Work support system, work support method, and work support program

Abstract

To provide a PDF control technique which allows a PDF object to be correctly displayed in correct alignment and size and prevents an existing PDF object from disappearing when a new PDF object is added.SOLUTION: A work support system performs: extracting in advance a property of an object of a PDF data, as object information; adding a new object to a document object without the object; reflecting the property which is described in the object information, on the document object to which the new object has been added, to generate new PDF data to which the new object has been reflected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for assisting a worker in performing a task at a work site. [Background technology]

[0002] Social infrastructure businesses, which rely heavily on manual labor, are facing a serious labor shortage due to the accelerating decline in the birthrate and aging population in recent years, making it essential to improve operational efficiency in order to maintain product quality. In manufacturing sites that handle a large amount of paper documents, expectations are rising for electronic paper, which can simultaneously digitize operations and go paperless.

[0003] Electronic paper is an electronic device that allows users to write information on documents stored on the device using a special pen. By using electronic paper, work information can be recorded as digital data, eliminating the need for transcription for data compilation and shortening work hours. However, handwritten data written with a special pen often contains quirks and abbreviations, which creates a new challenge: it is difficult to accurately extract handwritten characters, even when computer-based character recognition is used.

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes an information processing device that can easily extract data from a PDF (Portable Document Format) file. The document describes the following technology (see abstract): "An information processing device 100 includes a setting file storage unit 121 that stores document type information and a setting file that describes item names and position information of the item values ​​that indicate input areas for the item values ​​of each item name in association with each other. A form generation unit 112 acquires the setting file associated with the document type information from the setting file storage unit 121 based on the PDF file including the document type information, and generates a form using the acquired setting file. A form assignment unit 113 assigns the form to the PDF file. An item value extraction unit 114 extracts item values ​​for each item name from the PDF file using the form, and stores the extracted item values ​​in the form." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7346760 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Patent Document 1 generates input support (form fields) corresponding to work items in a PDF. Workers use this input support to input work information, enabling accurate digitalization of the work information. However, paid software for generating PDF objects such as form fields in a PDF may not be available on the server, and may require expensive license fees. To avoid these issues, free software may be used. However, this can lead to new problems, such as misalignment of PDF objects or size, incorrect display of entered data in a designated display application, or loss of existing PDF objects when a new PDF object is added.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a PDF control technology that displays PDF objects correctly without misalignment of their positions or sizes, and that prevents existing PDF objects from disappearing when a new PDF object is added. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The work support system of the present invention extracts the properties of objects contained in PDF data as object information in advance, adds a new object to a document object that does not have that object, and reflects the properties described in the object information on the document object to which the new object has been added, thereby generating new PDF data that reflects the new object. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The task support system according to the present invention can provide a low-cost PDF control technology that displays PDF objects correctly without misalignment of their positions or sizes, and prevents existing PDF objects from disappearing when a new PDF object is added. Other issues, configurations, and advantages will become clear from the following description of the embodiment. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a method for sharing a data file between a server and a work terminal. [Figure 2] 2 is an example of a handwritten work log 200. [Figure 3] 3 is an example of a work log 300 in PDF format. [Figure 4A] 4 shows an example of misaligned form fields in an electronic work log 400. [Figure 4B] Here is an example where the data structure of an object differs depending on the software that created the object. [Figure 4C] Here is an example where an existing object disappears when a new object is added. [Figure 5] 1 is a configuration diagram of a work support device 500 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 6A] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of a PDF. [Figure 6B] 10 is an example of object information extracted by object information extraction unit 505. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a method for generating a PDF object. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure in which the work assistance device 500 creates a work log in a third data format. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a problem that occurs when an existing PDF object is changed or deleted. [Figure 10]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a method for changing or deleting an existing PDF object. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 illustrates a PDF object with complex properties. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a method for easily adding a PDF object with complex properties. [Figure 13] This is an example of a work record that may or may not require input. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram of a work support device 500 according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 15] 14 is an example illustrating the operation of the analysis unit 1400. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a method for correctly calculating work progress when handwriting is included. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] <First Embodiment> Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a method for sharing data files between a server and a work terminal. A work support system 100 is composed of an administration PC 101, a server 102, and a work terminal 105, and supports work performed by a worker on the work terminal 105. Methods for sharing data files between the server 102 and the work terminal 105 include, for example, those shown in the upper and lower parts of Fig. 1.

[0012] The method shown in the upper part of Figure 1 will now be explained. A worker inputs work details via a web browser on a work terminal 105, and the server 102 records the work details in a data file 104 in a second data format (for example, HTML format). When an administrator provides information to the work terminal 105, the administration computer 101 provides a data file 103 in the first data format to the server 102, which then converts this to the second data format. The work terminal 105 can view the information on its web browser. When data is to be aggregated, the server 102 stores the data file 104 in a database 106. In this method, a data file 104 describing the work details is created on the server 102.

