Information processing device, production management system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device, a production management system, an information processing method, and a program for more smoothly performing work in a work space.SOLUTION: An information processing device according to the present disclosure manages a work that is performed in a work region, and includes a first transmission unit that transmits work information to be performed on a particular workpiece to a wearable device that is worn by a worker who can operate a production facility set in the work region and a control device that controls the production facility, and a first reception unit that receives, from the control device, operation information on an operation having been performed by the control device on the basis of instruction information sent from the wearable device, and also receives, from the wearable device, performed work information which includes the operation information and is about a work having been performed by the worker.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, a production management system, an information processing method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Smoother performance of work by workers working in a work space such as a factory in accordance with preset work content greatly contributes to improvement in productivity.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 1 below, as a work support system that is communicably connected to a device worn by a worker and supports the work of the worker, based on a manual describing work procedures, content, precautions, or other matters, there are provided a rule generation means for generating a rule describing determination conditions for the work situation, a work situation determination means for determining the work situation based on a device signal indicating the state or operation of a work target device, and a work support information output means for outputting work support information based on the rule and the determination result of the work situation determination means.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In a system capable of work support such as that of Patent Document 1 above, there is room for improvement from the viewpoint of more smoothly performing work in a work space.

[0006] In view of the above points, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing apparatus, a production management system, an information processing method, and a program for more smoothly performing work in a work space.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, an information processing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing apparatus that manages work executed within a work area, and includes a wearable device worn by an operator who can operate production equipment installed within the work area, and a control device that controls the production equipment, and includes a first transmission unit that transmits work information to be executed for a specific workpiece to the wearable device and the control device, and a first reception unit that receives operation information regarding an operation executed by the control device based on instruction information transmitted from the wearable device from the control device, and also receives execution work information regarding work executed by the operator including the operation information from the wearable device.

[0008] In such an information processing apparatus, since bidirectional communication in which instruction information and operation information are transmitted and received between the wearable device and the control device can be realized, the work by the operator can be smoothly performed. Further, since the operation information is included in the execution work information transmitted from the wearable device, the reliability of the data of the execution work information itself is high, and it is possible to immediately specify which operation of the control device the work content by the operator corresponds to, facilitating the management of the work.

[0009] An information processing apparatus according to a second aspect of the present disclosure further includes a work log generation unit that generates a work log of the operator based on the received operation information and the execution work information in the information processing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0010] In such an information processing apparatus, by generating a work log based on the execution work information, an accurate work log can be easily generated.

[0011] An information processing apparatus according to a third aspect of the present disclosure further includes a tracking information generation unit that generates tracking information of the workpiece based on the received operation information and the execution work information in the information processing apparatus according to the first or second aspect of the present disclosure.

[0012] In such an information processing apparatus, accurate tracking information for each work can be easily generated.

[0013] A production management system according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure is a production management system including a wearable device worn by an operator who can operate production equipment installed in a work area, a control device that controls the production equipment, and an information processing device that manages work executed in the work area, wherein the information processing device includes a first transmission unit for transmitting work information to be executed for a specific work to the wearable device and the control device, and a first reception unit for receiving operation information regarding an operation executed by the control device based on instruction information transmitted from the wearable device from the control device, and receiving execution work information regarding work executed by the operator including the operation information from the wearable device, the wearable device includes a second reception unit for acquiring the work information from the information processing device and acquiring the operation information from the control device, a work guidance unit for guiding the work content to the operator based on the work information, and a second transmission unit for transmitting the instruction information to the control device and transmitting the execution work information including the operation information acquired from the control device to the information processing device, and the control device includes a third reception unit for acquiring the work information from the information processing device and acquiring the instruction information from the wearable device, and a third transmission unit for transmitting the operation information generated based on the instruction information acquired from the wearable device to the wearable device and the information processing device.

[0014] In such a production management system, since two-way communication in which instruction information and operation information are transmitted and received between the wearable device and the control device can be realized, the work by the operator can be smoothly performed. Further, since the operation information is included in the execution work information transmitted from the wearable device, the reliability of the data of the execution work information itself is high, and it is possible to immediately specify which operation of the control device the work content by the operator corresponds to, and the management of the work becomes easy.

[0015] In the production management system according to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure, in the production management system according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure, the wearable device is a hands-free type wearable device, and further includes a microphone that collects the voice of the worker and a display that displays the work content.

[0016] In such a production management system, various operations including transmission of instruction information and the like can be realized hands-free, and smooth execution of a series of operations of the worker can be promoted.

[0017] In the production management system according to the sixth aspect of the present disclosure, in the production management system according to the fourth or fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a plurality of the production facilities are arranged in the work area, the work content includes work in which the worker transports the workpiece between a plurality of the production facilities, the wearable device further includes a camera for imaging at least one of the plurality of production facilities and the workpiece transported by the worker, and the information processing device monitors the work of transporting the workpiece based on the captured image captured by the camera.

[0018] In such a production management system, it is possible to monitor the work content and support accurate work by the worker.

[0019] An information processing method according to the seventh aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing method for managing work executed in a work area, and transmits work information to be executed for a specific workpiece to a wearable device worn by a worker who can operate production equipment installed in the work area and a control device that controls the production equipment, receives operation information regarding an operation executed by the control device based on instruction information transmitted from the wearable device from the control device, and receives execution work information regarding work executed by the worker including the operation information from the wearable device.

[0020] In such an information processing method, since two-way communication in which instruction information and operation information are transmitted and received between the wearable device and the control device can be realized, the work by the operator can be smoothly performed. Further, since the operation information is included in the execution work information transmitted from the wearable device, the reliability of the data of the execution work information itself is high, and it is possible to immediately specify which operation of the control device the work content by the operator corresponds to, facilitating the management of the work.

