JP7499664B2 - Processing System - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a processing system.

Conventionally, processing devices have been designed to operate each unit within the device and perform adjustment work by selecting operation buttons on a touch panel. Patent Document 1 discloses a processing device in which the required operations of the cutting machine are performed by touching the required positions on a touch panel located on the front surface of the housing.

JP 2003-158094 A

However, in processing equipment, if the driving processing unit and the touch panel are located apart, it is difficult for the operator to check the inside of the equipment while working. Such conventional processing equipment has the problem that in cases where there is a risk of operational error when working alone, two or more people have to work together, which is inefficient. There is also a demand to avoid adding special functions to processing equipment.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and its purpose is to provide a processing system that suppresses the need to add functions to the processing device and enables the processing device to be operated even when away from the touch panel.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the processing system of the present invention is a processing device including a holding table, a processing unit for processing a workpiece held on the holding table, a first touch panel for displaying an operation screen having operation buttons for operating the processing unit, and a control unit for controlling the processing unit based on operation information for the operation screen, and a communication unit capable of communicating with an information device including an imaging unit for imaging the operation screen, a second touch panel for displaying an image of the imaged operation screen, and a transmission unit for transmitting operation position information for the image, the communication unit including a communication unit for receiving the operation position information transmitted by the information device, a conversion unit for converting the operation position information into the operation information in the coordinate system of the operation screen, and a provision unit for providing the converted operation information to the processing device, and the control unit of the processing device is characterized in that, when the operation information is provided from the communication unit, the control unit of the processing device controls the processing device based on the operation information.

In the processing system, the transmission unit of the information device may transmit the operation position information indicating the operation position relative to the image of the operation screen as a ratio of the image, and the conversion unit of the communication unit may convert the ratio of the image indicated by the operation position information into the operation information in the coordinate system of the operation screen.

In the processing system, the information device may further include a correction unit that corrects the area of the operation screen in the image, the second touch panel of the information device may display the corrected image, and the conversion unit of the communication unit may convert the operation position information for the corrected image into the operation information in the coordinate system of the operation screen.

In the processing system, the communication unit may be configured to be detachably connectable to the connection portion of the processing device, and may receive the operation position information from the information device via wireless communication.

In the processing system, when the control unit of the processing device receives operation information for an operation button that cannot be operated from the information device among a plurality of operation buttons on the operation screen from the communication unit, the control unit of the processing device does not need to control the processing device based on the operation information.

The processing system may further include the information device.

The processing system of the present invention has the advantage of suppressing the need to add functions to the processing device and enabling the processing device to be operated even when away from the touch panel.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration example of a processing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of using the machining system according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining another example of use of the machining system according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a conventional problem in a processing device. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the processing device and the communication unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an information device according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure executed by the control unit of the information device according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure executed by the communication unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure executed by the control unit of the processing device according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation screen according to a modification of the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure executed by a control unit of a processing device according to a modified example of the embodiment.

The following describes in detail the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the contents described in the following embodiments. The components described below include those that a person skilled in the art can easily imagine and those that are substantially the same. The configurations described below can be combined as appropriate. Various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the configuration can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. In the following embodiments, the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanations.

In the embodiment described below, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is set, and the positional relationship of each part is described with reference to this XYZ Cartesian coordinate system. One direction within a horizontal plane is the X-axis direction, the direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction within the horizontal plane is the Y-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction is the Z-axis direction. The XY plane including the X-axis and Y-axis is parallel to the horizontal plane. The Z-axis direction perpendicular to the XY plane is the vertical direction.

[Embodiment]
A processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the processing system according to the embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of using the processing system according to the embodiment. Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining another example of using the processing system according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the processing system 1 includes a processing device 2, a communication unit 70, and an information device 300. The communication unit 70 and the information device 300 are configured to be capable of wireless communication. The processing device 2 has the communication unit 70 connected to a connection section 60, and is configured to be capable of communicating with other electronic devices via the communication unit 70.

In this embodiment, the processing system 1 is described as including the processing device 2, the communication unit 70, and the information device 300, but the information device 300 may be removed from the system configuration of the processing system 1. That is, the processing system 1 may be configured to include the processing device 2 and the communication unit 70. In addition, the processing system 1 may be configured to incorporate the communication unit 70 into the processing device 2 as a communication function of the processing device 2.

The processing device 2 according to the embodiment includes a main body 200, which is a box-shaped housing. The processing device 2 includes a chuck table 10, a processing unit 20, a touch panel 30, a control unit 40, and a connection unit 60. The control unit 40 is electrically connected to the chuck table 10, the processing unit 20, the touch panel 30, and the connection unit 60.

The workpiece 100 to be processed by the processing device 2 is, for example, a disk-shaped semiconductor wafer or optical device wafer with a substrate 101 made of silicon, sapphire, gallium arsenide, or the like. The workpiece 100 is configured by supporting the substrate 101 in an opening of an annular frame 102 via an adhesive tape 103.

The chuck table 10 holds the workpiece 100 on its holding surface. The chuck table 10 is connected to a suction source (not shown) and holds the workpiece 100 by suction using the negative pressure supplied from the suction source. The chuck table 10 can be moved along the X-axis direction by an X-axis moving means 22 (described later) and can be rotated around the Z-axis by a rotary drive source (not shown).

The touch panel 30 is installed on the main body 200 with the display surface facing outward. The touch panel 30 is disposed in a location on the main body 200 of the processing device 2 that is easy to see and operate. Under the control of the control unit 40, the touch panel 30 displays an image of the surface of the workpiece 100 captured by the imaging unit 12 and various information required for processing, and also accepts input operations and the like required for processing from the operator.

