Unit management device, unit management system, and unit management method

Abstract

A unit management device (10) comprises a power receiver (11) that receives power in a non-contact manner from a wireless power-supplying device (7), a communicator (12) that communicates with a host system (2), a connector (13) that can be attached to and detached from a unit (5) that is a component of a production device (M), and a power supply circuit (14). When the unit (5) has been removed from the production device (M) and the connector (13) has been connected to the unit (5), the power supply circuit (14) supplies the power received by the power receiver (11) to at least the connector (13) and the communicator (12), and the communicator (12) performs communication between the host system (2) and the unit (5).

Description

Unit management device, unit management system, and unit management method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a unit management device, a unit management system, and a unit management method.

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a component mounter. This component mounter includes a power supply unit that supplies power to a circuit when a nozzle is used in the component mounter, and a receiving unit that receives a signal generated by a sensor. The receiving unit can receive a signal stored in a memory unit when the nozzle is stored in a nozzle station. This allows the component mounter to obtain information about the mounting status detected by the nozzle that holds an electronic component to be mounted on a board from the nozzle.

[0003] Patent No. 7313551

[0004] In Patent Document 1, the units mounted on the manufacturing equipment are supplied with the necessary power from the manufacturing equipment, allowing the units to communicate with a higher-level system. However, when a unit is removed from the manufacturing equipment and no longer mounted on the manufacturing equipment, it has no power supply means and therefore has difficulty communicating with the higher-level system. Therefore, it is conceivable to use equipment that supplies power via wiring to the units that are no longer mounted on the manufacturing equipment, and supply power to the units so that they can communicate with the higher-level system.

[0005] In this case, an increase in the number of steps required to connect the power equipment and the unit, laying wiring, and operation and management of the wiring are required, which poses a problem of increased costs related to such power equipment.

[0006] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a unit management device and the like that allows a unit that is no longer installed in a manufacturing device to communicate with a higher-level system and can suppress increases in costs related to power equipment.

[0007] A unit management device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a power receiving unit that receives power contactlessly from a wireless power supply device, a communication unit that communicates with a higher-level system, a connection unit that is detachable from a unit that is a component of a manufacturing apparatus, and a power supply circuit; when the unit is detached from the manufacturing apparatus and the connection unit is connected to the unit, the power supply circuit supplies the power received by the power receiving unit to at least the connection unit and the communication unit, and the communication unit communicates between the higher-level system and the unit.

[0008] Furthermore, a unit management system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a unit management system comprising a unit management device, a main board powered by power supplied from the connection section, and a unit having a sub-board powered by power supplied from the main board.

[0009] Furthermore, a unit management method according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a power receiving unit receiving power contactlessly from a wireless power supply device, a communication unit communicating with a higher-level system, a connection unit being detachable from a unit that is a component of a manufacturing apparatus, a power supply circuit supplying the power received by the power receiving unit to at least the connection unit and the communication unit when the unit is removed from the manufacturing apparatus and the connection unit is connected to the unit, and the communication unit communicating between the higher-level system and the unit.

[0010] According to a unit management device or the like according to one aspect of the present disclosure, a unit that is no longer installed in a manufacturing device can communicate with a higher-level system, and an increase in costs related to power equipment can be suppressed.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a production system including a unit management device according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a unit management device according to an embodiment. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a manufacturing device equipped with a unit. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing how power reception, data storage, and wireless communication are time-shared. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the operation of a unit management device according to an embodiment. Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing a unit management device according to another modified example.

[0012] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] The embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component placement and connection configurations, steps, and step order shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components not described in the independent claims are described as optional components.

[0014] In addition, each drawing is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily an exact illustration. In addition, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals in each drawing.

[0015] (Embodiment) <Configuration and Function> First, a unit management device 10, a unit management system, and a unit management method will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG.

[0016] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a production system 1 including a unit management device 10 according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the unit management device 10 according to an embodiment. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a manufacturing device M equipped with a unit 5.

[0017] 1 and 2, the production system 1 includes a host system 2, a wireless base station 3, a unit 5, a plurality of manufacturing devices M, and a unit management device 10. Although not shown, the unit 5 and the unit management device 10 constitute a unit management system.

