Remote Operation System

Abstract

To provide a remote operation system that inhibits error cancellation work from stagnating even when individual differences among operators exist in a skill for error cancellation processing.SOLUTION: Each of a plurality of remote monitoring units 4 comprises: a coping propriety setting unit 54 at which an operator for the remote monitoring unit 4 sets coping propriety for each of error types; and a transmission unit 41b for transmitting information on the coping propriety for each of error types set by the operator at the coping propriety setting unit 54 to a server 3. The server 3 comprises: a selection unit 32 that when an error has occurred on a work line 2, identifies a remote monitoring unit 4 at which an operator has set incapability of coping with the error's type and selects one remote monitoring unit 4 out of the remaining remote monitoring units except for the identified remote monitoring unit 4; and a transfer unit 33 for transferring information on the error to the one remote monitoring unit 4 selected by the selection unit 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a remote operation system that can resolve errors that occur on a work line by remote operation from a remote monitoring unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a remote operation system in which, when an error occurs on a work line consisting of multiple work devices, the error can be resolved by remote operation from a remote monitoring unit (see, for example, Patent Document 1 listed below). In such a remote operation system, when an error occurs on the work line, information about the error is transferred to one remote monitoring unit selected from multiple remote monitoring units, and the operator in charge of that remote monitoring unit is requested to perform an operation to resolve the error (resolution process). In this case, the remote monitoring unit to which the error information is transferred is often simply the remote monitoring unit that has been there the longest since the operator last performed error resolution process, based on the assumption that there is no difference between remote monitoring units, i.e., that it makes no difference which operator is requested to perform error resolution process. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-200654 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, there are individual differences in the skills (processing skills) of operators when it comes to resolving errors, and if a request to process an error is made to an operator with low error processing skills, there is a risk that not only the processing of that error but also the processing of errors on the entire work line will be delayed.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a remote operation system that prevents error resolution work from stalling even when there are individual differences among operators in the skill level of error resolution processing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The remote operation system of the present invention comprises a work line, a server, and a plurality of remote monitoring units, and is capable of remotely resolving errors that have occurred on the work line by transferring information about an error that has occurred on the work line to one of the plurality of remote monitoring units via the server, and having an operator of the remote monitoring unit that has received the transferred error information perform operations to resolve the error via the server, wherein the remote operation system is capable of remotely resolving errors that have occurred on the work line, and each of the plurality of remote monitoring units comprises a response capability setting unit that allows the operator of that remote monitoring unit to set whether or not it can respond to each type of error, and a transmission unit that transmits to the server information about whether or not it can respond to each type of error that the operator has set in the response capability setting unit, and the server comprises a selection unit that, when an error occurs on the work line, identifies a remote monitoring unit that the operator has set as unable to respond to that type of error, and selects one remote monitoring unit from the remaining remote monitoring units excluding the identified remote monitoring unit, and a transfer unit that transfers the information about the error to the one remote monitoring unit selected by the selection unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a remote operation system in which error resolution work does not stagnate even if there are individual differences among operators in the skill of error resolution processing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a remote control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a side view of a main part of a component mounting device that constitutes a work line of a remote operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a component mounting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a control system of a remote control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an example of an error resolution operation screen displayed on a display device of a remote monitoring unit included in a remote operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an operator self-setting screen displayed on a display device of a remote monitoring unit included in the remote operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] A flowchart showing the flow of processing performed by a control unit of a component mounting device on a work line of a remote operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] A flowchart showing the flow of processing performed by the server of the remote operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] A flowchart showing the flow of processing performed by the control unit of the remote monitoring unit of the remote operation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a remote operation system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The remote operation system 1 is configured with a work line 2, a server 3, and multiple remote monitoring units 4. In this embodiment, the work line 2 is configured with multiple component mounting devices 2A arranged in series, which are work devices that mount components on a board KB.

[0010] First, the component mounting apparatus 2A will be described. As shown in Fig. 2, the component mounting apparatus 2A includes a base 11, a transfer conveyor 12, a tape feeder 13, a head moving mechanism 14, a mounting head 15, a board camera 16, and a component camera 17. The transfer conveyor 12 extends horizontally on the base 11, and transfers the board KB horizontally from one end to the other.

