Work assistance method and work assistance system

Abstract

A space recognition unit of smart glasses scans a floor surface of a work area in a normal state to create a space mesh, and converts the space mesh to image data to acquire a plate-shaped object. The floor surface of the work area is scanned at an appropriate timing to create a target space mesh, and a virtual laser is emitted from above in a direction perpendicular to the plate-shaped object, which is prepared in advance, in a state in which the target space mesh is disposed on the plate-shaped object. When the virtual laser passes through a gap in the target space mesh and hits the plate-shaped object, the hit portion of the plate-shaped object is detected as an opening formed in the floor surface of the work area, a warning is issued, and position information pertaining to the opening is registered.

Description

Work support method and work support system

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and system for supporting operations when performing predetermined operations such as maintenance operations on industrial equipment such as substrate processing apparatuses that perform predetermined operations on substrates. Substrates to be processed by the substrate processing apparatuses include, for example, semiconductor substrates, substrates for liquid crystal display devices, substrates for flat panel displays (FPDs), substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, and substrates for solar cells.

[0002] Conventionally, in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, substrate processing apparatuses are used to perform various processes on substrates such as semiconductor substrates. Examples of substrate processing apparatuses include substrate cleaning apparatuses, heat treatment apparatuses, and inspection apparatuses. Typically, a large number of substrate processing apparatuses are arranged in an orderly fashion in a large clean room. Maintenance is performed on these substrate processing apparatuses at appropriate intervals. Patent Document 1 describes arranging a large number of substrate processing apparatuses at a relatively high density in a clean room and performing maintenance on the substrate processing apparatuses.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-4866

[0004] In the clean room where the substrate processing apparatus is located, foreign objects such as tools and parts may be placed. Also, the grating on the floor of the clean room may be removed to form openings. Generally, workers working in the clean room visually check for openings and the like to avoid contact with them.

[0005] However, when performing maintenance on a substrate processing apparatus, workers may have to work in a dark environment. For example, an area known as a yellow room, where ultraviolet rays are blocked, is a particularly dark environment. Even if openings or the like exist in such a dark environment, it may be difficult for workers to see them with the naked eye. This may pose a risk of workers falling through the openings while working.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a work support method and a work support system that enable a worker to recognize openings formed in the surrounding area even in a dark environment.

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, a first aspect of the present invention is a work support method for performing specified work on industrial equipment, comprising: a preparation step of acquiring a plate-shaped object represented by planarized image data of a work area in a normal state in which the industrial equipment is placed; a spatial recognition step of creating a target space mesh, which is mesh data acquired by scanning the work area at a specified timing using a mobile terminal equipped with a display unit, a communication unit, and a spatial recognition unit; a detection step of detecting, as an opening in the work area, a portion where the top surface of the plate-shaped object is visible when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the plate-shaped object with the target space mesh placed on top of the plate-shaped object; and an alert step of issuing an alert when the opening is detected.

[0008] In addition, a second aspect is a work support method according to the first aspect, in which in the pre-preparation process, mesh data obtained by scanning the work area in a normal state using the mobile terminal is converted into image data to obtain the plate-like object.

[0009] In addition, a third aspect is a work assistance method according to the first or second aspect, wherein in the detection process, a rod-shaped object is dropped from a direction perpendicular to the plate-shaped object, and the portion where the rod-shaped object comes into contact with the plate-shaped object is detected as the opening.

[0010] In addition, a fourth aspect is a work assistance method according to any one of the first to third aspects, further comprising a position registration step of registering position information of the opening when the opening is detected.

[0011] A fifth aspect is the work support method according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the industrial equipment is a substrate processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process on a substrate.

[0012] In addition, a sixth aspect is the task assistance method according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the mobile terminal is a pair of smart glasses.

[0013] Further, a seventh aspect is a work support system for performing specified work on industrial equipment using a mobile terminal, the system comprising: a mobile terminal having a display unit and a communication unit; a memory unit for storing a plate-shaped object represented by flattened image data of a work area in a normal state in which the industrial equipment is placed; a space recognition unit provided in the mobile terminal for creating a target space mesh, which is mesh data obtained by scanning the work area at a specified timing; an abnormality detection unit for detecting, as an opening in the work area, a portion where the top surface of the plate-shaped object is visible when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the plate-shaped object with the target space mesh placed on top of the plate-shaped object; and a warning issuance unit for issuing a warning when the abnormality detection unit detects the opening.

[0014] In addition, in an eighth aspect, in the work support system according to the seventh aspect, mesh data obtained by scanning the work area in a normal state using the mobile terminal is converted into image data to obtain the plate-like object.

[0015] In addition, in a ninth aspect, in the work assistance system according to the seventh or eighth aspect, the abnormality detection unit drops a rod-shaped object from a direction perpendicular to the plate-shaped object and detects the area where the rod-shaped object comes into contact with the plate-shaped object as the opening.

[0016] In addition, a tenth aspect is a work assistance system according to any one of the seventh to ninth aspects, further comprising a position registration unit that registers position information of the opening when the warning issuance unit issues a warning.

