Work support device and work support method

Abstract

To provide a technique for supporting work according to the work-performing state of a worker.SOLUTION: A work support device includes: an interruption detection unit for determining whether or not sensor information acquired by a sensor device attached to a worker satisfies a predetermined first condition to detect interruption of work and to specify the work; and an interruption state recognition unit for notifying the worker of the interruption by light, voice, or vibration when the interruption of the work is detected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a work support device and a work support method.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes "a work recording system including a video analysis unit that acquires an image of an operator, analyzes the video to identify a gesture made by the operator, an input identification unit that identifies an input for starting or completing a process represented by the gesture, and an information processing unit that calculates the working time taken by the operator for the process from the time when the process start is input and the time when the process completion is input, and a control unit including the same".

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The above technology can calculate the working time from a video including the actions of an operator, but does not support the work according to the actual situation of the operator.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technology for supporting work according to the actual situation of an operator. [[ID=CO41]]

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention includes several means for solving at least some of the above problems, but an example is as follows: A work support device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an interruption detection unit that detects an interruption of work and identifies the work by determining whether sensor information acquired by a sensor device attached to the worker satisfies a predetermined first condition, and an interruption state recognition unit that, upon detecting the interruption of work, notifies the worker of the interruption by light, sound or vibration.

[0007] Furthermore, for example, in the above-described work support device, the interruption detection unit may also generate display information that identifies the content of the work to be performed after resuming the work for which an interruption has been detected, and provides instructions for the content of the work.

[0008] For example, in the above-described work support device, the sensor device may acquire an image that includes at least a part or all of the worker's field of view as sensor information, and the interruption state recognition unit may create the display information by including screen information that displays the image at the time of the interruption.

[0009] Furthermore, for example, the above-described work support device may include a restart operation determination unit that determines whether the sensor information satisfies a predetermined second condition and detects the resumption of the work that was detected to have been interrupted, and a restart notification unit that notifies the display information for the work that has been detected to have been resumed.

[0010] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned work support device, for example, the interruption status recognition unit may at least identify the task to be performed after the interrupted task is resumed and display an explanatory video for that task.

[0011] Furthermore, for example, in the above-described work support device, the interruption detection unit may determine that the predetermined first condition is met when the video includes a display screen or a procedure manual for the work, or when the video does not include the worker's hands.

[0012] Furthermore, for example, in the above-described work support device, the sensor device may acquire at least the voice spoken by the worker as sensor information, and the interruption detection unit may determine that the predetermined first condition is met when the voice includes a conversation with another person for a predetermined duration or longer.

[0013] Furthermore, for example, in the above-described work support device, the sensor device may acquire at least the worker's biological information as sensor information, and the interruption detection unit may determine that the predetermined first condition is met when the biological information is not within a predetermined normal range.

[0014] For example, in the above-described work support device, the sensor device may acquire as sensor information an image including at least part or all of the worker's field of view or the sound of the worker speaking, and the restart operation determination unit may determine that the predetermined second condition is met if at least the image includes a predetermined gesture of the worker or the sound includes a predetermined utterance by the worker.

[0015] Furthermore, for example, in the above-described work support device, the sensor device may acquire at least the worker's biological information as sensor information, and the restart operation determination unit may determine that the predetermined second condition is met when the biological information is within a predetermined normal range.

[0016] Furthermore, for example, the above-described work support device may include a calibration unit that calibrates values ​​that serve as criteria for determining the first condition, the second condition, or both.

[0017] Furthermore, for example, the above-described work support device may include an evidence acquisition unit that stores the sensor information related to the work before and after the interruption in a predetermined storage unit and retrieves the sensor information in response to a request from another device.

[0018] For example, in the above work support device, an improvement proposal unit that calculates statistical information related to the interruption for each worker and indicates work with a large difference from other workers may be provided.

[0019] Further, a work support method according to another aspect of the present invention is a work support method using a work support device, the work support device includes a processing unit, and the processing unit determines whether sensor information acquired by a sensor device attached to a worker satisfies a predetermined first condition to detect an interruption of work and identify the work, and an interruption detection step; and when detecting the interruption of work, an interruption state recognition step of notifying the worker of the interruption by light, sound or vibration.

Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique for supporting work according to the implementation status of a worker.

