Lending System

Abstract

To construct a mechanism for supplying operation information of a leasing unit used in a board work machine at the leasee side to the lessor side.SOLUTION: A leasing system where at least one of units mounted on a main body in a board work machine in which a plurality of units are attachably and detachably mounted on the main body is a leased unit comprises a supply source server on the supply source side supplying a unit, a leasing source server on the leasing source side leasing a leased unit, and a management server on the leasing destination side to which the leased unit is leased. The supply source server has a supply list that associates the individual identification information of the units supplied by the supplier with the information of the lessor. The supply source server receives operation information associated with individual identification information of all units from the management server on the leasing destination side, and transmits only operation information associated with individual identification information of the leased unit among operation information of all the units to the leasing source server to which the leased unit is leased on the basis of a supply list.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification relates to a lending system.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, when performing multi-variety small-lot production or contract production for mounting components such as electronic components on a substrate (including mounting and inserting), the required equipment performance and the number of equipment often vary depending on the type of production substrate. In such a case, the substrate producer may consider acquiring a set of specifications as its own equipment, but this will increase the burden of equipment investment. Therefore, in order to reduce the investment burden, the substrate producer may consider leasing the entire required equipment from a leasing company for a predetermined lending period. However, if the leased item is the entire equipment required for the substrate working machine, in multi-variety small-lot production or contract production, due to fluctuations in production varieties, equipment units with low usage frequency and rarely used are also included in the lease target, which may not be reasonable in terms of lease fees for the substrate producer.

[0003] Therefore, in order to further reduce the investment burden on the substrate producer, it is considered to charge for the lease not based on the period during which the leased item is lent, but based on the operating time during which the leased item is actually operating (see, for example, Patent Document 1). According to this charging method, even if the entire required equipment is a leased item, when the usage frequency of the leased item is low due to fluctuations in production varieties, etc., the charging amount will be less than when it is high, so appropriate charging can be performed in accordance with the actual usage frequency.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Generally, a substrate handling machine has a device configuration in which each unit such as a head for component suction, a parts feeder for component supply, and a substrate transfer unit can be flexibly replaced to change the device specifications. Therefore, if a substrate producer can own the device main body and necessary units and only lease the units with low usage frequency from a leasing company, it is advantageous for the substrate producer in terms of investment burden. However, a mechanism for charging for the leased units while enabling leasing on a unit basis of the substrate handling machine has not been constructed. And in order to perform this charging, it is necessary to supply the operation information of the leased parts feeder from the lessee side to the lessor side.

[0006] The present specification aims to provide a leasing system that constructs a mechanism for supplying the operation information of a leased unit used in a substrate handling machine of a lessee to the lessor side.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The present specification discloses a leasing system in a substrate handling machine in which a plurality of units are detachably attached to a main body, and at least one of the units attached to the main body is a leased unit. The leasing system includes a supplier server on the supplier side that supplies the units, a lessor server on the lessor side that leases the leased units, and a management server on the lessee side that receives the leased units. The supplier server has a supply list that associates the individual identification information of the units supplied by the supplier with the information of the lessor. The supplier server receives the operation information associated with the individual identification information of all the units from the management server on the lessee side, and transmits only the operation information associated with the individual identification information of the leased units among the operation information of all the units to the lessor server that leased the leased units based on the supply list.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, a mechanism for supplying the operation information of a leased unit used in a substrate handling machine of a lessee to the lessor side can be constructed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] 1. Configuration of a Charging System of a Lending Unit for a Substrate Processing Machine Including a Substrate Processing System The configuration of a charging system 1 of a lending unit for a substrate processing machine according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. The charging system 1 is a system that performs lease charging when at least one of the units detachably attached to the main body 11 in the substrate processing machine 10 is a lent unit.

[0011] The substrate processing machine 10 is a device that performs operations such as mounting components on a substrate 2 such as a circuit board. The substrate processing machine 10 includes a non-removable main body 11, and as shown in FIG. 2, includes a substrate transfer device 20, a component supply device 30, and a component transfer device 40. The substrate transfer device 20, the component supply device 30, and the component transfer device 40 are each attached to and mounted on the main body 11.

[0012] The substrate transfer device 20 is a device that transfers the substrate 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the substrate transfer device 20 has a pair of guide rails 21, 22, a conveyor belt 23, and a clamp device (not shown). The pair of guide rails 21, 22 are arranged parallel to each other with a space therebetween. The guide rails 21, 22 guide the substrate 2 in the transfer direction X. The conveyor belt 23 is a belt member on which the substrate 2 can be placed, and is rotatably provided by an electric motor or the like. The substrate 2 is guided by the pair of guide rails 21, 22 and is transferred in the transfer direction X by the conveyor belt 23. The clamp device is disposed on the conveyor belt 23. The clamp device can clamp the substrate 2 at a predetermined component mounting position in the transfer direction X. When the substrate 2 is transferred to a predetermined component mounting position by the conveyor belt 23, it is positioned by the clamp device. The conveyor belt 23, the guide rails 21, 22, and the clamp device of the substrate transfer device 20 can be appropriately replaced according to the type, size, shape, etc. of the substrate 2.

