Control device, control method, and program

Abstract

To provide a mechanism capable of further improving efficiency associated with production of a dental prosthesis.SOLUTION: A control device comprises a control unit that selects, on the basis of a production request pertaining to information for requesting production of a dental prosthesis and of information on a plurality of first dental technical factories each operating a first production device that is capable of producing the dental prosthesis, a second production device for producing the dental prosthesis according to the production request, and requests a second dental technical factory operating the second production device, to cause the second production device to produce the dental prosthesis according to the production request. The production request includes information on dental technical instructions. The information of the first dental technical factories includes information indicating production capacity of the first production device. The control unit extracts, on the basis of the production request, the production capacity that the second production device should meet, and selects, among a plurality of the first production devices, a first production device that meets the extracted production capacity as the second production device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device, a control method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, the production of dental prostheses has been becoming increasingly smart. For example, designing and producing dental prostheses using three-dimensional (Dimension) cameras, CT (Computed Tomography) scanners, CAD / CAM (Computer-Aided Design / Computer-Aided Manufacturing) devices and the like has become widespread.

[0003] Smartification is also progressing in communication between a dental clinic or dental laboratory that places an order for producing a dental prosthesis and a dental laboratory that receives the order and produces the dental prosthesis. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a technology related to a web-based ordering and receiving system for dental prostheses.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the technology disclosed in the above Patent Document 1 has only been developed for a short time, leaving room for improvement from various perspectives.

[0006] Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism capable of further improving the efficiency related to the production of dental prostheses.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0007] To solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, a control device is provided which includes a control unit that selects a second manufacturing device to manufacture a dental prosthesis based on a manufacturing request, which is information requesting the manufacture of a dental prosthesis, and information of a plurality of first dental laboratories operating a first manufacturing device capable of manufacturing dental prostheses, and requests the second dental laboratory operating the second manufacturing device to manufacture the dental prosthesis based on the manufacturing request, wherein the manufacturing request includes information of a dental laboratory instruction sheet, the information of the first dental laboratories includes information indicating the manufacturing capacity of the first manufacturing device, the control unit extracts the manufacturing capacity that the second manufacturing device should satisfy based on the manufacturing request, and selects the first manufacturing device that satisfies the extracted manufacturing capacity from among the plurality of first manufacturing devices as the second manufacturing device.

[0008] The manufacturing capability of the first manufacturing apparatus may include at least one of the following: the manufacturing precision of the first manufacturing apparatus, the types of dental prosthetics that can be manufactured, or the materials that can be used to manufacture dental prosthetics.

[0009] The information of the first dental laboratory may include at least one of the following: the operating schedule of the first manufacturing equipment, the operating cost of the first manufacturing equipment, attribute information of the first dental laboratory, the history of dental prosthetics previously manufactured by the first dental laboratory, the evaluations received for dental prosthetics previously manufactured by the first dental laboratory, the sales of the first dental laboratory, or the order status of the first dental laboratory.

[0010] The control unit further selects the second manufacturing apparatus based on the information of the client requesting the manufacturing, and the client information may include at least one of the following: the client's attribute information, the history of dental prosthetics previously commissioned by the client, the evaluations previously given to dental prosthetics commissioned by the client, or the conditions that the client requests from the second dental laboratory.

[0011] The aforementioned manufacturing request further selects a second manufacturing device based on one or more manufacturing conditions that must be met when manufacturing the dental prosthesis related to the manufacturing request, and the manufacturing conditions may relate to at least one of the following regarding the delivery date, quality, reliability, or price of the dental prosthesis related to the manufacturing request.

[0012] The control unit may, when some of the manufacturing conditions are specified, generate information indicating other manufacturing conditions that can be specified and present it to the client requesting the manufacturing.

[0013] The information of the first dental laboratory includes information of dental technicians belonging to the first dental laboratory, and the information of the dental technicians may include at least one of the following: the dental technician's abilities, the dental technician's suitability, the dental technician's operating costs, or the dental technician's working schedule.

[0014] The control unit may select a dental technician to manufacture the dental prosthesis requested by the manufacturer.

[0015] The control unit may request the second dental laboratory to manufacture the dental prosthesis related to the manufacturing request by cutting pre-cut material owned by the second dental laboratory.

[0016] The control unit may request the second dental laboratory to manufacture the dental prosthesis related to the manufacturing request and one or more other dental prostheses related to manufacturing requests by cutting a single material for machining.

[0017] The manufacturing request includes patient information relating to the manufacturing request, and the patient information includes at least one of the following: three-dimensional data of the patient's oral cavity, three-dimensional data of the dental prosthesis relating to the manufacturing request, or attribute information of the patient. The control unit may change the content of the manufacturing request and / or select the second manufacturing device based on the patient information.

[0018] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, a control method is provided which is performed by a computer, comprising: selecting a second manufacturing device to manufacture a dental prosthesis based on a manufacturing request, which is information requesting the manufacture of a dental prosthesis, and information of a plurality of first dental laboratories operating a first manufacturing device capable of manufacturing dental prostheses; and requesting the second dental laboratory operating the second manufacturing device to manufacture the dental prosthesis based on the manufacturing request, wherein the manufacturing request includes information of a dental laboratory instruction sheet, the information of the first dental laboratories includes information indicating the manufacturing capacity of the first manufacturing device, and the selection of the second manufacturing device includes extracting the manufacturing capacity that the second manufacturing device should satisfy based on the manufacturing request, and selecting the first manufacturing device that satisfies the extracted manufacturing capacity from among the plurality of first manufacturing devices as the second manufacturing device.

[0019] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, a computer is provided as a control unit that selects a second manufacturing device to manufacture a dental prosthesis based on a manufacturing request, which is information requesting the manufacture of a dental prosthesis, and information of multiple first dental laboratories that operate a first manufacturing device capable of manufacturing dental prostheses, and requests the second dental laboratory that operates the second manufacturing device to manufacture the dental prosthesis related to the manufacturing request, wherein the manufacturing request includes information of a dental prosthesis instruction sheet, and the information of the first dental laboratories includes information indicating the manufacturing capabilities of the first manufacturing device, and the control unit extracts the manufacturing capabilities that the second manufacturing device should satisfy based on the manufacturing request, and selects the first manufacturing device that satisfies the extracted manufacturing capabilities from among the multiple first manufacturing devices as the second manufacturing device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] As described above, the present invention provides a mechanism that can further improve the efficiency of the production of dental prosthetics. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0021] [Figure 1]It is a diagram for explaining an outline of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0022] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and the drawings, constituent elements having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

[0023] In addition, in the present specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same functional configuration may be distinguished by adding different alphabets after the same reference numeral. For example, a plurality of elements having substantially the same functional configuration are distinguished as terminal devices 10A, 10B, and 10C as necessary. However, when there is no particular need to distinguish between a plurality of elements having substantially the same functional configuration, only the same reference numeral is used. For example, when there is no particular need to distinguish between terminal devices 10A, 10B, and 10C, they are simply referred to as terminal device 10.