[0017] An eleventh aspect is the work support system according to any one of the seventh to tenth aspects, wherein the industrial equipment is a substrate processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process on a substrate.

[0018] In addition, a twelfth aspect is the work assistance system according to any one of the seventh to eleventh aspects, wherein the mobile terminal is a pair of smart glasses.

[0019] According to the work support methods of the first to sixth aspects, a target space mesh obtained by scanning the work area at a predetermined timing is placed on a plate-like object represented by image data that has been flattened from the work area in its normal state, and when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the plate-like object, the area where the top surface of the plate-like object is visible is detected as an opening in the work area.Therefore, openings are detected non-optically, and the worker can recognize openings that have formed around them even in dark environments.

[0020] According to the work support systems of the seventh to twelfth aspects, when a target space mesh is placed on a plate-like object represented by flattened image data of the work area in its normal state, and the target space mesh is obtained by scanning the work area at a predetermined timing, and when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the plate-like object, the area where the top surface of the plate-like object is visible is detected as an opening in the work area.Therefore, openings are detected non-optically, and the worker can recognize openings formed around them even in a dark environment.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a work support system according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating an example of the layout of multiple substrate processing apparatuses. FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the substrate processing apparatus. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of a processing unit. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the appearance of smart glasses. FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of a control unit of the smart glasses, a server, a work support terminal, and a substrate processing apparatus. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a preparatory procedure in a work support method according to the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a worker wearing smart glasses moves around a clean room to create a spatial mesh. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a spatial mesh created by scanning the floor of a work area. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a created plate-like object. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an anomaly detection procedure in the work support method according to the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a worker wearing smart glasses performs work for anomaly detection. FIG. 14 is a diagram conceptually illustrating a state in which a spatial mesh is arranged on a plate-like object. FIG. 15 is a conceptual diagram showing how a virtual laser is irradiated onto a plate-like object on which a spatial mesh is arranged.

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, expressions indicating relative or absolute positional relationships (e.g., "in one direction," "along one direction," "parallel," "orthogonal," "center," "concentric," "coaxial," etc.) not only strictly represent the positional relationship but also represent a state of relative angular or distance displacement within a tolerance or a range that provides equivalent functionality, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, expressions indicating an equal state (e.g., "identical," "equal," "homogeneous," etc.) not only represent a state of strict quantitative equality but also represent a state of difference that provides a tolerance or equivalent functionality, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, expressions indicating a shape (e.g., "circular," "square," "cylindrical," etc.) not only represent a geometrically strict shape but also represent a shape within a range that provides equivalent functionality, such as irregularities or chamfers, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, expressions such as "comprise," "comprise," "include," "have," etc., regarding components, are not exclusive expressions that exclude the presence of other components. Furthermore, the expression "at least one of A, B, and C" includes "A only," "B only," "C only," "any two of A, B, and C," and "all of A, B, and C."

[0023] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a work support system according to the present invention. The work support system according to the present invention includes a plurality of substrate processing apparatuses 50, smart glasses 10, a server 70, and a work support terminal 80. Controllers of the smart glasses 10 and the substrate processing apparatuses 50 are connected to an information and communication network 5 (e.g., the Internet) via wireless communication. The work support terminal 80 and the server 70 are connected to the information and communication network 5 via a wired connection. Information can be transmitted and received between devices connected to the information and communication network 5, for example, information can be exchanged between the smart glasses 10 and the work support terminal 80. Note that whether each device is connected to the information and communication network 5 wirelessly or via a wired connection is not limited to the above example and can be any suitable connection (e.g., the work support terminal 80 may be connected to the information and communication network 5 wirelessly).

[0024] 2 is a plan view showing an example of the layout of a plurality of substrate processing apparatuses 50. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of substrate processing apparatuses 50 are arranged in a clean room 40 in a regular line at regular intervals. The clean room 40 is provided, for example, in a semiconductor device manufacturing factory, and is a room in which a certain level of air cleanliness is ensured and temperature and humidity are controlled. In this embodiment, a plurality of substrate processing apparatuses 50 of the same type and model are arranged in the relatively large clean room 40. Therefore, it is difficult for an operator to distinguish the substrate processing apparatuses 50 arranged in the clean room 40 from their appearance alone.

[0025] Fig. 3 is a side view showing the configuration of one substrate processing apparatus 50. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the substrate processing apparatus 50. The substrate processing apparatus 50 is, for example, a single-wafer substrate cleaning apparatus that cleans substrates one by one. The substrate processing apparatus 50 has an indexer 51, a plurality of processing units 52, a transfer robot 56, and a main transport robot 57.

[0026] Carriers C each accommodating a plurality of substrates W are placed on the indexer 51. For example, three carriers C can be placed on the indexer 51. The transfer robot 56 is configured to be able to slide along the arrangement direction of the plurality of carriers C, to move up and down, to rotate, and to move its hand forward and backward. Unprocessed substrates W are removed from the carriers C placed on the indexer 51 by the transfer robot 56. Processed substrates W are stored in the carriers C placed on the indexer 51 by the transfer robot 56. The carriers C are, for example, FOUPs (front opening unified pods) that store substrates W in an enclosed space.

