also accepts a selection operation of the printing job Pj by the user and executes the switching to the selected printing job Pj. After that, for each printing block Pb constituting the selected printing job Pj, the setting unit 103 determines the trajectory that the laser beam should follow when marking the character string forming each printing block Pb. The trajectory that the laser beam should follow changes according to the above-described attribute information such as the thickness of the characters and the character spacing.

[0107] Specifically, the setting unit 103 according to this embodiment determines data indicating the start point and end point, etc. of the trajectory that the laser beam should follow for each line element of each character. This determination is made based on the character string of each printing block Pb and the data (printing data) indicating the attribute information, and the data determined by the setting unit 103 is temporarily or continuously stored in the storage device 120 of the controller main body 100a.

[0108] Hereinafter, the data indicating the trajectory that the laser beam should follow may be referred to as "expansion data", and the process for determining the expansion data may be referred to as "expansion process".

[0109] (Reception unit 104) The reception unit 104 receives, through the operation unit 101, a user input for changing the character string of the printing block Pb for which setting change is permitted in the change rule Cl set by the setting unit 103, based on the change rule Cl.

[0110] For example, as shown in FIG. 17 described later, when switching the printing job Pj, the reception unit 104 according to the present embodiment arranges and displays only the printing blocks Pb for which setting change is permitted among the printing blocks Pb constituting the printing job Pj on the screen (in the illustrated example, "2021.09.28" forming one printing block Pb and "XYZ" forming another printing block Pb), and makes the printing blocks Pb for which setting change is not permitted non-displayed on the screen (in the illustrated example, "Shelf life" forming one printing block Pb and "+ABC / " forming another printing block Pb). By operating a pointing device or the like on the screen (for example, a tap operation on the 13th display item I13), it becomes possible to change the character string of the printing block Pb for which setting change is permitted.

[0111] Regarding the developed data after the character string change, the development process by the setting unit 103 will be performed after the reception unit 104 receives the character string change. The developed data generated through the development process is stored in the storage device 120 and then appropriately read by the marking control unit 109. Regarding the developed data before the character string change, it may be generated before the character string change or after the character string change. In the present embodiment, the developed data before the change is generated in advance before the reception unit 104 receives the character string change.

[0112] (First IF unit 106) The first IF unit 106 is electrically connected to the PLC 402 and receives a control signal output from the PLC 402 during the operation of the laser marking system S. This control signal is input to the marking control unit 109 and the like via the first IF unit 106 and is used for the control of the controller main body 100a.

[0113] (Second IF unit 107) The second IF unit 107 is electrically connected to the mark detection sensor 403, and when aligning marks Mr are detected during the conveyance of the workpiece W, it receives a trigger signal indicating that the marks Mr have been detected. This trigger signal is input to the third monitoring unit 112 as a movement amount monitoring unit and the marking control unit 109 via the second IF unit 107.

[0114] (Third IF unit 108) The third IF unit 108 is electrically connected to the conveyance speed sensor 401, and when the workpiece W is conveyed, it receives a pulse signal (encoder pulse) generated by the conveyance speed sensor 401 in response to the rotation of the conveyance roller 502. This encoder pulse is input to the third monitoring unit 112 as a movement amount monitoring unit and the marking control unit 109 via the third IF unit 108.

[0115] (First monitoring unit 110) The first monitoring unit 110 is electrically connected to the marking control unit 109, and detects the interlock state in the laser marking device L. When the interlock state is detected, this first monitoring unit 110 inputs a signal indicating the detection result to the display control unit 105.

[0116] Specifically, the first monitoring unit 110 according to the present embodiment is connected so as to be able to transmit and receive electrical signals to and from a first lock circuit 406 and a second lock circuit 407 as external devices 400. The first monitoring unit 110 detects that the laser marking device L is in an interlock state when it receives an interlock signal from outside the laser marking device L, that is, from the first lock circuit 406 and the second lock circuit 407.

[0117] Alternatively, instead of receiving the interlock signals from the first lock circuit 406 and the second lock circuit 407, the first monitoring unit 110 may actively access the first lock circuit 406 and the second lock circuit 407 to monitor the states of the respective circuits.

[0118] (Second monitoring unit 111) The second monitoring unit 111 is connected to each part of the marker controller 100 and the marker head 1, and detects a trouble state occurring inside the laser marking device L (for example, elements other than the external device 400 and the processing facility 500). When a trouble state is detected, the second monitoring unit 111 inputs a signal indicating the detection result to the display control unit 105.

[0119] Specifically, the second monitoring unit 111 according to the present embodiment can detect, as a trouble state, an "error state" indicating a state in which an abnormality (error) has occurred inside the laser marking device L, and a "warning state" indicating a state in which, although an error has not occurred yet, there is a concern about the occurrence of an error (a state in which the possibility of an error occurrence has increased).

[0120] As an example of the error state, a state in which the temperature of the solid laser crystal 22 exceeds the appropriate range can be cited. Similarly, as an example of the warning state, a state in which the temperature of the solid laser crystal 22 has risen to near the upper limit of the appropriate range can be cited.

[0121] Generally, the error state corresponds to a state in which the irradiation of the laser beam should be restricted, similar to the interlock state described above. On the other hand, the warning state corresponds to a state in which, although the irradiation of the laser beam is allowed, it is necessary to notify the user that there is a concern about the occurrence of an error.

[0122] Among other possible states in the laser marking system S, states that may be included in the monitoring target of the second monitoring unit 111 include the "stopped state" in which the laser marking device L is powered on but its key switch is in the off state, the "adjustment state" in which the adjustment of the laser marking device L, such as the temperature adjustment of the solid laser crystal 22, is incomplete even though the key switch is in the on state in the stopped state, the "standby state" in which the adjustment of the laser marking device L is completed in the adjustment state, and the "operating state" in which marking becomes possible by the marking control unit 109 as a result of the user interface being operated in the standby state. For example, the stopped state and the adjustment state can be regarded as states in which marking by the marking control unit 109 is stopped.

