Cable status management system

Abstract

To provide a cable state management system that can surely manage the breakage progress state of a cable and can efficiently suppress failures of a device caused by a defect of the cable.SOLUTION: A cable state management system 1 includes: a main data management device 120 which targets at least a partial cable in multiple cables routed in each of multiple management object devices 110 as a management object cable 2, and acquires main data for estimating the breakage progress state of the management object cable 2; and a cable state management device 400 which estimates the breakage progress state of the management object cable 2 on the basis of the main data acquired by the main data management device 120. The management object cable 2 has a conductor 21a consisting of twisted conductors obtained by twisting multiple metal strands. The cable state management device 400 is configured to be able to communicate with the main data management device 120 through the network.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cable condition management system.

Background Art

[0002] In industrial robots installed in production lines in factories, etc., regular maintenance (hereinafter referred to as regular maintenance) is performed to prevent the production line from stopping due to sudden failures (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In industrial robots, cables are wired so as to pass through joints which are movable parts. In such cables, since they are repeatedly bent and twisted at the movable parts, the integrity of the cables, that is, the progress state of disconnection in the cables is inspected during maintenance. The progress state of disconnection in the cables can be determined, for example, by measuring the conductor resistance of the cables.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, it was not possible to know the progress state of disconnection of the cable in an actual machine.

[0006] By managing the progress state of disconnection of the cable, for example, safety measures such as appropriately prompting the replacement of the cable according to the progress state of disconnection can be taken, and failures caused by cable defects can be efficiently suppressed.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a cable condition management system that can manage the progression of cable breakage and efficiently suppress failures caused by cable malfunctions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention aims to solve the above problems by designating at least some of the multiple cables wired to each of the multiple devices to be managed as managed cables, and by estimating the progression of breakage in the managed cables. The memory unit that stores memories Main data management device, Cable state memory unit The system comprises a cable condition management device, wherein the managed cable is a cable having a conductor made of a stranded conductor formed by twisting together multiple metal strands, and the cable condition management device is configured to communicate with the main data management device via a network, and the input destination for the main data is only the main data management device. Based on the data update signal transmitted to the main data management device, The aforementioned main data management device new The aforementioned main data The data is obtained and stored in the cable state storage unit. after that, Based on the main data stored in the cable state storage unit, The present invention provides a cable condition management system that estimates the progression of breakage in the aforementioned managed cable. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cable condition management system that can manage the progression of cable breakage and efficiently suppress failures caused by cable malfunctions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a cable condition management system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of a cable. [Figure 3] This diagram illustrates the estimation of the progression of cable breakage. [Figure 4]It is a graph showing the operating frequency of the resistance value when bending is repeated with an operating frequency of 2 Hz and the change in the resistance value fluctuation component of its higher-order frequency. [Figure 5] (a) and (b) are circuit diagrams showing an example of a resistance value detection unit. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an example of a cable state database. [Figure 7] It is a flowchart showing the control flow of a cable state management system. [Figure 8] It is a flowchart of setting processing. [Figure 9] It is a flowchart of data acquisition processing. [Figure 10] It is a flowchart of disconnection progress state estimation processing. [Figure 11] It is a flowchart of cable life prediction processing. [Figure 12] It is a flowchart of data output processing.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] [Embodiment] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a cable state management system according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the cable state management system 1 is a system that manages the disconnection progress state of the cable 2 used as the wiring of the management target device.

[0013] Here, the case where the device (= management target device) for wiring the cable 2 is an industrial robot 110 will be described. The industrial robot 110 is provided in a factory or the like and is used in an arbitrary manufacturing process, and has a plurality of joint portions 111 as movable portions. Hereinafter, the user using the industrial robot 110 is called a robot user (corresponding to the device user of the present invention), the manufacturer manufacturing the industrial robot 110 is called a robot manufacturer (corresponding to the device manufacturer of the present invention), and the manufacturer manufacturing the cable 2 is called a cable manufacturer.

[0014] (Cable 2) Cable 2 is a cable (= cable to be managed) that manages the disconnection progress state, and is a cable for a movable part wired to pass through the joint part 111 which is a movable part of the industrial robot 110. When the joint part 111 which is a movable part is operated, bending and twisting according to the operation of the joint part 111 are applied to Cable 2. Cable 2 is used, for example, as a power supply line for supplying power to a motor or the like that drives the joint part 111 of the industrial robot 110, or a signal line for a camera or sensor (not shown) provided in the industrial robot 110.

[0015] Note that there is at least one Cable 2, and there may be a plurality of them. In the case of a plurality of Cables 2, all of the Cables 2 may be set as the cables to be managed, or some of the plurality of Cables 2 may be set as the cables to be managed. Regarding the latter "some of the plurality of Cables 2", it is advisable to select several (including one) Cables 2 that are considered likely to be disconnected from the plurality of Cables 2. By configuring in this way, the cables to be managed can be minimized, and the load on the system of the cable state management system 1 can be reduced.

[0016] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of cable 2. As shown in Figure 2, cable 2 has, for example, four electric wires 21, a cable core 23 made by twisting the four electric wires 21 with a thread-like interlining 22 made of rayon yarn or jute yarn, a retaining tape 24 spirally wrapped around the cable core 23, and a sheath 25 covering the retaining tape 24. Each electric wire 21 has a conductor 21a made of a stranded conductor made by twisting together multiple metal strands made of copper or a copper alloy, and an insulator 21b covering the conductor 21a. Note that the structure in Figure 2 is merely an example, and the specific structure of cable 2, such as the number of electric wires 21, is not particularly limited. That is, there may be one electric wire 21, several electric wires, or dozens or more electric wires. Note that if there is only one electric wire 21, the interlining 22, the retaining tape 24, and the sheath 25 are often omitted. In this case, cable 2 and wire 21 refer to the same thing.

[0017] (Method for estimating the progression of cable breakage in cable 2) In this embodiment, a method for estimating the progression of cable breakage in cable 2 will be described. When cable 2 is repeatedly bent (or twisted), breakage occurs in one of the multiple metal strands constituting the conductor 21a. As the operation of repeatedly bending (or twisting) cable 2 continues, the number of broken metal strands gradually increases. In this specification, "progression of cable breakage in cable 2" refers to the breakage ratio, that is, the percentage of the multiple metal strands constituting the conductor 21a that are broken, i.e., the number of broken metal strands out of the total number of metal strands constituting the conductor 21a. The progression of cable breakage in cable 2 may also be expressed as the ratio (%) of the number of broken metal strands to the total number of metal strands.

[0018] The progression of cable breakage in cable 2 can be estimated, for example, by measuring the resistance of the conductor 21a of cable 2. However, when the number of broken metal strands constituting the conductor 21a is small, the fluctuation in resistance is very small, and the influence of noise depending on the ambient temperature and the operating status of surrounding equipment (such as servo motors) becomes large. Therefore, simply measuring the resistance of the conductor 21a may make it difficult to accurately determine the progression of cable breakage in cable 2.

[0019] Here, as shown in Figure 3, we consider the case where cable 2 is repeatedly bent periodically with a period of 1 second, with a bending angle of ±90°. In this case, the frequency at which the periodic operation is repeated (hereinafter referred to as the operating frequency) is 1 Hz.

[0020] When cable 2 is repeatedly bent, the spacing between the broken metal strands of conductor 21a (indicated by reference numeral 21c in the figure) deforms periodically in accordance with the bending, and the resistance value of conductor 21a fluctuates periodically accordingly. In this case, the resistance value of conductor 21a fluctuates at a frequency equal to the operating frequency. Therefore, as shown in Figure 3, by detecting the time-series change in the resistance value of conductor 21a when cable 2 is repeatedly operated periodically, and by extracting the resistance value fluctuation component at the operating frequency from the detected resistance value data (hereinafter referred to as resistance value data), it becomes possible to estimate whether a break has occurred in the metal strands of conductor 21a of cable 2 based on the magnitude of the extracted resistance value fluctuation component (amplitude of resistance value fluctuation in Figure 4, which will be described later). This estimation method is described in detail in the applicant's Japanese patent application, Patent Application No. 2020-164272.

