JP7417822B1 - Management system and management method - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to easily manage one or more management targets. A management system 100 is a management system 100 for managing one or more management targets, and includes one or more transmitters that are held in each of the one or more management targets and wirelessly transmit a detection signal 151. 104 and a plurality of receivers 103 that receive detection signals 151, and based on the detection signals 151 received by the plurality of receivers 103, which point 105 of the plurality of points 105 immediately follows which point? A moving line segment indicating whether the moving line segment has moved to 105 is determined for each of the one or more transmitters 104, and the frequency of occurrence of the moving line segment is detected. [Selection diagram] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a management system and a management method for managing one or more management targets.

As a method for managing the actions of workers, for example, Patent Document 1 describes using optical signals to determine the positions and movement trajectories of workers.

Patent No. 6509699

In such a system, it is desired that objects to be managed can be easily managed.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a management system or a management method that can easily manage managed objects.

In order to achieve the above object, a management system according to one aspect of the present invention is a management system for managing one or more management targets, wherein a detection signal is stored in each of the one or more management targets, and a detection signal is and a plurality of receivers that receive the detection signal, and based on the detection signal received by the plurality of receivers, which of the plurality of points can be determined. A moving line segment indicating which point the transmitter has moved to immediately after is determined for each of the one or more transmitters, and the frequency of occurrence of the moving line segment is detected.

According to this, the standard work procedure can be determined by referring to the frequency of occurrence of the detected moving line segment. Therefore, the management system can easily manage the management target.

For example, the management system may further extract moving line segments whose occurrence frequency is greater than a predetermined number as standard moving line segments, and detect moving line segments that are not included in the standard moving line segments. The transmitter may also be specified.

According to this, the management system can detect a managed target that is moving differently from standard movement.

For example, the management system further receives the designation of the movement line segment, and based on the detection signals received by the plurality of receivers, the management system moves from the movement source point corresponding to the specified movement line segment. A travel time to a previous point may be determined for each of the one or more transmitters.

According to this, the standard travel time in the section corresponding to the specified travel line segment can be determined by referring to the determined travel time.

For example, the management system further accepts the designation of the point, and based on the detection signals received by the plurality of receivers, the management system determines the time from when the transmitter arrives at the specified point until it leaves. A certain dwell time may be determined for each of the one or more transmitters.

According to this, the standard residence time at a designated point can be determined by referring to the determined residence time.

For example, the management system may further receive the moving line segment and detect the frequency of occurrence of the specified moving line segment for each period.

According to this, the frequency of occurrence of the designated moving line segment for each period can be determined by referring to the detected frequency of occurrence of the designated moving line segment for each period. For example, a change or improvement in the movement situation can be determined by referring to the frequency of occurrence of the moving line segment for each period.

For example, the management system may further detect the frequency of occurrence of a moving line segment group that is a combination of a plurality of moving line segments regardless of the order of occurrence.

According to this, it is possible to determine the frequency of occurrence of a moving line segment group that is a combination of a plurality of moving line segments regardless of the order of occurrence. Therefore, for example, it is possible to detect events that cannot be detected or events that are difficult to detect by analyzing a single moving line segment.

For example, the management system may further detect the frequency of occurrence of a moving line segment sequence that is a combination including the order of occurrence of a plurality of moving line segments.

According to this, it is possible to determine the frequency of occurrence of a moving line segment sequence that is a combination including the order of occurrence of a plurality of moving line segments. Therefore, for example, it is possible to detect events that cannot be detected or events that are difficult to detect by analyzing a single moving line segment.

For example, the management system may further generate a histogram indicating the frequency of occurrence of the detected moving line segment.

According to this, standard work procedures can be determined by referring to the generated histogram. Therefore, the management system can easily manage the management target.

Further, a management method according to an aspect of the present invention is a management method in a management system for managing one or more management targets, wherein the management system is maintained in each of the one or more management targets, and the management method is a management method for a management system for managing one or more management targets, wherein the management method includes one or more transmitters that wirelessly transmit a detection signal, and a plurality of receivers that receive the detection signal; Among the points, a moving line segment indicating which point the moving line segment has moved to immediately after is determined for each of the one or more transmitters, and the frequency of occurrence of the moving line segment is detected.

According to this, the standard work procedure can be determined by referring to the frequency of occurrence of the detected moving line segment. Therefore, the management method can easily manage the management target.

Note that these comprehensive or specific aspects may be realized by a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, and the system, method, integrated circuit, computer program and a recording medium may be used in any combination.

The present invention can provide a management system or a management method that can easily manage managed objects.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a management system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a transmitter according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a receiver according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the management device according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the management device according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of information accumulated in the management device according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of information calculated from information accumulated by the management device according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a moving line segment according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a moving line segment according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a moving line segment according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a histogram of a moving line segment according to the embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a histogram of a group of moving line segments according to the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a histogram of a moving line segment sequence according to the embodiment. FIG. 14 is a flowchart of abnormal behavior detection processing according to the embodiment. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of information calculated by the management device according to the embodiment. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a histogram of travel time according to the embodiment. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a residence time histogram according to the embodiment. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of a histogram of frequencies for each period according to the embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

Note that all of the embodiments described below are specific examples of the present invention. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection forms of the components, steps, order of steps, etc. shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and do not limit the present invention. Further, among the constituent elements in the following embodiments, constituent elements that are not described in the independent claims indicating the most significant concept will be described as arbitrary constituent elements.

