Work instruction device and program

Abstract

To provide a work instruction device and a program, allowing a user to surely perform article carrying work with both hands.SOLUTION: The work instruction device includes an article information acquisition unit (article transporting information acquisition unit) that acquires article transporting information including a current position of a worker, information for specifying a basket cart (article) transported by the worker, and information for specifying a headset worn by the worker, a guidance information generation unit that generates guidance information including a route for guiding the basket cart from the current position to a storage location or a via-point leading to the storage location based on the article transporting information and the storage location of the basket cart, a voice information generation unit (information conversion unit) that converts the generated guidance information into voice information, and a work instruction output unit that causes the headset worn by the worker to output the voice information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a work instruction device and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a work instruction device that supports a transport operation of moving goods, such as merchandise, delivered by truck or the like to a storage warehouse in a warehouse where goods are received. In such a work instruction device, the identification information of the goods is read by a portable terminal such as a handy scanner carried by a worker, and the goods are moved to the storage warehouse while checking the destination and the like displayed on the portable terminal (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] With such conventional work instruction devices, workers must use their hands to operate the mobile device. Furthermore, because they need to check destination information and other information displayed on the mobile device, they may neglect to check their surroundings. Therefore, there has been a demand for a work instruction device that allows workers to carry an item with both hands while checking their surroundings. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a work instruction device and a program that enable a worker to reliably carry out an item carrying task with both hands. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A work instruction device according to an embodiment includes an item transport information acquisition unit, a guidance information generation unit, an information conversion unit, and a work instruction output unit. The item transport information acquisition unit acquires item transport information including a current location of a worker, information identifying an item being transported by the worker, and information identifying a headset worn by the worker. The guidance information generation unit generates guidance information including a route for guiding the item from the current location to the storage location or a waypoint leading to the storage location, based on the item transport information and the storage location of the item. The information conversion unit converts the generated guidance information into audio information. The work instruction output unit outputs the audio information from the headset worn by the worker. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a work instruction system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a hardware block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a work instructing device included in the work instructing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of an item master stored in the work instructing device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a prompt generated by the work instructing device. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a first diagram illustrating an example of guidance information generated by the work instructing device. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a second diagram illustrating an example of guidance information generated by the work instructing device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the work instructing device. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow of processing performed by the work instruction system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] (Outline of the work instruction system) A schematic configuration of a work instruction system 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the work instruction system according to the embodiment.

[0008] As shown in FIG. 1, the work instruction system 10 includes a work instruction device 20, an RFID reader 26, and a headset 29 worn by the worker 12.

[0009] The work instruction system 10 instructs the worker 12, who is wearing the headset 29 and carrying the cart 13, as to the storage location of the cart 13 in the storage facility 16 via the headset 29. The cart 13 is an example of an item in the present disclosure.

[0010] The work instructing device 20 acquires identification information that uniquely identifies the basket cart 13 being transported by the worker 12, the current position of the basket cart 13, identification information that uniquely identifies the headset 29 worn by the worker 12, and the current position of the headset 29. The work instructing device 20 then calculates a movement route from the current position of the basket cart 13 to a storage location in the storehouse 16. The work instructing device 20 also generates guidance information that provides guidance along the calculated movement route. The work instructing device 20 then converts the generated guidance information into audio information and outputs it from the headset 29 worn by the worker 12.

[0011] An RFID tag 14 is attached to the side or top of the cart 13. Identification information that uniquely identifies the cart 13 is registered in the RFID tag 14. An RFID tag 15 is attached to the headset 29. Identification information that uniquely identifies the headset 29 is registered in the RFID tag 15. The RFID tag 14 and the RFID tag 15 are examples of wireless tags in the present disclosure.

[0012] The identification information that uniquely identifies the car cart 13 and the identification information that uniquely identifies the headset 29 are read by an RFID reader 26 installed at the gate when the worker 12 passes through the gate while carrying the car cart 13. The work instructing device 20 communicates wirelessly with the RFID reader 26 via an antenna 25, and acquires the identification information that identifies the RFID reader 26, as well as the identification information of the car cart 13 and the headset 29. The work instructing device 20 stores the installation position of the RFID reader 26, and recognizes that the car cart 13 and the worker 12 are present at the installation position of the RFID reader 26 because the RFID reader 26 reads the identification information of the car cart 13 and the identification information of the headset 29.

[0013] The RFID reader 26 (261) is provided at a position where the goods brought in by the transport vehicle 11 are unloaded and loaded onto the cart 13. In addition, multiple RFID readers 26 are installed at key points on the way to the storage shed 16 of the cart 13. Figure 1 shows an example in which the RFID readers 26 are installed at two locations.