[0021] Further investigation by the inventors revealed that as the breakage of multiple metal strands constituting the conductor 21a progresses and the number of broken metal strands increases, the resistance value fluctuation component in the above resistance value data increases at higher frequencies, which are n times the operating frequency (where n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2), similar to the operating frequency. The inventors then discovered that this change in the frequency spectrum can be used as an indicator of the progression of the breakage.

[0022] As an example, Figure 4(a) shows the magnitude of the resistance fluctuation component and the change in the magnitude of the resistance fluctuation components at higher frequencies (2Hz, 3Hz, 4Hz, ...) when the cable is repeatedly bent at an operating frequency of 1Hz. Figure 4(b) shows an enlarged view of region A in Figure 4(a). In the examples in Figures 4(a) and (b), the magnitude of the resistance fluctuation component at the operating frequency of 1Hz (amplitude of resistance fluctuation) increases sharply after approximately 5000 bends, indicating that the initial break has occurred. Furthermore, as shown by the dashed line B, as the number of bends increases, the number of broken metal strands constituting the conductor 21a increases, and when breaks occur at multiple points in the bends of the cable 2, resistance fluctuation components at higher frequencies gradually increase from lower to higher frequencies in proportion to the number of broken strands, and these resistance fluctuation components also increase. Therefore, by extracting the magnitude of the resistance fluctuation component at each higher frequency of the operating frequency, comparing the magnitude of the extracted resistance fluctuation component at each higher frequency with a preset threshold, and extracting the order of the frequencies that exceed the threshold, it is possible to estimate the progression of the break in cable 2 (i.e., to determine the number of broken metal strands among the multiple metal strands constituting the conductor 21a).

[0023] When applied to a cable 2 wired to an industrial robot 110, first, the time-series change in the resistance value of the conductor 21a is measured when the joint 111, which is a movable part, is repeatedly bent (or twisted) periodically, and this is acquired as resistance value data. At this time, the resistance value data of the conductor 21a of all the wires 21 contained in the cable 2 may be acquired, or the resistance value data of the conductor 21a of a specific wire 21 (for example, one of four wires 21) may be acquired. Furthermore, a wire break detection wire (or dummy wire) for estimating the progression of a wire break may be provided in the cable 2, and the resistance value data of the conductor constituting this wire break detection wire may be acquired.

[0024] Subsequently, the resistance fluctuation components at the operating frequency and higher-order frequencies are extracted from the obtained resistance value data, and the progression of the cable 2's break is estimated based on the magnitude of these extracted resistance fluctuation components. Note that the specific method for estimating the progression of the cable 2's break is not limited to the frequency spectrum method described above; for example, simply measuring the resistance of the conductor 21a is also possible.

[0025] (Robot User Site 100) Returning to Figure 1, the cable status management system 1 is configured to enable communication between a robot user site 100 belonging to a robot user, a robot manufacturer site 200 belonging to a robot manufacturer, a cable manufacturer site 300 belonging to a cable manufacturer, and a cable status management device 400, which will be described later, via a network 500 such as the Internet.

[0026] The robot user site 100 includes multiple industrial robots 110, a user-side data management device (corresponding to the device user-side data management device of the present invention) 120, a user terminal 130, and a user mobile terminal 140. Each of the multiple industrial robots 110 has a robot control device (robot controller) 112, which is a control device that controls the movement of each joint 111 of the industrial robot 110. The robot control device 112 is configured by appropriately combining computing elements such as a CPU, memory such as RAM and ROM, software, interfaces, etc.

[0027] In this embodiment, the robot control device 112 is equipped with a resistance value detection unit 150. The resistance value detection unit 150 detects the time-series change in the resistance value of the conductor 21a when the movable part (in this case, the joint 111) is operated periodically and repeatedly. The robot control device 112 has a function to periodically and repeatedly operate the movable part (in this case, the joint 111) of the industrial robot 110 according to a pre-set inspection operation sequence, such as during periodic maintenance.

[0028] In this embodiment, the resistance detection unit 150 is mounted on the robot control device 112 attached to the industrial robot 110. However, the resistance detection unit 150 may also be mounted on the internal circuit board of the industrial robot 110, as long as the resistance detection unit 150 is configured to output the detected resistance data to the user-side data management device 120. By mounting the resistance detection unit 150 on the robot control device 112 (or the industrial robot 110 itself), it becomes unnecessary to take out the end of the cable 2 and measure the resistance, as in the conventional method, improving work efficiency during periodic maintenance. Furthermore, while taking out the end of the cable 2 as in the conventional method results in a state that is not strictly the same as when it is wired to the industrial robot 110, this embodiment allows for measurement in a state closer to the actual usage condition, enabling accurate estimation of the wire break progression state, as described later.

[0029] Figure 5(a) is a circuit diagram showing an example of a resistance detection unit 150. The resistance detection unit 150 shown in Figure 5(a) includes a resistance measurement unit 150a for measuring the resistance of the conductor 21a of the cable 2, and an A / D converter 157.

[0030] The resistance measurement unit 150a includes a DC signal source (e.g., a DC constant voltage source) 151, an input resistor 152, and a resistance detector 153. Note that if a DC constant current source is used as the DC signal source 151, the input resistor 152 is unnecessary. The DC signal source 151 applies a DC signal (in this case, a DC voltage) to the cable 2 via the input resistor 152. In response, the cable 2 outputs a modulated signal (e.g., a voltage signal) containing resistance fluctuation components at the operating frequency, as shown in Figure 3. The resistance detector 153 detects the time-series change in the resistance of the conductor 21a by amplifying this modulated signal with a predetermined gain. The time-series change in resistance detected by the resistance detector 153 is output to the A / D converter 157 as an output signal from the resistance detector 153, and is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 157. The resistance data, which is the data converted into this digital signal, is output to the user-side data management device 120.

[0031] The specific configuration of the resistance value detection unit 150 is not limited to this and can be changed as appropriate. For example, as shown in Figure 5(b), a frequency analysis unit 150b may be included between the resistance value measurement unit 150a and the A / D converter 157.

[0032] The frequency analysis unit 150b is a so-called lock-in amplifier and includes a carrier signal generator 154, a mixer 155, and a low-pass filter 156. For example, when extracting the resistance fluctuation component at the operating frequency, the carrier signal generator 154 generates a carrier signal that has, for example, a carrier frequency ωc equal to the operating frequency and the same phase as the resistance fluctuation. The mixer 155 multiplies this carrier signal with the output signal from the resistance detector 153 (in other words, synchronous detection) to output a signal in which a DC component signal and a 2×ωc component signal are superimposed. The low-pass filter 156 blocks the 2×ωc component signal from the output signal from the mixer 155, allowing only the DC component to pass through. The intensity of this DC component signal represents the magnitude of the resistance fluctuation component at the operating frequency. Note that in the carrier signal generator 154 shown in Figure 5, sin(ωct) can extract the resistance fluctuation component at the operating frequency when ωc = 2πf. By having a frequency analysis unit 150b, the resistance value detection unit 150 can be given the function of extracting resistance value fluctuation components at a desired frequency (resistance value fluctuation component at the operating frequency and resistance value fluctuation component at a higher frequency (nth-order frequency resistance value fluctuation component consisting of a carrier frequency of n × ωc)), making it possible to omit the frequency analysis processing in the wire breakage progression estimation processing unit 405, which will be described later.

[0033] Returning to Figure 1, the user-side data management device 120 is for managing data (=main data) for estimating the progression of cable breakage in cable 2. In this embodiment, the data (=main data) for estimating the progression of cable breakage in cable 2 corresponds to at least the resistance value data input from the resistance value detection unit 150 and the operation data, which is data on the operating status of each joint 111 of the industrial robot 110. The user-side data management device 120 is configured to communicate with the cable condition management device 400, which will be described later, via the network 500.

[0034] The user-side data management device 120 includes a control unit 121 that performs input / output processing of various data, including key data such as resistance value data and operation data, and a storage unit 122. The user-side data management device 120 is composed of a computer such as a server device, and is configured by appropriately combining computing elements such as a CPU, memory such as RAM and ROM, storage devices such as a hard disk, software, interfaces, etc.

