Inspection system

Abstract

To provide an inspection system which efficiently upgrades versions of software in the whole of the inspection system and quickly downgrades the versions in a case of a failure during the version upgrading.SOLUTION: An inspection system comprises an update control unit for updating to-be-updated software that is to be updated, and further comprises: a basic operation check unit for automatically or partially manually executing an operation check on the to-be-updated software after the update control unit updated the to-be-updated software; a version downgrading instruction unit for outputting an instruction to restore the to-be-updated software to the state before the update when a malfunction in the operation of the to-be-updated software is determined based on a result of the operation check; and a version downgrading unit for restoring the to-be-updated software to the state before the update through the instruction of the version downgrading instruction unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an inspection system capable of performing software version downgrading.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an SMT (Surface Mount Technology) inspection system including a PC on an inspection device connected to a network, a PC for teaching, visual inspection, and analysis, and a server is known. When upgrading the software executed on such a computer on the network, it is necessary to terminate and replace the running application, so usually, the version upgrade work is performed on each computer (for example, see Patent Documents 1 to 3).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the case of a small-scale system, it is possible to perform software version upgrade during break time or the like. However, when the inspection device is a medium-scale or larger system with five or more units, there is a problem that the time for stopping the line for version upgrade becomes long. Further, in such a medium-scale or larger system, there is a problem that version upgrade work by multiple operators is required.

[0005] These problems can be solved by minimizing downtime for the inspection equipment and efficiently performing software upgrades for the entire inspection system. However, if problems occur during the upgrade, such as applications failing to start, it becomes necessary to revert the entire inspection system software to its previous version, i.e., perform a version downgrade.

[0006] This invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its ultimate objective is to provide an inspection system that enables efficient software version upgrades of the entire inspection system, and allows for prompt version downgrades if problems occur during the upgrade. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This disclosure aims to solve the above problems, An inspection system including an inspection device for inspecting an object to be inspected, It includes an update control unit that updates the software to be updated, which is among the software running on any of the constituent devices, After the update control unit updates the software to be updated, A basic operation verification unit that automatically or partially manually performs operational verification of the updated software subject to the update, If it is determined that a malfunction has occurred in the operation of the software to be updated based on the results of the operation check, the program will output a command to revert the software to its state before the update. The down-down instruction unit, The inspection system further includes a version down unit that, upon instruction from the version down instruction unit, restores the software to be updated to its state before the update.

[0008] When updating software, problems may occur. These problems could include, for example, a device in an inspection system failing to start properly. The version downgrade function can revert the software to its previous state, preventing such problems from occurring on the actual manufacturing line.

[0009] Furthermore, the inspection system may also be characterized by further comprising a notification unit that notifies the user of the results of the operation check and, if it is determined that the software to be updated has a defect. With this, when a user uses the version downgrade instruction unit to output an instruction to manually revert the software to be updated to its pre-update state, the need for this can be quickly grasped.

[0010] Furthermore, in this disclosure, the operational check may be an inspection system characterized by including at least one of the following: checking the communication connection status of the software to be updated, checking the measurement accuracy of the inspection device, checking the inspection performance of the inspection device, checking the time required for the device to operate, and checking whether the data of the software to be updated can be read before the update. Clearly defining the contents of the operational check makes it easier to take countermeasures when a problem occurs.

[0011] Furthermore, in this disclosure, the version downgrade instruction unit may also be an inspection system characterized in that, if it determines that it is possible to repair the defect in the software to be updated based on the results of the operational check without restoring the software to be updated to its pre-update state, it repairs the defect in a manner that does not restore the software to its pre-update state. This prevents unnecessary version downgrades.

[0012] Furthermore, in this disclosure, the version downgrade instruction unit may be an inspection system characterized by automatically determining whether or not to output an instruction to revert the software to be updated back to its pre-update state. This eliminates the need for the user to take any measures necessary to perform the version downgrade.

[0013] Furthermore, the present disclosure may also provide an inspection system comprising an inspection system management device that distributes an update plan for the software to be updated, wherein the update control unit updates the software to be updated in accordance with the update plan distributed by the inspection system management device using update software distributed by the inspection system management device. According to this, by updating the software to be updated in accordance with the update plan distributed by the inspection system management device using update software distributed by the inspection system management device, the downtime of the inspection device can be kept to a minimum, and the software version upgrade of the entire inspection system can be efficiently implemented.

[0014] Furthermore, the means for solving the above problems can be used in combination with each other as much as possible. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, in an inspection system, it is possible to efficiently perform software version upgrades for the entire inspection system, and if a problem occurs during the upgrade, it is possible to quickly perform a version downgrade. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an overall diagram of the inspection system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of the version upgrade support server according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of the management terminal according to the embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the management server according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of the line server according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of the teaching terminal / analysis terminal according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram of the inspection device according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram of the visual inspection terminal according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram of version upgrade and version downgrade according to the embodiment.

Embodiment for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] 〔Application Example〕 The following describes an overview of an application example of the present invention with reference to some drawings. The present disclosure can be applied to an inspection system 1 as shown in FIG. 1.

[0018] FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an inspection system 1 to which the present disclosure is applicable. One production line (not shown) constituting the inspection system 1 in this application example includes inspection devices such as a post-printing inspection device (not shown) and a post-mounting inspection device (not shown). Each inspection device inspects the state of a printed circuit board (not shown) or the like conveyed on the production line at the exit of each process, and automatically detects defects or the possibility of defects. The inspection devices 70-1 to 70-4 shown in FIG. 1 are examples of these inspection devices.