[0014] The carriage of the cart 13 is generally performed by a plurality of workers 12. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1 , there are a plurality of carts 13 (131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136), and each cart 13 is attached with a different RFID tag 14 (141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146). There are also a plurality of workers 12 (121, 122, 123). Furthermore, each of the plurality of workers 12 wears a different headset 29. That is, there are also a plurality of headsets 29 (291, 292, 293), and each headset 29 is attached with a different RFID tag 15 (151, 152, 153). In the following description, when it is not necessary to identify each of them, they will simply be referred to as the cart 13, workers 12, headsets 29, RFID tag 14, and RFID tag 15.

[0015] (Hardware configuration of the work instruction device) The hardware configuration of the work instructing device 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a hardware block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the work instructing device included in the work instructing system of the embodiment.

[0016] The work instruction device 20 has a configuration in which a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication controller 24 are connected to one another via an internal bus 23.

[0017] The control unit 21 controls the overall operation of the work instructing device 20. The control unit 21 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 211, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 212, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 213. The CPU 211 is connected to the ROM 212 and the RAM 213 via internal buses such as an address bus and a data bus. The CPU 211 loads various programs stored in the ROM 212 and the storage unit 22 into the RAM 213. The CPU 211 controls the operation of the work instructing device 20 by operating in accordance with the various programs loaded into the RAM 213. In other words, the control unit 21 has the configuration of a general computer. Note that the configuration of the control unit 21 is not limited to this, and for example, the CPU 211 may be directly connected to the ROM 212 and the RAM 213 without the internal bus 23.

[0018] The storage unit 22 is a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD). The storage unit 22 may also be a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory that retains stored information even when the power is turned off. The storage unit 22 stores a control program 221, an item master 222, a headset master 223, map data 224, and a large-scale language model 225.

[0019] The control program 221 is a program that controls the overall operation of the work instructing device 20. The control program 221 may be provided in a state stored in the storage unit 22, or may be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable file on a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, or a DVD. The control program 221 may also be provided by being stored on a computer connected to a network and downloaded via the network. Furthermore, the control program 221 may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0020] The item master 222 is a master file that stores information such as the storage location in the storehouse 16 of the cart 13 transported by the worker 12. The data structure of the item master 222 will be described in detail later (see FIG. 3).

[0021] The headset master 223 is a master file that stores identification information that uniquely identifies the headset 29 used by the worker 12.

[0022] The map data 224 is map data that covers the area from the position where the car cart 13 loaded with goods brought in by the transport vehicle 11 is unloaded, or the position where the goods brought in by the transport vehicle 11 are transferred onto the car cart 13, to the storage facility 16 where the car cart 13 is stored. The map data 224 includes linear information of the passageway through which the car cart 13 can pass, positional information of corners and branching points in the passageway, the installation position of a gate equipped with an RFID reader 26, and positional information of the storage location of the car cart 13 in the storage facility 16. The data structure of the map data 224 is not important.

[0023] The large-scale language model 225, also known as an LLM (Large Language Model), is a language model used to generate instruction information in natural language that conforms to set generation conditions (prompts) by performing natural language processing on the set generation conditions. The large-scale language model 225 is constructed by performing deep learning training on a large amount of text data. In particular, the large-scale language model 225 used in this embodiment is a language model trained to generate guidance information that provides directions for moving the cart 13 to a storage location in the storage facility 16. Note that in this embodiment, the work instructing device 20 itself is configured to include the large-scale language model 225 and generate the guidance information. However, because the large-scale language model 225 has a large amount of data, it may also be stored in a computer independent of the work instructing device 20, and the computer may receive a prompt generated by the work instructing device 20, generate guidance information using the large-scale language model 225, and output the generated guidance information to the work instructing device 20.

[0024] The control unit 21 performs various communications with the antenna 25 via the communication controller 24. The antenna 25 acquires, from the RFID reader 26, identification information that uniquely identifies the car car 13 and that is registered in the RFID tag 14 attached to the car car 13. The antenna 25 also acquires, from the RFID reader 26, identification information that uniquely identifies the headset 29 and that is registered in the RFID tag 15 attached to the headset 29 worn by the worker 12.

[0025] (Data structure of item master) The data structure of the item master 222 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the item master stored in the work instructing device.

[0026] The item master 222 stores various items of information in association with an item ID, which is identification information that uniquely identifies the cart 13.

