WO2008129254A1 - Work rate indicator system - Google Patents

Work rate indicator system Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2008129254A1
WO2008129254A1 PCT/GB2008/001355 GB2008001355W WO2008129254A1 WO 2008129254 A1 WO2008129254 A1 WO 2008129254A1 GB 2008001355 W GB2008001355 W GB 2008001355W WO 2008129254 A1 WO2008129254 A1 WO 2008129254A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
work rate
operator
movement
indicator system
indicator
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB2008/001355
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Raymond Paris
Original Assignee
Royal Mail Group Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Royal Mail Group Limited filed Critical Royal Mail Group Limited
Publication of WO2008129254A1 publication Critical patent/WO2008129254A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
    • G08B5/00—Visible signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems, remote indication of seats occupied
    • G08B5/22—Visible signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems, remote indication of seats occupied using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
    • G08B5/36—Visible signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems, remote indication of seats occupied using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission using visible light sources
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07C—TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
    • G07C3/00—Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles
    • G07C3/08—Registering or indicating the production of the machine either with or without registering working or idle time
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
    • G09F9/00—Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements
    • G09F9/30—Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements
    • G09F9/33—Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements being semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05B—CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
    • G05B2219/00—Program-control systems
    • G05B2219/20—Pc systems
    • G05B2219/23—Pc programming
    • G05B2219/23168—Display progress of program
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05B—CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
    • G05B2219/00—Program-control systems
    • G05B2219/20—Pc systems
    • G05B2219/23—Pc programming
    • G05B2219/23172—Different states with one LED, blinking, on and off or different colours
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05B—CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
    • G05B2219/00—Program-control systems
    • G05B2219/20—Pc systems
    • G05B2219/26—Pc applications
    • G05B2219/2621—Conveyor, transfert line

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an indicator system intended for use on production lines where operators are required to feed in a continuous flow of items.
  • Production systems which require an operator to feed items/products into a process, where the operator initiates the action, can suffer degraded performance as a result of the operator-determined work rate falling below an optimum or required rate.
  • the fall off in work rate may not be immediately apparent and may only be noticed after the operator has been working at a reduced rate for some time.
  • the work is determined by the upstream and/or downstream work rate and any reduced operator performance is instantly recognised through back up (upstream) or starvation (downstream) of items/products.
  • This latter method of working is sometimes referred to as a 'push' system of work as the operator is 'pushed' to perform at a rate to meet the system requirements.
  • an indicator system for indicating work rate, the system comprising an indicator display operable to simulate repetitive movement of a visible element at a selected frequency and arranged, in use, to be mounted adjacent an operator station at the input of a process or apparatus, in the operator's field of view and with the apparent direction of movement of the visible element towards the said input; the indicator system further comprising control means for selecting the frequency at which the repetetive movement of the visible element occurs.
  • the system of the invention can thus generate an artificial 'push' situation whereby the operator receives a subliminal visual key to the required work rate.
  • the system also provides an indication that the rate is below or above that required for the most efficient operation of the system being fed.
  • the invention provides a method of indicating work rate, the method comprising providing an indicator display operable to simulate repetitive movement of a visible element at a selected frequency and arranged adjacent an operator station at the input of a process or apparatus, in the operator's field of view and with the apparent direction of movement of the visible element towards the said input; and controlling the indicator system to select the frequency at which the repetetive movement of the visibile element occurs.
  • an Automatic Packet Sorting Machine used for sorting mail.