[0013] The method in the lower part of Figure 1 will be explained. Administration computer 101 provides data file 103 in a first data format to server 102, which then converts this into data file 107 in a third data format (e.g., PDF format). Work terminal 105 acquires data file 107, and the worker records the work details in data file 107 on work terminal 105. When data is to be aggregated, server 102 reacquires data file 107 from work terminal 105 and stores it in database 106. This method differs from the method in the upper part of Figure 1 in that data file 107 recording the work details is held on work terminal 105.

[0014] Figure 2 shows an example of a handwritten work log 200. The work log 200 is a paper document that records the work performed by a worker at a work site. The worker writes down the work status in the work log 200 using handwritten characters 201. Because handwriting varies from person to person, it is difficult to accurately extract the characters even with computer-based character recognition. Furthermore, when filling in selected items in multiple-choice input fields, the way the worker fills in the items may vary from worker to worker. For example, as shown in Figure 2, some workers circle numbers, others check selected items, or still others enter text such as "OK." Therefore, even with multiple-choice input fields, it can be difficult to accurately interpret the meaning of the input content using computer processing. Therefore, work logs that allow data to be entered electronically, rather than electronically generated, are becoming more common.

[0015] Figure 3 is an example of a work log 300 in PDF format. Using Figure 3, we will explain the types of objects that can be displayed on a PDF. Portable Document Format (PDF) is an electronic document file format that can display text and diagrams independently of the application, OS (Operating System), or hardware on the device. It is widely used as a method for replacing paper documents with electronic documents. Objects that can be displayed on a PDF can be broadly divided into four types.

[0016] The first is a document object 301. The document object 301 is an object of characters or lines. For example, a table on a check sheet or a circuit component on a diagram is drawn using a line object.

[0017] The second is a form field 302. The form field 302 is an object for input support, such as a check box, a text box, a radio button, a list, a pull-down menu, or a button.

[0018] The third is link 303. A script is embedded in link 303, so for example, clicking link 303 can move the focus to link 304. By utilizing links, you can quickly find related items (for example, circuit parts in a work log related to circuit maintenance), thereby reducing work time. Here, we have explained the example of moving the focus within the same page, but you can also move the focus to another page or another file.

[0019] The fourth is annotation 305. Annotation 305 is an object for recording annotations such as handwritten lines, handwritten straight lines, handwritten rectangles, etc. It has a different data structure from the lines of document object 301.

[0020] Figures 4A to 4C are diagrams explaining the issues that arise when free software is used to generate form fields on a PDF. Form fields are screen components that assist users in entering data into PDF data. Software that provides form fields may be provided separately from the PDF display application. Furthermore, there are both paid and free software. Free software may have insufficient quality assurance, which can lead to the following issues:

[0021] 4A shows an example in which the position of a form field is misaligned in an electronic work log 400. The electronic work log 400 is generally created as document data using a spreadsheet software, word processing software, etc. The data format of this first created work log will be referred to as the first data format.

[0022] Document data created using spreadsheet software, word processing software, etc. is designed to run on general-purpose computers such as desktop computers, and may therefore not be suitable for display on a wearable device. For example, this may occur when the data format is incapable of being processed by the viewing software running on the wearable device. In such cases, the work log in the first data format (e.g., a spreadsheet created using spreadsheet software) must be converted into a data format that can be displayed on a wearable device. This converted data format is referred to as the third data format. An example of the third data format is PDF.

[0023] When creating a work log in the first data format, it is possible to also include form fields to assist with data entry. The example work log shown in Figure 4A includes the following form fields: (a) a text box 401 for entering a string; (b) a text box 402 for entering a date; (c) radio buttons 403; (d) a combo box 404; (e) a list box 405; and (f) a check box 406.

[0024] Even if these form fields are placed in data entry fields on a work log in the first data format, when it is converted to the third data format, the position and size of the form fields may shift from those in the third data format, and the form fields may be placed in a position other than the data entry field or may change size in the third data format. Figure 4A shows an example of such a shift in the position and size of a form field. This shift is thought to occur because, for example, in the case of free software, the parameters that specify the position and size of the form field are limited to integer types, making it impossible to place the form field in the correct position and size.

[0025] Figure 4B shows an example where the data structure of an object differs depending on the software that generated the object. The left side of Figure 4B shows the data structure when two radio buttons are generated using certain paid software. In the case of paid software, the first level of data contains a Parent property that indicates the parent-child relationship properties, and within the Parent property there are properties that indicate the name and a Kids property that indicates the child-related properties.

[0026] The right side of Figure 4B shows the data structure when two radio buttons are generated using certain free software. In the case of free software, the main parameters are aggregated at the first level of data. Unlike in the case of paid software, there are no Parent or Kids properties.