[0024] <1.Outline> FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an outline of a system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the system 1 includes a plurality of terminal devices 10 (10A to 10C), a control device 20, and a plurality of dental laboratories 30 (30A to 30C). The terminal device 10 and the control device 20, and the control device 20 and the dental laboratory 30 are connected via a network such as the Internet.

[0025] Terminal device 10 is an information processing device that receives user input for manufacturing requests. A manufacturing request is information requesting the production of dental prosthetics. Users operating terminal device 10 are dentists, or staff such as dental technicians or nurses working under the supervision of a dentist. Terminal device 10 is installed in a dental clinic. Terminal device 10 displays a UI (User Interface) screen and receives user input for manufacturing requests regarding dental prosthetics to be fitted into the patient's mouth. Terminal device 10 then transmits the entered manufacturing request to control device 20.

[0026] Dental laboratory 30 is a facility for manufacturing dental prosthetics. Dental laboratory 30 operates one or more manufacturing devices 31. For example, dental laboratory 30A operates multiple manufacturing devices 31 (31A and 31B, etc.). Operating manufacturing devices 31 may refer to owning the manufacturing devices 31, renting and using the manufacturing devices 31, or outsourcing to subcontractors who use the manufacturing devices 31. Manufacturing devices 31 are devices for manufacturing dental prosthetics. Examples of manufacturing devices 31 include 3D printers and milling machines. Dental laboratory 30 employs one or more dental technicians who operate the manufacturing devices 31 or perform processing such as polishing on dental prosthetics manufactured by the manufacturing devices 31 to produce the final dental prosthetics. The process of a dental prosthesis being manufactured in collaboration between the manufacturing device 31 and a dental technician is also referred to as the manufacturing device 31 manufacturing the dental prosthesis, the dental technician manufacturing the dental prosthesis, or the dental laboratory 30 manufacturing the dental prosthesis. The dental laboratory 30 possesses the materials for the dental prosthesis. Here, "materials" refers to dental materials (dental material(s)). Furthermore, "materials" refers to objects that are set in the manufacturing device 31 for the purpose of manufacturing dental prostheses, and are objects whose manufacturer, shade (i.e., color), size, etc., are specified. The materials can be uniquely identified by identification information consisting of the manufacturer and product name, etc. The dental laboratory 30 manufactures dental prostheses based on the manufacturing request. Then, the dental laboratory 30 sends the manufactured dental prostheses to the requesting party (i.e., the dental clinic where the terminal device 10 is installed). The dental prostheses manufactured based on the manufacturing request will also be referred to as the dental prosthesis related to the manufacturing request below.

[0027] The control device 20 is an information processing device that controls the entire system 1. The control device 20 transmits the manufacturing request entered into the terminal device 10 to any dental laboratory 30. Transmitting the manufacturing request may also serve as ordering the dental prosthesis. In that case, the dental laboratory 30 manufactures the dental prosthesis based on the received manufacturing request and sends it to the requester.

[0028] The control device 20 matches dental clinics with dental laboratories 30 for each manufacturing request. More specifically, the control device 20 selects a dental laboratory 30 to manufacture the dental prosthesis related to the manufacturing request and sends the manufacturing request to the selected dental laboratory 30. With this configuration, it becomes possible to request the manufacture of the dental prosthesis from the most suitable dental laboratory 30 out of several dental laboratories 30.

[0029] Conventional web-based ordering and receiving systems for dental prosthetics involved rigid matching, such as ordering from a specific dental laboratory. This made it difficult to efficiently utilize the resources of the numerous dental laboratories. Therefore, this embodiment provides a mechanism that enables more efficient matching between dental clinics and dental laboratories.

[0030] <2. Technical Features> (1) Overview of Matching The control device 20 performs matching based on various information stored in the control device 20 or obtained from the terminal device 10 or the dental laboratory 30.

[0031] Specifically, the control device 20 selects a dental laboratory 30 from among several dental laboratories 30 that will manufacture the dental prosthesis requested for production. Among the multiple dental laboratories 30 (corresponding to the first dental laboratory), the dental laboratory 30 that manufactures the dental prosthesis requested for production is also referred to as the production-responsible dental laboratory 30 (corresponding to the second dental laboratory). The control device 20 then requests the production-responsible dental laboratory 30 to manufacture the dental prosthesis requested for production. Specifically, the control device 20 transmits the production request to the selected production-responsible dental laboratory 30. With this configuration, it is possible to have the appropriate dental laboratory 30 manufacture the dental prosthesis requested for production.

[0032] Selecting a dental laboratory 30 to manufacture the dental prosthesis requested may include selecting a manufacturing device 31 to manufacture the dental prosthesis requested. That is, the control device 20 may select a manufacturing device 31 to manufacture the dental prosthesis requested. Among the multiple manufacturing devices 31 (corresponding to the first manufacturing device), the manufacturing device 31 to manufacture the dental prosthesis requested is also referred to as the manufacturing device 31 in charge of production (corresponding to the second manufacturing device). When the control device 20 selects the manufacturing device 31 in charge of production, it requests the dental laboratory 30 operating the manufacturing device 31 in charge of production to manufacture the dental prosthesis requested by the manufacturing device 31. With this configuration, it is possible to have the appropriate manufacturing device 31 manufacture the dental prosthesis requested.

[0033] Furthermore, the production of a dental prosthesis requested may include selecting a dental technician to produce the dental prosthesis. That is, the control device 20 may select a dental technician to produce the dental prosthesis requested. The dental technician who produces the dental prosthesis requested is also referred to as the production-responsible dental technician. If the control device 20 selects the production-responsible dental technician, it requests the production-responsible dental laboratory 30 to which the production-responsible dental technician belongs to produce the dental prosthesis requested. With this configuration, it becomes possible to have the appropriate dental technician produce the dental prosthesis requested.