[0021] Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the description of the following embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] It is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a work support system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of a setting storage unit. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of an evidence storage unit. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of an advice storage unit. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a work support device. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an example of a detection start processing flow. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing an example of an interruption / resumption processing flow. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing an example of an analysis processing flow. [Figure 9]This diagram shows an example of a settings screen. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of an evidence confirmation screen. [Figure 11] This figure shows an example of the analysis results confirmation screen. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0023] A work support system 1 to which an embodiment according to one aspect of the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, when necessary for convenience, the description will be divided into multiple sections or embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, these are not unrelated, and one may be a modification, detail, or supplementary explanation of part or all of the other.

[0024] Furthermore, in the following embodiments, when referring to the number of elements (including the number of elements, numerical values, quantities, ranges, etc.), unless specifically stated or clearly limited in principle to a particular number, it is not limited to that particular number, and may be greater than or less than that number.

[0025] Furthermore, it goes without saying that in the following embodiments, the constituent elements (including elemental steps, etc.) are not necessarily essential, except in cases where they are specifically indicated or where they are clearly essential in principle.

[0026] Similarly, in the following embodiments, when referring to the shape, positional relationship, etc., of components, unless otherwise specifically stated or when it is clearly not the case in principle, it shall include those that substantially approximate or resemble such shapes, etc. The same applies to the numerical values ​​and ranges mentioned above.

[0027] Furthermore, in all the drawings used to illustrate the embodiments, the same reference numerals are generally used for identical components, and repeated explanations of them are omitted.

[0028] Errors are inevitable in any work. It is believed that psychological distress and an "increase in error potential" are underlying factors that induce errors. To prevent work errors, it is important not to increase error potential. Examples of work errors include being interrupted by a colleague or by performing a different task, and then making a mistake after resuming work. In this case, it is thought that the interruption leads to a decrease in attention, misunderstanding or forgetting of the work situation, and an increase in error potential. To reduce error potential, it is considered effective to make the worker aware of the interruption and to clearly inform them of the work situation before the interruption and the task to be performed after resuming work.

[0029] Specifically, if the work status can be monitored in real time using an information processing device and communicated to the worker, attention to the work content will increase, misunderstandings about the work status will decrease, and the increase in the potential for errors will be suppressed. To achieve this, it is considered effective to utilize an information processing system that provides timely information such as designating tasks to be detected as interruptions, detecting interruptions, notifying workers, designating conditions for resuming work after interruption, confirming the next task after resumption, and issuing instructions to resume work.

[0030] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a work support system according to this embodiment. In the work support system 1, the worker wears a sensor device 100 while performing work and transmits the detected sensor information to the work support device 200. Preferably, the sensor device 100 transmits the sensor information to the work support device 200 via a wireless network 50 and receives control from the work support device 200. Note that the communication path between the sensor device 100 and the work support device 200 is not limited to a wireless network 50, but may also be wireless communication such as Bluetooth® or the 802.11 series, a wired connection such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), or a wired network such as LAN (Local Area Network).

[0031] Furthermore, the work support device 200 is connected to the management device 300 via a communication path such as the Internet. The work support device 200 receives various settings from the management device 300 regarding the detection of interruptions and resumptions. In addition, the work support device 200 outputs work records in a viewable format in response to requests from the management device 300.

[0032] Furthermore, the wireless network 50 to which the work support device 200 and the sensor device 100 connect for communication may also be a WAN (Wide Area Network), the Internet, a mobile phone network, or a communication network that combines these. The wireless network 50 may also be a VPN (Virtual Private Network) on a wireless communication network such as a mobile phone network.

[0033] Examples of applications for work support system 1 include a business system that assists workers in tasks such as managing structures like bridges and buildings, where workers perform tasks outdoors using both hands.

[0034] In tasks using the work support system 1, workers will perform tasks while moving their work location according to the task content and the object being worked on. Therefore, it is desirable that the sensor device 100 be a wearable device that allows both hands to be easily used. Furthermore, if one hand is used to grasp the sensor device 100, or if the range of motion of both hands is restricted, grasping the sensor device 100 may reduce work efficiency. For this reason, a wearable device is desirable, but not essential. In the following embodiment, the sensor device 100 is implemented as a wearable device that can be operated hands-free. For example, the sensor device 100 is a wearable camera that acquires video including at least part or all of the worker's field of view as sensor information, a wearable microphone that acquires the worker's spoken voice as sensor information, and a vital sensor that acquires the worker's biometric information as sensor information.

[0035] Furthermore, the sensor device 100 may include various types of sensors, such as a glove-type sensor (a combination of a fingertip pressure sensor, an inertial sensor, and a microphone), a heart rate sensor (acquisition of the worker's heart rate using conductive fiber clothing), a wristwatch sensor (acquisition of the wearer's venous blood oxygen concentration (SpO2: transcutaneous oxygen saturation)), a room temperature sensor (temperature sensor), and an electromyography sensor (acquisition of the worker's movement amount).