[0123] (Third monitoring unit 112) The third monitoring unit 112 is electrically connected to the second IF unit 107 and the third IF unit 108, and can determine whether or not the movement amount of the workpiece element We corresponding to the trigger signal has reached the offset amount set by the setting unit 103 each time the mark detection sensor 403 detects a single alignment mark Mr and the second IF unit 107 receives a trigger signal. When it is determined that the offset amount has been reached, the third monitoring unit 112 inputs a signal indicating this to the marking control unit 109.

[0124] (Marking control unit 109) The marking control unit 109 reads out the developed data previously stored in the storage device 120, and scans the laser beam scanning unit 3 so that the laser beam scans along the trajectory indicated by the read-out developed data.

[0125] The marking control unit 109 performs marking on each workpiece element We by scanning the laser beam on the surface of each workpiece element We. The timing of starting marking on each workpiece element We can be controlled by the above-described trigger signal and encoder pulses.

[0126] (Display control unit 105) The display control unit 105 can display a predetermined display screen on the display unit 102 based on various electrical signals, and at the same time, appropriately switch the display screen based on the on / off of the key switch, user input, etc. Furthermore, the display control unit 105 is configured to transition the display mode of each display screen based on the state of the laser marking system S.

[0127] Specifically, when the power is turned on to the laser marking device L, if the device L is in a stopped state, the display control unit 105 can display a stop screen D1 indicating that on the display unit 102. If the device L is in an adjustment state, it can display an adjustment screen D2 indicating that on the display unit 102. If the device L is in a standby state, it can display a standby screen D3 indicating that on the display unit 102. If the device L is in an operating state, it can display an operation screen D4 indicating that on the display unit 102.

[0128] In the case of normal operation, as shown in FIG. 5A, after the stop screen D1 is displayed on the display unit 102 with the power-on, it switches from the stop screen D1 to the adjustment screen D2. Then, after switching from the adjustment screen D2 to the standby screen D3, it switches from the standby screen D3 to the operation screen D4.

[0129] The stop screen D1, adjustment screen D2, standby screen D3, and operation screen D4 have a common layout except for some items. That is, these screens D1 to D4 can each have, as their respective display elements, a status bar S1 for displaying the current state, date and time, error button, etc. of the laser marking device L, a main display section S2 for displaying the main information to be conveyed to the user, a switch button S3 for switching the state of the laser marking device L, and a menu button S4 for switching the display content of the main display section S2. Among these display elements, at least the switch button S3 may be omitted on the stop screen D1.

[0130] As shown in FIG. 5A, in the display control unit 105 according to the present embodiment, the layouts of the display elements S1 to S4 are shared among the adjustment screen D2, the standby screen D3, and the operation screen D4. Among the four types of screens D1 to D4, for example, the display mode of the status bar S1 (particularly, the content of the displayed character string and its background color), the presence or absence of the switch button S3 and its display mode, the display mode of the menu button S4, and the background color of the main display unit S2 are different.

[0131] - Switch button S3 - As shown in FIG. 5A, the switch button S3 is, for example, displayed at the corner of the screen of the display unit 102. This switch button S3 is configured to receive operations of a pointing device, touch operations, etc. On the operation screen D4, it is displayed as "STOP", and by operating the button S3, the operation state can be switched to the standby state. On the other hand, on the standby screen D3, the switch button S3 is displayed as "START", and by operating the button S3, the standby state can be switched to the operation state. The display content of the switch button S3 on each screen can be set as exemplified in the first column of FIG. 6.

[0132] - Menu button S4 - The menu button S4 is a common display item among the four types of screens D1 to D4 described above.

[0133] Specifically, the menu button S4 according to the present embodiment is composed of, for example, a plurality of vertically arranged buttons. Each button is configured to receive operations of a pointing device, touch operations, etc. On each button, menu items corresponding to the display content of the main display unit S2, such as "HOME", "JOB", "SETTING", "INSPECTION", etc., are displayed (see, for example, the operation screen D4 shown in FIG. 12).

[0134] - Main display unit S2 - The main display unit S2 is a common display item among the four types of screens D1 to D4 described above.

[0135] Specifically, when "Home" is selected on the menu button S4, a home display for showing the operation status of the laser marking system L is shown on the main display unit S2. In this home display, a display column showing the content of the printing job Pj (in the illustrated example, the capital letters "ABC"), the cumulative number of prints (cumulative print count) since the start of using the laser marking device L, the cumulative number of prints since switching to the current printing job Pj (job print count), and the number of prints per minute (print throughput) can be displayed. The home display can be regarded as a progress screen showing the progress status of the marking on the workpiece W.

[0136] Also, when "Home" is selected on the menu button S4, a switching interface S5 is displayed on the screen. By operating this, it is possible to switch the display mode between a preview magnification mode in which the content of the printing job Pj is enlarged (see the lower figure in Fig. 5B) and a monitor magnification mode in which the display columns of the cumulative print count, job print count, and print throughput are enlarged (see the upper figure in Fig. 5B).

[0137] On the other hand, when "Job" is selected on the menu button S4, a job menu as shown in the screen D4' of Fig. 5C is displayed on the main display unit S2. In this job menu, a display column configured to list and select each printing job Pj such as "Job A", "Job B", and "Job C", a switching button S6 for executing the switching to the selected printing job Pj, and a display column showing the content of the selected printing job Pj can be displayed.

[0138] Also, although omitted in Fig. 5C, it is also possible to transition from the job menu to a setting screen for job information in the selected printing job Pj, a setting screen for the printing block Pb in the selected printing job Pj, and a printing test screen for the selected printing job Pj, etc.