[0021] The program according to the eighth aspect of the present disclosure causes a processor included in a computer that manages work executed within a work area to transmit work information to be executed for a specific work to a wearable device worn by an operator who can operate production equipment installed within the work area and a control device that controls the production equipment, receive operation information regarding an operation executed by the control device based on instruction information transmitted from the wearable device from the control device, and receive execution work information regarding the work executed by the operator including the operation information from the wearable device, and execute a process.

[0022] In such a program, since two-way communication in which instruction information and operation information are transmitted and received between the wearable device and the control device can be realized, the work by the operator can be smoothly performed. Further, since the operation information is included in the execution work information transmitted from the wearable device, the reliability of the data of the execution work information itself is high, and it is possible to immediately specify which operation of the control device the work content by the operator corresponds to, facilitating the management of the work.

Effect of the Invention

[0023] According to the information processing device, production management system, information processing method, and program described above, the work within the work space can be performed more smoothly.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] Hereinafter, each embodiment for carrying out the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, the scope necessary for the description for achieving the object of the present disclosure is schematically shown, and mainly the scope necessary for the description of the corresponding part of the present disclosure will be described, and the parts omitted from the description are assumed to be based on known techniques. In addition, the same or corresponding members in the drawings are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted. Further, when a plurality of the same or corresponding members are included in the drawings, for the sake of easy viewing of the drawings, some of them may be denoted by reference numerals.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a production management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The production management system 1 according to the present embodiment can be provided to assist operations performed within a work area where a plurality of production facilities are installed, such as a manufacturing factory. Specifically, the production management system 1 according to the present embodiment can provide work support to a plurality of workers P1, P2,... who perform operations within a work area WA in a manufacturing factory that manufactures products by processing a workpiece W as shown in FIG. 1, where a plurality of production facilities 50-1, 50-2, 50-3,... are installed. In the present embodiment, a plurality of workers P1, P2,... are exemplified as mainly performing the operation of transporting the workpiece W between the production facilities and the operation instructions for the production facilities 50-1, 50-2, 50-3,.... Note that in FIG. 1, five production facilities 50-1 to 50-5 are illustrated as production facilities, and two workers P1 and P2 are illustrated as workers, but the number of production facilities and the number of workers are not limited to this. Hereinafter, the plurality of production facilities 50-1 to 50-5 may be collectively referred to as "production facilities 50". Similarly, a plurality of workers may be collectively referred to as "worker P".

[0027] The above-described production facilities 50 may include, for example, processing machines for performing various processes on the workpiece W, conveyors for transporting the workpiece W, etc., but are not limited to these as long as they are facilities used for manufacturing products from the workpiece W. Note that in FIG. 1, a case where the production facilities 50-1 and 50-5 are conveyors and the production facilities 50-2, 50-3, and 50-4 are processing machines is illustrated as an example. Also, the shape and size of the workpiece W are not particularly limited. Further, two-dimensional codes 52 recognizable by the wearable device 30 may be installed at appropriate positions of each of the production facilities 50-1 to 50-5. The two-dimensional code 52 installed on each component may be a code unique to each of the production facilities 50-1 to 50-5.

[0028] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the production management system shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the production management system 1 according to the present embodiment includes at least an information processing apparatus 10 that manages operations executed within the work area WA, wearable devices 30-1, 30-2, ··· worn by workers P, and a plurality of control devices 51-1, 51-2, 51-3, ··· installed in a plurality of production facilities 50-1, 50-2, 50-3, ··· to control each production facility. In FIG. 1, two wearable devices 30-1 and 30-2 are illustrated according to the number of workers P1 and P2, but the number of wearable devices is not limited to this. Hereinafter, a plurality of wearable devices 30-1, 30-2, ··· may be collectively referred to as the "wearable device 30". Similarly, in FIG. 1, five control devices 51-1 to 51-5 are shown according to five production facilities 50-1 to 50-5, but the number of control devices is not limited to this. Hereinafter, a plurality of control devices 51-1, 51-2, 51-3, ··· may be collectively referred to as the "control device 51".

[0029] The information processing apparatus 10 is an apparatus capable of managing various elements constituting the production management system 1, and can be configured by a computer such as a server. As shown in FIG. 2, the computer constituting the information processing apparatus 10 may include at least one processor 21, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 22 and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 23 as an example of a memory, a storage 24, a communication interface (I / F) 25, and an input / output interface 26. Further, these components may be communicably connected to each other via an internal bus.

[0030] The processor 21 can be configured by, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and may be capable of executing various programs and controlling each part. Specifically, this processor 21 may be able to read out various control programs stored in, for example, the ROM 22 or the storage 24 and execute the program using the RAM 23 as a working area. The processor 21 may execute the generation of work information to be transmitted to the wearable device 30 and the control device 51 according to the program and the transmission and reception of various data.

[0031] The ROM 22 may be able to store various programs and various data. Also, the RAM 23 may be able to temporarily store a program or data as a working area.

[0032] The storage 24 can be composed of a recording medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a flash memory. At least various programs including an operating system and various data necessary for generating work information or for generating a work report described later can be temporarily stored in this storage 24.

[0033] The communication interface 25 may transmit and receive predetermined data by wired communication using a communication cable including Ethernet (registered trademark) communication or by wireless communication based on a wireless communication standard such as, for example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The information processing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment can communicate with all devices in the work area WA, that is, the wearable device 30 and the control device 51 via the network NW by this communication interface 25.

[0034] The input / output interface 26 may be an interface for connecting to input means such as a mouse, a touch panel, and a keyboard, a connector to which an external recording medium can be connected, and external devices (not shown) such as various drives typified by a DVD drive. The information processing apparatus 10 can receive requests and the like from the administrator of the production management system 1 via this input / output interface 26.