[0035] The control unit 121 acquires resistance value data from the resistance value detection unit 150 mounted on the robot control device 112 during periodic maintenance, etc., and also acquires operation data from the robot control device 112, and stores it in the pre-update data storage unit 122a of the storage unit 122. For the operation data, it is preferable to obtain the cumulative operation data from the time of the previous acquisition of resistance value data to the time of the current acquisition of resistance value data. The control unit 121 may also be configured to obtain operation data based on the control data for operation control of the industrial robot 110 in the robot control device 112. While operation data is acquired from the robot control device 112 here, this is not the only option; for example, sensors or the like can be installed in the joints 111 of the industrial robot 110, and operation data can be obtained directly (i.e., without going through the robot control device 112) from the detection results of these sensors or the like. Furthermore, the motion data includes the number of flexions of each joint 111, data on the flexion status (data such as bending radius, bending angle, and bending speed), the number of twists, and data on the twisting status (length of the twisted part, twisting angle, and twisting speed). For example, for a joint 111 that only flexes, the number of twists and twisting status data can be omitted, and the items of motion data used can be appropriately set according to the specific movements of each joint 111.

[0036] The resistance data and operating data may be acquired for each joint 111 (each movable part) to which cable 2 is wired, or they may be acquired only at the single location with the most severe operating conditions. Furthermore, when acquiring resistance data for multiple joints 111, it is possible to acquire the resistance data for multiple joints 111 at once by, for example, using different operating frequencies for each joint 111. Details on this will be described later.

[0037] The pre-update data storage unit 122a stores key data (resistance value data and operation data) before the data update process performed by the cable condition management device 400, which will be described later. After the data update process is completed, the control unit 121 transfers the key data (resistance value data and operation data) stored in the pre-update data storage unit 122a to the post-update data storage unit 122b. The various key data stored in the post-update data storage unit 122b may be subjected to compression or other processing, or the system may be configured to appropriately erase key data after a predetermined period of time has elapsed. For example, key data that has been stored for a predetermined period of time (e.g., several days, several months, or several years) since the key data was transferred to the post-update data storage unit 122b may remain stored in the post-update data storage unit 122b, and key data that has been stored for that predetermined period may be erased from the post-update data storage unit 122b. In this way, key data stored for a predetermined period of time can also be used as backup data for the resistance value data and operation data stored in the cable condition storage unit 401, which will be described later.

[0038] Furthermore, the control unit 121 may be configured to send an update signal to the cable condition management device 400 requesting data update processing after acquiring resistance value data and operation data. This allows the cable condition management device 400 to perform data update processing quickly in accordance with the actual data acquisition, resulting in smoother operation.

[0039] The user terminal 130 is a terminal device belonging to the robot user and is composed of, for example, a personal computer. The user terminal 130 is configured to communicate with the cable condition management device 400, which will be described later, via the network 500. The user terminal 130 may also be configured to access the cable break progression status data and cable life prediction data (hereinafter also referred to as life prediction data), which will be described later, stored in the cable condition storage unit 401 of the cable condition management device 400, via the network 500. However, due to the access restriction processing of the cable condition management device 400, which will be described later, the user terminal 130 can only access the cable break progression status data and cable life prediction data for the cable 2 related to the robot user to which the user terminal 130 belongs (i.e., the cable 2 used in the industrial robot 110 used by the robot user). Note that the cable break progression status data and cable life prediction data for the cable 2 used in the industrial robot 110 used by the robot user may be transmitted to the user terminal 130 via the robot manufacturer terminal 201 or the cable manufacturer terminal 301. Furthermore, the user terminal 130 may be configured to allow various settings of the user-side data management device 120, and may also be configured to allow viewing of key data such as resistance value data stored in the storage unit 122.

[0040] The user mobile terminal 140 is a terminal device belonging to the robot user and, like the user terminal 130, may be configured to allow various settings of the user-side data management device 120, and may also be configured to allow viewing of key data such as resistance value data stored in the storage unit 122. Since the user mobile terminal 140 can be carried by the worker performing periodic maintenance, having the user mobile terminal 140 makes it possible to immediately verify whether the acquired key data such as resistance value data is correct. The user mobile terminal 140 may also be configured to access the cable condition management device 400 via the user-side data management device 120 or directly via the network 500, and to view data on the progress of cable breakage and cable life prediction data of cable 2 belonging to the robot user site 100. This allows the worker to grasp the progress of cable breakage and cable life of cable 2 belonging to the robot user site 100 in a timely manner, and to smoothly perform cable 2 replacement, etc. Note that the user mobile terminal 140 is not mandatory and can be omitted.

[0041] Although Figure 1 omits the illustration and shows only one robot user site 100, in reality, multiple robot user sites 100 are connected to the network 500, and the user-side data management device 120 and user terminal 130 belonging to each robot user site 100 are connected to the cable status management device 400 via the network 500 so that they can communicate with each other.

[0042] (Robot manufacturer site 200) The robot manufacturer site 200 is a site belonging to a robot manufacturer that manufactures industrial robots 110, and has a robot manufacturer terminal 201. The robot manufacturer terminal 201 is connected to the cable condition management device 400 via the network 500 so as to be able to communicate with each other, and is configured to be able to access the cable break progression status data and cable life prediction data stored in the cable condition storage unit 401 of the cable condition management device 400. However, due to the access restriction processing of the cable condition management device 400 described later, the robot manufacturer terminal 201 can only access the cable break progression status data and cable life prediction data related to the cable 2 related to the industrial robot 110 manufactured by the robot manufacturer to which the robot manufacturer terminal 201 belongs (i.e., the cable 2 related to each robot user using the industrial robot 110 manufactured by the robot manufacturer).

[0043] Although Figure 1 omits the illustration and shows only one robot manufacturer site 200, in reality, multiple robot manufacturer sites 200 are connected to the network 500, and robot manufacturer terminals 201 belonging to each robot manufacturer site 200 are connected to the cable status management device 400 via the network 500 so as to be able to communicate with each other. The robot manufacturer terminals 201 correspond to the device manufacturer terminals of the present invention.

[0044] (Cable manufacturer site 300) The cable manufacturer site 300 is a site belonging to a cable manufacturer that produces the cable 2 used in the industrial robot 110, and has a cable manufacturer terminal 301. The cable manufacturer terminal 301 is connected to the cable condition management device 400 via the network 500 so as to be able to communicate with each other, and is configured to be able to access the cable break progression status data and cable life prediction data stored in the cable condition storage unit 401 of the cable condition management device 400.

[0045] In this embodiment, the cable manufacturer terminal 301 is used as the host terminal. Therefore, in the access restriction processing of the cable condition management device 400 described later, the cable manufacturer terminal 301 is permitted to access the cable break progression status data and cable life prediction data of all robot manufacturers. In other words, the cable manufacturer terminal 301 can access all data and information stored in the cable condition storage unit 401. Furthermore, the cable manufacturer terminal 301 may be configured to perform various settings on the cable condition management device 400 and to transmit update signals to perform data acquisition processing.

[0046] (Cable condition management device 400) The cable condition management device 400 includes a cable condition storage unit 401 that stores disconnection progression data representing the disconnection progression status of cable 2, and a control unit 402. The cable condition management device 400 is composed of a computer such as a server device, and is configured by appropriately combining computing elements such as a CPU, memory such as RAM or ROM, storage devices such as a hard disk, software, interfaces, etc. Furthermore, the cable condition management device 400 may belong to any of the robot user site 100, robot manufacturer site 200, or cable manufacturer site 300, but since it is a device that is essentially managed by the cable manufacturer, it is preferable that it belongs to the cable manufacturer site 300.

[0047] The control unit 402 of the cable condition management device 400 includes a setting processing unit 403, a data acquisition processing unit 404, a cable break progression estimation processing unit 405, a cable life prediction processing unit 406, and an access restriction processing unit 407.

[0048] (Configuration processing unit 403) The setting processing unit 403 is responsible for configuring various settings of the cable status management device 400. The setting processing unit 403 can configure various control-related information, such as the method and time for data acquisition processing by the data acquisition processing unit 404. Furthermore, the setting processing unit 403 can register, update, and delete various information stored in the cable status storage unit 401. Examples of information stored in the cable status storage unit 401 include the following. An input device (not shown) or a cable manufacturer terminal 301 can be used to input various types of information. • Product information for Cable 2 (part number, length, conductor outer diameter, number of strands, etc.) • Information on the industrial robot 110 using cable 2 (model number, identification number and name of the robot manufacturer, etc.) • Robot user information (such as identification number, name, location, and business information including the area where the industrial robot 110 is used) • Host input information described later (number of confirmed broken wires, presence or absence of abnormal data, etc.)