[0019] The inspection system 1 consists of a management terminal 20, a management server 30, line servers 40-1 and 40-2, teaching terminals 50-1 and 50-2, an analysis terminal 60, inspection devices 70-1 and 70-2, a visual inspection terminal 80-1, and a version downgrade instruction unit 90, etc. The management terminal 20 is connected to the version upgrade support server 10 via the network NW2 (hereinafter, when describing multiple devices together, the sub-numbers will be omitted). The devices that constitute the inspection system 1 are not limited to those described above, and the number of each device described above is also just an example and is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the version downgrade instruction unit 90 outputs an instruction to perform a version downgrade of the entire inspection system 1 software as needed after a version upgrade of the entire inspection system 1 software. Details will be explained in Figure 10 below. The version downgrade instruction unit 90 may be a device that automatically determines whether or not to output an instruction to perform a version downgrade, even if, for example, it is a PC that can be remotely operated by a user.

[0020] Referring to Figure 9, we will explain the version upgrade performed after acquiring the version upgrade module and version upgrade plan, and the version downgrade performed if deemed necessary after the version upgrade has been completed, using the line server 40 and the inspection device 70 connected to the line server 40 as examples. First, in the line server 40, the version upgrade control unit 40a checks whether the time for the version upgrade specified in the version upgrade plan has arrived for the application running on the line server 40-1. If it is determined that the time for the version upgrade has arrived, it terminates the application that is subject to the version upgrade (step S101), updates the module of the application subject to the version upgrade with the acquired version upgrade module (step S102), and starts the upgraded application (step S103).

[0021] The version upgrade control unit 70a of the inspection device 70 checks whether the time for a version upgrade specified in the version upgrade plan has arrived for the application running on the inspection device 70, based on the version upgrade plan stored in the version upgrade plan storage unit 70i. If it determines that the time for a version upgrade has arrived, it performs a status check of the line server 40 (confirming whether the version upgrade of the line server 40 has been completed) (step S104). If the version upgrade has been completed, it terminates the application on the inspection device 70 (step S105), updates the application module to the upgraded module (step S106), and starts the upgraded application (step S107). The status check is performed because, when the line server 40 performs predetermined processing based on data acquired from the inspection device 70, the line server 40 running an application that has not yet been upgraded may not be able to properly process data output from the inspection device 70 whose application has already been upgraded, potentially leading to errors.

[0022] The following describes the process of downgrading an application after it has been upgraded. The upgrade control unit 70a instructs the basic operation check unit 70k of the inspection device 70 to check the operation of the entire software of the inspection system 1 (step S108). The operation check may be performed automatically or partially manually by an operator. The basic operation check unit 70k performs the operation check (step S109) and transmits the results of the operation check to the version down instruction unit 90 of the inspection device 70 (step S110). A specific example of the operation check is explained in Figure 4 below. Based on the results of the operation check, the version down instruction unit 90 determines whether or not to output an instruction to downgrade the application to the version down unit 70m of the inspection device 70. If it determines to output an instruction to downgrade the application (step S111), the version down instruction unit 90 instructs the version down unit 70m to communicate with the upgraded application, and the application is downgraded (steps S112, S113).

[0023] Thus, according to the inspection system 1 in this application example, by sending the version upgrade module and version upgrade plan acquired by the management terminal 20 to the management server 30, it is possible to upgrade the software version of the entire inspection system 1 while minimizing the downtime of the inspection device. Furthermore, if a problem occurs in the software due to the version upgrade, it is possible to quickly repair the problem by downgrading the version.

[0024] [Examples] The following describes the inspection system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention in more detail with reference to the drawings (including the drawings that were described in the above example of application). However, the inspection system 1 according to the embodiment of this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the following configuration.

[0025] <Device configuration> Now, let's return to the explanation of Figure 1. In the inspection system 1 shown in Figure 1, the management server 30, line servers 40-1 and 40-2, teaching terminals 50-1 and 50-2, and analysis terminal 60 are connected to network NW1. Inspection devices 70-1 and 70-2 and visual inspection terminal 80-1 are connected via line server 40-1, and inspection devices 70-3 and 70-4 and visual inspection terminal 80-2 are connected via line server 40-2. In addition, management terminal 20 is connected to management server 30. Furthermore, version upgrade support server 10 is connected to management terminal 20 via network NW2.

[0026] Version upgrade support server 10, management terminal 20, management server 30, line servers 40-1, 40-2, teaching terminals 50-1, 50-2, analysis terminal 60, visual inspection terminal 80- 1. 80-2 may be configured as a general-purpose computer system equipped with a CPU (processor), main memory (memory), auxiliary storage (hard disk, etc.), input devices (keyboard, mouse, controller, touch panel, etc.), output devices (display, printer, speaker, etc.), and communication devices. Alternatively, it may be configured as a portable computer system such as a tablet terminal. Furthermore, inspection devices 70-1 to 70-4 may be configured to include a general-purpose computer system equipped with a CPU (processor), main memory (memory), auxiliary storage (hard disk, etc.), and communication devices, and may also include input devices (keyboard, mouse, controller, touch panel, etc.) and output devices (display, printer, speaker, etc.).

[0027] Furthermore, if the version downgrade instruction unit 90 determines that a malfunction occurs in the software of the entire upgraded inspection system 1 and that the malfunction can be repaired without downgrading the software of the entire inspection system 1, it may repair the malfunction using a method other than version downgrade.

[0028] Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of the version upgrade support server 10 according to an embodiment. This device generates a plan for performing version upgrades of application software (hereinafter also simply referred to as "apps") executed on each device of the inspection system 1 using a version upgrade module, and transmits it to the management terminal 20 along with the version upgrade module.

