Information processing device

Abstract

To reduce a workload in component supply to a chip mounter.SOLUTION: An information processing device includes component information reception means for receiving component information including the residual number of components or component shortage information of an electronic component or a printed circuit board from a chip mounter for arranging the electronic component at the printed circuit board, storage means for storing information on a storage area of the electronic component or the printed circuit board, and movement instruction means for instructing an automatic conveyance device to convey an object component of the component information from the storage area to the chip mounter on the basis of information on the component information and the storage area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a chip mounter for mounting (implementing) electronic components on a printed circuit board, when component supply is required, an operator directly goes to the component storage area and transports the corresponding component from the storage area to the chip mounter. Then, the operator supplies the component required for supply to the chip mounter. At that time, as a technique for avoiding the supply of incorrect components, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique that prevents component supply unless a defined component verification operation is performed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, when component supply is required, if an operator frequently goes directly to the component storage area and transports the components to the apparatus, the labor load due to transportation will increase.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object thereof is to provide a technique capable of reducing the labor load in component supply to a chip mounter.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is A component information receiving means that receives component information, including the number of remaining components or component shortage information, from a chip mounter that places electronic components on a printed circuit board, A storage means for storing information relating to the storage area of ​​the electronic component or the printed circuit board, Movement instruction means for instructing an automated transport device to transport the target part from the storage area to the chip mounter based on the part information and the information regarding the storage area, It is an information processing device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the labor burden in supplying components to a chip mounter can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating the overview of the parts supply system. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the parts supply system. [Figure 3] Block diagram showing the server hardware configuration. [Figure 4] This is a functional block diagram showing an example of the server's functional configuration. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the parts supply process. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of an automated conveying device and an automated discharge device. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of an automatic discharge device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] (Embodiment) <Overview> This embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the overview of the component supply system according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, an example is described in which the automatic transport device 2 supplies (transports) electronic components and printed circuit boards to the chip mounter CM (or paste solder printing machine SP) in response to a request from the chip mounter CM.

[0010] In the example shown in Figure 1, when Server 1 receives a request from Chip Mounter CM for the supply of components (electronic components or printed circuit boards, etc., as described later), it instructs the automated transport device 2 to transport the corresponding components from the component storage area to Chip Mounter CM. Here, a parts supply request includes parts information. Parts information may include, for example, identification information of the requested electronic component or printed circuit board, identification information of the requesting chip mounter CM, and information on the remaining number of parts or parts that are out of stock. Parts out of stock information may include, for example, information indicating that a part has run out or that the remaining number of parts (e.g., the number of remaining tapes on a reel) has fallen below a predetermined number. In this embodiment, Server 1 receives component supply requests from Chip Mounter CM via Chip Mounter Server MS. Alternatively, Server 1 may receive component supply requests directly from Chip Mounter CM. It is also possible to consider Server 1 and Chip Mounter Server MS as a single server. Furthermore, in addition to the identification information of the chip mounter CM, the supply request may also include information indicating the location of the feeder corresponding to the requested component on the chip mounter CM. This allows, for example, when a person is attaching a reel to the chip mounter CM, the information indicating the feeder location can be displayed on the person's operating terminal, etc., to show the person which feeder to attach the reel to. Also, for example, when an automated transport device 2 is attaching a reel to the chip mounter CM, the location of the feeder can be shown to the automated transport device 2. Thus, it is possible to prevent the reel from being mistakenly attached to the wrong feeder when mounting the requested component on the chip mounter CM.

[0011] A chip mounter CM is a device (electronic component mounting machine) for placing (mounting; attaching) electronic components onto a printed circuit board. In this embodiment, an example is described in which the chip mounter CM is a surface mount device that mounts electronic components to the surface (one side or both sides) of a printed circuit board using surface mount technology (SMT). In this embodiment, a solder paste printer SP prints solder paste onto the printed circuit board using a metal mask. Then, the chip mounter CM mounts one or more (one or more types) electronic components. Then, a reflow oven RF heats the solder paste to make the printed circuit board and the electronic components adhere to (fix) each other. This series of processes is controlled by a chip mounter server MS. In this embodiment, surface mounting is used as an example, but the mounting method for electronic components is not limited to surface mounting; for example, through-hole mounting, mixed mounting, etc., may also be used. Note that while Figure 1 shows an example where three solder paste printing machines SP, chip mounters CM, and reflow ovens RF are in operation, the number and types are not particularly limited. Also, the transport route shown in Figure 1 is just one example, and the automatic transport device 2 may transport electronic components, printed circuit boards, etc., to multiple chip mounters CM, etc.

