JPWO2006067829A1 - Work instruction method, work instruction device, and work instruction system - Google Patents

Abstract

The work instruction device (1) instructs a worker carrying the worker terminal (2) to perform work. Therefore, the work instruction device (1) having the storage means selects the unassigned work stored in the storage means and the worker terminal (2) measured based on the signal emitted from the worker terminal (2). ) And position information of work related to unassigned work stored in the storage means, a work route that circulates the work position starting from the position of the worker terminal (2) is calculated for each worker. The procedure, the procedure for selecting the worker whose work route travel distance is the shortest as the person in charge of the unassigned work, and the procedure for instructing the selected person in charge of the unassigned work are executed.

Description

  The present invention relates to a work instruction method, a work instruction device, and a work instruction system.

  In an indoor warehouse or the like, there is a work space where a plurality of workers work. Since parts necessary for the work are scattered in various places in the work space, the worker moves the work space in order to perform a series of work. As an example of a place where such work is performed, in a warehouse where many items of the same type are stored on one shelf, a plurality of items requested by the orderer are collected and shipped to the orderer in a batch. Such as a distribution center.

  The work is, for example, picking. Conventionally, a route (work route) for a worker to perform such work has been generated based on his / her own judgment. However, since it is inefficient, as a method using a computer, a method of automatically generating the shortest picking route (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 6-271019), the movement time is the shortest according to the amount of picking work that can be performed once. A method for determining a work order route (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-208825), calculating a picking time from a distance to a product and a worker's work capability coefficient, and optimizing the work time according to the worker's ability And the like (see JP 2001-19129 A).

  However, in the conventional technique, even if the position of the product to be worked is taken into consideration, the position where the worker is present is not taken into consideration. Therefore, a worker far away from the work route may become a person in charge of the work, and the worker needs to move a long distance from the current position to the work route. For this reason, the movement distance of the worker becomes long, and the work efficiency has not been sufficiently improved.

  Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems and to calculate a work route that shortens the movement distance of the worker.

In order to solve the above-described problem, the present invention provides a work instruction method by a work instruction device that instructs a worker carrying a worker terminal, and the work instruction device having storage means is stored in the storage means. A procedure for selecting the assigned unassigned work, position information of the worker terminal measured based on a signal generated by the worker terminal, and work related to the unassigned work stored in the storage means From the position information, a procedure for calculating, for each worker, a work route that circulates the work position starting from the position of the worker terminal, and the worker having the shortest travel distance of the work route are defined as A procedure for selecting as a person in charge of assignment work and a procedure for instructing the selected person in charge of the unassigned work are executed.
Other solutions will be described later.

  According to the present invention, the shortest work route is calculated in consideration of the current position of each worker. This makes it possible to shorten the movement distance of the worker.

It is a block diagram which shows the work instruction system regarding one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the position detection means of the work instruction system regarding one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the work instruction apparatus regarding one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows work DB regarding one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows DB regarding the operation | work regarding one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the work instruction process regarding one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the work route regarding the worker B regarding one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the work route regarding the worker C regarding one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the work route regarding the worker F regarding one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the present position and predicted position regarding one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the process which merges the some operation | work regarding one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the concept which puts together the several position regarding one Embodiment of this invention as a group. It is explanatory drawing which shows the movement distance when the some work regarding one Embodiment of this invention is merged.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a work instruction system to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, the configuration of the work instruction system of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a work instruction system. The work instruction system is applied to, for example, a large inventory area (100 m × 50 m, etc.) of a distribution center. In this distribution center, one worker repeats work for every one to several orders, and processes thousands to tens of thousands of orders as a whole on the center day. The work instruction system according to the present embodiment is an efficient work instruction system that reduces waste due to waiting for work and inappropriate instructions by shortening the walking distance and walking time of the worker. And

  The work instruction system shown in FIG. 1 can be applied not only to a distribution center but also to other work management such as a unit production system for machine parts. The work instruction system is basically installed in an indoor warehouse, but is not limited to this, and may be installed outdoors.

