Material identification management system and material identification management method

Abstract

To provide a material specified management system and a material specified management method that enable efficient and highly accurate specification and management of a delivered material at a construction site.SOLUTION: A material specified management system 50 includes a black light 10 that radiates ultraviolet U which is an invisible ray of light, an imager 20 that captures a luminescence color radiated by the ultraviolet U and emits light on a material S coated with a luminescent paint P that emits light by the ultraviolet U, and a specified management apparatus 30 that captures imaging data by the imager 20 and specifies and manages the material S according to the luminescence color.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a material specification management system and a material specification management method. [Background technology]

[0002] Because a huge variety and quantity of materials are delivered to construction sites, a great deal of time and effort is generally spent on managing the delivery of materials. To give an example, the segments that make up a shield tunnel are made up of multiple types of segments, such as A-segments, B-segments, and K-segments, each with slightly different shapes and dimensions. These multiple types of segments are delivered to the site stacked randomly on the back of a truck. At the shipping factory or other facility, a material manager visually inspects and counts the quantity of each type of segment to manage delivery.

[0003] Another example is rebars that are delivered to a construction site in batches of different steel types and designations (diameters). Rebars are sometimes delivered with different coloring applied to the cross section for each steel type and designation, but in either case, material managers visually check and count the number of rebars by steel type and designation to manage delivery management.

[0004] As is clear from the typical example of material delivery management described above, materials delivered to a construction site are managed by type through visual inspection by a materials manager or the like, which inevitably leads to counting errors. Therefore, if visual inspections are performed multiple times or by multiple people in order to improve management accuracy, this is undesirable because the visual inspections require time and effort and require multiple personnel. Therefore, a material identification management system and a material identification management method that can efficiently and accurately identify materials delivered to a construction site are desired.

[0005] Patent Document 1 proposes a construction site management system that manages construction materials manufactured in a factory until they are used at a construction site. This construction site management system uses RFID tags that transmit and receive information by wireless communication with a reading device. The RFID tags include a long-distance communication RFID tag having an IC chip and a long loop-shaped antenna, and a short-distance communication RFID tag formed in multiple locations inside the loop-shaped antenna, having an IC chip and a short antenna, and having a different read frequency from the long-distance communication RFID tag. The RFID tag has a breaking line formed to separate the short-distance communication RFID tag from the entire tag, and upon separation, the loop-shaped antenna of the long-distance communication RFID tag is also separated. The RFID tag has a main body management identification code that identifies the entire tag before separation, and a partial management identification code that identifies the partial tag after separation.

[0006] The construction site management system includes the RFID tag, a first reading means for reading the RFID tag for long-distance communication, a second reading means for reading the RFID tag for short-distance communication, a management server capable of communicating between the first and second reading means and having a database for managing all management information, a communication network for communicating information between the first and second reading means and the management server, and a plurality of access points for accessing the communication network. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-158569 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The construction site management system described in Patent Document 1 claims to achieve efficient construction site management by reading RFID tags attached to materials. However, many materials lack space for RFID tags, such as the rebar mentioned above. Furthermore, when attempting to identify materials stacked on a truck bed with numerous RFID-tagged materials, it is often difficult to adequately read the RFID tags of multiple intertwined materials. In material delivery management, not only is management accuracy important, but it is also important to quickly unload materials from the truck, allow the truck to depart the construction site, and then head off to other transportation tasks. Therefore, because delivery management is often performed promptly with materials stacked on the truck bed, inability to adequately read RFID tags poses a major challenge for delivery management.

[0009] Therefore, instead of using RFID tags, one method of managing materials is to use a camera or other imaging device to capture images of the text written on the materials and input them into a computer.However, even in this case, when trying to identify a material when it is stacked in a truck bed with a large number of materials, it is still difficult to capture a sufficient image of the text written on the multiple, jumbled materials.