[0018] The upper system 2 is, for example, an on-premise server or a cloud server that collects unit data from units 5 mounted on manufacturing equipment M for producing mounted boards, analyzes the collected unit data, and monitors and manages the manufacturing equipment M. The upper system 2 communicates with the wireless base station 3 via wired or wireless communication. The unit data includes, for example, production data for producing mounted boards, production performance data for producing mounted boards, data indicating the status of motors, sensors, etc. mounted on the units 5, error data indicating errors that occurred when producing mounted boards, etc.

[0019] The wireless base station 3 communicates wirelessly with the unit management device 10. In other words, the higher-level system 2 communicates wirelessly with the units 5 mounted on each of the plurality of manufacturing devices M via the wireless base station 3. The wireless communication is Wi-Fi (registered trademark), but may also be Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), specified low-power radio, a fifth-generation mobile communication system, or wireless communication using a cellular system for the fifth-generation mobile communication system or later.

[0020] 3, the unit 5 is attached to each of the manufacturing devices M. This allows each of the manufacturing devices M to manufacture a mounting substrate. The unit 5 includes at least one of a head 5a, a feeder 5b, a nozzle 5c, and a carriage 5d.

[0021] 1 and 2, the manufacturing apparatuses M are elements that constitute a mounting line for producing a product. For example, if the product is a mounted board, the manufacturing apparatuses M are a component mounting line for mounting electronic components on the board.

[0022] Each of the multiple manufacturing devices M is a production device for producing a product. A mounted board is produced through multiple processes performed by the multiple manufacturing devices M. For example, the multiple manufacturing devices M include a loader that supplies boards, a solder printing device that prints solder on the boards, a component mounting device that mounts electronic components on the boards, a reflow oven that melts the solder printed on the boards, a loader that ejects the mounted boards, and an inspection device that inspects the boards on which solder has been printed or the boards on which components have been mounted.

[0023] The unit management device 10 can be attached to and detached from the unit 5. When the unit management device 10 is connected to the unit 5, it supplies power to the unit 5 and performs wireless communication between the unit 5 and the wireless base station 3.

[0024] The unit management device 10 includes a power receiving unit 11 , a communication unit 12 , a connection unit 13 , a power supply circuit 14 , a control unit 15 , a storage unit 16 , and a charge / discharge element 17 .

[0025] The power receiving unit 11 receives power contactlessly from the wireless power feeder 7. The power receiving unit 11 is configured and arranged so that it can receive power from the wireless power feeder 7 while being located within a predetermined distance from the wireless power feeder 7. The power receiving unit 11 may include, for example, a coil, and may have a configuration compatible with a known wireless power feeding method such as a magnetic field coupling method or a magnetic field resonance method. The power receiving unit 11 can charge the charge / discharge element 17 with the received power, and supply power to the communication unit 12, the connection unit 13, etc.

[0026] The wireless power supply device 7 can supply power to the unit management device 10 without contacting the unit management device 10. The wireless power supply device 7 is configured and arranged to supply power to the power receiving unit 11 while being located within a predetermined distance from the power receiving unit 11. The wireless power supply device 7 includes, for example, a coil, and can be configured to be compatible with a known wireless power supply method such as a magnetic field coupling method or a magnetic field resonance method.

[0027] The communication unit 12 can wirelessly communicate with the higher-level system 2 via the wireless base station 3. Therefore, the communication unit 12 can communicate between the higher-level system 2 and the unit 5. The communication unit 12 can transmit unit data stored in the unit 5, specifically, unit data stored in the storage unit 16, to the higher-level system 2. The communication unit 12 can also receive software or firmware from the higher-level system 2 and store it in the storage unit 16. The control unit 15 transfers the software or firmware stored in the storage unit 16 to the unit 5 via the connection unit 13. In this embodiment, the unit data and the software or firmware may be collectively referred to simply as data.

[0028] The connection part 13 is detachably attached to the unit 5, which is a component of the manufacturing apparatus M. Specifically, the connection part 13 can be connected to the connected part 6a of the unit 5. The connection part 13 is an interface configured to transfer data between the unit 5 and the memory part 16 when connected to the unit 5. The connection part 13 is a connector including a power cable and a ground line, or a connector including a serial communication signal line, such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector or a connector including an RS-232C (Recommended Standard 232 version C) signal. The connected part 6a of the unit 5 is, for example, a USB port.