[0049] (Data acquisition processing unit 404) The data acquisition processing unit 404 communicates with the user-side data management device 120 via the network 500 and acquires resistance value data and operation data stored in the storage unit 122 (pre-update data storage unit 122a) of the user-side data management device 120. The acquired resistance value data and operation data are stored in the cable state storage unit 401 (i.e., the database stored in the cable state storage unit 401 is updated). The timing of the data acquisition processing unit 404's data acquisition processing can be set as appropriate; for example, it may be configured to perform data acquisition processing at a set time each day. The data acquisition processing unit 404 may also be configured to perform data acquisition processing in a batch when it receives an update signal from the cable manufacturer terminal 301 (for example, all, or a batch of data acquisition processing for a specified robot user). Furthermore, the data acquisition processing unit 404 may be configured to perform data acquisition processing individually for each robot user when it receives an update signal from the user-side data management device 120 belonging to each robot user site 100.

[0050] (Disconnection Progression Estimation Processing Unit 405) The cable break progression estimation processing unit 405 estimates the cable break progression state of the cable 2 based on the resistance value data acquired by the data acquisition processing unit 404. In this embodiment, the cable break progression estimation processing unit 405 estimates the cable break progression state of the cable 2 based at least on the magnitude of the resistance value fluctuation component of the operating frequency in the resistance value data, when the frequency at which the movable joint 111 is repeatedly operated periodically is used as the operating frequency.

[0051] More specifically, the wire break progression estimation processing unit 405 first performs frequency analysis on the resistance value data and extracts the resistance value fluctuation component at the operating frequency and the resistance value fluctuation component at a higher frequency that is n times the operating frequency. Then, based on the magnitude of the extracted resistance value fluctuation component at the operating frequency and the magnitude of the resistance value fluctuation component at a higher frequency that is n times the operating frequency, it estimates whether a wire break has occurred in the conductor 21a of the cable 2 and to what extent the metal strands are broken. For example, it is estimated that a wire break has occurred when the magnitude of the resistance value fluctuation component at the operating frequency is greater than a threshold. Alternatively, for example, the magnitude of each of the higher frequency resistance value fluctuation components is compared with a threshold, and the wire break progression state is estimated by checking how many higher frequencies (up to how many times the operating frequency) the magnitude of the resistance value fluctuation component is greater than the threshold. The wire break progression estimation processing unit 405 stores the estimation result as wire break progression state data in the cable state storage unit 401.

[0052] For example, if the operating frequency is set differently for each joint 111 in order to acquire resistance value data for multiple joints 111 at once, as described above, the magnitude of the resistance value fluctuation component (each resistance value fluctuation component at the operating frequency and its higher-order frequencies) corresponding to the operating frequency of each joint 111 will be determined, and the state of wire breakage progression at each joint 111 will be estimated based on the magnitude of each obtained resistance value fluctuation component. However, the specific method for estimating the state of wire breakage progression in the wire breakage progression estimation processing unit 405 is not limited to this, and for example, it is also possible to simply measure the resistance value of the conductor 21a and estimate the state of wire breakage progression of the cable 2 based on the measurement result.

[0053] The timing for the cable break progression estimation processing unit 405 to estimate the cable break progression state of cable 2 can be set as appropriate. For example, it can be configured to estimate the cable break progression state of cable 2 after the data acquisition processing unit 404 has performed data acquisition processing (i.e., after the database stored in the cable state storage unit 401 has been updated).

[0054] Here, the case in which the wire break progression estimation processing unit 405 is mounted on the cable condition management device 400 has been described, but it is not limited to this, and the wire break progression estimation processing unit 405 may also be mounted on the host terminal, which is the cable manufacturer terminal 301. In this case, the wire break progression estimation processing unit 405 mounted on the cable manufacturer terminal 301 acquires resistance value data from the cable condition management device 400 via the network 500, estimates the wire break progression state based on the acquired resistance value data, and transmits the estimated wire break progression state data to the cable condition management device 400 for storage in the cable condition storage unit 401.

[0055] (Cable lifespan prediction processing unit 406) The cable life prediction processing unit 406 predicts the lifespan of cable 2 by performing machine learning based on the operation data acquired by the data acquisition processing unit 404 and the cable break progression state data estimated by the cable break progression state estimation processing unit 405. More specifically, the cable life prediction processing unit 406 includes software such as a learning algorithm for learning the correlation between the cable break progression state data and each parameter included in the operation data (e.g., bending conditions such as the number of bends and bending angle) using machine learning. The learning algorithm is not particularly limited, and a known learning algorithm can be used, for example, so-called deep learning using a neural network with three or more layers can be used. What the cable life prediction processing unit 406 learns corresponds to a model structure that represents the correlation between the operation data of the movable joint 111 (i.e., the bending and twisting conditions of cable 2) and the cable break progression state of cable 2.

[0056] The cable life prediction processing unit 406 repeatedly performs learning based on a data set including explanatory variables (operational data) and target variables (disconnection progression data), using operational data and disconnection progression data, and automatically interprets the correlation between the two. At the start of learning, the correlation is unknown, but as learning progresses, the correlation between the explanatory variables (operational data) and the target variables (disconnection progression data) is gradually interpreted, and by using the resulting trained model, the correlation between the explanatory variables (operational data) and the target variables (disconnection progression data) can be interpreted.

[0057] The cable life prediction processing unit 406 then predicts the explanatory variables (operation data) at which the objective variable (disconnection progression data) will reach a predetermined life setting value (the value of the disconnection progression data at which the conductor 21a is determined to be disconnected), based on the trained model which is the result of learning. It then predicts the time when the cable will reach its lifespan, i.e., the cable life, taking into account the past usage conditions of the industrial robot 110 (such as the frequency of operation of the joints 111). Here, "cable lifespan" refers to the time when the disconnection progression data (the percentage of disconnections of metal strands in the conductor 21a) reaches a disconnection percentage that is determined to be the lifespan. The cable lifespan predicted by the cable life prediction processing unit 406 is stored in the cable state storage unit 401 as cable lifespan prediction data.

[0058] Here, the objective variable used is the data on the progression of wire breakage (i.e., the percentage of broken metal wires in the conductor 21a). However, the objective variable is not limited to this; any variable that can predict the breakage of the conductor 21a is acceptable. For example, the magnitude of a specific frequency component in the resistance value data (each resistance value fluctuation component at the operating frequency and its nth higher-order frequencies) may be used, or the resistance value of the conductor 21a may simply be used. In this specification, the "pre-set cable life" is defined as, for example, a state where the resistance increase rate of the conductor 21a constituting the cable 2 (the increase rate of resistance relative to the initial resistance value of the conductor 21a) exceeds 20%, and the progression of wire breakage at this time (the percentage of broken metal wires in the conductor 21a) is, for example, 80% or more (= the percentage of breakage judged to be the end of life).

[0059] Furthermore, the "percentage of cable breakages that indicate the end of life" used for predicting lifespan may be set to different percentages for each cable 2, each industrial robot 110, each robot user, or each robot manufacturer. This allows, for example, for industrial robots 110 that require a particularly large safety margin, the "percentage of cable breakages that indicates the end of life" to be set to a safer level, and enables the setting of individual safety margins for each cable 2 under management.

[0060] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes a case where the cable life prediction processing unit 406 is mounted on the cable condition management device 400, it is not limited to this, and the cable life prediction processing unit 406 may be mounted on the host terminal, the cable manufacturer terminal 301, similar to the cable break progression state estimation processing unit 405 described above. In this case, the cable life prediction processing unit 406 mounted on the cable manufacturer terminal 301 acquires operation data from the cable condition management device 400 via the network 500, and also acquires cable break progression state data from a device equipped with the cable break progression state estimation processing unit 405, and predicts the cable life based on the acquired operation data and cable break progression state data, and transmits the resulting cable life prediction data to the cable condition management device 400 for storage in the cable condition storage unit 401.