[0034] The production request that terminal device 10 sends to control device 20 and the production request that control device 20 sends to dental laboratory 30 may be the same. For example, control device 20 may send the production request received from terminal device 10 as is to the dental laboratory 30 responsible for production. The production request that terminal device 10 sends to control device 20 and the production request that control device 20 sends to dental laboratory 30 may be different. For example, control device 20 may modify the production request received from terminal device 10, such as by deleting the patient's personal information or adding missing information, before sending it to the dental laboratory 30 responsible for production. As another example, control device 20 may add information specifying the production device 31 and the dental technician responsible for production to the production request before sending it to the dental laboratory 30 responsible for production.

[0035] Below, we will explain an example of the processing flow related to matching, referring to Figure 2.

[0036] Figure 2 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing flow performed by System 1 according to this embodiment. This sequence involves the terminal device 10, the control device 20, and the dental laboratory 30.

[0037] As shown in Figure 2, first, the terminal device 10 receives the input of the manufacturing request (step S102). For example, the terminal device 10 displays a predetermined UI (User Interface) screen and receives the input of the manufacturing request on the displayed UI screen.

[0038] Next, the terminal device 10 transmits the input manufacturing request to the control device 20 (step S104).

[0039] When the control device 20 receives a manufacturing request, it selects a dental laboratory 30 responsible for manufacturing based on the received manufacturing request and other various information (step S106). At this time, the control device 20 may also select a manufacturing device 31 and a dental technician responsible for manufacturing.

[0040] Next, the control device 20 sends the manufacturing request to the dental laboratory 30 responsible for manufacturing (step S108).

[0041] Then, the dental laboratory 30 manufactures the dental prosthesis based on the received manufacturing request (step S110). For example, in the dental laboratory 30, the dental technician in charge of manufacturing operates the manufacturing equipment 31 in charge of manufacturing to produce the dental prosthesis based on the manufacturing request.

[0042] Subsequently, the dental laboratory 30 sends the dental prosthesis related to the fabrication request to the client (step S112).

[0043] Then, the terminal device 10 transmits the evaluation of the received dental prosthesis to the control device 20 (step S114). For example, the terminal device 10 receives evaluation input from the dentist and transmits the input evaluation to the control device 20.

[0044] Next, the control device 20 stores the received evaluation (step S116). For example, the control device 20 stores the dentist who gave the evaluation, the information of the evaluated dental prosthesis, and the dental laboratory 30, manufacturing device 31, and dental technician that manufactured the dental prosthesis, in association with each other.

[0045] The above describes one example of the processing flow related to matching. Many different matching methods are possible. Specific examples of matching methods are described below.

[0046] (2) Matching based on information in dental laboratory instructions The production request includes information from the dental laboratory instruction sheet. A dental laboratory instruction sheet is a document handed over from a dentist to a dental laboratory, and it contains instructions for the production of a dental prosthesis. The dental laboratory instruction sheet includes the patient's name, the design of the dental prosthesis (including the type of dental prosthesis), the method of production, the materials to be used, and the name of the issuing dentist. The information in the dental laboratory instruction sheet may be generated as electronic data, or it may be scanned data of a paper dental laboratory instruction sheet. Furthermore, the information in the dental laboratory instruction sheet may be obtained by applying OCR (Optical Character Recognition) or natural language processing to the dental laboratory instruction sheet.

[0047] The control device 20 selects a dental laboratory 30 capable of manufacturing the dental prosthesis specified in the dental laboratory instruction sheet as the dental laboratory responsible for manufacturing. With this configuration, it becomes possible to appropriately manufacture and deliver the dental prosthesis desired by the dentist who issued the dental laboratory instruction sheet.

[0048] (3) Matching based on information from dental laboratories The control device 20 selects the dental laboratory 30 responsible for production based on information from multiple dental laboratories 30 included in System 1. The information from the dental laboratories 30 may be stored in the control device 20 or obtained from the dental laboratories 30. This configuration allows for a more appropriate matching.

[0049] - Matching based on information from manufacturing device 31 The information of the dental laboratory 30 may include information on one or more fabrication devices 31 operated by the dental laboratory 30. In particular, the information of the dental laboratory 30 includes information indicating the fabrication capabilities of each of the one or more fabrication devices 31 operated by the dental laboratory 30. The fabrication capabilities of the fabrication device 31 include at least one of the following: the fabrication accuracy of the fabrication device 31, the types of dental prosthetics that can be fabricated, or the materials that can be used to fabricate dental prosthetics. The fabrication accuracy of the fabrication device 31 refers, for example, to the accuracy of the cutting process if the fabrication device 31 is a cutting device, or to the resolution in the XY direction and the layer pitch in the Z direction if the fabrication device 31 is a 3D printer. Examples of dental prosthetics include orthodontics, prosthetics, implants, and dentures. Examples of prosthetic types include crowns, onlays, inlays, and pontics.

[0050] The control device 20 extracts the manufacturing capabilities that the manufacturing device 31 responsible for production should meet, based on the production request. Then, the control device 20 selects the manufacturing device 31 that meets the extracted manufacturing capabilities from among the multiple manufacturing devices 31 as the manufacturing device 31 responsible for production. As an example, the control device 20 selects the manufacturing device 31 responsible for production that is capable of producing dental prostheses of the type specified in the dental laboratory instruction sheet. As another example, the control device 20 selects the manufacturing device 31 responsible for production that is capable of using the materials specified in the dental laboratory instruction sheet. With this configuration, it becomes possible to select the manufacturing device 31 responsible for production that is capable of appropriately producing the dental prosthesis related to the production request.

[0051] Here, the information indicating the manufacturing capacity of the manufacturing apparatus 31 may also be the manufacturer and model number of the manufacturing apparatus 31. In that case, the control device 20 obtains the manufacturing capacity of the manufacturing apparatus 31 as a specification based on the manufacturer and model number of the manufacturing apparatus 31.

[0052] Furthermore, the information indicating the manufacturing capacity of the manufacturing equipment 31 may also include the operational policy for the manufacturing equipment 31. The manufacturing equipment 31 may be operated in a limited manner within the scope of its specifications, such as by using only a portion of the available materials, for purposes such as reducing maintenance costs. The operational policy for the manufacturing equipment 31 refers to such a limited operational policy. The control device 20 acquires the actual manufacturing capacity of the manufacturing equipment 31 based on the manufacturing capacity of the manufacturing equipment 31 as specifications obtained based on the manufacturer and model number of the manufacturing equipment 31, and the operational policy for the manufacturing equipment 31. The control device 20 then selects the manufacturing equipment 31 that has the required manufacturing capacity indicated by the manufacturing request as the manufacturing equipment 31 to be assigned to the manufacturing. With this configuration, matching that takes into account the operational policy of the manufacturing equipment 31 becomes possible.