[0027] The item information stored in the item master 222 includes, for example, the item name, the item storage location, and additional information. The item name is the name given to the item. The item storage location is information that identifies the storage location of the item with the item ID. The item storage location indicates, for example, the storage location in the storage shed 16 (see Figure 1). More specifically, the item storage location stores the latitude and longitude of the storage location, the compartment number of the storage location, etc. The item storage location is information that can uniquely identify the location in the map data 224 (see Figure 2). The additional information includes, for example, precautions to take when transporting the item, such as "keep top side down" and "be careful, fragile."

[0028] (Work instruction device generated prompt) A prompt 31 generated by the work instructing device 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a prompt generated by the work instructing device.

[0029] 4 is an example of a prompt 31 generated by the work instructing device 20. The prompt 31 includes at least an instruction to create route guidance, the current position of the cart 13, the storage location of the cart 13, constraints related to the travel route, and the maximum number of characters for the guidance information.

[0030] The instruction to create route guidance is an instruction to request the creation of route guidance for transporting the article (cart 13) from the current position to the storage location.

[0031] The current position of the car cart 13 is information indicating the installation position of the RFID reader 26 that read the RFID tag 14 attached to the car cart 13. The work instruction device 20 identifies the current position of the car cart 13 based on identification information that identifies the RFID reader 26 itself, which is output when the RFID reader 26 reads the RFID tag 14, and the installation position of the RFID reader 26 stored in the map data 224.

[0032] The storage location of the cart 13 is information indicating the storage location stored in the item master 222. The work instructing device 20 identifies, from the item master 222, the storage location associated with the item ID (see FIG. 3) read by the RFID reader 26.

[0033] The constraints on the movement route are, for example, a constraint that the item must pass through a gate equipped with an RFID reader 26 before reaching the storage location.

[0034] The maximum number of characters in the guidance information is the maximum number of characters in the generated guidance information. Since the work instructing device 20 conveys the generated guidance information to the worker 12 by voice, it is desirable that the guidance information be as short as possible to prevent the worker 12 from forgetting to hear it. Therefore, in the example of Fig. 4, the maximum number of characters is set to, for example, 100 characters or less.

[0035] The prompt 31 may include information other than that shown in FIG.

[0036] The work instructing device 20 processes the prompt 31 with a natural language processing mechanism using a large-scale language model 225, thereby generating guidance information 32 (see FIG. 5) to be given to the worker 12.

[0037] (Guidance information generated by the work instruction device) The guidance information 32 and 33 generated by the work instructing device 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. Fig. 5 is a first diagram showing an example of the guidance information generated by the work instructing device. Fig. 6 is a second diagram showing an example of the guidance information generated by the work instructing device.

[0038] The guidance information 32 is guidance information that is output by the work instructing device 20 when the cart 131 and the worker 121 carrying the cart 131 pass through a gate equipped with an RFID reader 261.

[0039] The guidance information 32 is output from the headset 291 worn by the worker 121 as a voice message such as, for example, "Go through the gate 80 meters ahead, enter storage facility A 50 meters ahead, and store the items in the storage area K-1 section on the first floor."

[0040] Thereafter, the worker 121 follows the route instructed by the guide information 32 and transports the cart 131 .

[0041] The guidance information 33 is guidance information that is output by the work instructing device 20 when the cart 131 and the worker 121 carrying the cart 131 pass through a gate equipped with an RFID reader 262.

[0042] The guidance information 33 is output from the headset 291 worn by the worker 121 as a voice message such as, "Enter storage facility A, 50 meters ahead, and store the items in the storage area K-1 section on the first floor."

[0043] The guidance information 33 is obtained by deleting the route guidance from the gate equipped with the RFID reader 261 to the gate equipped with the RFID reader 262 from the guidance information 32. In this way, the work instructing device 20 transports the cart 13 according to the guidance information, and each time it passes through a gate equipped with the RFID reader 26, it outputs guidance information from that point to the storage location of the cart 13.

[0044] (Functional configuration of the work instruction device) The functional configuration of the work instructing device 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the work instructing device.

[0045] The control unit 21 of the work instructing device 20 deploys the control program 221 in the RAM 213 and runs it to realize, as functional units, an item information acquisition unit 41, a headset information acquisition unit 42, a prompt generation unit 43, a guidance information generation unit 44, a voice information generation unit 45, and a work instruction output unit 46, all of which are shown in Fig. 7. Note that some or all of these functional units may be realized by dedicated hardware.

