Production Line Control with Authenticated Condition Retrieval

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Solution Overview

Problem

In shared production lines, there is a risk of trade secrets leakage to unauthorized parties, and users face inconvenience in setting production conditions each time they request production.

Innovation Solution

A production line control device that includes an input unit for user and product identification, an authentication unit, an acquisition unit for production conditions, a modification unit to generate modified conditions, and instruction units for material supply, processing, and storage, which reduces the risk of trade secret leakage and simplifies the setting of production conditions by using authentication and modification processes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a production line is shared by multiple users, then resource utilization is improved, but the risk of trade secret leakage increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource utilizationVSAvoidtrade secret leakage risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments production conditions into public information and confidential trade secret information. The control device selectively transmits only public production conditions to shared production line devices, while keeping trade secrets in the production condition database inaccessible to unauthorized users. This segmentation allows multiple users to share the production line for resource utilization while protecting sensitive information from leakage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If users set production conditions each time they request production, then production flexibility is improved, but user convenience deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction flexibilityVSAvoiduser convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-storing multiple production conditions in the production condition database, each associated with different products. When a user requests production, the control device automatically retrieves the appropriate pre-stored production condition based on the product information, eliminating the need for users to manually set production conditions each time. This maintains production flexibility while significantly improving user convenience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The control device performs self-service by automatically selecting and transmitting the appropriate production condition from the database without requiring user input or manual configuration. The system autonomously matches the requested product with its corresponding production condition and transmits only the necessary public information to the production line devices, reducing user burden while maintaining adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If production conditions are transmitted to shared production line devices, then production efficiency is improved, but the risk of information leakage increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction efficiencyVSAvoidtrade secret information leakage

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating the transmission of production condition information based on its sensitivity. Public production conditions are transmitted to the shared production line devices for efficient production, while confidential trade secret information is selectively excluded from transmission and kept protected in the database. This selective information transmission maintains production efficiency while preventing trade secret leakage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS20230341823A1Production line control device, production line control method, and production line control system

Publication Date: 2023.10.26 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP

AI summary

A production line control device includes: an input unit to receive user identification information and product identification information; an authentication unit to authenticate the user identification information; an acquisition unit to acquire a production condition for producing a product associated with the product identification information and the user identification information; a modification unit to generate a modified production condition by modifying the production condition acquired by the acquisition unit; a supply instruction unit to instruct a material supply device corresponding to the modified production condition to supply a material corresponding to the modified production condition; a processing instruction unit to instruct a processing device corresponding to the modified production condition to process a material corresponding to the modified production condition; and a storage instruction unit to instruct a product storage device corresponding to the modified production condition to store a product.