[0053] The information on the manufacturing apparatus 31 may include the operating cost of the manufacturing apparatus 31. Operating cost is the cost incurred per unit time or when manufacturing one dental prosthesis, and is a concept that includes at least one of time costs or monetary costs. For example, the control device 20 may preferentially select the manufacturing apparatus 31 with the lower operating cost as the manufacturing apparatus 31 responsible for production.

[0054] The information for the manufacturing equipment 31 may include the operating schedule of the manufacturing equipment 31. The operating schedule of the manufacturing equipment 31 includes the time periods when the manufacturing equipment 31 is scheduled to operate, the time periods when the manufacturing equipment 31 is not scheduled to operate, and the time periods when the manufacturing equipment 31 is operational even though it is not scheduled to operate. For example, the control device 20 may preferentially select the manufacturing equipment 31 with the most operational time periods as the manufacturing equipment 31 responsible for production.

[0055] - Matching based on information about dental technicians The information of dental laboratory 30 may include information of dental technicians belonging to dental laboratory 30. The control device 20 may then select the dental laboratory 30 responsible for fabrication based on the dental technician's information. In particular, the control device 20 may select the dental technician responsible for fabrication based on the dental technician's information. With this configuration, it becomes possible to select an appropriate dental technician as the dental technician responsible for fabrication.

[0056] The information on dental technicians may include information indicating the dental technicians' abilities. The dental technicians' abilities refer to their proficiency in the fabrication of dental prosthetics. The control device 20 can estimate the dental technicians' abilities based on dental prosthetics they have previously fabricated, fabrication equipment 31 they have previously used, and evaluations given to previously fabricated dental prosthetics. The dental technicians' abilities may be estimated for each type of prosthetic and each fabrication equipment 31. Furthermore, the control device 20 may preferentially select a dental technician with higher abilities regarding the dental prosthetics requested for fabrication as the dental technician in charge of fabrication.

[0057] The information on dental technicians may include information indicating their suitability. Examples of a dental technician's suitability include the types of dental work they are proficient in, the materials they are proficient in, and the fabrication equipment 31 they are familiar with handling. The control device 20 can estimate a dental technician's suitability based on dental prosthetics they have previously fabricated, materials they have previously used, the fabrication equipment 31 they have previously used, and evaluations given to dental prosthetics they have previously fabricated. The control device 20 may then preferentially select a dental technician who is suitable for the dental prosthetic requested and is also suitable for the fabrication equipment 31 they are responsible for.

[0058] The information on dental technicians may include their operating costs. For example, the control device 20 may select a dental technician with lower operating costs as the dental technician responsible for production.

[0059] The dental technician's information may include their work schedule. This schedule includes the times the dental technician is scheduled to work, the times they are not scheduled to work, and the times they are available to work within their scheduled time off. For example, the control device 20 may prioritize selecting a dental technician with more available time slots as the dental technician responsible for production.

[0060] - Matching based on other information The information of dental laboratory 30 may include attribute information of dental laboratory 30. Examples of attribute information of dental laboratory 30 include the address of dental laboratory 30, the number of manufacturing equipment 31 in operation, the number of dental technicians belonging to the laboratory, and the number of dental prosthetics that can be manufactured annually. As an example, the control device 20 may preferentially select a dental laboratory 30 that is geographically close to the client as the dental laboratory 30 responsible for manufacturing. As another example, the control device 20 may estimate the manufacturing capacity of dental laboratory 30 based on the number of manufacturing equipment 31 in operation, the number of dental technicians belonging to the laboratory, and the number of dental prosthetics that can be manufactured annually. The control device 20 may then preferentially select a dental laboratory 30 with greater manufacturing capacity as the dental laboratory 30 responsible for manufacturing.

[0061] The information of dental laboratory 30 may include the history of dental prosthetics that dental laboratory 30 has manufactured in the past. For example, the number of dental prosthetics of each type manufactured by dental laboratory 30 in the past corresponds to the know-how for each type of work that dental laboratory 30 has accumulated. Therefore, the control device 20 may preferentially select a dental laboratory 30 that has accumulated particular know-how regarding the type of work of the dental prosthetic requested as the dental laboratory 30 responsible for manufacturing. With such a configuration, it is possible to improve the satisfaction of the client.

[0062] The information on dental laboratory 30 may include evaluations of dental prosthetics previously manufactured by dental laboratory 30. For example, the control device 20 estimates the quality and reliability of dental prosthetics manufactured by dental laboratory 30 based on evaluations of dental prosthetics previously manufactured by dental laboratory 30. The control device 20 may then preferentially select dental laboratory 30 that manufactures dental prosthetics with high estimated quality and reliability as the manufacturing dental laboratory 30. Furthermore, the control device 20 may also preferentially select dental laboratory 30 that has manufactured dental prosthetics that have received good evaluations from the client as the manufacturing dental laboratory 30. With such a configuration, it is possible to improve client satisfaction.

[0063] Here, the evaluations received by dental prosthetics previously manufactured by the dental laboratory 30 may be associated with the manufacturing device 31 that manufactured those dental prosthetics. In that case, the control device 20 estimates the quality and reliability of the dental prosthetics manufactured by the manufacturing device 31 based on the evaluations received by the manufacturing device 31 that manufactured those dental prosthetics in the past. The control device 20 may then preferentially select the manufacturing device 31 that manufactures dental prosthetics with high estimated quality and reliability as the manufacturing device 31 responsible for production. Furthermore, the control device 20 may also preferentially select the manufacturing device 31 that manufactured dental prosthetics that the client has given a good evaluation to as the manufacturing device 31 responsible for production. With this configuration, it is possible to improve client satisfaction.

[0064] Similarly, the evaluations received by dental prosthetics previously manufactured by dental laboratory 30 may be associated with the dental technician who manufactured the dental prosthetic. In that case, the control device 20 estimates the quality and reliability of the dental prosthetics to be manufactured by the dental technician based on the evaluations received by the dental prosthetics previously manufactured by the dental technician. The control device 20 may then preferentially select a dental technician who manufactures dental prosthetics with high estimated quality and reliability as the dental technician in charge of manufacturing. Furthermore, the control device 20 may also preferentially select a dental technician who has manufactured dental prosthetics that have been given a good evaluation by the client as the dental technician in charge of manufacturing. With such a configuration, it is possible to improve client satisfaction.