[0035] The wearable device 30 is a device that can be worn by the worker P during work, and is preferably composed of a hands-free type device such as smart glasses or a headset terminal. The wearable device 30 of the present embodiment employs smart glasses as shown in FIG. 1. A plurality of wearable devices 30 may be prepared, for example, according to the number of workers P working in the work area WA.

[0036] The wearable device 30 is a device including a computer. The computer constituting the wearable device 30 may include substantially the same configuration as the information processing apparatus 10 as shown in FIG. 2. That is, at least one processor 41, a ROM 42, a RAM 43, a storage 44, a communication interface 45, and an input / output interface 46 may be connected to each other via an internal bus so as to be communicable. Since these various components are common to the various components of the information processing apparatus 10 described above, duplicate explanations will be omitted below.

[0037] In addition to the various components constituting the computer described above, the wearable device 30 may include a microphone 31, a speaker 32, a display 33, and a camera 34. The above-described components may be connected to a processor 41 and the like in the wearable device 30 via the input / output interface 46 of the wearable device 30. Note that what is connected to the input / output interface 46 of the wearable device 30 may include input means such as various switches (not shown) in addition to the above.

[0038] The microphone 31 is a sound collection device that can receive instructions etc. from the operator P by receiving the voice emitted by the operator P wearing the wearable device 30. The microphone 31 collects the voice emitted by the operator P. The collected voice is converted into voice data and appropriately processed by the processor 41. The voice data can be transmitted, for example, to the information processing device 10 or the control device 51 via the communication interface 45. Also, the converted voice data is processed by the processor 41 and input into the wearable device 30 as work information, and may be used to advance the work information.

[0039] The speaker 32 is an acoustic device that outputs voice according to an instruction from the processor 41. In the speaker 32, for example, voice output of the work content or voice output for supporting the work is performed.

[0040] The display 33 may be, for example, a transmissive display device installed at a position visible to the operator P, for example, a position corresponding to a part of the lens of the smart glasses. The work content executed by the operator P is mainly displayed on this display 33. The display 33 of the present embodiment can change its display content based on the voice information from the microphone 31. If the display 33 can be changed hands - free in this way, the display can be changed during the conveyance of the workpiece W, and it is also possible to prevent the contamination of the workpiece W caused by the operator P touching something other than the workpiece W with a finger.

[0041] The camera 34 can be configured to be capable of reading at least the two-dimensional code 52 attached to the production facility 50. The information obtained by reading the two-dimensional code 52 with the camera 34 can be used for specifying the transmission destination when transmitting the instruction information from the wearable device 30. Note that the specific structure of the camera 34 in the present embodiment is not particularly limited as long as it has a function of reading the two-dimensional code 52. For example, it may be a small digital camera equipped with an optical system such as a lens, an aperture, and a shutter, and an imaging device such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) image sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor. Further, the two-dimensional code 52 attached to the production facility 50 is an example of a means for the wearable device 30 to recognize the production facility 50, and can be substituted with other codes or proximity communication means.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 51 can be configured by a computer installed corresponding to each of the plurality of production facilities 50 installed in the work area WA, more specifically, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller, also referred to as a sequencer). In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which one control device 51 is installed for each production facility 50 so that one control device 51 controls one production facility 50, but one control device 51 may be capable of controlling a plurality of production facilities.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 2, the computer constituting the control device 51 may include a configuration substantially similar to that of the computer of the information processing device 10 or the wearable device 30. That is, it may be one in which at least one processor 61, a ROM 62, a RAM 63, a storage 64, a communication interface 65, and an input / output interface 66 are communicably connected to each other via an internal bus. Since these various components are common to the various components of the information processing device 10 or the wearable device 30 described above, duplicate explanations will be omitted below.

[0044] Among the various components described above, the input / output interface 66 of the control device 51 may be connected to the mechanical operation unit 53 for operating various elements within the production facility 50 and various sensors 54 installed at various locations of the production facility 50. The mechanical operation unit 53 may include various actuators such as motors, plungers, and cylinders for operating each part of the production facility. Further, the various sensors 54 include acceleration sensors, temperature sensors, etc., and can be appropriately installed according to the objects that need to be monitored in relation to the operation of the production facility 50. Note that, in addition to the above, what is connected to the input / output interface 66 of the control device 51 may include input means such as switches, etc., as in the input / output interface 26 of the information processing device 10 and the input / output interface 46 of the wearable device 30, as required.

[0045] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram schematically showing the various functions of the production management system shown in Figure 1. Hereinafter, various functions realized by the production management system 1 having the above-described hardware configuration will be described with reference to Figure 3.

[0046] The information processing device 10 includes at least a first transmission unit that transmits work information to be executed on a specific workpiece W to at least the wearable device 30 worn by the operator P and the control device 51 that controls the production facility 50, and a first reception unit that receives operation information regarding the operations executed by the production facility 50 from the control device 51 and receives execution work information regarding the work executed by the operator P from the wearable device 30. More specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the information processing device 10 includes a first transmission / reception unit 15 as an example of the above-described first transmission unit and first reception unit. In addition, the information processing device 10 of the present embodiment further includes a work information generation unit 16, a data storage unit 17, a work log generation unit 18, and a tracking information generation unit 19.

[0047] The first transmission / reception unit 15 is mainly realized by the communication interface 25. As described above, this first transmission / reception unit 15 can transmit work information to the control device 51 and the wearable device 30, and receive operation information from the control device 51 and execution work information from the wearable device 30 respectively.