[0029] The version upgrade support server 10 is comprised of a version upgrade plan generation unit 10a, a version upgrade condition acquisition unit 10b, a version upgrade plan storage unit 10c, a version upgrade module storage unit 10d, a version upgrade information transmission unit 10e, a software management information acquisition unit 10f, a software management information storage unit 10g, an inspection system information acquisition unit 10h, and an inspection system information storage unit 10i.

[0030] The software management information storage unit 10g stores software management information acquired through the software management information acquisition unit 10f. This software management information includes version information of software running on the management server 30, line servers 40-1 and 40-2, teaching terminals 50-1 and 50-2, analysis terminal 60, inspection devices 70-1 to 70-4, and visual inspection terminals 80-1 and 80-2 (hereinafter also simply referred to as each device) that constitute the inspection system 1, as well as information for managing the software, such as past version upgrade history. The software management information storage unit 10g stores this software management information in association with each device.

[0031] The inspection system information storage unit 10i stores inspection system information acquired through the inspection system information acquisition unit 10h. This inspection system information includes the operating status and history of each device that constitutes the inspection system 1. The inspection system information also includes information regarding the system configuration of the inspection system 1. This system configuration information represents the relationships between each device that constitutes the inspection system 1, and includes information that defines the order in which software versions are upgraded, such as the relationship in which information output from one device is used for processing by another device. The inspection system information storage unit 10i stores this inspection system information in association with each device.

[0032] The version upgrade module storage unit 10d stores version upgrade modules used to upgrade the software executed in each device that constitutes the inspection system 1. The version upgrade module is not limited to replaceable components of the software executed in each device, but may also be the entire software. In this way, version upgrade modules for each device that constitutes the inspection system 1 are stored in the version upgrade support server 10. Furthermore, the version upgrade module storage unit 10d also stores... The version information and capacity of the upgraded module are output to the upgrade plan generation unit 10a. The version information of the upgraded module stored in the upgraded module storage unit 10d is stored in the software management information storage unit 10g.

[0033] The version upgrade plan generation unit 10a generates a version upgrade plan, which is a plan for upgrading the software running on each device that constitutes the inspection system 1. The version upgrade plan is generated based on software management information, inspection system information, information on version upgrade modules, and version upgrade conditions obtained through the version upgrade condition acquisition unit 10b. Details of the version upgrade conditions and version upgrade plan will be described later.

[0034] The version upgrade plan generated by the version upgrade plan generation unit 10a is associated with each device constituting the inspection system 1 and stored in the version upgrade plan storage unit 10c.

[0035] The upgrade modules stored in the upgrade module storage unit 10d and the upgrade plans stored in the upgrade plan storage unit 10c are transmitted from the upgrade information transmission unit 10e to the management terminal 20 via the network NW2. At this time, an upgrade plan is generated and transmitted for all software that is subject to the upgrade and is executed on each device constituting the inspection system 1.

[0036] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of the management terminal 20 according to the embodiment. The management terminal 20 is a device that manages the software executed in each device that constitutes the inspection system 1.

[0037] The management terminal 20 includes a version upgrade plan generation / editing unit 20a, a version upgrade module acquisition unit 20b, a version upgrade plan acquisition unit 20c, a version upgrade plan / actual display unit 20d, a version upgrade condition acquisition unit 20e, a software management information acquisition unit 20f, a software management information storage unit 20g, an inspection system information acquisition unit 20h, an inspection system information storage unit 20i, and an inspection system information / software management information transmission unit 20j. These functional units are implemented, for example, by executing a program such as a system management application on the CPU or the like.

[0038] The version upgrade plan generation and editing unit 20a generates or edits the version upgrade plan. The version upgrade plan may be the one provided by the version upgrade support server 10 as is, or it may be an edited version, or it may be generated by specifying the software to be upgraded, the scheduled upgrade date and time, etc., using the version upgrade plan and actuals screen 201 described later.

[0039] The version upgrade module acquisition unit 20b acquires the version upgrade module provided by the version upgrade support server 10. Specifically, the version upgrade module acquisition unit 20b is configured according to the form in which the version upgrade module is provided, and may include a communication unit when it is received via the network NW2, or it may include a reading unit when it is provided stored on a storage medium.

[0040] The version upgrade plan acquisition unit 20c acquires the version upgrade plan provided by the version upgrade support server 10. The version upgrade plan acquisition unit 20c is configured according to the form in which the version upgrade plan is provided, similar to the version upgrade module acquisition unit 20b.

[0041] The version upgrade plan / performance display unit 20d displays plans and performance information, including version upgrade plans and past version upgrade performance.

[0042] The version upgrade condition acquisition unit 20e is a version upgrade condition acquisition unit that contains the conditions related to the version upgrade selected or set by the user, and is configured, for example, by an input device.

[0043] The software management information acquisition unit 20f acquires software management information from the management server 30 or from each device below the management server 30 that constitutes the inspection system 1. This software management information is information for managing software, such as version information of software running on each device that constitutes the inspection system 1 and the history of past version upgrades.

[0044] The software management information storage unit 20g stores the software management information acquired by the software management information acquisition unit 20f.

[0045] The inspection system information acquisition unit 20h acquires inspection system information from the management server 30 or from each device below the management server 30 that constitutes the inspection system 1. This inspection system information includes the operating status and history of each device that constitutes the inspection system 1. The inspection system information also includes information regarding the system configuration of the inspection system 1.

[0046] The inspection system information storage unit 20i stores the inspection system information acquired by the inspection system information acquisition unit 20h.