[0029] The connection unit 13 has a connection terminal for supplying power from the power supply circuit 14 and a connection terminal for transferring data between the communication unit 12 and the unit 5 via the memory unit 16. The connected unit 6a also has a connection terminal for receiving power and a connection terminal for transferring data. Therefore, the connection unit 13 can supply power supplied from the power supply circuit 14 to the connected unit 6a of the unit 5, and can also transfer data between the communication unit 12 and the unit 5 via the memory unit 16.

[0030] The unit 5 is composed of a receptacle 6a, a main board 6b, and multiple sub-boards 6c. The receptacle 6a can supply power received from a connection unit 13 of the unit management device 10 to the main board 6b. The main board 6b is composed of a microcomputer, memory, etc., and is connected to the receptacle 6a. The main board 6b is driven by power received from the connection unit 13 via the receptacle 6a. This allows the main board 6b to output unit data stored in the memory via the receptacle 6a to the unit management device 10, and to write data such as software or firmware obtained from the connection unit 13 into the memory for updating.

[0031] The multiple sub-boards 6c are composed of a microcomputer, a memory, etc., and are connected to the main board 6b. The main board 6b supplies power to at least some of the multiple sub-boards 6c, so that at least some of the multiple sub-boards 6c may be driven by power supplied from the connection unit 13 via the main board 6b, etc. In this case, the multiple sub-boards 6c may acquire unit data indicating the status of motors, sensors, etc. mounted on the unit 5, and may acquire data such as software or firmware from the main board 6b and write and update it.

[0032] The main board 6b may not only supply power to the multiple sub-boards 6c, but also supply power to at least some of the motors, sensors, etc. mounted on the unit 5. In this case, the multiple sub-boards 6c can acquire unit data indicating the status of the motors, sensors, etc.

[0033] The power supply circuit 14 supplies the power received by the power receiving unit 11 to at least the connection unit 13 and the communication unit 12. In the present embodiment, the power supply circuit 14 supplies the power received by the power receiving unit 11 to the memory unit 16, the charge / discharge element 17, the connection unit 13, and the communication unit 12. At this time, the power supply circuit 14 increases or decreases the voltage, converts it to a voltage required for the memory unit 16, the charge / discharge element 17, the connection unit 13, and the communication unit 12, and supplies the voltage to them. In other words, the power supply circuit 14 charges the charge / discharge element 17 with the power received by the power receiving unit 11, and supplies the power received by the power receiving unit 11 to the memory unit 16, the connection unit 13, and the communication unit 12. Furthermore, since the power supply circuit 14 supplies power to the connection unit 13, power is supplied to at least the main board 6b of the unit 5, which is a component of the manufacturing equipment M.

[0034] Furthermore, when the charging / discharging element 17 is charged by the power received by the power receiving unit 11, the power supply circuit 14 supplies the power received by the power receiving unit 11 and charged in the charging / discharging element 17 to the memory unit 16, the connection unit 13, and the communication unit 12. In this case as well, the power supply circuit 14 supplies power to the connection unit 13, and therefore power is supplied to each functional unit of the unit 5, which is a component of the manufacturing equipment M.

[0035] The control unit 15 can switch between the following (1) and (2) by controlling the power supply circuit 14. (1) The control unit 15 controls the power supply circuit 14 to charge the charging / discharging element 17 with the power received by the power receiving unit 11 and to supply the power received by the power receiving unit 11 to the memory unit 16, the connection unit 13, and the communication unit 12 to drive them. (2) The control unit 15 supplies the power received by the power receiving unit 11 and charged in the charging / discharging element 17 to the memory unit 16, the connection unit 13, and the communication unit 12 to drive them.

[0036] In addition, the control unit 15 stores the unit data transmitted from the unit 5 via the connection unit 13 in the storage unit 16 .

[0037] The storage unit 16 can store unit data transmitted from the unit 5 via the connection unit 13. The storage unit 16 is, for example, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) or a rewritable non-volatile memory such as a flash memory.

[0038] The charge / discharge element 17 includes a secondary battery, a large-capacity capacitor such as an electric double layer capacitor, etc. for supplying power to the memory unit 16, the connection unit 13, the communication unit 12, etc. At least one of a secondary battery and a large-capacity capacitor may be used in the charge / discharge element 17. The charge / discharge element 17 can store the power received by the power receiving unit 11 and supply the stored power to the memory unit 16, the connection unit 13, the communication unit 12, etc.

