Task instructing method and apparatus, storage medium for storing the method, card type storage medium used by the apparatus, and task instructing and managing system

A task instructing apparatus comprising:

• a central managing apparatus having a storage unit storing update information about specific work facilities for processing a workpiece and about details of task to be carried out on the workpiece at each of the work facilities;
• a first terminal device having an interface for exchanging information with said central managing apparatus, a reader/writer for writing and reading information to and from a card type storage medium, which provides a print indication area to print information in a rewritable manner through the reader/writer, an input unit for entering information to the reader/writer, and a display unit for displaying information entered through the input unit;
• and
• a second terminal device having an interface for exchanging information with the central managing apparatus, and a reader/writer for writing and reading information to and from the card type storage medium, said second terminal device being attached to each work facility.

A task instructing and managing system comprising:

• a card type storage medium which is transferred together with a workpiece and which provides a print indication area to print information thereon in a rewritable manner, said information being such as identifying each workpiece and designating details of task to be carried out on the workpiece at the next work facility;
• a central managing apparatus having a storage unit storing update information about specific work facilities for processing a workpiece and about details of task to be carried out on the workpiece at each of the work facilities;
• a first terminal device having an interface for exchanging information with said central managing apparatus, a reader/writer for writing and reading information to and from a card type storage medium, which provides a print indication area to print information in a rewritable manner through the reader/writer, an input unit for entering information to the reader/writer, and a display unit for displaying information entered through the input unit;
• and
• a second terminal device having an interface for exchanging information with the central managing apparatus, and a reader/writer for writing and reading information to and from the card type storage medium, said second terminal device being attached to each work facility.

A storage medium which stores a task instructing method, said task instructing method being used with a first and a second terminal device;

• the first terminal device comprising an interface for exchanging information with a central managing apparatus, which includes a storage unit storing update information about specific work facilities for processing a workpiece and about details of task to be carried out on the workpiece at each of the work facilities, a reader/writer for writing and reading information to and from a card type storage medium, which provides a print indication area to print information in a rewritable manner through the reader/writer, an input unit for entering information to the reader/writer, and a display unit for displaying information entered through the input unit, and the second terminal device comprising an interface for exchanging information with the central managing apparatus, and a reader/writer for writing and reading information to and from the card type storage medium;
• said task instructing method including the steps of:
• causing the first terminal device to print, on a card type storage medium that provides a print indication area to print information in a rewritable manner through the reader/writer, specific information identifying each workpiece and designating details of task to be carried out on the workpiece at the next work facility to be transferred in accordance with the update information retrieved from the storage unit, thus issuing the card type storage medium which is transferred together with the workpiece;
• and
• causing the second terminal device, by using the card type storage medium transferred together with the workpiece to the work facility in question, to access and search the central managing apparatus for update information about details of task to be carried out on the workpiece at the work facility in question, and to print details of task on the card type storage medium in accordance with the update information retrieved from the storage unit.