JP7463263B2 - REMOTE MAINTENANCE OPERATION MANAGEMENT SERVER AND REMOTE MAINTENANCE OPERATION MANAGEMENT METHOD - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a maintenance work remote management server and a maintenance work remote management method.

When performing maintenance and inspection work such as part replacement, depending on the worker, it may be necessary for another person to check whether the work has been completed properly. In such cases, a person other than the worker must visit the work site every time to check that the work has been completed, and the round trip is a heavy burden, especially when the work site is in a remote location. As a result, a method has been devised in which images taken by workers at the site are sent to a remote monitoring center, which then checks whether the work has been performed properly.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a maintenance and inspection management system that includes "an inspection item transmission means for transmitting inspection items for equipment to be maintained to an information transmitter carried by a maintenance worker and prompting the maintenance worker to take a photograph of the inspection item after the maintenance and inspection work is completed, a work report receiving means for receiving image data from the information transmitter as a work report for the inspection item transmitted by the inspection item transmission means, and a work completion determining means for determining that the maintenance and inspection work is completed when the image data is received by the work report receiving means" (Claim 1 of Patent Document 1).

JP 2007-137658 A

However, if the angle of view or composition of the image taken by the worker is poor, and some of the replacement parts cannot be recognized, or if some of the replacement parts cannot be photographed at all, the condition of the work target cannot be confirmed, and there is a concern that it will be time-consuming to confirm that the work has been completed, as this will require retaking the photograph.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a maintenance work remote management server and a maintenance work remote management method that enable workers to capture images of the conditions of the maintenance and inspection targets with an appropriate angle of view and composition, and to reliably check the work conditions.

To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a maintenance work remote management server that remotely confirms the completion of maintenance work, and includes a communication unit that receives captured images, a storage unit that stores the received images, an output unit that outputs the images, and a control unit that transmits shooting guide information when shooting the images.

The present invention provides a maintenance work remote management server and a maintenance work remote management method that enable workers to capture images of the conditions of the maintenance and inspection targets with an appropriate angle of view and composition, and to reliably check the work conditions.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the configuration of a maintenance work remote management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; As an example, a diagram showing the positional relationship between an elevator control panel and a shooting guide displayed on an image recording terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a state within a shooting range partitioned by a shooting guide; A table showing an example of a maintenance and inspection work plan stored in the work plan database of the maintenance work remote management server. An example of a table that links work information and serial number information with corresponding guide information, which is stored in the guide setting database of the maintenance work remote management server. 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a process when a worker takes an image of a work target in a remote work management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. A diagram showing an example of how to select a shooting guide according to the layout of equipment at an elevator installation site. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the initial angle of view of the imaging guide 5 shown in FIG. 3 has been adjusted;

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in this embodiment, the replacement of consumable parts in an elevator control panel will be used as an example of the work to be performed, but the work may also be performed on parts of an escalator or other equipment, or may be maintenance and inspection work other than part replacement.

Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the configuration of a maintenance work remote management system according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the maintenance work remote management system is composed of an image recording terminal 1 that allows a worker to take pictures of replaced parts at the site where the elevator is installed, a maintenance work remote management server 2 that is installed in a monitoring center or the like that remotely monitors the elevator, and a communication line 3 that connects the image recording terminal 1 and the maintenance work remote management server 2.

The image recording terminal 1 includes an imaging unit 11 that captures images of the work target, an output unit 12 that outputs images captured by the imaging unit 11 and image capture guide information transmitted from the maintenance work remote management server 2, a communication unit 13 that transmits captured images to the maintenance work remote management server 2 and receives image capture guide information from the maintenance work remote management server 2, and a control unit 14 that controls these.

The imaging unit 11 captures images with a fixed angle of view, and corresponds to a digital camera if the image recording terminal 1 is a mobile phone with a camera. The output unit 12 is an interface for the image recording terminal 1, and corresponds to a liquid crystal display if the image recording terminal 1 is a mobile phone with a camera. The communication unit 13 communicates with the maintenance work remote management server 2, and corresponds to a communication unit with a mobile phone line if the image recording terminal 1 is a mobile phone with a camera. The control unit 14 is composed of a commonly known information processing unit such as a CPU, and further has an imaging control unit 141 that controls the imaging unit 11, an output control unit 142 that controls the output unit 12, a communication control unit 143 that controls the communication unit 13, and an image processing unit 144 that processes images captured by the imaging unit 11, depending on the content of the processing and control.