  • Such a machine consists of a number of infeed stations 10 where operator(s) are required to introduce packets 12 into the automatic sorting machine for sorting to a number of output selections.
  • infeed workstations typically, in the order of 16 infeed workstations exist to sort packets to in the order of 160 destination outputs.
  • the infeed operator task is to take from a continuously fed stack of random packets 12 and to provide (via another process) machine sort data from the packet 12 and to place the packet 12 on the infeed conveyor 18.
  • the collective machine sort rate is very much dependent upon the work rates of each infeed station, which is determined currently by individual operator performance.
  • Each of the 16 infeed stations 10 of the example Automatic Packet Sorting Machine will be fitted (in one embodiment of the invention) with an indicator display 14 which, in the embodiment shown, comprises a strip of light emitting diodes ('LED's) 20, each appromimatelylOmm by 30mm), forming a continuous LED line approximately 1.5 meters long. Each LED is capable of being illuminated separately.
  • 'LED's light emitting diodes
  • the LED strip 14 is mounted on the opposite side of the infeed conveyor 18 at the workplace of the operator such that the illumination it provides is in their peripheral vision.
  • a group of individual LEDs (eight in this example) within the strip 14 are illuminated in sequence to give the effect of a bar of light 22 approximately 240mm long moving along the full length of the LED strip.
  • the direction of apparent movement of the moving bar of light 22 is shown by arrow 'A' and is chosen to be towards the infeed of the machine, that is, generally, the direction along which packets 12 are to be moved when they are placed on the infeed conveyor 18 which takes them into the machine.
  • the rate at which the bar 22 appears to move (by sequence) into the machine is pre-set within the electronics which control the LEDs 20 to indicate the required rate that the operator should be feeding packets 12. This has the effect of encouraging the operator to match his or her actual infeed work rate to that of the indicator infeed rate.
  • the embodiment described uses a row of LEDs 20 to form the indicator display 14, it will be understood that other forms of display are possible, for example, a moving element on a computer screen or other similar apparently moving visible element.
  • the illuminated element(s) of an indicator display might me made to appear to approach and recede by flashing the illuminated elements or varying the light intensity thereof so as to produce a pulsating effect.
  • the indicator system of the invention may also signal to the operator whether he or she is operating at greater than or less than the required work rate.
  • the moving LED bar 22 will be configured to have a colour to contrast with the other LEDs 20 which form part of the static illuminated (or not illuminated) indicator display 14.
  • the colour of the moving light bar 22 can be varied to indicate whether the actual rate at which the operator is working is greater than or less than an optimum work rate.
  • the LEDs 20 used in the display 14 must be such that they can be illuminated selectively in two or more different colours and the indicator system is coupled to monitoring means 30, such as a photo beam, which are able to measure the actual work rate achieved by the operator, so, for example, the moving LED bar 22 might be chosen to be RED when the operator is working at a rate below that desired and GREEN when the actual work rate is on target or above that required.
  • monitoring means 30, such as a photo beam which are able to measure the actual work rate achieved by the operator, so, for example, the moving LED bar 22 might be chosen to be RED when the operator is working at a rate below that desired and GREEN when the actual work rate is on target or above that required.
  • the bar 22 might be made to flash if the operator falls below the desired rate.
  • monitoring means which measure the actual work rate may be used to modify the rate at which the display elements use with the 'desired' work rate being set by the control means to be 'just ahead' of the actual work rate, increasing gradually until an optimum rate is reached.
  • Such an arrangement is particularly useful in bringing the work rate of newly-trained operators up to an optimum level gradually, so that the operator is not discouraged by his or her inability to match the desired rate initially.
  • the indicator system is able to provides an artificial 'push' rhythm that will encourage the operator, subliminally, to match his or her work rate to the required feed rate signalled in his or her peripheral vision by the movement of the bar of light formed by the sequence of illuminated LED indicators mimicking flow into the machine.
  • the indicator system further signals whether the operator is matching the required work rate, or not, by changing the colour of the light bar in the indicator display.
  • the indicator system is independent of the machinery with which it is used, it can readily be fitted in any location where work rate is to be optimised without interfering with the machinery in any way.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Factory Administration (AREA)