[0048] The work information generation unit 16 may generate work information to be executed for a specific work W. This work information generation unit 16 can be mainly realized by the processor 21. The work information generated here may have different contents depending on the transmission destination. For example, the work information transmitted to the wearable device 30 may mainly consist of information regarding the work content to be performed by the worker P wearing the wearable device 30 (e.g., the lot number of the work W to be transported, the facility information of the transport destination, and the installation location). Also, the work information transmitted to the control device 51 may mainly consist of information regarding the work content to be performed by the production facility 50 controlled by the control device 51 (e.g., various parameters of the production facility 50).

[0049] In the present embodiment, the work information to be transmitted to the wearable device 30 in the work information generation unit 16 may be composed of a plurality of tasks to be executed by the worker P. The plurality of tasks may be, for example, a set of work contents to be performed on one work W. Therefore, the work information transmitted to the worker P may be generated and transmitted each time the work W to be worked on is changed. Note that the content etc. of the generated work information is not limited to the above and can be changed as appropriate.

[0050] The data storage unit 17 is for at least temporarily storing various information generated within the information processing device 10 and information received via the first transmission / reception unit 15. This data storage unit 17 can be mainly realized by the storage 24.

[0051] The work log generation unit 18 generates a work log 70 (see FIG. 7) that summarizes the work content executed within a predetermined period, for example, one day's working hours, for each worker P. In this work log generation unit 18, the work log is generated based on the operation information and the executed work information received by the information processing apparatus 10. An example of the content of the work log in the work log generation unit 18 will be described later.

[0052] The tracking information generation unit 19 generates tracking information (sometimes referred to as "TR information") that summarizes various processes including the processing executed on a specific workpiece W. In the tracking information generation unit 19, the tracking information is generated based on at least one of the operation information and the executed work information received by the information processing apparatus 10. The generation process of the tracking information in the tracking information generation unit 19 will be described later.

[0053] The wearable device 30 includes at least a second receiving unit for acquiring work information from the information processing apparatus 10 and operation information from the control device 51, a work guidance unit for guiding the work content to the worker P based on the work information, and a second transmitting unit for transmitting the instruction information to the control device 51 and transmitting the executed work information including the operation information acquired from the control device 51 to the information processing apparatus 10. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the wearable device 30 includes at least a second transmission / reception unit 35 as an example of the above-described second receiving unit and second transmitting unit, and the above-described work guidance unit 37. Further, the wearable device 30 of the present embodiment further includes an executed work information generation unit 36 for generating executed work information.

[0054] The second transmission / reception unit 35 is mainly realized by the communication interface 45. As described above, this second transmission / reception unit 35 can receive work information from the information processing apparatus 10 and transmit instruction information to the control device 51. It can also receive operation information from the control device 51 and transmit the executed work information including the operation information.

[0055] The instruction information transmitted from the wearable device 30 to the control device 51 can be generated, for example, from the voice of the operator P collected by the microphone 31. Specifically, the voice data collected by the microphone 31 is converted into instruction information by the processor 41 and transmitted to the control device 51 via the communication interface 45, whereby the production facility 50 can be operated based on the instruction information. In this way, if the instruction information can be generated by voice, it is not necessary for the operator P to operate a switch or the like provided in the control device 51 to operate the production facility 50. Thereby, an operation instruction to the production facility 50 can be easily given. Further, in relation to the material of the workpiece W, etc., the operator P may wear gloves or the like during work. In such a case, an accidental operation of the switch is likely to occur. However, if the hands-free transmission of the instruction information is possible as in the present embodiment, the above-described accidental operation can be eliminated.

[0056] In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the instruction information is transmitted from the wearable device 30 to the control device 51 via the information processing device 10, but the transmission method of the instruction information is not limited to this. For example, the instruction information may be directly transmitted from the wearable device 30 to the control device 51 via a well-known proximity communication means or the like, or another communication device (for example, a communication computer) not shown different from the information processing device 10 may be interposed between the wearable device 30 and the control device 51, and the instruction information may be transmitted to the control device 51 via the communication device.

[0057] The execution work information generation unit 36 generates execution work information that summarizes the work content executed by the worker P wearing the wearable device 30. This execution work information generation unit 36 is mainly realized by the processor 41. The execution work information generated by the execution work information generation unit 36 may be composed of information related to the work executed by the worker P, such as the content of the instruction information transmitted by the worker P to the control device 51 and the date and time of execution. And this execution work information is generated to include the operation information received from the control device 51. In this way, since the execution work information is formed in a form including the operation information, the reliability of the data is high. Therefore, if the execution work information is used for the management of the worker, reliable management can be realized. Here, the operation information included in the execution work information does not have to be all of the operation information received from the control device 51, and may be a part of the information that can be specified to be common with the operation information transmitted from the control device 51 to the information processing device 10.

[0058] The generated execution work information is transmitted to the information processing device 10 by the second transmission / reception unit 35. In this way, when the execution work information is generated in a format including the operation information related thereto, the information processing device 10 can acquire information in which the work executed by the worker P and the operation content of the production facility 50 operated thereby are associated. Thereby, the result of the work of the worker P can be surely specified, and the management of the work content can be easily carried out.

[0059] The work guidance unit 37 guides the worker P about the work content based on the work information received by the second transmission / reception unit 35. This work guidance unit 37 is mainly realized by the display 33, but may be combined with a speaker 32 or the like. The work guidance for the worker P is performed by displaying the work content to be executed on the display 33. And the work content displayed on the display 33 may be updated to new work content or the like every time the worker P performs the displayed work.

[0060] The control device 51 includes at least a third receiving unit for acquiring work information from the information processing device 10 and instruction information from the wearable device 30, and a third transmitting unit for transmitting operation information generated based on the instruction information acquired from the wearable device 30 to the wearable device 30 and the information processing device 10. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the control device 51 includes a third transceiver 55 as an example of the above-described third receiving unit and third transmitting unit. Further, the control device 51 of the present embodiment further includes an operation information generation unit 56 for generating operation information.