[0027] In the substrate processing apparatus 50, for example, three processing units 52 are stacked to form one stack. Then, for example, four stacks are arranged around the main transport robot 57 of the substrate processing apparatus 50. That is, one substrate processing apparatus 50 includes, for example, 12 (=3×4) processing units 52.

[0028] The main transport robot 57, which is disposed at the center of the four stacks, is configured to be capable of lifting and lowering, rotating, and moving its transport arm AM back and forth. The main transport robot 57 can transfer substrates W to and from all 12 processing units 52. The main transport robot 57 receives unprocessed substrates W from the transfer robot 56 and transfers them into any of the 12 processing units 52. The main transport robot 57 also removes processed substrates W from the processing units 52 and transfers them to the transfer robot 56.

[0029] The substrate processing apparatus 50 also includes a control unit 55. The control unit 55 is a general-purpose computer that controls the operations of the transfer robot 56, the main transport robot 57, and each of the processing units 52 provided within the apparatus. The control unit 55 has a touch panel that serves as an input / output interface provided on a wall surface of the apparatus, and a communication unit that communicates with the outside of the apparatus. While the control unit 55 is shown in the indexer 51 in Figures 3 and 4 for convenience of illustration, the present invention is not limited to this, and the control unit 55 may be provided at an appropriate position within the substrate processing apparatus 50.

[0030] 5 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the processing unit 52. The processing unit 52 includes a processing chamber 60, a spin holder 61, and a discharge nozzle 65. The processing chamber 60 is a hollow housing. The spin holder 61, the discharge nozzle 65, and the like are provided inside the processing chamber 60. The processing chamber 60 also has a loading / unloading port (not shown). The loading / unloading port is opened and closed by a shutter. With the loading / unloading port open, the main transport robot 57 loads and unloads a substrate W into and from the processing chamber 60. The loading / unloading port is closed during processing of the substrate W. The processing chamber 60 also has an air supply mechanism and an exhaust mechanism (not shown).

[0031] The rotation holder 61 includes a spin chuck 62 and a spin motor 63. The spin chuck 62 is a substrate holder that holds the substrate W in a horizontal position (a position in which the normal to the main surface of the substrate W is aligned vertically). The spin chuck 62 is, for example, a vacuum suction-type chuck. The spin chuck 62 has a disk shape with a diameter smaller than the diameter of the substrate W. The spin chuck 62 suction-holds the central portion of the lower surface of the substrate W. When the lower surface of the substrate W is suction-held by the spin chuck 62, the peripheral edge of the substrate W extends beyond the outer circumferential edge of the spin chuck 62. The spin chuck 62 may be another type of chuck, such as a clamping-type mechanical chuck.

[0032] The spin chuck 62 is connected to the spin motor 63 via a motor shaft. That is, the upper end of the motor shaft of the spin motor 63 is connected to the center of the lower surface of the spin chuck 62. When the spin motor 63 rotates the motor shaft while the substrate W is held by suction on the spin chuck 62, the substrate W and the spin chuck 62 rotate in a horizontal plane around a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction.

[0033] A cup 64 is provided to surround the spin chuck 62. The cup 64 can be raised and lowered by a lifting mechanism (not shown). The cup 64 has a cylindrical shape, and the upper part of the cup 64 is inclined so that it approaches the spin chuck 62 as it goes up. However, the inner diameter of the upper end part of the cup 64 is larger than the diameter of the substrate W. During processing of the substrate W, the upper end of the cup 64 is higher than the height position of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 62. Therefore, liquid scattered by centrifugal force from the substrate W rotated by the spin motor 63 is received and recovered by the cup 64. The liquid recovered by the cup 64 is discharged from a drain pipe provided at the bottom of the cup 64. The cup 64 may have a multi-stage structure in which multiple recovery ports are provided for different purposes.

[0034] The discharge nozzle 65 discharges a processing liquid onto the substrate W held on the spin chuck 62. The processing liquid is a term that encompasses various chemical liquids and pure water. Examples of chemical liquids include liquids for etching or liquids for removing particles. Specifically, SC-1 liquid (a mixed solution of ammonium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, and pure water), SC-2 liquid (a mixed solution of hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide, and pure water), or hydrofluoric acid are used. The discharge nozzle 65 is moved by a drive mechanism (not shown) between a processing position above the spin chuck 62 and a standby position outside the cup 64. At the processing position, the discharge nozzle 65 discharges a chemical liquid onto the substrate W held on the spin chuck 62, thereby, for example, etching the substrate W. Furthermore, the discharge nozzle 65 discharges pure water onto the substrate W, thereby performing a pure water rinse process on the substrate W.

[0035] A worker who performs maintenance and inspection work on multiple substrate processing apparatuses 50 arranged in a clean room 40 wears smart glasses 10. The smart glasses 10 are a type of wearable device that uses a head-mounted display (HMD). The smart glasses 10 are also devices for realizing AR (Augmented Reality) or MR (Mixed Reality). For example, Microsoft's "HoloLens" (registered trademark) can be used as the smart glasses 10.