2. Description of the Related Art When multiple operations are performed on products in a factory or the like, it is desired to be able to move efficiently between the points where the operations are performed. Specifically, when an object such as a product or a processing target is transported by a forklift, the number of forklifts can be reduced by increasing the efficiency of transport.

Furthermore, when such multiple tasks are performed, it is necessary to prevent the tasks from being performed in the wrong order. For example, when a product is flowing through a line, there are cases in which the product is temporarily removed from the line, corrected or adjusted, and then returned to the line depending on the results of an inspection. In such a case, it is necessary to return the product to a predetermined process, but the product may be returned to the wrong process.

Further, in such a system, for example, it is necessary to register the correct work procedure in advance and to determine whether the procedure actually being performed matches the correct procedure. In other words, there is a problem in that it takes time and effort to register in advance depending on the situation of each facility.

In this embodiment, a management system that can manage whether such movement of objects is being performed correctly and efficiently and that can be easily introduced will be described.

[Management system configuration]
First, the configuration of the management system according to this embodiment will be explained. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a management system 100 according to this embodiment. This management system 100 manages the operation (movement) of one or more managed objects. FIG. 1 shows an example in which the moving object 101 to be managed is a forklift. Note that the management target is not limited to a forklift, but may be a moving object (such as a vehicle or a person) or an article.

Here, an example will be described in which a work process including a plurality of operations is performed on an object to be worked on in a factory or the like. The object is transported between work points by a forklift, and work is performed on the object at each point. Here, the work includes processing, assembling, inspecting, adjusting, etc. the object.

Note that the usage described here is an example, and the method of this embodiment is applicable to any system that manages one or more management targets.

Management system 100 includes a management device 102, multiple receivers 103, and multiple transmitters 104. Note that the number of each element shown in FIG. 1 is an example, and is not limited to the number shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of points 105 are set in the area managed by the management system 100. Here, the point 105 is a range (area) where work is performed, and one receiver 103 is set at one point 105. Note that the shape of the range corresponding to the point 105 does not need to be rectangular. Further, the plurality of points 105 may be placed apart from each other, adjacent to each other, or may be placed so that some of them overlap.

Each of the plurality of transmitters 104 is mounted (installed) on the mobile object 101 to be managed. Note that the transmitter 104 may be held (carried or worn) by a worker who drives the mobile object 101. Alternatively, it may be attached to an object carried by the moving body 101. Furthermore, the moving body 101 that transports the object is not limited to a forklift. For example, the moving object may be a vehicle, a trolley, or the like.

The transmitter 104 periodically wirelessly transmits the detection signal 151. The plurality of receivers 103 receive detection signals 151 that are periodically transmitted wirelessly from the transmitter 104. The plurality of receivers 103 transmit a notification signal 153 including information regarding the received detection signal 151 to the management device 102.

The management device 102 uses the information included in the notification signal 153 to detect and manage the positions and movements (movements) of the plurality of mobile objects 101 .

[Transmitter configuration]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the transmitter 104. This transmitter 104 includes an ID storage section 121, a control section 122, a wireless transmission section 123, a communication section 124, a presentation section 125, and a power supply section 126.

The ID storage unit 121 stores a transmitter ID (transmitter identifier) that is information for uniquely identifying the transmitter 104.

The control unit 122 wirelessly transmits the detection signal 151 including the transmitter ID via the wireless transmitter 123.

The wireless transmitter 123 transmits the detection signal 151. The detection signal 151 is, for example, a wireless signal based on IEEE802.15.4, and is a wireless signal in a 920 MHz band, a 950 MHz band, or a 2.4 GHz band. Note that an LPWA (Low Power, Wide Area) wireless signal may be used as the detection signal 151. Further, the detection signal 151 may be a wireless signal of any type other than the above.

The communication unit 124 communicates with the management device 102. Note that the communication method between the transmitter 104 and the management device 102 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a public telephone network, an Internet line (including wireless LAN, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), etc.), or a proprietary communication method. A wireless network or the like can be used. The communication unit 124 receives a presentation signal 152, which will be described later, from the management device 102.

The presentation unit 125 is a device for presenting information, and is, for example, a display and/or a microphone.

The power supply unit 126 is a power supply that supplies power to the transmitter 104, and is, for example, a battery or a battery.

Note that the transmitter 104 may include an operation unit such as a button or a touch panel that accepts user operations.

[Receiver configuration]
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of receiver 103. The receiver 103 includes an ID storage section 131, a control section 132, a wireless reception section 133, and a communication section 134.

The ID storage unit 131 stores a receiver ID (receiver identifier) that is information for uniquely identifying the receiver 103.

The wireless receiving unit 133 receives the detection signal 151 wirelessly transmitted from the transmitter 104.

When the wireless reception unit 133 receives the detection signal 151 , the control unit 132 generates a notification signal 153 and transmits it to the management device 102 via the communication unit 134 .

The notification signal 153 includes, for example, the transmitter ID of the transmitter 104 that is the source of the received detection signal 151, the receiver ID of the receiver, and the arrival time that is the time when reception of the detection signal 151 was started. , and the departure time, which is the time when the reception of the detection signal 151 is completed. Note that receiving the detection signal 151 means that the received radio wave intensity of the detection signal 151 is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold. Alternatively, if the detection signal 151 continues to be received for a certain period of time, it may be determined that the reception has started. Similarly, if the detection signal 151 is not received for a certain period of time after the detection signal 151 continues to be received, it may be determined that the reception has ended.