Abstract

An indicator display (14) for indicating work rate comprising a strip of LEDs (20) operable to simulate repetitive movement of a visible element consisting of a group of illuminated LEDS forming a bar of light (22) which appears to move along the length of the strip at a selected frequency. The indicator display (14) is arranged, in use, to be mounted adjacent an operator station (10) at the input (18) of a process or apparatus, in the operator's field of view and with the apparent direction of movement of the bar of light (22) towards input (18) which may be a conveyor. The indicator system further comprises control means for selecting the frequency at which the repetitive movement of the light bar (22) occurs. Thus, the indicator display (14) is able to provides an artificial 'push' rhythm that will encourage the operator, subliminally, to match his or her work rate to the required rate signalled in his or her peripheral vision by the movement of the bar of light (22 )formed by the sequence of illuminated LED indicators mimicking flow into the machine input. In a preferred form, the indicator system further signals whether the operator is matching the required work rate, or not, by changing the colour of the light bar (22) in the indicator display (14).

Description

Work Rate Indicator System
The present invention relates to an indicator system intended for use on production lines where operators are required to feed in a continuous flow of items.
Production systems which require an operator to feed items/products into a process, where the operator initiates the action, can suffer degraded performance as a result of the operator-determined work rate falling below an optimum or required rate. The fall off in work rate may not be immediately apparent and may only be noticed after the operator has been working at a reduced rate for some time. In contrast, in situations where an operator's task is part of a flow of work, the work is determined by the upstream and/or downstream work rate and any reduced operator performance is instantly recognised through back up (upstream) or starvation (downstream) of items/products. This latter method of working is sometimes referred to as a 'push' system of work as the operator is 'pushed' to perform at a rate to meet the system requirements.
In accordance with the invention, there is provided an indicator system for indicating work rate, the system comprising an indicator display operable to simulate repetitive movement of a visible element at a selected frequency and arranged, in use, to be mounted adjacent an operator station at the input of a process or apparatus, in the operator's field of view and with the apparent direction of movement of the visible element towards the said input; the indicator system further comprising control means for selecting the frequency at which the repetetive movement of the visible element occurs.
The system of the invention can thus generate an artificial 'push' situation whereby the operator receives a subliminal visual key to the required work rate. Preferably, the system also provides an indication that the rate is below or above that required for the most efficient operation of the system being fed.
In a further aspect the invention provides a method of indicating work rate, the method comprising providing an indicator display operable to simulate repetitive movement of a visible element at a selected frequency and arranged adjacent an operator station at the input of a process or apparatus, in the operator's field of view and with the apparent direction of movement of the visible element towards the said input; and controlling the indicator system to select the frequency at which the repetetive movement of the visibile element occurs.
An embodiment of the the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawing, which is a schematic view of an indicator system in accordance with the invention.
One example of a situation in which the indicator system of the invention might be used is an Automatic Packet Sorting Machine used for sorting mail. Such a machine consists of a number of infeed stations 10 where operator(s) are required to introduce packets 12 into the automatic sorting machine for sorting to a number of output selections. Typically, in the order of 16 infeed workstations exist to sort packets to in the order of 160 destination outputs. The infeed operator task is to take from a continuously fed stack of random packets 12 and to provide (via another process) machine sort data from the packet 12 and to place the packet 12 on the infeed conveyor 18. The collective machine sort rate is very much dependent upon the work rates of each infeed station, which is determined currently by individual operator performance.
Each of the 16 infeed stations 10 of the example Automatic Packet Sorting Machine will be fitted (in one embodiment of the invention) with an indicator display 14 which, in the embodiment shown, comprises a strip of light emitting diodes ('LED's) 20, each appromimatelylOmm by 30mm), forming a continuous LED line approximately 1.5 meters long. Each LED is capable of being illuminated separately.
The LED strip 14 is mounted on the opposite side of the infeed conveyor 18 at the workplace of the operator such that the illumination it provides is in their peripheral vision.
A group of individual LEDs (eight in this example) within the strip 14 are illuminated in sequence to give the effect of a bar of light 22 approximately 240mm long moving along the full length of the LED strip. The direction of apparent movement of the moving bar of light 22 is shown by arrow 'A' and is chosen to be towards the infeed of the machine, that is, generally, the direction along which packets 12 are to be moved when they are placed on the infeed conveyor 18 which takes them into the machine. The rate at which the bar 22 appears to move (by sequence) into the machine is pre-set within the electronics which control the LEDs 20 to indicate the required rate that the operator should be feeding packets 12. This has the effect of encouraging the operator to match his or her actual infeed work rate to that of the indicator infeed rate.
Although the embodiment described uses a row of LEDs 20 to form the indicator display 14, it will be understood that other forms of display are possible, for example, a moving element on a computer screen or other similar apparently moving visible element. Alternatively, rather then being made to move transversely, the illuminated element(s) of an indicator display might me made to appear to approach and recede by flashing the illuminated elements or varying the light intensity thereof so as to produce a pulsating effect.
In a preferred embodiment, the indicator system of the invention may also signal to the operator whether he or she is operating at greater than or less than the required work rate.
In the indicator system described above in relation to the drawing, the moving LED bar 22 will be configured to have a colour to contrast with the other LEDs 20 which form part of the static illuminated (or not illuminated) indicator display 14. Preferably, the colour of the moving light bar 22 can be varied to indicate whether the actual rate at which the operator is working is greater than or less than an optimum work rate.
In this preferred embodiment, the LEDs 20 used in the display 14 must be such that they can be illuminated selectively in two or more different colours and the indicator system is coupled to monitoring means 30, such as a photo beam, which are able to measure the actual work rate achieved by the operator, so, for example, the moving LED bar 22 might be chosen to be RED when the operator is working at a rate below that desired and GREEN when the actual work rate is on target or above that required. Again, it will be appreciated that other changes to the visible element of the display 14 might be used to signal a fall below the desired work rate, for example, the bar 22 might be made to flash if the operator falls below the desired rate.
In a further embodiment, not shown in the drawing, monitoring means which measure the actual work rate may be used to modify the rate at which the display elements use with the 'desired' work rate being set by the control means to be 'just ahead' of the actual work rate, increasing gradually until an optimum rate is reached. Such an arrangement is particularly useful in bringing the work rate of newly-trained operators up to an optimum level gradually, so that the operator is not discouraged by his or her inability to match the desired rate initially.
Thus, in its simplest form, the indicator system is able to provides an artificial 'push' rhythm that will encourage the operator, subliminally, to match his or her work rate to the required feed rate signalled in his or her peripheral vision by the movement of the bar of light formed by the sequence of illuminated LED indicators mimicking flow into the machine. In the preferred embodiment, the indicator system further signals whether the operator is matching the required work rate, or not, by changing the colour of the light bar in the indicator display.
It will be appreciated that, because the indicator system is independent of the machinery with which it is used, it can readily be fitted in any location where work rate is to be optimised without interfering with the machinery in any way.