[0139] In addition, by selecting the "Settings" item, setting screens such as the communication and date of the laser marking device L can be displayed on the main display section S2, and by selecting the "Inspection" item, a screen for checking the log, operation information, etc. of the laser marking system L can also be displayed on the main display section S2.

[0140] - Status bar S1 - The status bar S1 is a common display item among the four types of screens D1 to D4 described above.

[0141] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5A for example, the status bar S1 according to the present embodiment can display "Stopped" in the stopped state, "Adjusting" in the adjustment state, "Standby" in the standby state, and "Operating" in the operating state.

[0142] As shown in FIG. 6, in addition to the display of "Adjusting", the required time (expected value) for the adjustment may be displayed on the status bar S1. Also, when the switch button S3 is operated while the display of "Adjusting" is on, as shown in FIG. 6, the display of "Adjusting" may be switched to "Preparing for operation", and at the same time, the display content of the switch button S3 may be switched from "Start" to "Stop" (hereinafter, this state is also referred to as the "preparing for operation state").

[0143] Also, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 6, when the laser marking device L is in the stopped state, adjustment state, preparing for operation state, or standby state, the display control unit 105 may set the background of the status bar S1 to a common background color (hereinafter, this is also referred to as the "first color"). As this first color, for example, a gray-based color can be used.

[0144] At that time, similar to the status bar S1, the background color of the home display may be set to a color of the same system as the first color, and the background color of the job menu may be not set (for example, the background color is set to white). By changing the background color of the home display, when the laser marking device L is in operation, the user can easily grasp the current state of the device L. On the other hand, by intentionally not setting the background color for the job menu, it is possible to prevent the background color from interfering with operations such as editing the printing job Pj. The background color of the home display is preferably lighter than the first color.

[0145] On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 6, when the laser marking device L is in the operating state, the display control unit 105 sets the background of the status bar S1 on the operation screen to a background color different from the first color (hereinafter, this is also referred to as the "second color"). As this second color, for example, a color of the green system can be used. As the first color and the second color, it is preferable to use non-stimulating colors (for example, colors other than red and yellow) for both.

[0146] At that time, similar to the status bar S1, the background color of the home display may be set to a color of the same system as the second color, and the background color of the job menu may be not set (for example, the background color is set to white). By changing the background color of the home display, similar to the case of the stop state, etc., when the laser marking device L is in operation, the user can easily grasp the current state of the device L. On the other hand, by intentionally not setting the background color for the job menu, it is possible to prevent the background color from interfering with operations such as editing the printing job Pj. The background color of the home display is preferably lighter than the second color.

[0147] Hereinafter, in order to distinguish from the error screens D5, D5' and the interlock screens D6, D6' described later, the display mode (display content of the status bar S1) of the display unit 102 in the stop state, adjustment state, operation preparation state, standby state and operation state may be collectively referred to as the "normal screen".

[0148] (Display mode related to the interlock state) When the operation screens D4 and D4' are displayed on the display unit 102, and the interlock state is detected by the first monitoring unit 110, the display control unit 105 according to the present embodiment causes the operation screens D4 and D4' to transition to the interlock screens D6 and D6' as the first display mode indicating that the device is in the interlock state. The transition to the interlock screens D6 and D6' is not limited to the operation screens D4 and D4', but can also be executed on other normal screens.

[0149] For example, as shown in FIGS. 5C and 6, when transitioning to the interlock screens D6 and D6', the display control unit 105 changes the display content in the status bar S1 from "Stopped", "Adjusting", "Preparing for operation", "Standby" or "Operating" to "Interlocked". That is, regardless of the transition from any normal screen such as the stop screen D1 or the adjustment screen D2, it is changed to "Interlocked" (see the column marked "I-Lock: Yes").

[0150] When transitioning to the interlock screens D6 and D6', the display control unit 105 also changes the background color of the status bar S1 to a background color different from the first and second colors (hereinafter also referred to as the "third color"). As this third color, for example, a color of the red system can be used. As the third color, it is preferable to use a stimulating color such as red or yellow.

[0151] As shown in FIG. 6, regardless of the transition from any normal screen such as the stop screen D1 or the adjustment screen D2, it is changed to the third color (see the column marked "I-Lock: Yes").

[0152] At this time, as illustrated in the screens D6 and D6' of FIG. 5C, the background color of the home display may be changed to a color similar to the third color, and the background color of the job menu may be left unchanged (for example, the background color may be maintained white). By changing the background color of the home display, the user can easily grasp the current state of the laser marking device L. On the other hand, by intentionally leaving the background color of the job menu unchanged, it is possible to prevent the background color from interfering with operations such as editing the printing job Pj. The background color of the home display is preferably lighter than the third color.

[0153] In addition, after receiving the interlock signal for detecting that the display control unit 105 according to the present embodiment is in the interlock state, the display control unit 105 performs a transition to the interlock screens D6 and D6' in response to the prohibition of the irradiation of the laser beam on the workpiece W in the laser marking device L. For example, as a process for prohibiting the irradiation of the laser beam, the laser marking device L operates a shutter for blocking the laser optical path inside the marker head 1 or stops the power supply to the laser diode. After such a process is completed, the display control unit 105 completes the transition to the interlock screens D6 and D6'.

[0154] (Display mode related to trouble state) When the operation screens D4 and D4' are being displayed on the display unit 102, the display control unit 105 also causes a transition from the operation screen D4 to a trouble screen D5 or D5', which is a second display mode indicating that the device is in a trouble state, when the second monitoring unit 111 detects a trouble state. The transition to the trouble screens D5 and D5' is not limited to the operation screens D4 and D4', but is also performed on other normal screens.