[0047] The inspection system information / software management information transmission unit 20j transmits the software management information stored in the software management information storage unit 20g and the inspection system information stored in the inspection system information storage unit 20i to the version upgrade support server 10 via the network NW2.

[0048] Figure 4 is a functional block diagram of the management server 30 according to the embodiment. The management server 30 is a device that works in conjunction with the management terminal 20 to centrally manage all devices that constitute the inspection system 1, except for the management server 30 and the version down instruction unit 90.

[0049] The management server 30 is comprised of a version upgrade control unit 30a, a software storage unit 30b, a software management unit 30c, a device information storage unit 30d, a software management information / device information transmission unit 30e, a version upgrade module acquisition unit 30f, a version upgrade module storage unit 30g, a version upgrade plan acquisition unit 30h, a version upgrade plan storage unit 30i, a version upgrade module / version upgrade plan distribution unit 30j, a system device information acquisition unit 30k, a software management information acquisition unit 30m, a basic operation confirmation unit 30n, a version downgrade unit 30o, and a notification unit 30p. These functional units are realized, for example, by executing a program on the CPU, such as a version upgrade application for the management server 30, which upgrades the software to be updated executed on the management server using a version upgrade module according to a version upgrade plan, and manages the version upgrade of software executed on other devices constituting the inspection system 1. Here, the management server 30, or the management terminal 20 and the management server 30, corresponds to the inspection system management device of this disclosure.

[0050] The version upgrade control unit 30a performs version upgrades of the software executed on the management server 30. The management server 30 also manages the management servers that make up the inspection system 1. In order to manage the version upgrades of the software performed on each device below 30, the version upgrade control unit 30a also has the function of managing the version upgrades of each device. Here, the version upgrade control unit 30a corresponds to the update control unit of this disclosure.

[0051] The software storage unit 30b stores the software that will be executed on the management server 30.

[0052] The software management unit 30c manages the software version running on the management server 30, as well as the history of past version upgrades. The software management unit 30c also stores software management information, such as the software version and the history of past version upgrades, acquired by the software management information acquisition unit 30m from each device constituting the inspection system 1, excluding the management server 30 and the version downgrade instruction unit 90.

[0053] The device information storage unit 30d stores information including the operating status and history of the management server 30. The device information storage unit 30d also stores system device information, which is information including the operating status and history of each device that constitutes the inspection system 1, excluding the management server 30 and the version down instruction unit 90, acquired by the system device information acquisition unit 30k.

[0054] The software management information / device information transmission unit 30e transmits device information and software management information from the management server 30 to the management terminal 20.

[0055] The version upgrade module acquisition unit 30f acquires version upgrade modules transmitted from the management terminal 20. These version upgrade modules are not limited to those for upgrading the software executed on the management server 30, but also include those for upgrading the software executed on each device that constitutes the inspection system 1, other than the management server 30 and the version down instruction unit 90.

[0056] The version upgrade module storage unit 30g stores the version upgrade modules acquired by the version upgrade module acquisition unit 30f. As described above, the version upgrade modules also include those for software executed on devices other than the management server 30 and the version down instruction unit 90, so the version upgrade modules are stored in association with the device on which the software to be upgraded is executed.

[0057] The version upgrade plan acquisition unit 30h acquires the version upgrade plan transmitted from the management terminal 20. This version upgrade plan includes not only those related to software version upgrades executed on the management server 30, but also those related to software version upgrades executed on each device below the management server 30 that constitutes the inspection system 1.

[0058] The version upgrade plan storage unit 30i stores the version upgrade plan acquired by the version upgrade plan acquisition unit 30h. As described above, the version upgrade plan also includes plans for software to be executed on devices other than the management server 30 and the version down instruction unit 90. Therefore, the version upgrade plan is stored in association with the device on which the software to be upgraded is executed.

[0059] Among the version upgrade modules stored in the version upgrade module storage unit 30g, version upgrade modules for software executed on devices other than the management server 30 and version upgrade plans stored in the version upgrade plan storage unit 30i are included. Of the devices shown in the diagram, the version upgrade plan for software executed on devices other than the management server 30 and the version down instruction unit 90 is distributed by the version upgrade module / version upgrade plan distribution unit 30j to the devices on which the software version upgrade is performed. For devices directly connected to the management server 30 via the network NW1, such as line servers 40-1, 40-2, teaching terminals 50-1, 50-2, and analysis terminal 60 shown in Figure 1, the version upgrade module and version upgrade plan are sent from the management server 30 to these devices. For devices connected to the management server 30 via the network NW1 and line servers 40-1, 40-2, such as inspection devices 70-1 to 70-4 and visual inspection terminals 80-1, 80-2 shown in Figure 2, the version upgrade module and version upgrade plan are sent from the management server 30 to line servers 40-1, 40-2, and then from line servers 40-1, 40-2 to their respective devices.

[0060] The system device information acquisition unit 30k acquires system device information, which includes information such as the operating status and history of each device that makes up the inspection system 1, from all devices except the management server 30. The acquired system device information is stored in the device information storage unit 30d together with the device information of the management server 30.

[0061] The software management information acquisition unit 30m acquires software management information, such as software versions and past version upgrade history, from each device constituting the inspection system 1, excluding the management server 30 and the version downgrade instruction unit 90. The acquired software management information is stored in the software management unit 30c along with the software management information of the management server 30.

[0062] Of the devices constituting the inspection system 1, device information and software management information from devices other than the management server 30 and the version downgrade instruction unit 90 are transmitted to the management terminal 20 from the software management information / device information transmission unit 30e, along with the device information and software management information of the management server 30.