In addition, although an example will be described here in which the receiver 103 determines the arrival time and departure time, the notification signal 153 is information indicating the received radio field strength of the detection signal 151 for each hour instead of the arrival time and departure time. , or information indicating whether or not the detection signal 151 has been received for each hour (information indicating whether the received radio field strength is above a threshold value), and the management device 102 uses this information to determine the arrival time and departure time. may be determined.

Moreover, the receiver 103 does not transmit the arrival time and the departure time together to the management device 102, but transmits the arrival time to the management device 102 when it starts receiving the detection signal 151, and sends the detection signal 151 to the management device 102. The withdrawal time may be transmitted to the management device 102 at the time when the reception of 151 is completed.

The communication unit 134 communicates with the management device 102. Note that the method of communication between the receiver 103 and the management device 102 is not particularly limited, but for example, a method similar to that of the communication unit 124 included in the transmitter 104 can be used. Note that communication between the receiver 103 and the management device 102 may be performed via other equipment such as a repeater. Further, the receiver 103 may relay the presentation signal 153 transmitted from the management device 102 to the transmitter 104.

[Management device configuration]
Next, the configuration of the management device 102 will be explained. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the management device 102. The management device 102 includes a communication section 141, a storage section 142, a management section 143, and a display section 144.

The communication unit 141 receives the notification signal 153 transmitted from the receiver 103. The communication unit 141 also transmits a presentation signal 152 that instructs the transmitter 104 to present a warning or the like.

The storage unit 142 stores information included in the notification signals 153 transmitted from the plurality of receivers 103. Furthermore, the storage unit 142 stores various information calculated by the management device 102.

The management unit 143 manages the movement of the transmitter 104 using information stored in the storage unit 142 and the like. The display unit 144 displays information regarding the movement of the transmitter 104.

Note that the configuration of the management system 100 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. For example, the management system 100 may include multiple management devices 102. Further, the functions of the management device 102 may be realized by a plurality of devices. For example, some of the functions of the management device 102 may be realized by a PC, and other parts may be realized by a mobile terminal such as a smartphone.

Further, the receiver 103 may have at least some of the functions of the management device 102, and the management device 102 may have at least some of the functions of the receiver 103. For example, the receiver 103 may have all the functions of the management device 102, and the management system 100 may not include the management device 102.

Furthermore, when the management device 102 and the receiver 103 are implemented as a single device, signals are transmitted between the management device 102 and the receiver 103 within the device. In other words, the transmission of the notification signal 153 described above is not limited to transmission between devices via a network or the like, but also includes transmission of signals within devices.

[Management system operation]
Next, the operation of the management system 100 will be explained. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the management device 102. First, the management device 102 receives a plurality of notification signals 153 from a plurality of receivers 103 in a predetermined period, and accumulates information included in the plurality of received notification signals 153 (S101).

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of information accumulated in the management device 102. As shown in FIG. 6, the transmitter ID of the transmitter 104 that is the source of the detection signal 151, the process type ID, the receiver ID of the receiver 103 that received the detection signal 151, and the The arrival time, which is the time when reception started, and the departure time, which is the time when reception of the detection signal 151 ended, are linked and accumulated. Note that the process type ID is an identifier indicating the type of work process, and is included in the detection signal 151, for example. For example, when multiple types of work processes are performed in a factory (for example, when the types of objects are different or when the contents of the work processes are different), a process type ID is used to distinguish each work process. used. Note that if the work processes are common, the process type ID may not be used.

Further, the transmitter ID may be a set of multiple IDs indicating multiple classifications. For example, one or more classifications (attributes) may be indicated by the upper bits of the ID. For example, classification includes purpose of use, type of object, place of use, etc.

Next, the management device 102 determines the moving line segment using the accumulated information (S102). That is, the management device 102 determines the moving line segment for each of the plurality of transmitters 104 based on the detection signals 151 received by the plurality of receivers 103 . Here, the movement line segment is information indicating which point 105 among the plurality of points 105 the object has moved to immediately after.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of information calculated from information accumulated by the management device 102. As shown in FIG. 7, the management device 102 determines a line segment ID indicating a moving line segment for each data set shown in FIG. 6 (one line of information in FIG. 6). First, the management device 102 sorts a plurality of data sets having the same transmitter ID by arrival time or departure time, extracts consecutive data sets, and determines a movement source point and a movement destination point. The management device 102 determines a line segment ID set in advance for a pair of a movement source point (movement source receiver) and a movement destination point (movement destination receiver).

The management device 102 also calculates the travel time, which is the difference between the leaving time at the source point and the arrival time at the destination point. In other words, the travel time is the time required for the transmitter 104 to move from the source point to the destination point.

The management device 102 calculates the residence time, which is the difference between the arrival time and departure time at the source point. In other words, the residence time is the time during which the transmitter 104 remained at the source location. Note that the difference between the arrival time and departure time at the destination point instead of the source point may be calculated as the dwell time corresponding to the moving line segment.