[0065] The information on dental laboratories 30 may include the sales figures of dental laboratories 30. For example, the control device 20 may prioritize selecting dental laboratories 30 with low sales as the dental laboratories responsible for production. This configuration makes it possible to support dental laboratories 30 that are facing financial difficulties.

[0066] The information for dental laboratory 30 may include the order status of dental laboratory 30. For example, the information for dental laboratory 30 may include the number of orders received by dental laboratory 30 each month. If the number of orders received by dental laboratory 30 each month is excessively high, the working schedule of dental technicians may become overloaded, potentially leading to a decline in the quality of the dental prosthetics produced. Therefore, the control device 20 may select the dental laboratory 30 responsible for production in such a way that the number of orders received by dental laboratory 30 each month is leveled out. With this configuration, it is possible to maintain a high level of quality for the dental prosthetics produced by dental laboratory 30.

[0067] (4) Matching based on manufacturing conditions A fabrication request may include one or more fabrication conditions that must be met when fabricating the dental prosthesis related to the request. The fabrication conditions relate to at least one of the following aspects of the dental prosthesis: delivery time, quality, reliability, or price. Delivery time is, for example, the date and time the dental prosthesis arrives at the requesting party. Quality is, for example, the precision and aesthetics of the dental prosthesis. Reliability is, for example, the service life of the dental prosthesis. Price is, for example, the amount the requesting party pays.

[0068] The control device 20 further selects a dental laboratory 30 to be responsible for manufacturing based on the manufacturing conditions included in the manufacturing request. The control device 20 selects a dental laboratory 30 capable of meeting the manufacturing conditions as the dental laboratory 30 responsible for manufacturing. This configuration makes it possible to improve customer satisfaction.

[0069] The delivery date for dental prosthetics can be estimated based on the operating schedule of the manufacturing device 31, the working schedule of the dental technicians, and the inventory and procurement schedule of materials at the dental laboratory 30. Based on this information, the control device 20 selects the dental laboratory 30 that meets the delivery date specified as a manufacturing condition, based on the estimated delivery date of the dental prosthetics.

[0070] The quality and reliability of a dental prosthesis can be estimated based on the processing accuracy of the manufacturing device 31, which can be obtained based on the information from the manufacturing device 31; the finishing accuracy by the dental technician, which can be estimated based on the information from the dental technician; and the materials specified in the dental laboratory instruction sheet. Therefore, the control device 20 selects a dental laboratory 30 that is responsible for manufacturing the dental prosthesis, based on the estimated quality and reliability of the dental prosthesis based on this information, and that meets the quality and reliability specified as manufacturing conditions.

[0071] The price of a dental prosthesis can be estimated based on the materials specified in the dental laboratory instruction sheet, the operating costs of the manufacturing equipment 31, and the operating costs of the dental technician. Based on this information, the control device 20 selects a dental laboratory 30 as the manufacturing dental laboratory 30 whose estimated price of the dental prosthesis meets the price specified as a manufacturing condition.

[0072] (5) Matching based on information from the client The control device 20 may select a dental laboratory 30 to manufacture the prosthetics based on the client's information. The client's information may be stored in the control device 20 or included in the manufacturing request. This configuration makes it possible to further improve client satisfaction.

[0073] The client's information may include the client's attribute information. An example of the client's attribute information is the client's address. For example, the control device 20 may calculate the delivery date for the dental prosthesis requested based on the client's attribute information and preferentially select the dental laboratory 30 with the earliest delivery date as the dental laboratory 30 responsible for production. Such a configuration makes it possible to further improve client satisfaction.

[0074] The client's information may include a history of dental prosthetics previously commissioned by the client. For example, the control device 20 may prioritize selecting a dental laboratory 30 that has extensive experience in producing dental prosthetics previously commissioned by the client as the dental laboratory responsible for production. This configuration makes it possible to reduce communication costs between the client and the dental laboratory 30 responsible for production.

[0075] The client's information may include evaluations the client has given to dental prosthetics previously commissioned. For example, the control device 20 may prioritize selecting a dental laboratory 30 that has produced dental prosthetics to which the client has given a good evaluation as the dental laboratory 30 responsible for production. Such a configuration makes it possible to improve client satisfaction.

[0076] The client's information may include the conditions the client requires of the dental laboratory 30 responsible for manufacturing. One example of a condition the client requires is to avoid individually owned dental laboratories 30. For example, the control device 20 may preferentially select a dental laboratory 30 that meets the conditions required by the client as the dental laboratory responsible for manufacturing. Such a configuration makes it possible to improve client satisfaction.

[0077] (6) Matching based on patient information The control device 20 may select a dental laboratory 30 responsible for fabrication based on the patient information related to the fabrication request. The patient related to the fabrication request is the patient who is scheduled to have the dental prosthesis fabricated. The patient information may be stored in the control device 20 or included in the fabrication request. With this configuration, it is possible to further improve patient satisfaction.

[0078] Patient information may include patient attribute information. Examples of patient attribute information include the patient's age and gender. For example, the control device 20 may estimate the size of the dental prosthesis requested based on the patient's age and gender and select a material of an appropriate size. In the case of block-shaped materials such as hybrid resin blocks, material efficiency can be improved by selecting a material of a size that is necessary and sufficient for fabricating the dental prosthesis. As another example, the control device 20 may preferentially select a dental laboratory 30 that has a lot of experience fabricating dental prostheses for other patients of the same age and gender as the patient, as the dental laboratory responsible for fabrication. With such a configuration, it is possible to improve patient satisfaction.

[0079] Patient information may include 3D data of the patient's oral cavity. Patient information may also include 3D data of the dental prosthesis being fabricated. The 3D data may be in STL (Stereolithography) format. STL data represents a three-dimensional shape using a collection of small triangles, also known as polygons. The 3D data may also be in PLY (Polygon File Format) format. PLY data represents a three-dimensional shape using a combination of vertices and faces. Unlike STL data, PLY data may include other information such as the color of the three-dimensional surface.