[0036] 6 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the smart glasses 10. The smart glasses 10 include a visor 11 and a headband 12. A worker wears the smart glasses 10 by placing the headband 12 on their head. The worker can adjust the length of the headband 12 to fit the size of their head. The headband 12 also includes a power button, a brightness button, a volume button, and the like.

[0037] The visor 11 includes various sensors and a display. The display is a see-through holographic lens. That is, the display can display a three-dimensional image in the worker's field of view using a hologram, and transmits light from real objects in the same way as regular eyeglass lenses. Therefore, a worker wearing the smart glasses 10 can view the displayed three-dimensional image while viewing real objects through the display.

[0038] The sensors of the visor 11 include, for example, multiple visible light cameras that mainly capture images in front of the visor 11, an infrared camera that tracks the worker's line of sight, a depth sensor that measures the distance to an object, and an inertial measurement sensor. The infrared camera tracks the line of sight by measuring the movement of the eyeballs of the wearer of the smart glasses 10. The depth sensor measures the distance to an object using, for example, a Time of Flight (ToF) method. The inertial measurement sensor is composed of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, etc.

[0039] The smart glasses 10 also have a built-in computer including a CPU, memory, etc. The smart glasses 10 are also provided with a wireless communication mechanism, and the computer in the smart glasses 10 connects to the information communication network 5 using the wireless communication mechanism. The smart glasses 10 are also provided with a microphone, a speaker, a battery, etc.

[0040] 7 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the smart glasses 10, the server 70, the work support terminal 80, and the control unit 55 of the substrate processing apparatus 50. The smart glasses 10 include, as hardware elements, an imaging unit 21, a communication unit 22, a display unit 23, a storage unit 24, and a spatial recognition unit 25. The imaging unit 21 includes a visible light camera provided on the visor 11 described above. The imaging unit 21 includes, for example, four visible light cameras that capture images of the front and diagonally forward, and can capture images of the field of view of the worker wearing the smart glasses 10.

[0041] The communication unit 22 includes the wireless communication mechanism of the smart glasses 10 described above. The communication unit 22 transmits and receives data to and from the work support terminal 80 and the server 70 via the information and communication network 5. The communication unit 22 can also transmit and receive data directly to and from the control unit 55 of the substrate processing apparatus 50 if the distance is short. That is, the communication unit 22 can transmit data and commands to the control unit 55 of the substrate processing apparatus 50 directly or via the information and communication network 5.

[0042] The display unit 23 includes the display of the visor 11. The display unit 23 has a holographic processing device and displays a 3D image at a predetermined spatial position using hologram technology. Note that the 3D image displayed by the display unit 23 is not limited to a 3D shape, and may be a 2D image such as a document.

[0043] The storage unit 24 includes a memory and storage installed in the smart glasses 10. The memory and storage provided in the smart glasses 10 are, for example, a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and a universal flash storage (UFS), respectively. The storage unit 24 stores applications and data used by the computer of the smart glasses 10.

[0044] The spatial recognition unit 25 includes the depth sensor of the smart glasses 10 described above. The depth sensor can measure the distance to an object. The spatial recognition unit 25 can perform spatial mapping by scanning a space using the depth sensor. Specifically, the spatial recognition unit 25 creates a spatial mesh, which is mesh data, by scanning the space. Because the spatial recognition unit 25 uses the depth sensor, it is possible to scan a space even in a dark place.

[0045] The smart glasses 10 also include an image conversion unit 31, an abnormality detection unit 32, a warning issuance unit 33, and a location registration unit 34. The image conversion unit 31, the abnormality detection unit 32, the warning issuance unit 33, and the location registration unit 34 are function processing units realized by the CPU of the smart glasses 10 executing a predetermined processing program. The processing contents of the image conversion unit 31, the abnormality detection unit 32, the warning issuance unit 33, and the location registration unit 34 will be described in further detail below.

[0046] The control unit 55 of the substrate processing apparatus 50 controls the operation of mechanisms provided in the processing unit 52, such as the discharge nozzle 65. The control unit 55 of the substrate processing apparatus 50 can communicate with the communication unit 22 of the smart glasses 10, and can also control the operation of various mechanisms provided in the processing unit 52 in accordance with operation instruction commands transmitted from the smart glasses 10.

[0047] The work support terminal 80 is installed, for example, in a factory of a vendor that manufactures and maintains the substrate processing apparatus 50. The server 70 is installed in a clean room 40 in which a plurality of substrate processing apparatuses 50 are installed. The work support terminal 80 and the server 70 are capable of communicating with the smart glasses 10 via the information and communication network 5. The work support terminal 80 and the server 70 are also capable of communicating with each other via the information and communication network 5.

[0048] The work support terminal 80 and the server 70 are general computer systems. That is, the work support terminal 80 and the server 70 include a CPU which is a circuit that performs various arithmetic processing, a ROM which is a read-only memory that stores basic programs, a RAM which is a readable and writable memory that stores various information, a storage unit (for example, a magnetic disk or SSD) that stores control software and data, and a communication unit that communicates with the information communication network 5.

[0049] The work support terminal 80 is a computer that, for example, allows a work supporter on the vendor side to support the work of a worker in the clean room 40. The work supporter can send various information from the work support terminal 80 to the smart glasses 10 worn by the worker in the clean room 40.