[0027] When the data structure of an object differs depending on the software, problems can occur, such as the object not being displayed correctly in a specific display application. For example, a display application assuming the data structure on the left of Figure 4B retrieves the name property from the Parent property, but the data structure on the right of Figure 4B does not have a Parent property, so the name property cannot be found. This can cause the display application to not display the object correctly, depending on the type of software that generates the object.

[0028] FIG. 4C shows an example in which an existing object disappears when a new object is added. Here, we consider a case in which a new checkbox is added to an addition area 409 of an original checksheet 407 in which an existing checkbox 408 exists. When free software is used, a document object 410 is first generated based on the information in the original checksheet 407. Next, a new checkbox 411 is generated in the addition area 409 on the document object 410. In this way, when a new object is added using specific free software, the existing object disappears. This is thought to be because the free software only provides a function for creating new objects.

[0029] 5 is a configuration diagram of a work support device 500 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The work support device 500 is a system that converts a work log in a first data format into a third data format and provides the converted data to a wearable terminal 513. The work support device 500 can be configured as a device such as a computer separate from the wearable terminal 513, or can be configured as a computing device built into the wearable terminal 513. The work support device 500 and the wearable terminal 513 cooperate with each other as a work support system that supports work performed by a worker at a work site.

[0030] The work support device 500 includes an input unit 501, a display unit 502, a processor 503, and a data communication unit 504. The processor 503 further includes an object information extraction unit 505, an object information addition unit 506, a data structure conversion unit 507, a document object generation unit 508, an object generation unit 509, and a property modification unit 510.

[0031] Each unit of the processor 503 can be configured by hardware such as a circuit device that implements these functions, or can be configured by software that implements these functions being executed by the processor 503. The memory unit that stores the work log in each data format may be provided on the work assistance device 500, or may be configured as a memory unit provided in an external device and the work assistance device 500 may access the memory unit via a network.

[0032] The input unit 501 receives operation instructions for the work assistance device 500 from a user of the work assistance device 500. The display unit 502 displays a work record, a GUI (Graphical User Interface), etc. on a screen. The processor 503 executes the processing of each unit provided in the processor 503 and controls the other units of the work assistance device 500.

[0033] The object information extraction unit 505 converts the work record in the first data format into a third data format and extracts object information (parameters such as object type, name, position, size, etc.) from the work record in the third data format. Here, an example has been described in which a work record in the first data format is received as input, but a work record in the third data format may also be received as input.

[0034] An object information adding unit 506 adds new object information to the object information extracted by the object information extracting unit 505. A data structure converting unit 507 converts the object information received from the object information extracting unit 505 and the object information adding unit 506 into a data structure suitable for processing by an object generating unit 509 and a property changing unit 510. A document object generating unit 508 extracts character or line information from the work record in the third data format and duplicates the document object 301.

[0035] The object generation unit 509 generates new objects, such as form fields 302, links 303, and annotations 305, for the document data with document objects generated by the document object generation unit 508. The object generation unit 509 uses two types of free software: software for generating form fields and links (form / link generation unit 511) and software for generating annotations (annotation generation unit 512). This is because free software capable of generating all objects generally does not exist. In particular, when using software for generating form fields and links, a problem arises in that existing objects are lost when new objects are added, as described in Figure 4C. Therefore, as shown in Figure 5, it is desirable to separate the form / link generation unit 511, which generates form fields and links, from the annotation generation unit 512, which generates annotations, and generate annotations after generating form fields and links. This allows existing objects and additional objects to be generated. If form fields and links were generated after generating annotations, the annotations would become existing objects, resulting in the loss of their information. The configuration in Figure 5 avoids this problem.

[0036] The property change unit 510 changes the properties of a document file with objects such as the form field 302 , the link 303 , and the annotation 305 based on the object information received from the data structure conversion unit 507 .

[0037] The detailed operations of the data communication unit 504, object information extraction unit 505, object information addition unit 506, data structure conversion unit 507, document object generation unit 508, object generation unit 509, and property change unit 510 will be described later.

[0038] 6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating a method for extracting object information by object information extraction section 505. Fig. 6A shows an example of a PDF data structure, and Fig. 6B shows an example of object information.

[0039] FIG. 6A illustrates an example of a PDF data structure. The first level of a PDF data structure contains information such as an Encrypt property containing encryption information for restricting the reading and editing of a document file, and a PageList property listing information about each page. Information about each page in the PageList contains a Contents property containing information about the document object 301, an Annots property containing PDF object information, and a Mediabox property containing page size information. Here, PDF objects refer to the form field 302, link 303, and annotation 305, which are objects that can be displayed on a PDF as described in FIG. 3. PDF objects have structural properties containing structural information about the object and display properties containing information about the display state of the object. The bottom row of FIG. 6A shows an example of the properties of a text box in the form field 302. As shown in FIG. 6A, various properties are stored in the structural properties and display properties. For example, the name of a text box can be changed by changing the value of the T property, which indicates the name data.