[0011] The tape feeder 13 uses a built-in sprocket 13S (see also Figure 3) to pull out and transport the carrier tape CT wound around the reel RL. The carrier tape CT contains a large number of components lined up in a row. The tape feeder 13 intermittently feeds the carrier tape CT toward the end of the transport conveyor 12, thereby continuously supplying components BH to a predetermined component supply position 13K.

[0012] The head movement mechanism 14 is, for example, an XY table mechanism, and moves the mounting head 15 in a horizontal plane. The mounting head 15 is equipped with multiple nozzles 15N that extend downward in the vertical direction. The mounting head 15 can pick up components BH supplied by the tape feeder 13 onto the lower end of each nozzle 15N (see also Figure 3).

[0013] 2 and 3, the board camera 16 is attached to the mounting head 15 with its imaging optical axis facing downward. The board camera 16 moves integrally with the mounting head 15 in a horizontal plane.

[0014] 2, component camera 17 is attached to base 11 with its imaging optical axis facing upward. When mounting head 15, which has picked up component BH, moves above board KB, component camera 17 captures an image of component BH from below.

[0015] The mounting device control unit 18 (FIG. 2), which is a control unit of the component mounting device 2A, controls the operation of each unit of the component mounting device 2A (FIG. 4). Specifically, the mounting device control unit 18 controls the transport operation of the board KB by the transport conveyor 12, and controls the supply operation of the components BH to the component supply position 13K by each tape feeder 13. The mounting device control unit 18 also controls the operation of the head moving mechanism 14 to move the mounting head 15, and controls the operation of the mounting head 15 to pick up the components BH using the nozzle 15N. The mounting device control unit 18 also controls the imaging operation of the board camera 16 and the imaging operation of the component camera 17. Image data obtained by imaging with the board camera 16 and image data obtained by imaging with the component camera 17 are each sent to the mounting device control unit 18.

[0016] When component mounting apparatus 2A performs the task of mounting components BH on board KB (component mounting task), it first transports board KB using transport conveyor 12 and positions it at the work position. Once board KB is in the work position, mounting head 15 is moved above board KB, and board camera 16 captures an image of board KB. Mounting apparatus control unit 18 recognizes board KB based on image data obtained by board camera 16 capturing an image of board KB.

[0017] When component mounting device 2A recognizes board KB, tape feeder 13 continuously supplies components BH to component supply position 13K, and mounting head 15 repeatedly performs a mounting turn by moving between above tape feeder 13 and above board KB. A mounting turn of mounting head 15 consists of an operation of picking up components BH supplied by tape feeder 13 with nozzle 15N, an operation of moving the picked-up components BH above board KB along a path that passes through the upper area of component camera 17 (the imaging field of component camera 17), and an operation of mounting components BH onto board KB from above board KB.

[0018] The component camera 17 captures an image of the component BH from below as the component BH passes through the imaging field of view, and the mounting device control unit 18 recognizes the component BH based on the image data obtained by the component camera 17. The recognition results of the component BH and the board KB are used for correcting the position of the nozzle 15N when the mounting head 15 mounts the component BH on the board KB.

[0019] The placing head 15 repeatedly performs the placing turn, and when all the necessary components BH have been placed on the board KB, the transfer conveyor 12 removes the board KB from the work position.Then, the transfer conveyor 12 newly carries in the next board KB.

[0020] The component mounting apparatus 2A performs the component mounting operation according to the procedure described above, but some error may occur during the process. If some error occurs, the component mounting apparatus 2A suspends all or part of the component mounting operation and enters an error resolution mode. The component mounting apparatus 2A then identifies the location where the error occurred (error occurrence location), moves the board camera 16 above the identified error occurrence location, and has the board camera 16 capture an image of the error occurrence location. For example, if the mounting head 15 repeatedly fails to pick up components BH from a certain tape feeder 13, the component supply position 13K of that tape feeder 13 is identified as the error occurrence location, and has the board camera 16 capture an image of the error occurrence location. At this time, the board camera 16 captures a still image of the error occurrence location or captures a video in real time.