[0013] The component supply device 30 is a device that supplies the component 3 to be mounted on the substrate 2 to a predetermined supply position L. The main body 11 has a holding portion 12 for holding the parts feeder 31. The holding portion 12 has a plurality of slots 13 arranged in the conveyance direction X. Each slot 13 is assigned a different slot number, and the parts feeders 31 are detachably and replaceably held one by one. The plurality of slots 13 can hold parts feeders 31 of different types. Incidentally, the main body 11 may be able to hold a tray on which components larger than the components held by the parts feeder 31 are placed, or it may be possible to exchange and use the parts feeder 31 and the tray.

[0014] The parts feeder 31 has a reel holding shaft 33 that detachably and rotatably holds the reel 32. The reel 32 is a rotating body around which a carrier tape containing a plurality of components 3 is wound. The reels 32 are provided for each type of component 3. Each reel 32 can accommodate a number of components 3 corresponding to the type of the accommodated components.

[0015] The parts feeder 31 is a device that runs the carrier tape wound around the reel 32 held by the reel holding shaft 33. The running by this parts feeder 31 is realized by sending the carrier tape in a predetermined supply direction (specifically, the direction from the tape insertion port side described later to the predetermined supply position L side). The parts feeder 31 has a sprocket having teeth that engage with sprocket holes provided in the carrier tape, and an electric motor that rotates the sprocket. In the parts feeder 31, when the electric motor operates, the sprocket rotates and the carrier tape runs in a predetermined supply direction, so that the component 3 is supplied to the predetermined supply position L.

[0016] The component transfer device 40 is a device that transfers the component 3 supplied to the predetermined supply position L toward the substrate 2 positioned at the predetermined component mounting position. The component transfer device 40 has a Y-axis slider 41, an X-axis slider 42, and a mounting head 43.

[0017] The Y-axis slider 41 is supported by a guide rail 44. The guide rail 44 extends in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction X of the substrate 2 by the substrate conveyance device 20 (hereinafter referred to as the orthogonal direction Y), and is disposed directly above the substrate conveyance device 20 in the vertical direction. The Y-axis slider 41 is movable along the guide rail 44 in the orthogonal direction Y. A Y-axis servo motor (not shown) is mechanically connected to the Y-axis slider 41. The Y-axis slider 41 is positionally moved along the guide rail 44 in the orthogonal direction Y by the Y-axis servo motor.

[0018] The X-axis slider 42 is movably attached to the Y-axis slider 41 in the conveyance direction X. An X-axis servo motor (not shown) fixed to the Y-axis slider 41 is mechanically connected to the X-axis slider 42. The X-axis slider 42 is positionally moved in the conveyance direction X by the X-axis servo motor.

[0019] A mounting head 43 is attached to the X-axis slider 42. The mounting head 43 holds a suction nozzle capable of sucking the component 3. Incidentally, the mounting head 43 may be capable of holding a plurality of suction nozzles simultaneously. The mounting head 43 or the suction nozzle is detachable and replaceable with respect to the X-axis slider 42 or with respect to the mounting head 43. The mounting head 43 or the suction nozzle held by the mounting head 43 can be appropriately changed according to the type, size, shape, etc. of the component 3. The mounting head 43 is positionally movable in the vertical direction Z orthogonal to both the conveyance direction X and the orthogonal direction Y with respect to the X-axis slider 42. The suction nozzle of the mounting head 43 sucks the component 3 that has reached a predetermined supply position L of the component supply device 30 using negative pressure or the like, and places the sucked component 3 on the substrate 2 positioned at a predetermined component mounting position by releasing the suction.

[0020] A substrate camera 46 is attached to the X-axis slider 42. The substrate camera 46 images the reference marks of the substrate 2 positioned at a predetermined component mounting position from above to obtain substrate position reference information, or images the component 3 that has arrived at a predetermined supply position L from above to obtain component position information. The component position information is used for position control and attitude control of the suction nozzle of the mounting head 43 when the component 3 is sucked onto the suction nozzle. Also, the substrate position reference information is used for position control and attitude control of the suction nozzle when the component 3 sucked on the suction nozzle of the mounting head 43 is mounted on the substrate 2.

[0021] Also, a component camera 47 is attached to the base of the component transfer device 40. The component camera 47 images the component 3 sucked by the suction nozzle of the mounting head 43 from below to obtain attitude information of the component 3. This attitude information is used for position control and attitude control of the suction nozzle when the component 3 sucked on the suction nozzle of the mounting head 43 is mounted on the substrate 2.

[0022] Furthermore, the substrate working machine 10 includes a control device 50 attached to the main body 11. The control device 50 has a machine controller 51 mainly composed of a computer provided with a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. An image processing device that processes the image data obtained by the substrate camera 46 and the component camera 47 is connected to the machine controller 51. The machine controller 51 can control the operation of each device 20, 30, 40 of the substrate working machine 10 based on the input information.

