# US 11,029,670 B2 · Management apparatus and management method

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- Number: US 11,029,670 B2
- Document ID: US11029670B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/806,313
- Filed: 2020-03-02
- Published: 2020-06-25
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2014-12-12
- Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Atsushi Nakazono; Hisashi Maezono; Kazunori Tomotake; Hideo Matsuoka
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11029670B2

## CPC

- G05B 19/41865: {characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow}
- G05B 2219/31376: MFL material flow
- G05B 2219/45031: Manufacturing semiconductor wafers
- G05B 2219/50386: Feeder, feeding of workpiece, bar
- 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

A management apparatus manages works to supply components to component mounting devices in a component mounting line. The management apparatus includes a component remaining number information acquisition portion that acquires, from each of the component mounting devices, a remaining number of components stored in the component mounting device, a worker information storage portion that stores worker information including a working range of each of workers in the component mounting line, a work sequence decision portion that generates work sequence information indicating a work sequence of component supply works for each of the workers based on the worker information and component remaining number information about a plurality of components within a predetermined period of time, and an information transmission portion that transmits the work sequence information to the workers who should perform the works.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A component mounting system including a plurality of component mounting devices in the component mounting line in which the component mounting devices are connected to one another, and a management apparatus that manages works to supply components to the plurality of component mounting devices, the component mounting system comprising:
a to-be-supplied component decision portion that performs processing for deciding components that should be supplied based on component remaining number information acquired from monitoring a remaining number of components in each component mounting device and determining whether the component remaining number is smaller than a remaining number threshold;
a worker information storage portion that stores worker information including a working range of each of workers in the component mounting line;
a work sequence decision portion that generates work sequence information indicating a work sequence of a plurality of component supply works for each of the workers based on the worker information, and component remaining number information about a plurality of components acquired by the component remaining number information acquisition portion within a predetermined period of time; and
an information transmission portion that transmits the work sequence information to the workers who should perform the works such that the workers execute a supply work of the components in accordance with the work sequence information;
a display screen that receives the work sequence information;
wherein the display screen displays work sequence information include that a target line that shows the component mounting line where the works should be performed and a table that shows a component supply portion to which the components should be supplied in the component mounting line.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The component mounting system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a component location information storage portion that stores location information indicating locations of to-be-supplied components to be supplied to the component supply devices, wherein the location information includes specifying a component shelf where the to-be-supplied components are located;
wherein the work sequence decision portion decides the work sequence with the work sequence information including a work in which the workers acquire the to-be-supplied components based on the location information.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The component mounting system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a work completion information acquisition portion that receives work completion information from the component mounting devices,
wherein the work sequence decision portion updates the work sequence information based on the work completion information, and transmits the updated work sequence information to the workers.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The component mounting system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a floor layout storage portion that stores floor layout information including at least one of a kind, a size and a position of each facility constituting the component mounting line;
wherein the work sequence decision portion decides the work sequence information based on the floor layout information.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The component mounting system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a log-in state information acquisition portion that acquires information indicating a log-in state of each of portable terminals owned by the worker;
wherein when the portable terminal owned by the worker to be assigned a work is not in the log-in state, the work sequence decision portion assigns the work to another worker whose portable terminal is in the log-in state based on the information from the log-in state information acquisition portion.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The component mounting system according to claim 1,
wherein when a work high in emergency occurs after the information transmission portion transmits the work sequence information to the workers, the work sequence decision portion decides work sequence information again so that the work high in emergency is performed with priority, and the information transmission portion transmits the work sequence information decided again to the workers, wherein the work high in emergency is a work for supplying components whose remaining number becomes below a remaining number threshold set as a limit or whose remaining number becomes zero.

### Claim 7

A component mounting method for mounting electronic components on substrates by using an electronic component mounting system including a plurality of component mounting devices in the component mounting line in which the component mounting devices are connected to one another, and managing works to supply components to the plurality of component mounting devices by a management apparatus that manages the component mounting line, the component mounting method comprising:
acquiring, from each of the component mounting devices, a remaining number of components stored in the component mounting;
generating work sequence information indicating a work sequence of a plurality of component supply works for each of the workers by assigning priority to the workers according to conditions based on worker information including a working range of each of the workers in the component mounting line, and component remaining number information about a plurality of components acquired within a predetermined period of time;
transmitting the work sequence information to the workers who should perform the works such that the workers execute a supply work of the components in accordance with the work sequence information;
displaying the work sequence information on a display screen;
wherein the display screen displays work sequence information include that a target line that shows the component mounting line where the works should be performed and a table that shows a component supply portion to which the components should be supplied in the component mounting line.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The component mounting method according to claim 7, further comprising:
deciding the work sequence with the work sequence information including a work in which the workers acquire the to-be-supplied components based on location information indicating locations of to-be-supplied components to be supplied to the component supply devices.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The component mounting method according to claim 7, further comprising:
receiving work completion information from the component mounting devices,
wherein in the deciding process, the work sequence information is updated based on the work completion information, and the updated work sequence information is transmitted to the workers.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The component mounting method according to claim 7,
wherein in the deciding process, the work sequence information is decided based on floor layout information including at least one of a kind, a size and a position of each facility constituting the component mounting line.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The component mounting method according to claim 7, further comprising:
acquiring information indicating a log-in state of each of portable terminals owned by the worker,
wherein in the deciding process, when the portable terminal owned by the worker to be assigned a work is not in the log-in state, the work is assigned to another worker whose portable terminal is in the log-in state based on the information from the log-in state information acquisition portion.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The component mounting method according to claim 7,
wherein in the deciding process, when a work high in emergency occurs after the information transmission portion transmits the work sequence information to the workers, the work sequence decision portion decides work sequence information again so that the work high in emergency is performed with priority, and the information transmission portion transmits the work sequence information decided again to the workers, wherein the work high in emergency is a work for supplying components whose remaining number becomes below a remaining number threshold set as a limit or whose remaining number becomes zero.