[0021] In the mounting device control unit 18 of the component mounting device 2A where the error occurred, the board camera 16 captures an image of the location where the error occurred, and transmits the obtained image data as error information to the server 3 (FIG. 4). At this time, the error information (image data) transmitted from the mounting device control unit 18 to the server 3 is still image data or video data of the location where the error occurred.

[0022] 4, the server 3 is connected by wire or wirelessly to each of the component mounting apparatuses 2A that make up the work line 2. The server 3 receives error information (image data of the location where the error occurred) transmitted from the component mounting apparatus 2A in which an error has occurred.

[0023] 4, the server 3 includes a storage unit 31, a selection unit 32, and a transfer unit 33. The storage unit 31 of the server 3 stores various data in advance, and also stores various information such as error information transmitted from the component mounting device 2A as needed.

[0024] The selection unit 32 of the server 3 selects one remote monitoring unit 4 as a transfer destination of the error information transmitted from the component mounting device 2A in which the error occurred. The transfer unit 33 of the server 3 transfers the error information to the one remote monitoring unit 4 selected by the selection unit 32 (FIG. 4).

[0025] 1 and 4, the remote monitoring unit 4 is configured, for example, by a personal computer, and is connected to the server 3 by wire or wirelessly. Each remote monitoring unit 4 includes a remote monitoring control unit 41, a display device 42, and an input device 43, and the remote monitoring control unit 41 includes a receiving unit 41a and a transmitting unit 41b. One operator is resident at each of the multiple remote monitoring units 4.

[0026] When the remote monitoring unit 4 receives the error information transferred from the server 3 at the receiving unit 41a, it displays the image (still image or video) of the error information on the error resolution operation screen 51 (FIG. 4). The operator can display this error resolution operation screen 51 on the display device 42 by operating the input device 43.

[0027] When an image of the location where the error has occurred is displayed (or if it is a moving image, display begins) on error resolution operation screen 51 of display device 42, the operator performs an input operation to resolve the error (error resolution operation) from input device 43 while looking at the image displayed on display device 42. When the operator performs the error resolution operation from input device 43, a signal of the error resolution operation (resolution operation signal) is transmitted to server 3 via transmission unit 41b (FIG. 4).

[0028] 5(a) shows an example of the error resolution operation screen 51 displayed on the display device 42, which is an image (still image or video) obtained by capturing an image of the location where the error occurred with the board camera 16. Here, an example of an image of the area including the component supply position 13K of the tape feeder 13 when the aforementioned pickup error of the component BH occurs is shown, and the center position of the image coincides with the position of the bottom end of the nozzle 15N (nozzle bottom end position KC).

[0029] The nozzle bottom end position KC should normally coincide with the component supply position 13K (FIG. 5(b)). However, when an error occurs, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the nozzle bottom end position KC and the component supply position 13K do not coincide, which is thought to be why a pickup error occurred for the component BH. In this case, the operator performs an error correction operation from the remote monitoring unit 4 by moving the position of the mounting head 15 during component pickup so that the nozzle bottom end position KC coincides with the component supply position 13K of the tape feeder 13. Specifically, this operation involves specifying an offset amount (movement direction and movement amount) for moving the position of the mounting head 15 during component pickup so that the difference between the nozzle bottom end position KC and the component supply position 13K in the image of FIG. 5(a) is canceled.

[0030] When the server 3 receives a resolution operation signal from the remote monitoring unit 4 (FIG. 4), it relays the resolution operation signal and sends it to the component mounting device 2A where the error occurred (FIG. 4). The mounting device control unit 18 of the component mounting device 2A, which has received the resolution operation signal relayed by the server 3 in this way, operates in accordance with the received error resolution operation. If the error is resolved as a result, the mounting device control unit 18 determines that the error has been recovered from and resumes the component mounting operation. FIG. 5(b) shows an image of the location where the error occurred after the error in the image of FIG. 5(a) was resolved by the error resolution operation performed by the remote monitoring unit 4.

[0031] As described above, the remote operation system 1 in this embodiment comprises a work line 2, a server 3, and multiple remote monitoring units 4, and information about an error that has occurred on the work line 2 (one of the multiple component mounting devices 2A) is transferred to one of the multiple remote monitoring units 4 via the server 3, and the operator of the remote monitoring unit 4 that receives the transferred error information performs operations to resolve the error via the server 3, thereby enabling the error that has occurred on the work line 2 (component mounting device 2A) to be resolved by remote operation from the remote monitoring unit 4.