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a material identification management system and a material identification management method that can efficiently and accurately identify and manage materials delivered to a construction site. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the material specification management system according to the present invention is: Black light, which emits invisible ultraviolet light, an imaging device that captures an image of the luminescent color emitted by the material coated with the luminescent paint that emits light when irradiated with ultraviolet light; and an identification management device that receives image data from the imaging device and identifies and manages materials according to the emitted light color.

[0012] According to this aspect, materials coated with luminous paint that glows when exposed to ultraviolet light (invisible ultraviolet light) are irradiated with ultraviolet light from a black light, the luminous color emitted by the ultraviolet light is captured by an imaging device, and the material is identified and managed in the identification management device according to the luminous color contained in the image data, thereby making it possible to apply luminous paint to even small materials, and even when a large number of materials are mixed together, each material can be individually identified by the luminous color emitted by the ultraviolet light irradiated onto the material. By assigning luminous colors to each type of material and automatically identifying the type of material in the identification management device according to the luminous color, which is the image data, the identification management device can also automatically count the number of materials of each type, making it possible to efficiently and accurately identify and manage delivered materials.

[0013] When ultraviolet light is irradiated onto the luminous paint, the emitted light is converted into visible light, so by assigning the various luminous colors resulting from the luminous paint to the type of material (by applying such luminous paint to the material), it becomes possible to quickly identify the type of material. Here, the type of material means the steel type or name, etc., if the material is rebar, and in the case of segments, it means segments such as A segment, B segment, K segment, etc., whose shapes and dimensions vary depending on their installation location and installation order in the segment ring.

[0014] In another aspect of the material identification management system according to the present invention, the specified management device includes at least a storage unit and a specifying unit; The storage unit stores material-emission color data relating to emission colors associated with materials, The identifying unit identifies the material by comparing the luminous color of the imaging data with the material-luminous color data.

[0015] According to this aspect, the storage section of the identification management device stores material-emission color data relating to the emission color associated with the material, and the identification section of the identification management device identifies the material by comparing the emission color contained in the imaging data with the material-emission color data, thereby enabling materials to be identified by type efficiently and with high accuracy.

[0016] In another aspect of the material identification management system according to the present invention, The luminescent paint is characterized by being a paint containing a fluorescent agent that is colorless or white under visible light and that is red, green, blue, or a composite color of these under invisible light.

[0017] According to this aspect, the luminescent paint is colorless or white under visible light and is red, green, blue, or other colors under invisible light, thereby preventing the applied luminescent paint from damaging the appearance of the material, while emitting vivid light in a set color while being irradiated with ultraviolet light from a black light, thereby contributing to highly accurate identification of the material. Therefore, when the irradiation of ultraviolet light on the luminescent paint is stopped, the luminescent paint also stops emitting light, and becomes colorless or white under visible light, making it inconspicuous.

[0018] Furthermore, one aspect of the material identification management method according to the present invention is to an irradiation and imaging process for irradiating a material coated with a luminescent paint that emits light in ultraviolet light, which is invisible light, with the ultraviolet light to cause the material to emit light, and imaging the luminescent color; and an identification and management step of identifying and managing materials according to the luminescent color of the captured image data.

[0019] According to this aspect, in the irradiation and imaging process, ultraviolet rays are irradiated onto materials that have been coated with luminescent paint that glows when exposed to ultraviolet light, an invisible ray, and the luminescent color that is emitted when irradiated with ultraviolet light is imaged. In the identification and management process, the materials are identified and managed according to the luminescent color contained in the image data, making it possible to apply luminescent paint to materials of small dimensions, and even when a large number of materials are mixed together, it becomes possible to individually identify each material by the luminescent color emitted by the ultraviolet light irradiated onto the material.

[0020] In another aspect of the material identification management method according to the present invention, The luminescent paint is characterized by being a paint containing a fluorescent agent that is colorless or white under visible light and that is red, green, blue, or a composite color of these under invisible light.