[0039] Next, the functions of the unit management device 10 and the unit management method will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0040] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing how power reception, data retention, and wireless communication are time-shared. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the operation of the unit management device 10 according to an embodiment. Fig. 5(a) shows the operation of the unit management device 10 during a first period in which power reception and data retention are performed. Fig. 5(b) shows the operation of the unit management device 10 during a second period in which wireless communication is performed. In Figs. 5(a) and 5(b), the supplied power is indicated by a solid arrow, and the transferred data (unit data, software, or firmware) is indicated by a dashed arrow.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the unit management device 10 has a power receiving function for receiving power in a contactless manner.

[0042] 3, the unit 5 is the head 5a, the feeder 5b, the nozzle 5c, the carriage 5d, etc., and the unit 5 can be removed from the manufacturing equipment M. Therefore, when the unit 5 is removed from the manufacturing equipment M, power is no longer supplied to the unit 5 from the manufacturing equipment M.

[0043] In this embodiment, even when the unit 5 is detached from the manufacturing equipment M, the unit management device 10 can be connected to the unit 5. That is, the connection portion 13 of the unit management device 10 can be connected to the receptacle 6a of the unit 5. Therefore, the unit management device 10 can supply power to the unit 5.

[0044] Specifically, with the unit 5 detached from the manufacturing equipment M, the connection portion 13 of the unit management device 10 is connected to the receptacle 6a of the unit 5, and the unit management device 10 attached to the unit 5 is placed near the wireless power supply device 7 so that the power receiving portion 11 of the unit management device 10 can receive power from the wireless power supply device 7. As a result, with the unit 5 detached from the manufacturing equipment M and the connection portion 13 of the unit management device 10 connected to the receptacle 6a of the unit 5, the power receiving portion 11 is supplied with power from the wireless power supply device 7, and the power supply circuit 14 can supply the power received by the power receiving portion 11 to at least the connection portion 13 and the communication portion 12.

[0045] The unit management device 10 also has a wireless communication function for wirelessly communicating with the wireless base station 3 .

[0046] 4 , in the unit management device 10, when the unit 5 is detached from the manufacturing equipment M, the power receiving unit 11 receives power and the communication unit 12 communicates with the upper system 2 exclusively. Specifically, in the unit management device 10, the power receiving unit 11 receives power for a first period, and the communication unit 12 communicates with the upper system 2 for a second period. That is, in the unit management device 10, the power receiving unit 11 repeatedly switches between receiving power from the wireless power supply device 7 for the first period and the communication unit 12 communicating with the upper system 2 for the second period. This switching is performed, for example, by the control unit 15 mounted in the unit management device 10. The first period and the second period are, for example, on the order of several seconds.

[0047] 4, the first period and the second period are depicted as having the same width (duration), but this does not necessarily mean that the first period and the second period are the same duration. When there is only one unit 5, there is also only one unit management device 10, so the first period and the second period may be the same duration. However, when there are multiple units 5 (especially three or more units), interference may occur in the wireless communication between each of the unit management devices 10 connected to the multiple units 5 and the wireless base station 3. Therefore, in order to suppress such interference, the first period may be longer than the second period so that the period during which each of the multiple unit management devices 10 communicates wirelessly with the wireless base station 3 is shorter.

[0048] 1 and 5A, during the first period, the control unit 15 controls the power supply circuit 14 to charge the charging / discharging element 17 with the power received by the power receiving unit 11 and to supply the power to the connection unit 13 and the storage unit 16. As a result, during the first period, the charging / discharging element 17 is charged with the power received by the power receiving unit 11 from the wireless power supply device 7. The connection unit 13 can also supply the supplied power to the unit 5. Furthermore, because the unit 5 and the storage unit 16 are supplied with power and driven, the control unit 15 can acquire unit data from the unit 5 during the first period and store the acquired unit data in the storage unit 16. That is, the storage unit 16 can store the unit data acquired by the connection unit 13 from the unit 5 during the first period.

[0049] During the first period, the communication unit 12 does not communicate with the wireless base station 3 .

