Process planning support device, process planning support system, process planning support method and program

Abstract

A process plan preparation assistance apparatus (1) comprises: a personnel allocation calculation unit (18) for calculating, on the basis of attendant information, work definition information, and work time information of each worker, personnel allocation for an element task corresponding to a production plan indicated by production plan information acquired by a production plan information acquisition unit (15); a process plan information generation unit (19) for generating process plan information indicating personnel allocation and a production order for maximizing an evaluation value for productivity evaluation by changing the production order and calculating the personnel allocation; and a work time information updating unit (14) that updates work time information of a worker having previous work experience on the basis of photographic information indicating a video of the worker, predicts an element task time of a worker having no previous work experience on the basis of work time information of a worker having previous work experience whose attributes are most similar to the worker having no previous work experience, and generates work time information of the worker having no previous work experience.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a process plan creation support device, a process plan creation support system, a process plan creation support method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In manufacturing sites, when allocating personnel based on a product production plan and giving work instructions to each worker, there is a method for obtaining information on the working hours of all workers and giving workers efficient work instructions that maximize the productivity evaluation value.

[0003] Patent document 1 discloses a process planning support device that calculates the work time corresponding to the worker for work assigned to each work station on an assembly line, and calculates and outputs an evaluation index for each work station based on the calculated work time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-26071 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] With the technology described in Patent Document 1, when there are new employees, helpers, or other workers whose work hours are unknown due to a lack of data, it is not possible to know how long the worker will be able to complete the work, and efficient work instructions cannot be given.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to enable efficient work instructions even when there are workers whose work times are unknown. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a process plan creation support device according to the present disclosure includes a production plan information acquisition unit, a personnel allocation calculation unit, a process plan information generation unit, and a work time information update unit. The production plan information acquisition unit acquires production plan information indicating a production plan for a product. The personnel allocation calculation unit calculates personnel allocation for element tasks corresponding to a production plan indicated by the production plan information, based on attendance worker information indicating attendance workers who are workers who are at work, work definition information indicating element tasks constituting each step of a production process for the product, and work time information indicating element task times which are the times required for element tasks by each worker. The process plan information generation unit rearranges the production sequence, causes the personnel allocation calculation unit to calculate personnel allocation, and generates process plan information indicating personnel allocation and production sequence that maximizes an evaluation value that evaluates productivity. The work time information update unit updates work time information of workers with past work experience based on shooting information indicating footage of the workers, predicts element work times of workers with no past work experience based on work time information of workers with past work experience whose attributes are most similar to the worker with no past work experience, and generates work time information for the worker with no past work experience. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, when creating a process plan that maximizes the productivity evaluation value based on the work time of each worker, by predicting element work times of workers with no past work experience based on work time information of workers with past work experience who have attributes most similar to the worker with no past work experience, and generating work time information indicating the element work times of workers with no past work experience, it becomes possible to give efficient work instructions even when there are workers whose work times are unknown. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a process plan creation support system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a process plan creation support device according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of work time information according to the first embodiment; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of work definition information according to the first embodiment; [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a work time information update unit according to the first embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of person attribute information according to the first embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing personal attribute information of new employee X according to the first embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram conceptually illustrating a process for predicting element work times of new employee X according to the first embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a graph of probability distribution of element work times of new employee X according to embodiment 1; [Figure 10] A flowchart showing an example of the operation of a process plan creation support process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] A flowchart showing an example of the operation of the task time prediction process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a process plan creation support device according to first and second embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] A process plan creation support device, a process plan creation support system, a process plan creation support method, and a program according to the present embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or corresponding parts in the drawings are given the same reference numerals. In the following embodiment, an example will be described in which creation of a process plan is supported for assigning tasks included in a process for producing a product to workers based on a production plan for the product. The product is an example of a product.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) The configuration of a process plan creation support system 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. A user (administrator in the figure) of the process plan creation support system 100 inputs production plan information indicating today's product production plan to the process plan creation support device 1. The production plan information here is information indicating the number of units to be produced for each product model, and the order of production does not need to be determined. The product model is an example of a type of product.

[0012] The camera 2 is a camera that captures an image of a worker. For example, a 3D camera that can capture an image of the worker's hands while working is fixedly installed as the camera 2. The camera 2 transmits imaging information indicating an image of the worker to the process plan creation support device 1.

[0013] The process plan creation support device 1 calculates personnel allocation for tasks corresponding to the production plan based on the input production plan information and the received imaging information. The process plan creation support device 1 calculates an evaluation value for evaluating productivity based on the calculated personnel allocation. The process plan creation support device 1 rearranges the production sequence to perform personnel allocation, and calculates personnel allocation and production sequence that maximize the evaluation value for evaluating productivity. The process plan creation support device 1 outputs process plan information indicating personnel allocation and production sequence that maximize the evaluation value for evaluating productivity.

[0014] Next, the functional configuration of the process plan creation support device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The process plan creation support device 1 includes an attendance worker information generating unit 11 that receives image capture information from the camera 2, identifies attendance workers who are workers who have come to work based on the image capture information, and generates attendance worker information indicating the attendance workers, an attendance worker information storage unit 12 that stores attendance worker information, a work time information storage unit 13 that stores work time information indicating the work time of each worker, a work time information updating unit 14 that receives image capture information from the camera 2 and updates the work time information based on the image capture information, a production plan information acquiring unit 15 that accepts input of production plan information indicating today's production plan from a user, a production plan information storage unit 16 that stores the production plan information, and a work definition information storage unit 17 that stores work definition information indicating elemental work constituting each step of the production process for each model.

[0015] The process plan creation support device 1 also includes a personnel allocation calculation unit 18 that calculates personnel allocation for work corresponding to the production plan indicated by the production plan information based on attendance information, work time information, and work definition information, a process plan information generation unit 19 that calculates personnel allocation and production sequence that maximizes an evaluation value for evaluating productivity and generates process plan information, and a process plan information output unit 20 that outputs the process plan information.