[0063] The following describes the functions related to version downgrades. The basic operation verification unit 30n, at the direction of the version upgrade control unit 30a, automatically or partially manually by the operator performs an operation verification of the upgraded software of the entire inspection system 1. Operation verification includes, for example, checking the communication connection status of the upgraded software of the entire inspection system 1, checking the inspection performance of the inspection devices 70 that constitute the inspection system 1, checking whether the time required for the basic operation flow of each device (for example, the basic flow of teaching by the teaching terminal 50, inspection by the inspection device 70, visual inspection using the visual inspection terminal 80, and analysis using the analysis terminal 60) is the same as before the version upgrade, and checking whether it is possible to read data from before the version upgrade (inspection programs, inspection results, etc.). The basic operation verification unit 30n may also perform an operation verification of the upgraded software of the entire inspection system 1 at the direction of instructions from a functional configuration other than the version upgrade control unit 30a. An example of automatically performing an operation verification of the upgraded software is to use images within the inspection system 1 to confirm that the inspection results do not change before and after the version upgrade. Another example of partially performing operational verification of the upgraded software manually by an operator is to have the operator insert the circuit board into the inspection device 70 and check the repeatability of the inspection performance.

[0064] The basic operation verification unit 30n transmits the results of the operation verification to the version down instruction unit 90 shown in Figure 1, and the version down instruction unit 90 determines whether or not a malfunction has occurred in the software of the entire inspection system 1 based on the results of the operation verification. For example, in the operation verification described above, in checking the communication connection status of the upgraded software of the entire inspection system 1, If the communication connection is poor, problems may occur such as the app not starting properly or the app's settings from the previous version not being correctly transferred.

[0065] If the version downgrade instruction unit 90 determines, based on the results of the operational check, that a malfunction has occurred in the software of the entire inspection system 1, the version downgrade unit 30o communicates with the upgraded application and downgrades the software of the entire inspection system 1 according to the instructions of the version downgrade instruction unit 90.

[0066] The notification unit 30p notifies the user of the results of the above operational checks, and also notifies the user if a malfunction occurs in the software of the entire inspection system 1. The notification unit 30p may be, for example, a PC display.

[0067] Figure 5 is a functional block diagram of the line server 40 according to the embodiment. The line server 40 is a server that manages the production process of the printed circuit board production line under the management server 30. Line servers 40-1 and 40-2 have the same configuration.

[0068] The line server 40 is comprised of a version upgrade control unit 40a, a software storage unit 40b, a software management unit 40c, a device information storage unit 40d, a software management information / device information transmission unit 40e, a version upgrade module acquisition unit 40f, a version upgrade module storage unit 40g, a version upgrade plan acquisition unit 40h, a version upgrade plan storage unit 40i, a version upgrade module / version upgrade plan distribution unit 40j, a system device information acquisition unit 40k, a software management information acquisition unit 40m, a basic operation confirmation unit 40n, a version downgrade unit 40o, and a notification unit 40p. These functional units are realized, for example, by executing a program on the CPU, such as a version upgrade application for the line server 40, which upgrades the software to be updated on the line server 40 using a version upgrade module according to the version upgrade plan, and manages the version upgrades of software executed on other devices below the line server that constitute the inspection system 1.

[0069] The version upgrade control unit 40a performs version upgrades of the software running on the line server 40. Furthermore, since the line server 40 manages version upgrades of the software running on each device below the line server 40 that constitutes the inspection system 1, the version upgrade control unit 40a also has the function of managing version upgrades for each device. The version upgrade control unit 40a corresponds to the update control unit in this disclosure.

[0070] The software storage unit 40b stores the software that will be executed on the line server 40.

[0071] The software management unit 40c manages the version of the software running on the line server 40, as well as the history of past version upgrades.

[0072] The device information storage unit 40d stores information including the operating status and history of the line server 40.

[0073] The software management information / device information transmission unit 40e transmits device information and software management information of the line server 40 to the management server 30.

[0074] The version upgrade module acquisition unit 40f acquires version upgrade modules sent from the management server 30. These version upgrade modules are not limited to those for upgrading the software running on the line server 40, but also include those for the inspection system This also includes upgrading the software running on each device other than the line server 40 and the version down instruction unit 90 that make up component 1.

[0075] The version upgrade module storage unit 40g stores the version upgrade modules acquired by the version upgrade module acquisition unit 40f. As described above, the version upgrade modules also include those for software executed on devices other than the line server 40 and the version down instruction unit 90, so the version upgrade modules are stored in association with the device on which the software to be upgraded is executed.

[0076] The version upgrade plan acquisition unit 40h acquires the version upgrade plan transmitted from the management server 30. This version upgrade plan includes not only those related to software version upgrades executed on the line server 40, but also those related to software version upgrades executed on each device other than the line server 40 and the version down instruction unit 90 that constitute the inspection system 1.

[0077] The version upgrade plan storage unit 40i stores the version upgrade plan acquired by the version upgrade plan acquisition unit 40h. As described above, the version upgrade plan also includes plans for software to be executed on devices other than the line server 40 and the version down instruction unit 90. Therefore, the version upgrade plan is stored in association with the device on which the software to be upgraded is executed.

[0078] Of the version upgrade modules stored in the version upgrade module storage unit 40g, version upgrade modules for software executed on devices other than the line server 40 and the version down instruction unit 90, and of the version upgrade plans stored in the version upgrade plan storage unit 40i, version upgrade plans for software executed on devices other than the line server 40 and the version down instruction unit 90, are distributed by the version upgrade module / version upgrade plan distribution unit 40j to the devices on which the software version upgrade is performed. In the inspection system 1 shown in Figure 1, the line server 40-1 transmits the version upgrade modules and version upgrade plans to the inspection devices 70-1, 70-2, and the visual inspection terminal 80-1. The line server 40-2 transmits the version upgrade modules and version upgrade plans to the inspection devices 70-3, 70-4, and the visual inspection terminal 80-2.