[0061] The third transceiver 55 is mainly realized by the communication interface 65. As described above, this third transceiver 55 receives work information from the information processing device 10 and instruction information from the wearable device 30, and transmits operation information to the information processing device 10 and the wearable device 30. The method of transmitting operation information from the control device 51 to the wearable device 30 is not particularly limited in the same manner as the above-described method of transmitting instruction information.

[0062] The operation information generation unit 56 generates, as operation information, information including the operation content of operating the production facility 50 based on the received work information and instruction information. The operation information may be composed of the operation content executed on the workpiece W. For example, when the production facility 50 is a processing machine, it may be composed of various parameters of the processing machine, processing time, and the like.

[0063] In the present embodiment, it should be particularly noted that two-way communication is realized between the wearable device 30 and the control device 51. By realizing the two-way communication, the wearable device 30 and the control device 51 can proceed while confirming their work content and operation content with each other. Further, it becomes possible to easily manage the work content by the operator and the operation content of the production facility 50 in an associated state.

[0064] Next, the information processing method according to the present embodiment will be described mainly with reference to FIG. 4. Hereinafter, a case where the information processing method according to the present embodiment is realized by the information processing apparatus 10 described above will be exemplarily described. Further, the information processing method described below may be implemented by executing a program that causes at least one processor 21 of a computer constituting the information processing apparatus 10 to execute a predetermined operation. This program may be stored in a storage means such as the ROM 22 or the storage 24, or may be provided in the form of a non-temporary computer-readable recording medium.

[0065] The information processing method according to the present embodiment includes at least a step of transmitting work information to be executed on a specific workpiece W to a wearable device 30 worn by an operator P who can operate the production facility 50 installed in the work area WA and a control device 51 that controls the production facility 50 (corresponding to step S3 described later), a step of receiving operation information regarding an operation executed by the control device 51 based on instruction information transmitted from the wearable device 30 from the control device 51 (corresponding to step S4 described later), and a step of receiving execution work information regarding the work executed by the operator P including the operation information from the wearable device 30 (corresponding to step S5 described later). Details will be described below.

[0066] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of an information processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the information processing method according to the present embodiment, when an information processing apparatus 10 acquires a work information request from a wearable device 30 or the like worn by a specific worker P (step S1), a work information generation unit 16 generates work information corresponding to the specific worker P (step S2). The work information request may be transmitted, for example, when the worker P operates the wearable device 30, or may be requested when an administrator of the information processing apparatus 10 operates. Further, in the work information generation unit 16, it is preferable that work information executed by a specific worker P and work information for causing a production facility 50 that operates in relation to the work executed by the specific worker P to execute a desired operation are generated. Furthermore, the above-described step S2 may be performed at the timing when a work that the worker is desired to execute occurs, or may be performed before step S1.

[0067] When work information is generated by the work information generation unit 16, next, the generated work information is transmitted to the wearable device 30 and the control device 51 by the first transmission / reception unit 15, respectively (step S3). The worker P wearing the wearable device 30 performs work based on the received work information. Further, the control device 51 that has received the instruction information along with the work of the worker P operates the production facility 50 based on the instruction information and the work information received in advance.

[0068] When the production facility 50 operates, the information processing apparatus 10 receives operation information from the control device 51 (step S4). At this time, it is also possible to confirm whether there is an error in the operation content of the production facility in the information processing apparatus 10. Next, the information processing apparatus 10 receives execution work information including the operation information received above from the wearable device 30 (step S5). In the information processing apparatus 10 that has received the operation information and the execution work information, it is confirmed that the work by the worker P has been executed, and the received execution work information is stored in the data storage unit 17 as a work record of the worker P (step S6).

[0069] Next, the processing process in the production management system 1 including the above-described information processing method will be mainly described with reference to FIG. 5. Note that the processing described below is for a specific workpiece W on the production facility 50-1 composed of a conveyor 0 being transported to the production facility 50-2 composed of a processing machine, and the process until the workpiece W 0 is processed in the production facility 50-2 will be described. In the following description, in order to distinguish each production facility and control device, the two production facilities 50-1 and 50-2 are respectively referred to as "first production facility 50-1" and "second production facility 50-2", and the control devices 51-1 and 51-2 provided in these two production facilities 50-1 and 50-2 are respectively referred to as "first control device 51-1" and "second control device 51-2".

[0070] FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process when an operator performs work in the production management system shown in FIG. 1. The work in the production management system according to the present embodiment can be performed, for example, when the workpiece W 0 is transported to a predetermined position of the production facility 50-1 and the operator P can be requested to perform a predetermined work. In relation to this, when the state where the implementation of the above-described predetermined work can be requested is reached, it is preferable to notify the operator P from the first control device 51-1 or the information processing device 10 that there is a work to be performed using a speaker, a light source, or the like. By this notification, the operator P wears the wearable device 30 for performing a predetermined work.

[0071] By the operator P starting work triggered by the above-described notification operation, a series of processes shown in FIG. 5 are executed. Specifically, first, for example, a specific operator P wears and drives one wearable device 30, and among the work (or tasks) displayed on the wearable device 30, by selecting a specific work, work information regarding the selected work is requested from the wearable device 30 to the information processing device 10 (step S11). The information processing device 10 that has received the request for work information from the wearable device 30 generates, in the work information generation unit 16, a specific workpiece W 0Generate work information regarding the work to be performed on it (step S12). Then, the work information generated by the work information generation unit 16 is sent to the wearable device 30 that requested the work information and the control devices related to the work for the specific work W 0 respectively to the control devices, specifically the first control device 51-1 and the second control device 51-2 (step S13). In this embodiment, an example is shown where the information processing device 10 generates the work information shown in step S12 after receiving the request for the work information. However, the work information regarding the work requested from the worker P may be created at the stage when the work occurs.