[0050] In the work support system according to the present invention, the server 70 is a computer that executes predetermined processes in response to requests from the smart glasses 10 and the work support terminal 80. The server 70 includes a storage unit 74 with a relatively large capacity. Large-sized data created by the smart glasses 10 and the work support terminal 80 may be stored in the storage unit 74.

[0051] Next, a work assistance method using the work assistance system having the above-described configuration will be described. The work assistance method according to the present invention includes a preparation step of creating a plate-shaped object based on a normal state, and a step of a worker wearing smart glasses 10 detecting an abnormality such as an opening in the work area. First, the preparation step will be described.

[0052] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the steps of advance preparation in the work support method according to the present invention. First, a spatial mesh in a normal state is created for the floor surface in the clean room 40 using the smart glasses 10 (step S11). FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating how a worker wearing the smart glasses 10 moves (walks) within the clean room 40 to create a spatial mesh. The work area 101 is a partial area within the clean room 40. One substrate processing apparatus 50 is disposed in the work area 101. The worker wearing the smart glasses 10 walks around the work area 101 with the scan mode of the smart glasses 10 turned on. In the example of FIG. 9 , the worker wearing the smart glasses 10 walks around the periphery of the substrate processing apparatus 50 along the path indicated by the arrow AR9. Note that, in the example of FIG. 9 , there are no openings in the floor surface of the work area 101.

[0053] To turn on the scan mode of the smart glasses 10, for example, the worker selects the scan mode by a hand gesture from a menu screen displayed as a stereoscopic image on the display unit 23. The hand gesture is captured and detected by the imaging unit 21, and the computer of the smart glasses 10 recognizes from the detection result that the scan mode has been selected and turns on the scan mode. Alternatively, the worker may turn on the scan mode by pressing a predetermined button provided on the smart glasses 10. When the scan mode is turned on, the space recognition unit 25 of the smart glasses 10 starts scanning the space.

[0054] The worker turns on the scan mode of the smart glasses 10 while wearing them and walks around the work area 101, causing the space recognition unit 25 to sequentially scan the space, including the floor surface of the work area 101, and create a space mesh, which is mesh data. In step S11, the space recognition unit 25 of the smart glasses 10 scans the space, including the floor surface of the work area 101, in a normal state and creates a space mesh. The normal state refers to a safe and constant state in which no foreign objects, openings, etc. are present. The work area 101 in Figure 9 is in a normal state because there are no openings in the floor surface.

[0055] The space mesh created by the space recognition unit 25 by scanning the space is mesh data represented by a large number of triangular meshes. Various shapes, including curved and flat surfaces, are represented by a set of many connected triangles.

[0056] A fundamental characteristic of spatial meshes is that complex shapes including irregularities are represented by a high density of triangles, while flat shapes are represented by a relatively low density of triangles. Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of a spatial mesh created by scanning the floor of a work area 101. Because the floor of the work area 101 is a flat surface with no irregularities, the spatial mesh created by scanning the space including the floor of the work area 101 is represented by a collection of relatively large, low-density triangles, as shown in Figure 10. Because the density of triangles in the spatial mesh is low, the number of vertices of triangles contained within a unit area is also small (the vertices are contained at a low density).

[0057] Another fundamental characteristic of creating a spatial mesh is that the positions of the vertices of triangles are different each time the same object is scanned (i.e., the vertices are not reproducible). As shown in the example of Figure 10, in a spatial mesh created by scanning a flat surface, the density of the vertices of triangles is low, so if the positions of the individual vertices change each time a scan is performed, a different spatial mesh will be created each time a scan is performed.

[0058] Next, the created spatial mesh is converted into image data to obtain a plate-like object (step S12). This process may be performed, for example, by the image conversion unit 31 of the smart glasses 10 or the work support terminal 80. Specifically, the spatial mesh, which is mesh data, can be converted into two-dimensional image data using a 3D object library such as "Open GL" (registered trademark) manufactured by Silicon Graphics, Inc. In this embodiment, the object represented by the image data is a plate-like object. In other words, a plate-like object represented by image data obtained by two-dimensionally converting (flattening) the three-dimensional spatial mesh is created. Strictly speaking, the plate-like object is a 3D object because it has thickness even though it is thin.

[0059] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a created plate-like object PL. In the plate-like object PL acquired by converting the spatial mesh obtained by scanning a flat surface such as the floor surface of the work area 101 into a two-dimensional image, the flat surface is represented by being filled in. In the plate-like object PL of the example shown in FIG. 11, a hole (not filled in) near the center corresponds to the installation location of the substrate processing apparatus 50 on the floor. In other words, the installation location of the substrate processing apparatus 50 that is higher than the smart glasses 10 worn by the worker cannot be scanned, and is therefore treated the same as a hole.

[0060] Thereafter, the created plate-like object PL is registered (step S13). Specifically, image data representing the plate-like object PL is stored in, for example, the storage unit 24 of the smart glasses 10. Alternatively, if the amount of image data is large, it may be stored in, for example, the storage unit 74 of the server 70.