The control unit 40 controls each mechanism (X-axis moving means 22, Y-axis moving means 27, Z-axis moving means 15) that drives the processing device 2. The control unit 40 controls each part of the processing device 2 and realizes processing by the processing device 2. The control unit 40, for example, displays an operation screen having operation buttons on the touch panel 30 and operates the processing unit 20 in response to the operator's operation of the operation buttons. The control unit 40 controls each part of the processing device 2, including the chuck table 10 and the processing unit 20, according to processing conditions input and set by the operator, for example, and realizes processing of the workpiece 100.

The communication unit 70 communicates wirelessly. The communication method supported by the communication unit 70 is a wireless communication standard. Examples of wireless communication standards include Bluetooth (registered trademark) and IEEE802.11. The communication unit 70 includes a receiving unit that receives operation position information transmitted by the information device 300, a conversion unit that converts the operation position information into operation information in the coordinate system of the operation screen, and a providing unit that provides the converted operation information to the processing device 2. Details of the configuration of the communication unit 70 will be described later.

The information device 300 is an electronic device that can be carried by an operator, such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The information device 300 is connected to the processing device 2 so as to be able to transmit and receive various information, and functions as a HID (Human Interface Device) of the processing device 2. The information device 300 has an imaging unit that captures an image of the operation screen of the processing device 2, a second touch panel that displays the captured image of the operation screen, and a transmission unit that transmits operation position information for the image. Details of the configuration of the information device 300 will be described later. The information device 300 has a function of providing the processing device 2 with the operation result of the operator on the image of the operation screen by transmitting the operation position information to the communication unit 70. The information device 300 executes a program to have the operator capture the operation screen of the processing device 2 and display the image of the operation screen on the touch panel 30. When the information device 300 detects operation position information for the image, it transmits the operation position information to the paired communication unit 70.

2 and 3 are diagrams for explaining an overview of the processing system 1 according to the embodiment. In the scene 1001 shown in FIG. 2, the processing device 2 has a communication unit 70 connected to the connection unit 60. The processing device 2 displays an operation screen having a plurality of operation buttons on the touch panel 30. The operation screen is an image displayed on the touch panel 30 to allow the operator to operate it. The processing device 2 may display the operation screen in the entire display area 33 of the touch panel 30, or in a part of the display area 33. The display area 33 is, for example, the area of the physical screen of the touch panel 30, and the actual size can be expressed by the aspect ratio, resolution, etc. The processing device 2 provides the communication unit 70 with environmental data that can identify the size of the display area 33, etc.

The operator uses the imaging function of the information device 300 to display the operation screen of the processing device 2 on the touch panel 320, and images the operation screen while checking the displayed content. As shown in scene 1002, the information device 300 displays the image of the captured operation screen 510 on the touch panel 320. The operation screen 510 has a plurality of operation buttons 520 that can be operated by the operator. In the example shown in scene 1002, the operation screen 510 is a screen that shows the axis operation menu of the processing device 2, and has operation buttons 520 such as "Move Index +", "Move Index -", "Move Scan +", "Move Scan -", and "Return to Axis Apex". Note that the configuration of the operation screen 510 varies depending on the processing step, type, etc.

The information device 300 has an image correction function for correcting the captured image of the operation screen 510, a recognition function for recognizing the operation screen 510, and the like. The image correction function includes, for example, rectangle recognition, keystone correction, and other functions. Rectangle recognition is a function for recognizing rectangles of, for example, the touch panel 30, display area 33, operation screen 510, and the like of the processing device 2. Keystone correction is a function for correcting distortions of the image, such as trapezoid, slant, and angle, caused by the imaging angle, into a square. The recognition function includes, for example, a function for recognizing the operation screen 510 from within the image by edge detection, image matching, and the like.

When the information device 300 displays the image of the operation screen 510 on the touch panel 320, the information device 300 automatically pairs with the communication unit 70 using the Bluetooth standard. Note that the timing of pairing may be, for example, before the information device 300 captures an image of the operation screen 510 of the processing device 2.

In scene 1003 shown in FIG. 3, information device 300 has the CX direction indicating the horizontal direction of the image and the CY direction indicating the vertical direction of the image for the image of operation screen 510 displayed on touch panel 320. For example, information device 300 has the upper left corner of the image as the origin, and the coordinates increase in the CX and CY directions.

The operator is touching the "Move Scan+" operation button 520 on the image of the operation screen 510 displayed by the information device 300. When the information device 300 detects the operator's touch position, it calculates the ratio of the image showing the operation position relative to the image of the operation screen 510. For example, when the touch position is coordinate DX in the CX direction and coordinate DY in the CY direction, the information device 300 calculates the DX ratio obtained by dividing the coordinate DX by the length of one side of the image in the CX direction, and the DY ratio obtained by dividing the coordinate SY by the length of one side of the image in the CY direction.

As shown in scene 1004, the information device 300 creates operation position information that can identify the determined DX ratio and DY ratio, the operation type, etc., and transmits the operation position information to the paired communication unit 70. The operation type includes, for example, the type of operation, such as a single press or a long press. The operation position information may be configured to include, for example, information that can identify the image, image size, etc. of the operation screen 510 displayed on the touch panel 320.

When the communication unit 70 receives operation position information from the information device 300, it converts the operation position information into operation information in the SX-SY coordinate system of the touch panel 30 of the processing device 2. For example, the communication unit 70 converts the operation position information into operation information in the coordinate system of the touch panel 30 based on the DX ratio and DY ratio indicated by the operation position information and the size of the touch panel 30 indicated by the environmental data. The operation information includes, for example, information indicating the coordinates (TX, TY) of the operation position of the operator relative to the information device 300 converted into the coordinate system of the touch panel 30 of the processing device 2, the operation type, etc. The communication unit 70 provides the converted operation information to the processing device 2.