The image captured by the imaging unit 11 of the image recording terminal 1 is sent to the control unit 14, and is then transmitted from the control unit 14 to the output unit 12, whereby the output unit 12 can display the image. In addition, the image processing unit 144 performs image processing on the image received by the control unit 14 from the imaging unit 11 to superimpose the imaging guide 5, which will be described later, so that the output unit 12 can simultaneously display the image being captured and the imaging guide 5.

Next, the maintenance work remote management server 2 is composed of a communication unit 21 that transmits shooting guide information for displaying the shooting guide 5 to the image recording terminal 1 and receives images captured by the image recording terminal 1, a memory unit 22 that stores the received images, etc., an output unit 23 that outputs images so that a supervisor at the monitoring center can check the status of the work target, and a control unit 24 that controls these.

The storage unit 22 is composed of commonly known storage information media such as ROM and RAM, and has an image database 221 that stores images received from the image recording terminal for each case, a work plan database 222 that stores maintenance and inspection work plans, and a guide setting database 223 that stores work targets and property information in association with corresponding photography guide information.

The control unit 24 is composed of a commonly known information processing unit such as a CPU, and further has a communication control unit 241 that controls the communication unit 21, an output control unit 242 that controls the output unit 23, an operation management unit 243 that receives the image of the marker 47 captured by the image recording terminal 1 and identifies the subject to be captured, and a guide management unit 244 that selects shooting guide information corresponding to the identified subject to be captured, depending on the content of the processing and control.

The following describes the work target that is photographed by the image recording terminal 1. Elevator parts require periodic replacement due to deterioration over time, such as electrical or mechanical wear, and replacement when a malfunction occurs. When a worker replaces a part on-site, it is necessary to record the part replacement history.

Figure 2 shows, as an example, the positional relationship between the elevator control panel 4 and the shooting guide 5 displayed on the image recording terminal 1. As shown in Figure 2, inside the elevator control panel 4, there are components such as a control board 41, a constant-voltage power supply 42, a cooling fan 43, a contactor 44 generally known as a contactor, a switch 45 generally known as a breaker, and other boards 46. In particular, the constant-voltage power supply 42 and the switch 45 are components that need to be replaced periodically, once every few years. Therefore, an example will be described in which the replacement of the constant-voltage power supply 42, one of the components inside the elevator control panel 4, is the subject of the work.

A two-dimensional code is affixed as a marker 47 near the constant-voltage power supply device 42, which is the object of the work. The marker 47 may be something other than a two-dimensional code. Meanwhile, the shooting guide 5 displayed on the image recording terminal 1 includes a marker alignment frame 51. Therefore, when the worker has completed the replacement of the constant-voltage power supply device 42, while looking at the display unit 12 of the image recording terminal 1, the worker determines the angle of view and composition so that the image of the marker 47 fits within the marker alignment frame 51, and takes an image in that state. The shooting guide 5 also displays a work target area 52 so that the approximate position of the work target can be recognized.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the state within the shooting range partitioned by the shooting guide 5. As shown in Figure 3, the shooting guide 5 of this embodiment defines the shooting range based on the image of the marker 47. By having the worker take a picture according to this shooting guide 5, not only can the constant voltage power supply device 42, which is the work target, be reliably placed within the shooting guide 5, but the condition of the constant voltage power supply device 42 can be confirmed with an image of appropriate resolution. Note that the display showing the shooting guide 5, marker alignment frame 51, and work target area 52 is not limited to those shown in the figure, and may be other rectangles, circles, triangles, etc. along the contour of the target.

Figure 4 is a table showing an example of a maintenance and inspection work plan stored in the work plan database 222 of the maintenance work remote management server 2. The work plan links the daily planned objects and work contents, and consists of date and time information, object information (serial number information), and work information. Therefore, when a worker photographs a marker 47 showing serial number information with the imaging unit 11 of the image recording terminal 1, and the work management unit 243 of the maintenance work remote management server 2 refers to the work plan database 222 based on the serial number information read by the image processing unit 144, etc., the work information can be identified. For example, if the work date is September 1, 2020, and the serial number read by the marker 47 is 123456-01, the work plan database 222 shown in Figure 4 identifies the corresponding work content as work A.