[0023] The machine controller 51 also has a recognition unit 51a. The recognition unit 51a recognizes the unit individual identification information assigned to various units mounted on the main body 11 of the corresponding substrate handling machine 10. This unit individual identification information is an identification code assigned to each unit that can be mounted on the substrate handling machine 10, and is identification information for distinguishing the self-unit from other units. The units to which the unit individual identification information is assigned include the parts feeder 31 that can be detachably attached to the devices 20, 30, 40, the mounting heads 43, the suction nozzles held by the mounting heads 43, the gripping chucks, or various processing devices (for example, a supply device that supplies flux to be transferred to parts, a recovery device that recovers discarded parts, a cleaning device that cleans the nozzles of the mounting head 43) mounted in place of the parts feeder 31 of the parts supply device 30, etc.

[0024] In addition, the recognition of the unit individual identification information by the above-described recognition unit 51a may be performed by the following method. For example, one recognition method is that computers or the like mounted on the respective devices 20, 30, 40 mounted on the substrate handling machine 10 detect the unit individual identification information of the units of the respective devices 20, 30, 40 and then transmit it to the machine controller 51, and the machine controller 51 receives and recognizes the unit individual identification information transmitted from the respective devices 20, 30, 40. Another recognition method is to attach unit individual identification information to a predetermined location on the outer surface of the units of the devices 20, 30, 40, and to provide a camera or a reader for imaging or reading the unit individual identification information, and then the machine controller 51 recognizes the unit individual identification information of the units mounted on the devices 20, 30, 40 based on the information from the camera or the reader or the like.

[0025] The machine controller 51 stores, in the storage unit 52, the unit individual identification information of the unit attached to the main body 11 of the substrate handling machine 10 recognized by the recognition unit 51a as described above, in association with the mounting position of the main body 11 on which the unit is mounted (for example, the slot number where it is mounted in the parts feeder 31, etc.). The storage unit 52 stores the relationship between the mounting position of the main body 11 on which the unit mounted on the substrate handling machine 10 is mounted and the unit individual identification information of that unit.

[0026] The machine controller 51 of each substrate handling machine 10 is connected to a management server 60 provided in a factory where the substrate handling machine 10 is installed, etc. The management server 60 is a host computer that manages production plans using the substrate handling machine 10 (note that there may be a plurality of them in the factory), the operating status of the substrate handling machine 10, the production of the substrate 2, and the supply of the parts 3. The production plan includes production plans for a plurality of types of substrates 2 over a predetermined period in the future (for example, one week or one month), and also includes a usage plan indicating the types and quantities of parts 3 to be used in accordance with the production plan of the substrate 2. Note that these production plans may be updated sequentially. The management server 60 stores the production plan of the substrate 2 and the usage plan of the parts 3.

[0027] The management server 60 stores, in association, the unit individual identification information of the units (for example, the guide rails 21, 22 and conveyor belt 23 of the substrate transfer device 20, the parts feeder 31 of the parts supply device 30 and the reel 32 held by the parts feeder 31, the mounting head 43 of the parts transfer device 40, the suction nozzle held by the mounting head 43, etc.) attached to each substrate handling machine 10 to be managed. The management server 60 issues a production command to the machine controller 51 of the substrate handling machine 10 in accordance with the production plan, etc.

[0028] The machine controller 51 stores the relationship between the production order and the devices and parts used. When the machine controller 51 receives a production order from the management server 60, it produces the substrate 2 according to the following procedure. That is, the machine controller 51 selects the units of the devices 20, 30, 40 to be used (i.e., the parts feeders 31 to be used from among the plurality of parts feeders 31 held in the plurality of slots 13) according to the production order from the management server 60, identifies the mounting positions of the main body 11 on which the units are mounted, and gives an operation command to the units.

[0029] In addition, when the machine controller 51 is in operation during the production of the substrate 2 or during various processes, at a predetermined timing, it generates the log information of the units mounted on the substrate processing machine 10 and uploads the generated log information to the management server 60. The timing of uploading this log information is when the unit is recognized when the power of the substrate processing machine 10 is turned on, etc., when the units of the devices 20, 30, 40 mounted on the substrate processing machine 10 are automatically exchanged during the operation of the substrate processing machine 10, when the substrate processing machine 10 starts automatic operation, when the substrate processing machine 10 ends automatic operation, when the substrate processing machine 10 completes the production of one substrate 2, etc.

[0030] The above log information is the summary of the model name of the substrate processing machine 10, the individual identification information of the processing machine, and its state, as well as the unit type, unit individual identification information, and unit operation information of the units of the devices 20, 30, 40 mounted on the substrate processing machine 10, associated with the acquisition time or upload time. The log information uploaded from the machine controller 51 to the management server 60 may be different according to the generation timing.