[0016] The attendance information generating unit 11 acquires the names of workers present, i.e., the names of workers who have attended work, by identifying the people who appear in the video indicated by the photographing information received from the camera 2. The attendance information generating unit 11 generates attendance information indicating the names of the people who have attended work, and stores this in the attendance information storage unit 12. Methods for identifying the people who appear in the video include, for example, reading an AR (Argumented Reality) marker unique to the worker, or using face recognition technology.

[0017] The task time information storage unit 13 stores task time information indicating the task time of each worker. Here, task time information will be described with reference to FIG. 3. In the example of FIG. 3, task time information is data recording the time required for an element task for each combination of worker, machine type, and element task. Hereinafter, the time required for an element task will be referred to as element task time. The element task time indicated by the task time information is not a constant, but a continuous probability distribution with the element task time on the horizontal axis and the number of times on the vertical axis. FIG. 3 shows the probability distribution of element task times for combinations of worker 1, machine type M1, element task E01, worker 1, machine type M1, element task E02, worker 2, machine type M1, element task E01, and worker 2, machine type M1, element task E02.

[0018] For a combination of worker, machine type, and element work, if there is past work history, the work time information showing the actual element work time is stored, but if there is no past work history (newcomer, helper, etc.), the work time information showing the predicted element work time is stored. The method for predicting element work times will be described later. Also, if new work history is obtained for a combination of worker, machine type, and element work, the work information is updated.

[0019] Returning to FIG. 2, the personnel allocation calculation unit 18 performs personnel allocation that maximizes the evaluation value for evaluating productivity for the production plan (model and number of units) indicated by the production plan information, based on the attendance information, working time information, and work definition information. Personnel allocation means allocating workers to each elemental work that constitutes each process of producing a product. The evaluation value for evaluating productivity is, for example, the value (units / hour) obtained by dividing the number of units produced by the total time the worker was present. In this case, the greater the value (units / hour) obtained by dividing the number of units produced by the total time the worker was present, the higher the productivity.

[0020] Here, the work definition information will be explained with reference to FIG. 4. In the example of FIG. 4, the work definition information is information indicating what element work is configured in the production process for each model. The production process of model M1 has four processes, namely, "setup", "process 1", "process 2", and "process 3". "Setup" is configured with "element work E01", ..., "element work E0n0". "Process 1" is configured with "element work E11", ..., "element work E1n1". "Process 2" is configured with "element work E21", ..., "element work E2n2". "Process 3" is configured with "element work E31", ..., "element work E3n3". For example, process 1 is sub-assembly, process 2 is characteristic testing, and process 3 is total assembly. "Element work E01" of "setup" is, for example, jig replacement, and element work E0n0 is, for example, entry work. "Element work E11" of "process 1" is, for example, jig replacement, and element work E1n1 is, for example, screw tightening. An "element operation E21" in "process 2" is, for example, jig replacement, and an element operation E2n2 is, for example, inspection machine removal. An "element operation E31" in "process 3" is, for example, jig replacement, and an element operation E3n3 is, for example, transportation work.

[0021] Returning to Fig. 2, the process plan information generation unit 19 rearranges the production sequence of the models and again causes the personnel allocation calculation unit 18 to execute the personnel allocation that maximizes the evaluation value. If the maximum evaluation value calculated by the personnel allocation calculation unit 18 exceeds the previous calculation result, the optimal solution of personnel allocation and production sequence is updated. By repeating this process, the process plan information generation unit 19 compares all the maximum evaluation values ​​calculated by the personnel allocation calculation unit 18, and generates process plan information by using the personnel allocation and production sequence that maximizes the evaluation value as the optimal solution.

[0022] The process plan information output unit 20 outputs the process plan information generated by the process plan information generation unit 19. The process plan information may be output, for example, by displaying it on a screen or by outputting it as audio. Alternatively, the process plan information may be sent to a user terminal used by a user (manager or worker).

[0023] The work time information update unit 14 identifies the person and the model of the device captured in the image indicated by the shooting information received from the camera 2, and measures the element work time. The work time information update unit 14 updates the work time information stored in the work time information storage unit 13 based on the measured element work time.

[0024] The functional configuration of the work time information update unit 14 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. The work time information update unit 14 includes a detection unit 141 that detects a worker and the model of a product handled by the worker from the video indicated by the shooting information, a work time measurement unit 142 that measures an elemental work time of the worker, an update unit 143 that updates the work time information based on the elemental work time measured by the work time measurement unit 142, a person attribute information storage unit 144 that stores person attribute information indicating the attributes of each worker who has a past work record, and a work time prediction unit 145 that predicts an elemental work time based on the person attribute information when a worker detected by the detection unit 141 has no past work record (newcomer, helper, etc.).

[0025] The detection unit 141 detects the worker and the model of the product the worker is handling from the video indicated by the shooting information received from the camera 2. The detection unit 141 refers to the person attribute information stored in the person attribute information storage unit 144 and determines whether the detected worker is a worker with past work experience. If the detected worker is a worker with past work experience, the detection unit 141 sends information indicating the detected worker and model and the shooting information to the work time measurement unit 142. If the detected worker is not a worker with past work experience (newcomer, helper, etc.), the detection unit 141 sends information indicating the detected worker and model and the shooting information to the work time prediction unit 145.

[0026] When the task time measurement unit 142 receives the information indicating the detected worker and model and the shooting information from the detection unit 141, it identifies the element task being performed by the worker based on the video indicated by the shooting information, and measures the element task time of the worker. For example, a behavior classification device is used as a means for identifying the element task. The behavior classification device can automatically divide the video of a continuous task into element tasks based on the video of the worker performing the task by AI judgment, and can obtain the element task time. Alternatively, if the element task can be identified by a jig, the element task may be identified by reading an AR marker unique to the jig. The task time measurement unit 142 sends the information indicating the worker and model received from the detection unit 141 and the information indicating the calculated element task time to the update unit 143.