[0021] According to this embodiment, the luminescent paint is colorless or white under visible light and appears red, green, blue, or other colors under invisible light, thereby preventing the appearance of the material from being marred by the applied luminescent paint, and contributing to highly accurate identification of the material by emitting vivid light in a set color while being irradiated with ultraviolet light. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] As can be understood from the above description, the material identification management system and material identification management method of the present invention make it possible to efficiently and accurately identify and manage materials delivered to a construction site. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an example of a material specification management system according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a material identification management device that constitutes a material identification management system. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a functional configuration of a specific management apparatus. [Figure 4]10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of material-emission color data stored in a storage unit. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a list of material identification data in the identification section. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] Hereinafter, an example of a material identification management system and a material identification management method according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that in this specification and drawings, substantially identical components may be designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant description.

[0025] [Material identification management system and material identification management method according to the embodiment] An example of a material identification management system and a material identification management method according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. Here, Figure 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an example of a material identification management system according to an embodiment.

[0026] The material identification management system 50 is a system that assists a material manager M in identifying various materials (construction materials) to be delivered at a construction site and managing the quantities by material type. Here, the material identification management system 50 may be applied not only to construction sites but also to factories and other places from which construction materials are shipped.

[0027] The material identification management system 50 comprises a black light 10 that is held by a material manager M and emits ultraviolet light U, an imaging device 20 that captures the luminescent color emitted by irradiation with ultraviolet light U, and an identification management device 30 that captures the luminescent color contained in the imaging data and identifies and manages materials according to the luminescent color. Here, instead of being held by the material manager M and applied, the black light 10 may be placed on a platform (not shown) that is rotatable in the horizontal and vertical directions and applied in a manner that automatically and continuously irradiates ultraviolet light on all materials loaded on the bed of a truck.

[0028] The illustrated example shows a method for managing a plurality of segments S (an example of materials) loaded onto the bed of a truck T and delivered to a construction site, by identifying each type of segment S while it is loaded onto the bed of the truck T, and counting the delivery quantity of each type. Here, the materials delivered to the construction site include not only the segments S but also various construction materials such as rebar and formwork. In addition to construction materials, various construction equipment (for example, small equipment) used in construction work is also delivered to the construction site, and such construction equipment may also be subject to delivery management by the material identification management system 50. Therefore, when construction equipment is also included as a subject of delivery management, in this specification, the construction equipment is also considered to be included in construction materials (materials).

[0029] The delivered segments S include A segment S1, B segment S2, and K segment S3. A segment S1 is a segment installed in the general portion of a segment ring formed by assembling multiple segments circumferentially. Meanwhile, B segment S2 is installed on both sides of the K segment, which is installed last. Furthermore, K segment S3 is installed last, and thereby forms the segment ring while absorbing accumulated segment assembly errors. Furthermore, all three types of segments S differ from each other in shape (joint angle) and dimensions.

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, when multiple types of segments S are stacked on a loading platform, it is not easy to distinguish between the different types of segments S, even though the shapes and dimensions of each segment S are different. Conventionally, a number symbol corresponding to the type of segment is sprayed onto each segment, and material managers and others visually check the segments to manage delivery by type. However, when attempting to identify the types of segments S stacked on a loading platform, as in the illustrated example, it is difficult to identify the multiple, jumbled segments S by type and count and manage the quantities.

[0031] Therefore, first, at the source of shipment of the segments S, a luminous paint (luminous paint that glows when exposed to ultraviolet light U) specific to each type of segment S is applied to the appropriate location on the segments S, and the segments S with the luminous paint applied are delivered to the construction site.

[0032] In the illustrated example, markings P1, P2, and P3 made of luminescent paint are applied to the segment joints S1a, S2a, and S3a and the ring joints S1b, S2b, and S3b of the A segment S1, B segment S2, and K segment S3, respectively. By applying markings P to at least two-way joints in this way, it becomes possible to irradiate ultraviolet light U onto the markings P applied to any of the joints, causing them to glow, even when the segments S are loaded on a truck bed.