Here, even if the work information (work object) is the same, the position and dimensions of each part that is the work object differ for each serial number information (object), so the affixing position of the marker 47 and the angle of view and composition of the image to be captured are not necessarily the same. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the shooting guide 5 to be used, taking into consideration not only the work object but also the object information.

Figure 5 is an example of a table that links work information and serial number information with corresponding guide information, which is stored in the guide setting database 223 of the maintenance work remote management server 2. The guide management unit 244 of the maintenance work remote management server 2 can select the guide information to be adopted for each work target and object by referring to the guide setting database 223 shown in Figure 5. For example, for serial number 123456-01, guide A1 is used when photographing the work status of work A, and guide B1 is used when photographing the work status of work B.

Figure 6 is a flow chart showing an example of the process when a worker takes an image of a work target in the maintenance work remote management system of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 6, first, the on-site worker takes an image of the marker 47 using the imaging unit 11 of the image recording terminal 1 (step S101). Next, the image processing unit 144 of the image recording terminal 1 reads information about the object, such as the serial number, shown on the marker 47 (step S102). After that, the communication unit 13 of the image recording terminal 1 transmits the read information to the maintenance work remote management server 2 via the communication line 3 (step S103).

When the communication unit 21 of the maintenance work remote management server 2 receives the read information, the work management unit 243 of the maintenance work remote management server 2 searches the work plan database 222 for the work plan for that day for the object, and identifies the corresponding work information (step S104). The work management unit 243 also determines whether or not it is necessary to capture images after the work is completed for the identified work information (step S105). If image capture is necessary when the work object is a part replacement, for example, the guide management unit 244 of the maintenance work remote management server 2 selects photography guide information corresponding to the work object and the object based on the guide setting database 223 (step S106). The communication unit 21 of the maintenance work remote management server 2 then transmits the selected photography guide information to the image recording terminal 1 (step S107).

When the communication unit 13 of the image recording terminal 1 receives the shooting guide information, the output unit 12 of the image recording terminal 1 outputs the shooting guide 5 together with the image being shot (step S108). After completing the maintenance and inspection work, the worker photographs the work target while looking at the output unit 12 of the image recording terminal 1, with an angle of view and composition such that the marker 47 fits within the marker alignment frame 51 of the shooting guide 5 (step S109).

Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of selecting a shooting guide 5 according to the arrangement of equipment at the elevator installation site (machine room 6). Here, assuming the replacement work of the constant voltage power supply device 42 in the elevator control panel 4 as the work object, an example will be described in which the marker 47 is affixed to the inner surface of the door of the elevator control panel 4. The shooting guide 5 needs to have an angle of view and composition such that both the marker 47 and the constant voltage power supply device 42, which is the work object, are included in one image. In order to clearly photograph the work object, it is basically ideal to select a shooting guide 5 that shoots from point A in Figure 7, which is in front of the constant voltage power supply device 42. However, if equipment such as a hoist 7 is installed in front of the elevator control panel 4 and it is difficult to shoot from point A, a shooting guide 5 that shoots from point B, which is diagonally in front of the constant voltage power supply device 42, is selected. In this way, in this embodiment, a shooting guide 5 that can be adopted for each property is selected, so that the worker can reliably capture the work object without being confused about the shooting method at the site.

Furthermore, in the example shown in FIG. 7, since the marker 47 is affixed to the inner surface of the door of the elevator control panel 4, the positional relationship between the marker 47 and the constant-voltage power supply device 42, which is the object of the work, may change depending on the angle at which the door is open. In addition, the angle of view from point B may differ depending on the specifications of the imaging unit 11 of the image recording terminal 1, and the height of the shooting point may not be constant due to the influence of the worker's height, etc. As such, since it is difficult to shoot the same object of the work at the same property with exactly the same angle of view, the shooting guide 5 may be provided with a function for adjusting the angle of view.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of the state in which the initial angle of view of the imaging guide 5 shown in Figure 3 has been adjusted. In the example shown in Figure 8, as a result of the angle of view adjustment by the image processing unit 144 of the image recording terminal 1, the initial marker positioning frame 51a moves downward to 51b, and the initial work target area 52a shrinks to 52b. In this way, the image processing unit 144 can reduce/enlarge, move/rotate, and change the relative positions of the frames of the marker 47 to be photographed and the frame representing the general shape of the work target based on the arrangement of the on-site equipment. As a result, similar imaging guides 5 are consolidated, and fewer types of imaging guides 5 need to be stored, which makes it possible to suppress a decrease in the remaining capacity of the memory unit and a decrease in search speed.

