IP Library Granted Patent US 11,106,198
Granted Patent B2
US 11,106,198 · App. 16/126,543 · Granted Aug 31, 2021

Quality control apparatus

Inventor: Yutaka Komatsu (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
G05B19/41875G01N33/00G01N2033/0088G05B2219/32177G05B2219/32368
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,106,198
App. No.
16/126,543
Granted
Aug 31, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A quality control apparatus includes: a test value acquisition unit that acquires test values of respective components that constitute a product; an assembling management information acquisition unit that acquires assembling management information that is information concerning assembling of the product and the components; a step-related information acquisition unit that acquires step-related information that is information related to a production step; and a display that displays a configuration diagram of the product that is hierarchically constituted by the components and shows a combination of elements that are assumed to be likely to have caused a quality defect of the product on the configuration diagram on a basis of the test values, the assembling management information, and the step-related information.

Claims (33)

1. A quality control apparatus comprising:

at least one processor programmed to function as:

a test value acquisition unit that acquires test values of respective components that constitute a product;

an assembling management information acquisition unit that acquires assembling management information that is information concerning assembling of the product and the components; and

a step-related information acquisition unit that acquires step-related information that is information related to a production step, the step-related information including information of a learning level of a worker assembling at least a part of the product during the production step, the learning level of the worker assessed using a skill test; and

a display that displays a configuration diagram of the product that is hierarchically constituted by the components and shows a combination of elements that are assumed to be likely to have caused a quality defect of the product on the configuration diagram on a basis of the test values, the assembling management information, and the step-related information.

2. The quality control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

in a case where there are a plurality of combinations of elements that are assumed to be likely to have caused the quality defect of the product, the display displays information on defect cause priorities determined in accordance with a predetermined rule in association with the respective combinations.

3. The quality control apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the display displays the plurality of combinations of elements in different display forms in accordance with the defect cause priorities.

4. The quality control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the display displays, as the configuration diagram, a tree diagram representing a relationship among the components that constitute the product by using nodes that correspond to the product and the components of the product and edges that represent relationships between the product and a component and between components.

5. The quality control apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein

in a case where a node that constitute the tree diagram is designated, the display displays information concerning a component corresponding to the designated node in association with the designated node.

6. A quality control apparatus comprising:

at least one processor programmed to function as:

a test value acquisition unit that acquires test values of a product and components that constitute the product;

a step-related information acquisition unit that acquires step-related information that is information related to a production step, the step-related information including information of a learning level of a worker assembling at least a part of the product during the production step, the learning level of the worker assessed using a skill test; and

a specifying unit that specifies a combination of elements that meet a predetermined condition on a basis of degrees of deviation of the test values and the step-related information from standard values.

7. The quality control apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one processor is additionally programmed to function as an assembling management information acquisition unit that acquires assembling management information that is information concerning assembling of the product and the components,

wherein the specifying unit specifies the combination of elements including a plurality of components on a basis of a relationship between the components that constitute the product that is specified by the assembling management information.

8. The quality control apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein

the combination of elements including the plurality of components includes a plurality of components belonging to different levels among the components that hierarchically constitute the product.

9. The quality control apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one processor is additionally programmed to function as an output unit that outputs information indicative of the elements specified by the specifying unit as elements that are assumed to be likely to have caused a quality defect of the product.

10. The quality control apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is additionally programmed to function as an assembling management information acquisition unit that acquires assembling management information that is information concerning assembling of the product and the components,

wherein the output unit displays a tree diagram illustrating a hierarchical structure of the product hierarchically constituted by the components on a basis of the assembling management information and shows the elements specified by the specifying unit on the tree diagram.

11. The quality control apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein

the specifying unit gives information on degrees of deviation of the elements to the specified combination of elements; and

the output unit displays the information on the degrees of deviation given by the specifying unit in association with a part specified by the specifying unit on the tree diagram.

12. The quality control apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein

in a case where there are a plurality of combinations of elements that meet the predetermined condition, the specifying unit determines priorities of the plurality of combinations in accordance with a predetermined rule.

13. The quality control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the product is a multi-function printer, and the step-related information is information related to joining of components of the multi-function printer during assembly.

14. The quality control apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the product is a multi-function printer, and the step-related information is information related to joining of components of the multi-function printer during assembly.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 28, 2021
From: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
To: FUJIFILM BUSINESS INNOVATION CORP.
Reel/Frame 056078/0098 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 10, 2018
From: KOMATSU, YUTAKA
To: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 046829/0970 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2017-181253 · Sep 21, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190086905A1 · Mar 21, 2019