[0061] (Access restriction processing unit 407) In the cable condition management system 1 according to this embodiment, multiple user terminals 130, multiple robot manufacturer terminals 201, and cable manufacturer terminal 301 are configured to access cable break progression data and cable life prediction data stored in the cable condition storage unit 401. However, disclosing technical data of industrial robots 110 belonging to other robot manufacturers to any robot manufacturer can be problematic. Therefore, in this embodiment, the access restriction processing unit 407 is configured to set different access levels for robot users, robot manufacturers, and cable manufacturers, thereby suppressing access to unnecessary data.

[0062] More specifically, the access restriction processing unit 407 restricts access to each robot manufacturer terminal 201 so that it can only access data on the cable break progression status and cable life prediction data related to the industrial robot 110 manufactured by the robot manufacturer to which the robot manufacturer terminal 201 belongs. In addition, the access restriction processing unit 407 restricts access to each user terminal 130 so that it can only access data on the cable break progression status and cable life prediction data related to the industrial robot 110 used by the robot user to which the user terminal 130 belongs.

[0063] Furthermore, the access restriction processing unit 407 does not impose access restrictions on the cable manufacturer terminal 301. In other words, the access restriction processing unit 407 allows the cable manufacturer terminal 301 to access the disconnection progression data and cable life prediction data of all robot manufacturers.

[0064] The access restriction processing unit 407 may identify the source of the access by its IP address, determining whether it is a user terminal 130 belonging to a robot user, a robot manufacturer terminal 201 belonging to a robot manufacturer, or a cable manufacturer terminal 301 belonging to a cable manufacturer. Alternatively, the access restriction processing unit 407 may require the user to enter an ID and password when accessing the cable status management device 400, and identify the source of the access from the entered ID. Based on the identified source of the access, the access restriction processing unit 407 may restrict access to only information related to a robot user (user terminal 130) if the source is a robot manufacturer (robot manufacturer terminal 201) if the source is a robot manufacturer, or allow access to all information if the source is a cable manufacturer (cable manufacturer terminal 301). The access restriction processing unit 407 is configured to extract and provide accessable information to the access source, for example, according to robot user information (name, identification number, etc.) or robot manufacturer information (name, identification number, etc.) in the cable status database DB described later.

[0065] (Other elements in the cable condition management device 400) Although not shown in the figures, the cable condition management device 400 may have a warning unit that issues a warning to at least one of the robot user using the cable 2, the robot manufacturer, and the cable manufacturer when the estimated data on the progression of cable breakage of the cable 2 exceeds a predetermined level. The warning unit issues a warning, for example, by sending a warning signal to the user terminal 130, the robot manufacturer terminal 201, and the cable manufacturer terminal 301, or by sending an email to a pre-registered email address. The warning unit may be configured to issue a warning when the period from the present until the predicted lifespan of the cable 2 is less than or equal to a predetermined number of days.

[0066] Furthermore, the cable status management device 400 may also have an encrypted communication processing unit that encrypts communication between the cable status management device 400 and each terminal 130, 201, 301. The encrypted communication processing unit performs, for example, encryption processing that can be coded and decoded only by the robot user, robot manufacturer, and cable manufacturer.

[0067] The cable condition management device 400 may have a reset processing unit for performing a reset process that stores in the cable condition storage unit 401 that the managed cable wired to the managed device (in this case, industrial robot 110) has been replaced when the managed cable (in this case, cable 2) wired to the managed device is replaced with a new managed cable, based on the wire break progression status data and cable life prediction data. At a minimum, when the managed cable wired to the managed device is replaced with a new managed cable, the reset processing unit stores in the cable condition storage unit 401 as replacement information that the managed cable wired to the managed device has been replaced.

[0068] During the reset process, it is preferable to retain the data related to the managed cables that were wired to the managed device before replacement, without deleting it from the cable state storage unit 401, as old data. By retaining the old data in the cable state storage unit 401, it can be used for machine learning to acquire data on the progress of disconnection of newly wired managed cables to the managed device, as well as data on cable life prediction, for other managed cables already wired to the managed device.

[0069] After the reset process is performed in the reset processing unit, it is preferable that configuration processing be performed for the newly wired managed cable to the managed device.

[0070] (Cable status database DB) The cable status storage unit 401 stores various data for all cables 2 whose cable status is subject to management, all integrated into a single database. Hereinafter, this database will be referred to as the cable status database DB. An example of the cable status database DB is shown in Figure 6.

[0071] As shown in Figure 6, the cable status database DB is a database that stores data for all cables 2 whose cable status is to be managed, and includes robot information, user information, cable information, operation data, resistance value data, disconnection progression status data, cable life prediction data, host terminal input information, data update date, etc.

[0072] The robot information refers to the information of the industrial robot 110 to which cable 2 is applied, and includes information about the robot manufacturer (name, identification number, etc.) and the model number of the industrial robot 110. The user information refers to information about the robot user using the industrial robot 110, and includes information about the robot user (name, identification number, etc.) and information about the business using the industrial robot 110 (location, usage area, etc.).

[0073] Cable information refers to the information of the cable 2 (=managed cable) that is wired to the industrial robot 110 (=managed device) and is subject to management, and includes the part number, length, conductor outer diameter, number of strands of conductor 21a, etc. If multiple wires 21 of cable 2 are subject to management, information for identifying the wire 21 (such as wire number or the color of the insulator 21b) may also be included. Furthermore, if multiple cables 2 included in the industrial robot 110 are subject to management, information for identifying the cable 2 (such as cable number or the color of the sheath 25) may also be included.

[0074] The operation data is information about the operation of the movable parts being managed, and is used to predict the cable lifespan. The operation data is also information acquired from the user-side data management device 120. For each joint 111 being managed, the operation data includes operation information such as the number of bending and twisting turns, bending radius, bending angle, bending speed, length of the twisted part, twisting angle, and twisting speed. In the illustrated example, multiple joints 111 are managed for one cable 2, but there may be just one joint 111 to be managed. The operation data may also include information about the date and time the operation data was acquired.

[0075] The resistance data is information about the resistance value of the conductor 21a of cable 2, and is used to estimate the progression of the break. The operation data is information acquired from the user-side data management device 120. For each joint 111 under management, the resistance data includes the operating frequency, the resistance fluctuation component of the operating frequency (first-order component), the resistance fluctuation component at n times the operating frequency (n-th order component, where n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2), etc. Although not shown in Figure 6, it is preferable to include past history for the values ​​of each resistance fluctuation component of the resistance data. Furthermore, the resistance data may include measured data detected by the resistance detection unit 150 (the measured data itself, or information such as a link to the measured data file or the file name). In addition, the resistance data may include information on the date and time the resistance data was acquired.

[0076] The wire break progression data is data on the wire break progression state of cable 2 estimated by the wire break progression state estimation processing unit 405, and more specifically, it is the percentage of wire breakage in the conductor 21a estimated by the wire break progression state estimation processing unit 405. For example, if the wire break progression state data is 50%, it is estimated that half of the metal strands constituting the conductor 21a are broken. Although not shown in the figure, the wire break progression state data may also include information on the estimated date and time of the wire break progression state of cable 2.

[0077] The cable life prediction data is data on the lifespan of cable 2 predicted by the cable life prediction processing unit 406, and indicates the time when the cable will reach a predetermined breakage rate that is judged to be the end of its life. Therefore, the cable life prediction data serves as a guideline to prompt the replacement of cable 2. Although not shown in the diagram, the cable life prediction data may also include information on the date and time the cable life prediction was made. Furthermore, if the "breakage rate that is judged to be the end of its life" is set to a different rate for each cable 2 (or for each industrial robot 110, each robot user, or each robot manufacturer), the cable life prediction data may also include information on the "breakage rate that is judged to be the end of its life" used to predict the cable life.