[0079] The system device information acquisition unit 40k acquires system device information, which includes information such as the operating status and history of each device that makes up the inspection system 1, from all devices except the line server 40. The acquired system device information is stored in the device information storage unit 40d together with the device information of the line server 40.

[0080] The software management information acquisition unit 40m acquires software management information, such as software versions and past version upgrade history, from each device constituting the inspection system 1, excluding the line server 40. The acquired software management information is stored in the software management unit 40c along with the software management information of the line server 40.

[0081] Of the devices constituting the inspection system 1, device information and software management information from devices other than the line server 40 and the version down instruction unit 90 are transmitted to the management server 30 from the software management information / device information transmission unit 40e, along with the device information and software management information of the line server 40.

[0082] The following describes the functions related to version downgrading. The basic operation verification unit 40n, at the instruction of the version upgrade control unit 40a, automatically or partially manually by the operator performs an operation verification of the upgraded software of the entire inspection system 1. The operation verification is as described in Figure 4 above. The basic operation verification unit 40n transmits the results of the operation verification to the version downgrade instruction unit 90 shown in Figure 1, and the version downgrade instruction unit 90 determines, based on the results of the operation verification, whether or not a defect as described in Figure 4 above has occurred in the software of the entire inspection system 1.

[0083] If the version downgrade instruction unit 90 determines, based on the results of the operational check, that a malfunction as described in Figure 4 above has occurred in the software of the entire inspection system 1, the version downgrade unit 40o communicates with the upgraded application and downgrades the software of the entire inspection system 1 according to the instructions of the version downgrade instruction unit 90.

[0084] The notification unit 40p will notify the user of the results of the above operational checks, and if a malfunction occurs in the software of the entire inspection system 1.

[0085] Figure 6 is a functional block diagram of the teaching terminal 50 and analysis terminal 60 according to the embodiment. The teaching terminal 50 is a device that creates inspection programs to be executed in inspection devices 70-1 to 70-4. The analysis terminal 60 is a terminal that performs analysis of quality status, etc., based on the inspection data from inspection devices 70-1 to 70-4. The teaching terminal 50-1 and teaching terminal 50-2 have the same configuration. Furthermore, since the functional block configuration of the analysis terminal 60 is the same as that of the teaching terminal 50, the functional blocks related to the analysis terminal 60 are indicated by reference numerals in parentheses in Figure 6, and their explanations are omitted.

[0086] The teaching terminal 50 is comprised of a version upgrade control unit 50a, a software storage unit 50b, a software management unit 50c, a device information storage unit 50d, a software management information / device information transmission unit 50e, a version upgrade module acquisition unit 50f, a version upgrade module storage unit 50g, a version upgrade plan acquisition unit 50h, a version upgrade plan storage unit 50i, a related device information acquisition unit 50j, a basic operation confirmation unit 50k, a version downgrade unit 50m, and a notification unit 50n. These functional units are realized, for example, by executing a program such as a version upgrade application for the teaching terminal 50 on the CPU, which upgrades the software to be updated on the teaching terminal 50 using a version upgrade module according to a version upgrade plan.

[0087] The version upgrade control unit 50a performs a version upgrade of the software executed on the teaching terminal 50. The version upgrade control unit 50a corresponds to the update control unit of the present invention.

[0088] The software storage unit 50b stores the software that will be executed on the teaching terminal 50.

[0089] The software management unit 50c manages the version of the software running on the teaching terminal 50, as well as the history of past version upgrades.

[0090] The device information storage unit 50d stores information including the operating status and history of the teaching terminal 50.

[0091] The software management information / device information transmission unit 50e transmits software management information from the teaching terminal 50 and inspection device information to the management server 30.

[0092] The version upgrade module acquisition unit 50f acquires the version upgrade module transmitted from the management server 30.

[0093] The version upgrade module storage unit 50g stores the version upgrade modules acquired by the version upgrade module acquisition unit 50f.

[0094] The version upgrade plan acquisition unit 50h acquires the version upgrade plan transmitted from the management server 30.

[0095] The version upgrade plan storage unit 50i stores the version upgrade plan acquired by the version upgrade plan acquisition unit 50h.

[0096] The related device information acquisition unit 50j acquires information on related devices, which are among the devices constituting the inspection system 1 that are related to the execution of software version upgrades performed on the teaching terminal 50, such as whether the software version upgrades performed on the management server 30 and inspection devices 70-1 to 70-4 have been completed. Which device is considered a related device is determined by the configuration of the inspection system 1. Here, a related device corresponds to another device in this disclosure.

[0097] The following describes the functions related to version downgrade. The basic operation verification unit 50k, at the instruction of the version upgrade control unit 50a, automatically or partially manually by the operator performs an operation verification of the upgraded software of the entire inspection system 1. The operation verification is as described in Figure 4 above. The basic operation verification unit 50k transmits the results of the operation verification to the version downgrade instruction unit 90 shown in Figure 1, and the version downgrade instruction unit 90 determines, based on the results of the operation verification, whether or not a defect as described in Figure 4 above has occurred in the software of the entire inspection system 1.

[0098] If the version downgrade instruction unit 90 determines, based on the results of the operational check, that a malfunction as described in Figure 4 above has occurred in the software of the entire inspection system 1, the version downgrade unit 50m communicates with the upgraded application and downgrades the software of the entire inspection system 1 according to the instructions of the version downgrade instruction unit 90.

