Granted Patent B2

US 10,168,675 · App. 14/526,545 · Granted Jan 1, 2019

Inventors: Ayaka Hashimoto (Kitakyushu, JP); Tadashi Okubo (Kitakyushu, JP); Jiro Muraoka (Kitakyushu, JP)

Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki

G05B15/02G05B19/0426G05B19/41855H04L41/0803H04L41/0856H04L41/24H04L67/10G05B2219/31391H04L41/28Y02P90/10Y02P90/185

Abstract

Claims (46)

1. An industrial machine management system comprising:

a first terminal;

a second terminal; and

an industrial machine management device, wherein

the first terminal comprises a transmitter that transmits user management information for a first industrial machine which is one of a plurality of industrial machines;

the second terminal downloads firmware selected by a user from the industrial machine management device and updates an installed firmware in a storage of the first industrial machine with the firmware which is downloaded; and

the industrial machine management device comprises:

a receiver configured to receive the serial number and the user management information from the transmitter; and

a storage that comprises a machine information database for the plurality of the industrial machines;

a register that creates a new record which includes the serial number and the manufacture management information of the first industrial machine in the machine information database when the first industrial machine, whose order has been place by the user, is produced;

a write that searches the machine information database for the record corresponding with the serial number received from the first terminal as a key, and writes the user management information which is received into the searched record;

wherein the manufacturer management information includes kind or version information on the firmware installed onto the storage of the first industrial machine;

wherein the manufacturer management information cannot be written to by the terminal and is inhibited from being changed by the user;

wherein the firmware installed onto the storage of the first industrial machine controls the operation of the first industrial machine;

wherein the kind or version information on the firmware installed onto the storage of the first industrial machine within the manufacturer management information is changed in response to updating the firmware installed onto the storage of the first industrial machine; and

wherein the second terminal displays the kind or version information on the firmware installed onto each of the plurality of the industrial machines on the display unit.

2. The industrial machine management system according to claim 1 , wherein the industrial machine management device further comprises:

a provider that provides at least one of the user management information and manufacturer management information.

3. The industrial machine management system according to claim 1 , wherein the user management information comprises:

a first item; and

data relating to the first item.

4. The industrial machine management system according to claim 3 , wherein the user management information comprises:

the first item indicating the first industrial machine serving as a connection destination of an industrial machine to be managed; and

individual identification information on the first industrial machine serving as the connection destination.

5. The industrial machine management system according to claim 4 , wherein the industrial machine management device further comprises:

an adding unit that adds a storage area for storing information to be associated with the individual identification information on the industrial machine serving as the connection destination, to the storage, when the storage does not store the individual identification information on the industrial machine serving as the connection destination.

6. The industrial machine management system according to claim 5 , wherein the industrial machine management device further comprises a writer that writes the individual identification information on the first industrial machine to be managed into the storage area added by the adding unit.

7. The industrial machine management system according to claim 5 , wherein:

the industrial machine management device further comprises:

an information acquirer that acquires the management information for the user, which is set in accordance with the input from the user in regard to the individual identification information on the industrial machine serving as the connection destination; and

a writer that writes the acquired management information for the user into the storage area associated with the individual identification information on the industrial machine serving as the connection destination.

8. The industrial machine management system according to claim 4 , wherein the industrial machine management device further comprises:

a generator that generates, based on the individual identification information on the industrial machine serving as the connection destination stored in the storage in association with the individual identification information on a designated industrial machine, information on an industrial machine group formed of a plurality of industrial machines connected to the designated industrial machine directly or through another industrial machine; and

an industrial machine group information provider that provides the information on the industrial machine group generated by the generator.

9. An industrial machine management method performed by a first terminal, a second terminal, and an industrial machine management device, the industrial machine management method comprising:

transmitting a serial number and user management information for a first industrial machine which is one of a plurality of industrial machines by the first terminal;

downloading firmware selected by a user from the industrial machine management device and updating an installed firmware in a storage of the first industrial machine with the firmware which is downloaded;

receiving the serial number and the user management information for the first industrial machine from the first terminal by the industrial machine management device;

storing a machine information database for the plurality of the industrial machines by the industrial machine management device; and

creating a new record which includes the serial number and the manufacture management information of the first industrial machine in the machine information database by the industrial machine management device when the first industrial machine, whose order has been placed by the user, is produced;

searching the machine information database for the record corresponding with the serial number received from the first terminal as a key, and writing the user management information which is received into the searched record by the industrial machine management device: and

displaying the kind or version information on the firmware installed onto each of the plurality of the industrial machines on the display unit by the second terminal, and

wherein the manufacturer management information includes kind or version information on the firmware installed onto the storage of the first industrial machine;

wherein the manufacturer management information cannot be written to by the terminal and is inhibited from being changed by the user;

wherein the firmware installed onto the storage of the first industrial machine controls the operation of the first industrial machine; and

wherein the kind or version information on the firmware installed onto the storage of the first industrial machine within the manufacturer management information is changed in response to updating the firmware installed onto the storage of the first industrial machine.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

Cited By (11)

US 12,210,984 US 12,217,197 US 12,254,427 US 12,400,154 US 12,412,120 US 12,412,131 US 12,412,132 US 12,524,820 US 12,547,991 US 12,572,137 US 12,651,275