The management device 102 also determines a process ID that identifies the work process. This process ID is used to identify each work process, for example, when the same work process is repeatedly performed by the same moving body 101. For example, a process start point and a process end point are set in advance for each type of work process. The management device 102 sorts a plurality of data sets having the same transmitter ID by arrival time or departure time, and detects the transmitter 104 by the receiver 103 with the receiver ID corresponding to the process start point and reaches the process end point. The data set until the transmitter 104 is detected by the receiver 103 of the corresponding receiver ID is associated with one process ID.

The management device 102 also adds date and time information to each data set. Although the date and time information is added in units of days in FIG. 7, the units are not limited to days, and may be units of hours, weeks, months, or other arbitrary units.

Further, here, an example is shown in which one work is performed at one point 105, but a plurality of works may be performed at one point 105, or there may be points 105 where no work is performed. . For example, the point 105 where no work is being performed is a route located between two points 105 where work is being performed.

Further, here, an example is shown in which one receiver 103 is arranged at one point 105, but a plurality of receivers 103 may be arranged at one point 105. Further, a smaller number of receivers 103 than the number of the plurality of points 105 may be arranged for the plurality of points 105 . In this case, the position of the transmitter 104 can be estimated based on the combination of received radio wave intensities received by the plurality of receivers 103. For example, if the received radio field strength at two receivers 103 is equal to or higher than a threshold value, it can be estimated that the transmitter 104 exists in the area between the two receivers 103. Furthermore, a more detailed position can be estimated based on the strength of the received radio wave intensity. Furthermore, if the points 105 and receivers 103 do not have a one-to-one correspondence, the management device 102 converts information for each receiver 103 into information for each point 105.

8 to 10 are diagrams showing examples of moving line segments. The figure shows an example in which receivers 103A to 103F are provided at six points 105A to 105F, respectively. For example, point 105A is a process start point, and point 105F is a process end point.

In the example shown in FIG. 8, the transmitter 104 (mobile object 101) moves to point 105A (S201), moves from point 105A to point 105B (S202), moves from point 105B to point 105C (S203), and moves from point 105A to point 105C (S203). Move from 105C to point 105F (S204). In this case, three moving line segments with line segment ID=001, 002, and 003 are detected.

In the example shown in FIG. 9, the transmitter 104 moves to point 105A (S211), moves from point 105A to point 105B (S212), moves from point 105B to point 105E (S213), and moves from point 105E to point 105B. (S214), moves from point 105B to point 105C (S215), and moves from point 105C to point 105F (S216). In this case, five moving line segments with line segment ID=001, 004, 005, 002, and 003 are detected. Here, both the example shown in FIG. 8 and the example shown in FIG. 9 are the same type of work process. For example, in this example, the work performed at point 105B is an inspection, and if the inspection is passed, the operation is moved to point 105C, and if the inspection is not passed, adjustments are made at point 105E, and then the This is a case where the inspection is performed again at 105B. In this way, even for the same type of work process, the movement route may differ depending on the situation.

In the example shown in FIG. 10, the transmitter 104 moves to point 105A (S221), moves from point 105A to point 105B (S222), moves from point 105B to point 105E (S223), and moves from point 105E to point 105C (S224), and from point 105C to point 105F (S225). In this case, four moving line segments with line segment ID=001, 004, 006, and 003 are detected. In this example, a movement different from the original route is performed, and the movement shown in FIG. 9 should be correctly performed, but the movement is from point 105E to point 105C without passing through point 105B. is being carried out. Furthermore, in this case, a moving line segment with line segment ID=006, which does not normally occur, is detected.

In order to detect such erroneous movement, the management device 102 generates a histogram of the detected moving line segments (S103). FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a histogram of generated moving line segments. In the histogram shown in FIG. 11, the horizontal axis is line segment ID, and the vertical axis is frequency (frequency of occurrence of moving line segments).

Using this histogram, the management device 102 determines standard moving line segments that may occur during normal work processes and other abnormal moving line segments (S104). For example, the management device 102 determines a moving line segment whose frequency is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th1 as a standard moving line segment, and determines other moving line segments (moving line segments whose frequency is less than the threshold value Th1) as abnormal moving line segments. For example, the threshold Th1 may be set as a ratio to the number of data sets.

Through the above processing, for example, even in cases where the work process is complicated, unusual movement can be automatically determined. Furthermore, not only the case where a branch occurs in the movement destination as described above, but also the case where a plurality of tasks are determined but their order is not determined. For example, when performing three tasks, Work A, Work B, and Work C, you may perform Work A, Work B, and Work C in this order, or Work B, Work C, and Work A. also exists. In such a case, if the number of operations increases, it becomes difficult to specify movements that are different from normal ones. Even in such cases, by using this method, unusual movement can be automatically determined.

Note that although an example using moving line segments has been shown above, a moving line segment group or a moving line segment train may be used instead of or in addition to the moving line segments. A moving line segment group is a set of two or more moving line segments. Specifically, the moving line segment group is one in which two or more moving line segments are extracted from a plurality of moving line segments obtained in one work process. The plurality of moving line segments obtained in one work process are moving line segments that are associated with the same process ID. Note that the order in which moving line segments occur and the continuity of their occurrence are not considered in the moving line segment group. In other words, a moving line segment group is a combination of a plurality of moving line segments regardless of the order of occurrence.