As described above, the maintenance work remote management system of this embodiment can identify the work content based on the information indicated on the marker 47 affixed to the maintenance location, and provide a photography guide 5 that is suited to the work content and the local environment. This allows the worker to photograph the condition of the maintenance inspection target with an appropriate angle of view and composition, and it is possible to reliably check the work status even at a remote monitoring center without having to go back and retake the photograph.

In the above embodiment, it is assumed that the marker 47 is affixed to the elevator control panel 4 before shipment from the factory. However, the marker 47 may be affixed on-site after checking the layout of surrounding equipment. In this case, the imaging unit 11 of the image recording terminal 1 captures an image that includes the marker 47 and the work object, and the communication unit 13 of the image recording terminal 1 transmits the image to the maintenance work remote management server 2. The guide management unit 244 of the maintenance work remote management server 2 then performs image analysis such as contour detection on the captured image to identify the relative positions of the marker 47 and the work object, and registers the relative positions in the guide setting database 223 as photography guide information. The positions of the marker 47 and the work object may be manually input on-site.

In the above embodiment, an image is taken after part replacement, but the timing of the image capture may be before or during part replacement (after the old part has been removed). Furthermore, it is also conceivable that the image capture after part replacement may be performed multiple times. For example, when the first image is captured, a first image capture range is displayed as an image capture guide to fit the entire replaced part within the image capture range, and when the next image is captured, a second image capture range that is narrower than the first image capture range is displayed as an image capture guide to confirm the identification information of the replaced part. In this case, not only can the installation status of the part be confirmed, but also whether the correct part has been installed can be confirmed.

LIST OF SYMBOLS 1 Image recording terminal 11 Imaging unit 12 Output unit 13 Communication unit 14 Control unit 141 Imaging control unit 142 Output control unit 143 Communication control unit 144 Image processing unit 2 Maintenance work remote management server 21 Communication unit 22 Memory unit 221 Image database 222 Work plan database 223 Guide setting database 23 Output unit 24 Control unit 241 Communication control unit 242 Output control unit 243 Work management unit 244 Guide management unit 3 Communication line 4 Elevator control panel 41 Control board 42 Constant voltage power supply unit 43 Cooling fan 44 Contactor 45 Switch 46 Other boards 47 Marker 5 Imaging guide 51 Marker alignment frame 52 Work target area 6 Machine room 7 Hoist

Claims (4)

A maintenance work remote management server that remotely confirms completion of elevator maintenance work,
A communication unit for receiving the captured image;
A storage unit that stores the received image;
an output unit that outputs the image;
a control unit that transmits imaging guide information when the image is captured ;
The control unit includes a work management unit that receives a marker image attached to a maintenance site and identifies work information and property information;
a guide management unit that selects the photography guide information corresponding to the specified work information and the specified property information,
the imaging guide information is information indicating an imaging range based on the marker image,
The guide management unit is a maintenance work remote management server that selects the photography guide information that can be photographed for the arrangement of equipment in the elevator machine room in the property information . 2. The maintenance operation remote management server according to claim 1 ,
The shooting guide information is a maintenance work remote management server, which has a first shooting range for including the entire replaced part within the shooting range and a second shooting range that is narrower than the first shooting range for confirming the identification information of the replaced part. 2. The maintenance operation remote management server according to claim 1 ,
The marker image is a two-dimensional code affixed to the control panel of the elevator . A communication unit for receiving the captured image;
A storage unit that stores the received image;
an output unit that outputs the image;
A maintenance work remote management method for remotely confirming completion of elevator maintenance work by a server including a control unit that transmits shooting guide information when shooting the image,
The control unit receives a marker image attached to a maintenance site and identifies work information and property information;
The control unit selects the photography guide information corresponding to the work information and the property information,
the imaging guide information is information indicating an imaging range based on the marker image,
The control unit selects the photography guide information that can be photographed for the arrangement of equipment in the elevator machine room in the property information.

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