[0027] The update unit 143 updates the work time information of the corresponding combination of worker, machine type, and element work among the work information stored in the work time information storage unit 13, based on the information indicating the worker and machine type and the information indicating the element work time received from the work time measurement unit 142.

[0028] Here, the person attribute information will be explained with reference to Fig. 6. The person attribute information stores the attributes of the worker and their numerical values. In the example of Fig. 6, the attributes of the worker are "name", "gender", "age", "years of service", "physique", "task A rating", "task B rating", and "task C rating".

[0029] The values ​​for "gender" are 1 for male and 2 for female. The values ​​for "age" are 1 for teens, 2 for 20s, 3 for 30s, 4 for 40s, 5 for 50s, and 6 for over 60s. The values ​​for "tenure" are 1 for less than 10 years, 2 for 11-20 years, 3 for 21-30 years, 4 for 31-40 years, and 5 for 41 years or more. The values ​​for "physique" are 1 for thin, 2 for normal, and 3 for overweight. "Task A evaluation" is an evaluation of how quickly task A is completed. Similarly, "Task B evaluation" and "Task C evaluation" are evaluations of how quickly task B and task C are completed, respectively. Task A, task B, and task C include, for example, removing parts, installing, screwing, inserting electronic components, gluing, soldering, and transporting. The numerical values ​​for "Task A Rating", "Task B Rating" and "Task C Rating" are 3 for fast, 2 for standard and 1 for slow. The ratings for "Task A Rating", "Task B Rating" and "Task C Rating" are assigned according to pre-determined rules.

[0030] The numerical values ​​of the worker attributes in the person attribute information are not limited to the example in FIG. 6. For example, "age" may be classified in more detailed increments of 5 years, or may be the age value itself. "Years of service" may be the length of service value itself. "Physical build" may be the BMI value calculated from height and weight. The attributes may include an evaluation of the speed at which tasks other than tasks A, B, and C are completed. The person attribute information also includes the attributes and their numerical values ​​for workers with no past work experience (newcomers, helpers, etc.).

[0031] 5, the task time prediction unit 145 uses a calculation formula to determine workers with past task performance similar to that of workers with no past task performance (newcomers, helpers, etc.) based on the person attribute information. The task time prediction unit 145 refers to task information of workers with past task performance similar to that of workers with no past task performance (newcomers, helpers, etc.) and predicts element task times of the workers with no past task performance.

[0032] Specifically, an example of predicting the element work time of newcomer X, a worker with no past work experience, will be described with reference to Figs. 7 to 9. The work time prediction unit 145 predicts the element work time of newcomer X by executing the following procedures 1 to 4. In procedure 1, a person (a worker with past work experience) whose attributes are most similar to those of newcomer X is identified. In procedure 2, the work time information of that person is read from the work time information storage unit 13. In procedure 3, the proficiency level is calculated backwards. In procedure 4, the probability distribution of element work times for newcomer X's relevant model and relevant element work is calculated.

[0033] First, step 1 will be explained. Let the attribute values ​​possessed by new employee X be a01, a02,...,a0N. In the example of Figure 7, the attributes of new employee X are "gender" 1 (male), "age" 2 (20s), "years of service" 1 (less than 10 years), and "physique" 3 (overweight). In addition, "task A rating" is 2, "task B rating" is 1, and "task C rating" is 3. Let the attribute values ​​possessed by worker i (i=1,2,...,N) be ai1, ai2,...,aiN. In this case, the attribute similarity Si between new employee X and worker i is expressed by the following equation 1.

[0034]

number

[0035] The work time prediction unit 145 determines that the worker i with the smallest attribute similarity Si is the worker whose attributes are most similar to those of the newcomer X. The coefficients kj (j=1,...,n), (0≦kj≦1) are weighting coefficients for each attribute included in the person attribute information, and the smaller the value of kj, the stronger the influence of that attribute on the similarity.

[0036] Furthermore, when the new employee X actually performs a task and the element task time is measured by the task time measurement unit 142, the task time prediction unit 145 updates the coefficient kj (j=1,...,n) at a predetermined timing. The method of updating the coefficient kj (j=1,...,n) will be described later in detail.

[0037] The task time prediction unit 145 assigns the following initial values ​​to the coefficients kj (j=1, , n): (gender) k1=1.0, (age group) k2=0.5, (years of service) k3=0.5, (diagonal) k4=0.7, (task A evaluation) k5=0.1, (task B evaluation) k6=0.1, (task C evaluation) k7=0.1. For the initial values, it is advisable to set small the coefficients kj of attributes that are considered to have a high correlation in predicting the similarity.

[0038] In addition, although the least squares method is used in Equation 1, the means for calculating the similarity is not limited to the least squares method, and other methods may be used, such as multiple regression analysis.

[0039] In step 2, the task time prediction unit 145 reads out the task time information of worker i for which the attribute similarity Si is the smallest from the task time information storage unit 13. The element task time of the relevant model and element task of worker i selected in step 2 is a probability distribution formed as a result of worker i becoming somewhat proficient in the element task through experience. Newcomer X has no such experience. Therefore, in step 3, in predicting the element task time of newcomer X, the proficiency is calculated backwards. Proficiency can generally be expressed by the following equation 2.

[0040] [Number 2] y(x)=cp^a(x)

[0041] y(x) is the element work time for the xth production run, and x ≥ 0. c is the element work time for the first production run, and c ≥ 0. p is the proficiency rate, and p = y(2x) / y(x). a(x) = logx / log2.