  The work instruction system includes a work instruction device 1, a worker terminal 2, a signal transmission device MAP, a signal reception device SAP, and a position detection server 9. Hereinafter, each device will be described in detail. The work instruction device 1 and the position detection server 9 are configured as a computer including at least a memory serving as a storage unit used when performing arithmetic processing and an arithmetic processing device that performs the arithmetic processing. The memory is constituted by a RAM (Random Access Memory) or the like. Arithmetic processing is realized by an arithmetic processing unit constituted by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program on a memory.

  The work instruction apparatus 1 instructs the worker terminal 2 of the worker to perform work. Here, as a condition for selecting an appropriate instruction target person from a plurality of workers, a predetermined work is determined based on a distance between the current position of the worker and a position related to the work to be instructed.

  In order to receive a work instruction from the work instruction apparatus 1, the worker has a worker terminal 2 such as a wireless LAN terminal. Here, the work instruction is, for example, that the worker collects the customer's order items from the product shelf and ships them in order units. Since one worker after 100 people works simultaneously in one distribution center, each worker terminal 2 possessed by each worker is assigned a unique address.

  FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing position detection means of the work instruction system. The worker terminal 2, the signal transmission device MAP, the signal reception device SAP, and the position detection server 9 function as worker position detection means. Such position detection means is a known technique that has been put into practical use, for example, as the wireless LAN system “Hitachi AirLocation” by the applicant of the present application.

  In order to improve the performance of the position detection means, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-14152 (a distance measurement and position measurement method using a spread spectrum signal, an apparatus for performing the method), Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-2443827 ( It is desirable to implement peripheral technologies such as a device for measuring the position of a mobile terminal. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-14152 is a technique for capturing a direct wave by performing direct path detection with a reception timing after a predetermined timing from the rise of a delay profile of a spread spectrum signal. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-243827 shows a processing method in the case where three or more base stations are not found during position detection using trilateration.

  First, the signal transmission device MAP transmits a signal (PING) for finding the worker terminal 2 to the surroundings. Next, when the worker terminal 2 receives the PING, the worker terminal 2 transmits a response signal (ACK) to the PING to the surroundings. Then, at least three signal receiving devices SAP receive the PING and the ACK. At this time, the signal reception device SAP measures the reception time of each signal.

And the position detection server 9 acquires the reception time of ACK from each signal receiver SAP, and detects the position of the worker terminal 2 from the reception time. Specifically, the position detection server 9 sets the position of the worker terminal 2 as P, sets the speed of light as C, sets the positions of the signal receiving devices SAP1, SAP2, and SAP3 as P1, P2, and P3. Assuming that the arrival times to the signal receiving devices SAP1, SAP2, and SAP3 are T1, T2, and T3, the operator terminal 2 can be obtained by solving simultaneous equations constituted by the following equations (1), (2), and (3). P which is the position of is calculated.
‖P-P2‖-‖P-P1‖ = C (T2-T1) (1)
‖P-P3‖-‖P-P2‖ = C (T3-T2) (2)
‖P-P3‖-‖P-P1‖ = C (T3-T1) (3)

  In addition, the method in which the position detection server 9 obtains the position of the worker terminal 2 by the above simultaneous equations is triangulation based on TDOA (Time Difference of Arrival) measurement. This method may be realized by installing the signal receiving device SAP indoors, or may be detected by a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite when outdoors. When using the GPS, the worker terminal 2 itself operates as the position detection server 9, and therefore it is not necessary to prepare the position detection server 9 as a separate device. Further, the position detection means may use another general method such as an RSS (Received Signal Strength) method for measuring based on the electric field strength.

  FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing the work instruction device 1. The work instruction apparatus 1 includes, as storage means, a work DB 12 in which a plurality of work instructions to be distributed are registered, a product level DB 14 that defines a work level necessary for the work of the product, and a work level related to the proficiency level of the worker A worker level DB 16 that defines the amount of work, a work remaining amount DB 18 that manages the remaining amount of work assigned to the worker according to the progress of the work, and a product that indicates the position (address) for each product to be worked on Position DB20. DB is an abbreviation for database and is a storage means. Here, it is assumed that the work remaining amount DB 18 is appropriately updated in accordance with the latest work progress status obtained by the work instruction device 1 through communication with the worker terminal 2. The work level requires a higher level of mastery as the level value is larger, as will be described later.

  FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of the work DB 12. For example, order NO. “0410001” includes three sets of work (product P002, product P003, and product P005), and indicates that the person in charge “A” is “working”. Order NO. In “0410006”, the person-in-charge column is blank, and the status is “uninstructed”, so the work instruction apparatus 1 will assign this work from now on.

  FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of a DB relating to work (a product level DB 14, a worker level DB 16, a remaining work DB 18, and a product position DB 20). For example, since the level of the product P001 is 1 (see the top record in the product level DB 14), any one of the workers A to F (see the worker level DB 16) can be in charge. On the other hand, since the product P005 has a level 2 (refer to the fifth level record in the product level DB 14), only workers B, C, D, and F (refer to the worker level DB 16) having a level of 2 or higher can be responsible. . Further, for example, the product P001 is placed on the shelf with the address “A5” (see the product position DB 20). Furthermore, the worker A has three tasks (work remaining) that are left uncompleted among the tasks already assigned (see the remaining work DB 18).

  The work instruction apparatus 1 in FIG. 3 gives priority to selecting an operator whose distance between the current position of the worker and the work place is close from among the work instruction candidates selected under the conventional conditions in order to instruct the work. The worker determination unit 30 that gives a work instruction and the worker instruction unit 32 that instructs the worker terminal 2 of the worker determined by the worker determination unit 30 are provided.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the work instruction process.

  First, the worker determination unit 30 refers to the work DB 12 and checks whether there is an uninstructed work (S101). If there is no uninstructed work (S101, NO), the process is terminated. On the other hand, if there is an uninstructed work (S101, YES), one of the uninstructed works is set as an assignment target work.

  Next, the worker determination unit 30 selects worker candidates according to the work level for the work to be assigned in S101 (S102). That is, the worker determination unit 30 refers to the product level DB 14 to obtain a work level necessary for work, and refers to the worker level DB 16 to select a worker candidate having a work level higher than the necessary work level. .

  Then, the worker determination unit 30 selects worker candidates according to the respective remaining work amounts stored in the remaining work amount DB 18 from the respective worker candidates selected in S102 (S103). For example, the worker determination unit 30 sets only workers with a remaining work amount of 0 as worker candidates. As a result, the worker in charge selected from the worker candidates can start work immediately, and the work is completed in a short period of time.

  Further, the worker determination unit 30 calculates the movement distance based on the position of each worker selected in S103 and the product position of the work to be assigned (S104). Specifically, the position of the worker terminal 2 possessed by each worker is acquired by operating the position detecting means of FIG. In other words, the position detection server 9 detects the position of the worker terminal 2 based on the signal for specifying the position emitted by the worker terminal 2. In addition, the product position is acquired by referring to the product position DB 20.

  Then, the worker determination unit 30 selects a person in charge of the work to be assigned according to the movement distance related to the work of the worker (S105). Therefore, first, the worker determination unit 30 performs a route search for each worker candidate based on the worker terminal 2 and each position of the product obtained in S104. The route search algorithm is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-271019. Here, when a plurality of route candidates are calculated for a predetermined worker, a route having the smallest moving distance among them is set as a work route related to the predetermined worker.

  7, 8, and 9 are explanatory diagrams showing work routes relating to the worker B, the worker C, and the worker F, respectively. Here, it is assumed that the work to be assigned is work related to three products “P001, P005, P006”. Then, it is calculated that the worker B passes the route “P005 → P006 → P001” and the worker C and the worker F pass the route “P006 → P001 → P005”. In addition, the order of circulating the products is the same between the worker C and the worker F, but the worker F walks a longer distance than the worker C.

  In addition, there exists a home position in the left part of FIG.7, FIG8, FIG.9. This is, for example, a waiting place for workers who are not assigned work. In addition, a specific job (for example, pasting a destination slip at a distribution center) that is a part of all work may be executed at the home position. In that case, the position of the home position may be added as one of the product positions in S104.