[0078] The host terminal input information is information input from the cable manufacturer terminal 301, which is the host terminal, and includes information such as the maintenance results when the cable manufacturer performs detailed maintenance, and whether or not an abnormality is found when the cable manufacturer checks the data. In this embodiment, the host terminal input information includes the number of confirmed broken wires, which is the number of broken wires actually confirmed during maintenance, and information on whether or not there is abnormal data. Having information on the number of confirmed broken wires makes it possible to verify, for example, whether the estimation of the broken wire progression state data is being performed accurately. Also, having information on whether or not there is abnormal data makes it possible to take measures such as not using resistance value data related to the cable 2 in machine learning by the cable life prediction processing unit 406 if abnormal data is included. Note that the host terminal input information is not limited to the items shown in the figure, and may include other items as appropriate.

[0079] Thus, in this embodiment, the cable condition management device 400 has a cable condition database DB in which operation data of the movable part (joint part 111) to which the cable 2 is wired, resistance value data of the cable 2, data on the progression of cable breakage, and cable life prediction data are stored in a database for each robot user and each robot manufacturer.

[0080] Accurately predicting the lifespan of cable 2 requires a large amount of data. However, conventionally, maintenance data and other information are often managed only by the robot user, making it difficult to collect a large amount of data. While it is conceivable that robot manufacturers or cable manufacturers could collect a large amount of data by having them visit and perform maintenance on the industrial robot 110, this was not practical considering the effort and cost involved. In contrast, this embodiment allows for the accumulation of a large amount of data in the cable condition database DB by linking operation data and resistance value data, thereby improving the accuracy of predicting the cable lifespan of cable 2.

[0081] (Control flow) (Main routine) Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the control flow in the cable condition management system 1. In Figure 7 and Figures 8 to 12 described later, solid arrows represent the control flow, and dashed arrows represent signal and data input / output. As shown in Figure 7, the cable manufacturer terminal 301 sends a setting signal to the cable condition management device 400 (step S100) when, for example, setting the data acquisition time, which is the time when data acquisition processing is performed, or inputting host terminal input information. In step S201, the cable condition management system 1 determines whether a setting signal has been input, and if it is determined to be YES (Y), it executes the setting process in step S202. Details of the setting process will be described later. If it is determined to be NO (N) in step S201, it proceeds to step S203.

[0082] The cable manufacturer terminal 301 sends an update signal to the cable status management device 400 when updating resistance value data or operation data (step S101). The user-side data management device 120 also sends an update signal to the cable status management device 400 when it acquires resistance value data or operation data (step S301). In step S203, the data acquisition processing unit 404 of the cable status management device 400 determines whether an update signal has been input. If it is determined to be YES in step S203, the data acquisition process is performed in step S205, and then the process proceeds to step S206. Details of the data acquisition process will be described later. If it is determined to be NO in step S203, it is determined in step S204 whether the current time is the data acquisition time. If it is determined to be YES in step S204, the data acquisition process is performed in step S205, and then the process proceeds to step S206. If it is determined to be NO in step S204, the data acquisition process is skipped, and the process proceeds to step S208. Note that this example shows a case where the data acquisition process is controlled to be performed at the designated data acquisition time each day, but step S204 is optional. If step S204 is omitted, the system should proceed to step S208 if NO is determined in step S203.

[0083] Subsequently, the process for estimating the progression of wire breakage is performed in step S206, and the process for predicting cable life is performed in step S207, before proceeding to step S208. Details of the wire breakage progression estimation process and cable life prediction process will be described later. Here, the system is configured to execute the wire breakage progression estimation process and cable life prediction process when data acquisition is performed, but it may also be possible to execute the wire breakage progression estimation process and cable life prediction process as appropriate in response to, for example, an instruction signal input from the cable manufacturer terminal 301.

[0084] The cable manufacturer terminal 301 sends a data request signal to the cable condition management device 400 when checking the progress of cable breakage and cable lifespan of cable 2 (step S102). Similarly, the user terminal 130 and the robot manufacturer terminal 201 send data request signals to the cable condition management device 400 when checking the progress of cable breakage and cable lifespan of cable 2 (steps S303, S401). In the case of a robot user, the data request signal may be sent to the cable condition management device 400 from the mobile user terminal 140.

[0085] In step S208, the cable status management device 400 determines whether a data request signal has been input. If the result in step S208 is YES, data output processing is performed in step S209, and then the device returns. Details of the data output processing will be described later. If the result in step S208 is NO, the device returns without performing data output processing in step S209.

[0086] (Setup process) As shown in Figure 8, in the setting process of step S202, first, the setting data entered at the cable manufacturer terminal 301 is transmitted from the cable manufacturer terminal 301 to the cable status management device 400 (step S110). The setting processing unit 403 of the cable status management device 400 performs various settings according to the received setting data (step S211). Subsequently, appropriate processing such as updating the cable status database DB is performed in accordance with the various settings in step S211 (step S212), and then the device returns.

[0087] (Data acquisition process) As shown in Figure 9, in the data acquisition process of step S205, first, the data acquisition processing unit 404 of the cable status management device 400 sends a data update signal to the user-side data management device 120 that acquires the data (step S221).

[0088] In the user-side data management device 120, the data transmission and reception process in step S302 is performed in parallel with the data acquisition process. In this data transmission and reception process, the user-side data management device 120 first determines in step S321 whether a data update signal has been input from the cable status management device 400. If it is determined to be NO in step S321, it returns. If it is determined to be YES in step S321, it determines in step S322 whether there is pre-update resistance value data (measured value, i.e., data showing the time-series change of resistance value that has not undergone frequency analysis) or operation data in the pre-update data storage unit 122a. If it is determined to be NO in step S322, it sends an updated signal to the cable status management device 400 in step S323 and then returns. If it is determined to be YES in step S322, it sends the pre-update data (resistance value data (measured value) and operation data) stored in the pre-update data storage unit 122a to the cable status management device 400 in step S324. Subsequently, in step S325, the user-side data management device 120 moves the resistance value data (measured value) and operation data transmitted to the cable status management device 400 from the pre-update data storage unit 122a to the post-update data storage unit 122b, and stores the updated data in the post-update data storage unit 122b. After that, it returns. The updated data (resistance value data (measured value) and operation data) stored in the post-update data storage unit 122b is subjected to processing such as compression, storage for a predetermined period, and deletion.

[0089] The process returns to data acquisition, and after sending an update signal in step S221, it is determined in step S222 whether an updated signal has been input. If it is determined to be YES in step S222, it means that there is no new resistance value data or operation data, so the process returns without acquiring any data.

[0090] If NO is determined in step S222, after receiving resistance value data and operation data from the user-side data management device 120, in step S223, the data acquisition processing unit 404 stores the received resistance value data in the cable state storage unit 401. In this embodiment, measured values ​​of resistance value data are exchanged during the data acquisition process. However, when exchanging resistance value data that has undergone frequency analysis (operating frequency and its higher-order frequency resistance fluctuation components), in step S223, the resistance value data is registered in the cable state database DB.

[0091] Subsequently, in step S224, the data acquisition processing unit 404 registers the received operation data in the cable status database DB. At this time, processing to extract only the operation data necessary for cable status management may be performed as appropriate. After that, the unit returns.

[0092] (Processing to estimate the progression of wire breakage) As shown in Figure 10, in the cable break progression state estimation process in step S206, first, in step S231, the cable break progression state estimation processing unit 405 of the cable condition management device 400 performs frequency analysis of the resistance value data acquired in the data acquisition process, and in step S232, it acquires the operating frequency and its higher-order frequency resistance value fluctuation components and registers them in the cable condition database DB. Note that when the cable break progression state estimation processing unit 405 performs frequency analysis of the resistance value data, a certain amount of time-series data of resistance values ​​is required. Therefore, although not shown in the figure, it is advisable to perform a process to check whether the resistance value data necessary for frequency analysis has been acquired before performing step S231.

[0093] Subsequently, in step S233, the magnitude of the resistance fluctuation component at the operating frequency and its higher-order frequencies is compared with a pre-set threshold, and in step S234, the order of frequencies exceeding the threshold is extracted. Then, in step S235, the breakage progression state of cable 2 (the percentage of metal strand breakage in conductor 21a) is estimated from the comparison results. Then, in step S236, the estimated breakage progression state of cable 2 is registered (or updated) as breakage progression state data in the cable condition database DB and returned.

[0094] Although not shown in the diagram, the wire break progression estimation processing unit 405 may send a notification signal to the corresponding robot user's user terminal 130 or the robot manufacturer's robot manufacturer terminal 201 to notify that the wire break progression data has been registered (or updated).