For example, if moving line segment A, moving line segment B, and moving line segment C occur in this order in one work process, moving line segment group a (moving line segment A, moving line segment B, moving line segment group b (set of moving line segment A and moving line segment C), moving line segment group c (set of moving line segment B and moving line segment C), moving line segment group d (set of moving line segment A A set of moving line segment B and moving line segment C) is obtained. Further, even if moving line segment B, moving line segment C, and moving line segment A occur in this order in one work process, similar moving line segment groups a to d are obtained.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a histogram of a group of moving line segments generated by the management device 102. In the histogram shown in FIG. 12, the horizontal axis is the line segment group ID, and the vertical axis is the frequency (occurrence frequency of the moving line segment group). The line segment group ID is an identifier uniquely associated with the moving line segment group.

Further, the management device 102 uses this histogram to determine a group of standard moving line segments that may occur during normal work processes and a group of abnormal moving line segments other than that. For example, the management device 102 determines a group of moving line segments whose frequency is equal to or higher than the threshold Th2 as a group of standard moving line segments, and determines other moving line segments (a group of moving line segments whose frequency is less than the threshold Th2) as a group of abnormal moving line segments. For example, the threshold Th2 may be set as a ratio to the number of data sets of moving line segments used to generate the histogram.

By using a group of moving line segments in this way, it is possible to determine unusual movements that cannot be determined by analyzing moving line segments. For example, it is possible to extract moving line segments that may occur as single moving line segments but cannot occur as a combination during one work process.

Further, the moving line segment sequence is a set of two or more moving line segments, similar to the moving line segment group. Specifically, the moving line segment sequence is one in which two or more moving line segments are extracted from a plurality of moving line segments obtained in one work process. The plurality of moving line segments obtained in one work process are moving line segments that are associated with the same process ID. Note that, unlike a group of moving line segments, a moving line segment sequence takes into consideration the order in which moving line segments occur and the continuity of their occurrence. In other words, the plurality of moving line segments included in the moving line segment sequence are the plurality of moving line segments that occur continuously. Further, a moving line segment sequence is a combination including the order of occurrence of a plurality of moving line segments.

For example, if moving line segment A, moving line segment B, and moving line segment C occur in this order in one work process, moving line segment sequence a (moving line segment A and moving line segment moving line segment sequence b (a pair of moving line segment B and moving line segment C), and moving line segment sequence c (a pair of moving line segment A, moving line segment B, and moving line segment C). can get. In addition, when moving line segment B, moving line segment C, and moving line segment A occur in this order in one work process, unlike the above, moving line segment sequence b (moving line segment B and moving line segment C), the moving line segment sequence d (the pair of moving line segment C and moving line segment A), and the moving line segment sequence e (the pair of moving line segment B, moving line segment C, and moving line segment A). can get.

For example, the following six moving line segments (line segments A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2) exist as moving line segments for three points α, β, and γ. Line segment A1 is movement from point α to point β, line segment A2 is movement from point α to point γ, line segment B1 is movement from point β to point γ, and line segment B2 is movement from point α to point γ. The line segment C1 represents movement from point γ to point α, and the line segment C2 represents movement from point γ to point β.

Furthermore, when moving freely between the three points α, β, and γ, there are 15 (=6×5/2) moving line segment groups made up of two moving line segments. In addition, there are 20 (=6×5×4/3/2) moving line segment groups composed of three moving line segments. Therefore, when extracting both a moving line segment group consisting of two moving line segments and a moving line segment group consisting of three moving line segments, there are 35 types of moving line segment applications.

In addition, in this case, there are 12 types of moving line segment sequences composed of two moving line segments. Specifically, the moving line segment sequence is from line segment A1 to line segment B1, from line segment A1 to line segment B2, from line segment A2 to line segment C1, from line segment A2 to line segment C2, and from line segment B1 to line segment A1. , line segment B1 to line segment A2, line segment B2 to line segment C1, line segment B2 to line segment C2, line segment C1 to line segment A1, line segment C1 to line segment A2, line segment C2 to line segment B1, and , from line segment C2 to line segment B2. Furthermore, there are 24 types of moving line segment sequences that are made up of three moving line segments, which is twice as many as moving line segment sequences that are made up of two moving line segments.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a histogram of a moving line segment sequence generated by the management device 102. In the histogram shown in FIG. 13, the horizontal axis is the line segment string ID, and the vertical axis is the frequency (occurrence frequency of the moving line segment string). The line segment sequence ID is an identifier uniquely associated with the moving line segment sequence.

Furthermore, the management device 102 uses this histogram to determine a standard moving line segment sequence that may occur during a normal work process and an abnormal moving line segment sequence other than that. For example, the management device 102 determines a moving line segment sequence whose frequency is equal to or higher than the threshold value Th3 as a standard moving line segment sequence, and determines other moving line segment sequences (moving line segment sequences whose frequency is less than the threshold value Th3) as an abnormal moving line segment sequence. . For example, the threshold Th3 may be set as a ratio to the number of data sets of moving line segment sequences used to generate the histogram.

By using a moving line segment sequence in this way, it is possible to determine unusual movements that cannot be determined by analyzing moving line segments. For example, it is possible to extract moving line segments that may occur as a single moving line segment but cannot occur as a combination (including order and continuity) during one work process.

[Abnormal behavior detection processing]
Information on the standard moving line segment and the abnormal moving line segment determined above is stored in the management device 102. The management device 102 uses this information to detect abnormal behavior of the transmitter 104. FIG. 14 is a flowchart of this abnormal behavior detection process. Note that the process shown in FIG. 14 is repeatedly performed at predetermined time intervals. Alternatively, the processing may be triggered by receiving a notification signal.