[0050] 1 and 5(b), during the second period, the control unit 15 blocks the power receiving unit 11 from receiving power from the wireless power supply device 7. During the second period, the power supply circuit 14 supplies the power charged by the charge / discharge element 17 to at least the connection unit 13 and the communication unit 12. In this embodiment, during the second period, the power supply circuit 14 can supply the power charged by the charge / discharge element 17 to the storage unit 16, the connection unit 13, and the communication unit 12. Furthermore, the connection unit 13 can supply the power charged by the charge / discharge element 17 to the unit 5.

[0051] In this case, during the second period, the power charged in the charge / discharge element 17 is supplied to the communication unit 12 and the storage unit 16 to drive them, and the control unit 15 controls the communication unit 12 to cause the communication unit 12 to communicate wirelessly with the wireless base station 3. For example, since the unit data from the unit 5 is stored in the storage unit 16 during the first period, the control unit 15 controls the communication unit 12 to transmit the unit data stored in the storage unit 16 to the wireless base station 3. In other words, during the second period, the storage unit 16 outputs the stored unit data to the communication unit 12. This allows the higher-level system 2 to acquire the unit data stored in the unit 5, i.e., the unit data stored in the storage unit 16.

[0052] Furthermore, in the second period, power is supplied to the unit 5 and the storage unit 16 to operate, and the control unit 15 can acquire unit data from the unit 5 and store the acquired unit data in the storage unit 16. Note that it is preferable that the amount of unit data acquired by the storage unit 16 from the unit 5 in the second period be smaller than the amount of unit data acquired in the first period.

[0053] <Operational Effects> Next, operational effects of the unit management device 10, the unit management system, and the unit management method according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0054] As described above, the unit management device 10 of technology 1 relating to this embodiment includes a power receiving unit 11 that receives power contactlessly from the wireless power supply device 7, a communication unit 12 that communicates with the upper system 2, a connection unit 13 that can be attached and detached to the unit 5, which is a component of the manufacturing equipment M, and a power supply circuit 14. When the unit 5 is detached from the manufacturing equipment M and the connection unit 13 is connected to the unit 5, the power supply circuit 14 supplies the power received by the power receiving unit 11 to at least the connection unit 13 and the communication unit 12, and the communication unit 12 communicates between the upper system 2 and the unit 5.

[0055] According to this, when the connection section 13 of the unit management device 10 is connected to a unit 5 that is no longer mounted on the manufacturing equipment M, power is supplied from the wireless power supply device 7 to the unit 5 via the unit management device 10. This allows the unit management device 10 to acquire unit data from the unit 5 and update the software or firmware of the unit 5 acquired from the higher-level system 2.

[0056] Furthermore, the power receiving unit 11 of the unit management device 10 can receive power from the wireless power supply device 7 in a contactless manner. This reduces the need to connect wiring to the unit 5, lay wiring, and perform operation and management of the wiring.

[0057] Therefore, according to this embodiment, the unit 5 that is not installed in the manufacturing equipment M can communicate with the upper system 2, and an increase in costs related to power equipment can be suppressed.

[0058] In particular, since the unit 5 connected to the unit management device 10 can receive power contactlessly, the flexibility in the storage location of the unit 5 removed from the manufacturing equipment M is improved.

[0059] Furthermore, since the software or firmware of the unit 5 is updated, no software or firmware update is required when the unit 5 is attached to the manufacturing equipment M, and the manufacturing equipment M can be started smoothly.

[0060] In the unit management device 10 of the second technique according to the present embodiment, the unit 5 includes at least one of a head 5a, a feeder 5b, a nozzle 5c, and a carriage 5d.

[0061] This allows power to be supplied to the head 5 a, feeder 5 b, nozzle 5 c, and cart 5 d that are removed from the manufacturing equipment M. This allows the unit management device 10 to acquire unit data from these units 5 and update the software or firmware of these units 5 acquired from the higher-level system 2.

[0062] Furthermore, in the unit management device 10 of technology 3 relating to this embodiment, when the unit 5 is removed from the manufacturing equipment M, the power receiving unit 11 receives power and the communication unit 12 communicates with the upper system 2 exclusively.

[0063] This configuration suppresses the influence of noise caused by power reception because the power receiving unit 11 does not receive power during communication between the communication unit 12 and the upper system 2. As a result, it is possible to suppress a decrease in transmission quality in communication between the communication unit 12 and the upper system 2.