  In this way, by determining the work route, the worker determination unit 30 calculates the travel distance related to the work by calculating the sum of the route along the route. For example, it is assumed that the total movement distance of each worker in FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 is worker B = 200 [m], worker C = 150 [m], and worker F = 180 [m]. And when these movement distances are compared, since worker C becomes the shortest, worker C is most efficient in performing the same work. Therefore, as described above, in S105, the worker determination unit 30 determines the worker C as the person in charge of the work.

  Further, the worker instruction unit 32 instructs the worker determined in S105 to perform the work (S106). The work instruction device 1 notifies the worker terminal 2 of a work instruction by wireless communication or the like. The work notification method may be a general notification method, and is not limited to a specific notification method. For example, it may be a simple one in which product numbers are listed in the order of circulation as character information, or as a method such as mobile navigation that displays a map and a walking route as shown in FIG. 7 on the screen of the worker terminal 2. Good.

  The work instruction presenting means is not limited to the worker terminal 2, and for example, a voiced version of the character information may be broadcast to the work place, or a cart that the worker drives on the work place shelf. Upon arrival, it may be presented as visual information such as the shelves to be worked on shining.

  The present invention described above can be widely modified without departing from the spirit thereof as follows.

  For example, the worker position used for calculating the work route in S104 may be a future position (predicted position) instead of the current position of the worker. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the current position and the predicted position. The worker F is currently located in the lower center, but is scheduled to be located near P005 when the already assigned work (P006 → P001 → P005) is completed. Then, it is assumed that the next work scheduled for the worker F is the point at P009. At this time, instead of the current position of the worker F, the vicinity of the predicted position (P005) is set as the position of the worker F. Thereby, since it is clear that the worker F moves to the predicted position in the future, it is possible to calculate a work route that matches the current situation.

  In addition, when calculating the movement distance in S104, instead of calculating each work as an independent work route for each work, a process of merging a plurality of work assigned to the same worker may be performed. Good. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing processing for merging a plurality of operations. It is assumed that the worker F has already been assigned the first work (P006 → P001 → P005). Then, for the second work (P011 → P012) to be assigned this time, instead of starting the second work after the first work is completed, the new work is merged with the first work and the second work. Processing is performed collectively. That is, the worker F performs the combined work of (P006 → P011 → P001 → P012 → P005). Thereby, the moving distance of the merged series of work can be shortened rather than the sum of the moving distances related to a plurality of works before merging.

  When a plurality of operations are merged, if there are a plurality of already allocated operations to be merged, a merged operation is selected from them. As a selection method, for example, as shown in FIG. 12, neighboring positions related to work are grouped as one group, and a set of the groups is calculated for each already assigned work. The work to be assigned this time is also a set of groups to which the product position belongs. Further, by comparing the assigned work and the set of assignment target groups, the work related to the group in which the elements of the set match is selected as the work to be merged.

  In addition, it is not necessary to merge the work for all assignment work. Therefore, it is determined for each unassigned work whether or not the work is to be merged (S105). FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram relating to the moving distance when a plurality of operations are merged. It is assumed that the order “0410005” has already been assigned to the person in charge D. Next, it is assumed that the work to be assigned is the order “0410006”.

  First, when the person in charge D executes the two orders as separate tasks, it is the sum of the moving distance of the order “0410005” = 150 [m] and the moving distance of the order “0410006” = 160 [m] 310. [M] is the total moving distance.

  Next, when the person in charge D executes the two orders as a merged operation, the total movement distance is 210 [m] when the order “0410005” and the order “0410006” are merged.

  When the person in charge D takes charge of the order “0410005” and the person in charge E takes charge of the order “0410006”, the movement distance of the order “0410005” = 150 [m] and the movement distance of the order “0410006” = 120. 270 [m], which is the sum of [m], is the total movement distance.

  Therefore, when these total movement distances are compared, 210 [m] when the person in charge D executes the two orders as a combined work is the shortest total movement distance. In this way, it is only necessary to determine whether or not the work is to be merged by comparing the merged work with the work that is not merged based on the total movement distance.

Even if the total travel distance that does not merge work is shorter than the total travel distance that merges work, the management merit (concentration of total workers) In view of reduction, etc., an advantage may be given that makes it easy to select the total movement distance for merging work. This advantage may be calculated by, for example, subtracting a predetermined constant from the total movement distance for merging work, or dividing the total movement distance for merging the work by the number of work to be merged.