First, the management device 102 receives a plurality of notification signals 153 (S111), and determines a moving line segment (S112). Next, the management device 102 determines whether the determined moving line segment is a standard moving line segment (S113). If the moving line segment is not a standard moving line segment, that is, if the moving line segment is an abnormal moving line segment (No in S113), the management device 102 notifies the moving body 101 of a warning (S114). For example, the management device 102 transmits a presentation signal 152 to the transmitter 104 instructing presentation of a warning. Transmitter 104 receiving presentation signal 152 presents a warning. For example, the transmitter 104 presents a warning to the operator driving the mobile object 101 using an image, video, light emission, sound, vibration, or a combination thereof.

On the other hand, if the moving line segment is a standard moving line segment (Yes in S113), the management device 102 ends the process.

Note that although an example in which the transmitter 104 presents a warning has been shown here, if the worker driving the mobile object 101 carries a separate terminal device, the management device 102 can display a warning to the terminal device. You may instruct them to do so. Alternatively, the warning may be presented on a device (such as a display) fixedly installed in the work area.

Note that the above processing may be performed in real time, or data may be accumulated for a predetermined period and the accumulated data may be processed all at once.

Further, similar processing may be performed using a moving line segment group or a moving line segment sequence instead of or in addition to the moving line segment. Similarly, in the following description, processing for moving line segments may be applied to moving line segment groups or moving line segment sequences.

Further, the work process identified by the process ID may be a work process that includes all the work that may occur, including work for dealing with exceptions (for example, correction work when the inspection fails). However, it may be a work process that includes work that occurs as a regular (normal) work process. That is, different process IDs may be assigned to a regular work process and a work process for handling exceptions.

In the latter case, the situation can be managed more precisely. Specifically, if the inspection does not pass, a work change instruction (correction process instruction) is displayed automatically or manually on the transmitter 104 or on the terminal device (tablet, smartphone, etc.) carried by the worker. be done. Further, the corrected process instruction is transmitted to the management device 102, the process ID is changed to a new process ID (process ID of the work process for dealing with exceptions), and the process is continued until the work is completed.

Note that when a new task for dealing with an exception occurs, the process ID is changed again. Information such as the new process ID is, for example, included in the presentation signal 152 and transmitted from the management device 102 to the transmitter 104 or the like. Further, the new process ID is treated as a derived form of the original process ID. In other words, the new process ID is associated with the original process ID. As a result, in various sorting processes, the new process ID and the original process ID are treated as the same.

[Histogram display]
Further, the histogram generated above may be displayed to the operator of the management device 102. In this case, for example, the management device 102 may set the above-mentioned threshold values Th1 to Th3 based on an operation by an operator. Further, the operator may set the standard moving line segment or the abnormal moving line segment while referring to the histogram. Alternatively, the set standard movement line segment or abnormal movement line segment may be changed based on an operation by the operator.

In this case, the management device 102 may display various information in addition to the histogram. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of information calculated by the management device 102. For example, the management device 102 may calculate the average travel time and average residence time for each moving line segment. The average travel time and average residence time may be calculated for each period. The average travel time is the average value of travel times included in multiple data sets having the same line segment ID. The average residence time is the average value of residence times included in multiple data sets having the same line segment ID. Note that a median value or the like may be used instead of the average value.

Similarly, the average travel time and average residence time of a group of moving line segments or a train of moving line segments may be calculated. For example, the average moving time of a moving line segment group or moving line segment sequence is the sum of the average moving times of a plurality of moving line segments included in the moving line segment group or moving line segment sequence. The average residence time is the sum of the average residence times of a plurality of moving line segments included in the moving line segment group or moving line segment sequence.

Note that the method of displaying the above information is not particularly limited, but it may be displayed as a list or may be displayed superimposed on a histogram.

Further, the management device 102 may receive a designation of a moving line segment (for example, designation of a line segment ID) from the operator, generate a histogram of the travel time of the received moving line segment, and display the histogram. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a histogram of travel time. In the histogram shown in FIG. 16, the horizontal axis is the movement time, the vertical axis is the frequency (frequency of occurrence of the movement time), and shows the data of the movement line segment with line segment ID=011. Although travel time is classified in minutes here, the unit of classification may be arbitrary.

The management device 102 may also determine the standard travel time and abnormal travel time for each moving line segment from the travel time histogram. For example, the management device 102 determines the travel time for which the frequency is greater than or equal to the threshold value to be the standard travel time, and determines other times (travel time for which the frequency is less than the threshold value) to be the abnormal travel time. The management device 102 may also use the determined standard travel time and abnormal travel time to determine an abnormality through a process similar to that shown in FIG. 14, and may notify a warning. Note that this determination may take into account not only the frequency but also the difference from the average travel time. For example, if the frequency is less than the first threshold and the difference from the average travel time is greater than or equal to the second threshold, it may be determined that there is an abnormality. Further, the operator of the management device 102 may set the standard travel time or abnormal travel time while referring to the histogram.