[0012] A printed circuit board (PCB) includes both a printed wiring board (PWB) and a printed circuit board (PCB). A printed circuit board (BB) is a board made of an insulating material with conductive wiring laid on its surface or inside. Printed circuit boards are also called bare boards, raw boards, or raw substrates. In this embodiment, a printed circuit board is referred to as a "raw substrate." Printed circuit board AB refers to a printed wiring board on which electronic components have been soldered, enabling it to function as an electronic circuit. A printed circuit board can also be considered an assembled circuit board. Furthermore, the term "printed wiring board" includes multilayer printed wiring boards. In this embodiment, the printed circuit board is referred to as a "finished circuit board."

[0013] In this embodiment, an electronic component is one used in the above implementation (for example, component EC in FIG. 1), and is a broad concept including, for example, components of an electronic circuit (such as an IC chip, a capacitor, a resistor, etc.), solder (such as cream solder), a metal mask, etc. In this embodiment, components of an electronic circuit will be described as an example of electronic components. Usually, electronic components such as IC chips, capacitors, and resistors are often packaged on reels. A reel is one in which a plurality of the same type of components are stored at a certain pitch, and is formed by winding a component storage tape in a reel shape. Electronic components are supplied one by one by intermittently feeding the component storage tape in units of the component storage pitch. Therefore, a reel containing the above-mentioned electronic components is supplied to the chip mounter CM. Note that the packaging form of electronic components is not limited to reels, and they may be packaged in trays, sticks, etc., for example.

[0014] The automatic transfer device 2 is a device that moves within a facility (such as a factory) where the chip mounter CM is provided based on an instruction from the server 1. The automatic transfer device 2 is an autonomous vehicle capable of unmanned automatic operation, and at least includes a traveling part (such as a plurality of wheels), a control part that automatically controls the traveling part, an operation part that performs various operations, and a holding table. Identification information for identifying the automatic transfer device 2 is attached, and it further includes an imaging part. Details of the configuration in the automatic transfer device 2 will be described later using FIG. 6. In this embodiment, the automatic transfer device 2 transports electronic components from the component storage area to each chip mounter CM based on an instruction from the server 1. Also, the automatic transfer device 2 transports a raw substrate from the raw substrate storage area to each chip mounter CM (in the case of surface mounting, the cream solder printer SP) based on an instruction from the server 1. Furthermore, the automatic transfer device 2 transports a completed substrate from each chip mounter CM (or a storage location after passing through the reflow furnace RF) to the area of the next process (such as an inspection area, a warehouse, etc.) based on an instruction from the server 1. In the aforementioned parts storage area, the method by which the automated transport device 2 acquires electronic components is not particularly limited. For example, electronic components may be loaded by an operator, or the device may directly receive electronic components discharged from the discharge port by the automated discharge device 3 described later. Alternatively, the device may directly receive electronic components that have been sorted into one of the multiple discharge ports by a sorter mounted on the automated discharge device 3. In Figure 1, the automated transport device 2 moves along the transport routes shown as R1 to R3, etc. Multiple automated transport devices 2 may be provided, each with a different role (transport route), and one or more automated transport devices 2 may perform multiple roles. In other words, they may move across multiple transport routes. Furthermore, the automated transport device 2 may be equipped with an arm (installation means) for installing new electronic components or printed circuit boards into a chip mounter CM or the like. This reduces the labor required of workers to set electronic components into the chip mounter CM. Note that the installation means is not limited to an arm; for example, it may be a supply device for installing reels into the chip mounter CM.

[0015] The automatic discharge device 3 is a device that stores (mounts) electronic components or printed circuit boards and discharges them based on instructions (discharge instructions) from the server 1. In this embodiment, the automatic discharge device 3 is installed in a component storage area or a raw circuit board storage area within the facility where the chip mounter CM is installed. Details of the configuration of the automatic discharge device 3 will be described later with reference to Figure 7. In this embodiment, the automatic discharge device 3 is provided with a storage section capable of storing multiple electronic components and an outlet for discharging the electronic components. The automatic discharge device 3 then discharges the corresponding electronic components based on a discharge instruction from the server 1. The automatic discharge device 3 may be equipped with multiple types of electronic components or printed circuit boards. Furthermore, the discharge port may be equipped with a sorter, in which case the destination of the discharged parts may be sorted according to the type of part and the discharge instruction from server 1. For example, the automatic discharge device 3 may be provided with four discharge ports A to D. This allows the appropriate part to be discharged to the appropriate discharge port even if the server 1 issues discharge instructions for multiple parts at the same time. The following describes the details of the parts supply system according to this embodiment.

[0016] <System Configuration> Figure 2 is a diagram showing an overview of the system configuration of the parts supply system according to this embodiment. The parts supply system according to this embodiment is configured such that a chip mounter server MS, a chip mounter CM, a server 1, an automatic transport device 2, and an automatic discharge device 3 are interconnected via a predetermined network N such as the Internet. Server 1 performs various processes in cooperation with the operations of the automatic transport device 2 and the automatic discharge device 3.