[0036] The sensor device 100 comprises a detection processing unit 110, a communication unit 120, and a display unit 130. The detection processing unit 110 receives control via the wireless network 50 and detects the object to be measured. The communication unit 120 transmits sensor information, including information about the object to be measured detected by the detection processing unit 110, via the wireless network 50. The display unit 130 displays screen information, messages, or AR (Augmented Reality), VR (Virtual Reality), MR (Mixed Reality), etc. Note that if there are multiple sensor devices 100 worn by the worker, the display unit 130 only needs to be present in one of them.

[0037] The work support device 200 is an information processing device comprising a storage unit 210, a processing unit 220, and a communication unit 230. The work support device 200 is, for example, a smartphone or tablet PC held by the worker. In this case, the wireless network 50 is a short-range wireless communication network such as Bluetooth or NFC (Near Field Communication), or a wired peer-to-peer communication line such as a USB cable.

[0038] Alternatively, the work support device 200 may be implemented using a server device or the like located in the cloud. In that case, the wireless network 50 is a wide-area communication network such as the Internet or a mobile phone network.

[0039] The memory unit 210 includes a setting memory unit 211, an evidence memory unit 212, and an advice memory unit 213.

[0040] Figure 2 shows an example of the data structure of the setting storage unit. The setting storage unit 211 stores the setting information necessary for the operation of the work support device 200 in key-value format (a data structure that stores setting items and their setting values ​​in association). In particular, the setting storage unit 211 includes settings for defining work interruptions, notification methods when an interruption is detected, and actions to be taken to resume work when an interruption is detected.

[0041] The example of the setting storage unit 211 in Figure 2 shows an example where the setting hierarchy 211A, item 211B, setting value 211C, validity period 211D, and invalidation period 211E are stored in association with each other. The setting hierarchy 211A stores information that identifies the setting hierarchy. Each setting value is defined hierarchically, taking into account operations where settings are made by multiple setters, and the structure is such that settings from lower levels are given priority. Specifically, the structure allows higher-level organizations to perform settings across lower-level organizations under their jurisdiction, and lower-level organizations can adopt the settings of the higher-level organization as the default value, while also being able to set their own setting values ​​to override them to suit the operations of the lower-level organization.

[0042] For example, to establish common settings across the entire corporate group, while allowing each subsidiary to independently override and use its own settings, a higher level would be the corporate group's settings layer, a lower level would be the settings layer for each individual company, and further lower levels would be established for each department within that company, each holding different settings for each business area.

[0043] Furthermore, these settings can be made stricter or more lenient at lower levels than at higher levels. For example, if a department has a rule that "a 5-second distraction is considered an interruption," then depending on the day's work, the rule could be made stricter for each worker, such as "a 3-second distraction is considered an interruption," or more lenient, such as "a 10-second distraction is considered an interruption."

[0044] Item 211B stores information that identifies the setting item. Setting value 211C stores the setting value of the item identified by item 211B.

[0045] The validity period 211D stores information that specifies the period during which the setting value of the item identified by item 211B is valid.

[0046] The invalidation period 211E stores information that specifies the period during which the setting value of the item identified by item 211B is invalid.

[0047] Figure 3 shows an example of the data structure of the evidence storage unit. The evidence storage unit 212 includes an operator identifier 212A, the work performed 212B, whether or not there was an interruption 212C, the interruption time 212D, and video information 212E.

[0048] The worker identifier 212A is information that identifies a worker. The work performed 212B is information that identifies the work performed by the worker identified by the worker identifier 212A. The interruption status 212C is information that identifies whether or not an interruption was detected in the work performed 212B. The interruption time 212D is information that identifies the time when the interruption occurred, if the interruption status 212C indicates that an interruption occurred. The video information 212E is video footage covering a predetermined period before and after the time the interruption occurred (for example, between 15 seconds before the interruption and 15 seconds after the resumption).

[0049] Figure 4 shows an example of the data structure of the advice storage unit. The advice storage unit 213 stores advice information such as areas for improvement for each worker, which is obtained by acquiring statistical information about interruptions for each worker and analyzing it using a predetermined algorithm. The advice storage unit 213 includes a worker identifier 213A, interruption frequency 213B, interruption reason 213C, interrupted task 213D, interruption time 213E, and advice 213F.