[0099] The notification unit 50n will notify the user of the results of the above operational checks, and if a malfunction occurs in the software of the entire inspection system 1.

[0100] Figure 7 is a functional block diagram of the inspection device 70 according to an embodiment. The inspection device 70 is composed of a version upgrade control unit 70a, a software storage unit 70b, a software management unit 70c, an inspection device information storage unit 70d, a software management information / inspection device information transmission unit 70e, a version upgrade module acquisition unit 70f, a version upgrade module storage unit 70g, a version upgrade plan acquisition unit 70h, a version upgrade plan storage unit 70i, a related device information acquisition unit 70j, a basic operation confirmation unit 70k, a version down unit 70m, and a notification unit 70n. These functional units are realized, for example, by executing a program such as a version upgrade application for the inspection device 70 on the CPU or the like, which upgrades the software to be updated, executed on the inspection device 70, using a version upgrade module, according to a version upgrade plan.

[0101] The version upgrade control unit 70a performs a version upgrade of the software executed by the inspection device 70. The version upgrade control unit 70a corresponds to the update control unit of the present invention.

[0102] The software storage unit 70b stores the software that will be executed by the inspection device 70.

[0103] The software management unit 70c manages the version of the software executed on the inspection device 70, as well as the history of past version upgrades.

[0104] The inspection device information storage unit 70d stores information including the operating status and history of the inspection device 70.

[0105] The software management information / inspection device information transmission unit 70e transmits software management information and inspection device information of the inspection device 70 to the management server 30.

[0106] The version upgrade module acquisition unit 70f acquires the version upgrade module transmitted from the line server 40.

[0107] The version upgrade module storage unit 70g stores the version upgrade modules acquired by the version upgrade module acquisition unit 70f.

[0108] The version upgrade plan acquisition unit 70h acquires the version upgrade plan sent from the line server 40.

[0109] The version upgrade plan storage unit 70i stores the version upgrade plan acquired by the version upgrade plan acquisition unit 70h.

[0110] The related device information acquisition unit 70j acquires information on related devices, which are among the devices constituting the inspection system 1 that are related to the execution of software version upgrades performed on the inspection device 70, such as whether or not the software version executed on the line server 40 is complete. Which device corresponds to a related device is determined by the configuration of the inspection system 1. Here, a related device corresponds to another device of the present invention.

[0111] The following describes the functions related to version downgrade. The basic operation verification unit 70k, at the instruction of the version upgrade control unit 70a, automatically or partially manually by the operator performs an operation verification of the upgraded software of the entire inspection system 1. The operation verification is as described in Figure 4 above. The basic operation verification unit 70k transmits the results of the operation verification to the version downgrade instruction unit 90 shown in Figure 1, and the version downgrade instruction unit 90 determines, based on the results of the operation verification, whether or not a defect as described in Figure 4 above has occurred in the software of the entire inspection system 1.

[0112] If the version downgrade instruction unit 90 determines, based on the results of the operational check, that a malfunction as described in Figure 4 above has occurred in the software of the entire inspection system 1, the version downgrade unit 70m communicates with the upgraded application and downgrades the software of the entire inspection system 1 according to the instructions of the version downgrade instruction unit 90.

[0113] The notification unit 70n will notify the user of the results of the above operational checks, and if a malfunction occurs in the software of the entire inspection system 1.

[0114] Figure 8 is a functional block diagram of the visual inspection terminal 80 according to the embodiment. The visual inspection terminal 80 is a device for visually confirming images of printed circuit boards captured by inspection devices 70-1 to 70-4. Visual inspection terminals 80-1 and 80-2 have similar configurations.

[0115] The visual terminal 80 is comprised of a version upgrade control unit 80a, a software storage unit 80b, a software management unit 80c, a device information storage unit 80d, a software management information / device information transmission unit 80e, a version upgrade module acquisition unit 80f, a version upgrade module storage unit 80g, a version upgrade plan acquisition unit 80h, a version upgrade plan storage unit 80i, a related device information acquisition unit 80j, a basic operation confirmation unit 80k, a version downgrade unit 80m, and a notification unit 80n. These functional units are realized, for example, by executing a program such as a version upgrade application for the visual terminal 80 on the CPU, which upgrades the software to be updated on the visual terminal 80 using a version upgrade module according to a version upgrade plan.

[0116] The version upgrade control unit 80a performs a version upgrade of the software executed on the visual terminal 80. The version upgrade control unit 80a corresponds to the update control unit of the present invention.

[0117] The software storage unit 80b stores the software that will be executed on the visual terminal 80.

[0118] The software management unit 80c manages the version of the software running on the visual terminal 80, as well as the history of past version upgrades.

[0119] The device information storage unit 80d stores information including the operating status and history of the visual terminal 80.

[0120] The software management information / device information transmission unit 80e transmits software management information from the visual inspection terminal 80 and inspection device information to the management server 30.

[0121] The version upgrade module acquisition unit 80f acquires the version upgrade module sent from the line server 40.

[0122] The version upgrade module storage unit 80g stores the version upgrade modules acquired by the version upgrade module acquisition unit 80f.

[0123] The version upgrade plan acquisition unit 80h acquires the version upgrade plan sent from the line server 40.

[0124] The version upgrade plan storage unit 80i stores the version upgrade plan acquired by the version upgrade plan acquisition unit 80h.

[0125] The related device information acquisition unit 80j acquires information on related devices, which are among the devices that make up the inspection system 1 and are related to the execution of software version upgrades performed on the visual inspection terminal 80, such as whether or not the software version executed on the line server 40 is complete. Which device is considered a related device is determined by the configuration of the inspection system 1.