[0046] The item information acquisition unit 41 acquires item transport information including the current location of the worker 12 and information identifying the basket cart 13 (item) transported by the worker 12. More specifically, the item information acquisition unit 41 acquires the current location of the worker 12 and information identifying the basket cart 13 (item) transported by the worker 12 using the RFID reader 26. The item information acquisition unit 41 is an example of an item transport information acquisition unit in the present disclosure. Note that the item information acquisition unit 41 may recognize the information identifying the basket cart 13 transported by the worker 12 by capturing an image of a code symbol, such as a barcode or two-dimensional code, attached to the basket cart 13 using a camera installed at the gate.

[0047] The headset information acquisition unit 42 acquires information identifying the headset 29 worn by the worker 12 transporting the cart 13 in association with information identifying the cart 13. More specifically, the item information acquisition unit 41 acquires information identifying the headset 29 worn by the worker 12 transporting the cart 13 using the RFID reader 26. The headset information acquisition unit 42 is an example of an item transport information acquisition unit in the present disclosure.

[0048] The prompt generation unit 43 generates a prompt 31 (see FIG. 4 ), which is a generation condition for generating guidance information that guides the worker 12 transporting the basket 13 to the storage location in the storage shed 16 of the basket 13. The prompt 31 includes the current location of the worker 12, the storage location in the storage shed 16 of the basket 13 that the worker 12 is transporting, the location of the gate that must be passed through on the way to the storage location, etc.

[0049] The guidance information generation unit 44 generates guidance information including a route for guiding the basket cart 13 from the current position to the storage location or a waypoint leading to the storage location based on the goods transport information and the storage location of the basket cart 13.

[0050] The voice information generating unit 45 converts into voice information the guidance information generated by the guidance information generating unit 44. The voice information generating unit 45 is an example of an information converting unit in the present disclosure.

[0051] The work instruction output unit 46 transmits the voice information generated by the voice information generation unit 45 to the headset 29 worn by the worker 12 transporting the corresponding cart 13, and outputs it from the headset 29.

[0052] (Processing flow performed by the work instruction device) The flow of processing performed by the work instructing device 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of processing performed by the work instructing system of the embodiment.

[0053] The item information acquisition unit 41 determines whether the item ID registered in the RFID tag 14 attached to the cart 13 has been acquired (step S11). If it is determined that the item ID has been acquired (step S11: Yes), the process proceeds to step S12. On the other hand, if it is not determined that the item ID has been acquired (step S11: No), the determination in step S11 is repeated.

[0054] When it is determined in step S11 that the item ID has been acquired, the headset information acquisition unit 42 acquires the headset ID registered in the RFID tag 15 attached to the headset 29 worn by the worker 12 who is transporting the cart 13 (step S12). In reality, the RFID tag 14 attached to the cart 13 and the RFID tag 15 attached to the headset 29 are read at approximately the same time, so the headset information acquisition unit 42 only needs to acquire information about the RFID tag 15 that is read at approximately the same time that the item information acquisition unit 41 reads the RFID tag 14.

[0055] The prompt generating unit 43 generates a prompt 31, which is a generating condition for generating guidance information that guides the cart 13 from its current position to a storage location in the storage shed 16 (step S13).

[0056] The guidance information generation unit 44 generates guidance information 32 including directions for guiding the basket cart 13 from the current location to the storage location or a waypoint leading to the storage location based on the current location of the worker 12, information identifying the basket cart 13 being carried by the worker 12, and the storage location of the basket cart 13 (step S14).

[0057] The voice information generating unit 45 converts the guidance information generated by the guidance information generating unit 44 into voice information (step S15).

[0058] The work instruction output unit 46 transmits the voice information generated by the voice information generation unit 45 to the headset 29 worn by the worker 12 transporting the corresponding cart 13, and causes the voice information to be output from the headset 29 (step S16). Thereafter, the work instruction device 20 repeats the processes of steps S11 to S16 every time the worker 12 passes through a gate where the RFID reader 26 is installed.

[0059] (Modification of the embodiment) The work instructing device 20 may cause the worker 12 to ask for a repetition of the guidance information 32, 33 using a microphone provided in a headset 29 worn by the worker 12.

[0060] For example, if the worker 12 misses the guidance information 32, 33 or forgets to listen to the guidance information 32, 33 while transporting the cart 13, the worker 12 speaks into the microphone of the headset 29, such as "one more time."

[0061] The control unit 21 of the work instructing device 20 acquires this utterance and performs voice recognition. Then, the control unit 21 of the work instructing device 20 outputs the latest guidance information 32, 33 again to the headset 29 worn by the worker 12. This allows the worker 12 to listen to the guidance information 32, 33 again at any time, and allows the worker 12 to transport the cart 13 to the storage location without getting lost.