[0072] Next, the wearable device 30, the first control device 51-1, and the second control device 51-2 start operating in accordance with the content of the received work information. Specifically, when the wearable device 30 is driven, since the work W 0 is placed on the first production facility 50-1, the first control device 51-1 requests the worker P to transport the work W 0 Specifically, by operating the speaker or light source provided in the production facility 50-1, the position of the work W 0 is conveyed to the worker P. Also, the wearable device 30 displays the work content to be executed most recently among the plurality of tasks included in the work information on the display 33 (step S15). The work content displayed here may be, for example, "Please stop the conveyor No. 〇 and pick up the work."

[0073] The worker P who has confirmed the work content displayed on the display 33 and the transport request by the first control device 51-1 approaches the first production facility 50-1, and the work W 0In order to pick it up, instruction information to stop the production facility 50-1 is transmitted to the first control device 51-1 (step S16). The transmission of the instruction information can be realized, for example, by first transmitting data obtained by reading the two-dimensional code 52 attached to the first production facility 50-1 with the camera 34 of the wearable device 30 to the first control device 51-1 as instruction information together with a control signal obtained by converting voice input to the microphone 31 such as "operation stop" by the operator P. In this way, when the data obtained by reading the two-dimensional code 52 is included in the instruction information, the target of the instruction of the instruction information can be accurately identified and the instruction information can be surely transmitted to a specific control device.

[0074] The first control device 51-1 that has received the instruction information from the wearable device 30 operates to stop the drive of the first production facility 50-1 based on the instruction information and the work information received in advance, generates the operation content as operation information in the operation information generation unit 56, and transmits it to the wearable device 30 and the information processing device 10 (step S17). At this time, if the content in the work information does not match the content of the received instruction information, it can be transmitted to the wearable device 30 to confirm whether the instruction information is correct.

[0075] The wearable device 30 that has received the operation information notifies the operator P by, for example, displaying on the display 33 the operation content of the first production facility 50-1, that is, the fact that the first production facility 50-1 has stopped. The operator P who has confirmed the stop of the first production facility 50-1 picks up the workpiece W on the first production facility 50-1 and starts transporting it to the second production facility 50-2. If the operation of the first production facility 50-1 displayed on the display 33 is different from what was assumed, the operator P can contact the administrator or the like to check whether there is any mistake in the work content one by one. 0 In addition, if the operation of the first production facility 50-1 displayed on the display 33 is different from what was assumed, the operator P can contact the administrator or the like to check whether there is any mistake in the work content one by one.

[0076] Also, when the wearable device 30 receives the operation information, the execution work information generation unit 36 creates execution work information including the received operation information and transmits it to the information processing device 10 (step S18). Then, in the information processing device 10 that has received the execution work information, the work record of the worker P is updated by storing the execution work information in the data storage unit 17 as the work record executed by the worker P (step S19). Here, in order to confirm that the execution work information has been reliably implemented, in the information processing device 10, the operation information received from the first control device 51-1 can be compared with the operation information in the execution work information received from the wearable device 30. By performing such a comparison operation, the information processing device 10 can sequentially confirm the work executed by the worker P. In addition, the tracking information generation unit 19 updates the tracking information of the work W 0 based on the received execution work information.

[0077] Furthermore, when the wearable device 30 receives the operation information and transmits the execution work information, it updates the work content to be displayed on the display 33 (step S20). Specifically, the display content on the display 33 is changed to the content corresponding to the next task, for example, the display content such as "Please resume the operation of conveyor No. 〇 after picking up the work". After the worker P who has confirmed the updated work content picks up the work W 0 , voice input such as "Resume operation" is performed via the microphone 31 of the wearable device 30. The processor 41 of the wearable device 30 that has acquired the voice input converts the acquired voice input into a control signal and transmits it to the first control device 51-1 as instruction information (step S21). The instruction information created here may include the data obtained by reading the two-dimensional code 52 attached to the first production facility 50-1 in step S16, or the two-dimensional code 52 attached to the first production facility 50-1 may be read again using the camera 34 and included in the instruction information as data.

[0078] The first control device 51-1 that has received the above instruction information operates to resume the operation of the first production facility 50-1 based on the instruction information and the operation information received in advance, and transmits the operation details as operation information to the wearable device 30 and the information processing device 10 (step S22). The wearable device 30 that has received the operation information indicating that the first production facility 50-1 has resumed operation generates execution operation information including the operation information in the execution operation information generation unit 36 and transmits it to the information processing device 10 (step S23). Then, the information processing device 10 that has received the execution operation information updates the work record of the worker P by storing the execution operation information in the data storage unit 17 as the work record executed by the worker P (step S24). Note that the above-mentioned execution operation information is not the work performed on the workpiece W 0 Therefore, the tracking information of the workpiece W 0 does not need to be updated.

[0079] Also, after receiving the operation information in step S22, the wearable device 30 further changes the display content to be displayed on the display 33 (step S25). Specifically, the display content on the display 33 is changed to the content corresponding to the next task, for example, the display content such as "Please place the picked-up workpiece on the stage of the processing machine No. △". The worker P who has confirmed the updated work content transports the workpiece W 0 towards the second production facility 50-2. Then, when arriving at the second production facility 50-2, the workpiece W 0 is placed on the stage of the second production facility 50-2. At this time, the second control device 51-2 may preferably stop the operation in advance based on the operation information as necessary so that the installation work of the workpiece W 0 can be carried out without problems. Note that the stop of the operation may be performed based on the reception of the instruction information from the wearable device 30 in the same manner as the above-mentioned first production facility 50-1. The specific control in that case is generally the same as the operations shown in the above steps S16 to S18, so the description thereof is omitted here.