[0050] The worker identifier 213A is information that identifies a worker. The interruption frequency 213B is information that identifies how often interruptions occurred in the work performed by the worker identified by the worker identifier 213A. The reason for interruption 213C is information that lists the reasons for interruption (conditions met when an interruption was detected) in order of frequency in which they occur for the worker in question. The interrupted work 213D is information that lists the work in which interruptions frequently occur for the worker in question. The interruption time 213E is information that lists the time ranges in which interruptions occur for the worker in question in order of frequency. The advice 213F is information that provides advice on areas for improvement for each worker, obtained as a result of analyzing the information of interruption frequency 213B, reason for interruption 213C, interrupted work 213D, and interruption time 213E using a predetermined algorithm.

[0051] The processing unit 220 includes an interruption detection unit 221, an interruption state recognition unit 222, a restart operation determination unit 223, a restart notification unit 224, a setting unit 225, an improvement suggestion unit 226, a calibration unit 227, an exclusion task setting unit 228, and an evidence acquisition unit 229.

[0052] The interruption detection unit 221 detects an interruption in work and identifies the work in question by determining whether the sensor information acquired by the sensor device 100 attached to the worker satisfies a predetermined first condition. The predetermined first condition is that the worker's state, estimated from the sensor information by a predetermined algorithm, is in a state predetermined as a set value.

[0053] Specifically, conditions for detecting an interruption include: a state in which a laptop (notebook PC) or its display screen is visible in part of the worker's field of view for a predetermined time (e.g., 2 seconds); a state in which a manual (document such as a work procedure manual) is visible in part of the worker's field of view for a predetermined time (e.g., 2 seconds); a state in which the worker's hands are not visible in part of the worker's field of view for a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds); a state in which the worker's spoken audio includes a conversation with another person lasting longer than a predetermined time; and a state in which various biological information such as the worker's heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and electromyography is not within a predetermined normal range.

[0054] When the interruption status recognition unit 222 detects an interruption in the worker's work, it notifies the worker of the interruption through light (visual information), voice guidance, or vibration.

[0055] Furthermore, the interruption status recognition unit 222 generates display information for the work that was detected to have been interrupted. For example, the interruption status recognition unit 222 creates display information that includes screen information displaying the worker's field of view at the time of interruption. Alternatively, the interruption status recognition unit 222 generates display information that identifies at least the work to be performed after resumption and provides instructions for that work. Alternatively, the interruption status recognition unit 222 identifies and displays the work that was completed before the interruption. Or, the interruption status recognition unit 222 identifies and displays at least the interrupted work and the work to be performed after the resumption of that work. Furthermore, once the interruption status recognition unit 222 identifies the work to be performed after the resumption of the interrupted work, it may refer to work information (not shown) in the storage unit 210 to identify and display an explanatory video of the work to be performed after resumption.

[0056] The restart operation determination unit 223 determines whether the sensor information satisfies a predetermined second condition and detects that the interrupted work has been resumed. The predetermined second condition is that the worker's state, estimated from the sensor information by a predetermined algorithm, is in a state predetermined as a set value.

[0057] Specifically, the conditions for detecting resumption include a state in which a predetermined gesture of the worker is included in the video of a portion of the worker's field of view, a state in which a predetermined utterance is included in the worker's spoken audio, a state in which the worker's biometric information is within a predetermined normal range, or a combination of these.

[0058] When the restart operation determination unit 223 detects that work has been restarted, the restart notification unit 224 notifies the worker of the tasks to be performed after the restart. Specifically, the restart notification unit 224 creates display information showing the work the worker was performing, the history of the work, and the tasks to be performed after the restart, and displays this information on the display unit 130 of the sensor device 100.

[0059] The setting unit 225 receives settings from the management device 300 via the network and stores them in the setting storage unit 211. Furthermore, when the setting unit 225 receives a request from the management device 300, it creates a setting screen for accepting the settings and displays it on the management device 300.

[0060] The improvement suggestion unit 226 calculates statistical information related to work interruptions for each worker. The improvement suggestion unit 226 creates a screen that suggests improvements to work efficiency by showing tasks and time periods with large differences compared to other workers, and displays it on the management device 300.

[0061] The calibration unit 227 calibrates the values ​​that serve as the criteria for the first condition, the second condition, or both of the above conditions. Specifically, it performs calibration processing or learning processing to widen the tolerance range for similar gestures to allow for variations in the operator's movements, or to reduce false detections by more accurately determining gestures. Even with the same operator, changes in the work environment (work position, work posture, work object, ambient temperature, etc.) can cause variations in sensor information, which necessitates learning processing. The algorithm used for this calibration or learning processing may be an existing one.