[0042] The task time prediction unit 145 obtains the probability distribution of the element task times of the newcomer X by dividing the probability distribution of the element task times at the current time (number of achievements x) of the worker i who has the highest similarity in attributes to the newcomer X by the proficiency rate p. The proficiency rate p and the number of achievements x are values ​​held for each worker, and proficiency information indicating the proficiency rate p and the number of achievements x of each worker is stored in the person attribute information storage unit 144. Note that the value of the proficiency rate p indicated by the proficiency information is updated according to the achievements each time the number of work achievements increases.

[0043] In step 4, a graph of probability distribution of element work times for the relevant model and element work of new employee X is calculated. The work time prediction unit 145 similarly repeats steps 1 to 4 to calculate a graph of probability distribution of element work times for new employee X for all models and all element works.

[0044] Fig. 8 is a diagram conceptually showing a process of predicting element work times for newcomer X. In the example of Fig. 8, worker i with the smallest attribute similarity Si with newcomer X is worker 4. In other words, among workers 1 to 4, worker 4's attributes are closest to those of newcomer X. The work time prediction unit 145 obtains the probability distribution of element work times for newcomer X by dividing the probability distribution of the element work times at the current time of worker 4, who has the highest similarity with newcomer X, by the proficiency rate p.

[0045] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a graph of the probability distribution of element work times of new employee X predicted by the work time prediction unit 145. The example in Fig. 9 shows the probability distribution of element work times for a combination of new employee X, machine type M1, and element work E01.

[0046] The work time prediction unit 145 stores work information indicating the probability distribution of each element work time of the predicted new employee X in the work time information storage unit 13. When the work performance of new employee X is accumulated a fixed number of times, the work time prediction unit 145 stores work information indicating the probability distribution of each element work time of the performance of new employee X in the work time information storage unit 13. The fixed number of times is, for example, 50 times. When the work information indicating the probability distribution of each element work time of the performance is stored in the work time information storage unit 13, new employee X becomes a worker with work performance.

[0047] Here, the method of updating the coefficient kj (j=1,...,n) will be described in detail. When the task time prediction unit 145 generates task time information for new employee X, it compares the previously predicted element task time with the element task time based on the past performance, evaluates the accuracy, and updates the coefficient kj (j=1,...,n) used for predicting the similarity.

[0048] The probability density function predicted as the element work time of newcomer X is expressed as f0(t), and the probability density function obtained as the element work time of newcomer X's actual result is expressed as fX(t). t (0≦t) is a real number representing the element work time. First, the work time prediction unit 145 evaluates the prediction accuracy. The work time prediction unit 145 calculates an evaluation value V that evaluates the prediction accuracy based on the difference between the prediction and the actual result, using the following equation 3.

[0049]

number

[0050] The work time prediction unit 145 stores the evaluation value V as history. The higher the prediction accuracy, the smaller the evaluation value V will be, and when the predicted element work time and the actual element work time completely match, V=0.

[0051] Next, the work time prediction unit 145 defines the probability density function of the actual element work times of other workers i as fi(t) and calculates the similarity Vi of the element work times with other workers i (i=1, . . . , N) using the following equation 4.

[0052]

number

[0053] The worker whose element work time similarity Vi is the smallest (the person whose element work time is most similar to that of newcomer X) is defined as worker Y. The work time prediction unit 145 calculates the attribute similarity Si with other workers i (i=1, , N) using equation 1 that quantifies the attribute similarity. The work time prediction unit 145 calculates and updates coefficients k1, , kn that satisfy the following equation 5.

[0054]

number

[0055] In equation 5, kj (j = 1,...,n), (0 <= kj <= 1). As a method of calculating the coefficients k1,...,kn that satisfy equation 5, for example, there is a method of setting each coefficient to three decimal places, repeatedly searching within a finite number of executions, and finding the optimal solution. By updating to coefficient kj (j = 1,...,n) that minimizes the attribute similarity SY between worker Y, who has the smallest element work time similarity Vi, the attribute similarity between newcomer X and the person with the highest similarity in element work time will also be maximized, and the prediction accuracy of element work times from the next time onwards can be improved.

[0056] The process plan creation support device 1 also updates the person attribute information stored in the person attribute information storage unit 144 and the work definition information stored in the work definition information storage unit 17 at a predetermined timing.

[0057] The personal attribute information is updated each time the values ​​of items that change, such as "age," "years of service," "physique," "task A rating," "task B rating," and "task C rating," change. If the process plan creation support device 1 stores information indicating the worker's date of birth and date of joining the company as information accompanying the personal attribute information, the process plan creation support device 1 can automatically update "age" and "years of service." In addition, the process plan creation support device 1 can acquire information indicating the worker's physique and automatically update "physique" by, for example, cooperating with an in-house health management system that manages the health of the workers.

[0058] Regarding the work definition information, when the composition of element work in each step of the production process for each model is changed, for example, when production of a new model is started or when a product design is changed, the user edits and updates the work definition information.

[0059] In a configuration where the user updates the work definition information, there is a possibility that the user forgets to update or does not notice a change in the configuration of element work. Therefore, the process plan creation support device 1 may be configured to notify the user when the configuration of element work in each step of the production process for each model may have been changed. For example, in the process plan creation support system 100, the camera 2 captures the worker while the worker is working. The work time information update unit 14 of the process plan creation support device 1 identifies the worker, model, and element work that are captured in the image indicated by the shooting information received from the camera 2. When the order of element work that the worker is actually performing for the model identified by the work time information update unit 14 is different from the order of element work for the corresponding model indicated by the work definition information, the process plan creation support device 1 notifies the user that the configuration of element work for the corresponding model may have been changed.

[0060] The method of notifying the user may be, for example, a message displayed on a screen, a voice output, or a transmission to a user terminal used by the user. Also, an editing screen for the work definition information may be displayed together with the message, and editing by the user may be accepted. In this case, the editing screen for the work definition information may display candidates for element work to be changed based on the order of element work actually performed by the worker for the specified model.