[0155] The trouble screens D5 and D5' include a first trouble screen indicating that the device is in an error state among the trouble states and a second trouble screen indicating that the device is in a warning state among the trouble states. The trouble screens D5 and D5' shown in FIG. 6 illustrate the latter second trouble screen.

[0156] For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when transitioning to the first trouble screen, the display control unit 105 changes the display content in the status bar S1 from "Stopped", "Adjusting", "Preparing for operation", "Standby", or "Operating" to "In error". That is, regardless of the transition from any normal screen such as the stop screen D1 or the adjustment screen D2, it is changed to "In error" (refer to the column marked "I-Lock: None, Error: Yes").

[0157] The display control unit 105 also changes the background color of the status bar S1 to a background color different from the first and second colors (hereinafter also referred to as the "fourth color") when transitioning to the first trouble screen. This fourth color may be the same as the third color.

[0158] As shown in FIG. 6, regardless of the transition from any normal screen such as the stop screen D1 or the adjustment screen D2, it is changed to the fourth color (refer to the column marked "I-Lock: None, Error: Yes").

[0159] At that time, the background color of the home display may be changed to a color in the same series as the fourth color, and the background color of the job menu may be left unchanged (for example, the background color is maintained white). By changing the background color of the home display, the user can easily grasp the current state of the laser marking device L. On the other hand, by intentionally leaving the background color of the job menu unchanged, it is possible to prevent the background color from interfering with operations such as editing the printing job Pj.

[0160] On the one hand, as shown in FIGS. 5C and 6, when transitioning to the second trouble screens D5 and D5', the display control unit 105 maintains the display content in the status bar S1 as it is (i.e., "stopped", "adjusting", "preparing for operation", "waiting", or "operating") (keeping the display content unchanged). That is, regardless of the transition from any normal screen such as the stop screen D1 or the adjustment screen D2, the display content of the status bar S1 is maintained (refer to the column marked "I-Lock: none, Error: none, Warn: yes").

[0161] Also, when transitioning to the second trouble screens D5 and D5', the display control unit 105 changes the background color of the status bar S1 to a background color different from the first, second, third, and fourth colors (hereinafter, this is also referred to as the "fifth color"). As this fifth color, for example, a color in the yellow system can be used. As the fifth color, it is preferable to use a stimulating color such as yellow or orange.

[0162] As shown in FIG. 6, regardless of the transition from any normal screen such as the stop screen D1 or the adjustment screen D2, it is configured to change to the fifth color (refer to the column marked "I-Lock: none, Error: none, Warn: yes").

[0163] At that time, as exemplified in the screens D5 and D5' of FIG. 5C, the background color of the home display may be changed to a color in the same system as the fifth color, and the background color of the job menu may be left unchanged (for example, the background color is maintained white). By changing the background color of the home display, the user can easily grasp the current state of the laser marking device L. On the other hand, by intentionally leaving the background color of the job menu unchanged, it is possible to prevent the background color from interfering with operations such as editing the printing job Pj. The background color of the home display is preferably lighter than the fifth color.

[0164] (Common layout of the interlock screen and the trouble screen) As shown in FIG. 5C, the interlock screens D6, D6' as the first display mode and the trouble screens D5, D5' as the second display mode have a common layout formed by sharing a part of the operation screens D4, D4'.

[0165] For example, among the display items of the interlock screens D6, D6' and the trouble screens D5, D5', the display items that have the same layout as the operation screens D4, D4' include a switch (switch button S3) for switching from other screens (for example, the standby screen D3) to the operation screens D4, D4'.

[0166] Specifically, the common layout according to this embodiment is composed of the layout of the status bar S1, the layout of the main display section S2, the layout of the switch button S3, and the layout of the menu button S4. These layouts are shared by the interlock screens D6, D6' and the trouble screens D5, D5'.

[0167] In contrast, among the display items of the second trouble screens D5, D5' in the interlock screens D6, D6' and the trouble screens D5, D5', the display items that have the same layout as the operation screens D4, D4' have different background colors between the interlock screens D6, D6' and the second trouble screens D5, D5'. As described above, the status bar S1 of the interlock screens D6, D6' has a third color of the red system as the background color, while the status bar S1 of the second trouble screens D5, D5' can have a fifth color of the yellow system as the background color.

[0168] (Priority of Interlock Screen and Trouble Screen) By the way, generally, the interlock state and the trouble state can occur simultaneously. In that case, although it is conceivable to dialogize and individually display each screen as shown in FIG. 5C, there is a problem that it is difficult for the user to understand the current state of the laser marking device L if such a configuration is adopted.

[0169] In addition, when each screen display is made into a dialog, since each dialog is displayed in chronological order, there is also a problem that it is difficult to convey the priority order between states to the user.

[0170] In contrast, the display control unit 105 according to the present embodiment is configured to realize the display modes corresponding to the respective states according to appropriate priority orders without making each screen display into a dialog.

[0171] Specifically, when it is detected that both the interlock state and the trouble state are present, the display control unit 105 is configured to preferentially transition to the interlock screens D6, D6' rather than the trouble screens D5, D5'.

[0172] Specifically, when it is detected by the first monitoring unit 110 that the interlock state is present, regardless of whether the operation screens D4, D4' are being displayed on the display unit 102, the stop screen D1 is being displayed, the adjustment screen D2 is being displayed, the operation preparation screen is being displayed, or the standby screen D3 is being displayed, the display control unit 105 can preferentially transition to the interlock screens D6, D6' rather than the trouble screens D5, D5'.

[0173] The display control unit 105 can also, in a state where the operation screens D4, D4' have been transitioned to the interlock screens D6, D6', and when it is further detected that the trouble state is present, display a notification mark S7 indicating the trouble state overlaid on the interlock screens D6, D6' without transitioning from the interlock screens D6, D6' to the trouble screens D5, D5. This notification mark S7 may be displayed on the status bar S1, for example, as shown in FIG. 5C. By operating the notification mark S7, details such as warnings and errors and their solutions are displayed on the display unit 102.