[0080] When related to the transportation operation, for example, when the second production facility 50-2 has multiple stages, in order to prevent the operator P from misidentifying the transportation destination or installation position, the work content displayed on the display 33 of the wearable device 30 is adjusted to, for example, "Please place the picked-up workpiece on the stage on the left side of the △-th processing machine." In this way, it is possible to greatly suppress the operator P from misidentifying the transportation destination. Also, in order for the operator P to identify the stage on which the workpiece W 0 is installed, two-dimensional codes 52 are installed on each stage of the second production facility 50-2, and after the workpiece W 0 is installed, the two-dimensional code 52 installed on the stage can also be read. In this case, if the stage on which the workpiece W 0 is installed is different from the work content, the wearable device 30 that recognizes the two-dimensional code 52 can recognize this fact. The fact that the installation stage is different can be immediately notified to the operator P by displaying a corresponding message such as "The stage for installing the workpiece is different. Please reinstall it on the stage on the left side." on the wearable device 30.

[0081] After the transportation of the workpiece W 0 to the second production facility 50-2 and its installation on the stage are completed, the wearable device 30 transmits instruction information to the second control device 51-2 (step S26). The instruction information transmitted here may include a notification that the installation of the workpiece W 0 is completed and an operation instruction for the second production facility 50-2. Also, the transmission of the instruction information can be realized, for example, by first reading the data of the two-dimensional code 52 attached to the second production facility 50-2 with the camera 34 of the wearable device 30 and transmitting it as instruction information to the second control device 51-2 together with a control signal obtained by converting the voice input of the operator P such as "Workpiece installation completed. Processing start" to the microphone 31.

[0082] The second control device 51-2 that has received the above-described instruction information drives the second production facility 50-2 based on the received instruction information and the work information received in advance (step S27). The operation parameters of the second production facility 50-2 at this time may be determined by referring to those stored in the work information generated by, for example, the information processing device 10. In this case, it is not necessary for the operator P to adjust the operation parameters of the second production facility 50-2. Therefore, incorrect operations by the operator P can be prevented. In addition, the operator P can perform the desired processing of the work W by the second production facility 50-2 by simply reading the two-dimensional code 52 and giving voice operation instructions to the second production facility 50-2, without performing operations such as parameter adjustment. 0 can be carried out.

[0083] When the second production facility 50-2 is driven and predetermined processing is performed on the work W 0 , the second control device 51-2 generates the operation content of the second production facility 50-2 as operation information in the operation information generation unit 56 and transmits it to the wearable device 30 and the information processing device 10, respectively (step S28). Then, in the wearable device 30 that has received the operation information, the execution work information generation unit 36 generates execution work information including the received operation information and transmits it to the information processing device 10 (step S29). Then, in the information processing device 10 that has received the execution work information, the work record of the operator P is updated by additionally storing the execution work information in the data storage unit 17 as the work record executed by the operator P (step S30). In addition, the tracking information generation unit 19 further updates the tracking information of the work W 0 based on the received execution work information.

[0084] The wearable device 30 that has received the operation information in step S28 further changes the display content to be displayed on the display 33 (step S31). Specifically, the display content on the display 33 is changed to content corresponding to the next task, for example, "Please pick up the work on the stage of the processing machine No. △". Thereafter, on the display 33, the work W 0When further processing is required for a workpiece, the work content related to transportation to other processing machines is displayed as needed. When the required processing is completed, the work content related to the space for installing the completed product or transportation to a conveyor connected to that space is displayed as needed. Worker P performs operations such as transportation according to the work content displayed on display 33, and the work results are transmitted to and stored in information processing device 10 as execution work information one by one. Each process after the exemplified step S31 can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art considering the above description, etc., so the description thereof is omitted.

[0085] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the tracking information of a workpiece updated in the process shown in FIG. 5. The method for generating the tracking information (TR information) of workpiece W by tracking information generation unit 19 can be realized by, for example, the method shown in FIG. 6. That is, every time tracking information generation unit 19 of information processing device 10 receives execution work information from wearable device 30, it generates tracking information by adding information such as the processing content to the lot number of the corresponding workpiece. Note that the lot number is a number for identifying workpiece W. In the present embodiment, for workpiece W before processing 1 it is assumed that an 8-digit lot number (for example, "12345678") is previously assigned.

[0086] More specifically, when tracking information generation unit 19 receives execution work information including that processing or the like has been performed on a specific workpiece W before processing by information processing device 10 1 in a production facility 50, it updates the tracking information of the workpiece W 1 . This update may be to add the number (for example, "A1") indicating production facility 50 included in the received execution work information and the number (for example, "a") indicating the processing conditions implemented in production facility 50 to the end of the lot number of workpiece W 1 .

[0087] Also, for workpiece W after the first processing is completed 2When receiving execution work information including that further processing or the like has been performed in another production facility 50, the work W 2 tracking information is updated by adding, to the end of the number consisting of the lot number and the number related to the first processing following it, a number (for example, "A2") indicating the other production facility 50 included in the execution work information and a number (for example, "b") corresponding to the processing conditions implemented in the other production facility 50, in the same manner as in the first processing. For the work W 3 for which further processing or the like is performed, the above-described update operation is executed in the same manner. By repeating the above-described update, the tracking information of the work W is always updated to the latest state. Also, by using highly reliable execution work information in the generation of the above-described tracking information, there is no such situation that the tracking information includes processing contents different from the actually performed processing, and highly reliable tracking information can be obtained.