When the processing device 2 acquires the operation information from the communication unit 70, it recognizes the operation information as information for the operation screen 510 displayed on the touch panel 30. The processing device 2 detects an operation for the operation screen 510 displayed on the touch panel 30 based on the coordinates (TX, TY) and operation type indicated by the operation information. That is, the processing device 2 detects an operation for the information device 300 as an operation for the touch panel 30 of its own device. The processing device 2 then controls the operation of the device by executing a process corresponding to the detected operation. Therefore, by capturing an image of the operation screen 510 of the processing device 2 with the information device 300, the operator can operate the processing device 2 based on the image of the operation screen 510 on the touch panel 320 of the information device 300 without directly operating the touch panel 30 of the processing device 2.

Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining the conventional problems with the processing device 2. In scene 2001 shown in Figure 4, one operator, when debugging or adjusting the processing device 2, reaches out to the touch panel 30 on the front while checking the axis movement from the side of the processing device 2. In this case, the operator may operate the operation screen 510 incorrectly. Also, in scene 2002, two operators are positioned with a checker on the side and an operator in front to prevent erroneous operation of the processing device 2. For this reason, there is a problem that the processing device 2 is inefficient when two or more operators work on it to improve safety. In this way, it has been desired that the processing device 2 be safely operated by one person without the need for multiple operators.

The processing system 1 according to the embodiment connects the processing device 2 and the information device 300 via the communication unit 70 so as to be capable of wireless communication, and displays an image of the operation screen 510 of the processing device 2 captured by the information device 300 on the touch panel 320 of the information device 300. When the processing system 1 transmits operation position information for the touch panel 320 of the information device 300 to the communication unit 70, the communication unit 70 converts it into operation information for the touch panel 30 of the processing device 2 and provides it to the processing device 2. As a result, the processing system 1 does not require the processing device 2 to transmit information on the operation screen 510 to the information device 300, and allows the processing device 2 to use the operation information from the communication unit 70 as if it were operation information from the touch panel 30. As a result, the processing system 1 allows one operator to operate the processing device 2 away from the touch panel 30 of the processing device 2 without adding a function to the processing device 2 to transmit an image of the operation screen 510 to the information device 300. Furthermore, the information device 300 only needs to install a function that displays an image of the operation screen 510 on the touch panel 320 and transmits operation position information for the image to the communication unit 70.

In addition, in the processing system 1, the information device 300 transmits operation position information indicating the operation position in terms of the image ratio, and the communication unit 70 can convert the operation position into the coordinate system of the operation screen 510 based on the image ratio. This allows the processing system 1 to reduce the processing burden on the information device 300, since it only needs to detect the operation position in terms of the image ratio, even if the information device 300 does not recognize the configuration of the operation screen 510 of the processing device 2. As a result, the processing system 1 can further reduce the addition of functions to the processing device 2, since the processing device 2 does not need to provide information related to the operation screen 510 to the information device 300.

(Functional configuration of the processing system)
Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the processing device 2 and the communication unit 70 according to the embodiment. Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the information device 300 according to the embodiment.

(Processing equipment)
5, the processing device 2 includes an imaging unit 12, a driving means 14, a Z-axis moving means 15, a processing unit 20, a touch panel 30, a control unit 40, a storage 50, and a connection section 60. The control unit 40 is electrically connected to the imaging unit 12, the driving means 14, the Z-axis moving means 15, the processing unit 20, the touch panel 30, the storage 50, and the connection section 60.

The imaging unit 12 is an electron microscope equipped with an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The imaging unit 12 images the surface of the workpiece 100 held on the holding surface of the chuck table 10. The imaging unit 12 is integrated by being attached to and supported by a part of the housing for the processing unit 20, and is provided so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction by a Z-axis moving means 15 such as a ball screw, a nut, a pulse motor, etc. The imaging unit 12 may include, for example, a light source that irradiates illumination light onto the surface of the workpiece 100 held on the holding surface of the chuck table 10.

The processing unit 20 processes the workpiece 100 held on the chuck table 10. The processing unit 20 is, for example, a pair of cutting means, each having a cutting blade. The cutting blades of the pair of cutting means face each other in the Y-axis direction, and both rotate around the Y-axis. The processing unit 20 performs cutting processing on the workpiece 100 using the rotating cutting blades. The processing unit 20 can be moved along the Y-axis direction by the Y-axis moving means 27, and can be moved along the Z-axis direction by the Z-axis moving means 15. The Y-axis moving means 27, which moves the imaging unit 12 and the processing unit 20 in the Y-axis direction relative to the holding surface of the chuck table 10, is composed of a ball screw, a nut, a pulse motor, etc., and constitutes the driving means 14 together with the X-axis moving means 22.

The processing device 2 processes the workpiece 100 held on the chuck table 10 by moving the chuck table 10 and the processing unit 20 relative to each other using the X-axis movement means 22, the Y-axis movement means 27, and the Z-axis movement means 15.

The processing unit 20 provided in the processing device 2 is not limited to a cutting unit that cuts the workpiece 100 with a cutting blade. Alternatively, the processing unit 20 may be, for example, a grinding unit that grinds a similar workpiece 100 with a grinding wheel or the like, a polishing unit that polishes a similar workpiece 100 with a polishing pad or the like, or a laser processing unit that irradiates a laser beam onto a similar workpiece 100 to perform laser processing.