[0017] <Hardware Configuration> Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of Server 1 according to this embodiment. Server 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a bus 14, an input / output interface 15, an output unit 16, an input unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20.

[0018] The CPU 11 executes various processes according to the program stored in the ROM 12 or the program loaded from the storage unit 18 into the RAM 13. The RAM 13 also stores data necessary for the CPU 11 to execute various processes. The CPU 11, ROM 12, and RAM 13 are interconnected via a bus 14. An input / output interface 15 is also connected to this bus 14.

[0019] The input / output interface 15 is connected to an output unit 16, an input unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20. The output unit 16 consists of a display, speakers, etc., and outputs various information as images and sounds. The input unit 17 consists of a keyboard, mouse, etc., and inputs various information. The storage unit 18 consists of a hard disk, DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), etc., and stores various data. The communication unit 19 communicates with other devices via a network N, including the Internet.

[0020] The drive 20 is appropriately equipped with removable media 21, which may consist of a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory. Programs read from the removable media 21 by the drive 20 are installed in the storage unit 18 as needed. The removable media 21 can also store various types of data stored in the storage unit 18, just like the storage unit 18.

[0021] Although not shown in the diagram, the automated transport device 2 has the hardware configuration shown in Figure 3, and further comprises at least the aforementioned travel unit (drive system (motor, including its drive circuit), steering system, etc.), a control unit that automatically controls the travel unit, an operation unit that performs various operations, and a holding platform. The CPU 22, memory unit 23, and communication unit 24 in the automated transport device 2 are the same as the CPU 11, memory unit 18, and communication unit 19 described above, so their explanation is omitted. Although not shown in the diagram, the automatic discharge device 3 has the hardware configuration shown in Figure 3, and further includes a storage unit for storing electronic components, a transport unit for transporting them from the storage unit to the discharge port, and a discharge port for discharging the electronic components. The CPU 25, memory unit 26, and communication unit 27 in the automatic discharge device 3 are the same as the CPU 11, memory unit 18, and communication unit 19 described above, so their explanation is omitted.

[0022] <Functional Configuration> Figure 4 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the server 1, automatic transport device 2, and automatic discharge device 3 according to this embodiment.

[0023] ≪Server 1 Functional Configuration≫ In the CPU 11 of server 1, the following functions operate: part information receiving unit 31, route determination unit 32, movement instruction transmission unit 33, discharge instruction transmission unit 34, counting unit 35, charge calculation unit 36, etc.

[0024] In this embodiment, the component information receiving unit 31 receives a supply request for electronic components or printed circuit boards (hereinafter referred to as electronic components, etc.) from the chip mounter CM. Here, the supply request includes component information. As mentioned above, component information includes identification information of the requested electronic components, identification information of the requesting chip mounter CM, and information on the remaining number of components or component shortages. The remaining number of components is information indicating, for example, the remaining number of the requested electronic components contained in the reel, or the remaining amount of tape on the reel. Information regarding parts shortages includes, for example, information indicating that a part has run out or that the number of remaining parts (for example, the number of remaining tapes on a reel) has fallen below a predetermined number. For example, the parts information receiving unit 31 may detect that a part shortage has occurred when the number of remaining parts received falls below a predetermined number (a predetermined value). The parts information receiving unit 31 stores the received parts information in the parts information DB 42, which will be described later. Furthermore, the component information receiving unit 31 may receive the quantity of completed circuit boards (printed circuit boards) on which electronic components are mounted, and detect the remaining number of components or components running out based on the quantity of completed circuit boards. In other words, the component information receiving unit 31 may determine the remaining number of components or components running out based on the quantity of completed circuit boards on which electronic components are mounted by the chip mounter CM. For example, by pre-storing the number of electronic components mounted on one completed circuit board or the number of electronic components contained in one reel in the storage unit 18, the remaining number of components or components running out can be detected based on the quantity of completed circuit boards received. Furthermore, if the above-mentioned supply request does not include identification information of the requesting chip mounter CM, an identification unit (not shown) for identifying the requesting chip mounter CM may be provided.