[0040] As described above, various properties exist in a hierarchical structure within the PDF data structure. The PDF data structure can be broadly divided into document properties 600, which contain document information, and PDF object and page properties 601, which contain PDF object and page information. The document object generation unit 508 replicates the document object 301 based on the document properties 600 excluding the Encrypt property. The object information extraction unit 505 extracts information about the Encrypt property and the properties 601.

[0041] 6B is an example of object information extracted by the object information extraction unit 505. The first layer of the object information extracted by the object information extraction unit 505 includes an Encrypt property, an ObjList that lists information about PDF objects, and a PageList that lists information about page sizes.

[0042] Each object in ObjList has a structure property, a display property, an Analysis property for analysis, and a PageNum property that indicates the page number on which the object is located. The Analysis property is a property that is uniquely set in this embodiment to analyze object data. The reason for setting such a unique property is that it can be difficult to identify the type of object using only the structure property and display property. For example, by setting the ObjType in the Analysis property to a text box, the type of form field can be easily identified. The detailed use of the Analysis property will be described later.

[0043] The data structure of the object information shown in Figure 6B is just an example, and it is sufficient if it contains at least PDF object information and page size information. Furthermore, by including the Encrypt property, encryption can be set for the document file to restrict reading and editing of the document file.

[0044] 7 is a diagram for explaining a method for generating a PDF object, taking as an example a case where a text box is generated as a PDF object.

[0045] Document data 700 generated by document object generation unit 508 is input to object generation unit 509. This document data 700 does not contain object data (701). Object information 702 is input to data structure conversion unit 507 from object information extraction unit 505 or object information addition unit 506. Data structure conversion unit 507 converts the object information received from object information extraction unit 505 and object information addition unit 506 into a data structure suitable for object generation unit 509 and property modification unit 510, and outputs the parameters required for each. The reason for converting the data structure here is that the parameter names required for object generation unit 509 to generate an object are different from the parameter names conforming to the PDF standard. For example, in the PDF standard, the name property is the T property, but in the free software used by object generation unit 509, the parameter name for setting the name property is "name."

[0046] The object generation unit 509 generates a PDF object for the document data 700 based on the input parameters 703. The properties of the object generated by the object generation unit 509 can be changed by the property modification unit 510, so the input parameters 703 only need to include a name property indicating an independent name and an ObjType indicating the type of object. Temporarily stored data is used for other parameters required for generating an object, such as the Rect property indicating the object's position and the BS property indicating the border type. This reduces the number of input parameters 703, improving program maintainability.

[0047] The property modification unit 510 modifies the properties of the PDF object and page size in the document file generated by the object generation unit 509 based on the input parameters 704. The property modification unit 510 not only modifies the property values, but also deletes unnecessary parameters and adds new properties. This is because unintended properties may exist in the object data 705 of the PDF object generated by the object generation unit 509. For example, the Border property is deleted and a new BS property is added (706). Both Border and BS are properties that indicate borders, but if an unintended property is included, it may cause the PDF to not be analyzed correctly or to not be displayed correctly, so it is desirable to unify the property names.

[0048] In other words, if there are any unnecessary properties in the property set that the PDF data to be finally generated is expected to have, the property modification unit 510 deletes the unnecessary properties, and if there are any missing properties, it creates new properties and sets their values ​​based on the object information 702.

[0049] Here, an example has been described in which the properties of a PDF object and page size are changed, but the object information may include an Encrypt property, and encryption may be set for the document file to restrict reading and editing of the document file.

[0050] Fig. 8 is a flowchart explaining the procedure for the work support device 500 to create a work log in the third data format. It is assumed that a work log in the first format (or a work log in the third data format before converting the object information) has already been created, and a new work procedure manual is created by adding new objects to it. Each step in Fig. 8 will be explained below.

[0051] (Figure 8: Step S801) The object information extraction unit 505 extracts object information from the work log in the third data format. The object information extraction unit 505 further stores the extracted object information in an appropriate storage device (which may be included in the work support device 500 or may be an external storage device).

[0052] (Figure 8: Step S802) The object information adding unit 506 adds information about the newly added PDF object to the object information extracted by the object information extracting unit 505. The information about the newly added PDF object may be specified by the user on the GUI, or the newly added PDF object may be created separately and stored in a storage device. In other words, as long as the PDF object can be identified, any means for providing the object information is acceptable.

[0053] (Figure 8: Step S803) The data structure conversion unit 507 converts the object information received from the object information extraction unit 505 and the object information addition unit 506 into a data structure suitable for the object generation unit 509 and the property modification unit 510 .