[0088] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a work report generated by the information processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. As described above, the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment can automatically generate a work log 70 for each worker by the work log generation unit 18. The generated work log 70 may be composed of, for example, the name of the worker (person in charge), the date and time of the work, the number of the production facility (machine number) used in the work, the tools used, etc., as shown in FIG. 7. The work log 70 can be easily generated by using the execution work information received by the information processing apparatus 10 and stored in the data storage unit 17. Also, in this way, if the execution work information is used in the generation of the work log, an accurate work log can be automatically generated.

[0089] As described above, in the information processing apparatus, production management system, information processing method, and program according to the present embodiment, two-way communication is performed between the wearable device 30 and the control device during the work process of the worker, so that smooth business execution can be realized. Further, by this two-way communication, operation information can be included in the execution work information transmitted from the wearable device 30, and the correspondence between the work performed by the worker and the operation content of the production facility that operates in relation to it can be clearly specified, facilitating the management of the work content of the worker P.

[0090] In the present embodiment, an example is given in which the two-dimensional code 52 installed on the production facility 50 is imaged using the camera 34 and used for generating instruction information and the like. However, the usage method of the camera 34 is not limited to this. Specifically, for example, an imaging image obtained by imaging the worker P and the work W carried by the worker P using the camera 34 may be used to monitor the operation of the worker P carrying the work W between the production facilities 50. By performing such monitoring, for example, when the worker P transports the work W to the wrong production facility or transports different works W by mistake, the correct transport destination, the position of the work W, etc. can be immediately notified to the worker P.

[0091] Also, in each of the above embodiments, the processor refers to a processor in a broad sense and includes a general-purpose processor (for example, a CPU) and a dedicated processor (for example, a GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, an ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, an FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, a programmable logic device, etc.).

[0092] Furthermore, the operation of the processor in each of the above embodiments may be achieved not only by one processor but also by a plurality of physically separated processors cooperating with each other. Also, the order of each operation of the processor is not limited to the order described in each of the above embodiments and may be changed as appropriate.

[0093] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made and implemented without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. And all of them are included in the technical idea of the present disclosure.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0094] 1 Production management system 10 Information processing device 15 First transmission / reception unit (an example of a first transmission unit and a first reception unit) 18 Work log generation unit 19 Tracking information generation unit 21, 41, 61 Processor 30, 30-1, 30-2 Wearable device 31 Microphone 32 Speaker 33 Display 34 Camera 35 Third transmission / reception unit (an example of a third transmission unit and a third reception unit) 50, 50-1~50-5 Production equipment 51, 51-1~51-5 Control device 52 Two-dimensional code 55 Second transmission / reception unit (an example of a second transmission unit and a second reception unit) 70 Work log W, W 0 Workpiece WA Work area P, P1, P2 Worker

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for managing work executed within a work area, comprising: a first transmission unit that transmits work information to be executed for a specific workpiece to a wearable device worn by an operator capable of operating production equipment installed within the work area and a control device that controls the production equipment; a first reception unit that receives operation information regarding an operation executed by the control device based on instruction information transmitted from the wearable device from the control device, and receives execution work information regarding work executed by the operator including the operation information from the wearable device; The information processing apparatus.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a work log generation unit that generates a work log of the operator based on the received operation information and the execution work information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a tracking information generation unit that generates tracking information of the workpiece based on the received operation information and the execution work information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

4. A production management system including a wearable device worn by an operator capable of operating production equipment installed within a work area, a control device that controls the production equipment, and an information processing apparatus that manages work executed within the work area, wherein the information processing apparatus comprises a first transmission unit for transmitting work information to be executed for a specific workpiece to the wearable device and the control device; and a first reception unit for receiving operation information regarding an operation executed by the control device based on instruction information transmitted from the wearable device from the control device, and receiving execution work information regarding work executed by the operator including the operation information from the wearable device; wherein the wearable device comprises a second reception unit for acquiring the work information from the information processing apparatus and acquiring the operation information from the control device; a work guidance unit for guiding the operator about the work content based on the work information; and a second transmission unit for transmitting the instruction information to the control device and transmitting the execution work information including the operation information acquired from the control device to the information processing apparatus; wherein the control device comprises a third reception unit for acquiring the work information from the information processing apparatus and acquiring the instruction information from the wearable device; A third transmission unit for transmitting the operation information generated based on the instruction information acquired from the wearable device to the wearable device and the information processing apparatus. A production management system.

5. The wearable device is a hands-free type wearable device, further comprising a microphone for collecting the voice of the worker and a display for displaying the work content. The production management system according to claim 4.

6. A plurality of the production facilities are arranged in the work area, and the work content includes work in which the worker transports the workpiece between the plurality of production facilities. The wearable device further includes a camera for imaging at least one of the plurality of production facilities and the workpiece transported by the worker. The information processing apparatus monitors the work of transporting the workpiece based on the captured image captured by the camera. The production management system according to claim 4.

7. An information processing method for managing work executed in a work area, transmitting work information to be executed for a specific workpiece to a wearable device worn by a worker who can operate production facilities installed in the work area and a control device that controls the production facilities, receiving, from the control device, operation information regarding an operation executed by the control device based on instruction information transmitted from the wearable device, receiving, from the wearable device, execution work information regarding the work executed by the worker including the operation information. An information processing method.

8. Causing a processor included in a computer that manages work executed in a work area to transmit work information to be executed for a specific workpiece to a wearable device worn by a worker who can operate production facilities installed in the work area and a control device that controls the production facilities, receive, from the control device, operation information regarding an operation executed by the control device based on instruction information transmitted from the wearable device, execute a process of receiving, from the wearable device, execution work information regarding the work executed by the worker including the operation information. A program.

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