The management device 102 may also receive a designation of the point 105 from the operator, generate a histogram of the residence time of the accepted point 105, and display the histogram. Note that a work line segment may be specified instead of the point 105, and, for example, the movement source point of the specified work line segment may be selected. Alternatively, the destination point of the designated work line may be selected.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a histogram of residence times. In the histogram shown in FIG. 17, the horizontal axis is the residence time, and the vertical axis is the frequency (occurrence frequency of the residence time), indicating data on the residence time at point A. Note that here, the residence time is classified in minutes, but the unit of classification may be arbitrary.

Furthermore, the management device 102 may determine the standard dwell time and abnormal dwell time for each point (or for each moving line segment) from the histogram of the dwell times. For example, the management device 102 determines the residence time when the frequency is greater than or equal to the threshold value as the standard residence time, and determines other times (residence time when the frequency is less than the threshold value) as the abnormal residence time. Further, the management device 102 may determine an abnormality and notify a warning using the determined standard residence time and abnormal residence time through a process similar to that shown in FIG. 14 . Note that this determination may take into account not only the frequency but also the difference from the average residence time. For example, if the frequency is less than the first threshold and the difference from the average residence time is greater than or equal to the second threshold, it may be determined that there is an abnormality. Further, the operator of the management device 102 may set the standard residence time or abnormal residence time while referring to the histogram.

The management device 102 may also receive a designation of a moving line segment (for example, designation of a line segment ID) from the operator, generate a histogram of frequencies for each period of the accepted moving line segment, and display the histogram. . FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a histogram of frequencies for each period. In the histogram shown in FIG. 18, the horizontal axis is the period, the vertical axis is the frequency (frequency of occurrence of the moving line segment in the period), and shows the data of the moving line segment with line segment ID=011. Note that here, the period is set in units of months, but the units of the period may be arbitrary.

Note that when generating the histogram, a period during which target data was acquired may be specified. Alternatively, the type of target work process (process type ID) may be specified. Alternatively, an individual transmitter 104 may be specified, or an attribute of the transmitter 104 (mobile object 101) may be specified. Further, a plurality of combinations of these may be specified.

Note that the attributes of the transmitter 104 (mobile body 101) may include designation of the worker who uses the mobile body 101 or the object that the mobile body 101 carries. Furthermore, information indicating attributes may be included in the transmitter ID, and the correspondence relationship may be managed in the management device 102. For example, at the start of a work process, a worker reads the transmitter 104 (or mobile object 101) and a tag attached to the target object using a terminal device that he/she carries, thereby identifying the transmitter ID and the target object identifier. , and transmits the acquired transmitter ID, object identifier, and terminal device identifier (or worker identifier) to the management device 102 . Thereby, the management device 102 can manage the correspondence between the worker, the transmitter, and the target object in the work process. Note that the method for associating the worker, the transmitter, and the object is not limited to this, and any method may be used, such as input by the worker into a terminal device.

In addition, when generating a histogram using a moving line segment group or moving line segment sequence, the number (or range of numbers) of moving segments included in the moving line segment group or moving line segment sequence used to generate the histogram is specified. may be done.

Further, the following method may be used when analyzing the behavior of the worker. For example, the management device 102 may extract where a worker (mobile object 101) who passed through a certain point α (that is, worked at this point α) stopped by. Specifically, the management device 102 receives the designation of the point α, generates a histogram of moving line segments included in the work process including the designated point α, and displays the generated histogram. Thereby, the operator of the management device 102 can grasp the status of movement that has passed through point α. Note that instead of generating a histogram for all moving line segments, the management device 102 may, for example, accept designation of a plurality of moving line segments and generate a histogram for the specified plurality of moving line segments. good.

Furthermore, the management device 102 may extract from which point (or to which point the worker moved) the worker who passed through a certain point α. Specifically, the management device 102 receives the designation of the point α, generates a histogram of the moving line segment with the point α as the destination (or source), and displays the generated histogram. Thereby, the operator of the management device 102 can grasp from which point the worker who passed through point α came from (or to which point he moved). Note that instead of the histogram of moving line segments, the management device 102 may generate a histogram of a moving line segment sequence including a moving line segment whose destination (or source) is point α. In this case, the number of moving line segments included in the moving line segment sequence may be specified by the operator.

Furthermore, the frequency of occurrence under specified conditions may be compared. For example, the management device 102 receives the number of moving segments included in a moving line segment sequence (or moving line segment group) to be extracted, and selects a moving line segment sequence (or moving line segment group) that includes the received number of moving line segments. Generate a histogram.

Alternatively, the management device 102 receives the designation of a plurality of moving line segment sequences (or a plurality of moving line segment groups), and provides information ( For example, display a histogram. This allows the operator to compare the frequency of occurrence of a plurality of specified moving line segment sequences (or a plurality of moving line segment groups).

In this case, a wild card may be used to specify the moving line segment sequence. That is, the management device 102 may generate a histogram indicating the frequency of occurrence of a moving line segment sequence including the specified wild card.

Alternatively, a wild card may be used for the source or destination of the moving line segment. That is, the management device 102 may generate a histogram of a moving line segment sequence (or a moving line segment group) including moving line segments whose movement source or destination is one or more designated points.

The management device 102 also receives designation of a start point and an end point among a plurality of points included in the work process, and receives a moving line segment, a group of moving line segments, or a moving line segment included between the starting point and the ending point. A histogram of columns may be generated.

Alternatively, the management device 102 may generate a histogram of all moving line segments, moving line segment groups, or moving line segment sequences included in the work process. In this case, the end point may be different due to the occurrence of defective products, etc.