[0032] Incidentally, the remote operation system 1 in this embodiment is designed to prevent a situation in which error information is sent to the remote monitoring unit 4 when the operator is away from his / her post (i.e., away from the remote monitoring unit 4 he / she is responsible for), and the error processing work does not progress until the operator returns to his / her post. Also, it is designed to prevent a situation in which the operator is asked to process an error type for which he / she has low processing skills, and the work to resolve the error takes a long time. Below, the configuration for realizing the functions of such remote operation system 1 will be described.

[0033] In the remote operation system 1 of this embodiment, when an operator performs a predetermined operation using the input device 43 of the remote monitoring unit 4, an operator self-setting screen 52 such as that shown in Fig. 6 is displayed on the display device 42. The upper part of this operator self-setting screen 52 is a presence status setting section 53, and the lower part of the operator self-setting screen 52 is a response availability setting section 54 (see also Fig. 4).

[0034] 6, the presence status setting unit 53 includes an present button 61 and an absent button 62. The presence status setting unit 53 is a part where the operator sets whether the operator is present or absent from the remote monitoring unit 4 that he or she is in charge of as the presence status.

[0035] While the operator is at his / her post, i.e., while he / she is present at the remote monitoring unit 4 for which he / she is responsible, he / she can operate the presence button 61 and the absence button 62 on the operator self-setting screen 52 at any time. The presence button 61 and the absence button 62 can be operated alternatively, and the button that the operator most recently operated will light up, and the other will go out.

[0036] When the operator is at his / her post, the present button 61 is lit (the away button 62 is unlit), and when he / she wants to leave his / her post, he / she operates the away button 62 so that the away button 62 is lit (the present button 61 is unlit). After operating the away button 62 to leave his / her post, he / she operates the present button 61 when he / she returns to his / her post so that the present button 61 is lit. FIG. 6 shows the state in which the operator most recently operated the present button 61, so that the present button 61 is lit and the away button 62 is unlit. Note that the away button 62 is operated while the operator is at the remote monitoring unit 4 that he / she is responsible for, so of course the state in which the away button 62 is lit does not necessarily mean that the operator is away from the remote monitoring unit 4.

[0037] When the operator operates the presence button 61, "presence information" is sent to the server 3 via the transmission unit 41b of the remote monitoring unit 4. On the other hand, when the operator operates the absence button 62, "absence information" is sent to the server 3 via the transmission unit 41b. If the most recently sent presence information or absence information from each remote monitoring unit 4 is presence information, the server 3 determines that the operator is at his / her post (at the remote monitoring unit 4 he / she is in charge of), and if the most recently sent absence information is absence information, the server 3 determines that the operator is away from his / her post (away from the remote monitoring unit 4 he / she is in charge of).

[0038] 6, the response possibility setting unit 54 has a response possibility button 63 and an inability to respond button 64 for each type of error (here, "A," "B," and "C"). This response possibility setting unit 54 is a section where the operator in charge of the remote monitoring unit 4 sets whether or not to respond to each type of error. Here, examples of types of error include, as described above, failure to pick up component BH by the mounting head 15, failure to recognize the board KB via the board camera 16, failure to recognize component BH via the component camera 17, etc.

[0039] While the operator is at his / her post, that is, while he / she is at the remote monitoring unit 4 for which he / she is responsible, he / she can operate the response button 63 and the response not possible button 64 for each error type on the operator self-setting screen 52 at any time (however, normally, the operator operates these buttons only once when he / she arrives at his / her post). For one error type, the response button 63 and the response not possible button 64 can be operated alternatively, and the button that the operator operated most recently will light up, and the other will go out.

[0040] The operator turns on the handleable button 63 (and turns off the unhandled button 64) for error types that the operator determines he or she can handle, and turns on the unhandled button 64 (and turns off the handleable button 63) for error types that the operator determines he or she cannot handle. Note that when the operator determines that a certain error type cannot be handled, it means that the error cannot be handled at all, or that the error can be handled but it will clearly take a lot of time. Figure 6 shows a state in which the operator operates the handleable button 63 for types "A" and "C," and operates the unhandled button 64 for type "B."