[0095] (Cable lifespan prediction processing) As shown in Figure 11, in the cable life prediction process in step S207, first, in step S241, the cable life prediction processing unit 406 of the cable condition management device 400 performs machine learning based on the operation data obtained in step S205 and the break progression status data obtained in step S206 to update the trained model. Then, in step S242, the lifespan of cable 2 (cable lifespan) is predicted using the updated trained model. After that, the predicted cable lifespan of cable 2 is registered (or updated) in the cable condition storage unit 401 as cable life prediction data and returned.

[0096] Although not shown in the diagram, the cable life prediction processing unit 406 may send a notification signal to the user terminal 130 of the corresponding robot user or the robot manufacturer's terminal 201 of the robot manufacturer to notify them that the cable life prediction data has been registered (or updated).

[0097] (Data output processing) As shown in Figure 12, in the data output processing in step S209, first, in step S251, the access restriction processing unit 407 of the cable status management device 400 identifies the source of the input data request signal. As a method for identifying the source, for example, a method using the source's IP address or the ID used during login can be used as appropriate. Then, in step S252, it is determined whether the source identified in step S251 is the user terminal 130. If it is determined to be YES in step S252, in step S253, the data X of cable 2 related to the robot user that sent the data (requested data X such as cable break progression data X and cable life prediction data X) is extracted from the cable status database DB. Then, in step S254, the data extracted in step S253 is sent to the user terminal 130. After that, it returns. The robot user receives the cable break progression data X and cable life prediction data X at the user terminal 130. At this time, the cable breakage progression data X and cable life prediction data X are displayed on the display unit of the user terminal 130 (step S351). The robot user uses the received data to perform predictive maintenance on the industrial robot 110 (= replacement of managed cables, etc.). Predictive maintenance of the industrial robot 110 may also be performed as needed based on the received data.

[0098] If the result in step S252 is NO, step S255 determines whether the source identified in step S251 is the robot manufacturer terminal 201. If the result in step S255 is YES, step S256 extracts data Y (requested data Y such as cable break progression data Y and cable life prediction data Y) related to the transmitting robot manufacturer from the cable status database DB. In this case, for example, it may be possible to extract only data related to a specific robot user (however, limited to robot users using industrial robots 110 manufactured by the transmitting robot user). Then, in step S257, the data Y extracted in step S256 is sent to the robot manufacturer terminal 201. After that, it returns. The robot manufacturer receives the cable break progression data Y and cable life prediction data Y at the robot manufacturer terminal 201. At this time, the cable break progression data Y and cable life prediction data Y are displayed on the display unit of the robot manufacturer terminal 201 (step S451). The robot manufacturer uses the received data to perform predictive maintenance (e.g., replacement of managed cables) on each robot user's industrial robot 110, or to support the implementation of predictive maintenance. Alternatively, predictive maintenance of the industrial robot 110, or support for predictive maintenance, may be performed as needed based on the received data.

[0099] If the result in step S255 is NO, step S258 determines whether the source identified in step S251 is the cable manufacturer terminal 301. If the result in step S258 is NO, the source is not the user terminal 130, the robot manufacturer terminal 201, or the cable manufacturer terminal 301, so the system returns without outputting any data. If the result in step S258 is YES, step S259 sends all the data Z from the cable status database DB (requested data Z such as cable break progression data Z and cable life prediction data Z) to the cable manufacturer terminal 301. At this time, for example, it may be possible to extract and send only the data related to a specific robot user or robot manufacturer. After that, the system returns. The cable manufacturer receives the cable break progression data Z and cable life prediction data Z at the cable manufacturer terminal 301. At this time, the cable break progression data Z and cable life prediction data Z are displayed on the display unit of the cable manufacturer terminal 301 (step S151).

[0100] After the data output process shown in Figure 12 (step S209), a reset process may be performed. In the reset process, when the managed cable (cable 2) is replaced, the fact that the managed cable has been replaced is stored in the cable state storage unit 401 as replacement information. In addition, in the reset process, it is preferable to leave the data related to the managed cable that was wired before the replacement stored as old data in the cable state storage unit 401 without deleting it. This old data can be used, for example, for machine learning to obtain data on the progress of breakage of other managed cables or cable life prediction data. Furthermore, after the reset process is performed in the reset processing unit, setting processing related to the managed cable newly wired to the managed device may be performed.

[0101] (Operation of Cable Status Management System 1) The service implemented using the cable condition management system 1 described above (referred to as the cable condition management service) is basically provided by the cable manufacturer. Robot manufacturers and robot users enter into a contract with the cable manufacturer for the provision of the service and pay the cable manufacturer a fee for the service provided. For example, the fee can be set per month according to the number of cables 2 whose condition is being managed, or according to the number of data provided, such as data on the progression of cable breakage or cable life prediction data, allowing for appropriate cost management.

[0102] (Operation and Effects of the Embodiment) As described above, the cable condition management system 1 according to this embodiment includes a cable condition management device 400 having a cable condition storage unit 401 that stores cable condition progression data representing the cable condition progression state of the cable 2, a user-side data management device 120 belonging to a robot user using the industrial robot 110 and managing key data for estimating the cable condition progression state of the cable 2, a robot manufacturer terminal 201 belonging to the robot manufacturer that manufactures the industrial robot 110, and a cable manufacturer terminal 301 belonging to the cable manufacturer that manufactures the cable 2. The user-side data management device 120, the robot manufacturer terminal 201, and the cable manufacturer terminal 301 are connected to the cable condition management device 400 via a network 500, and at least the robot manufacturer terminal 201 and the cable manufacturer terminal 301 are configured to access the cable condition progression data stored in the cable condition storage unit 401.

[0103] This configuration allows not only robot users but also robot manufacturers and cable manufacturers to accurately monitor the progress of cable 2's breakage remotely, enabling comprehensive monitoring of the cable 2's breakage by all three parties. As a result, robot manufacturers and cable manufacturers can monitor the progress of cable 2's breakage and take appropriate safety measures, such as prompting the replacement of cable 2 as needed, thereby effectively suppressing failures of the industrial robot 110 caused by cable 2 malfunctions.

[0104] Furthermore, while various attempts have been made to accumulate IoT (Internet of Things) data at the site of use of industrial robots 110 to estimate the progression of cable breakage and predict cable life, these have not been put into practical use for various reasons. According to this embodiment, data related to the state of cable 2 (resistance value data, operation data, etc.) can be easily collected and accumulated across multiple robot users or multiple robot manufacturers. Moreover, by utilizing the accumulated data, it becomes possible to estimate the progression of cable breakage and predict cable life with high accuracy even in remote locations.

[0105] (modified version) In the above embodiment, the resistance value data of cable 2 was measured, and the state of cable breakage progression was estimated based on the measured value. However, it is also possible to configure the system to estimate the state of cable breakage progression based only on operation data, without measuring the resistance value data of cable 2. In this case, the cable life prediction processing unit 406 can construct a highly accurate trained model in advance (a trained model of cable breakage progression data in relation to operation data), and use this trained model to estimate the state of cable breakage progression from the operation data. It should be noted that both robot users who measure resistance value data (i.e., industrial robot 110 equipped with a resistance value detection unit 150) and robot users who only measure operation data (industrial robot 110 not equipped with a resistance value detection unit 150) may be connected to the cable condition management device 400 via the network 500, and the system may be configured to set the method for estimating the state of cable breakage progression according to the input data. Furthermore, robot users who do not measure operation data may also be included. The resistance data used to estimate the progression of cable breakage and predict the cable's lifespan may be resistance values ​​detected in components other than the conductor 21a that make up cable 2.

[0106] Furthermore, although the above embodiment describes a case where the only input destination for resistance value data and operation data to the cable condition management device 400 is the user-side data management device 120, the system is not limited to this, and it may also be configured so that resistance value data and operation data can be input to the cable condition management device 400 from the robot manufacturer terminal 201 or the cable manufacturer terminal 301. This would improve convenience, for example, by allowing robot manufacturers and cable manufacturers to bring back resistance value data and operation data measured during business trips, perform appropriate processing such as data organization, and then input the data from the robot manufacturer terminal 201 or cable manufacturer terminal 301.