[0025] The route determination unit 32 determines the transport route of the automatic transport device 2 based on the identification information of the requested electronic component and the identification information of the requesting chip mounter CM from the above-mentioned component information. Examples of transport routes determined by the route determination unit 32 include the transport routes R1 to R3 shown in Figure 1. Transport route R1 is the transport route from the current location of the automated transport device 2 to the parts storage area or the raw circuit board storage area (hereinafter referred to as the storage area). Transport route R2 is the transport route from the storage area to the requesting chip mounter CM. Transport route R3 is the transport route from the requesting chip mounter CM to the waiting area of ​​the automated transport device 2. In this embodiment, the location of electronic components, etc., within the storage area is linked to information about the electronic components, etc., and stored in the storage information DB43, which will be described later. The route determination unit 32 refers to the storage information DB43 and obtains the location of the electronic components, etc., within the storage area from the information of the requested electronic components, etc. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the location of the chip mounter CM is assumed to be stored in the mounter information DB41, which will be described later. The route determination unit 32 uses the mounter information DB41 to obtain the location of the chip mounter CM from the identification information of the requesting chip mounter CM. Furthermore, the route determination unit 32 should determine the transport route in a way that avoids obstacles. Obstacles can be detected, for example, based on image information captured by cameras inside the factory. The current location of the automated transport device 2 may be obtained using a beacon system or IC tags, or it may be obtained based on image information captured by a camera in the factory. The route determination unit 32 may also determine a transport route for moving the completed substrate from the chip mounter CM to the location of the next process.

[0026] The movement instruction transmission unit 33 transmits a movement instruction to the automatic transport device 2 to transport the electronic components, etc., along the transport route determined as described above. The movement instruction may include the component information (information regarding the requested electronic components, etc.) as described above. The movement instruction transmission unit 33 transmits an instruction to the automatic transport device 2, for example, to move from the waiting area to the storage area. Then, when the automatic transport device 2 receives the requested electronic components, etc. in the storage area (when new electronic components, etc. are loaded), the movement instruction transmission unit 33 transmits an instruction to the automatic transport device 2 to move from the storage area to the chip mounter CM. Furthermore, when the automatic transport device 2 unloads the requested electronic components, etc., from the chip mounter CM, the movement instruction transmission unit 33 transmits an instruction to the automatic transport device 2 to move from the chip mounter CM to a predetermined waiting location. Furthermore, the movement instruction transmission unit 33 does not necessarily have to transmit the transport route; it may also transmit the location of the storage area and the location of the chip mounter CM. In this case, the automated transport device 2 transports the electronic components, etc., by autonomous driving.

[0027] The discharge instruction transmission unit 34 transmits a discharge instruction to the automatic discharge device 3 to discharge the requested electronic components, etc. Preferably, the discharge instruction includes component information, including the remaining number of parts or information on parts that are out of stock of the requested electronic components, etc. In this embodiment, the automatic discharge device 3 operates autonomously to discharge the requested electronic components, etc., upon receiving the above discharge instruction. For example, the discharge instruction transmission unit 34 can instruct the automatic transport device 2 to discharge the requested electronic components, etc., at the discharge port of the automatic discharge device 3 when the automatic transport device 2 arrives. This allows the automatic transport device 2 to directly receive the electronic components, etc., discharged from the discharge port. This reduces the burden on workers in the storage area who would otherwise have to load the electronic components, etc., onto the automatic transport device 2.

[0028] The counting unit 35 counts the number of times the automatic transport device 2 transports electronic components, etc., to the chip mounter CM, etc. For example, if there are multiple automatic transport devices 2, the counting unit 35 counts the number of times each automatic transport device 2 transports electronic components, etc., to the chip mounter CM, etc. The counting unit 35 also counts the number of times the automatic transport device 2 transports the printed circuit board AB to the next process. The counting unit 35 may also count the distance traveled by the automatic transport device 2.

[0029] The fee calculation unit 36 ​​calculates the fee according to the counted number of transports (or distance traveled). Here, the fee may include, for example, the rental fee charged by the business that leases the automated transport device 2. In other words, the fee calculation unit 36 ​​calculates the amount to be charged to the user who uses the automated transport device 2.

[0030] Furthermore, the storage unit 18 of the server 1 shown in Figure 4 is provided with mounter information DB 41, parts information DB 42, storage information DB 43, and the like.

[0031] The Mounter Information DB41 is a database that stores information about chip mounters (CMs). This information includes identification information, location information, manufacturer, etc.

[0032] The parts information DB42 is a database that stores parts information received by the parts information receiving unit 31. Parts information includes the request number (key information), as mentioned above, identification information of the requested electronic component, identification information of the requesting chip mounter CM, and information on the remaining number of parts or parts that are out of stock.

[0033] The storage information DB43 is a database that stores information about storage areas. This information includes, for example, identification information for electronic components, the storage location of electronic components (for example, the location of the automatic discharge device 3 where electronic components are stored), and so on.

[0034] ≪Functional Configuration of Automatic Transport System 2≫ In the CPU 22 of the automatic transport device 2, the movement instruction receiving unit 51, drive control unit 52, part detection unit 53, transport notification unit 54, etc., function when the device is in operation.

[0035] The movement instruction receiving unit 51 receives movement instructions from the server 1. The movement instructions include, for example, identification information of the electronic component to be moved, information of the storage area where the electronic component is stored, and the transport route. The storage area information may include the location of the discharge port from which the electronic component is discharged.