[0174] (Specific example of processing related to screen transition) FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a specific example of the process related to screen transition. First, in step St101 of FIG. 7, the controller main body 100a first determines whether it is in an interlock state. If this determination is YES, the process proceeds to step St102, while if this determination is NO, the process proceeds to step St103.

[0175] In step St102, the display control unit 105 of the controller main body 100a causes the display unit 102 to display the interlock screens D6, D6'. Thereafter, if a new error state is detected or a warning state is detected, the display control unit 105 causes the notification mark S7 to be displayed on the status bar S1. Instead of newly displaying the notification mark S7, the user may be notified by changing the display mode thereof. When the process of step St102 is completed, the control process returns the flow and returns to step St101 again.

[0176] In step St103, the controller main body 100a subsequently determines whether it is in an error state as the first trouble state. If this determination is YES, the process proceeds to step St104, while if this determination is NO, the process proceeds to step St105.

[0177] In step St104, the display control unit 105 causes the display unit 102 to display the first trouble screen. Thereafter, if a new warning state is detected, the display control unit 105 causes the notification mark S7 to be displayed on the status bar S1. Instead of newly displaying the notification mark S7, the user may be notified by changing the display mode of the existing notification mark S7. When the process of step St104 is completed, the control process returns the flow and returns to step St101 again. For example, if an interlock state is detected after returning to step St101, the transition will be from the first trouble screen to the interlock screens D6, D6'.

[0178] In step St105, the controller main body 100a then determines whether it is in a warning state as the first trouble state. If this determination is YES, the process proceeds to step St106, while if this determination is NO, the process proceeds to step St107.

[0179] In step St106, the display control unit 105 causes the display unit 102 to display the second trouble screens D5, D5'. On these second trouble screens D5, D5', the background color of the status bar S1 and the like is changed, and at the same time, a notification mark S7 is displayed on the status bar S1. Instead of newly displaying the notification mark S7, the user may be notified by changing the display mode of the existing notification mark S7. When the process of step St106 is completed, the control process returns to the flow and returns to step St101 again.

[0180] In step St107, the controller main body 100a then determines whether the laser light can be emitted. If this determination is YES, the process proceeds to step St108, while if this determination is NO, the process proceeds to step St109.

[0181] In step St108, the display control unit 105 causes the display unit 102 to display the operation screens D4, D4'. When the process of step St108 is completed, the control process returns to the flow and returns to step St101 again.

[0182] In step St109, the display control unit 105 causes the display unit 102 to display one screen corresponding to the current state of the laser marking device L among the standby screen D3, the adjustment screen D2, and the stop screen D1. When the process of step St109 is completed, the control process returns to the flow and returns to step St101 again.

[0183] <Operation example of the laser marking system S> FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the processes performed when operating the laser marking system S, focusing on the printing job Pj. As shown in FIG. 8, when operating the laser marking system S, creation of the printing job Pj (step St1), switching of the printing job Pj (step St2), and operation of the printing job Pj (step St3) are mainly performed.

[0184] Hereinafter, specific examples of the details of the processes related to these steps and the display screens of the display unit 102 in each step will be described.

[0185] In actual operation, prior to step St1, the laser marking device L is powered on and operations such as turning on the key switch are performed. By performing these steps, the display content of the display unit 102 will transition in the order of the aforementioned stop screen D1, adjustment screen D2, standby screen D3, and operation screens D4, D4' as long as it does not enter the interlock state or trouble state.

[0186] As also illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B etc., the operation screens D4, D4' can be switched between the operation screen D4 set to the home display as shown in FIG. 12 and the operation screen D4' set to the job menu as shown in FIG. 13 as the main display modes. As described above, this switching can be executed by performing a click operation, touch operation, etc. on the menu button S4. Hereinafter, the operation screen D4 set to the home display may be simply referred to as the "home screen D4", and the operation screen D4' set to the job menu may be referred to as the "job menu screen D4'".

[0187] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, on the home screen D4, as the main display items, a status bar S1, a main display section S2, a switch button S3, and a menu button S4 are displayed. These display items are common to all the screens described later.

[0188] On the status bar S1 on the home screen D4, a first display item I1 indicating the current state of the laser marking device L and a notification mark S7 are displayed.

[0189] Also, on the main display section S2 of the same operation screen D4, the aforementioned switching interface S5, a job ID (for example, "0000") for identifying the printing job Pj, a second display item I2 for displaying the name of the printing job Pj (for example, "Food A"), a character string of a plurality of printing blocks Pb constituting the printing job Pj displayed in the second display item I2, and a third display item I3 for visually displaying the attribute information of each printing block Pb are displayed. The display area of the third display item I3 corresponds to the aforementioned setting plane R2. In this example, the same content as the printing job Pj illustrated in FIG. 5 is displayed in the third display item I3.

[0190] Furthermore, on the main display section S2 of the same operation screen D4, a fourth display item I4 for displaying the aforementioned cumulative printing count, a fifth display item I5 for displaying the job printing count, and a sixth display item I6 for displaying the printing throughput are displayed. These display contents are incremented sequentially after the start of marking by the laser marking device L.

[0191] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 13, on the job menu screen D4', as main display items, a list of a plurality of printing jobs Pj is displayed, a seventh display item I7 for receiving an operation to select one printing job Pj, a switching button S6 for executing switching to the printing job Pj selected in the seventh display item I7, and a job setting button S8 for setting the content of the selected printing job Pj are displayed.

[0192] (Step St1) FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the process related to the creation of the printing job Pj and is a diagram showing the details of step St1 in FIG. 8. That is, step St1 in FIG. 8 corresponds to a single step representing steps St11 to St13 in FIG. 9.

