Production cell

A production cell comprising a plurality of work performing elements for performing work, and an information processing device for commanding work tasks, connected to the respective work performing elements by communications means,

• wherein said information processing device comprises:
• means for storing task unit indicator information describing the execution sequence of task units required in order to accomplish the work in question, for each type of work command to be executed in said production cell;
• means for receiving a work command and reading out the task unit indicator information corresponding to said received work command, from said storing means;
• means for receiving notifications for executability from the respective work performing elements, and sending an execution command to one of the work performing elements having sent said received notifications for executability;
• means for receiving task unit indicator information updated and sent back by a work performing element;
• and
• means for sending said task unit indicator information read out from said storing means, and the updated task unit indicator information sent back from the work performing element, to each of the work performing elements;
• and each of said work performing elements comprises:
• task unit storing means for storing one or more task units means for receiving task unit indicator information from said information processing device and determining whether or not it is possible to execute the task unit that is to be executed next, on the basis of said task unit indicator information means for sending said notification for executability to said information processing device if said task unit is determined to be executable;
• means for receiving an execution command from said information processing device and executing the instructed task unit;
• and
• means for updating said task unit indicator information and sending same to said information processing device, when execution of said task unit has been completed, such that it can be determined that said task unit has been completed on the basis of said received task unit indicator information.

A production cell comprising a plurality of work performing elements for performing work, and an information processing device for commanding work tasks, connected to the respective work performing elements by communications means,

• wherein said information processing device comprises:
• means for storing task unit indicator information describing the execution sequence of task units required in order to accomplish the work, for each type of work command to be executed in said production cell;
• means for receiving a work command and reading out the task unit indicator information corresponding to said received work command, from said storing means;
• means for successively outputting information relating to an execution unit to be executed, to each of the work performing elements, on the basis of the execution sequence in the task unit indicator information read out, directly after said task unit indicator information has been read out and each time an execution completion notification is received;
• and
• means for receiving notifications for executability from the respective work performing elements, and sending an execution command to one of the work performing elements having sent said received notifications for executability;
• and each of said work performing elements comprises:
• task unit storing means for storing one or more task units means for receiving execution unit information from said information processing device and determining whether or not it is possible to execute the task unit of said execution unit information;
• means for sending said notification for executability to said information processing device if said task unit is determined to be executable;
• means for receiving an execution command from said information processing device and executing the instructed task unit;
• and
• means for sending an execution completion notification to said information processing device when the execution of said task unit has been completed.

A production system, comprising:

• an information processing device outputting a work command as a set of task units;
• and
• work performing elements in communication with the information processing device and receiving the work command from the information processing device, each of the work performing elements making a determination as to whether the work performing element can execute a specific one of the task units and sending a notification to the information processing device that the specific task unit is executable if the task unit is executable by the work performing element,
• wherein the work performing element notifying the information processing device that execution of one of the task units is possible sends a task efficiency value of the executable task unit, and
• wherein the information processing device selects one of the work performing elements having sent a notification that the task unit is executable to execute the specific task unit and sends an execution command to the selected work performing element, upon which the selected work performing element executes the task unit, based on receipt of the notifications that task units are executable and the task efficiency values from the work performing elements.