[0036] The drive control unit 52 controls each drive unit of the automatic transport device 2 based on the movement instruction to achieve movement. The drive control unit 52 is assumed to include the steering unit described above. Furthermore, if the automatic transport device 2 is equipped with an arm (installation means), the drive control unit 52 controls the arm to install the transported electronic components, etc., into the chip mounter CM.

[0037] The component detection unit 53 detects that electronic components or the like have been placed on the holding platform of the automatic transport device 2. The component detection unit 53 detects that electronic components or the like have been placed on the holding platform by, for example, measuring the weight using a predetermined acceleration sensor or touch sensor. Alternatively, the component detection unit 53 may also detect that electronic components or the like have been placed on the holding platform by analyzing images taken of the holding platform or by using communication via IC tags. Furthermore, the component detection unit 53 detects whether the placed (mounted) electronic component is the requested electronic component (the target component of the component information). For example, the component detection unit 53 uses a communication unit (not shown) that communicates wirelessly with an IC tag attached to the placed electronic component to obtain identification information of the electronic component and detect whether the placed electronic component is the requested electronic component. It can also be understood that the component detection unit 53 determines whether the target component of the component information and the newly mounted electronic component are the same. The component detection unit 53 may also notify the server 1 that an electronic component or the like has been placed on the holder.

[0038] The transport notification unit 54 notifies the server 1 that electronic components, etc., have been transported. The transport notification unit 54 also notifies the server 1 when the automatic transport device 2 moves to a predetermined location (for example, a storage area, a chip mounter CM, a waiting area, etc.).

[0039] Furthermore, the storage unit 23 of the automated transport device 2 shown in Figure 4 is equipped with a movement instruction information DB 61, a route information DB 62, and the like.

[0040] The movement instruction information DB61 stores information about movement instructions sent from server 1.

[0041] Route information DB62 stores route information sent from server 1.

[0042] ≪Functional Configuration of Automatic Discharge Device 3≫ In the CPU 25 of the automatic discharge device 3, the discharge instruction receiving unit 71, the discharge unit 72, the discharge notification unit 73, etc., function when the device is in operation.

[0043] The discharge instruction receiving unit 71 receives discharge instructions for electronic components, etc., from the server 1.

[0044] The discharge unit 72 discharges electronic components, etc., to the discharge port in response to a discharge instruction. A sorter may be provided at the discharge port, in which case the discharge unit 72 may sort the discharge destination according to the type of component and the discharge instruction from the server 1. It can also be considered that the discharge unit 72 discharges electronic components, etc., corresponding to the component information (discharge instruction) transmitted from the server 1.

[0045] The discharge notification unit 73 notifies the server 1 that electronic components, etc., have been discharged.

[0046] Furthermore, the storage unit 26 of the automatic transport device 2 shown in Figure 4 is equipped with discharge instruction information DB81, etc.

[0047] The discharge instruction information DB81 stores information about discharge instructions sent from server 1.

[0048] <Processing details> Figure 5 shows an example of the parts supply process according to this embodiment.

[0049] In step S1, the parts information receiving unit 31 receives a request for the supply of electronic components, etc., from the automated transport device 2.

[0050] In step S2, the parts information receiving unit 31 identifies the chip mounter CM that made the supply request. For example, the parts information receiving unit 31 may identify the chip mounter CM that made the supply request based on the identification information of the chip mounter CM included in the supply request.

[0051] In step S3, the route determination unit 32 identifies the storage location of the requested electronic components, etc. In this embodiment, the route determination unit 32 uses the storage information DB 43 to obtain the location of the requested electronic components, etc. within the storage area from the information of the requested electronic components, etc.

[0052] In step S4, the route determination unit 32 determines the transport route of the automatic transport device 2 based on the identification information of the requested electronic component and the identification information of the requesting chip mounter from the above-mentioned component information.

[0053] In step S5, the movement instruction transmission unit 33 transmits part information and transport route to the automatic transport device 2, instructing it to move to the storage area.

[0054] In step S6, the drive control unit 52 of the automatic transport device 2 controls each drive unit of the automatic transport device 2 based on the movement instruction and moves to the storage area.

[0055] In step S7, the transport notification unit 54 of the automated transport device 2 notifies the server 1 that it has moved to the storage area.

[0056] In step S8, the discharge instruction transmission unit 34 transmits a discharge instruction to the automatic discharge device 3 to discharge the requested electronic components, etc.

[0057] In step S9, the discharge unit 72 of the automatic discharge device 3 discharges electronic components and the like to the discharge port in response to the discharge instruction.

[0058] In step S10, the discharge notification unit 73 of the automatic discharge device 3 notifies the server 1 that electronic components, etc., have been discharged.

[0059] In step S11, the component detection unit 53 of the automatic transport device 2 detects that electronic components or the like have been placed on the holding table.

