One variation of a method for controlling dissemination of instructional content to operators performing procedures at equipment within a facility includes: at a computing device, accessing a digital procedure containing a first instructional block comprising a first instruction in a set of formats including a text format corresponding to a first degree of guidance, an audio format corresponding to a second degree of guidance different from the first degree, and a visual format corresponding to a third degree of guidance greater than the first and second degrees; accessing a minimum instruction guidance specification for a current instance of the digital procedure; and, in response to initiation of the first instructional block in the digital procedure, presenting the first instruction in a particular format, in the set of formats, corresponding to a particular degree of guidance approximating the minimum instruction guidance specification.

Software for controlling processes in a heterogeneous semiconductor manufacturing environment may include a wafer-centric database, a real-time scheduler using a neural network, and a graphical user interface displaying simulated operation of the system. These features may be employed alone or in combination to offer improved usability and computational efficiency for real time control and monitoring of a semiconductor manufacturing process. More generally, these techniques may be usefully employed in a variety of real time control systems, particularly systems requiring complex scheduling decisions or heterogeneous systems constructed of hardware from numerous independent vendors.

A cell controller controls a machining cell including a plurality of work resources. The plurality of work resources include at least one processing machine and at least one robot. The cell controller includes a PLC and a management device. The PLC controls operation of the work resources in accordance with an instruction from the management device, and acquires conditions of a plurality of work elements including the work resources and a workpiece. The management device, in response to occurrence of abnormal stop of the machining cell, specifies a recoverable condition of each work element, and presents to an operator a guide to a recovery procedure that enables each work element to transition to the recoverable condition.

A machining assist system includes a knowledge database, a receiver, a control unit, and a display. The knowledge database stores various pieces of information indicative of know-how concerning a machining method and a machining facility. The receiver receives a question. The control unit executes a driving solver and a solution-providing solver so as to search the knowledge database using a search condition based on the question and derive a response. The display presents the response. The response includes a plurality of measures, priorities assigned to the measures, and progress information indicative of a search process and a search route. The search process includes a plurality of factors to be used to derive the measures. The search route is a link between the factors. The search process and the search route are visually presented on the display.

The present disclosure relates to a method and pre-trained rule engine for providing an assistance to correct abnormal event encountered for equipment. Real-time information related to the equipment is received, upon identification of the abnormal event. At least one data is selected from historic data, expert opinion data and equipment standard data associated with the equipment based on real-time state information related to the equipment. The received real-time information is analyzed using the selected at least one data. An assistance is generated for correcting the abnormal event based on the analysis. The assistance is provided to an operator for correcting the abnormal event.

Provided is a mechanical device management system in which a cause and measure of a malfunction can be considered even when timing to be a point of the cause and measure of the malfunction does not coincide with the timing at which a signal is issued to notify that the malfunction has occurred. A machine device management system 100 comprising: a machine device 200 having an operation screen display device 220 for displaying an operation screen 600 to be operated by a user; a storage device 320 for storing machine operation data including continuous image data generated by constantly acquiring the operation screen 600; a management device 400 disposed at a position different from the machine device 200) and including a display device 420 capable of displaying an image based on continuous image data 902 stored in the storage device 320; and a control device 310 for sending, to the display device 420, the image from an arbitrary time based on the continuous image data 902.

A maintenance operation support device includes a procedure information outputter configured to output procedure information representing an operation procedure of maintenance operations for a facility, the procedure information being obtained by combining action definition information for defining actions of a setting tool that adjusts or sets the facility and operation definition information for defining operations to be instructed to a maintenance operator who performs the maintenance operations for the facility.

Provided is a mechanical device management system in which a cause and measure of a malfunction can be considered even when timing to be a point of the cause and measure of the malfunction does not coincide with the timing at which a signal is issued to notify that the malfunction has occurred. A machine device management system 100 comprising: a machine device 200 having an operation screen display device 220 for displaying an operation screen 600 to be operated by a user; a storage device 320 for storing machine operation data including continuous image data generated by constantly acquiring the operation screen 600; a management device 400 disposed at a position different from the machine device 200) and including a display device 420 capable of displaying an image based on continuous image data 902 stored in the storage device 320; and a control device 310 for sending, to the display device 420, the image from an arbitrary time based on the continuous image data 902.

The invention comprises methods, systems and computer programs for providing context based assistance to a control system operator. The invention comprises (i) detecting a first instance of a control system event, (ii) determining event complexity corresponding to the first instance of the control system event, and (iii) responsive to event complexity exceeding a predefined complexity threshold: (a) retrieving a set of operator inputs received at a control system in response to a detected second instance of the control system event, wherein the second instance of the control system event was detected prior in time to the detected first instance of the control system event, and (b) communicating to the control system operator, information identifying a set of operator inputs for responding to the detected first instance of the control event, wherein the identified operator inputs are a sub-set of the retrieved set of operator inputs.

A machining processing system or the like is provided, suitable for supporting a help display that corresponds to the user's level while providing safe operation of a machining processing apparatus. In a machining processing apparatus 2 in a machining processing system 1, an interface processing unit 13 displays an interface screen and gives instructions to a control unit 11 according to the user's operation. A help processing unit 15 displays an explanation with respect to the user's operation via the interface screen according to the user's operation. Upon receiving an instruction from the help processing unit 15 to change the interface screen, the control unit 11 controls the interface processing unit 13 to change the interface screen. The help processing unit 15 does not support an instruction for a machining unit 7 to perform machining processing, for example.