As shown in FIG. 2, the touch panel 30 has a display unit 31 that displays various information related to the processing device 2, and an input unit 32 that accepts various operation inputs related to the processing device 2 from an operator, such as input of processing condition settings. The display unit 31 has a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The input unit 32 has a touch screen that specifies the contact position and coordinates of an object on the display surface of the display device. The touch panel 30 has a rectangular display area 33. The touch panel 30 detects the coordinates (position) of an object that has contacted the display area 33. The touch panel 30 can detect the interval between contacts, the change in the position of contact, the number of contacts, etc. The touch panel 30 supplies operation information that can identify the detected contact position, the interval between contacts, the change in the position of contact, the number of contacts, etc. to the control unit 40. In the embodiment, the touch panel 30 is an example of a first touch panel.

The storage 50 stores programs that realize functions such as various processes executed by the control unit 40, and data used in the processes by such programs. The storage 50 can be realized by a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a semiconductor memory, etc. The storage 50 may also be used as a temporary working area when the processor in the control unit 40 executes instructions written in the control program.

In this embodiment, the processing device 2 is described as having a storage 50, but is not limited to this. For example, the storage 50 can be a storage device that can be accessed by a processing device 2, such as a computer and electronic device external to the processing device 2, or another processing device 2.

The storage 50 can store various data such as, for example, multiple operation screen data 51 and environmental data 52. The operation screen data 51 includes, for example, data in HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) format for displaying an operation screen 510 used in the processing device 2. The multiple operation screen data 51 correspond, for example, to multiple processing steps, maintenance, etc. in the processing device 2, and are data for displaying an operation screen 510 on which an operator operates the processing device 2. The operation screen 510 has operation buttons that the operator operates. As described above, the environmental data 52 includes size information that can identify the size of the display area 33 of the touch panel 30, the size of the operation screen 510, etc.

The connection unit 60 has a terminal to which another device is connected. The connection unit 60 can be, for example, a general-purpose terminal such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus). In this embodiment, the connection unit 60 can be, for example, detachably connected to a communication unit 70. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the connection unit 60 is provided near the touch panel 30 of the main body 200 so that it can be detached from outside the main body 200.

The control unit 40 includes an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory), and an input/output interface device. The control unit 40 is a computer that can use these devices to execute control programs and the like for controlling each of the above-mentioned components in accordance with a series of processing steps performed by the processing device 2.

The control unit 40 controls each mechanism (X-axis movement means 22, Y-axis movement means 27, Z-axis movement means 15) that drives the processing device 2. The control unit 40 controls each part of the processing device 2 and realizes processing by the processing device 2. The control unit 40 controls each part of the processing device 2, including the chuck table 10 and the processing unit 20, according to processing conditions input and set by an operator, for example, and realizes processing of the workpiece 100.

The control unit 40 determines the type of gesture based on at least one of the contact position of the object detected by the touch panel 30, the change in the contact position, the interval at which the contact is detected, and the number of times the contact is detected. Gestures include, but are not limited to, touch, long touch, release, swipe, drag, etc.

The control unit 40 controls the overall operation of the processing device 2 according to the processing conditions set by the operator via the input unit 32 of the touch panel 30. The control unit 40 displays the operation screen 510 on the touch panel 30, and upon acquiring operation information via the touch panel 30, identifies the operator's operation on the operation screen 510 based on the operation information. When the control unit 40 identifies an operation on an operation button on the operation screen 510, it controls the operation of the processing unit 20 based on the processing assigned to the operation button. In addition, when the control unit 40 receives operation information from the communication unit 70 while the operation screen 510 is displayed on the touch panel 30, it identifies the operator's operation on the operation screen 510 based on the operation information, and controls the operation of the processing device 2 based on the processing corresponding to the operation.

(communication unit)
The communication unit 70 includes a communication unit 710, a storage unit 720, a conversion unit 730, and a provision unit 740. The communication unit 710, the storage unit 720, the conversion unit 730, and the provision unit 740 are electrically connected to each other. The conversion unit 730 and the provision unit 740 may be realized, for example, by an arithmetic processing device, or may be realized by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).

The communication unit 710 communicates with electronic devices external to the processing device 2, such as the information device 300. For example, the communication unit 710 stores various information received from the information device 300 in the storage unit 720 and supplies the information to the conversion unit 730. The communication unit 710 supplies operation position information received from the information device 300 to the conversion unit 730. Note that the communication unit 710 may be configured to have only a receiving function, or may be configured to have a transmitting/receiving function.

The memory unit 720 stores various data and programs. For example, the memory unit 120 is a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM or a flash memory. The memory unit 120 stores information received via the communication unit 710. The memory unit 720 can store, for example, size information of the environmental data 52 of the processing device 2, etc.

The conversion unit 730 converts the operation position information received from the information device 300 into operation information in the coordinate system of the operation screen 510. The conversion unit 730 converts the operation position information into operation information in the coordinate system of the touch panel 30 based on the DX ratio and DY ratio indicated by the operation position information and the size of the touch panel 30 indicated by the size information. The conversion unit 730 converts the operation position information into operation information using, for example, a conversion table, a conversion program, or the like. For example, when the operation position information includes the size of the operation screen 510 in the image displayed by the information device 300, the conversion unit 730 may specify the scale of the operation screen 510 in the image from the size of the operation screen 510 in the image and the size of the operation screen 510 displayed by the processing device 2, and convert the operation position information into operation information of the processing device 2 based on the scale. The conversion unit 730 may recognize a display state in which the operation screen 510 is displayed in the entire display area 33 of the touch panel 30 and a display state in which the operation screen 510 is displayed in a part of the display area 33, and convert the operation position information into operation information of the processing device 2 using a conversion method suitable for the display state.