[0064] In the unit management device 10 of technique 4 according to the present embodiment, the power receiving unit 11 receives power for a first period, and the communication unit 12 communicates with the upper system 2 for a second period.

[0065] This allows the power receiving unit 11 to receive power and the communication between the communication unit 12 and the higher-level system 2 to be performed alternately in a time-division manner. This makes it possible to simultaneously supply power to units 5 that are not installed in the manufacturing equipment M and suppress degradation in transmission quality in communication between the communication unit 12 and the higher-level system 2.

[0066] Furthermore, the unit management device 10 of technology 5 relating to this embodiment further includes a charge / discharge element 17, which is charged by the power received by the power receiving unit 11 during the first period, and the power supply circuit 14 supplies the power charged by the charge / discharge element 17 to at least the connection unit 13 and the communication unit 12 during the second period.

[0067] According to this, since the charging / discharging element 17 is charged in the first period, in the second period the charging / discharging element 17 can supply power to at least the connection unit 13 and the communication unit 12. Therefore, in the second period, the power receiving unit 11 does not need to receive power from the wireless power supply device 7. As a result, in the second period, communication can be performed between the communication unit 12 and the higher-level system 2 with reduced degradation in transmission quality.

[0068] In the unit management device 10 according to the sixth aspect of the present embodiment, the first period is longer than the second period.

[0069] For example, when a unit management device 10 is connected to each of multiple units 5 removed from the manufacturing equipment M, by making the first period longer than the second period, it is possible to prevent interference when each of the multiple unit management devices 10 communicates wirelessly with the wireless base station 3.

[0070] Furthermore, in the unit management device 10 of Technique 7 according to this embodiment, when the unit 5 is removed from the manufacturing equipment M, the connection section 13 supplies the power supplied from the power supply circuit 14 to the unit 5 .

[0071] According to this, when the connection section 13 of the unit management device 10 is connected to the unit 5, the connection section 13 can supply power to the unit 5, which makes it easy to supply power to the unit 5.

[0072] In addition, the unit management device 10 of technology 8 relating to this embodiment further includes a memory unit 16, and the connection unit 13 is an interface configured to transfer data (unit data, software, or firmware) between the unit 5 and the memory unit 16 when connected to the unit 5.

[0073] This allows power to be supplied to the unit 5, as well as obtaining unit data from the unit 5 and outputting software or firmware to the unit 5.

[0074] In addition, the unit management device 10 of technology 9 relating to this embodiment further includes a memory unit 16, which stores data (unit data) acquired from the unit 5 by the connection unit 13 during the first period, and transfers the data (unit data) stored in the memory unit 16 to the communication unit 12 during the second period.

[0075] According to this, during the first period, the unit data is temporarily stored in the memory unit 16, and when the period switches from the first period to the second period, the unit data stored in the memory unit 16 can be transmitted to the wireless base station 3 via the communication unit 12.

[0076] In addition, the unit management system of technology 10 relating to this embodiment includes a unit management device 10, a main board 6b driven by power supplied from the connection part 13, and a unit 5 having a sub-board 6c driven by power supplied from the main board 6b.

[0077] According to this, when the unit 5 is detached from the manufacturing equipment M, by connecting the unit management device 10 to the unit 5, it is possible to supply power to the main board 6b and the sub-board 6c of the unit 5. As a result, it becomes possible to operate the unit 5.

[0078] In addition, the unit management method of technology 11 relating to this embodiment includes the power receiving unit 11 receiving power contactlessly from the wireless power supply device 7, communication between the upper system 2 and the communication unit 12, the connection unit 13 being detachable with respect to the unit 5 which is a component of the manufacturing equipment M, and when the unit 5 is detached from the manufacturing equipment M and the connection unit 13 is connected to the unit 5, the power supply circuit 14 supplies the power received by the power receiving unit 11 to at least the connection unit 13 and the communication unit 12, and communication between the upper system 2 and the unit 5 by the communication unit 12.

[0079] This method also provides the same effects as those described above.

[0080] (Other Modifications) The unit management device, unit management system, and unit management method according to the present disclosure have been described above based on the above-described embodiments, but the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. As long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the present disclosure, various modifications that come to mind by those skilled in the art may also be included in the scope of the present disclosure.