[0031] The log information, for example, when the unit is recognized, as shown in FIG. 3, includes the time, the model name of the substrate-facing working machine 10, the individual identification information of the working machine, its status, the unit type, and the individual identification information of the unit. When the unit is automatically exchanged, as shown in FIG. 4, it includes the time, the model name of the substrate-facing working machine 10, the individual identification information of the working machine, its status, the unit type, the individual identification information of the unit before the exchange, and the individual identification information of the unit after the exchange. When the production of a single substrate 2 is completed, as shown in FIG. 5, it includes the time, the model name of the substrate-facing working machine 10, the individual identification information of the working machine, its status, the unit type, the individual identification information of the unit, the operating speed, the number of operations, and the number of operation errors.

[0032] As described above, the machine controller 51 generates log information including the unit operation information of the units possessed by each of the devices 20, 30, and 40 (specifically, when the production of a single substrate 2 is completed). The machine controller 51 has an acquisition unit 51b that acquires the unit operation information. This unit operation information is information related to the operation of each unit and is a concept including the operation amount that quantitatively represents the operation. The operation amount includes the operation load, the operation time, the number of operations, the number of operation errors, and the like. The operation load indicates the degree of fatigue of the device itself due to the operation of the unit mounted on the main body 11 of the substrate-facing working machine 10, and is, for example, the operation speed (%). The operation time may be the time during which the operation continues from when the power is turned on, or may be the total operation time obtained by adding the operation time from when the power is turned on to when the power is turned off. Also, the number of operations is, for example, the number of times of transporting the substrate 2 by the conveyor belt 23 in the case of the substrate transport device 20, the number of feeding times by the parts feeder 31 in the case of the parts supply device 30, and the number of mounting points or the number of pick-up times by the mounting head 43 in the case of the parts transfer device 40.

[0033] The management server 60 can acquire the log information uploaded from the machine controller 51 of the substrate-facing working machine 10. The management server 60 has a first storage unit 61. The computer of the management server 60 stores the log information acquired for each substrate-facing working machine 10 in the first storage unit 61.

[0034] The management server 60 also has a second storage unit 62. The second storage unit 62 stores lending availability information indicating whether the mounted unit is a unit lent from a lender (hereinafter referred to as the lent unit 4) in association with the unit individual identification information of the unit mounted for each substrate processing machine 10. Further, the second storage unit 62 stores information including the lending conditions for the lent unit 4. These lending conditions include, for example, information indicating the start time of lending, information indicating the end time of lending, information indicating the lending period, information indicating the upper and lower limits of the allowable range as the operating speed, information indicating the billing unit price, information indicating the conditions for changing the billing unit price, and the types of the target substrate processing machines 10 that can be mounted. Note that FIG. 2 shows that two of the parts feeders 31 of the parts supply device 30 mounted in the nine slots 13 are lent units 4.

[0035] The management server 60 is a part of the billing system 1. The management server 60 refers to the log information of the substrate processing machine 10 in the first storage unit 61 and the lending availability information for the substrate processing machine 10 in the second storage unit 62 to determine whether the mounted unit is a lent unit 4, and can extract the log information for each unit individual identification information of the lent unit 4. The management server 60 has a third storage unit 63. The third storage unit 63 stores the log information for each unit individual identification information of the lent unit 4.

[0036] The management server 60 stores information about the lender (for example, name, telephone number, data transmission destination, etc.) that lent the lent unit 4. The management server 60 has a communication unit 65 that can be communicatively connected to the network 70. The management server 60 can transmit information to the server 80 on the lender side (hereinafter referred to as the lender server 80) via the network 70 from the communication unit 65. Note that the network 70 may use an existing line or a dedicated line.

[0037] The information transmitted from the management server 60 to the lending source server 80 is data necessary for charging for the lending of the lending unit 4, and is log information associated with the unit individual identification information of the lending unit 4 stored in the third storage unit 63. Note that this transmitted information only needs to include at least the operation information necessary for charging among the log information. Also, the timing of transmitting information from the management server 60 to the lending source server 80 is regular, that is, at predetermined intervals such as once a day or once a week. Note that instead of being regular, this information transmission timing may be each time the operation amount as the operation information in the above log information reaches a predetermined amount.

[0038] When the above information transmission is performed regularly, the transmitted operation information is a collection of what was acquired from the previous transmission to the current transmission. For example, even if the log information is acquired multiple times, information transmission is not performed each time it is acquired, and the operation information for multiple times is collected and transmitted at once. Note that the collection of the operation information for multiple times may be a collection of the multiple operation information as it is in a bundle, or may be a collection of the multiple operation information as a whole into one operation information.

[0039] The lending source server 80 is a part of the charging system 1. The lending source server 80 is a host computer that manages the lending unit 4 lent from its own lending source to the lending destination. The lending source server 80 holds a lending list 81. This lending list 81 is a list of the lending units 4, and for each lending unit 4, it associates the management number of the lending unit 4 (that is, the unit individual identification information), lending conditions including the lending period and charging unit price, information indicating the billing destination and the responsible department of the lending destination, and so on.