[0061] Next, anomaly detection using the smart glasses 10 will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the procedure for anomaly detection in the work assistance method according to the present invention. First, a worker wearing the smart glasses 10 enters the work area 101 in the clean room 40 at an appropriate timing to create a spatial mesh (step S21). An example of this timing is when performing maintenance work on the substrate processing apparatus 50. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a situation in which a worker wearing the smart glasses 10 performs work for anomaly detection. The work area 101 is a partial area in the clean room 40, the same as in FIG. 9 , and one substrate processing apparatus 50 is disposed in the work area 101. A worker performing anomaly inspection wears the smart glasses 10 and walks around the work area 101 with the scan mode turned on. In the example of FIG. 13 , the worker wearing the smart glasses 10 walks around the periphery of the substrate processing apparatus 50 along the path indicated by the arrow AR13. When the worker walks around the work area 101 with the scan mode of the smart glasses 10 on, the space recognition unit 25 sequentially scans the space within the work area 101 near the smart glasses 10 to acquire a space mesh (target space mesh). When the worker wearing the smart glasses 10 looks at the floor surface of the work area 101, the space recognition unit 25 scans the floor surface, which is a flat surface, to acquire a space mesh.

[0062] Next, the spatial mesh created in step S21 is placed on the plate-like object PL acquired in the advance preparation process (step S22). This process is performed, for example, by the anomaly detection unit 32 of the smart glasses 10. FIG. 14 is a conceptual diagram showing the state in which the spatial mesh is placed on the plate-like object PL. A spatial mesh SD, which is mesh data represented by a large number of triangular meshes, is placed on the plate-like object PL represented by image data. The spatial mesh SD includes information about the situation within the work area 101.

[0063] Next, the anomaly detection unit 32 of the smart glasses 10 irradiates a virtual laser from above the plate-like object PL on which the spatial mesh SD is placed (step S23). Figure 15 is a conceptual diagram showing how a virtual laser is irradiated onto the plate-like object PL on which the spatial mesh SD is placed. The irradiation of the virtual laser is a calculation process performed by the CPU of the smart glasses 10 by executing a predetermined processing program, and does not actually irradiate laser light. The virtual laser can be regarded as a rod-shaped object with excellent directionality, just like actual laser light.

[0064] The virtual laser is irradiated from above in a perpendicular direction (normal direction of the plate-like object PL) to the plate-like object PL. In other words, irradiating the virtual laser can be said to be a process of dropping a rod-like object from above in a direction perpendicular to the plate-like object PL.

[0065] The anomaly detection unit 32 determines whether the emitted virtual laser hits the plate-like object PL (step S24). Because a spatial mesh SD is disposed above the plate-like object PL, in most cases the virtual laser hits the spatial mesh SD and not the plate-like object PL. However, as shown in FIG. 15 , if there is a vertical gap in the spatial mesh SD, part of the virtual laser passes through the gap and hits the plate-like object PL. In other words, the dropped rod-like object passes through the gap formed in the spatial mesh SD and hits the plate-like object PL. In the example of FIG. 15 , part of the virtual laser passes through the gap formed in the spatial mesh SD and hits part 118 of the plate-like object PL.

[0066] If the virtual laser is hitting the plate-like object PL, the process proceeds from step S24 to step S25, where the anomaly detection unit 32 detects the portion of the plate-like object PL hit by the virtual laser as an opening. The virtual laser hitting the plate-like object PL means that there is a gap in the spatial mesh SD located above the plate-like object PL and that there is no hole in the plate-like object PL below. The spatial mesh SD acquired by scanning the work area 101 reflects the situation within the work area 101. In other words, the gap formed in the spatial mesh SD reflects an opening that has appeared in the floor of the work area 101. On the other hand, the lack of a hole in the plate-like object PL means that there was no opening in the floor of the work area 101 at the pre-preparation stage. Therefore, if the virtual laser is hitting the plate-like object PL, it means that an opening has been formed in the floor of the work area 101 after the pre-preparation stage. The abnormality detection unit 32 then detects the portion of the plate-like object PL that is hit by the virtual laser as an opening formed in the floor surface of the work area 101 .

[0067] For example, in the example of FIG. 13 , assume that after the plate-like object PL is registered, a grating is removed from the floor of the work area 101, forming an opening 108. A gap corresponding to the opening 108 is formed in the spatial mesh SD obtained by scanning the floor surface of the work area 101, including the opening 108. On the other hand, the plate-like object PL created in the preparatory step before registering the plate-like object PL does not have a hole corresponding to the opening 108. Therefore, when the anomaly detection unit 32 irradiates a virtual laser from above the spatial mesh SD placed on the plate-like object PL, part of the virtual laser passes through the gap corresponding to the opening 108 and hits the plate-like object PL. The anomaly detection unit 32 then detects the portion 118 of the plate-like object PL that is hit by the virtual laser as the opening 108 formed in the floor surface of the work area 101.