[0060] In step S12, the component detection unit 53 of the automatic transport device 2 detects whether the mounted electronic component is the requested electronic component (the component subject to component information).

[0061] In step S13, the component detection unit 53 of the automatic transport device 2 notifies the server 1 that electronic components, etc., have been placed on the holding stand.

[0062] In step S14, the movement instruction transmission unit 33 transmits a movement instruction to the automatic transport device 2 to move from the storage area to the chip mounter CM.

[0063] In step S15, the drive control unit 52 of the automatic transport device 2 controls each drive unit of the automatic transport device 2 based on the movement instruction and moves to the chip mounter CM.

[0064] In step S16, the drive control unit 52 of the automatic transport device 2 controls the arm provided on the automatic transport device 2 to place the transported electronic components, etc., into the chip mounter CM.

[0065] In step S17, the transport notification unit 54 of the automated transport device 2 notifies the server 1 that electronic components, etc., have been transported.

[0066] In step S18, the counting unit 35 counts the number of times the automatic transport device has transported electronic components, etc., to the chip mounter CM. Here, the counting unit 35 increments the transport count by 1.

[0067] In step S19, the fare calculation unit 36 ​​calculates the fare according to the counted number of transports (or distance traveled).

[0068] Figure 6 shows an example of an automated transport device 2 according to this embodiment. In the example in Figure 6, the automated transport device 2 includes a holding base 91, a plurality of wheels 92, a handle 93, an operating unit 94, various sensors 95, and the like. The holding platform 91 is used to mount parts and other components. The wheels 92 rotate by receiving power through the control of various drive units by the drive control unit 52 described above, thereby moving the automatic transport device 2 forward or backward. The handle 93 is a component that is grasped by the user. The operating unit 94 is an operating unit for moving the automatic transport device 2 in the direction desired by the user. Various sensors 95 are, for example, obstacle sensors.

[0069] Figure 7 shows an example of an automatic discharge device 3 according to this embodiment. In Figure 7(A), the automatic discharge device 3 includes a storage section 96, an outlet 97, etc. Multiple electronic components are stored in the storage section 96. The outlet 97 discharges the electronic components, etc. Figure 7(B) shows an example of discharging electronic components (components EC) based on a discharge instruction from server 1. The discharge port 97 may also be equipped with a belt, which allows the discharged electronic components to be directly loaded onto the automatic transport device 2. Figure 7(C) shows another example of the automatic discharge device 3 shown in Figure 7(B), in which the automatic discharge device 3 is equipped with a sorter. This allows for automatic sorting so that electronic components and the like are discharged into one of the discharge ports 97a to 97d.

[0070] <Advantageous effects of this embodiment> According to the above-described embodiment, the automated transport device 2 can perform the task of transporting electronic components and the like from the storage area to the chip mounter, instead of an operator. This eliminates the need for an operator to travel back and forth between the storage area and the chip mounter.

[0071] Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, by acquiring or detecting the identification information of the chip mounter, it is possible to prevent the electronic component from being mistakenly transported to the wrong mounter, even when there are multiple types and numbers of mounters.

[0072] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, by recognizing the identification information of the electronic component mounted on the automated transport device, it is possible to suppress the error of mistakenly transporting the wrong electronic component to the chip mounter. In other words, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a finished circuit board with the electronic component corresponding to the wrong reel mounted on the chip mounter by attaching the wrong reel. It should be noted that recognizing the identification information of electronic components is not essential; by transporting the components replenished by the server and automated transport system, human error such as workers transporting the wrong electronic components can be prevented.

[0073] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, the required electronic components are discharged by the automatic discharge device, and the discharged electronic components are directly received by the automatic transport device 2, thereby eliminating the need for workers to load the electronic components onto the automatic transport device 2 in the storage area.

[0074] Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, the electronic components and the like that transported by the automated transport device are supplied to the chip mounter by an arm provided on the automated transport device, thereby eliminating the need for an operator to manually supply the electronic components and the like to the chip mounter.

[0075] Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, by calculating rental fees or lease fees based on the number of times the automated transport device has transported items and the distance traveled, the provider of the automated transport device can calculate an appropriate billing amount for the user of the automated transport device.

[0076] One embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and any modifications, improvements, etc., that can achieve the objectives of the present invention are included within the scope of the present invention.

[0077] (modified version) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which one electronic component is transported based on one transport instruction. However, the system is not limited to this, and two or more electronic components may be transported based on a single transport instruction. In other words, the server may instruct the automated transport device to transport multiple electronic components together. By transporting multiple electronic components together, the transport distance can be shortened compared to transporting them one by one, thus reducing transport time. Furthermore, by controlling the transport system from a server and executing various controls via software, a more cost-effective automated transport system can be provided.