Moreover, the above-mentioned plurality of methods may be combined. This allows the operator to extract data in various combinations. Furthermore, the management device 102 may also generate a histogram regarding travel time or residence time using the above-described method.

Furthermore, in the above description, an example was explained in which the management device 102 generates a histogram of detected moving line segments, etc., but the generated information is not limited to the histogram, but also includes moving line segments, moving time, stop time, moving line, etc. Any information indicating the frequency of occurrence (number of occurrences) of a subgroup or a moving line segment sequence may be used. For example, this information may be a graph such as a line graph or a band graph, or may be a list showing numerical values of occurrence frequency.

Although the management system according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

For example, each processing unit included in each device included in the management system according to the above embodiment is typically realized as an LSI, which is an integrated circuit. These may be integrated into one chip individually, or may be integrated into one chip including some or all of them.

Further, circuit integration is not limited to LSI, and may be realized using a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) that can be programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connections and settings of circuit cells inside the LSI may be used.

Further, part or all of the functions of each device included in the management system according to the above embodiment may be realized by a processor such as a CPU executing a program.

Furthermore, the present invention may be the above-mentioned program, or may be a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium on which the above-mentioned program is recorded. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the above program can be distributed via a transmission medium such as the Internet.

Further, the present invention can be realized not only as a management system, but also as a transmitter, a receiver, or a management device included in the management system. Further, the present invention can be realized as a management method that has steps of characteristic means included in such a management system, or as a program that causes a computer to execute such characteristic steps. .

Moreover, all the numbers used above are exemplified to specifically explain the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the illustrated numbers.

Furthermore, the division of functional blocks in the block diagram is just an example; multiple functional blocks can be realized as one functional block, one functional block can be divided into multiple functional blocks, or some functions can be moved to other functional blocks. You can. Further, functions of a plurality of functional blocks having similar functions may be processed in parallel or in a time-sharing manner by a single piece of hardware or software.

Further, the order in which the steps shown in the above flowchart are executed is for illustrative purposes to specifically explain the present invention, and may be in an order other than the above. Further, some of the above steps may be executed simultaneously (in parallel) with other steps.

Although the management system according to one or more aspects has been described above based on the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Unless departing from the spirit of the present invention, various modifications that can be thought of by those skilled in the art to this embodiment, and embodiments constructed by combining components of different embodiments are within the scope of one or more embodiments. may be included within.

The present invention can be applied to management systems.

100 Management System 101 Mobile 102 Management Device 103, 103A, 103B, 103C, 103D, 103E, 103F Receiver 104 Transmitter 105, 105A, 105B, 105C, 105D, 105E, 105F Point 121, 131 ID Storage Unit 122, 132 Control unit 123 Wireless transmission unit 124, 134, 141 Communication unit 125 Presentation unit 126 Power supply unit 133 Wireless reception unit 142 Storage unit 143 Management unit 144 Display unit 151 Detection signal 152 Presentation signal 153 Notification signal

Claims (9)

A management system for managing one or more management targets,
one or more transmitters that are held in each of the one or more management targets and wirelessly transmit a detection signal;
a plurality of receivers that receive the detection signals ;
one or more devices ;
The one or more devices include:
Based on the detection signals received by the plurality of receivers, a moving line segment indicating which point among the plurality of points the transmitter has moved to immediately after that is transmitted to each of the one or more transmitters. judge,
A management system that detects the frequency of occurrence of the moving line segment. The one or more devices further include:
Extracting a moving line segment in which the detected frequency of occurrence is greater than a predetermined number as a standard moving line segment,
The management system according to claim 1, wherein a transmitter that detects a moving line segment that is not included in the standard moving line segments is specified. The one or more devices further include:
Accepting the specification of the moving line segment,
Based on the detection signals received by the plurality of receivers, the travel time from the source point to the destination point corresponding to the designated travel line segment is calculated for each of the one or more transmitters. The management system according to claim 1, wherein the management system makes the determination. The one or more devices further include:
Accepting the specification of the said point,
Based on the detection signals received by the plurality of receivers, determining a dwell time for each of the one or more transmitters, which is the time from when the transmitter arrives at the designated point until it leaves. The management system according to claim 1. The one or more devices further include:
accept the moving line segment;
The management system according to claim 1, wherein the frequency of occurrence of the specified moving line segment for each period is detected. The one or more devices further include:
The management system according to claim 1, wherein the frequency of occurrence of a moving line segment group that is a combination of a plurality of moving line segments regardless of the order of occurrence is detected. The one or more devices further include:
The management system according to claim 1, wherein the frequency of occurrence of a moving line segment sequence that is a combination including the order of occurrence of a plurality of moving line segments is detected. The one or more devices further include:
The management system according to claim 1, further comprising: generating a histogram indicating the frequency of occurrence of the detected moving line segment. A management method in a management system for managing one or more management targets, the method comprising:
The management system includes:
one or more transmitters that are held in each of the one or more management targets and wirelessly transmit a detection signal;
a plurality of receivers that receive the detection signals ;
one or more devices ;
The management method includes, by the one or more devices,
Based on the detection signals received by the plurality of receivers, a moving line segment indicating which point among the plurality of points the transmitter has moved to immediately after that is transmitted to each of the one or more transmitters. judge,
A management method for detecting the frequency of occurrence of the moving line segment.

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