Power Tool Work Status Mapping for Timely Site Maintenance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems for managing electric power tools in construction sites are inefficient in providing real-time status updates, often leading to delayed repairs and potential disruptions in work processes due to reliance on error information for monitoring tool states.

Innovation Solution

An information processing apparatus that acquires position and actuation information from electric power tools, generates work status data, and outputs display data to show the tools' operational history and current status, enabling timely management and maintenance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If error information is used to monitor tool states, then the monitoring system is simple, but the work status cannot be managed in a timely manner and repairs are delayed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetimely management of work statusVSAvoidcomplexity of monitoring system
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by acquiring actuation information continuously and generating work status data before failures occur. The management server proactively processes position and actuation information to create work status records, enabling timely intervention before error conditions develop into actual failures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously acquiring actuation information from electric power tools and position information, then generating and transmitting work status data back to managers. This closed-loop feedback enables real-time monitoring and timely decision-making regarding tool maintenance and deployment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Loss of time

If real-time actuation information is collected and processed, then work status can be managed timely, but the system complexity and data processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresponse time for tool managementVSAvoidcomplexity of information processing apparatus
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the monitoring function across multiple components: electric power tools capture actuation information, position information acquisition units track location, and the management server processes and integrates this data. This segmentation distributes processing complexity while enabling comprehensive real-time monitoring through coordinated operation of specialized subsystems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Productivity

If work status information is displayed for multiple tools across a construction site, then overall site management is improved, but the information display becomes complex and difficult to interpret

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational efficiency of construction siteVSAvoidease of interpreting display information
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies local quality by displaying work status information specifically for tools within designated regions rather than showing all tools uniformly. The map display divides the construction site into regions, and managers can focus on tools in specific areas of interest, making the information display manageable and actionable while still supporting overall site-wide productivity management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4258191A1Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program
Publication Date: 2023.10.11 MAX CO LTD
  • EP4258191A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4258191A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4258191A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An information processing apparatus includes processing circuitry configured to: acquire, from each of a plurality of electric power tools, position information of each of the plurality of electric power tools and actuation information indicating that each of the plurality of electric power tools is actuated; generate work information indicating a work status of each of the plurality of electric power tools based on the actuation information, the work status including a actuation history of each of the plurality of the electric power tools; receive designation of a region; extract, from among the plurality of electric power tools, an electric power tool of which the position information is included in the designated region; generate display data for causing a display device to display the work information of the extracted electric power tool; and output the display data.