# US 10,203,686 B2 · Operation management system for directly displaying work instruction based on operation management information on machine tool

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- Number: US 10,203,686 B2
- Document ID: US10203686B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/371,498
- Filed: 2016-12-07
- Published: 2017-06-08
- Granted: 2019-02-12
- Earliest claimed: 2015-12-08
- Assignees: Fanuc Corporation
- Applicants: FANUC Corporation
- Inventors: Masaki Tanabe
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10203686B2

## CPC

- G05B 19/402: characterised by control arrangements for positioning, e.g. centring a tool relative to a hole in the workpiece, additional detection means to correct position (G05B19/19 takes precedence)
- G05B 19/4188: {characterised by CIM planning or realisation}
- G05B 2219/37407: Detect position of detector contact point relative to reference on tool
- Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

An operation management system is constituted by a management server and a plurality of machine tools connected to each other via a network. The management server manages the operation status of each of the machine tools and the work schedule of an operator conducting work with the machine tools, specifies a machine tool to be used by the operator in next work based on notifications from the machine tools and the work schedule of the operator, and instructs each of the machine tools to produce a display for guiding the operator to the specified machine tool.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An operation management system in which a plurality of machine tools that operates based on an operation by an operator are connected to a management server via a network, wherein
the management server includes
a schedule information storage unit that stores schedule information representing information on a work schedule of the operator conducting work with the machine tools,
a notification analysis unit that analyzes notifications transmitted from the machine tools,
a schedule management unit that specifies a machine tool to be used by the operator in a next work process among the plurality of machine tools based on analysis results of the notifications analyzed by the notification analysis unit and the schedule information, and
a guide information generation unit that generates guide information for guiding the operator to the machine tool specified by the schedule management unit, and transmits the generated guide information to one or more machine tools that are under the charge of the operator among the plurality of machine tools, and
each of the plurality of machine tools includes
a guide information analysis unit that analyzes the guide information transmitted from the management server to generate information for guiding the operator to the machine tool to be used in the next work process,
a display unit that displays the information for guiding the operator to the machine tool to be used in the next work process, and
a notification generation unit that monitors the operation by the operator and transmits a notification representing a status of the work by the operator to the management server, wherein
the guide information analysis unit is configured such that:
when an analysis result of the guide information shows that the machine tool to be used by the operator in the next work process is a machine tool embedded with the guide information analysis unit, the guide information analysis unit generates information indicating that the machine tool embedded with the guide information analysis unit is to be used by the operator in the next work process, as the information for guiding the operator to the machine tool to be used in the next work process; and
when the analysis result of the guide information shows that the machine tool to be used by the operator in the next work process is a machine tool other than the machine tool embedded with the guide information analysis unit, the guide information analysis unit generates information representing a direction of the machine tool to be used by the operator in the next work process when seen from the machine tool embedded with the guide information analysis unit, as the information for guiding the operator to the machine tool to be used in the next work process.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The operation management system according to claim 1, wherein
the display unit is configured so as not to display the information for guiding the operator to the machine tool to be used in the next work process when a machine tool embedded with the display unit is being used by the operator.

### Claim 3

An operation management system in which a plurality of machine tools that operates based on an operation by an operator are connected to a management server via a network, wherein
the management server includes
a schedule information storage unit that stores schedule information representing information on a work schedule of the operator conducting work with the machine tools,
a notification analysis unit that analyzes notifications transmitted from the machine tools,
a schedule management unit that specifies a machine tool to be used by the operator in a next work process among the plurality of machine tools based on analysis results of the notifications analyzed by the notification analysis unit and the schedule information, and
a guide information generation unit that generates guide information for guiding the operator to the machine tool specified by the schedule management unit, and transmits the generated guide information to one or more machine tools that are under the charge of the operator among the plurality of machine tools, and
each of the plurality of machine tools includes
a guide information analysis unit that analyzes the guide information transmitted from the management server to generate information for guiding the operator to the machine tool to be used in the next work process,
a display unit that displays the information for guiding the operator to the machine tool to be used in the next work process, and
a notification generation unit that monitors the operation by the operator and transmits a notification representing a status of the work by the operator to the management server, wherein
the guide information analysis unit is configured such that:
when an analysis result of the guide information shows that the machine tool to be used by the operator in the next work process is a machine tool embedded with the guide information analysis unit, the guide information analysis unit generates information indicating that the machine tool embedded with the guide information analysis unit is to be used by the operator in the next work process, as the information for guiding the operator to the machine tool to be used in the next work process; and
when the analysis result of the guide information shows that the machine tool to be used by the operator in the next work process is a machine tool other than the machine tool embedded with the guide information analysis unit, the guide information analysis unit generates an instruction to switch off the display unit or reduce brightness of the display unit as the information for guiding the operator to the machine tool to be used in the next work process.

### Claim 4

An operation management system in which a plurality of machine tools that operates based on an operation by an operator are connected to a management server via a network, wherein
the management server includes
a schedule information storage unit that stores schedule information representing information on a work schedule of the operator conducting work with the machine tools,
a notification analysis unit that analyzes notifications transmitted from the machine tools,
a schedule management unit that specifies a machine tool to be used by the operator in a next work process among the plurality of machine tools based on analysis results of the notifications analyzed by the notification analysis unit and the schedule information, and
a guide information generation unit that generates guide information for guiding the operator to the machine tool specified by the schedule management unit, and transmits the generated guide information to one or more machine tools that are under the charge of the operator among the plurality of machine tools, and
each of the plurality of machine tools includes
a guide information analysis unit that analyzes the guide information transmitted from the management server to generate information for guiding the operator to the machine tool to be used in the next work process,
a display unit that displays the information for guiding the operator to the machine tool to be used in the next work process, and
a notification generation unit that monitors the operation by the operator and transmits a notification representing a status of the work by the operator to the management server, wherein
the display unit is configured so as not to display the information for guiding the operator to the machine tool to be used in the next work process when a machine tool embedded with the display unit is being used by the operator.