[0080] For example, the control device 20 may estimate the size and appropriate shade of the dental prosthesis requested for fabrication based on the patient's oral cavity PLY data, and select the appropriate size and shade of material. With such a configuration, it is possible to improve material efficiency and enhance patient satisfaction.

[0081] As another example, the control device 20 may extract the manufacturing capabilities that the manufacturing device 31 responsible for production should meet based on 3D data of the patient's oral cavity or 3D data of the dental prosthesis to be fabricated, and select the manufacturing device 31 that meets the extracted manufacturing capabilities as the manufacturing device 31 responsible for production. The quality and reliability required of the dental prosthesis may change depending on the position where the dental prosthesis is fitted (i.e., whether it is an anterior or posterior tooth, etc.), the shade of the dental prosthesis, the size of the dental prosthesis, and the aesthetics of the dental prosthesis. In this respect, such a configuration makes it possible to improve material efficiency and improve patient satisfaction.

[0082] As another example, a fabrication request may include 3D data of the patient's oral cavity but not 3D data of the dental prosthesis being fabricated. In that case, the control device 20 may select a dental laboratory 30 that provides a service to generate 3D data of the dental prosthesis being fabricated based on the patient's oral cavity as the dental laboratory responsible for fabrication. With this configuration, even dental clinics that find it difficult to prepare 3D data of the dental prosthesis being fabricated in-house can place orders for dental prostheses.

[0083] (7) Changes to the production request As explained above, the control device 20 may modify the manufacturing request received from the terminal device 10 and then send it to the dental laboratory 30 responsible for manufacturing. An example of how to modify a manufacturing request is described below.

[0084] For example, the control device 20 may change the information in the dental laboratory instruction sheet based on the manufacturing conditions. In some cases, it may be difficult to meet the quality specified in the manufacturing conditions with the materials specified in the dental laboratory instruction sheet. In such cases, the control device 20 may change the materials specified in the dental laboratory instruction sheet to materials that can meet the quality specified in the manufacturing conditions.

[0085] For example, the control device 20 may modify the contents of the fabrication request based on the patient's information. As one example, the control device 20 may estimate the size of the dental prosthesis to be fabricated based on the patient's information and modify the material specified in the fabrication request to use material that is neither too much nor too little for the estimated size. With such a configuration, it is possible to improve material efficiency. As another example, the control device 20 may change the material specified in the dental laboratory instruction sheet to a material with a shade that matches the shade of the patient's other teeth, obtained based on PLY data from the patient's oral cavity. With such a configuration, it is possible to improve the efficiency of fabricating dental prostheses by preventing the use of material that is too large and by preventing the remaking of dental prostheses due to a mismatch in shade between existing teeth and dental prostheses.

[0086] Here, the control device 20 may obtain approval from the client regarding changes to the manufacturing request. The control device 20 may change the manufacturing request only if the client approves. For example, the client may specify some manufacturing conditions and leave others unspecified. In that case, the control device 20 may generate information indicating other manufacturing conditions that can be specified and present it to the client. The control device 20 may then perform matching based on the manufacturing conditions agreed upon by the client. For example, if the client specifies a delivery date and price, the control device 20 extracts candidates for quality and reliability that can be achieved while meeting the delivery date and price specified by the client, and presents them to the client. This extraction of candidates for specified manufacturing conditions can be achieved by an expert model or reinforcement learning. With such a configuration, the client can make flexible requests, such as explicitly specifying high-priority manufacturing conditions while selecting acceptable candidates from the presented candidates for lower-priority manufacturing conditions.

[0087] <3. Hardware Configuration Example> The hardware configuration of the information processing device according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device according to this embodiment. The information processing device 900 shown in Figure 3 can, for example, be an information processing device located in the terminal device 10, control device 20, or dental laboratory 30 shown in Figure 1, and communicate with the control device 20. Information processing by the information processing device located in the terminal device 10, control device 20, or dental laboratory 30 according to this embodiment is realized through the cooperation of software and the hardware described below.

[0088] As shown in Figure 3, the information processing device 900 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 901, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 902, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 903, and a host bus 904a. The information processing device 900 also includes a bridge 904, an external bus 904b, an interface 905, an input device 906, an output device 907, a storage device 908, and a communication device 909.

[0089] The CPU 901 functions as both an arithmetic processing unit and a control unit, controlling the overall operation of the information processing unit 900 according to various programs. The information processing unit 900 may have, in place of or together with, the CPU 901, an electrical circuit such as a microprocessor, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The ROM 902 stores programs and arithmetic parameters used by the CPU 901. The RAM 903 temporarily stores parameters that change as appropriate during program execution by the CPU 901. The CPU 901 can, for example, constitute a control unit that controls the overall operation of the terminal device 10. The CPU 901 can also, for example, constitute a control unit that controls the overall operation of the control device 20. Furthermore, the CPU 901 can, for example, constitute a control unit that controls the overall operation of an information processing unit located in a dental laboratory 30.

[0090] The CPU 901, ROM 902, and RAM 903 are interconnected by a host bus 904a, which includes the CPU bus. The host bus 904a is connected to an external bus 904b, such as a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect / Interface) bus, via a bridge 904. It is not necessary to separate the host bus 904a, bridge 904, and external bus 904b; these functions may be implemented on a single bus.

[0091] The input device 906 is a device that receives information from the user. Examples of such devices include a mouse, keyboard, touch panel, buttons, switches, and levers. In addition, the input device 906 may include a microphone that accepts voice input or a camera that accepts gesture input. The user of the information processing device 900 can input various types of data to the information processing device 900 or instruct it to execute processing by operating the input device 906. The input device 906 accepts user input, for example, in the terminal device 10.

[0092] The output device 907 is a device that outputs information to the user. Examples of such devices include devices that output visual information such as displays and projectors, devices that output auditory information such as speakers, and devices that output tactile information such as eccentric motors. The output device 907 outputs, for example, the results obtained from various processes performed by the information processing device 900. For example, the output device 907 displays a UI screen for inputting a manufacturing request in the terminal device 10.

[0093] The storage device 908 is a device for storing data. Examples of such devices include magnetic storage devices such as HDDs, semiconductor storage devices, optical storage devices, and magneto-optical storage devices. The storage device 908 may also include a storage medium, a recording device for recording data on the storage medium, a reading device for reading data from the storage medium, and a deletion device for deleting data recorded on the storage medium. The storage device 908 stores various information for matching in the control device 20, for example.