[0107] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case in which the managed cable, which is a cable whose disconnection progression state is managed, is wired to an industrial robot 110 was described as the managed device, but it is not limited to the industrial robot 110. In other words, the device to which the cable 2 is applied can be any device to which the cable 2 is subjected to repeated bending, twisting, and oscillating (= managed cable), for example, it can be factory equipment other than the industrial robot 110, or even an automobile. In particular, in recent years, some automobiles are capable of communication via the internet, and it is possible to configure them to transmit resistance value data and operation data to the cable condition management device 400 using this communication. For example, in the case of an automobile, the present invention can be applied to cables in the undercarriage (for example, cables for electric parking brakes, ABS sensors, or electric brakes), and when periodic vibrations (for example, vibrations when driving on a highway) are applied to the automobile, the resistance value data of the cable that is subjected to periodic oscillating is measured. In this case, the frequency corresponding to the period of vibration (the period in which the cable oscillates) corresponds to the operating frequency. Therefore, by extracting resistance fluctuation components at the operating frequency and its higher-order frequencies from the measured resistance value data, and comparing the magnitude of each extracted resistance fluctuation component with a threshold value, it is possible to estimate the progression of cable breakage.

[0108] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described a case where the user terminal 130 and the user-side data management device 120 are configured separately at the robot user site 100, the user terminal 130 and the user-side data management device 120 may be configured as a single unit. In addition, the robot control device 112 attached to the industrial robot 110 may be directly connected to the cable status management device 400 via the network 500. In this case, the functions of the user-side data management device 120 are incorporated into the robot control device 112 (that is, the robot control device 112 also functions as the user-side data management device 120).

[0109] Furthermore, although the above embodiment describes a case where a cable manufacturer manages the cable condition management device 400, the management of the cable condition management device 400 may also be carried out by a specialized company other than the cable manufacturer.

[0110] (Summary of the embodiments) Next, the technical concept understood from the embodiments described above will be described using the reference numerals and other symbols from the embodiments. However, the reference numerals and other symbols in the following description are not limited to the components in the claims that are specifically shown in the embodiments.

[0111] [1] A cable condition management system (1) for managing the progress of disconnection of a cable (2) used as wiring for a managed device (110), comprising: a cable condition management device (400) having a cable condition storage unit (401) that stores disconnection progress data representing the progress of disconnection of the cable (2); a device user side data management device (120) belonging to a device user that uses the managed device (110); a device manufacturer terminal (201) belonging to a device manufacturer that manufactures the managed device (110); and a cable manufacturer terminal (301) belonging to a cable manufacturer that manufactures the cable (2), wherein the device is connected to the cable condition management device (400), and at least the device manufacturer terminal (201) and the cable manufacturer terminal (301) are configured to be able to access the disconnection progress data stored in the cable condition storage unit (401) via a network (500).

[0112] [2] A cable condition management system (1) according to [1], comprising a resistance value detection unit (150) capable of detecting a time-series change in the resistance value of the cable (2) when the cable (2) is operated periodically, the device user-side data management device (120) having a storage unit (122) that stores resistance value data which is the detection result of the resistance value detection unit (150), and the cable condition management device (400) having a data acquisition processing unit (404) that acquires the resistance value data stored in the storage unit (122) of the device user-side data management device (120), and the progress of the cable breakage is estimated based on the resistance value data acquired by the data acquisition processing unit (404).

[0113] [3] The cable condition management device (400) is the cable condition management device (1) according to [2], which includes a cable break progression estimation processing unit (405) that estimates the cable break progression state based on the magnitude of the resistance value fluctuation component of the operating frequency in the resistance value data, when the operating frequency is a frequency at which the cable (2) is periodically operated.

[0114] [4] The cable condition management system (1) according to [2] or [3], wherein the resistance value detection unit (150) is mounted on the managed device (110) or the control device (112) of the managed device (110) attached to the managed device (110), and is configured to output the resistance value data to the device user-side data management device (120).

[0115] [5] The device user-side data management device (120) is configured to store operation data, which is data on the operating status of the cable (2), in the storage unit (122), the data acquisition processing unit (404) of the cable condition management device (400) is configured to acquire the operation data stored in the storage unit (122) of the device user-side data management device (120), the cable condition management device (400) has a cable life prediction processing unit (406) that performs machine learning based on the operation data and the disconnection progression status data to predict the lifespan of the cable (2), and stores the predicted lifespan of the cable (2) as cable life prediction data in the cable condition storage unit (401), and at least the device manufacturer terminal (201) and the cable manufacturer terminal (301) are configured to be able to access the cable life prediction data stored in the cable condition storage unit (401), the cable condition management device (1) according to any one of [2] to [4].

[0116] [6] The cable condition management device (400) is connected to a plurality of device manufacturer terminals (201) belonging to different device manufacturers via a network (500), and the cable condition management device (400) has an access restriction processing unit (407) that restricts access to each device manufacturer terminal (201) so that it can only access the data on the progress of disconnection of the cable (2) related to the managed device (110) manufactured by the device manufacturer to which the device manufacturer terminal (201) belongs, as described in any one of [1] to [5].

[0117] [7] The access restriction processing unit (407) grants the cable manufacturer terminal (301) access to the cable break progression status data of all equipment manufacturers, as described in [6].

[0118] [8] The cable condition management system (1) described in any one of paragraphs [1] to [7], wherein the device to be managed (110) is an industrial robot (110), and the device manufacturer is a robot manufacturer that manufactures the industrial robot (110).

[0119] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the embodiments described above do not limit the invention as defined in the claims. Furthermore, it should be noted that not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential for solving the problem of the invention. In addition, the present invention can be implemented with appropriate modifications without departing from its spirit. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0120] 1…Cable status management system 2…Cables (Cables to be managed) 21...Electric wire 21a...Conductor 100...Robot User Site 110…Industrial robots (devices to be managed) 111... Joint (movable part) 112…Robot control device (control device) 120...User-side data management device (device user-side data management device, main data management device) 122...Storage section 130...User terminal (device user terminal) 150... Resistance detection unit 200... Robot manufacturer website 201...Robot manufacturer terminal (equipment manufacturer terminal) 300... Cable manufacturer website 301... Cable manufacturer terminal 400…Cable condition management device 401... Cable status memory unit 402... Control Unit 403...Settings Processing Unit 404...Data Acquisition Processing Unit 405...Disconnection Progression Estimation Processing Unit 406…Cable lifespan prediction processing unit 407... Access Restriction Processing Unit 500… Network

Claims

1. at least, A main data management device having a storage unit that stores key data for estimating the progression of disconnection in multiple cables, which are selected as managed cables from among multiple cables wired to each of multiple managed devices, A cable status management device having a cable status storage unit, Equipped with, The cable under management is a cable having a conductor made of a stranded conductor formed by twisting together multiple metal strands. The cable status management device is configured to communicate with the main data management device via a network, and the main data is input only to the main data management device. Based on a data update signal transmitted to the main data management device, the device acquires new main data stored in the storage unit of the main data management device and stores it in the cable status storage unit. Subsequently, based on the main data stored in the cable status storage unit, the device estimates the progress of the disconnection of the managed cable. Cable status management system.

2. The aforementioned main data is: Resistance value data representing the time-series change in the resistance value of the aforementioned managed cable, Operational data representing the operating status of the managed device, Includes, The cable condition management device is, The resistance value data and the operation data are linked and compiled into a database. A wire break progression estimation processing unit estimates the wire break progression state of the managed cable based on the resistance value data, A cable life prediction process predicts the cable life of the managed cable based on the estimation results from the cable break progression estimation processing unit and the operation data, Having, The cable status management system according to claim 1.

3. The cable under management is the cable that is most prone to breakage among the multiple cables. The cable status management system according to claim 1.

4. The device under management is an industrial robot. The cable under management is a cable for the movable part of the industrial robot, which is wired to the movable part of the industrial robot. The cable status management system according to claim 1.

5. The device under management is an automobile, The cables under management are the cables in the undercarriage. The cable status management system according to claim 1.

6. The cable status management device is not directly connected to the plurality of managed devices. The cable status management system according to claim 1.

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