[0040] The lending source server 80 has a communication unit 82 that can be communicatively connected to the network 70. The lending source server 80 can receive, via the communication unit 82, log information including operation information necessary for charging associated with the unit individual identification information, which is transmitted from the management server 60 on the lending destination side via the network 70. The lending source server 80 has a charging unit 83. The charging unit 83 extracts the operation information necessary for charging from the log information from the management server 60 on the lending destination side received by the communication unit 82, and calculates the charging amount (i.e., the total charging amount) to the lending destination based on the operation information. Then, based on the calculated charging amount, a charging claim is made from the lending source to the lending destination.

[0041] The total charging amount to the above-mentioned lending destination varies according to the content of the operation information, and the higher the operation volume, the higher the amount. For example, if the charging amount per operation (i.e., the charging unit price) is determined in advance by the contract between the lending source and the lending destination, the total charging amount is determined by multiplying the number of operations by the charging unit price. Also, the total charging amount may be the sum of the basic lending fee determined in advance by the contract between the lending source and the lending destination and the amount corresponding to the above operation volume. Note that the above basic lending fee may increase or decrease according to the lending period.

[0042] 2. Operations from lending to charging of the lending unit The lender, who is the unit owner, can individually lend one or more mounting units that make up the substrate transfer device 20, component supply device 30, component transfer device 40, etc. that can be mounted on the substrate processing machine 10 to the borrower, who is the customer and the user of the substrate processing machine 10, as the lending unit 4. The borrower sets the device specifications of the substrate processing machine 10 in consideration of all types of producible substrates 2, and determines one or more lending units 4 received from the lender within those device specifications considering the planned production quantity and production period of the substrate 2 to be produced, the cycle period of the product for which the substrate 2 is used, the maintainability of the unit, etc. The borrower purchases units other than the lending unit 4 and the main body 11 of the substrate processing machine 10. The borrower concludes a contract regarding the lending of the lending unit with the lender and receives the lending of the lending unit 4. When the lender and the borrower conclude a contract regarding the lending of the lending unit 4, information including the lending conditions is stored in the lender server 80 and the management server 60 of the borrower in association with the unit individual identification information of the lending unit 4.

[0043] At the borrower, when the lending unit 4 is mounted on the substrate processing machine 10, the recognition unit 51a of the machine controller 51 of the substrate processing machine 10 recognizes the unit individual identification information of all units including the lending unit 4 mounted on the main body 11 of the substrate processing machine 10 (step S100 in the routine shown in FIG. 6). Then, the machine controller 51 causes the storage unit 52 to store the relationship between the mounting position of the main body 11 on which the unit including the lending unit 4 is mounted and the unit individual identification information of the unit (step S110). Also, the management server 60 stores the unit individual identification information, lending availability information, and lending condition information of the units for each substrate processing machine 10 in the second storage unit 62.

[0044] After the lending unit 4 is mounted, the unit individual identification information is recognized, and the above relationship is memorized, the production of the substrate 2 is started using the substrate processing machine 10. The management server 60 of the borrower issues a production instruction to the machine controller 51 of the substrate processing machine 10 according to the production plan of the substrate 2 or the like. The machine controller 51 of the substrate processing machine 10 performs substrate production by operating the units of the appropriate devices 20, 30, and 40 according to the production instruction from the management server 60.

[0045] During operation such as when substrate production is being carried out, the acquisition unit 51b of the machine controller 51 acquires the operation information for each unit of the units including the lending unit (step S120), and uploads the log information including the operation information to the management server 60. Note that the upload of the log information from this machine controller 51 to the management server 60 may be performed for all units without distinguishing whether the unit is the lending unit 4 or not. Further, the upload of this log information is performed when the power of the substrate processing machine 10 is turned on, when the units of the devices 20, 30, and 40 are automatically exchanged during the operation of the substrate processing machine 10, when the substrate processing machine 10 starts automatic operation, when the substrate processing machine 10 ends automatic operation, when the substrate processing machine 10 completes the production of one substrate 2, and the like.

[0046] The management server 60 stores the log information sent for each substrate processing machine 10 in the first storage unit 61. The management server 60 extracts the log information of the unit indicating "lent" as the lending presence / absence information stored in the second storage unit 62 from the log information stored in the first storage unit 61, and stores the log information associated with the unit individual identification information of the lending unit 4 in the third storage unit 63 (step S130).

[0047] The management server 60 transmits the log information of the lending unit 4 stored in the third storage unit 63 to the lender server 80 at a predetermined timing. When the lender server 80 receives the log information of the lending unit 4 from the management server 60 of the borrower via the network 70 at the communication unit 82, it extracts the operation information necessary for charging from the log information and refers to the lending list 81 to read out the lending conditions associated with the unit individual identification information of the lending unit 4. The charging unit 83 multiplies the operation amount of the extracted operation information by the charging unit price extracted from the read lending conditions to calculate the total charging amount (step S140). For example, if the charging unit price per unit operation time is determined, the multiplication value of the operation time and the charging unit price is calculated as the total charging amount. Also, if the charging unit price per operation is determined, the multiplication value of the number of operations and the charging unit price is calculated as the total charging amount. The lender requests the borrower for the calculated total charging amount.