[0126] The following describes the functions related to version downgrade. The basic operation verification unit 80k, at the instruction of the version upgrade control unit 80a, automatically or partially manually by the operator performs an operation verification of the upgraded software of the entire inspection system 1. The operation verification is as described in Figure 4 above. The basic operation verification unit 80k transmits the results of the operation verification to the version downgrade instruction unit 90 shown in Figure 1, and the version downgrade The instruction unit 90 determines, based on the results of the operation check, whether or not a malfunction like the one described in Figure 4 above has occurred in the software of the entire inspection system 1.

[0127] If the version downgrade instruction unit 90 determines, based on the results of the operational check, that a malfunction as described in Figure 4 above has occurred in the software of the entire inspection system 1, the version downgrade unit 80m communicates with the upgraded application and downgrades the software of the entire inspection system 1 according to the instructions of the version downgrade instruction unit 90.

[0128] The notification unit 80n will notify the user of the results of the above operational checks, and if a malfunction occurs in the software of the entire inspection system 1.

[0129] Now, let's return to the explanation of Figure 9. In the following, we will use the functional configuration of the inspection device 70 shown in Figure 7 as an example and explain only the process of downgrading after launching an upgraded application. The upgrade control unit 70a instructs the basic operation check unit 70k to check the operation of the entire software of the inspection system 1 (step S108). As mentioned above, the functional configuration that instructs the basic operation check unit 70k to check the operation of the entire software of the inspection system 1 may be other than the upgrade control unit 70a. The operation check is as explained in Figure 4 above. The basic operation check unit 70k performs the operation check as instructed by the upgrade control unit 70a (step S109) and transmits the result of the operation check to the downgrade instruction unit 90 (step S110). Based on the results of the operation check, the version down instruction unit 90 determines whether or not to output an instruction to downgrade the application to the version down instruction unit 70m of the inspection device 70. If it determines to output an instruction to downgrade the application (step S111), the version down instruction unit 90 instructs the version down instruction unit 70m to communicate with the upgraded application, and the application is downgraded (steps S112, S113).

[0130] <Note> An inspection system (1) including inspection devices (70-1 to 70-4) for inspecting an object to be inspected, The system includes an update control unit (30a) that updates the update target software among the software that is to be updated, which is executed on any of the constituent devices (20, 30, 40-1, 40-2, 50-1, 50-2, 60, 70-1~70-4, 80-1, 80-2), After the update control unit updates the software to be updated, A basic operation verification unit (30n) that automatically or partially manually performs operation verification of the updated software subject to the update, If it is determined that a malfunction has occurred in the operation of the software to be updated based on the results of the operation check, the version down instruction unit (90) outputs an instruction to revert the software to its state before the update, The inspection system (1) further comprises a version down unit (30o) that, according to the instructions of the version down instruction unit, restores the software to be updated to its state before the update. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] 1: Inspection System 10a: Version upgrade plan generation unit 10b: Version upgrade condition acquisition section 10c: Version upgrade plan memory unit 10d: Version upgrade module storage unit 10e: Version update information transmission unit 10f: Software Management Information Acquisition Unit 10g: Software management information storage unit 10h: Inspection System Information Acquisition Department 10i: Inspection system information storage unit 20: Management terminal 30: Management Server 30a: Version upgrade control unit 30b: Software storage unit 30c: Software Management Department 30d: Device information storage section 30e: Software management information / device information transmission unit 30f: Version upgrade module acquisition section 30g: Version upgrade module storage unit 30h: Version Upgrade Plan Acquisition Department 30i: Version upgrade plan memory unit 30j: Version Upgrade Module / Version Upgrade Plan Distribution Department 30k: System device information acquisition unit 30m: Software Management Information Acquisition Unit 30n: Basic operation confirmation section 30o: Version Downgrade Section 30p: Hochi Department 40-1, 40-2: Line Server 50-1, 50-2: Teaching terminals 60: Analysis terminal 70-1~70-4: Inspection equipment 80-1, 80-2: Visual terminals 90: Version Downgrade Instruction Section

Claims

1. An inspection system including an inspection device for inspecting an object to be inspected, It includes an update control unit that updates the software to be updated, which is among the software running on any of the constituent devices, After the update control unit updates the software to be updated, A basic operation verification unit that automatically or partially manually performs operational verification of the updated software subject to the update, If it is determined that a malfunction has occurred in the operation of the software to be updated based on the results of the operation check, the version down instruction unit outputs an instruction to revert the software to its state before the update. The system further includes a version down unit that, upon instruction from the version down instruction unit, restores the software to be updated to its state before the update, The aforementioned operational check includes at least one of the following: confirmation of the measurement accuracy of the inspection device, or confirmation of the inspection performance of the inspection device. An inspection system characterized by the following features.

2. The inspection system according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit that notifies the user if it is determined that the above-mentioned malfunction has occurred in the software to be updated, based on the results of the above-mentioned operational check.

3. The inspection system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, if the version downgrade instruction unit determines that it is possible to repair the defect in the software to be updated based on the results of the operation check without restoring the software to be updated to its pre-update state, it repairs the defect in a manner that does not restore the software to its pre-update state.

4. The inspection system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the version downgrade instruction unit automatically determines whether or not to output an instruction to revert the software to be updated back to its state before the update.

5. The system further includes an inspection system management device that distributes the update plan for the aforementioned software to be updated, The inspection system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the update control unit updates the software to be updated in accordance with the update plan distributed from the inspection system management device using update software distributed from the inspection system management device.

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