[0041] When the operator operates the supportable button 63 for a certain error type, "supportable information" is sent to the server 3 via the transmission unit 41b of the remote monitoring unit 4. On the other hand, when the operator operates the unsupportable button 64 for a certain error type, "unsupportable information" is sent to the server 3 via the transmission unit 41b. If the supportable information and unsupportable information for each error type sent from each remote monitoring unit 4 is the supportable information, the server 3 determines that the operator can support the error of that type, and if the information sent most recently is the unsupportable information, the operator determines that the operator cannot support the error of that type.

[0042] The server 3 creates presence status information, which is a correspondence relationship between each of the multiple remote monitoring units 4 and a presence status set by an operator in charge of each of the multiple remote monitoring units 4 (more specifically, a correspondence relationship in which the most recently sent one of the presence information or absence information transmitted from each remote monitoring unit 4 is associated with that remote monitoring unit 4), and stores the created presence status information in the storage unit 31. The server 3 also creates supportability information, which is a correspondence relationship between each of the multiple remote monitoring units 4 and a type of error that the operator in charge of each of the multiple remote monitoring units 4 has determined to be unsupportable (more specifically, a correspondence relationship in which the most recently sent one of the supportability information or unsupportability information for each type of error transmitted from each remote monitoring unit 4 is associated with the remote monitoring unit 4), and stores the created “supportability information” in the storage unit 31.

[0043] When an error occurs on the work line (when error information is sent from one of the component mounting devices 2A), the selection unit 32 of the server 3 selects one remote monitoring unit 4 as the transfer destination of the error information, as described above. In this case, first, based on the presence status information stored in the storage unit 31, the selection unit 32 identifies the remote monitoring unit 4 whose operator has set the presence status to absent (i.e., the operator is away from his / her post) at the time when the error occurred on the work line 2 (when error information is sent from the component mounting device 2A where the error occurred). Furthermore, based on the response availability information stored in the storage unit 31, the selection unit 32 identifies the remote monitoring unit 4 whose operator has set the type of error that has occurred as unresponsive.

[0044] In other words, in this embodiment, when an error occurs on the work line 2, the selection unit 32 of the server 3 identifies the remote monitoring unit 4 whose presence status has been set to absent by the operator at that time, and also identifies the remote monitoring unit 4 whose type of error the operator has determined to be unresponsive to.

[0045] As described above, the selection unit 32 of the server 3 identifies the remote monitoring units 4 for which the operator has set the presence status to absent, and also identifies the remote monitoring units 4 for which the operator has set the type of error that has occurred as unmanageable, and then selects one remote monitoring unit from the remaining remote monitoring units 4 excluding these identified remote monitoring units 4 as a target to which error information about the occurred error is to be sent. Here, when selecting one remote monitoring unit 4 from the "remaining remote monitoring units," the selection unit 32 selects, for example, the remote monitoring unit 4 whose operator is available (the operator has not performed an error resolution operation) at the time the error information is sent and which is handled by the operator who has been the longest since performing the last error resolution operation.

[0046] When the selection unit 32 selects one remote monitoring unit 4 as described above, the transfer unit 33 of the server 3 transfers the error information to the selected remote monitoring unit 4. This ensures that the error information is sent to the remote monitoring unit 4 where the operator is at his / her post (is present), preventing a situation in which time passes without the error being processed because the operator is away from his / her post (away from his / her desk). Furthermore, because the error information is sent to the remote monitoring unit 4 in charge of an operator who has not marked the type of error that has occurred as unhandlable, it prevents a situation in which it takes too much time to process the error.

[0047] Next, a description will be given of the flow of control performed by the control unit (mounting device control unit 18) of the component mounting device 2A constituting the work line 2, and the control unit (remote monitoring control unit 41) of the server 3 and the remote monitoring unit 4. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed by the mounting device control unit 18, Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed by the server 3, and Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed by the remote monitoring control unit 41.