[0054] (Figure 8: Steps S804 to S806) The document object generation unit 508 extracts character or line information from the work log in the third data format and replicates the document object 301 (S804). The object generation unit 509 generates new PDF objects such as form fields 302, links 303, and annotations 305 based on the object information received from the data structure conversion unit 507 for the document data with the document objects generated by the document object generation unit 508 (S805). The property modification unit 510 modifies the PDF object, page size, and encryption properties for the document file with objects such as form fields 302, links 303, and annotations 305 based on the object information received from the data structure conversion unit 507 (S806).

[0055] <First embodiment: Summary> The work support device 500 according to the first embodiment copies document data from a work log in a third data format and generates existing PDF objects and additional PDF objects for the copied document data. Rather than generating additional PDF objects for the work log in the third data format, all PDF objects, including existing PDF objects, are generated for the copied document data, thereby resolving a problem specific to free software, such as the loss of information about existing PDF objects when adding a PDF object.

[0056] The work assistance device 500 according to the first embodiment changes the property values ​​of a PDF object after generating the PDF object, thereby solving the problem specific to free software, such as deviations in size or position when generating a PDF object.

[0057] The work assistance device 500 according to the first embodiment can generate a PDF object with a data structure suitable for a display application by deleting unnecessary properties of the PDF object and adding new properties, thereby eliminating the problem of being unable to display the PDF object correctly in a desired display application.

[0058] <Embodiment 2> In the second embodiment of the present invention, an example of a configuration will be described in which the state of an existing PDF object can be changed by incorporating information indicating that the PDF object has been changed or deleted into the object information. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0059] 9 is a diagram for explaining the problem when changing or deleting an existing PDF object. Here, an example will be explained in which the change content of an existing PDF object is added to the object information.

[0060] First, the object information extraction unit 505 extracts object data 903 as object information from the PDF file 900. Next, the object information addition unit 506 adds data 904 of the added object that reflects the changes to the object information 905. Since the object information 905 contains a mixture of data of the existing PDF object before and after the change, both PDF objects are generated in subsequent processing. As described above, the configuration of the first embodiment has a problem in that the information of the existing PDF object is always extracted by the object information extraction unit 505, and therefore the information of the existing PDF object cannot be changed or deleted.

[0061] 10 is a diagram illustrating a method for changing or deleting an existing PDF object. Here, an example is described in which two text boxes 1001 and 1002 exist as existing PDF objects, and the content of text box 1001 is changed and text box 1002 is deleted.

[0062] The object information extraction unit 505 extracts object information 1000 from the PDF file and sends it to the data structure conversion unit 507. The object information addition unit 506 sends change information 1004 and deletion information 1005 to the data structure conversion unit 507. The data structure conversion unit 507 changes the object information based on the change information 1004 and deletion information 1005 (change / delete information 1003). For example, the data structure conversion unit 507 references the Action property of each element of the change / delete information 1003, and in the case of change, changes the property of a PDF object with the same name, or in the case of delete, deletes the information of a PDF object with the same name, thereby generating object information 1006. In this way, by including information indicating that an object will be changed or deleted in the object information added by the object information addition unit 506, it is possible to change or delete information of an existing PDF object.

[0063] An instruction to change or delete a PDF object can be given, for example, as follows: For example, a user gives these instructions to the object information adding unit 506, and the object information adding unit 506 processes the change information 1004 or deletion information 1005 according to the instructions, as described in FIG.

[0064] <Embodiment 2: Summary> The work support device 500 according to the second embodiment includes trigger information indicating that the object is to be changed or deleted in the object information added by the object information adding unit 506, and converts the data structure based on the trigger information. This makes it possible to change or delete information about existing PDF objects.

[0065] <Third Embodiment> In the third embodiment of the present invention, a configuration example will be described in which a PDF object having complex properties can be easily added by providing a property with a unique name in object information. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0066] Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating a PDF object with complex properties. The left side of Figure 11 shows an example of a PDF file with a PDF object with complex properties. PDF file 1100 has text box 1101 showing the amount of Sample 1, text box 1102 showing the amount of Sample 2, and text box 1103 showing the total amount of Sample 1 and Sample 2. When a worker enters amounts in text boxes 1101 and 1102, the total amount is automatically calculated and displayed in text box 1103. Because text box 1103 is a PDF object showing the total amount, it is desirable that it be read-only so that the worker cannot operate it.

[0067] The right side of Figure 11 shows an example of a complex property, that of a text box 1103. The properties 1104 of the text box 1103 include a T property 1105 that indicates the name, a V property 1106 that indicates the value, an Ff property 1107 and an F property 1108 that make the text read-only, and an AA property 1109 that is a script that performs automatic calculations. As shown on the right side of Figure 11, to make the text read-only, the Ff property 1107 must be set to 1 and the F property 1108 must be set to 4, which conforms to the PDF standard, but this is difficult to understand intuitively. Furthermore, the script that performs automatic calculations must be written in a programming language called JavaScript, and setting it up requires specialized knowledge.