The providing unit 740 provides the operation information converted by the converting unit 730 to the processing device 2. In the embodiment, the providing unit 740 provides the operation information to the processing device 2, for example, by outputting the operation information to the connecting unit 60. The providing unit 740 may be included in the configuration of the converting unit 730. Note that the converting unit 730 has a function of reading information on the touch panel 30 of the processing device 2, and may be provided in the information device 300.

(Information equipment)
6 , information device 300 includes imaging unit 310, touch panel 320, communication unit 330, storage unit 340, and control unit 350. Control unit 350 is electrically connected to imaging unit 310, touch panel 320, communication unit 330, and storage unit 340.

The imaging unit 310 electronically captures an image using an image sensor such as a CCD or CMOS. The imaging unit 310 converts the captured image into a signal and supplies it to the control unit 350. The imaging unit 310 supplies the signal of the captured image to the touch panel 320, thereby causing the image to be displayed on the touch panel 320. In the embodiment, the imaging unit 310 is an example of an imaging unit that captures an image of the operation screen 510.

Touch panel 320 is, for example, a display device and a touch screen arranged on top of each other. Touch panel 320 displays various information related to information device 300 and accepts operations on the display contents by an operator or the like. Touch panel 320 is, for example, formed in a rectangular shape and provided on one side of information device 300. Touch panel 320 detects the coordinates (position) of an object that comes into contact with touch panel 320. Touch panel 320 can detect the interval between contacts, changes in the position of contact, the number of contacts, etc. In the embodiment, touch panel 320 is an example of a second touch panel. Touch panel 320 provides the detection results to control unit 350.

The communication unit 330 communicates with, for example, the communication unit 70, other communication devices, etc. The communication unit 330 transmits operation position information, etc. to the communication unit 70 under the control of, for example, the control unit 350. The communication unit 330 supplies various information received from an external electronic device to the control unit 350. The communication unit 330 has a function of wirelessly communicating with a paired communication device. The communication unit 330 has a function of receiving various information from other communication devices. In the embodiment, the communication unit 330 is an example of a transmission unit of the information device 300.

The storage unit 340 stores various information and programs. For example, the storage unit 340 is a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM or a flash memory, a hard disk, an optical disk, etc. The storage unit 340 stores various information such as imaging information 341 captured by the imaging unit 310 and operation position information 342 detected by the touch panel 320. The storage unit 340 stores a program 343 for causing the information device 300 to function as the HID of the processing device 2. The program 343 is, for example, an application program, and is started by an operator, etc.

The control unit 350 includes a processor such as a CPU, a storage device such as a ROM or RAM, and an input/output interface device. The control unit 350 is, for example, an integrated control unit that controls the information device 300. The control unit 350 is a computer capable of executing a control program, program 343, etc., for controlling each component of the information device 300.

The control unit 350 executes the program 343, for example, to start the imaging unit 310 and have the operator capture an image of the operation screen 510 of the processing device 2. The control unit 350 displays the captured image of the operation screen 510 on the touch panel 320 and accepts the operator's operation on the image. When the control unit 350 detects operation position information for the image, it controls the communication unit 330 to transmit the operation position information to the paired communication unit 70.

The control unit 350 includes a correction unit 351 that corrects the captured image of the operation screen 510. The correction unit 351 has the image correction function described above. The correction unit 351 includes functions such as rectangle recognition and keystone correction. The correction unit 351 recognizes rectangles such as the touch panel 30, display area 33, and operation screen 510 of the processing device 2, for example. When the correction unit 351 detects distortion of the image due to the imaging angle, such as trapezoidal, oblique, or angular distortion, it corrects it to a rectangle.

The above describes an example of the configuration of the processing device 2, communication unit 70, and information device 300 of the processing system 1 according to this embodiment. Note that the above configuration described using Figures 5 and 6 is merely an example, and the configurations of the processing device 2, communication unit 70, and information device 300 according to this embodiment are not limited to this example. The functional configurations of the processing device 2, communication unit 70, and information device 300 according to this embodiment can be flexibly modified depending on the specifications and operation.

(An example of a processing procedure for a processing system)
Next, an example of a processing procedure executed by the processing system 1 according to the embodiment will be described. First, an example of a processing procedure executed by the information device 300 will be described. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure executed by the control unit 350 of the information device 300 according to the embodiment. The processing procedure shown in Fig. 7 is realized by the control unit 350 of the information device 300 executing a program. The processing procedure shown in Fig. 7 is executed in response to a start-up instruction from an operator.

As shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 350 of the information device 300 activates the imaging unit 310 (step 2101). For example, the control unit 350 activates the imaging unit 310 and sets the imaging unit 310 in a state where it can capture an image. The control unit 350 executes an imaging process for the operation screen 510 of the processing device 2 (step 2102). For example, the control unit 350 executes the imaging process to prompt the operator to capture an image of the operation screen 510 of the processing device 2, and stores imaging information 341 indicating an image of the operation screen 510 in the storage unit 340. When the process of step 2102 ends, the control unit 350 advances the process to step 2103.

The control unit 350 corrects the captured image of the operation screen 510 (step 2103). For example, the control unit 350 detects the operation screen 510 from the image by edge detection, pattern matching, etc., and if the control unit 350 detects distortion of the operation screen 510, it corrects it so that the operation screen 510 becomes a rectangle. If the control unit 350 does not detect distortion of the operation screen 510, it ends the process without performing correction. When the control unit 350 ends the process of step 2103, it advances the process to step 2104.