[0048] 7, the mounting device control unit 18 of the component mounting device 2A checks at regular intervals (several seconds) whether an error has occurred in the component mounting device 2A to which it belongs (step ST1), and if it detects that an error has occurred, it identifies the location where the error occurred (step ST2).Then, it suspends all or part of the component mounting work and enters an error resolution mode (step ST3).

[0049] When the mounting device control unit 18 enters the error resolution mode, it moves the board camera 16 above the location where the error occurred, causes the board camera 16 to capture an image of the location where the error occurred, and acquires the image data as error information (step ST4).Then, it transmits the acquired error information to the server 3 (step ST5).

[0050] 8, the server 3 checks at regular intervals (several seconds) whether error information has been transmitted from the work line 2 (from any of the multiple component mounting devices 2A) (step ST11), and when it detects that error information has been transmitted, it identifies the component mounting device 2A that transmitted the error information and simultaneously identifies the type of the transmitted error (step ST12).

[0051] The server 3 identifies the component mounting device 2A that transmitted the error information, and after grasping the type of the transmitted error, identifies the remote monitoring unit 4 whose operator is away from his / her post (away from the remote monitoring unit 4 in charge) based on the presence status information transmitted from the remote monitoring unit 4 and stored in the storage unit 31 (step ST13). Furthermore, after (or before) this identification, the server 3 identifies the remote monitoring unit 4 whose operator cannot handle the type of the transmitted error (which has occurred in the component mounting device 2A) based on the response availability information transmitted from the remote monitoring unit 4 and stored in the storage unit 31 (step ST14).

[0052] In step ST13, the server 3 identifies a remote monitoring unit 4 whose operator is away from his post, and in step ST14 identifies a remote monitoring unit 4 whose operator cannot handle the type of error transmitted from the component mounting apparatus 2A. Then, the server 3 selects one remote monitoring unit 4 to be the transfer destination of the error information from among the remaining remote monitoring units 4 excluding these remote monitoring units 4 (step ST15). After selecting one remote monitoring unit 4 to be the transfer destination of the error information in step ST15, the server 3 transfers the error information to the selected one remote monitoring unit 4 (step ST16).

[0053] 9, the remote monitoring control unit 41 checks at regular time intervals (every few seconds) whether or not error information has been transferred from the server 3 (step ST21), and when it detects that error information has been transferred from the server 3, it causes the display device 42 to display the error information (image of the location where the error has occurred) transferred from the server 3 as an error resolution operation screen 51 (step ST22). This allows the operator to perform an operation to resolve the error that has occurred in the component mounting apparatus 2A while viewing the error information (image of the location where the error has occurred) displayed on the display device 42. When the operator has performed an operation to resolve the error, the remote monitoring control unit 41 transmits an operation signal (resolution operation signal) for that operation to the server 3 (step ST23).

[0054] After transferring the error information to the remote monitoring unit 4 in the above-mentioned step ST16, the server 3 checks whether a resolution operation signal has been sent from the remote monitoring unit 4 that transferred the error information (step ST17 in FIG. 8). Then, if it detects that a resolution operation signal has been sent from the remote monitoring unit 4 that transferred the error information, it relays the resolution operation signal and sends it to the component mounting device 2A (component mounting device 2A in which the error has occurred) (step ST18).

[0055] After transmitting the error information to the server 3 in step ST5 described above, the component mounting device 2A checks whether a resolution operation signal has been transmitted from the server 3 (step ST6 in FIG. 7). If it detects that a resolution operation signal has been transmitted from the server 3, it executes an action in accordance with the transmitted resolution operation signal (step ST7). If the error is thereby resolved (step ST8), it exits the error resolution mode, releases the interrupted state of the component mounting work (step ST9), and returns to step ST1. If the error is not resolved in step ST8, it performs some kind of notification action (step ST10) and enters a waiting state to wait for new action.