[0193] First, prior to step St11, a home screen D4 shown in FIG. 12 is displayed on the display unit 102. When a menu button S4 is operated on the home screen D4, a switch is made from the home screen D4 to a job menu screen D4'. This switching is configured to be executed by the display control unit 105.

[0194] Thereafter, when a user input with respect to a job setting button S8 is received in a state where a single printing job Pj is selected on the job menu screen D4', the display control unit 105 causes a transition from the job menu screen D4' to a block selection screen D4" that forms one of the operation screens, similar to the screen D4'.

[0195] As illustrated in FIG. 14, on the block selection screen D4", as main display items, a menu button S6, a list of a plurality of printing blocks Pb, an eighth display item I8 for receiving an operation of selecting a single printing block Pb, and a block setting button S9 for setting the content of the selected printing block Pb are displayed.

[0196] When a user input with respect to the block setting button S9 is received in a state where a single printing block Pb is selected on the block selection screen D4", the display control unit 105 causes a transition from the block selection screen D4" to a job editing screen D4 that forms one of the operation screens, similar to the screen D4". 3 to make the transition.

[0197] - Step St11 - In step St11 of FIG. 9, the setting unit 103 and the reception unit 104 are configured to set the content of a character string and the attribute information of the character string for each printing block Pb based on a user input with respect to the job editing screen D4. The job editing screen D4 3 is configured to be included in a setting screen for performing settings related to marking, and constitutes a first setting screen for editing the content of the character string to be marked. 3

[0198] As illustrated in FIG. 15, the job editing screen D4 3 displays, as its main display items, a first switching tab I9 for transitioning to a setting screen for changing the character string of the selected printing block Pb, a second switching tab I10 for transitioning to a setting screen for determining the layout of the printing block Pb, and a third switching tab I11 for transitioning to a setting screen for inputting other detailed settings. The job editing screen D4 shown in FIG. 15 3 corresponds to the state where the first switching tab I9 is selected.

[0199] Also, on the job editing screen D4 3 there are displayed a twelfth display item I12 for accepting a switching operation to another printing block Pb, a thirteenth display item I13 for accepting an operation of selecting the format in the currently selected printing block Pb, a fourteenth display item I14 for accepting an operation of changing the character string of the printing block Pb according to the format selected via the thirteenth display item I13, and a completion button S10 for accepting an operation of completing the setting of the content of the character string and the attribute information of the character string.

[0200] For example, when "date" is selected in the thirteenth display item I13 and the fourteenth display item I14 is operated, the display control unit 105 displays a calendar on the display unit 102. The setting unit 103 and the reception unit 104 can set "date" as a character string based on user input to the calendar.

[0201] By accepting user input for the twelfth display item I12 to the fourteenth display item I14, the setting unit 103 and the reception unit 104 can newly set the character string of the printing block Pb or change the setting content later.

[0202] Also, on the job editing screen D4 3In the currently selected printing block Pb, there are displayed a 15th display item I15 that accepts an operation for setting the size of the character string, a 16th display item I16 that accepts an operation for setting the character width of the character string, 17th display item I17 and 18th display item I18 that accept operations for setting parameters related to the arrangement of the character string such as the character spacing, and a 19th display item I19 that accepts an operation for setting the thickness of the character string.

[0203] By accepting user input for the 15th display item I15 to the 19th display item I19, the setting unit 103 and the reception unit 104 can newly set the attribute information of the printing block Pb or change the setting content later.

[0204] Job editing screen D4 3 When the 3rd switching tab I11 is operated on the job editing screen D4, the display control unit 105 switches from the job editing screen D4 3 to the detailed setting screen D4 that forms one of the operation screens 3 in the same manner as the screen D4. 4 Along with this transition, the control process shown in FIG. 9 proceeds from step St11 to step St12.

[0205] - Step St12 - In step St12 of FIG. 9, the setting unit 103 and the reception unit 104 are configured to set the change rule Cl described with reference to FIG. 4 and other details for each printing block Pb based on user input for the detailed setting screen D4. 4 As illustrated in FIG. 16, on the detailed setting screen D4

[0206] rule switching buttons S11 for individually switching whether to permit setting changes of the character string at the time of job switching are displayed for each printing block Pb. Based on user input for this rule switching button S11, the setting unit 103 can set the change rule Cl individually for each printing block Pb. For example, the state illustrated in FIG. 16 corresponds to a state where setting changes are permitted. 4 ​

[0207] In addition, in the detailed settings screen D4 4 when changing the settings of the printing block Pb performed at the time of job switching, there are provided a 20th display item I20 for accepting input of a message to be displayed on the display unit 102, and a 21st display item I21 for setting input restrictions on character strings in the setting change, such as whether only numerical input should be accepted at that time. These are displayed as follows.

[0208] By previously inputting a message through the 20th display item I20, for example, at the time of job switching, the user can be prompted to make appropriate setting changes.

[0209] After that, when accepting a user input for the completion button S11, the setting unit 103 and the reception unit 104 complete the settings regarding each printing job Pj, each printing block Pb, and the switching of the printing job Pj. The settings thus made are stored in the storage device 120 for each printing job Pj. Along with the completion of the settings, the display control unit 105 4 transitions from the detailed settings screen D4 to a conveyance settings screen (not shown) for making settings regarding the conveyance of the workpiece W. Along with this transition, the control process shown in FIG. 9 proceeds from step St12 to step St13.

[0210] - Step St13 - In step St13 of FIG. 9, the setting unit 103 and the reception unit 104 are configured to make settings related to the conveyance of the workpiece W based on user input to the conveyance settings screen. Also, the above-described job information can be set through this conveyance settings screen. The conveyance settings screen is included in a settings screen for making settings related to marking, and constitutes a second settings screen for making settings related to the conveyance of the workpiece W.