The control unit 350 displays an image of the operation screen 510 on the touch panel 320 (step 2104). For example, the control unit 350 controls the touch panel 320 to display the image of the operation screen 510. As a result, the touch panel 320 displays the image of the operation screen 510 captured by the imaging unit 310. When the processing of step 2104 ends, the control unit 350 advances the processing to step 2105.

The control unit 350 determines whether or not an operation on the image has been detected based on the detection result of the touch panel 320 (step 2105). For example, the control unit 350 determines that an operation on the image has been detected when the touch panel 320 detects contact of an object with the operation screen 510 or an image of an operation button on the operation screen 510. If the control unit 350 determines that an operation on the image has not been detected (No in step 2105), the control unit 350 advances the process to step 2108 described below. On the other hand, if the control unit 350 determines that an operation on the image has been detected (Yes in step 2105), the control unit 350 advances the process to step 2106.

The control unit 350 creates operation position information for the image (step 2106). For example, the control unit 350 determines the DX ratio, DY ratio, and operation type based on the contact position of the object detected by the touch panel 320, and creates operation position information 342 that can identify them. When the processing of step 2106 ends, the control unit 350 advances the processing to step 2107.

The control unit 350 controls the communication unit 330 to transmit the operation position information to the communication unit 70 (step 2107). For example, the control unit 350 transmits the operation position information to the paired communication unit 70. When the processing of step 2107 ends, the control unit 350 advances the processing to step 2108.

The control unit 350 determines whether or not to terminate (step 2108). For example, the control unit 350 determines to terminate when an instruction to terminate is received via the touch panel 320, the communication unit 330, etc. If the control unit 350 determines not to terminate (No in step 2108), the process returns to step 2105 already described and continues. If the control unit 350 determines to terminate (Yes in step 2108), the process proceeds to step 2109.

The control unit 350 ends the display of the image of the operation screen 510 (step 2109). For example, the control unit 350 controls the touch panel 320 to end the display of the image of the operation screen 510. This causes the touch panel 320 to end the display of the image of the operation screen 510 captured by the imaging unit 310. When the processing of step 2109 ends, the control unit 350 ends the processing procedure shown in FIG. 7.

In the processing procedure shown in FIG. 7, step 2107 has been described on the assumption that the information device 300 and the communication unit 70 are paired, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the processing procedure shown in FIG. 7 may include a process for pairing with the communication unit 70 in step 2107, or may include the process as a new process.

Next, an example of a processing procedure executed by the communication unit 70 will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure executed by the communication unit 70 according to the embodiment. The processing procedure shown in FIG. 8 is realized by the communication unit 70 executing a program. The processing procedure shown in FIG. 8 is repeatedly executed by the communication unit 70.

As shown in FIG. 8, the communication unit 70 determines whether or not the operation position information 342 has been received (step 3101). For example, the communication unit 70 determines that the operation position information 342 has been received when the operation position information has been received from the information device 300 via the communication section 710. When the communication unit 70 determines that the operation position information 342 has not been received (No in step 3101), the processing procedure shown in FIG. 8 is terminated.

Furthermore, if the communication unit 70 determines that it has received the operation position information 342 (Yes in step 3101), it advances the process to step 3101. The communication unit 70 converts the operation position information 342 into operation information in the coordinate system of the operation screen 510 (step 3102). For example, the communication unit 70 converts the operation position information into operation information in the coordinate system of the touch panel 30 based on the DX ratio and DY ratio indicated by the operation position information and the size of the touch panel 30 indicated by the size information. When the communication unit 70 finishes the process of step 3102, it advances the process to step 3103.

The communication unit 70 provides the converted operation information to the processing device 2 (step 3103). For example, the communication unit 70 provides the operation information to the processing device 2 by outputting the converted operation information to the connection section 60 of the processing device 2. When the processing of step 3103 is completed, the communication unit 70 ends the processing procedure shown in FIG. 8.

Next, an example of a processing procedure executed by the processing device 2 will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure executed by the control unit 40 of the processing device 2 according to the embodiment. The processing procedure shown in FIG. 9 is realized by the control unit 40 of the processing device 2 executing a program. The processing procedure shown in FIG. 9 is executed by the control unit 40 at a predetermined timing. The predetermined timing includes, for example, the timing when the operator uses the processing device 2.

As shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 40 of the processing device 2 causes the touch panel 30 to display the operation screen 510 (step 4101). For example, the control unit 40 controls the touch panel 30 to display the operation screen 510 indicated by the operation screen data 51. As a result, the touch panel 30 displays the operation screen 510. When the processing of step 4101 ends, the control unit 40 advances the processing to step 4102.

The control unit 40 determines whether or not there is operation information from the touch panel 30 (step 4102). For example, when the touch panel 30 detects contact with an object, it supplies operation information indicating the detection result to the control unit 40. Therefore, when operation information is supplied from the touch panel 30, the control unit 40 determines that there is operation information from the touch panel 30. When the control unit 40 determines that there is operation information from the touch panel 30 (Yes in step 4102), an operation on the touch panel 30 has been detected, and the process proceeds to step 4104 described below. When the control unit 40 determines that there is no operation information from the touch panel 30, i.e., that there is no operation information (No in step 4102), an operation on the touch panel 30 has not been detected, and the process proceeds to step 4103.

The control unit 40 determines whether or not there is operation information from the communication unit 70 (step 4103). For example, when the information device 300 transmits operation position information, the communication unit 70 provides the control unit 40 with operation information obtained by converting the operation position information. Therefore, when operation information is provided from the communication unit 70 via the connection section 60, the control unit 40 determines that there is operation information from the communication unit 70. When the control unit 40 determines that there is no operation information from the communication unit 70 (No in step 4103), since no operation on the touch panel 30 and the information device 300 has been detected, the process proceeds to step 4105 described below. When the control unit 40 determines that there is operation information from the communication unit 70 (Yes in step 4103), the process proceeds to step 4104.

