Apparatus productivity improving system and its method
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorWataru Karasawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There is provided a system and method for monitoring an apparatus from a remote location. A vendor-side computer obtains operating state data obtained by a monitoring device provided in an apparatus via a communication line, and monitors the operating state of the apparatus from a remote location. Maintenance data at a part replacing time is transmitted from the apparatus, and the vendor-side computer that has received maintenance data calculates an optimal replacement period of a part based on this. The calculated optimal replacement period of each part is sent to a plant. The plant feeds the optimal replacement period back to the operating of the apparatus.
Claims9
A method for monitoring an apparatus from a remote location, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving history information, including a processing conditional parameter of a predetermined process that the apparatus performs to provide predetermined processing to a processing object and measurement data relating to products manufactured by the apparatus, from the apparatus indicating an operating state of the apparatus from the apparatus via a communication line;
- monitoring the apparatus based on the history information received by said receiving step;
- and
- storing information indicating reference information and an error range for the processing conditional parameter in a storage section,
- wherein said monitoring step transmits a notification that trouble has occurred in the apparatus to at least one of the apparatus and a person in charge of the apparatus when a difference between the reference information and the history information received during said receiving step is not included in the error range stored during said storing step,
- said monitoring step is performed from a remote location by a vendor that provided the apparatus, and
- said monitoring step includes monitoring the apparatus based on the measurement data received in said receiving step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.