[0078] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment described an example in which one automatic transport device transports various electronic components, it is not limited to this, and multiple automatic transport devices may transport electronic components to multiple chip mounters. In this case, the automatic transport devices may be separated to transport components in each predetermined area. This allows for the efficient transport of electronic components and other items to chip mounters and the like.

[0079] Furthermore, while the above-described embodiment explains an example in which the automated transport device moves along a transport route determined by a server, it is not limited to this, and for example, the automated transport device may perform autonomous driving. For example, the automated transport device can autonomously drive within the factory based on landmarks (two-dimensional codes, symbols, pictures, etc.) placed on the ground and move to its destination (storage area or chip mounter). This eliminates the need for the server to manage the transport route, allowing the automated transport system to transport electronic components and other items along the most optimal route as needed.

[0080] (others) Furthermore, the series of processes described above can be executed by hardware or by software. In other words, the functional configuration described above is merely illustrative and not particularly limiting. That is, it is sufficient for the information processing system to have the functionality to execute the series of processes described above as a whole, and the type of functional block used to realize this functionality is not particularly limited to the example above. Also, the location of the functional blocks is not particularly limited to Figure 4 and can be arbitrary. For example, the functional blocks of the server may be transferred to other devices, etc. Conversely, the functional blocks of other devices may be transferred to the server, etc. Also, a single functional block may be composed of hardware alone, software alone, or a combination of both.

[0081] When a series of processes are executed by software, the programs that make up that software are installed on a computer or other device from a network or storage medium. The computer may be a computer built into dedicated hardware. Alternatively, the computer may be a computer capable of performing various functions by installing various programs, such as a server, a general-purpose smartphone, or a personal computer.

[0082] Such recording media containing programs may consist not only of removable media (not shown) distributed separately from the main device to provide programs to users, but also of recording media provided to users in a state where they are pre-installed in the main device. Since programs can be distributed via a network, the recording media may be installed on or accessible from a computer connected to or capable of connecting to a network.

[0083] In this specification, the step of describing a program to be recorded on a recording medium includes not only processes that are performed chronologically in that order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed chronologically, but are executed in parallel or individually. Furthermore, in this specification, the term "system" refers to an overall system composed of multiple devices, means, etc.

[0084] In other words, the parts supply system to which the present invention is applied can take various forms having the following configurations. In other words, a component information receiving means (for example, the component information receiving unit 31 in Figure 4) receives component information, including the number of remaining components or component shortage information, from a chip mounter that places electronic components on a printed circuit board, A storage means for storing information relating to the storage area of ​​the electronic component or the printed circuit board (for example, component information DB42 and storage information DB43 in Figure 4), Based on the part information and the information regarding the storage area, a movement instruction means (for example, the movement instruction transmission unit 33 in Figure 4) instructs the automatic transport device to transport the target part of the part information from the storage area to the chip mounter, It is an information processing device. This reduces the workload involved in supplying components to the chip mounter.

[0085] Furthermore, the movement instruction means is The automated transport device is instructed to move to the storage area. When the automated transport device has loaded a new electronic component or printed circuit board in the storage area, the automated transport device may be instructed to move to the chip mounter. This allows the automated transport system to move to the storage area where electronic components are picked up and to the chip mounter location based on the server's transport instructions, thus preventing mix-ups of electronic components or accidentally mounting components to the wrong chip mounter.

[0086] Furthermore, the component information receiving means may calculate the remaining number of components or component shortage information for the electronic components or printed circuit boards based on the number of completed circuit boards on which the electronic components have been mounted by the chip mounter. This allows us to predict to some extent the quantity of raw circuit boards and electronic components in a finished circuit board, and accordingly, we can pre-determine (predict) information on which electronic components and other items need to be replenished.

[0087] The automatic transport device includes a counting means (for example, the counting unit 35 in Figure 4) for counting the number of times the automatic transport device has transported the electronic component or the printed circuit board to the chip mounter, It is preferable to further include a calculation means (for example, the fee calculation unit 36 ​​in Figure 4) that calculates the amount charged to the user using the automated transport device according to the number of times the device is used. This allows providers of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) to calculate appropriate charges to users by determining rental or lease fees based on the number of times the AGV has transported goods and the distance traveled.

[0088] The information processing device described above, A parts supply system comprising an automatic transport device comprising a holding stand and a plurality of wheels for moving the holding stand, The information processing device further includes a transmission means (for example, the movement instruction transmission unit 33 in Figure 4) for transmitting the part information to the automatic transport device. The automated transport device includes a determination means (for example, a component detection unit 53 in Figure 4) for determining whether the target component in the component information is the same as the newly mounted electronic component or printed circuit board. It is a parts supply system. This helps to prevent errors such as accidentally transporting the wrong electronic component to the chip mounter.