[0056] As described above, the remote operation system 1 in this embodiment is equipped with a presence status setting unit 53 (present button 61 and absent button 62) for each of the multiple remote monitoring units 4, which allows the operator of that remote monitoring unit 4 to set whether the operator is present or absent from the remote monitoring unit 4 that he or she is responsible for as a presence status, a response feasibility setting unit 54 (response feasibility button 63 and inability to respond button 64 for each error type) for the operator in charge of that remote monitoring unit 4 to set whether or not to respond for each type of error, and a transmission unit 41b that transmits the presence status information set by the presence status setting unit 53 and the information on whether or not the operator can respond for each type of error that the operator set in the response feasibility setting unit 54 to the server 3. When an error occurs on the work line 2, the server 3 identifies the remote monitoring unit 4 for which the operator has set the presence status to absent at that time, and identifies the remote monitoring unit 4 for which the operator has determined that the type of error that has occurred on the work line 2 cannot be handled by the operator, and is equipped with a selection unit 32 that selects one remote monitoring unit 4 from the remaining remote monitoring units 4 excluding these identified remote monitoring units 4, and a transfer unit 33 that transfers information about the error to the one remote monitoring unit 4 selected by the selection unit 32.

[0057] In the remote operation system 1 of this embodiment, error information is not transferred to the remote monitoring unit 4 when the operator is away from their post (away from their desk), so even if an operator temporarily leaves their post (the remote monitoring unit 4 in charge) for business or other reasons, error resolution work does not stagnate across the entire work line 2. Furthermore, in the remote operation system 1 of this embodiment, error information is not transferred to the remote monitoring unit 4 in charge of an operator who cannot handle the type of error that has occurred, so error resolution work does not stagnate across the entire work line 2 even if there are individual differences in the skills of operators in error resolution work.

[0058] As described above, in the remote operation system 1 of this embodiment, error information is not transferred to the remote monitoring unit 4, which is handled by an operator who is unable to handle the type of error that has occurred. Therefore, even if there are individual differences in the skills of operators in resolving errors, error resolution work on the entire work line 2 does not stagnate, and the productivity of the work line 2 is not affected.

[0059] While the present invention has been described above with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is not limited to the above and various modifications are possible. For example, the format of the operator self-setting screen 52 shown in FIG. 6 is merely an example, and the format shown in FIG. 6 is not limited to this, as long as the presence status setting section 53 and the response availability setting section 54 are displayed. Furthermore, the presence status setting section 53 only needs to allow the operator to set the presence status themselves, and the response availability setting section 54 only needs to allow the operator to set the response availability for each type of error themselves, and does not necessarily have to be displayed on the screen of the display device 42. Furthermore, in the above-described exemplary embodiment, the work line 2 is comprised of multiple component mounting devices 2A, but the work line may also be comprised of devices other than the component mounting devices 2A. [Industrial Applicability]

[0060] To provide a remote operation system that prevents error resolution work from stagnating even if there are individual differences among operators in the skill of error resolution processing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 1 Remote Operation System 2 Work Line 3 Server 4 Remote monitoring unit 31 Storage section 32 Selection section 33 Transfer Unit 41b Transmitter 53 Presence status setting section 54 Support availability setting section 61 Presence button 62 Leave button 63 Available button 64 Unsupported button

Claims

1. A remote operation system comprising a work line, a server, and a plurality of remote monitoring units, wherein information of an error occurring on the work line is transferred to one of the plurality of remote monitoring units via the server, and an operator of the remote monitoring unit that has received the transferred information of the error performs an operation to resolve the error via the server, thereby enabling the error occurring on the work line to be resolved by remote operation, Each of the plurality of remote monitoring units a response possibility setting unit that allows an operator of the remote monitoring unit to set whether or not a response is possible for each type of error; a transmission unit that transmits to the server information on whether or not a response can be made for each error type that is set by an operator in the response possibility setting unit, The server a selection unit that, when an error occurs in the work line, identifies a remote monitoring unit that an operator has determined to be unable to handle the type of error, and selects one remote monitoring unit from the remaining remote monitoring units excluding the identified remote monitoring unit; a transfer unit that transfers information about the error to the one remote monitoring unit selected by the selection unit; A remote operation system equipped with

2. 2. The remote operation system of claim 1, wherein the server has a memory unit that stores response capability information, which is a correspondence between each of the multiple remote monitoring units and the type of error that the operator of each of the multiple remote monitoring units cannot handle, and the selection unit identifies the remote monitoring unit whose operator cannot handle the type of error that has occurred on the work line based on the response capability information stored in the memory unit.

Images