[0068] When an opening is detected, the warning unit 33 of the smart glasses 10 issues a warning (step S26). Specifically, for example, in response to a request from the warning unit 33, the display unit 23 displays an annotation overlaid on the opening 108 formed on the floor of the work area 101. For example, the display unit 23 displays a red colored display overlaid on the opening 108 formed on the floor of the work area 101. The annotation displayed by the display unit 23 is a stereoscopic image. Alternatively, the warning unit 33 may cause the display unit 23 to display a warning message as a stereoscopic image. By issuing such a warning, the worker can recognize the presence of an opening on the nearby floor and pay attention to the opening, thereby ensuring the worker's safety. In the example of FIG. 13 , the worker can pay attention to the newly formed opening 108 and perform the work safely.

[0069] Next, the position registration unit 34 of the smart glasses 10 registers the position information of the detected opening in the memory unit 74 of the server 70 (step S27). The position information of the opening can be calculated from the position of the portion of the plate-like object PL on which the virtual laser is irradiated. For example, in the example of FIG. 13, the position information of the opening 108 in the work area 101 can be calculated from the position of the portion 118 of the plate-like object PL on which the virtual laser is irradiated. The position information to be registered can be any appropriate information. For example, the coordinate position of the opening 108 in the clean room 40 may be registered, or the relative position of the opening 108 in the work area 101 from the substrate processing apparatus 50 may be registered.

[0070] On the other hand, if the virtual laser does not hit the plate-like object PL, it means that there is no gap in the spatial mesh SD, and no opening is formed in the floor surface of the work area 101. Therefore, in this case, the process proceeds from step S24 to step S28, and the worker continues the desired work. Since there has been no significant change from the normal state in the environment around the worker, the worker can work safely.

[0071] In this embodiment, in the preparation process, the floor surface of the work area 101 in a normal state is scanned to create a spatial mesh, and the spatial mesh is converted into image data to obtain a plate-like object PL. The spatial mesh obtained by scanning the flat floor surface of the work area 101 has a low (coarse) density of triangle vertices, but it still contains information about foreign objects and openings present on the floor surface. Therefore, the plate-like object PL obtained by converting the spatial mesh into image data also contains information about openings and other elements present on the floor surface. For example, if an opening exists on the floor surface of the work area 101, a hole corresponding to the opening will be formed in the plate-like object PL. In the preparation process, the plate-like object PL is created from the work area 101 in a normal state (no foreign objects, openings, etc.), so no hole corresponding to the opening is formed in the plate-like object PL. Note that the hole formed in the plate-like object PL shown in the example of FIG. 11 corresponds to the location of the substrate processing apparatus 50, which cannot be scanned.

[0072] Next, when detecting an abnormality, the floor of the work area 101 is scanned at appropriate times to create a spatial mesh (target spatial mesh) SD, and with the spatial mesh SD placed on a previously prepared plate-like object PL, a rod-like object (in the above embodiment, a virtual laser) is dropped from above in a direction perpendicular to the plate-like object PL. When the rod-like object comes into contact with the plate-like object PL, the portion of the plate-like object PL that made contact is detected as an opening formed in the floor of the work area 101. This is equivalent to detecting, as an opening formed in the floor of the work area 101, a portion where the top surface of the plate-like object PL is visible when viewed from above in a direction perpendicular to the plate-like object PL with the spatial mesh SD placed on top of the plate-like object PL.

[0073] When the spatial mesh SD is placed on the plate-like object PL and viewed from above in a direction perpendicular to the plate-like object PL, the fact that the top surface of the plate-like object PL is visible means that there is a gap in the spatial mesh SD and that there is no hole in the plate-like object PL. The spatial mesh SD reflects the condition of the floor of the work area 101 at the time of scanning, and the gaps present in the spatial mesh SD are due to openings formed in the floor of the work area 101. Furthermore, the lack of holes in the plate-like object PL means that there were no openings in the floor of the work area 101 at the pre-preparation stage. In other words, the fact that the top surface of the plate-like object PL is visible through the gaps in the spatial mesh SD means that openings in the floor of the work area 101 that did not exist at the pre-preparation stage have been detected.

[0074] Furthermore, the spatial recognition unit 25 of the smart glasses 10 that creates the spatial mesh uses a depth sensor to scan the space, so processing is possible even in a dark environment. In other words, according to this embodiment, even in a dark environment, openings formed in the floor of the work area 101 can be accurately detected, and the worker can recognize the openings.

[0075] Furthermore, although the spatial mesh obtained by scanning the floor surface of the work area 101, which is a flat surface, has a low density of triangle vertices, by converting it into a plate-like object PL represented by image data as in this embodiment, it becomes possible to accurately detect openings formed in the floor of the work area 101 regardless of the density of the vertices contained in the spatial mesh.

[0076] Although the above describes an embodiment of the present invention, various modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, in the preparation step of the above embodiment, the plate-like object PL is acquired by converting the spatial mesh created by scanning the floor surface of the work area 101 in a normal state into image data. However, this is not limited to this. For example, a design drawing of the floor surface around the substrate processing apparatus 50 in the clean room 40 may be converted into a predetermined data format and the acquired image data may be registered as the plate-like object PL. In other words, the plate-like object PL may be represented by image data of the work area 101 in a normal state, regardless of the form of creation.