[0062] The exclusion task setting unit 228 receives settings for tasks to be excluded from interruption detection via the network from the management device 300 and stores them in the setting storage unit 211. Furthermore, when the exclusion task setting unit 228 receives a request from the management device 300, it creates a setting screen for accepting the setting and displays it on the management device 300.

[0063] The evidence acquisition unit 229 stores sensor information in the evidence storage unit 212. The evidence acquisition unit 229 also stores sensor information related to the work before and after the interruption in the evidence storage unit 212 and retrieves the sensor information in response to a request from the management device 300.

[0064] The communication unit 230 receives sensor information, including information about the object to be measured, detected by the sensor device 100, via the wireless network 50. It also controls the operation of the sensor device 100, such as issuing commands to start detection and stopping detection.

[0065] The management device 300 is an information processing device such as a personal computer or workstation, which connects to the work support device 200 via a communication network such as the Internet (not shown), inputs setting values, and refers to the work records stored in the work support device 200. The management device 300 is not limited to these and may also be a smartphone, tablet, or server.

[0066] The worker wears one or more of the following as sensor devices 100: a wearable camera, a wearable microphone, a vital sensor, a glove-type sensor which is a combination of various sensor devices (a combination of a fingertip pressure sensor, an inertial sensor, and a microphone), a heart rate sensor (acquisition of the worker's heart rate using conductive fiber clothing), a wristwatch sensor (acquisition of the wearer's venous blood oxygen concentration (SpO2: transcutaneous oxygen saturation)), a room temperature sensor (temperature sensor), an electromyography sensor (acquisition of the worker's movement amount), etc.

[0067] One example of its use is to utilize a worker's smartphone as a work support device 200, pairing it with a worn sensor device 100 to acquire sensor information and detect interruptions and resumptions. Furthermore, a management device 300 located in the organization that oversees the workers can access the work support device 200 to perform management tasks such as verifying evidence of the worker's work and changing settings to optimize support operations. The management device 300 can also acquire improvement points for each worker calculated by the improvement suggestion unit 226 and use them for training and work quality management.

[0068] The implementation examples are not limited to those described above. For example, if the sensor device 100 can operate as an IoT (Internet of Things) device, it is also possible to implement the work support device 200 as a cloud server and configure it to receive sensor information from the sensor device 100 via the internet.

[0069] Alternatively, for example, a smartphone owned by the worker may be used as a work support device 200, and the sensor device 100 may be implemented by the work support device 200. In other words, by using the camera function of the smartphone as a wearable camera to obtain the worker's field of view, the worker's equipment can be made lighter, thus not reducing work efficiency. Needless to say, other implementable devices can also be combined to acquire and control similar information.

[0070] Figure 5 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the work support device 200. The work support device 200 has a hardware configuration that is realized by the casing of a so-called server device, workstation, personal computer, smartphone, or tablet terminal. The work support device 200 includes an arithmetic unit 201, a main memory 202, an auxiliary memory 203, a communication device 204, and a bus 207 that connects each device. The management device 300 is similar. In addition, the management device 300 includes input / output devices such as a touch panel, keyboard, microphone, and display.

[0071] The arithmetic unit 201 is, for example, an arithmetic unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

[0072] The main memory 202 is a memory device such as RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0073] The auxiliary storage device 203 is a non-volatile storage device capable of storing digital information, such as a hard disk drive, solid state drive (SSD), or flash memory.

[0074] The communication device 204 is a wired communication device such as a network card, or a wireless communication device.

[0075] The interruption detection unit 221, interruption state recognition unit 222, restart operation determination unit 223, restart notification unit 224, setting unit 225, improvement suggestion unit 226, calibration unit 227, exclusion task setting unit 228, and evidence acquisition unit 229 of the above-described work support device 200 are implemented by a program that causes the arithmetic unit 201 to perform processing. This program is stored in the main memory 202, auxiliary memory 203, or a ROM device (not shown), and is loaded onto the main memory 202 for execution and executed by the arithmetic unit 201.

[0076] Furthermore, the storage unit 210 of the work support device 200 is realized by the main memory 202 and the auxiliary memory 203. In addition, the communication unit 230 is realized by the communication device 204. The above is an example of the hardware configuration of the work support device 200.

[0077] The configuration of the work support device 200 can be further classified into many components depending on the processing content. Alternatively, it can be classified so that a single component performs even more processing.