[0089] Furthermore, the automated transport device may further include installation means (for example, a robotic arm) for placing new electronic components or printed circuit boards onto the chip mounter. This eliminates the need for workers to manually replenish electronic components and other parts in the chip mounter.

[0090] Furthermore, the parts supply system further includes an automatic discharge device for storing and discharging the electronic components or printed circuit boards. The transmission means (for example, the discharge instruction transmission unit 34 in Figure 4) transmits component information, including the number of remaining or depleted components on the electronic component or printed circuit board, to the automatic discharge device. The automatic discharge device may have a discharge means (for example, a discharge unit 72 in Figure 4) that discharges the electronic component or printed circuit board corresponding to the transmitted component information based on the transmitted component information. This eliminates the need for workers to manually load electronic components and other items into the automated transport device 2 in the storage area.

[0091] Furthermore, one embodiment is: A component information receiving step receives component information, including the number of remaining components or component shortage information, from a chip mounter that places electronic components on a printed circuit board, and the electronic components or printed circuit board. A movement instruction step that instructs the chip mounter to move the target component of the component information from the storage area to the chip mounter, based on the component information and information about the storage area of ​​the electronic component or the printed circuit board obtained from the storage means. This is a control method for an information processing device.

[0092] Furthermore, one embodiment is: A component information receiving step receives component information, including the number of remaining components or component shortage information, from a chip mounter that places electronic components on a printed circuit board, and the electronic components or printed circuit board. A movement instruction step that instructs the chip mounter to move the target component of the component information from the storage area to the chip mounter, based on the component information and information about the storage area of ​​the electronic component or the printed circuit board obtained from the storage means. It is a computer program that is executed by a computer. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0093] 1: Server 2: Automated transport device 3: Automated discharge device 11:CPU 18:Storage section 19:Communication section 22: CPU 23: Storage section 24: Communication section 25: CPU 26: Storage section 27: Communication section 31: Parts information receiving unit 32: Route determination unit 33: Movement instruction transmission unit 34: Discharge instruction transmission unit 35: Counting unit 36: Charge calculation unit 41: Mounter information DB 42: Parts information DB 42 43: Storage information DB 51: Movement instruction receiving unit 52: Drive control unit 53: Part detection unit 54: Transport notification unit 61: Movement instruction information DB 62: Route information DB 71: Discharge instruction receiving unit 72: Discharge unit 73: Discharge notification unit 81: Discharge instruction information DB

Claims

1. Information processing device, An automated transport device equipped with a holding platform for mounting electronic components or printed circuit boards, Automatic discharge device, A parts supply system having, The aforementioned information processing device is A component information receiving means that receives component information, including the number of remaining components or component shortage information, from a chip mounter that places the aforementioned electronic components on a printed circuit board, A storage means for storing information relating to the storage area of ​​the electronic component or the printed circuit board, Based on the aforementioned part information, a discharge instruction means provides an automatic discharge device in the storage area to discharge the target part of the part information, A movement instruction means that, after detecting that the electronic component or printed circuit board mounted on the holding base of the automated transfer device is the target component, and after receiving notification from the automated transfer device that mounting is complete, instructs the automated transfer device to transport the target component from the storage area to the chip mounter based on the component information and information regarding the storage area, A transmission means for transmitting the aforementioned part information to the automatic transport device, It has, The aforementioned automated transport device, A holding base capable of mounting the electronic components or printed circuit boards in multiple types of packaging forms, The aforementioned holding platform is provided with an imaging means capable of imaging it, By analyzing the image captured by the imaging means and / or by communication using an IC tag, it is detected that the electronic component or the printed circuit board has been placed on the holding base. By communication using the IC tag, it is determined whether the target component in the component information and the new electronic component or printed circuit board mounted on the holder are the same. Part detection means, Having, Parts supply system.

2. The aforementioned movement instruction means is The automated transport device is instructed to move to the storage area. In the storage area, when the automated transport device has loaded a new electronic component or printed circuit board, the automated transport device is instructed to move to the chip mounter. The parts supply system according to claim 1.

3. The component information receiving means calculates the remaining number of components or component shortage information for the electronic component or the printed circuit board based on the number of completed boards on which the electronic component has been mounted by the chip mounter. The parts supply system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A counting means for counting the number of times the automatic transport device has transported the electronic component or the printed circuit board to the chip mounter, A calculation means for calculating the amount charged to the user using the automated transport device according to the number of times, It further possesses, A parts supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The automated transport device further includes a means for placing a new electronic component or printed circuit board into the chip mounter. A parts supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The automatic discharge device is a device that stores the electronic components or printed circuit boards and discharges them based on instructions from the discharge instruction means, and has a discharge means that discharges the electronic components or printed circuit boards corresponding to the component information transmitted from the discharge instruction means. The parts supply system according to claim 5.

Images