The control unit 40 executes processing based on the operation information (step 4104). For example, the control unit 40 detects an operation on the operation screen 510 displayed on the touch panel 30 based on the coordinates (TX, TY) and operation type indicated by the operation information. The control unit 40 then controls the operation of the processing device 2 by executing processing according to the detected operation. For example, when the control unit 40 detects that an operation button on the operation screen 510 has been operated, it executes control processing of the processing device 2 assigned to the operation button. When the control unit 40 completes the processing of step 4104, it advances the processing to step 4105.

The control unit 40 determines whether or not to terminate (step 4105). For example, the control unit 40 determines to terminate when an end instruction is received from outside the processing device 2. If the control unit 40 determines not to terminate (No in step 4105), the process returns to step 4102 already described and continues. If the control unit 40 determines to terminate (Yes in step 4105), the process proceeds to step 4106.

The control unit 40 ends the display of the operation screen 510 (step 4106). For example, the control unit 40 controls the touch panel 30 to end the display of the operation screen 510. This causes the touch panel 30 to end the display of the operation screen 510. When the processing of step 4106 ends, the control unit 40 ends the processing procedure shown in FIG. 9.

As described above, in the processing system 1, the information device 300 corrects the image of the operation screen 510 and displays it on the touch panel 320, and the communication unit 70 converts operation position information for the corrected image into operation information for the processing device 2. As a result, even if the information device 300 has the operator operate the processing device 2 using an image of the operation screen 510 captured by the information device 300, the communication unit 70 can supply more accurate operation information to the processing device 2. As a result, in the processing system 1, since the processing device 2 does not need to provide information about the operation screen 510 to the information device 300, one operator can operate the processing device 2 away from the touch panel 30 of the processing device 2 without complicating the configuration of the processing device 2.

In addition, the processing system 1 is configured such that the communication unit 70 can be detachably connected to the connection section 60 of the processing device 2, and can receive the operation position information from the information device 300 by wireless communication. As a result, the processing system 1 can temporarily connect the communication unit 70 to the connection section 60 of the processing device 2, for example, during maintenance or setup, and thus suppress the increase in the functions of the processing device 2. In addition, for example, a HID-compliant driver that enables the operation of peripheral devices such as a mouse or keyboard may be installed in the processing device 2 by default so that the peripheral devices can be used without setup when connected. In this case, the processing system 1 can suppress the addition of functions to the processing device 2 by interposing the detachable communication unit 70 in the processing device 2, since the information device 300 can function as the HID of the processing device 2.

[Modification]
In the above embodiment, the processing system 1 has been described as receiving an operation on the operation screen 510 of the processing device 2 from the information device 300, but is not limited thereto. The processing system 1 may disable some operations on the operation screen 510. For example, the processing device 2 may switch the display to another screen in response to an operation of an operation button on the operation screen 510. In this case, when the processing system 1 receives an operation to switch the display to another screen, the operation screen 510 displayed on the processing device 2 and the image of the operation screen 510 displayed on the information device 300 may not match. For this reason, the processing system 1 further includes a function of disabling some operations on the operation screen 510.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen 510 according to a modified example of the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, the operation screen 510 has the above-mentioned operation button 520 and a second operation button 530. The operation button 520 is an operation button that can be operated from the information device 300. The second operation button 530 is an operation button that cannot be operated from the information device 300. The second operation button 530 is a button for selecting "ENTER" and "EXIT", and a screen transition from the operation screen 510 to another screen occurs depending on the operation. The second operation button 530 can be operated by the operator in the processing device 2, but cannot be operated by the operator in the information device 300. Inoperability means, for example, that the processing device 2 does not accept an operation, that the operator cannot select, etc.

For example, when the information device 300 captures the operation screen 510 shown in FIG. 10, the image of the operation screen 510 also includes an image of the second operation button 530. Therefore, the operator may operate the second operation button 530. When the information device 300 detects an operation on the second operation button 530 via the touch panel 320, it creates operation position information indicating the position of the operation and transmits it to the communication unit 70.

When the communication unit 70 receives the operation position information from the information device 300, it converts the operation position information into operation information for the processing device 2 and provides the operation information to the processing device 2. If the operation position indicated by the operation information from the communication unit 70 is an operation on the second operation button 530, the processing device 2 invalidates the operation information. This allows the processing device 2 to disable operation on the second operation button 530 from the information device 300. By invalidating the operation on the second operation button 530 from the information device 300, the processing device 2 makes it possible for the information device 300 to use the image of the operation screen 510 as is. As a result, the processing system 1 does not require the information device 300 to perform a process of identifying the operation button in the image of the operation screen 510, and can accommodate a wide variety of operation screens 519.

Next, an example of a processing procedure executed by the processing device 2 according to a modified embodiment will be described. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure executed by the control unit 40 of the processing device 2 according to a modified embodiment. The processing procedure shown in FIG. 11 is realized by the control unit 40 of the processing device 2 executing a program. The processing procedure shown in FIG. 11 is executed by the control unit 40 at a predetermined timing. In the processing procedure shown in FIG. 11, the same steps as those in the processing procedure shown in FIG. 9 are denoted with the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 11, the control unit 40 of the processing device 2 displays the operation screen 510 on the touch panel 30 (step 4101). The control unit 40 determines whether or not there is operation information from the touch panel 30 (step 4102). If the control unit 40 determines that there is operation information from the touch panel 30 (Yes in step 4102), it has detected an operation on the touch panel 30 and proceeds to step 4104. If the control unit 40 determines that there is no operation information from the touch panel 30 (No in step 4102), it has not detected an operation on the touch panel 30 and proceeds to step 4103.