[0078] Furthermore, each processing unit (interruption detection unit 221, interruption state recognition unit 222, restart operation determination unit 223, restart notification unit 224, setting unit 225, improvement suggestion unit 226, calibration unit 227, exclusion task setting unit 228, and evidence acquisition unit 229) may be constructed using dedicated hardware (ASIC, GPU, etc.) to realize their respective functions. Also, the processing of each processing unit may be executed on a single piece of hardware or on multiple pieces of hardware.

[0079] Next, the operation of the work support system 1 in this embodiment will be described.

[0080] Figure 6 shows an example of the detection start process flow. The detection start process is initiated by starting the setting input from the management device 300.

[0081] First, the management device 300 accepts the setting input (step S001). Specifically, the management device 300 requests the work support device 200 to input the setting, displays a setting value input screen, and after accepting input from the operator, passes the inputted setting value to the work support device 200.

[0082] The setting unit 225 of the work support device 200 updates the setting value based on the received setting value (step S002). Then, the calibration unit 227 performs calibration processing (step S003). For example, the calibration unit 227 prompts the operator to perform the gesture multiple times (for example, 10 times in a fixed position, or multiple times until sufficient accuracy is obtained) to perform learning and calibration processing.

[0083] Then, the interruption detection unit 221 issues a control instruction to the sensor device 100 to start detection (step S004). From thereafter, the sensor device 100 continuously performs detection at a predetermined sampling rate and reports the sensor information to the work support device 200 (step S005). In addition, the interruption detection unit 221 intermittently performs interruption detection processing using the reported sensor information (step S006).

[0084] The above is an example of a detection initiation process flow. According to this detection initiation process flow, it is possible to start detecting work interruptions with high accuracy.

[0085] Figure 7 shows an example of the interruption / resumption processing flow. The interruption / resumption processing is initiated when the work support device 200 detects an interruption in the work during the detection process.

[0086] The interruption status recognition unit 222 identifies the work being performed at the time of the interruption (step S101). Specifically, the interruption status recognition unit 222 identifies the work being performed at the time of the interruption according to the progress of a work instruction sheet (not shown). For example, if the worker refers to a laptop to check the work content, the unit identifies the work being performed as the interruption point when the laptop comes into view of the camera.

[0087] Then, the interruption status recognition unit 222 identifies the task to be performed when resuming (step S102). Specifically, the interruption status recognition unit 222 identifies the task following the task being performed, which was identified in step S101, as the task to be performed when resuming.

[0088] The interruption status recognition unit 222 then notifies the worker that an interruption has been detected and the work to be done after resumption (step S103). Specifically, the interruption status recognition unit 222 notifies the worker of the interruption through the sensor device 100 using one or a combination of visual displays such as screens, AR, VR, or MR, auditory stimuli such as guidance voices, or tactile stimuli such as vibrations.

[0089] Then, the restart operation determination unit 223 issues a control instruction to the sensor device 100 to start detection (step S104). From thereafter, the sensor device 100 continuously performs detection at a predetermined sampling rate and reports the sensor information to the work support device 200 (step S105). In addition, using the reported sensor information, the restart operation determination unit 223 intermittently performs restart detection processing (step S106).

[0090] Then, when the restart notification unit 224 detects that work has been restarted by the restart operation determination unit 223, it notifies the worker of the work to be performed after the restart (step S107). Specifically, the restart notification unit 224 creates information, either display, audio, or vibration information, or a combination thereof, indicating the work the worker was performing, the history of the work content, and the work to be performed after the restart, and displays this information on the display unit 130 of the sensor device 100.

[0091] The above is an example of an interruption / resumption processing flow. According to this interruption / resumption processing flow, it is possible to detect the resumption of work with high accuracy and at least indicate the next task to be performed upon resumption. This allows the worker to specifically recall what they were doing up to the point before the interruption, and receives support for resumption that reduces the potential for errors.

[0092] Figure 8 shows an example of the analysis processing flow. The analysis processing is started in the work support device 200 at a predetermined interval (for example, every day or every week).

[0093] First, the improvement suggestion unit 226 identifies the frequency of interruptions for each worker based on the total number of tasks performed and the number of interruptions (step S201). Then, the improvement suggestion unit 226 uses the task content and the number of interruptions to aggregate the number of interruptions for each task content and identifies the task with the most interruptions as a difficult task (step S202).

[0094] Then, the improvement suggestion unit 226 estimates the relationship between the occurrence of an interruption and the time of occurrence (step S203). Specifically, the improvement suggestion unit 226 associates a predetermined time range with each interruption that occurs and estimates the most frequent time range.