[0033] Here, the luminescent paint is a paint containing a fluorescent agent that is colorless or white under visible light and that is red, green, blue, or a composite color of these under invisible light.

[0034] By applying such a paint containing a fluorescent agent, the appearance of the segment S is prevented from being marred by the applied luminescent paint, and the segment S emits a vivid light of a set color while being irradiated with ultraviolet light from the black light 10, thereby making it possible to identify each type of segment S with high accuracy.

[0035] The black light 10 that emits ultraviolet light U is a portable light that can be held and operated by the material manager M, and is operated to emit ultraviolet light sequentially from the segment S at one end to the segment S at the other end that are loaded on the bed of the truck T.

[0036] Ultraviolet light, a type of invisible light, has a wavelength range of approximately 10 nm to 400 nm, and black lights 10 that emit ultraviolet light with various peak wavelengths within this wavelength range can be used. For example, black lights with peak wavelengths of 365 nm or 375 nm can be used.

[0037] The imaging device 20 is placed on a platform 25 in a position where it can capture images of all of the segments S loaded on the bed of the truck T. The platform on which the imaging device 20 is placed on the platform 25 can be rotated horizontally and vertically, allowing the imaging direction and imaging angle of the imaging device 20 to be adjusted as desired.

[0038] The imaging device 20 may be a CCD camera, a digital camera, a digital video camera, or the like.

[0039] The markings P on each segment S emit light due to ultraviolet light U irradiated from the black light 10, and the emitted light color is captured by the image capture device 20 and stored as image capture data.

[0040] The imaging device 20 in the illustrated example is equipped with a communication device (not shown), and imaging data including the captured light color is transmitted via the communication device to the specific management device 30. Here, instead of transmitting the imaging data from the imaging device 20 to the specific management device 30 by wireless communication, the materials manager M may remove a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory in which the imaging data is stored from the imaging device 20 and set it in the specific management device 30 to input the imaging data.

[0041] The identification management device 30 identifies the type of segment S according to the luminous color based on the captured imaging data including the luminous color, counts the quantity of each type of segment S, and performs delivery management. The identification management device 30 in the illustrated example is temporarily placed near the material manager M, so that the material manager M can immediately check the delivery management results of all delivered segments S. Here, in addition to the device temporarily placed near the material manager M, another identification management device may be installed in the construction work management building, so that the delivery management results can be checked by multiple identification management devices.

[0042] The material identification management method according to the embodiment is a method for identifying and managing segments S (an example of a material) using the material identification management system 50. Specifically, the segments S are coated with luminescent paint P that emits light when exposed to ultraviolet light U, which is invisible light, and are irradiated with ultraviolet light U to cause them to emit light, and an image of the emitted light color is captured (irradiation and image capturing process).

[0043] Next, the type of segment S is identified according to the luminescent color of the captured image data, and the number of each type is counted and managed (identification management step).

[0044] Next, an example of the hardware configuration and functional configuration of the identification management device 30 that constitutes the material identification management system 50 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0045] The specific management device 30 is configured by a computer, and is an information processing device such as a personal computer (PC) or a workstation (WS). Here, the specific management device 30 may be a tablet or a smartphone carried by the material manager M.

[0046] 2, the specific management device 30 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 31, a main memory device 32, an auxiliary memory device 33, a communication IF (interface) 34, and an input / output IF 35, which are interconnected by a connection bus 36. The main memory device 32 and the auxiliary memory device 33 are computer-readable recording media. Note that the above components may be provided separately, or some of the components may not be provided.