The control unit 40 determines whether or not there is operation information from the communication unit 70 (step 4103). If the control unit 40 determines that there is no operation information from the communication unit 70 (No in step 4103), it advances the process to step 4105 since it has not detected any operation on the touch panel 30 or the information device 300. If the control unit 40 determines that there is operation information from the communication unit 70 (Yes in step 4103), it advances the process to step 4110.

The control unit 40 determines whether or not the information device 300 can be operated (step 4110). For example, the processing device 2 includes information that can identify the inoperable operation button 530 in the operation screen data 51, or associates it with the operation screen data 51. For example, the control unit 40 determines whether or not the information device 300 can be operated based on the operation screen data 51 corresponding to the operation screen being displayed. If the operation information is not an operation for the second operation button 530 of the operation screen 510, the control unit 40 determines that the information device 300 can be operated. If the control unit 40 determines that the information device 300 cannot be operated (No in step 4110), the control unit 40 does not execute the process of step 4104 and proceeds to step 4105. If the control unit 40 determines that the information device 300 can be operated (Yes in step 4110), the control unit 40 proceeds to step 4104.

The control unit 40 executes processing based on the operation information (step 4104). When the control unit 40 finishes processing step 4104 for the operation information from the touch panel 30 and the operation information from the communication unit 70 that is not an operation on the second operation button 530, the control unit 40 advances the processing to step 4105.

The control unit 40 determines whether or not to terminate (step 4105). If the control unit 40 determines not to terminate (No in step 4105), the process returns to step 4102 and continues. If the control unit 40 determines to terminate (Yes in step 4105), the process proceeds to step 4106. The control unit 40 terminates the display of the operation screen 510 (step 4106). When the process of step 4106 ends, the control unit 40 terminates the processing procedure shown in FIG. 11.

In the processing procedure shown in FIG. 11, when it is determined that operation is not possible from the information device 300 (No in step 4110), the processing proceeds to step 4105 without executing the processing of step 4104, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the processing procedure shown in FIG. 11 may be configured to proceed to step 4105 after executing a process of notifying that operation is not possible from the information device 300. The process of notifying includes, for example, a process of notifying by the processing device 2, a process of notifying by the information device 300, etc.

The processing system 1 may display the operation buttons in different display modes so that the operator can distinguish between operation buttons that can be operated by the processing device 2 from the information device 300 and operation buttons that cannot be operated. In this case, the operation buttons can be distinguished even from the image of the operation screen captured by the information device 300, so the processing system 1 can allow the operator operating the information device 300 to recognize which operation buttons are operable and which are inoperable during remote operation, etc.

[Other embodiments]
The processing device 2 according to the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the processing device 2 may be a grinding device other than a cutting device, or a laser processing device.

The components of the processing system 1 described in the above embodiment are conceptual and functional, and do not necessarily need to be physically configured as shown in the figure. In other words, the specific form of distribution and integration of the processing system 1 is not limited to that shown in the figure, and all or part of it can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit depending on various loads and usage conditions. For example, the processing system 1 may be configured such that the communication unit 70 is built into the processing device 2, or such that the communication function of the processing device 2 is connected to the communication unit 70 via wireless communication.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Machining system 2 Machining device 10 Chuck table 12 Imaging unit 20 Machining unit 30 Touch panel (first touch panel)
31 Display section 32 Input section 40 Control unit 50 Storage 51 Operation screen data 52 Environmental data 60 Connection section 70 Communication unit 100 Workpiece 300 Information device 310 Imaging section 320 Touch panel (second touch panel)
330 Communication unit 340 Storage unit 341 Imaging information 342 Operation position information 343 Program 350 Control unit 351 Correction unit 510 Operation screen 710 Communication unit 720 Storage unit 730 Conversion unit 740 Provision unit

Claims (6)

a processing device including a holding table, a processing unit for processing a workpiece held on the holding table, a first touch panel for displaying an operation screen having operation buttons for operating the processing unit, and a control unit for controlling the processing unit based on operation information on the operation screen;
a communication unit capable of communicating with an information device, the communication unit including an imaging unit that images the operation screen, a second touch panel that displays an image of the imaged operation screen, and a transmission unit that transmits operation position information for the image;
A processing system comprising:
The communication unit includes:
A communication unit that receives the operation position information transmitted by the information device;
a conversion unit for converting the operation position information into the operation information in a coordinate system of the operation screen;
a providing unit that provides the converted operation information to the processing device;
Equipped with
The control unit of the processing device controls the processing device based on the operation information when the operation information is provided from the communication unit. the transmitting unit of the information device transmits the operation position information indicating an operation position relative to an image of the operation screen in terms of a ratio of the image;
2. The processing system according to claim 1, wherein the conversion section of the communication unit converts the ratio of the image indicated by the operation position information into the operation information in a coordinate system of the operation screen. the information device further includes a correction unit that corrects an area of the operation screen in the image;
the second touch panel of the information device displays the corrected image;
2. The processing system according to claim 1, wherein the conversion section of the communication unit converts the operation position information for the corrected image into the operation information in the coordinate system of the operation screen. The processing system according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit is configured to be detachably connectable to the connection portion of the processing device and receives the operation position information from the information device via wireless communication. The processing system according to claim 2, characterized in that when the control unit of the processing device receives operation information for an operation button that cannot be operated from the information device among the multiple operation buttons on the operation screen from the communication unit, the control unit does not control the processing device based on the operation information. The processing system according to claim 1, further comprising the information device.

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