[0062] (Effects of the embodiment) As described above, the work instruction device 20 of the embodiment includes an item information acquisition unit 41 (item transport information acquisition unit) that acquires item transport information including the current location of the worker 12, information identifying the basket cart 13 (item) being transported by the worker 12, and information identifying the headset 29 worn by the worker 12; a guidance information generation unit 44 that generates guidance information 32 including routes for guiding the basket cart 13 from the current location to the storage location or a waypoint leading to the storage location based on the item transport information and the storage location of the basket cart 13; a voice information generation unit 45 (information conversion unit) that converts the generated guidance information 32 into voice information; and a work instruction output unit 46 that outputs the voice information from the headset 29 worn by the worker 12. Therefore, the worker 12 can transport the basket cart 13 (item) with both hands, improving workability. Furthermore, because the guidance information 32 is transmitted by voice, the worker 12 can reliably check the surrounding situation and prevent collisions with other basket carts, etc.

[0063] Furthermore, in the work instructing device 20 of the embodiment, the guidance information generator 44 generates the guidance information 32 by natural language processing using the large-scale language model 225. Therefore, more natural guidance information 32 can be generated.

[0064] Furthermore, in the work instruction device 20 of the embodiment, the item information acquisition unit 41 (item transport information acquisition unit) acquires item transport information at least once during the transport route of the cart 13 (item). Therefore, each time the item transport information is acquired, guidance information 32, 33 from the position to the storage location of the cart 13 can be provided.

[0065] Furthermore, in the work instruction device 20 of the embodiment, the item information acquisition unit 41 (item transport information acquisition unit) reads the RFID tag 14 (wireless tag) attached to the cart 13 (item) and in which information identifying the cart 13 is registered, using an RFID reader 26 (reading device) installed at a predetermined position. Therefore, the location of the cart 13 and the identification information of the cart 13 can be detected reliably and easily.

[0066] Furthermore, in the work instruction device 20 of the embodiment, the item information acquisition unit 41 (item transport information acquisition unit) uses an RFID reader 26 (reading device) to read an RFID tag 15 (wireless tag) attached to a headset 29 worn by a worker 12, in which information identifying the headset is registered. Therefore, the location of the worker 12 and the identification information identifying the headset 29 worn by the worker 12 can be reliably and easily detected.

[0067] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the inventions and their equivalents as set forth in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 10 Work instruction system 12 Workers 13 Cage cart (goods) 14 RFID tags (wireless tags) 15 RFID tags (wireless tags) 16 Storage 20 Work instruction device 25 Antenna 26 RFID reader (reading device) 29 Headset 32,33 Guide Information 41 Item information acquisition unit (item transport information acquisition unit) 42 Headset information acquisition unit (item transport information acquisition unit) 43 Prompt Generation Unit 44 Guidance information generation unit 45 Voice information generation unit (information conversion unit) 46 Work instruction output section 222 Item Master 223 Headset Master 224 map data 225 Large-Scale Language Models (LLM) [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0069] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7019051

Claims

1. an item transport information acquisition unit that acquires item transport information including a current location of a worker, information identifying an item being transported by the worker, and information identifying a headset being worn by the worker; a guidance information generating unit that generates guidance information including a route for guiding the item from a current location to a storage location or a waypoint leading to the storage location based on the item transportation information and the storage location of the item; an information conversion unit that converts the generated guidance information into voice information; a work instruction output unit that outputs the voice information from a headset worn by the worker; A work instruction device comprising:

2. the guidance information generation unit generates the guidance information by natural language processing using a large-scale language model. The work instruction device according to claim 1 .

3. The item transport information acquisition unit acquires the item transport information at least once during the transport route of the item. The work instruction device according to claim 2 .

4. the item transport information acquisition unit reads, with a reader installed at a predetermined position, a wireless tag attached to the item, in which information identifying the item is registered; The work instruction device according to claim 3 .

5. the item transport information acquisition unit reads, with the reading device, a wireless tag attached to a headset worn by the worker, in which information identifying the headset is registered; The work instruction device according to claim 4.

6. A computer that controls the work instruction device an item transport information acquisition unit that acquires item transport information including a current location of a worker, information identifying an item being transported by the worker, and information identifying a headset being worn by the worker; a guidance information generating unit that generates guidance information including a route for guiding the item from a current location to a storage location or a waypoint leading to the storage location based on the item transportation information and the storage location of the item; an information conversion unit that converts the generated guidance information into voice information; a work instruction output unit that outputs the voice information from a headset worn by the worker; A program that makes it work.

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