[0068] The object information extraction unit 505 extracts the properties of each object contained in the PDF file 1100 and describes these properties as object information 1200, which will be described later.

[0069] 12 is a diagram for explaining a method for easily adding a PDF object having complex properties. Here, a method for easily setting the properties of a text box 1103 will be explained.

[0070] The object information 1200 includes information 1201 for setting the properties of the text box 1103. In addition to a T property 1202 indicating the name, the information 1201 also includes a General property 1203 indicating the display state of the object, and a Calc property 1204 indicating the contents of the script. The General property 1203 and the Calc property 1204 are properties that are uniquely set in this embodiment to simplify the setting of complex properties.

[0071] Upon receiving this object information 1200, the data structure conversion unit 507 acquires the values ​​of the General property 1203 and the Calc property 1204 and creates new specified properties. For example, if the data structure conversion unit 507 acquires ReadOnly as the value of the General property 1203, it sets the Ff property 1205 to 1, sets the F property 1206 to 4, analyzes the formula in the Calc property 1204, and sets the AA property 1207. In this way, even for properties that are not intuitively understandable or complex properties that require specialized knowledge, it is possible to easily add PDF objects by using custom-defined properties as an intermediate property and converting these custom properties into properties that comply with the PDF standard.

[0072] <Embodiment 3: Summary> The work support device 500 according to the third embodiment can easily add PDF objects by utilizing uniquely set properties, even if the PDF object has properties that cannot be intuitively understood as values ​​conforming to the PDF standard or complex properties that require specialized knowledge.

[0073] <Fourth Embodiment> In the fourth embodiment of the present invention, a configuration example will be described in which a unique property indicating whether input is required is incorporated into the PDF object, thereby enabling the work progress of a work log having a PDF object to be correctly calculated. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0074] FIG. 13 shows an example of a work log that may or may not require input. The work log 1300 includes form fields such as a text box 1301 for entering the name of the person in charge of the work or the approver, radio buttons 1302 for selecting key inspection items, and an "other" entry field 1303. After entering the work items in the work log 1300, the worker visually confirms that all work has been completed and then requests approval from the approver. If the work log 1300 contains many work items, omissions may go unnoticed, resulting in rework after approval is requested. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to automatically calculate work progress. Because the work log 1300 may contain fields that do not require input, simply checking whether all fields are filled in does not accurately calculate work progress. For example, the text box 1301 for entering the name of the person in charge or the approver can be filled in either before or after the approval request, so input is not required when calculating work progress. Selection-type items such as radio buttons 1302 require selection, so input is required. The other entry field 1303 only needs to be filled in if "Other" is selected using the radio button 1302. In order to correctly calculate the work progress in this way, it is necessary to consider the input requirement attributes for each work item, such as mandatory, optional, or conditionally mandatory.

[0075] Fig. 14 is a configuration diagram of a work support device 500 according to embodiment 4. In addition to the configurations described in the above embodiments, the work support device 500 according to embodiment 4 includes an analysis unit 1400 and a storage unit 1401. The analysis unit 1400 may be configured as a part of the processor 503 like other functional units included in the processor 503, or may be configured as a functional unit separate from the processor 503 as shown in Fig. 14. The storage unit 1401 is configured by a storage device that stores data.

[0076] The analysis unit 1400 calculates the progress of the work by acquiring and analyzing data that the worker has entered into the work record on the wearable terminal 513 from the wearable terminal 513. A specific example will be described later. The storage unit 1401 accumulates data describing the progress calculated by the analysis unit 1400.

[0077] Fig. 15 is an example illustrating the operation of the analysis unit 1400. The upper part of Fig. 15 shows the input information of all PDF objects. The input information includes an input necessity indicating whether the input is required or not, and the input value itself. Checkbox1 is filled in, checkbox2 is blank, radio1 has "Other" selected, and text1 is blank.

[0078] The bottom part of Figure 15 shows the input information for a PDF object with required attributes. Checkbox1 and radio1 have been filled in, but text1 is blank, so the work progress can be calculated as two-thirds. In this way, the analysis unit 1400 obtains the work record from the wearable device 513 and calculates the ratio (progress rate) of the number of items that have been entered to the total number of items that require data entry. The analysis unit 1400 may display the calculation results on the wearable device 513, for example, by means of a pop-up window. The pop-up window prompts the worker to enter information into the blank fields.