[0094] The communication device 909 is a device that communicates with other devices by wire or wireless connection. The communication device 909 performs communication in accordance with any communication standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), or USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0095] The above describes an example of a hardware configuration capable of realizing the functions of the information processing device 900 according to this embodiment. Each of the above components may be realized using general-purpose materials, or it may be realized using hardware specialized for the functions of each component. Therefore, it is possible to change the hardware configuration used as appropriate depending on the level of technology at the time of implementing this embodiment.

[0096] <4. Supplement> Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the attached drawings, the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear to any person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and these are also understood to fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0097] (1) First variation In some cases, multiple dental prosthetics can be fabricated from a single material. Examples of such materials include disc-shaped materials such as zirconia discs and hybrid resin discs. Pre-cut materials that leave a margin for further cutting of other dental prosthetics can be kept in material inventory.

[0098] The information of dental laboratory 30 may include information on pre-cut materials held by dental laboratory 30. For example, the information on pre-cut materials held by dental laboratory 30 may include identification information of the pre-cut material and information indicating the shape and size of the margin in the pre-cut material that can be used to cut other dental prosthetics. The control device 20 may then request the dental laboratory 30 responsible for production to produce the dental prosthetics related to the production request by cutting the pre-cut material held by the dental laboratory 30 responsible for production. As an example, after selecting the dental laboratory 30 responsible for production, the control device 20 determines whether the dental laboratory 30 responsible for production has pre-cut material with a margin that can be used to cut the dental prosthetics related to the production request. If the control device 20 determines that it does have such material, it may add information to the production request instructing the use of that pre-cut material. As another example, the control device 20 may preferentially select a dental laboratory 30 that has material with a margin that can be used to cut the dental prosthetics related to the production request as the dental laboratory 30 responsible for production. This configuration allows for the efficient use of materials.

[0099] The control device 20 may request the dental laboratory 30 responsible for production to manufacture the dental prosthesis related to the production request and one or more other dental prostheses related to production requests by cutting a single cutting material. For example, the control device 20 estimates the shape and size of the area required for production from the cutting material for each of the multiple dental prostheses related to multiple production requests that arrived at roughly the same time. Next, the control device 20 determines whether the estimated areas required for production for the multiple dental prostheses related to the multiple production requests can be placed in a single cutting material. The control device 20 may then add information to the production request instructing the dental laboratory 30 to manufacture the multiple dental prostheses related to the multiple production requests for which it has determined that the areas required for production can be placed in a single cutting material by cutting a single cutting material. Furthermore, the control device 20 may add information to the production request indicating how the areas required for production of the multiple dental prostheses related to the multiple production requests should be arranged in a single cutting material. With this configuration, efficient use of materials becomes possible.

[0100] (2) Second variation Each of the matching methods described above may be used individually, or any two or more matching methods may be used in combination. Matching can be viewed as solving an optimization problem. An example of constraints in an optimization problem is the information described in the dental laboratory instruction sheet. An example of an objective function in an optimization problem is delivery time, quality, reliability, or price. That is, the control device 20 may select a dental laboratory 30 that has a fast delivery time, high quality, high reliability, or low price as the dental laboratory 30 responsible for production. In the production request, the priority order of delivery time, quality, reliability, and price may be specified, and the control device 20 may set the objective function according to the specified priority order and search for the optimal solution. The control device 20 may also set the objective function based on patient information or client information, etc. For example, if the client tends to prioritize delivery time, the control device 20 may set an objective function that is weighted towards delivery time.

[0101] Furthermore, the control device 20 may use AI (artificial intelligence) to select the dental laboratory 30 responsible for production. For example, the control device 20 may use a neural network that takes information from the dental laboratory instruction sheet, production conditions, client information, patient information, and dental laboratory 30 as inputs, and outputs information indicating the dental laboratory 30 responsible for production, to select the dental laboratory 30 responsible for production. Of course, the control device 20 may also use this input and output data as training data for the next learning session.

[0102] (3) Others In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the control device 20 sends a manufacturing request to the dental laboratory 30 to order a dental prosthesis. Ordering a dental prosthesis may also mean starting the manufacturing of the dental prosthesis. That is, the manufacturing of the dental prosthesis by the manufacturing device 31 may be started not only based on operations by a dental technician in the dental laboratory 30, but also based on the reception of a signal from the control device 20.

[0103] In the above embodiment, an example was used in which a dental clinic orders dental prosthetics from a dental laboratory, but a dental laboratory may also order dental prosthetics from another dental laboratory. That is, the terminal device 10 may be located in the dental laboratory.

[0104] At least some of the multiple dental laboratories 30 described in the above embodiment may be owned by the same parent company. Multiple dental laboratories 30 owned by the same parent company shall be treated as separate entities if they are located in different places. Furthermore, the parent company operating the control device 20 may operate one or more dental laboratories 30.

[0105] The series of processes performed by each device described herein may be implemented using software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The programs constituting the software are pre-stored on a recording medium (more specifically, a non-temporary storage medium readable by a computer) located inside or outside each device. Each program is then loaded into RAM when executed by a computer controlling each device described herein, and executed by a processing circuit such as a CPU. The recording medium is, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or flash memory. The computer program may also be distributed via a network, for example, without using a recording medium. The computer may be an application-specific integrated circuit such as an ASIC, a general-purpose processor that performs functions by loading software programs, or a computer on a server used for cloud computing. Furthermore, the series of processes performed by each device described herein may be distributed and processed by multiple computers.

[0106] Furthermore, the processes described herein using flowcharts and sequence diagrams do not necessarily have to be executed in the order shown. Some processing steps may be executed in parallel. Additional processing steps may be adopted, and some processing steps may be omitted. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0107] 1 System 10 Terminal devices 20 Control device 30 Dental laboratories 31 Manufacturing equipment

Claims

1. Based on the production request, which is information requesting the production of a dental prosthesis, and information on multiple first dental laboratories operating a first production device capable of producing dental prostheses, a second production device is selected to produce the dental prosthesis related to the production request. The second dental laboratory operating the second manufacturing device is instructed to manufacture the dental prosthesis related to the aforementioned manufacturing request using the second manufacturing device. Equipped with a control unit, The aforementioned manufacturing request includes information from a dental laboratory instruction sheet and one or more manufacturing conditions that must be met when manufacturing the dental prosthesis related to the aforementioned manufacturing request. The information of the first dental laboratory includes information indicating the manufacturing capacity of the first manufacturing apparatus, and the operating schedule of the first manufacturing apparatus. The aforementioned manufacturing conditions include the delivery date for the dental prosthesis related to the manufacturing request. The control unit extracts the manufacturing capacity that the second manufacturing apparatus should meet based on the dental laboratory instruction sheet included in the manufacturing request, A first manufacturing apparatus that satisfies the extracted manufacturing capacity from among a plurality of first manufacturing apparatuses, and the delivery date of the dental prosthesis related to the manufacturing request, estimated based on the operating schedule of the first manufacturing apparatus, satisfies the delivery date specified as the manufacturing condition, is selected as the second manufacturing apparatus operated by the first dental laboratory, and the manufacturing request is transmitted to the second dental laboratory operating the selected second manufacturing apparatus. Control device.