Claims

1. An indicator system for indicating work rate, the system comprising an indicator display operable to simulate repetitive movement of a visible element at a selected frequency and arranged, in use, to be mounted adjacent an operator station at the input of a process or apparatus, in the operator's field of view and with the apparent direction of movement of the visible element towards the said input; the indicator system further comprising control means for selecting the frequency at which the repetitive movement of the visible element occurs.
2. An indicator system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising monitoring means for measuring the actual work rate of an operator; the control means being operable to compare the actual measured work rate with a desired work rate and to change the appearance of the visible element in dependence on the result of the said comparison.
3. An indicator system according to claim 2 wherein the control means is operable to change the colour of the visible element in dependence on the result of the comparison between the actual measured work rate and the desired work rate
4. An indicator system according to any preceding claim wherein the indicator display comprises a plurality of LEDs arranged along a line and capable of being illuminated selectively so as to simulate movement of an illuminated bar along the line of LEDs.
5. An indicator system substantially as hereinbefore described.
6. A method of indicating work rate, the method comprising: providing an indicator display operable to simulate repetitive movement of a visible element at a selected frequency and arranged adjacent an operator station at the input of a process or apparatus, in the operator's field of view and with the apparent direction of movement of the visible element towards the said input; and controlling the indicator system to select the frequency at which the repetetive movement of the visibile element occurs.
7. A method according to claim 6 comprising measuring the actual work rate of an operator; comparing the actual measured work rate with a desired work rate; and to changing the appearance of the visible element in dependence on the result of the said comparison.
8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the colour of the visible element is changed in dependence on the result of the comparison between the actual measured work rate and the desired work rate.
9. A method of indicating work rate substantially as hereinbefore described.
PCT/GB2008/001355 2007-04-19 2008-04-17 Work rate indicator system WO2008129254A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0707616.9 2007-04-19
GB0707616A GB2448536B (en) 2007-04-19 2007-04-19 Work rate indicator system

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2008129254A1 true WO2008129254A1 (en) 2008-10-30

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CH719007A1 (en) * 2021-09-29 2023-03-31 Ferag Ag Method for transferring objects between two conveyor devices and a conveyor system.

Citations (5)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5771043A (en) * 1990-08-22 1998-06-23 Hitachi, Ltd. Method and apparatus for displaying operating procedure
US20020124394A1 (en) * 2001-03-07 2002-09-12 Scott Slechta System and processes for performing quick changeovers on assembly lines
US20030197700A1 (en) * 2002-04-17 2003-10-23 Matsushita Graphic Communication Systems, Inc. Information processing apparatus, program for product assembly process display, and method for product assembly process display
US20040225390A1 (en) * 2002-05-20 2004-11-11 Lsi Logic Corporation Direct methods system for assembly of products
CN2848462Y (en) * 2005-10-11 2006-12-20 富豪机电股份有限公司 Display device used for machine

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US4801928A (en) * 1986-09-02 1989-01-31 Chloride Group Plc Egress direction indication system
JPS6491300A (en) * 1987-10-01 1989-04-10 Tokin Corp Tact timer
JP2000153432A (en) * 1998-11-19 2000-06-06 Omron Corp Operating condition supervisory device

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5771043A (en) * 1990-08-22 1998-06-23 Hitachi, Ltd. Method and apparatus for displaying operating procedure
US20020124394A1 (en) * 2001-03-07 2002-09-12 Scott Slechta System and processes for performing quick changeovers on assembly lines
US20030197700A1 (en) * 2002-04-17 2003-10-23 Matsushita Graphic Communication Systems, Inc. Information processing apparatus, program for product assembly process display, and method for product assembly process display
US20040225390A1 (en) * 2002-05-20 2004-11-11 Lsi Logic Corporation Direct methods system for assembly of products
CN2848462Y (en) * 2005-10-11 2006-12-20 富豪机电股份有限公司 Display device used for machine
EP1777034A1 (en) * 2005-10-11 2007-04-25 Barload Machine Co.,Ltd. Detachable indicator device for feeding machine

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Publication number Publication date
GB2448536B (en) 2012-01-11
GB2448536A (en) 2008-10-22
GB0707616D0 (en) 2007-05-30

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