[0079] Figure 16 is a diagram explaining how to correctly calculate work progress when handwritten entries are included. The top part of Figure 16 is an example of a handwritten check sheet. The worker writes down the measured values ​​for each measurement item by hand 1500, and if they are within the allowable range, they write OK in the judgment column, and if they are outside the allowable range, they write NG by hand 1501. In this way, with a handwritten check sheet, the results in the judgment column must be judged and entered by a person, which takes time and is prone to human error.

[0080] The middle section of Figure 16 is an example of a check sheet that includes form fields. The worker enters the measured value for each measurement item in text box 1502. When the worker enters data in text box 1502, the judgment column text box 1504 automatically executes a judgment of OK or NG based on the values ​​in tolerance text box 1503 and measurement text box 1502. By utilizing form fields for data entry, the OK or NG judgment can be automatically made by script, which shortens the work time compared to writing by hand and reduces human error.

[0081] The bottom section of Figure 16 shows an example of a checklist that combines a handwritten area and form fields. Because input assistance such as text boxes 1502 requires time for input using a software keyboard, users may prefer to enter measurement values ​​by hand. However, entering measurements by hand poses a problem: the corresponding tolerance cannot be identified, making it impossible to automatically determine whether the measurement is within the tolerance range or outside the tolerance range. To address this issue, a rectangular annotation 1505 is placed in the corresponding measurement value field. A unique property indicating the handwritten area is set in the rectangular annotation 1505, and the analysis unit 1400 recognizes the handwritten characters in the handwritten area using a model such as deep learning. The judgment field 1507 automatically performs a pass / fail judgment using an embedded script based on the numerical value in the handwritten area (annotation 1505) and the tolerance value 1506. In this way, by setting the rectangular annotation 1505 as a handwritten area, the corresponding tolerance can be identified even when measurements are entered by hand, enabling automatic judgment of the tolerance value. In addition, the accuracy of character recognition can be improved by limiting the characters included in the handwritten area to a specific type, such as numbers, Japanese, or English, and using character recognition models specialized for each type.

[0082] For example, among annotation data types, there is one that, in addition to handwriting, places a rectangular object to highlight (annotate) that portion. An annotation object of this type is placed as the annotation 1505, and the data structure conversion unit 507 converts the data structure so that the contents of the object of this type indicate the presence of handwritten data. Handwriting recognition processing can be performed, for example, by extracting the annotation 1505 as an image, sending the image to any recognition software (which may be on the wearable terminal 513 or the work assistance device 500), and receiving the results.

[0083] <Fourth embodiment: Summary> The work support device 500 according to the fourth embodiment incorporates a unique property indicating whether input is required into a PDF object. This allows the free software to set the property to an object generated via the free software, even if the free software cannot create an object with the property. Furthermore, the work progress of a work log containing a PDF object can be calculated using these objects.

[0084] The work support device 500 according to the fourth embodiment can correctly calculate the work progress even for a work log that includes handwriting by setting a rectangular annotation as a handwriting area and recognizing handwritten characters in the handwriting area using a character recognition model.

[0085] <Modifications of the present invention> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

[0086] In the above embodiment, it has been described that the input unit 501 receives instructions from the user of the work support apparatus 500. However, it should be noted that it is not limited to the user that gives instructions to the work support apparatus 500 (i.e., to the input unit 501). For example, instructions to the work support apparatus 500 may be generated by a computer and input to the input unit 501.

[0087] In the above embodiments, by sending a work log in the first data format (or a work log in the third data format before converting the object information) to the work support device 500 and instructing the work support device 500 to perform the processing described in the above embodiments, the work support device 500 can output the processing results. There is no need for a user to be involved in these processes. Therefore, the processing performed by the work support device 500 can be provided on a device that provides services via a network, such as a server computer.

[0088] In the above embodiments, each functional unit (object information extraction unit 505, object information addition unit 506, data structure conversion unit 507, document object generation unit 508, object generation unit 509, property modification unit 510, analysis unit 1400) of the work support device 500 can be configured by hardware such as a circuit device that implements these functions, or can be configured by a computing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing software that implements these functions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 500: work support device, 501: input unit, 502: display unit, 503: processor, 504: data communication unit, 505: object information extraction unit, 506: object information addition unit, 507: data structure conversion unit, 508: document object generation unit, 509: object generation unit, 510: property change unit, 511: form link generation unit, 512: annotation generation unit, 513: wearable terminal

Claims

1. A work support system that supports work performed by a worker at a work site, an object information extraction unit that extracts, from the PDF data displayed on a terminal used by the worker at the work site, object information describing properties of objects included in the PDF data; an object information adding unit that adds a property of an additional object to be added to the PDF data to the object information; a data structure conversion unit that converts the data structure of the object information into a format that can be processed by generation software that generates an object to be added to the PDF data; an object generation unit that generates, by the generation software, an object to be added to the PDF data, the object being described in the object information; a property modification unit that converts properties of the object generated by the object generation unit so that the object has properties included in a predetermined property set; a document object generation unit that generates a document object by duplicating the PDF data; Equipped with The object generation unit generates new PDF data that reflects the added object by adding the object generated by the object generation unit to the document object. A work support system characterized by:

2. The object generation unit generates the following as an object to be added to the PDF data: a form field, which is a screen component that supports data input for the PDF data; a link between two locations within the PDF data; An annotation for adding an annotation to the PDF data; Generate one of the When the form field or the link is newly added to the document object, the document object generation unit generates the document object from which the form field and the link included in the PDF data have been deleted; the object generation unit newly adds the form field or the link to the document object; The object generation unit adds the form field and the link to the document object, and then adds the annotation to the document object.