[0048] 3. Effects As described above, in this embodiment, at least one of all the units mounted on the main body 11 of the substrate processing machine 10 can be lent as the lending unit 4 from the lender who is the unit owner to the borrower who is the user. And charging can be performed from the lender to the borrower for the lending of the lending unit 4.

[0049] More specifically, lending conditions and the like for lending the lending unit 4 are stored in the lender server 80 on the lender side and the management server 60 on the borrower side, respectively. In addition, lending presence / absence information for distinguishing the lending unit 4 from units other than the lending unit 4 is attached in association with the unit individual identification information of the units mounted on the substrate processing machine 10 managed by the management server 60 on the borrower side. Then, the substrate processing machine 10 on the borrower side recognizes the unit individual identification information of the mounted units and acquires the operation information of each unit. And the management server 60 extracts the log information of the lending unit 4 from the log information of all the units mounted on the substrate processing machine 10 acquired at a predetermined timing, associates the log information of the lending unit 4 with the unit individual identification information, and transmits it to the lender server 80 on the lender side that lent the lending unit 4. Then, the lender server 80 calculates the charging amount based on the operation information necessary for charging included in the log information from the management server 60 and performs charging.

[0050] According to this charging system 1, when at least one of all the units mounted on the substrate processing machine 10 is used as the lending unit 4, a mechanism for performing charging in accordance with the operation of the lending unit 4 can be constructed. For this reason, by using, for example, a unit with low usage frequency among all the units mounted on the substrate processing machine 10 as the lending unit 4, the investment burden on the user of the substrate processing machine 10 can be reduced as compared with the case of purchasing all the units mounted on the substrate processing machine 10.

[0051] Also, in this charging system 1, the information transmitted from the management server 60 of the borrower to the lender server 80 of the lender is not the log information of all the units acquired by the management server 60 from the substrate processing machine 10, but only the log information of the loan unit 4 to be loaned, which is extracted from the log information of all those units. In this case, the owner on the lender side does not acquire the log information of all the units mounted on the substrate processing machine 10 of the user who is the borrower, but only the log information of the loan unit 4 to be loaned. Therefore, the owner side is not aware of the entire substrate production by the substrate processing machine 10 on the user side, and the information to be notified to the owner side can be limited to the information related to the loan unit 4, so that the confidentiality of the substrate production by the substrate processing machine 10 on the user side can be ensured.

[0052] As is clear from the above description, the charging system 1 of the present embodiment is a charging system in the case where at least one of the units mounted on the main body 11 in the substrate processing machine 10 in which a plurality of units are detachably mounted on the main body 11 is a loan unit 4 that has been loaned. This charging system 1 is provided in a control device 50 attached to the main body 11, and includes a recognition unit 51a of a machine controller 51 that recognizes the unit individual identification information of the loan unit 4 mounted on the main body 11, a storage unit 52 that stores the relationship between the mounting position of the main body 11 on which the loan unit 4 is mounted and the unit individual identification information of the loan unit 4 mounted on the main body 11, an acquisition unit 51b of the machine controller 51 that is provided in the control device 50 and acquires the operation information of the loan unit 4 mounted on the main body 11, a third storage unit 63 that stores the operation information of the loan unit 4 for each unit individual identification information, and a charging unit 83 of the lender server 80 that calculates the charging amount based on the operation information stored in the third storage unit 63.

[0053] The charging method by the charging system 1 is a charging method in the substrate processing machine 10 where a plurality of units are detachably attached to the main body 11, when at least one of the units attached to the main body 11 is a lent unit 4 lent out. This charging method includes: a first step in which the recognition unit 51a of the machine controller 51 recognizes the unit individual identification information of the lent unit 4 attached to the main body 11; a second step in which the storage unit 52 stores the relationship between the attachment position of the main body 11 to which the lent unit 4 is attached and the unit individual identification information of the lent unit 4 attached to the main body 11; a third step in which the acquisition unit 51b of the machine controller 51 acquires the operation information of the lent unit 4 attached to the main body 11; a fourth step in which the third storage unit 63 stores the operation information of the lent unit 4 for each unit individual identification information; and a fifth step in which the charging unit 83 of the lending source server 80 calculates the charging amount based on the operation information stored in the third storage unit 63.

[0054] According to this configuration, when at least one of all the units attached to the substrate processing machine 10 is a lent unit 4, a mechanism for charging according to the operation of the lent unit 4 can be constructed.