[0061] Next, the flow of the process plan creation support process executed by the process plan creation support device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 10. The process plan creation support process shown in FIG. 10 starts, for example, when the process plan creation support device 1 is powered on. The production plan information acquisition unit 15 of the process plan creation support device 1 judges whether or not production plan information indicating today's production plan has been input (step S11). If the production plan information has not been input (step S11; NO), the process proceeds to step S19. If the production plan information has been input (step S11; YES), the production plan information acquisition unit 15 stores the input production plan information in the production plan information storage unit 16. The personnel allocation calculation unit 18 executes personnel allocation that maximizes the evaluation value for evaluating productivity for the production plan (model and number of units) indicated by the production plan information based on the attendance information, working time information, and work definition information (step S12).

[0062] In the example of Figure 3, the task time information is data that records element task times for each combination of worker, machine type, and element task. The element task times indicated by the task time information are not constants, but are a continuous probability distribution with element task time on the horizontal axis and number of times on the vertical axis. Figure 3 shows the probability distribution of element task times for the combinations of worker 1, machine type M1, element task E01, worker 1, machine type M1, element task E02, worker 2, machine type M1, element task E01, and worker 2, machine type M1, element task E02.

[0063] In the example of Figure 4, the work definition information is information that indicates what element operations the production process for each model is made up of. The production process for model 1 has four operations: "setup," "process 1," "process 2," and "process 3." "Setup" is made up of "element operation E01," ..., and "element operation E0n0." "Process 1" is made up of "element operation E11," ..., and "element operation E1n1." "Process 2" is made up of "element operation E21," ..., and "element operation E2n2." "Process 3" is made up of "element operation E31," ..., and "element operation E3n3."

[0064] Returning to Fig. 10, the process plan information generating unit 19 judges whether the maximum evaluation value calculated by the personnel allocation calculation unit 18 exceeds the previous calculation result (step S13). If the maximum evaluation value does not exceed the previous calculation result or if there is no previous calculation result (step S13; NO), the process proceeds to step S15. If the maximum evaluation value exceeds the previous calculation result (step S13; YES), the process plan information generating unit 19 updates the optimal solution of personnel allocation and production sequence (step S14), and judges whether the personnel allocation calculation unit 18 has calculated the maximum evaluation value of all combinations (step S15).

[0065] If the maximum evaluation value for all combinations has not been calculated (step S15; NO), the process plan information generation unit 19 rearranges the production sequence of the models (step S16). The process returns to step S12, and the personnel allocation calculation unit 18 again executes the personnel allocation that maximizes the evaluation value. Steps S12 to S16 are repeated. If the personnel allocation calculation unit 18 has calculated the maximum evaluation value for all combinations (step S15; YES), the process plan information generation unit 19 compares the maximum evaluation values ​​for all combinations calculated by the personnel allocation calculation unit 18, and generates process plan information by using the personnel allocation and production sequence that maximizes the evaluation value as the optimal solution (step S17).

[0066] The process plan information output unit 20 outputs the process plan information generated by the process plan information generation unit 19 (step S18). If the power of the process plan creation support device 1 is not turned off (step S19; NO), the process returns to step S11 and steps S11 to S19 are repeated. If the power of the process plan creation support device 1 is turned off (step S19; YES), the process ends.

[0067] Next, the flow of the work time prediction process executed by the process plan creation support device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. The work time prediction process shown in Fig. 11 is started, for example, when the worker detected by the detection unit 141 of the process plan creation support device 1 has no past work performance. The work time prediction unit 145 of the process plan creation support device 1 identifies a person (a worker with past work performance) whose attributes are most similar to those of newcomer X (step S21).

[0068] In the example of FIG. 8, the person with attributes most similar to newcomer X is worker 4.

[0069] Returning to FIG. 11, the work time prediction unit 145 reads out the work time information of the identified person from the work time information storage unit 13 (step S22). The work time prediction unit 145 calculates the proficiency of the identified person (step S23). The probability distribution of the element work time of the identified person at the current time (number of achievements x) is divided by the proficiency rate to calculate the probability distribution of the element work time of newcomer X (step S24), and the process ends.

[0070] The example in FIG. 9 shows the probability distribution of element task times for the combination of new employee X, model M1, and element task E01.

[0071] According to the process plan creation support device 1 of the first embodiment, when creating a process plan that maximizes the evaluation value of productivity based on the element work time of each worker, the element work time of a worker with no past work experience is predicted based on the work time information of a worker with past work experience whose attributes are most similar to the worker with no past work experience, and work time information indicating the element work time of the worker with no past work experience is generated, thereby enabling efficient work instructions even when there is a worker whose work time is unknown. In addition, since the element work time is handled as a probability distribution, it can also be handled when the element work time varies.

[0072] (Embodiment 2) In the second embodiment, the task time prediction unit 145 uses a prediction process different from that in the first embodiment. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment. The element task time of a certain worker is expressed as an exponential function model with a negative exponent by the following equation 6.

[0073] [Number 6] y(x)=p -x +c

[0074] y(x) is the element work time for the xth production run, where x is greater than or equal to 0. c is the element work time for the first production run, where c is greater than or equal to 0. p is the proficiency rate. Let T(x) be the actual element work time for a certain worker in the xth production run, and let p, which minimizes the following equation 7, be the worker's proficiency rate.

[0075]

number

[0076] The number of decimal points of the proficiency rate p should be determined according to the accuracy desired by the user, since the calculation time generally increases as the number of decimal points increases. As in the first embodiment, the operation time prediction unit 145 obtains the probability distribution of the element operation times of a worker with no past operation experience by dividing the probability distribution of the element operation times at the current time (number of achievements x) of a worker with past operation experience who has the highest attribute similarity with a worker with no past operation experience by the proficiency rate p.

[0077] According to the process plan creation support device 1 of embodiment 2, the proficiency rate that minimizes the difference between the element work time calculated using the proficiency rate and the actual element work time is used to predict the element work time of a worker who has no past work experience, thereby improving prediction accuracy.