[0211] Specifically, the conveyance setting screen can receive settings such as whether to intermittently stop the workpiece W and perform printing on the stopped workpiece W (so-called "static printing"), whether to perform printing while moving the workpiece W (so-called "moving printing"), receive settings regarding the conveyance speed of the workpiece W, receive settings regarding the aforementioned trigger delay, and receive settings regarding the scanning speed of the laser beam (scan speed). The settings thus received are stored in the storage device 120. Along with the completion of the settings, the display control unit 105 changes the display content from the conveyance setting screen to the home screen D4 or the job menu screen D4'. Along with this transition, the control process shown in FIG. 9 ends the process related to step St13 and proceeds from step St1 to step St2 in FIG. 8.

[0212] (Step St2) FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the process related to the switching of the printing job Pj and shows the details of step St2 in FIG. 8. That is, step St2 in FIG. 8 corresponds to representing steps St21 to St27 in FIG. 9 as one step. When job switching is not required, the control process skips step St2 and proceeds to step St3. The following description is based on the premise that job switching is performed.

[0213] In step St21, the display control unit 105 displays the job menu screen D4' on the display unit 102 based on the user's operation input. In this case, the currently selected printing job Pj is displayed on the setting plane R2. In that state, the controller main body 100a selects one printing job Pj from the list of printing jobs Pj based on the user input for the seventh display item I7.

[0214] In the subsequent step St22, the reception unit 104 receives a user input such as a tap operation or a click operation on the switching button S6 as the first switching button in a state where the printing job Pj to be switched to is selected. The job menu screen D4' is the job editing screen D4 as the first setting screen 3It can be regarded as a switching screen that only switches the settable items (editable items) that can be changed via.

[0215] In the subsequent step St23, the reception unit 104 determines whether the print job Pj of the switching destination includes the print block Pb for which setting change is permitted. This determination is to be made based on the change rule Cl stored in the storage device 120.

[0216] If the determination in step St23 is NO, the control process skips steps St24 to St26 and proceeds to step St27 to complete the switching of the print job Pj. In this case, the controller main body 100a executes a decompression process on the data indicating the switched print job Pj and generates decompressed data corresponding to the print job Pj.

[0217] On the other hand, if the determination in step St23 is YES, the control process proceeds from step St23 to step St24. In this case, the display control unit 105 switches the display content from the job menu screen D4' to the preview screen D4 which is one of the operation screens in the same manner as the screen D4'. 5 to.

[0218] As illustrated in FIG. 17, in the preview screen D4 5 as the main display items, a 22nd display item I22 that arranges and displays the print blocks Pb for which setting change is permitted, a character string change button S13 that displays an edit screen of the print block Pb displayed in the 22nd display item I22, and a return button S12 that accepts an operation to return from the preview screen D4 5 to the job menu screen D4' are displayed.

[0219] In the 22nd display item I22, a message pre-entered through the 20th display item I20 is to be displayed. Further, when a user input is received for the character string change button S13, the display control unit 105 causes the display unit 102 to display an editing screen (not shown) that accepts the change of the character string. The reception unit 104 is configured to accept the change of the character string of the printing block Pb based on the user input to the editing screen.

[0220] Preview screen D4 5 Furthermore, for the printing block Pb that has received a user input for changing the character string, a first trajectory T1 that the laser beam should follow with respect to the printing block Pb before the change and a second trajectory T2 that the laser beam should follow with respect to the printing block Pb after the change are to be displayed on the display unit 102. This display is to be performed by the display control unit 105 based on the character string and attribute information of the printing block Pb.

[0221] Specifically, the preview screen D4 according to the present embodiment 5 is to display, as further display items, a 23rd display item I23 that displays the first trajectory T1 and a 24th display item I24 that displays the second trajectory T2.

[0222] For example, in the example shown in FIG. 17, the character string has not been changed yet. In this case, the first trajectory T1 and the second trajectory T2 are the same. On the other hand, when the reception unit 104 receives a user input for changing the character string, the setting unit 103 executes a development process for the character string after the change and newly generates the second trajectory T2. After the generation of the second trajectory T2, the preview screen D4 5 will transition from the display mode shown in FIG. 17 to the display mode shown in FIG. 18. Along with this transition, the control process will proceed from step St24 to step St25.

[0223] Specifically, in the display mode shown in FIG. 18, as a result of changing the character string for the printed block Pb marked with the symbol T11, the first trajectory T1 corresponding to the character string before the change and the second trajectory T2 corresponding to the character string after the change are arranged and displayed side by side.

[0224] At this time, as shown in the printed block Pb marked with the symbol T21, the generation of the second trajectory T2 is performed for each printed block Pb.

[0225] For example, as in the display mode shown in FIG. 19, when the character string for the printed block Pb marked with the symbol T12 is further changed, only the second trajectory T2 for that printed block Pb is changed as shown in the printed block Pb marked with the symbol T22.

[0226] After that, when a user input such as a tap operation or a click operation is performed on the second switching button S15 shown in the lower right of the screens in FIGS. 17 to 19, the setting unit 103 completes the setting regarding the change of the character string and thus the job switching, and advances the control process from step St26 to step St27. As a result, the control process shown in FIG. 9 ends all the processes shown in the figure and proceeds from step St2 to step St3 in FIG. 8. Note that the second switching button S15 may be made operable in response to the change of the character string in all the printed blocks Pb for which the setting change is permitted.

[0227] (Step St3) FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the process related to the operation of the printing job Pj and shows the details of step St3 in FIG. 8. That is, step St3 in FIG. 8 corresponds to the combination of steps St31 to St34 in FIG. 11 as one step.