[0055] Also, in the charging system 1, the charging unit 83 is provided in the lending source server 80 of the lender that lends the lent unit 4 to the borrower, and the operation information acquired by the acquisition unit 51b is associated with the unit individual identification information of the lent unit 4 attached to the main body 11 and transmitted to the lending source server 80 via the network 70. According to this configuration, the charging calculation can be performed by the lending source server 80 of the lender.

[0056] Also, in the charging system 1, the operation information stored in the third storage unit 63 is collectively transmitted to the lending source server 80 via the network 70 at predetermined intervals. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent frequent communication between the borrower side and the lender side, and reduce the communication load.

[0057] In addition, in the charging system 1, the operation information of the lending unit 4 includes the number of operations or the operation time of the lending unit 4. According to this configuration, charging can be performed according to the number of operations or the operation time of the lending unit 4 mounted on the main body 11 of the substrate processing machine 10.

[0058] 4. Modified Forms By the way, in the above-described embodiment, the management server 60 stores lending availability information indicating whether the units constituting the devices 20, 30, 40, etc. mounted on the main body 11 of the substrate processing machine 10 are the lending unit 4 or not. Further, the machine controller 51 of the control device 50 mounted on the substrate processing machine 10 acquires, by the acquisition unit 51b, the unit operation information of all the units including the lending unit 4 without distinguishing whether the unit is the lending unit 4 or not, and stores, by the storage unit 52, the relationship between the unit individual identification information of all the units including the lending unit 4 and the mounting position of the main body 11 on which the unit is mounted. Then, the management server 60 extracts the unit operation information of the lending unit 4 from the unit operation information of all the units.

[0059] However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. The machine controller 51 on the side of the substrate processing machine 10 may store the above-described lending availability information, the machine controller 51 may determine whether the unit is the lending unit 4 according to the lending availability information, and only the unit individual identification information of the lending unit 4 may be acquired by the acquisition unit 51b, and the relationship between the unit individual identification information of the lending unit 4 and the mounting position of the main body 11 on which the lending unit 4 is mounted may be stored by the storage unit 52.

[0060] In the above-described embodiment, the calculation of the charge amount of the lending unit 4 is performed such that the higher the operation amount of the lending unit 4, the higher the charge amount, and the charge unit price is multiplied by the operation amount. However, depending on the operation load of the lending unit 4, the degree of fatigue and severity may vary, so it may be appropriate to change the charge unit price per unit operation amount. For example, considering the maintainability of the lending unit 4, etc., it is appropriate to increase the charge unit price for a high-fatigue operation load and decrease the charge unit price for a low-fatigue operation load.

[0061] Therefore, information indicating the operation load of the lending unit 4 is also included in the information sent from the management server 60 on the borrower side to the lending source server 80 on the lender side, associated with the unit individual identification information of the lending unit 4, together with the operation amount of the lending unit 4. The calculation of the charge amount of the lending unit 4 may be performed while changing the charge unit price per unit operation amount according to the operation load, that is, the operation speed, of the lending unit 4. For example, the management server 60 on the borrower side transmits information including the operation time and the number of operations calculated for each operation speed as shown in FIG. 5 to the lending source server 80. The lending source server 80 stores in advance the charge unit price for each operation speed determined between the lender and the borrower. The charging unit 83 has a unit price changing unit, and the unit price changing unit changes the charge unit price for each operation speed in the information sent from the management server 60 on the borrower side. Then, the charging unit 83 calculates the charge amount based on the operation time and the number of operations for each operation speed.

[0062] For example, when the total number of operations N is (N1 + N2 + N3), if the charge unit price when the operation speed is 100% is A1 and the number of operations is N1, the charge unit price when the operation speed is 70% is A2 and the number of operations is N2, and the charge unit price when the operation speed is 50% is A3 and the number of operations is N3, the charge amount B is calculated according to the following formula (1).

[0063] B = A1 × N1 + A2 × N2 + A3 × N3 ···(1) The charging unit price may increase linearly as the operating load increases, or may increase quadratically, or may increase logarithmically or exponentially. Also, the charging unit price may be determined for each of a plurality of ranges of the operating speed.

[0064] According to the configuration of this modification, since the charging unit 83 changes the charging unit price per operating amount according to the operating load of the lending unit 4 when performing the charging calculation of the lending unit 4, it is possible to perform charging according to the degree of fatigue of the lending unit 4.

[0065] Also, in the above-described embodiment, it is assumed that information indicating the lending conditions of the lending unit 4 is stored in the management server 60 on the borrower side. Therefore, when the lending unit 4 is attached to and used on the main body 11 of the substrate processing machine 10, use outside the lending conditions may be restricted or a warning may be given. The lending conditions include, as described above, the lending period, the type and function of the substrate processing machine 10 to be targeted, and the like.