[0078] In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, the attendance information generating unit 11 acquires the names of workers who are present, i.e., the names of workers who have attended work, by identifying the people who appear in the video indicated by the shooting information, and generates attendance information indicating the names of the workers, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the attendance information generating unit 11 may acquire the names of workers who are present, i.e., the names of workers who have attended work, by identifying the people who appear in a still image of a worker, and generate attendance information indicating the names of the workers. Alternatively, the process plan creation support device 1 may acquire attendance information by linking with an in-house attendance management system that manages the attendance and departure of workers.

[0079] In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, the process plan creation support device 1 includes the work time information storage unit 13, the attendance employee information storage unit 12, and the work definition information storage unit 17, but these storage units may be included in external devices or systems. Also, the work time information storage unit 13 and the work time information update unit 14 may be included in a work time information update device separate from the process plan creation support device 1. Similarly, the attendance employee information storage unit 12 and the attendance employee information generation unit 11 may be included in a attendance employee information generation device separate from the process plan creation support device 1.

[0080] In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, the production plan information acquisition unit 15 of the process plan creation support device 1 accepts input of production plan information indicating the production plan of the product for today, but this is not limited to this. The user may input production plan information indicating the production plan of the product for the day for which the process plan is to be created to the process plan creation support device 1. Alternatively, the process plan creation support device 1 may be configured to cooperate with an in-house production plan system that manages production plans, and when the user inputs the day for which the process plan is to be created (designated day) to the process plan creation support device 1, the production plan information acquisition unit 15 may acquire production plan information indicating the production plan for the designated day from the production plan system. Furthermore, the unit for creating the process plan is not limited to one day, and may be other units such as half a day or two days.

[0081] In the above first and second embodiments, an example of supporting the creation of a process plan that assigns tasks included in the process of producing a product to workers has been described. However, this is not limited to products, and can be any product that includes predetermined tasks in the production process.

[0082] The hardware configuration of the process plan creation support device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. As shown in Fig. 12, the process plan creation support device 1 includes a temporary storage unit 101, a storage unit 102, a calculation unit 103, an input unit 104, a transmission / reception unit 105, and a display unit 106. The temporary storage unit 101, the storage unit 102, the input unit 104, the transmission / reception unit 105, and the display unit 106 are all connected to the calculation unit 103 via a BUS.

[0083] The calculation unit 103 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The calculation unit 103 executes the processes of the attendance information generation unit 11, the work time information update unit 14, the personnel allocation calculation unit 18, and the process plan information generation unit 19 in accordance with the control program stored in the storage unit 102.

[0084] The temporary storage unit 101 is, for example, a random-access memory (RAM). The temporary storage unit 101 loads a control program stored in the storage unit 102 and is used as a working area for the calculation unit 103.

[0085] The storage unit 102 is a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory, a hard disk, a DVD-RAM (Digital Versatile Disc - Random Access Memory), or a DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disc - ReWritable). The storage unit 102 pre-stores a program for causing the calculation unit 103 to perform the processing of the process plan creation support device 1, and also supplies data stored by this program to the calculation unit 103 according to an instruction from the calculation unit 103, and stores the data supplied from the calculation unit 103. The attendance information storage unit 12, the work time information storage unit 13, the production plan information storage unit 16, and the work definition information storage unit 17 are configured in the storage unit 102.

[0086] The input unit 104 is an interface device that connects input devices such as a keyboard, a pointing device, and a voice input device to a BUS. Information input by a user is supplied to the calculation unit 103 via the input unit 104. The input unit 104 functions as a production plan information acquisition unit 15. In a configuration in which the work time information update unit 14 displays an editing screen for work definition information together with a message and accepts editing by the user, the input unit 104 functions as the work time information update unit 14.

[0087] The transmitting / receiving unit 105 is a network termination device or a wireless communication device that connects to the network, and a serial interface or a LAN (Local Area Network) interface that connects to them. In a configuration in which the process plan information output unit 20 transmits the process plan information to a user terminal used by a user (manager or worker), the transmitting / receiving unit 105 functions as the process plan information output unit 20.

[0088] The display unit 106 is a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (electroluminescence) display. In a configuration in which the process plan information output unit 20 displays the process plan information on a screen, the transmission / reception unit 105 functions as the process plan information output unit 20. In a configuration in which the work time information update unit 14 displays an editing screen for work definition information together with a message and accepts editing by the user, the display unit 106 functions as the work time information update unit 14.

[0089] The processing of the attendance information generation unit 11, attendance information memory unit 12, work time information memory unit 13, work time information update unit 14, production plan information acquisition unit 15, production plan information memory unit 16, work definition information memory unit 17, personnel allocation calculation unit 18, process plan information generation unit 19 and process plan information output unit 20 of the process plan creation support device 1 shown in FIG. 2 is executed by a control program using the temporary memory unit 101, calculation unit 103, memory unit 102, input unit 104, transmission / reception unit 105, display unit 106, etc. as resources.

[0090] Additionally, the above hardware configuration and flowchart are merely examples and can be changed or modified as desired.

[0091] The core parts of the process plan creation support device 1, such as the calculation unit 103, the temporary storage unit 101, the storage unit 102, the input unit 104, the transmission / reception unit 105, and the display unit 106, can be realized by using a normal computer system, not a dedicated system. For example, the process plan creation support device 1 that executes the above-mentioned processes may be configured by storing and distributing a computer-readable recording medium such as a flexible disk, a CD-ROM (Compact Disc - Read Only Memory), or a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc - Read Only Memory) and installing the computer program on a computer. Alternatively, the process plan creation support device 1 may be configured by storing the computer program in a storage device of a server device on a communication network, such as the Internet, and downloading the computer program by a normal computer system.

[0092] In addition, when the functions of the process plan creation support device 1 are realized by sharing the functions between an OS (Operating System) and an application program, or by cooperation between the OS and an application program, only the application program portion may be stored in a recording medium or storage device.