[0228] First, in step St31, the controller main body 100a receives user inputs such as tap operations and click operations on the switch button S3. In the subsequent step St32, the processing equipment 500 is operated through a control signal from the PLC 402 or the like, and the conveyance of the workpiece W is started. In the subsequent step St33, detection signals from the conveyance speed sensor 401, the mark detection sensor 403, etc. are input to the controller main body 100a. In the subsequent step St34, based on the start timing according to the input detection signal, the marking control unit 109 executes marking on each workpiece element We. As the trajectory that the laser beam should follow during this marking, the second trajectory T2 described with reference to FIGS. 16 to 18 and the like is used.

[0229] <Regarding the status notification of the laser marking device L> As shown in FIG. 5C and the like, according to the above embodiment, the current state of the laser marking device L can be selectively displayed by the interlock screens D6, D6' as the first display mode, the error screens D5, D5' as the second display mode, and the like. Thereby, the user can clearly and uniquely grasp the current state of the laser marking device L at a glance.

[0230] Furthermore, by setting a priority order between the first display mode and the second display mode during the above-described selective display, the user can be made to more surely and easily grasp the state with a higher priority.

[0231] Also, as shown in FIG. 6 and the like, in all cases where the operation screens D4, D4' are displayed on the display unit 102, the stop screen D1 is displayed, the adjustment screen D2 is displayed, and the standby screen D3 is displayed, a transition is preferentially made to the first display mode rather than the second display mode. In this way, by setting a common priority order for all screens, it becomes possible to notify the user of information with a unique priority order.

[0232] Also, as shown in FIG. 5C etc., when the interlock state and the trouble state occur simultaneously, by notifying the user of the latter state with the notification mark S7, it is possible to notify the user of the trouble state without impairing the priority order between the first display mode and the second display mode. Thereby, the usability of the laser marking device L can be improved.

[0233] Also, as shown in FIG. 5C, FIG. 6 etc., by making the background colors of the display items (for example, the status bar S1 and the switch button S3) having a common layout different between the first display mode and the second marking mode, it becomes possible to more intuitively notify the current state of the laser marking device L. Thereby, it becomes advantageous in making the user grasp the current state at a glance.

[0234] Also, by making the switch button S3 for switching the screen a common layout, even if the transition is made from the operation screens D4, D4' to each display mode, it is possible to maintain the usability of the screen without deterioration.

Explanation of Signs

[0235] L Laser marking device 1 Marker head 2 Laser light generation unit 3 Laser light scanning unit 100 Marker controller 100a Controller main body 100b User terminal 105 Display control unit 109 Marking control unit 110 First monitoring unit 111 Second monitoring unit D1 Stop screen D4 Operation screen D4’ Job menu screen (operation screen, switching screen) D4 3 Job editing screen (setting screen, first setting screen) D5, D5’ Error screen (second display mode) D6, D6’ Interlock Screen (First Display Mode) S3 Switch Button (Switch) S7 Notification Mark W Workpiece

Claims

1. A laser marking apparatus comprising: a laser light generation unit that generates laser light; a laser light scanning unit that scans the laser light generated by the laser light generation unit on the surface of a workpiece; a marking control unit that performs marking on the workpiece using the laser light by controlling the laser light generation unit and the laser light scanning unit, a display control unit that displays, on a display unit, an operation screen indicating that the apparatus is in an operable state for marking by the marking control unit; a first monitoring unit that detects an interlock state in which irradiation of the workpiece with the laser light is prohibited; a second monitoring unit that detects a trouble state occurring inside the laser marking apparatus, wherein when the operation screen is being displayed on the display unit, the display control unit changes the operation screen to a first display mode indicating the interlock state when the first monitoring unit detects the interlock state; the display control unit changes the operation screen to a second display mode indicating the trouble state when the second monitoring unit detects the trouble state; the first display mode and the second display mode have a common layout in which a part of the layout of the operation screen is shared; and when both the interlock state and the trouble state are detected, the display control unit preferentially changes the screen to the first display mode rather than the second display mode. A laser marking apparatus characterized by the above.

2. The laser marking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit can display, on the display unit, a stop screen indicating that the marking by the marking control unit has stopped, instead of the operation screen; and when the first monitoring unit detects the interlock state, the display control unit preferentially changes the screen to the first display mode rather than the second display mode, regardless of whether the operation screen or the stop screen is being displayed on the display unit. A laser marking apparatus characterized by the above.

3. The laser marking apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first monitoring unit detects the interlock state when it receives an interlock signal from outside the laser marking apparatus. A laser marking apparatus characterized by the above.

4. In the laser marking device according to claim 3, after receiving the interlock signal, the display control unit executes the transition to the first display mode in response to the prohibition of irradiation of the laser beam onto the workpiece in the laser marking device. A laser marking device characterized by the above.

5. In the laser marking device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, when it is detected that the trouble state still exists while the display control unit has switched the operation screen to the first display mode, the display control unit overlays and displays a notification mark indicating the trouble state on the first display mode without switching from the first display mode to the second display mode. A laser marking device characterized by the above.

6. In the laser marking device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, Among the display items in the first and second display modes, the display items having the same layout as the operation screen have different background colors in the first display mode and the second display mode. A laser marking device characterized by the above.

7. In the laser marking device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, Among the display items in the first and second display modes, the display items having the same layout as the operation screen include a switch for switching from another screen to the operation screen. A laser marking device characterized by the above.

8. In the laser marking device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the laser marking device performs marking on a workpiece conveyed in a predetermined conveyance direction, and the operation screen includes a progress screen indicating the progress status of the marking on the workpiece, and a setting screen for setting the settings related to the marking. The setting screen includes a first setting screen for setting the content of the character string to be marked, and a second setting screen for setting the settings related to the conveyance of the workpiece. A laser marking device characterized by the above.

9. In the laser marking device according to claim 8, the display control unit causes the display unit to display a switching screen for switching only the setting items in the first setting screen. A laser marking device characterized by the above.

Images