[0077] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the plate-shaped object PL is obtained from the spatial mesh in a normal state in the advance preparation step, but this advance preparation step may be omitted and an object represented by simple plate-shaped image data may be used as the plate-shaped object. However, in such a plate-shaped object, the installation location of the substrate processing apparatus 50 is also filled in (no holes exist), so there is a risk that the installation location will be mistakenly detected as an opening, and therefore, the above-described embodiments enable more accurate detection of openings.

[0078] Furthermore, when detecting an abnormality in the above embodiment, the floor surface near the worker wearing the smart glasses 10 may be scanned and the processing procedure in Fig. 12 may be executed to detect openings in front of the worker in real time, or the entire floor surface of the work area 101 may be scanned once and then all openings present in the work area 101 may be detected at once. If openings in front of the worker can be detected in real time, the worker can work safely.

[0079] In addition, the warning issued by the warning issuing unit 36 ​​may be configured to issue a warning sound from the speaker of the smart glasses 10.

[0080] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the worker uses smart glasses 10, but this is not limited thereto. Instead of the smart glasses 10, a portable terminal such as a tablet terminal or a smartphone may be used. That is, any portable terminal equipped with an imaging unit, a display unit, a communication unit, etc. is sufficient. However, since using a tablet terminal or the like would occupy the worker's hands while holding it, it is preferable to use a wearable terminal such as the smart glasses 10.

[0081] Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 50 installed in the clean room 40 is not limited to a substrate cleaning apparatus, but may be any apparatus that performs a predetermined process on a substrate, such as a heat treatment apparatus, an exposure apparatus, a coating and developing apparatus, a measuring apparatus, or an inspection apparatus. When the substrate processing apparatus 50 is a substrate cleaning apparatus, it may be a single-wafer type cleaning apparatus that cleans substrates one by one, or a batch type cleaning apparatus that cleans multiple substrates at once.

[0082] Furthermore, the work support technology according to the present invention is not limited to substrate processing equipment, but may be applied to any industrial equipment that performs any type of processing, such as a printing processing equipment, a film forming equipment, a medical equipment, and an appearance inspection equipment.

[0083] 5 Information and communication network 10 Smart glasses 21 Imaging unit 22 Communication unit 23 Display unit 24 Memory unit 25 Space recognition unit 31 Image conversion unit 32 Abnormality detection unit 33 Warning issuance unit 34 Position registration unit 40 Clean room 50 Substrate processing apparatus 52 Processing unit 55 Control unit 60 Processing chamber 61 Rotation holding unit 65 Discharge nozzle 70 Server 80 Work support terminal 101 Work area 108 Opening PL Plate-shaped object SD Spatial mesh W Substrate

Claims

1. A work support method for performing specified work on industrial equipment, comprising: a preparation step of acquiring a plate-shaped object represented by flattened image data of a work area in a normal state where the industrial equipment is placed; a spatial recognition step of creating a target space mesh, which is mesh data acquired by scanning the work area at a specified timing using a mobile terminal equipped with a display unit, a communication unit, and a spatial recognition unit; a detection step of detecting, as an opening in the work area, a portion where the top surface of the plate-shaped object is visible when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the plate-shaped object with the target space mesh placed on top of the plate-shaped object; and a warning step of issuing a warning when the opening is detected.

2. A work support method according to claim 1, wherein in the advance preparation step, mesh data obtained by scanning the work area in a normal state using the mobile terminal is converted into image data to obtain the plate-like object.

3. A work support method according to claim 1, wherein the detection step comprises dropping a rod-shaped object from a direction perpendicular to the plate-shaped object and detecting the portion where the rod-shaped object comes into contact with the plate-shaped object as the opening.

4. A work support method according to claim 1, further comprising a position registration step of registering position information of the opening when the opening is detected.

5. A work support method according to claim 1, wherein the industrial equipment is a substrate processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process on a substrate.

6. A work support method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the mobile terminal is a pair of smart glasses.

7. A work support system for performing specified work on industrial equipment using a mobile terminal, comprising: a mobile terminal equipped with a display unit and a communication unit; a memory unit for storing a plate-shaped object represented by flattened image data of a work area in which the industrial equipment is placed in a normal state; a space recognition unit provided in the mobile terminal for creating a target space mesh, which is mesh data obtained by scanning the work area at a specified timing; an abnormality detection unit for detecting, as an opening in the work area, a portion where the top surface of the plate-shaped object is visible when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the plate-shaped object with the target space mesh placed on top of the plate-shaped object; and a warning issuance unit for issuing a warning when the abnormality detection unit detects the opening.

8. A work support system according to claim 7, wherein mesh data acquired by scanning the work area in a normal state using the mobile terminal is converted into image data to acquire the plate-like object.

9. A work support system according to claim 7, wherein the abnormality detection unit drops a rod-shaped object from a direction perpendicular to the plate-shaped object and detects the area where the rod-shaped object comes into contact with the plate-shaped object as the opening.

10. A work support system according to claim 7, further comprising a position registration unit that registers position information of the opening when the warning issuing unit issues a warning.

11. A work support system according to claim 7, wherein the industrial equipment is a substrate processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process on a substrate.

12. A work support system according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the mobile terminal is a pair of smart glasses.

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