[0093] It is also possible to superimpose a computer program on a carrier wave and provide it via a communication network. For example, the computer program may be posted on a bulletin board system (BBS) on the communication network and provided via the communication network. The computer program may then be started and executed under the control of the OS in the same way as other application programs, thereby enabling the above-mentioned processing to be performed.

[0094] In addition, various embodiments and modifications of the present disclosure are possible without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The above-described embodiments are for explaining the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. That is, the scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the scope of the disclosure equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0095] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-079193, filed on May 13, 2022. The entire specification, claims, and drawings of Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-079193 are incorporated herein by reference. Various aspects of the present disclosure are summarized below as appendices. (Appendix 1) a production plan information acquisition unit that acquires production plan information indicating a production plan for a product; a personnel allocation calculation unit that calculates personnel allocation for elemental tasks corresponding to a production plan indicated by the production plan information, based on attendance information indicating workers who are present at work, task definition information indicating elemental tasks constituting each step of a production process of a product, and task time information indicating elemental task time which is the time required for each worker to perform an elemental task; a process plan information generating unit that rearranges the production sequence, causes the personnel allocation calculation unit to calculate a personnel allocation, and generates process plan information indicating a personnel allocation and a production sequence that maximizes an evaluation value for evaluating productivity; a work time information update unit that updates the work time information of a worker who has a past work record based on shooting information indicating a video of the worker, predicts an element work time of the worker who has no past work record based on the work time information of a worker who has a past work record and whose attributes are most similar to the worker who has no past work record, and generates the work time information of the worker who has no past work record; Equipped with Process planning support device. (Appendix 2) The work time information update unit a detection unit that detects the worker and the type of product being handled by the worker from the image indicated by the photographing information; a task time measurement unit that measures an element task time of a worker based on the photographing information; an updating unit that updates the work time information of a worker who has a past work record, based on the worker and the type of product handled by the worker detected by the detection unit and the element work time measured by the work time measuring unit, when the worker detected by the detection unit has a past work record; and a task time prediction unit which, when the worker detected by the detection unit has no past task performance, identifies a worker with past task performance whose attributes are most similar to the worker with no past task performance based on personal attribute information indicating the attributes of each worker, predicts element task times of the worker with no past task performance based on the task time information of the identified worker, and generates the task time information indicating element task times of the worker with no past task performance; Including, 2. A process plan creation support device as described in appendix 1. (Appendix 3) The element task time indicated by the task time information is a probability distribution of each element task time of each worker. 3. A process plan creation support device as described in appendix 2. (Appendix 4) the task time prediction unit obtains a probability distribution of each element task time of a worker with no past task experience by dividing a probability distribution of each element task time of a worker with past task experience whose attributes are most similar to the worker with no past task experience by a proficiency rate of the worker with past task experience whose attributes are most similar to the worker with no past task experience; 4. A process plan creation support device as described in appendix 3. (Appendix 5) the work time prediction unit, when the work performance of the worker with no past work performance is accumulated a predetermined number of times, regards the worker with no past work performance as the worker with past work performance, and generates the work information based on the worker and the type of product handled by the worker detected by the detection unit and the element work time measured by the work time measurement unit. 5. A process plan creation support device according to any one of appendix 2 to 4. (Appendix 6) The system further includes a work employee information generating unit that identifies the work employee based on the photographing information and generates the work employee information. 6. A process plan creation support device according to any one of appendix 1 to 5. (Appendix 7) A camera for photographing a worker and a process plan creation support device connected to the camera, The process plan creation support device comprises: a production plan information acquisition unit for acquiring production plan information indicating a production plan for a product; a personnel allocation calculation unit that calculates personnel allocation for element tasks corresponding to a production plan indicated by the production plan information, based on attendance information indicating workers who are present at work, task definition information indicating element tasks constituting each step of a production process of a product, and task time information indicating element task time which is the time required for each worker to perform an element task; a process plan information generating unit that generates process plan information indicating a personnel allocation and a production sequence that maximizes an evaluation value for evaluating productivity by rearranging the production sequence and causing the personnel allocation calculation unit to calculate a personnel allocation; and a work time information updating unit that updates the work time information of a worker who has a past work record based on shooting information indicating an image of the worker captured by the camera, predicts an element work time of the worker who has no past work record based on the work time information of a worker who has a past work record and whose attributes are most similar to the worker who has no past work record, and generates the work time information of the worker who has no past work record; having Process planning support system. (Appendix 8) The process plan creation support device executes: Obtaining production plan information indicating a production plan for a product; calculating a personnel allocation for elemental work corresponding to the production plan indicated by the production plan information based on attendance information indicating the workers who are present at work, work definition information indicating elemental work constituting each step of a production process of a product, and work time information indicating elemental work time which is the time required for each worker to perform elemental work; A step of executing a step of rearranging the production sequence and calculating the personnel allocation, and generating process plan information indicating the personnel allocation and production sequence that maximizes an evaluation value for evaluating productivity; updating the work time information of the worker with past work experience based on shooting information indicating a video of the worker, predicting an element work time of the worker with no past work experience based on the work time information of a worker with past work experience whose attributes are most similar to the worker with no past work experience, and generating the work time information of the worker with no past work experience; Equipped with A method for supporting the creation of process plans. (Appendix 9) On the computer, a step of calculating a personnel allocation for element tasks corresponding to the production plan indicated by the acquired production plan information based on attendance information indicating the workers who are present at work, work definition information indicating element tasks constituting each step of the production process of the product, and task time information indicating element task time which is the time required for each worker to perform the element task; A step of executing a step of rearranging the production sequence and calculating the personnel allocation, and generating process plan information indicating the personnel allocation and production sequence that maximizes an evaluation value for evaluating productivity; updating the work time information of the worker with past work experience based on shooting information indicating a video of the worker, predicting an element work time of the worker with no past work experience based on the work time information of a worker with past work experience whose attributes are most similar to the worker with no past work experience, and generating the work time information of the worker with no past work experience; A program that executes the following. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 1 process plan creation support device, 2 camera, 11 attendance information generation unit, 12 attendance information storage unit, 13 work time information storage unit, 14 work time information update unit, 15 production plan information acquisition unit, 16 production plan information storage unit, 17 work definition information storage unit, 18 personnel allocation calculation unit, 19 process plan information generation unit, 20 process plan information output unit, 100 process plan creation support system, 101 temporary storage unit, 102 storage unit, 103 calculation unit, 104 input unit, 105 transmission / reception unit, 106 display unit, 141 detection unit, 142 work time measurement unit, 143 update unit, 144 person attribute information storage unit, 145 work time prediction unit.