[0095] Then, the improvement suggestion unit 226 estimates the correlation between the frequency of interruptions and work conditions (step S204). Specifically, the improvement suggestion unit 226 aggregates the working hours for each worker over a predetermined period (for example, one month or one week) and estimates the degree of correlation with the number of interruptions that occurred during that period.

[0096] Then, the improvement suggestion unit 226 identifies time zones where interruptions are likely to occur (step S205). Specifically, the improvement suggestion unit 226 divides the time into predetermined time zones, aggregates the number of interruptions in each time zone, and identifies time zones where the frequency of interruptions is higher than predetermined as time zones where interruptions are likely to occur.

[0097] Then, the setting unit 225 changes the accuracy of interruption detection (step S206). Specifically, the setting unit 225 calculates the accuracy of interruption detection, i.e., the rate of false detections, and by changing the detection conditions in various ways, identifies the setting value that maximizes the accuracy of interruption detection and stores it in the setting storage unit 211.

[0098] When the management device 300 requests analysis results for each worker (step S207), the improvement suggestion unit 226 calculates predetermined statistical values ​​for each worker and compares them with the statistical values ​​of other workers (step S208).

[0099] Then, the improvement suggestion unit 226 identifies the content of the advice and presents it along with the analysis results (step S209). Specifically, the improvement suggestion unit 226 uses the information calculated in steps S203 to S205 to identify items that deviate significantly from the average of other workers, creates predetermined advice to improve those items, and creates a screen to display this information along with the information from steps S202 to S205, and transmits it to the management device 300.

[0100] The above is an example of an analysis processing flow. According to this analysis processing flow, it is possible to detect the tendency for work interruptions with high accuracy and identify factors that increase the potential for errors based on actual results, thereby considering measures to suppress the occurrence of interruptions.

[0101] Figure 9 shows an example of a settings screen. The settings screen 400 is a screen that the settings unit 225 sends to the management device 300 for output. The settings screen 400 includes, for example, settings 401 related to interruptions, settings 402 related to notification methods when an interruption is detected, and settings 403 related to actions to be taken to resume.

[0102] The interruption setting 401 accepts input to select one or more actions (first conditions) that should be considered an interruption. For example, "Looking at a laptop," "Looking at a manual," "Talking to someone else," "Hands not in the field of vision," etc.

[0103] Setting 402, which specifies the notification method when an interruption is detected, accepts input to specify how the worker should be notified when an interruption is detected. For example, this could be an alert sound, voice, vibration, light (such as a warning light), etc.

[0104] Setting 403, which concerns what to do to resume work, accepts input for selecting one or more conditions (second conditions) that indicate the resumption of work. For example, "pointing and confirming," "pressing a button on the tablet," "pressing the safety confirmation button," or "saying 'confirm'."

[0105] Figure 10 shows an example of an evidence confirmation screen. The evidence confirmation screen 500 includes a date input area 501, an operator selection input area 502, a list display area 503, an evidence details display area 504, and a seek bar display area 505.

[0106] The date input area 501 accepts the selection input of a predetermined date. The worker selection input area 502 accepts the selection input of the worker whose evidence is to be reviewed. The list display area 503 displays the evidence, i.e., work records, in a list format, separated by items such as date and time, whether or not there was an interruption, and the duration of the interruption. Whether or not there was an interruption indicates whether or not the work was interrupted, and the duration of the interruption, if there was an interruption, indicates the duration of the interruption. The evidence details display area 504 displays camera images of a predetermined length before and after the interruption corresponding to the evidence selected in the list display area 503 as video information. Links to play the video information are displayed on the before and after images. The seek bar display area 505 displays a seek bar, which is information that identifies the point in time when the video information is played back. The seek bar includes a time range marked in a band shape, and by displaying the marked time range, the time determined to be an interruption can be highlighted.

[0107] Figure 11 shows an example of an analysis results confirmation screen. The analysis results confirmation screen 600 includes a worker selection input area 601, a period input area 602, an analysis results display area 603, and advice items 604.

[0108] The worker selection input area 601 accepts the input of the worker whose analysis results are to be reviewed. The period input area 602 accepts the input of a predetermined period. The analysis result display area 603 displays the analysis results, divided into items such as interruption frequency, difficult tasks, most frequent interruption time, and interruption ratio to workload. Each item of the analysis results displays the results of analysis performed using a predetermined analysis algorithm in the analysis processing flow. The advice item 604 displays advice created by identifying items that deviate significantly from the average of other workers.