[0047] The CPU 31 is also called an MPU (Microprocessor) or a processor, and may be a single processor or a multiprocessor. The CPU 31 is a central processing unit that controls the entire specific management device 30, which is a computer. The CPU 31, for example, deploys a program stored in the auxiliary storage device 33 in an executable form in the working area of ​​the main storage device 32, and controls peripheral devices through the execution of the program, thereby providing functions that meet a predetermined purpose.

[0048] The main memory device 32 stores computer programs executed by the CPU 31, data processed by the CPU 31, etc. The main memory device 32 includes, for example, a flash memory, a random access memory (RAM), and a read-only memory (ROM). The auxiliary memory device 33 stores various programs and data on a readable and writable recording medium and is also referred to as an external memory device. The auxiliary memory device 33 stores, for example, an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc. The OS includes, for example, a communication interface program that exchanges data with external devices connected via the communication IF 34. The external devices include, for example, a communication device provided in the imaging device 20. Note that the network includes public networks such as the Internet, wireless networks such as mobile phone networks, dedicated networks such as virtual private networks (VPNs), local area networks (LANs), low power wide area networks (LPWAs), etc.

[0049] The auxiliary storage device 33 is used, for example, as a storage area that supplements the main storage device 32, and stores computer programs executed by the CPU 31, data processed by the CPU 31, etc. The auxiliary storage device 33 is a silicon disk including nonvolatile semiconductor memory (flash memory, EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM)), a hard disk drive (HDD: Hard Disk Drive), a solid state drive, etc. Examples of the auxiliary storage device 33 include drives for removable recording media such as CD drives, DVD drives, and BD drives, and examples of removable recording media include CDs, DVDs, BDs, USB memories, and SD (Secure Digital) memory cards.

[0050] The communication IF 34 is an interface with the network to which the specific management device 30 is connected. The communication IF 34 receives imaging data from a communication device provided in the imaging device 20 via the network.

[0051] The input / output IF 35 is an interface for inputting and outputting data between devices connected to the specific management device 30. Input devices such as a keyboard, a touch panel, a mouse, or other pointing device, and a microphone are connected to the input / output IF 35. The specific management device 30 receives operation instructions and the like from an operator who operates the input device via the input / output IF 35.

[0052] In addition, output devices such as a display device, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel or an organic electroluminescence (EL) panel, a printer, a speaker, etc. are connected to the input / output IF 35. For example, a list of specific data of the delivered segments S is displayed on the display device of the specific management device 30.

[0053] 3, the specific management device 30 provides various functions of at least a communication unit 302, a specific unit 304, a display unit 306, and a storage unit 308 by executing a program by a CPU 31. Here, at least a part of the processing functions may be provided by a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or the like, and similarly, at least a part of the processing functions may be provided by a dedicated LSI (Large Scale Integration) such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), a numerical calculation processor, an image processing processor, or other digital circuits, or the like.

[0054] The communication unit 302 receives the imaging data including the emitted light color transmitted from the imaging device 20 and stores it in the storage unit 308 .

[0055] The storage unit 308 stores material-emission color data relating to emission colors associated with materials.

[0056] An example of material-emission color data will now be described with reference to FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b).

[0057] The example shown in Figure 4(a) is an example of material-emission color data when the material is a segment. Emission color 1 is assigned to the A segment, emission color 2 to the B segment, and emission color 3 to the K segment.

[0058] 4(b) is an example of material-illumination color data when the material is rebar. Since there are multiple steel grades and multiple names for rebar, for example, as shown in the example, if the steel grades that may be used at the target construction site are SD295, SD345, and SD390, and the names that may be used are D13, D16, D19, D22, D25, D29, D32, and D35, then illuminance colors 1 to 24 are assigned to the respective steel grades and names.

[0059] The storage unit 308 preferably stores material-emission color data for all materials to be delivered to the construction site.

[0060] In the identification unit 304, first, when the markings P of both the segment joint and the ring joint of each segment S are imaged, the identification unit 304 counts the number of segments S as one, assuming that the markings are markings of a common segment S, thereby preventing duplicate counting. In this way, the determination that both markings P are markings provided on a common segment S is made based on the distance between the markings, their relative positions, etc.