Claims

1. a production plan information acquisition unit that acquires production plan information indicating a production plan for a product; a personnel allocation calculation unit that calculates personnel allocation for elemental tasks corresponding to a production plan indicated by the production plan information, based on attendance information indicating workers who are present at work, task definition information indicating elemental tasks constituting each step of a production process of a product, and task time information indicating elemental task time which is the time required for each worker to perform an elemental task; a process plan information generating unit that rearranges the production sequence, causes the personnel allocation calculation unit to calculate a personnel allocation, and generates process plan information indicating a personnel allocation and a production sequence that maximizes an evaluation value for evaluating productivity; a work time information update unit that updates the work time information of a worker who has a past work record based on shooting information indicating a video of the worker, predicts an element work time of the worker who has no past work record based on the work time information of a worker who has a past work record and whose attributes are most similar to the worker who has no past work record, and generates the work time information of the worker who has no past work record; Equipped with Process planning support device.

2. The work time information update unit a detection unit that detects the worker and the type of product being handled by the worker from the image indicated by the photographing information; a task time measurement unit that measures an element task time of a worker based on the photographing information; an updating unit that updates the work time information of a worker who has a past work record, based on the worker and the type of product handled by the worker detected by the detection unit and the element work time measured by the work time measuring unit, when the worker detected by the detection unit has a past work record; and a task time prediction unit which, when the worker detected by the detection unit has no past task performance, identifies a worker with past task performance whose attributes are most similar to the worker with no past task performance based on personal attribute information indicating the attributes of each worker, predicts element task times of the worker with no past task performance based on the task time information of the identified worker, and generates the task time information indicating element task times of the worker with no past task performance; Including, The process plan creation support device according to claim 1 .

3. The element task time indicated by the task time information is a probability distribution of each element task time of each worker. The process plan creation support device according to claim 2 .

4. the task time prediction unit obtains a probability distribution of each element task time of a worker with no past task experience by dividing a probability distribution of each element task time of a worker with past task experience whose attributes are most similar to the worker with no past task experience by a proficiency rate of the worker with past task experience whose attributes are most similar to the worker with no past task experience; The process plan creation support device according to claim 3.

5. the work time prediction unit, when a predetermined number of work records of the worker with no past work record are accumulated, regards the worker with no past work record as a worker with past work record, and generates the work time information based on the worker and the type of product handled by the worker detected by the detection unit and the element work time measured by the work time measurement unit. The process plan creation support device according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. The system further includes a work employee information generating unit that identifies the work employee based on the photographing information and generates the work employee information. The process plan creation support device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. A camera for photographing a worker and a process plan creation support device connected to the camera, The process plan creation support device comprises: a production plan information acquisition unit for acquiring production plan information indicating a production plan for a product; a personnel allocation calculation unit that calculates personnel allocation for element tasks corresponding to a production plan indicated by the production plan information, based on attendance information indicating workers who are present at work, task definition information indicating element tasks constituting each step of a production process of a product, and task time information indicating element task time which is the time required for each worker to perform an element task; a process plan information generating unit that generates process plan information indicating a personnel allocation and a production sequence that maximizes an evaluation value for evaluating productivity by rearranging the production sequence and causing the personnel allocation calculation unit to calculate a personnel allocation; and a work time information updating unit that updates the work time information of a worker who has a past work record based on shooting information indicating an image of the worker captured by the camera, predicts an element work time of the worker who has no past work record based on the work time information of a worker who has a past work record and whose attributes are most similar to the worker who has no past work record, and generates the work time information of the worker who has no past work record; having Process planning support system.

8. The process plan creation support device executes: Obtaining production plan information indicating a production plan for a product; calculating a personnel allocation for elemental work corresponding to the production plan indicated by the production plan information based on attendance information indicating the workers who are present at work, work definition information indicating elemental work constituting each step of a production process of a product, and work time information indicating elemental work time which is the time required for each worker to perform elemental work; A step of executing a step of rearranging the production sequence and calculating the personnel allocation, and generating process plan information indicating the personnel allocation and production sequence that maximizes an evaluation value for evaluating productivity; updating the work time information of the worker with past work experience based on shooting information indicating a video of the worker, predicting an element work time of the worker with no past work experience based on the work time information of a worker with past work experience whose attributes are most similar to the worker with no past work experience, and generating the work time information of the worker with no past work experience; Equipped with A method for supporting the creation of process plans.

9. On the computer, a step of calculating a personnel allocation for element tasks corresponding to the production plan indicated by the acquired production plan information based on attendance information indicating the workers who are present at work, work definition information indicating element tasks constituting each step of the production process of the product, and task time information indicating element task time which is the time required for each worker to perform the element task; A step of executing a step of rearranging the production sequence and calculating the personnel allocation, and generating process plan information indicating the personnel allocation and production sequence that maximizes an evaluation value for evaluating productivity; updating the work time information of the worker with past work experience based on shooting information indicating a video of the worker, predicting an element work time of the worker with no past work experience based on the work time information of a worker with past work experience whose attributes are most similar to the worker with no past work experience, and generating the work time information of the worker with no past work experience; A program that executes the following.

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