[0066] In this modification, as shown in FIG. 7, the management server 60 includes a usage-outside-conditions control unit 66 and a warning unit 67. The usage-outside-conditions control unit 66 determines whether or not the lending unit 4 is being used outside the lending conditions of the lending unit 4 stored in the second storage unit 62. When it is determined that the lending unit 4 is not being used outside the lending conditions, the use of the lending unit 4 is permitted as usual and the lending unit 4 is operated. On the other hand, when it is determined that the lending unit 4 is being used outside the lending conditions, as shown in FIG. 7, the normal use of the lending unit 4 is restricted and the operation of the lending unit 4 is stopped. Alternatively, without restricting the normal use of the lending unit 4, the use of the lending unit 4 is warned using the warning unit 67. The warning unit 67 gives a warning prompting the termination of the use of the lending unit 4 outside the lending conditions, and is, for example, a warning display or a warning buzzer provided in the management server 60.

[0067] According to the configuration of this modified form, since restrictions and warnings are given for use that does not conform to the lending conditions predetermined for the lending unit 4, it is possible to encourage use within the lending conditions of the lending unit 4.

[0068] Also, in the above-described embodiment, information is directly exchanged between the lender server 80 on the lender side that lends the lending unit 4 and the management server 60 on the borrower side that borrows the lending unit 4. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. When the lender side that lends the lending unit 4 and the supplier side that supplies (manufactures) the lending unit 4 are different from each other, the exchange of information performed between the lender side and the borrower side may be performed via the supplier side. Further, in this modified form, the borrower side may supply all the log information of all units without distinguishing between the lending unit 4 and other units to the supplier side in association with the unit individual identification information.

[0069] In this modified form, as shown in FIG. 8, the charging system 1 includes the management server 60 on the borrower side, the lender server 80 on the lender side, and the supplier server 90 on the supplier side. The supplier server 90 is a host computer that manages the units it supplies (however, it suffices to include at least the lending unit 4 that has been lent from the lender to the borrower among the units it supplies). The supplier server 90 holds a supply list 91. This supply list 91 is a list of the supplied units, and for each unit, it is associated with information such as the management number of the unit (i.e., the unit individual identification information) and information indicating the responsible department of the supplier and the lender. The supplier server 90 has a communication unit 92 that can be communicatively connected to the network 70. The supplier server 90 receives, via the communication unit 92, log information including the operation information associated with the unit individual identification information of all units from the management server 60 on the borrower side, and can transmit only the log information including the operation information associated with the unit individual identification information of the lending unit 4 among the log information of all units to the lender server 80 that lent the lending unit 4.

[0070] In this modified form, the supplier's supply server 90 has its information collection unit 93 collect the log information of all the units including the lending unit 4 lent from the lender side to the borrower side and mounted on the substrate processing machine 10. Then, the log information of the lending unit 4 is extracted, and only the log information of the lending unit 4 is transmitted from the communication unit 92 to the lending source server 80 that lent the lending unit. The charging unit 83 of the lending source server 80 calculates the charging amount for the lending of the lending unit 4 based on the log information including the operation information from the supply source server 90.

[0071] According to the configuration of this modified form, similar to the above-described embodiment, when at least one of all the units mounted on the substrate processing machine 10 is used as the lending unit 4, a mechanism for charging in accordance with the operation of the lending unit 4 can be constructed. Further, according to this configuration, since the log information including the operation information of all the units mounted on the substrate processing machine 10 is collected on the supply side, it is possible to statistically analyze the collected log information and make further product development and customer proposals regarding use.

[0072] In the above example, the parts feeder 31, the mounting head 43, the suction nozzles, gripping chucks, etc. held by the mounting head 43 are shown as the lending unit 4, but it is not limited thereto. For example, the substrate transfer device 20, the component supply device 30, and the component transfer device 40 itself attached to the main body 11 may also be used.

[0073] Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modified examples, and various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0074] 1: Billing system, 2: Substrate, 3: Component, 4: Lending unit, 10: Substrate working machine, 11: Main body, 20: Substrate transfer device, 30: Component supply device, 40: Component transfer device, 50: Control device, 51: Machine controller, 51a: Recognition unit, 51b: Acquisition unit, 52: Memory unit, 60: Management server, 61: First memory unit, 62: Second memory unit, 63: Third memory unit, 70: Network, 80: Lender server, 81: Loan list, 83: Billing department, 90: Supplier server.

Claims

1. A lending system in a substrate processing machine in which a plurality of units are detachably attached to a main body, where at least one of the units attached to the main body is a lent unit, comprising: a supplier server on the supplier side that supplies the units, a lender server on the lender side that lends the lent units, and a management server on the lendee side to which the lent units are lent; the supplier server has a supply list associating the individual identification information of the units supplied by the supplier with the information of the lender; the supplier server receives operation information associated with the individual identification information of all the units from the management server on the lendee side, and based on the supply list, transmits only the operation information associated with the individual identification information of the lent unit among the operation information of all the units to the lender server that lent the lent unit. A lending system.

2. The lending system according to claim 1, wherein the lender server calculates a charge amount for lending the lent unit to the lendee based on the operation information of the lent unit from the supplier server.

3. The lending system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lent unit is a parts feeder that supplies parts to a substrate processing machine.

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