Disassembly procedure generating method, apparatus, and system, and replacement procedure generating method, apparatus, and system

1. A disassembly procedure generating method for generating a disassembly procedure associated with a product assembly procedure, the disassembly procedure generating method being used by a computer that includes a recording unit and a displaying unit, and comprising:

inserting a new work element into the assembly procedure in accordance with an input instruction;

performing monitoring as to whether a new work element has been inserted into the assembly procedure;

when a new work element is inserted into the assembly procedure, generating a disassembly procedure by using work elements of the assembly procedure into which the new work element has been inserted and by using information associating the work elements of the assembly procedure with work elements of the disassembly procedure and that is recorded in advance in the recording unit;

calculating a cost generated for an entirety of the disassembly procedure;

causing the displaying unit to simultaneously display, together with the assembly procedure, the disassembly procedure and the cost generated for the entirety of the disassembly procedure;

editing the displayed disassembly procedure through an interactive process with a user performed via the displaying unit, and recording the edited disassembly procedure, wherein the user can edit the disassembly procedure in parallel with generation of the assembly procedure; and

outputting a repair manual that includes the assembly procedure, the disassembly procedure, and the cost generated for the entirety of the disassembly procedure.

2. The disassembly procedure generating method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

assigning a tool to each work element of the disassembly procedure by referring to information recorded in the recording unit in advance and associating tools to be used in the assembly procedure and tools to be used in the disassembly procedure with each other; and

causing the displaying unit to display a tool together with the assembly procedure, the disassembly procedure, and the cost generated for the entirety of the disassembly procedure.

3. The disassembly procedure generating method according to claim 1 , wherein:

said calculating the cost generated for the entirety of the disassembly procedure defines, as the cost generated for the entirety of the disassembly procedure, a sum of total work costs generated for individual work elements of the disassembly procedure and a value obtained by multiplying a work cost per unit traffic line by a length of a traffic line linking conclusion positions of all parts indicated for the disassembly procedure.

4. A disassembly procedure generating apparatus that generates a disassembly procedure associated with an assembly procedure, the disassembly procedure generating apparatus comprising:

a recording unit to record information associating work elements of the assembly procedure and work elements of the disassembly procedure with each other;

an assembly procedure editing unit to incorporate a new work element into the assembly procedure in accordance with an input instruction;

an assembly procedure change monitoring unit to perform monitoring as to whether a new work element has been inserted into the assembly procedure;

a disassembly procedure generating unit to generate, when a new work element is inserted into the assembly procedure, a disassembly procedure using information recorded in the recording unit and the work elements of the assembly procedure into which the new work element has been inserted;

a disassembly procedure cost calculating unit to calculate a cost generated for an entirety of the disassembly procedure;

a displaying unit to simultaneously display, together with the assembly procedure, the disassembly procedure and the cost generated for the entirety of the disassembly procedure;

a disassembly procedure editing unit that edits the displayed disassembly procedure through an interactive process with a user performed via the displaying unit, and records the edited disassembly procedure, wherein the user can edit the disassembly procedure in parallel with generation of the assembly procedure; and

an output unit that outputs a repair manual that includes the assembly procedure, the disassembly procedure, and the cost generated for the entirety of the disassembly procedure.

5. A disassembly procedure generating system that includes a client apparatus and a server and that generates a disassembly procedure associated with an assembly procedure, the client apparatus and the server transmitting data to and receiving data from each other over a network,

wherein the client apparatus includes:

an assembly procedure editing unit that incorporates a new work element into the assembly procedure in accordance with an input instruction,

an assembly procedure change monitoring unit that performs monitoring as to whether a new work element has been inserted into the assembly procedure, and

a displaying unit,

wherein the server includes:

a recording unit that records information associating work elements of the assembly procedure and work elements of the disassembly procedure with each other,

a disassembly procedure generating unit that, when the client apparatus transmits information indicating that a new work element has been inserted into the assembly procedure, generates a disassembly procedure using information recorded in the recording unit and the work elements of the assembly procedure into which the new work element has been inserted, and

a disassembly procedure cost calculating unit that calculates a cost generated for an entirety of the disassembly procedure, and

wherein:

after the disassembly procedure and the cost are transmitted from the server to the client apparatus, the displaying unit simultaneously displays, together with the assembly procedure, the cost generated for the entirety of the disassembly procedure: and

the client apparatus further includes:

a disassembly procedure editing unit that edits the displayed disassembly procedure through an interactive process with a user performed via the displaying unit, and records the edited disassembly procedure, wherein the user can edit the disassembly procedure in parallel with generation of the assembly procedure; and

an output unit that outputs a repair manual that includes the assembly procedure, the disassembly procedure, and the cost generated for the entirety of the disassembly procedure.