Claims (11)

A work instruction method by a work instruction device for instructing a worker carrying a worker terminal,
The work instruction device having a storage means,
A procedure for selecting unallocated work stored in the storage means;
From the position information of the worker terminal measured based on the signal emitted from the worker terminal and the position information of the work related to the unallocated work stored in the storage means, the position of the worker terminal is started. As a procedure for calculating for each worker a work route that patrols the position of the work,
A procedure for selecting the worker having the shortest travel distance of the work route as a person in charge of the unassigned work;
A procedure for instructing the selected person in charge the unassigned work;
The work instruction method characterized by performing. The storage means associates a work level necessary for the execution with the work, and associates and stores a workable worker level with the worker,
2. The work instruction method according to claim 1, wherein in the procedure of selecting as the person in charge, the worker having a worker level equal to or higher than a work level related to the unassigned work is selected. The storage means stores a person in charge in association with each assigned work,
The procedure for selecting as the person in charge assigns a work obtained by merging the assigned work and the unassigned work to a person in charge of the assigned work. The work instruction method according to claim 2 or claim 2.   In the procedure for calculating the work route for each worker, the end point of the work route in the work assigned to the worker is set as a predicted position, and the predicted position is set as a starting point of the unassigned work route. The work instruction method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the position is the position of the worker.   In the procedure for calculating the work route for each worker, the end point of the work route in the work assigned to the worker is set as a predicted position, and the predicted position is set as a starting point of the unassigned work route. The work instruction method according to claim 3, wherein the work instruction position is the position of the worker. A work instruction device for instructing a worker carrying a worker terminal to perform work,
Storage means for managing the work;
Select unassigned work stored in the storage means,
From the position information of the worker terminal measured based on the signal emitted from the worker terminal and the position information of the work related to the unallocated work stored in the storage means, the position of the worker terminal is started. Calculating a work route that circulates the position of the work for each worker as
Selecting the worker who has the shortest travel distance of the work route as a person in charge of the unassigned work;
A work instruction apparatus having a configuration for instructing the selected person in charge of the unassigned work. The storage means associates a work level necessary for the execution with the work, and associates and stores a workable worker level with the worker,
The procedure for selecting as the person in charge has a configuration for selecting the worker having a worker level equal to or higher than a work level related to the unassigned work. Work instruction device. The storage means stores a person in charge in association with each assigned work,
The procedure of selecting as the person in charge has a configuration for assigning a work obtained by merging the assigned work and the unassigned work to a person in charge of the assigned work. The work instruction device according to claim 6 or claim 7.   In the procedure for calculating the work route for each worker, the end point of the work route in the work assigned to the worker is set as a predicted position, and the predicted position is set as a starting point of the unassigned work route. The work instruction device according to claim 6 or claim 7, characterized by having a configuration for setting the position of the worker.   In the procedure for calculating the work route for each worker, the end point of the work route in the work assigned to the worker is set as a predicted position, and the predicted position is set as a starting point of the unassigned work route. 9. The work instruction apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the work instruction apparatus has a configuration for setting the position of the worker. A work instruction system that carries a worker terminal and instructs a worker who performs work in an indoor work space,
The work instruction system includes a signal transmission device that transmits a PING signal by wireless communication, the worker terminal that transmits an ACK signal by wireless communication as a reply to the PING signal, and the reception time of the ACK signal. At least three signal receiving devices that measure the position, a position detection server that calculates the position of the worker terminal based on the reception time of the ACK signal, and the position of the worker terminal that is calculated by the position detection server Based on the work instruction device for instructing the work,
The work instruction device having a storage means,
Select unassigned work stored in the storage means,
From the position information of the worker terminal and the position information of the work to perform the unassigned work stored in the storage means, a work route that circulates the work position starting from the position of the worker terminal Calculate for each worker,
Selecting the worker who has the shortest travel distance of the work route as a person in charge of the unassigned work;
A work instruction system comprising: a configuration for instructing the selected person in charge of the unassigned work.

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