Patent ID: 6671569
Filing Date: 2003-12-30
Classification: B23Q,G05B,Y02P

Abstract:
A method for monitoring a workpiece (WSx) during a transportation and/or manufacturing process, comprising the steps of:introducing a workpiece into the transportation and/or production process, identifying the workpiece by a transportation agent, assigning the workpiece to at least one workpiece agent, monitoring the function of the workpiece agent by the transportation agent; detecting the failure of a workpiece agent assigned to the workpiece, monitoring of the workpiece that is taken over by a further workpiece agent, and work-piece specific data of the taken-over workpiece are contained in the workpiece agent taking over the monitoring and/or in a database and are transmitted in the workpiece agents, a workpiece (WSx) newly introduced into the transportation and/or production process is grasped and recorded by a transportation agent (TA); the transportation agent selecting a workpiece agent that is intended to take over the monitoring of the workpiece, the workpiece agent taking the workpiece-specific data corresponding to the new workpiece from a database and/or receiving the workpiece-specific data from a data carrier coupled to the workpiece, storing work-specific data in the applicable workpiece agent, detecting a failure of the workpiece agent by a transportation agent, the workpiece agent checking whether workpiece specific data of the workpiece to be monitored are stored in memory, and a connection with a database and/or data carrier is made in order to read the workpiece specific data stored if workpiece specific data are absent in the memory.