[0109] The above is an example of a work support system according to the embodiment. According to this example of a work support system, work support can be provided according to the worker's work status, so that the worker can receive appropriate guidance when resuming interrupted work and can resume it reliably.

[0110] Furthermore, while the above embodiment describes general tasks, more specifically, the procedures can be replaced with recipes and applied to cooking, or the procedures can be replaced with a daily timetable and applied to housekeeping.

[0111] Furthermore, the technical elements of the embodiments described above may be applied individually, or they may be divided into multiple parts, such as program components and hardware components, and applied accordingly.

[0112] The present invention has been described above, focusing on its embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 1...Work support system, 50...Wireless network, 100...Sensor device, 110...Detection processing unit, 120...Communication unit, 130...Display unit, 200...Work support device, 210...Storage unit, 211...Setting storage unit, 212...Evidence storage unit, 213...Advice storage unit, 220...Processing unit, 221...Interruption detection unit, 222...Interruption state recognition unit, 223...Restart operation determination unit, 224...Restart notification unit, 225...Setting unit, 226...Improvement suggestion unit, 227...Calibration unit, 228...Exclusion work setting unit, 229...Evidence acquisition unit, 230...Communication unit, 300...Management device.

Claims

1. An interruption detection unit detects work interruption by determining whether the sensor information acquired by a sensor device attached to the worker satisfies a predetermined first condition, An interruption status recognition unit identifies the interrupted work according to the worker's status and the progress of the work instruction sheet based on the sensor information, identifies the next work to be performed after resuming the interrupted work according to the work instruction sheet, and generates display information that provides instructions for the said work. A work support device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

2. A work support device according to claim 1, The sensor device acquires video footage including at least part or all of the worker's field of view as sensor information. The interruption state recognition unit creates the display information including screen information for displaying the video at the time of the interruption. A work support device characterized by the following features.

3. A work support device according to claim 1 or 2, A restart operation determination unit determines whether the sensor information satisfies a predetermined second condition and detects the resumption of the work that was interrupted, A restart notification unit that notifies the aforementioned display information regarding the operation for which a restart has been detected, A work support device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

4. A work support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The interruption status recognition unit identifies and displays the explanatory video of the work content by referring to the work instruction sheet. A work support device characterized by the following features.

5. A work support device according to claim 2, The interruption detection unit determines that the predetermined first condition is met when the video includes a display screen or a procedure manual for the work, or when the video does not include the worker's hands. A work support device characterized by the following features.

6. A work support device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The sensor device acquires at least the voice spoken by the worker as sensor information, The interruption detection unit determines that the predetermined first condition is met when the audio contains a conversation with another person that lasts for a predetermined amount of time or longer. A work support device characterized by the following features.

7. A work support device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The sensor device acquires at least the worker's biological information as sensor information, The interruption detection unit determines that the predetermined first condition is met when the biological information is not within a predetermined normal range. A work support device characterized by the following features.

8. A work support device according to claim 3, The sensor device acquires, as sensor information, images including at least part or all of the worker's field of view or sounds spoken by the worker. The restart operation determination unit determines that the predetermined second condition is met if at least the video includes a predetermined gesture of the worker, or the audio includes a predetermined utterance by the worker. A work support device characterized by the following features.

9. A work support device according to claim 3, The sensor device acquires at least the worker's biological information as sensor information, The restart operation determination unit determines that the predetermined second condition is met when the biological information is within a predetermined normal range. A work support device characterized by the following features.

10. A work support device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, A calibration unit that calibrates a value that serves as the criterion for determining at least the first condition, A work support device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

11. A work support device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, An evidence acquisition unit stores the sensor information related to the work before and after the interruption in a predetermined storage unit, and retrieves the sensor information in response to a request from another device. A work support device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

12. A work support device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, The improvement suggestion unit calculates statistical information related to the interruption for each worker and identifies the work that differs significantly from that of other workers. A work support device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

13. A work support method using a work support device, The aforementioned work support device includes a processing unit, The aforementioned processing unit, An interruption detection step in which sensor information acquired by a sensor device attached to the worker is determined to detect an interruption in work by determining whether a predetermined first condition is met, An interruption state recognition step that identifies the interrupted work according to the worker's status and the progress of the work instruction sheet identified by the aforementioned sensor information, identifies the next work to be performed after resuming according to the work instruction sheet for the interrupted work, and generates display information that provides instructions for the said work; A work support method characterized by performing the following.

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