2. The manufacturing capability of the first manufacturing apparatus includes at least one of the manufacturing precision of the first manufacturing apparatus, the types of dental prosthetics that can be manufactured, the materials that can be used to manufacture dental prosthetics, or the operational policy. The control device according to claim 1.

3. The information of the first dental laboratory further includes the order status of the first dental laboratory, The control unit selects the second dental laboratory based on the order status of the first dental laboratory so as to equalize the number of orders for each of the first dental laboratories. The control device according to claim 1.

4. The control unit further selects the second manufacturing apparatus based on the information of the client requesting the manufacturing order. The information of the client includes at least one of the following: the client's attribute information, the history of dental prosthetics previously commissioned by the client, the evaluations previously given to dental prosthetics commissioned by the client, or the conditions that the client requests from the second dental laboratory. The control device according to claim 1.

5. The manufacturing conditions further relate to at least one of the quality, reliability, or price of the dental prosthesis to which the manufacturing request pertains. The control device according to claim 1.

6. The control unit generates information indicating other available manufacturing conditions when some of the manufacturing conditions are specified, and presents it to the client requesting the manufacturing. The control device according to claim 5.

7. The information of the first dental laboratory includes information on dental technicians belonging to the first dental laboratory. The information of the dental technician includes the dental technician's work schedule. The control unit selects as the second dental laboratory the first dental laboratory whose estimated delivery date for the dental prosthesis related to the manufacturing request, based on the operating schedule of the first manufacturing apparatus and the working schedule of the dental technician, meets the delivery date specified as the manufacturing condition. The control device according to claim 1.

8. The control unit selects a dental technician to manufacture the dental prosthesis requested by the manufacturer. The control device according to claim 7.

9. The control unit selects the first dental laboratory as the second dental laboratory, which possesses pre-cut material with a margin for cutting the dental prosthesis to be manufactured, and requests the second dental laboratory to manufacture the dental prosthesis to be manufactured by cutting the pre-cut material held by the second dental laboratory. The control device according to claim 1.

10. The control unit determines whether the areas required for the production of the dental prosthesis related to the production request and one or more other dental prostheses related to the production request can be arranged in a single cutting material. If it determines that arrangement is possible, it specifies how the areas required for the production of the dental prosthesis related to the production request and one or more other dental prostheses related to the production request should be arranged in the single cutting material, and requests the second dental laboratory to produce the dental prosthesis related to the production request and one or more other dental prostheses related to the production request by cutting the single cutting material. The control device according to claim 1.

11. The aforementioned production request includes information about the patient to whom the production request pertains. The patient information includes at least one of the following: three-dimensional data of the patient's oral cavity, three-dimensional data of the dental prosthesis to which the fabrication request pertains, or attribute information of the patient. The control unit modifies the contents of the manufacturing request based on the patient's information. The control device according to claim 1.

12. Based on the production request, which is information requesting the production of a dental prosthesis, and information on multiple first dental laboratories operating a first production device capable of producing dental prostheses, a second production device is selected to produce the dental prosthesis related to the production request. To request the second dental laboratory operating the second manufacturing device to manufacture the dental prosthesis related to the aforementioned manufacturing request using the second manufacturing device, Includes, The aforementioned manufacturing request includes information from a dental laboratory instruction sheet and one or more manufacturing conditions that must be met when manufacturing the dental prosthesis related to the aforementioned manufacturing request. The information of the first dental laboratory includes information indicating the manufacturing capacity of the first manufacturing apparatus, and the operating schedule of the first manufacturing apparatus. The aforementioned manufacturing conditions include the delivery date for the dental prosthesis related to the manufacturing request. The selection of the second manufacturing apparatus includes extracting the manufacturing capacity that the second manufacturing apparatus should meet based on the dental laboratory instruction sheet included in the manufacturing request, selecting as the second manufacturing apparatus the first manufacturing apparatus operated by the first dental laboratory that satisfies the extracted manufacturing capacity from among a plurality of first manufacturing apparatuses, and whose estimated delivery date for the dental prosthesis related to the manufacturing request, based on the operating schedule of the first manufacturing apparatus, satisfies the delivery date specified as the manufacturing condition, and transmitting the manufacturing request to the second dental laboratory operating the selected second manufacturing apparatus. A control method performed by a computer.

13. Computers, Based on the production request, which is information requesting the production of a dental prosthesis, and information on multiple first dental laboratories operating a first production device capable of producing dental prostheses, a second production device is selected to produce the dental prosthesis related to the production request. The second dental laboratory operating the second manufacturing device is instructed to manufacture the dental prosthesis related to the aforementioned manufacturing request using the second manufacturing device. It will function as a control unit. The aforementioned manufacturing request includes information from a dental laboratory instruction sheet and one or more manufacturing conditions that must be met when manufacturing the dental prosthesis related to the aforementioned manufacturing request. The information of the first dental laboratory includes information indicating the manufacturing capacity of the first manufacturing apparatus, and the operating schedule of the first manufacturing apparatus. The aforementioned manufacturing conditions include the delivery date for the dental prosthesis related to the manufacturing request. The control unit extracts the manufacturing capacity that the second manufacturing apparatus should meet based on the dental laboratory instruction sheet included in the manufacturing request, A first manufacturing apparatus that satisfies the extracted manufacturing capacity from among a plurality of first manufacturing apparatuses, and the delivery date of the dental prosthesis related to the manufacturing request, estimated based on the operating schedule of the first manufacturing apparatus, satisfies the delivery date specified as the manufacturing condition, is selected as the second manufacturing apparatus operated by the first dental laboratory, and the manufacturing request is transmitted to the second dental laboratory operating the selected second manufacturing apparatus. program.

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