[0061] Next, the luminous color of the image data stored in the storage unit 308 is compared with the material-luminous color data also stored in the storage unit 308 to identify the material and its type.

[0062] The identification unit 304 compares the imaging data (emission color) of all segments S delivered by one truck T as shown in Figure 1 with the material-emission color data to identify the materials and their types, and counts the quantity of each type of material.

[0063] The display unit 306 displays a list of specific data relating to the materials and the quantities of each type identified by the identification unit 304.

[0064] Here, Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a list of material identification data in the identification department. The example shown in Fig. 5 shows delivery results such as 24 A segments (6 per ring, equivalent to 4 rings), 8 B segments (2 per ring, equivalent to 4 rings), and 4 K segments (1 per ring, equivalent to 4 rings).

[0065] According to the material identification management system 50, the material manager M irradiates each segment S with ultraviolet light from the black light 10 in a short time to make the luminous paint P applied to each segment glow, acquires the emitted luminous color as imaging data with the imaging device 20, and compares the captured imaging data with the material-luminous color data in the identification management device 30 to count the quantity of each type of segment S, create a data list, and display it, thereby making it possible to efficiently and accurately identify and manage the segments S (materials) delivered at the construction site. In particular, even when multiple types of segments S (materials) are stacked on the bed of a truck T and it is not easy to distinguish them by type, it is possible to accurately identify each type of segment S.

[0066] The present invention is not limited to the configurations shown here, and other embodiments may be possible in which other components are combined with the configurations described in the above embodiments. In this regard, the present invention can be modified within the scope of the present invention, and can be appropriately determined depending on the application form. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 10: Black light 20: Camera 25: pedestal 30: Specific management equipment 50: Material specific management system T: Truck M: Materials Manager S: Segment (materials) S1: A segment (segment) S2: B segment (segment) S3: K segment (segment) S1a, S2a, S3a: Segment joints S1b, S2b, S3b: Ring joints P, P1, P2, P3: Luminous paint (marking) U: Ultraviolet light

Claims

1. A material identification management system that identifies and manages the delivery quantity of each type of multiple materials loaded on a vehicle and delivered to a construction site, Black light, which emits invisible ultraviolet light, an imaging device that captures an image of the luminescent color emitted by the material coated with the luminescent paint that emits light when irradiated with ultraviolet light; and an identification management device that captures image data from the imaging device and identifies and manages the delivery quantities of each type of material according to the light emission color.

2. The material identification management system described in claim 1, characterized in that the black light is placed on a platform that can be rotated horizontally and vertically, and automatically and continuously irradiates ultraviolet light onto all of the materials loaded on the vehicle's loading platform.

3. the specified management device includes at least a storage unit and a specifying unit; the storage unit stores material-emission color data relating to emission colors associated with the material; 3. The material identification management system according to claim 1, wherein the identifying unit identifies the material by comparing the luminous color of the imaging data with the material-luminous color data.

4. 3. The material identification management system according to claim 1, wherein the luminous paint is a paint containing a fluorescent agent that is colorless or white under visible light and that is red, green, blue, or a combination of these colors under invisible light.

5. A material identification management method in which an identification management device comprising a computer identifies and manages the delivery quantities of each type of material loaded onto a vehicle and delivered to a construction site, an irradiation and imaging process in which a black light irradiates the material coated with a luminescent paint that emits light in ultraviolet light, which is invisible light, to cause the material to emit light, and an imaging device captures the luminescent color; and a specific management step in which the specific management device identifies and manages the delivery quantity of each type of material according to the light emission color of the captured image data.

6. The material identification management method described in claim 5, characterized in that the luminous paint is a paint containing a fluorescent agent that is colorless or white under visible light and that is red, green, blue, or a combination of these colors under invisible light.

Images