2. The work support system according to claim 1.

3. the object information extraction unit describes the type of object included in the PDF data in the object information; The object generation unit generates an object corresponding to the type of object described in the object information.

2. The work support system according to claim 1.

4. the object generation unit generates the object using only some of the properties necessary to generate the object to be added to the PDF data, and using temporary values ​​for the remaining properties; The property change unit overwrites the temporary value with a property described in the object information that has not been used by the object generation unit, thereby reflecting the property described in the object information in the object generated by the object generation unit.

2. The work support system according to claim 1.

5. the property change unit deletes properties of the object generated by the object generation unit that are not included in the property set; The property change unit newly generates a property that is included in the property set but is not included in the properties of the object generated by the object generation unit.

2. The work support system according to claim 1.

6. the object information adding unit adds, to the object information, a modification instruction for modifying a property of an object included in the PDF data; The data structure conversion unit, when converting the data structure of the object information, changes the property of the object specified by the change instruction among the object information in accordance with the change instruction.

2. The work support system according to claim 1.

7. the object information adding unit adds a deletion instruction to the object information, the deletion instruction instructing to delete an object included in the PDF data; The data structure conversion unit, when converting the data structure of the object information, deletes the object designated by the deletion instruction from the object information in accordance with the deletion instruction.

2. The work support system according to claim 1.

8. When the object included in the PDF data is a text box, the object information adding unit: a formula for calculating the text to be displayed in the text box; is added to the object information as a property of the text box, The data structure conversion unit converts the properties of the text box described in the object information into properties of a text box that can be placed in the PDF data.

2. The work support system according to claim 1.

9. the object information extraction unit extracts an input necessity property indicating whether or not an object included in the PDF data requires data input, and describes the property in the object information; The property change unit changes the property of the object generated by the object generation unit to a property of an object that can be arranged in the PDF data and for which input necessity is set according to the input necessity property.

2. The work support system according to claim 1.

10. The work support system further includes an analysis unit that analyzes a progress status of data input for objects that require data input among the objects included in the PDF data, the analysis unit identifies objects included in the PDF data that require data input according to the input necessity property; The analysis unit calculates the progress by calculating the ratio of the identified objects to which data has been input.

10. The work support system according to claim 9.

11. the data structure conversion unit converts an object type of a portion of the object in the PDF data to be handwritten into a value indicating that the object is a handwriting input object in which data is to be handwritten into a predetermined closed area; The property change unit sets a property for the handwriting input object that instructs the handwriting input object to recognize the written content by a program that automatically recognizes data written in the closed area.

2. The work support system according to claim 1.

12. The work support system further includes the terminal, the terminal receives document data having an object whose property has been changed by the property change unit; The terminal displays the received PDF data.

2. The work support system according to claim 1.

13. A work assistance method for assisting a worker in a work site, comprising: extracting object information describing properties of objects included in the PDF data from the PDF data displayed on a terminal used by the worker at the work site; adding a property of an additional object to be added to the PDF data to the object information; converting the data structure of the object information into a format that can be processed by generation software that generates objects to be added to the PDF data; generating, by the generating software, an object to be added to the PDF data, the object being described by the object information; converting properties of the object generated in the object generating step so that the object has properties included in a predetermined property set; generating a document object by duplicating the PDF data; and In the step of generating the object, the generated object is added to the document object, thereby generating new PDF data that reflects the added object. A work support method comprising:

14. A work support program that causes a computer to execute a process for supporting a work performed by a worker at a work site, the program comprising: extracting object information describing properties of objects included in the PDF data from the PDF data displayed on a terminal used by the worker at the work site; adding a property of an additional object to be added to the PDF data to the object information; converting the data structure of the object information into a format that can be processed by generation software that generates objects to be added to the PDF data; generating, by the generating software, an object to be added to the PDF data, the object being described by the object information; converting properties of the object generated in the object generating step so that the object has properties included in a predetermined property set; generating a document object by duplicating the PDF data; Execute In the step of generating the object, the computer is caused to execute a step of generating new PDF data that reflects the added object by adding the generated object to the document object. A work support program characterized by:

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