[0081] For example, while the unit management device according to the above embodiment has been described with a memory unit as an example, the unit management device 10a may not be equipped with a memory unit, as shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a unit management device 10a according to another modification. In this case, the power supply circuit 14 may constantly supply power received by the power receiving unit 11 to at least the connection unit 13 and the communication unit 12, and the communication unit 12 may constantly communicate between the upper system 2 and the unit 5. Therefore, the control unit 15 does not need to alternate between the above-described (1) and (2), and may always execute (1).

[0082] Furthermore, the control units and the like included in the unit management devices and the unit management systems according to the above embodiments are typically realized as LSIs (Large Scale Integration), which are integrated circuits. These may be individually implemented as single chips, or some or all of them may be integrated into a single chip.

[0083] Furthermore, the integrated circuit is not limited to an LSI, but may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) that can be programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connections and settings of circuit cells within the LSI may also be used.

[0084] In each of the above embodiments, each component may be configured with dedicated hardware, or may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

[0085] The division of functional blocks in the block diagram is an example, and multiple functional blocks may be realized as a single functional block, one functional block may be divided into multiple blocks, or some functions may be moved to another functional block.Furthermore, the functions of multiple functional blocks having similar functions may be processed in parallel or in time-sharing by a single piece of hardware or software.

[0086] In addition, this disclosure also includes forms obtained by making various modifications to the above-mentioned embodiments that a person skilled in the art would think of, and forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment within the scope that does not deviate from the intent of this disclosure.

[0087] The unit management device, unit management system, and unit management method of the present disclosure are useful in the field of mounting components on a board.

[0088] 2 Upper system 5 Unit (unit management system) 5a Head 5b Feeder 5c Nozzle 5d Cart 6b Main board 6c Sub-board 7 Wireless power supply device 10, 10a Unit management device (unit management system) 11 Power receiving unit 12 Communication unit 13 Connection unit 14 Power supply circuit 16 Memory unit 17 Charging / discharging element M Manufacturing device

Claims

1. A unit management device comprising: a power receiving unit that receives power from a wireless power supply device in a contactless manner; a communication unit that communicates with a higher-level system; a connection unit that is detachable from a unit that is a component of a manufacturing device; and a power supply circuit, wherein when the unit is detached from the manufacturing device and the connection unit is connected to the unit, the power supply circuit supplies the power received by the power receiving unit to at least the connection unit and the communication unit, and the communication unit communicates between the higher-level system and the unit.

2. The unit management device according to claim 1, wherein the unit includes at least one of a head, a feeder, a nozzle, and a carriage.

3. A unit management device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein when the unit is removed from the manufacturing equipment, power reception by the power receiving unit and communication between the communication unit and the upper system are performed exclusively.

4. The unit management device according to claim 3, wherein the power receiving unit receives power for a first period, and the communication unit communicates with the upper system for a second period.

5. The unit management device according to claim 4, further comprising a charge / discharge element, wherein the charge / discharge element is charged by the power received by the power receiving unit during the first period, and the power supply circuit supplies the power charged by the charge / discharge element to at least the connection unit and the communication unit during the second period.

6. The unit management device according to claim 5, wherein the first period is longer than the second period.

7. The unit management device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the unit is removed from the manufacturing equipment, the connection section supplies the power supplied from the power supply circuit to the unit.

8. The unit management device according to claim 4, further comprising a storage unit, wherein the connection unit is an interface configured to transfer data between the unit and the storage unit when connected to the unit.

9. The unit management device according to claim 4, further comprising a storage unit, wherein the storage unit stores data acquired from the unit by the connection unit during the first period, and the data stored in the storage unit is transferred to the communication unit during the second period.

10. A unit management system comprising: a unit management device according to claim 1 or 2; and a unit having a main board driven by power supplied from the connection section, and a sub-board driven by power supplied from the main board.

11. A unit management method comprising: a power receiving unit receiving power contactlessly from a wireless power supply device; a communication unit communicating with a higher-level system; a connection unit being detachable from a unit that is a component of a manufacturing device; a power supply circuit supplying the power received by the power receiving unit to at least the connection unit and the communication unit when the unit is removed from the manufacturing device and the connection unit is connected to the unit; and the communication unit communicating between the higher-level system and the unit.

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