Metal-pipe use support system

• US 10,190,966 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2015
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation (Nippon Steel Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsuda, Yuya, Tanaka, Takanori, Ikeda, Masami, Yashina, Junpei
• Primary Examiner(s): Rivera Vargas, Manuel R
• Application Number:
  US15/320,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20170138838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,322 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/02 for measuring length, width, or thickness G01B21/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/24 for determining value of torque or twisting moment for tightening a nut or other member which is similarly stressed
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 17/006 of metals
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/04 Manufacturing

Abstract

A metal-pipe use support system (10a) includes: a metal pipe information reception unit (11a) for receiving identification data for each of a plurality of metal pipes; a use condition reception unit (12a) for receiving use condition data about a condition under which a metal pipe is to be used; a pipe-specific data acquisition unit (13a) for accessing a data recording unit (2) storing pipe-specific data indicative of a property of each metal pipe and corresponding identification data in an associated manner and acquiring the pipe-specific data associated with the received identification data; a pipe determination unit (14a) for determining a metal pipe to be used from among the plurality of metal pipes based on the pipe-specific data and the use condition data; and an output unit (15a) for outputting information relating to the determined metal pipe.

Claims

1. A metal-pipe use support system comprising:

a reading unit configured to read identification data for a plurality of metal pipes,

a metal pipe information reception unit configured to receive, from the reading unit, the identification data for each of the plurality of metal pipes;

a use condition reception unit configured to receive an environment value indicative of an environment at each of positions in a space in which the metal pipes are to be placed as use condition data about a condition under which a metal pipe is to be used;

a pipe-specific data acquisition unit configured to access a data recording unit storing pipe-specific data indicative of a property of each metal pipe and corresponding identification data in an associated manner and to acquire the pipe-specific data associated with the identification data received by the metal pipe information reception unit, the pipe-specific data including a performance value indicative of a performance of each of the metal pipes;

a pipe determination unit configured to assign, by a processor, to each of the positions in the space in which the metal pipes are to be placed, a metal pipe having a performance value suitable for the environment value of that position based on a comparison between the environment value for each of the positions in the space in which the metal pipes are to be placed indicated by the use-condition data and the performance value indicative of the performance of each of the metal pipes included in the pipe-specific data to determine an arrangement of the plurality of metal pipes; and

an output unit configured to output information relating to the metal pipe determined by the pipe determination unit.

2. The metal-pipe use support system according to claim 1, wherein the pipe determination unit decides on a plurality of metal pipes to be used from among the plurality of metal pipes and decides on a connection relationship between a plurality of metal pipes determined to be metal pipes to be used.

3. The metal-pipe use support system according to claim 1, wherein the pipe-specific data acquired by the pipe-specific data acquisition unit includes a measured value of the property of each of the plurality of metal pipes or a value calculated from the measured value.

4. The metal-pipe use support system according to claim 1, wherein the use condition data includes data indicative of an underground environment in which a metal pipe is to be placed, and

the pipe-specific data acquired by the pipe-specific data acquisition unit includes data indicative of a pressure resistance of each of the plurality of metal pipes,

wherein, based on the underground environment indicated by the use condition data and the pressure resistance of each of the plurality of metal pipes indicated by the pipe-specific data, the pipe determination unit decides to place a metal pipe that has a pressure resistance suitable for the underground environment to decide on a connection relationship between at least two of the plurality of metal pipes.

5. The metal-pipe use support system according to claim 1, wherein the use condition data includes data indicative of an underground environment in which a metal pipe is to be placed, and

the pipe-specific data includes data indicative of a corrosion resistance of each of the plurality of metal pipes,

wherein, based on the underground environment indicated by the use condition data and the corrosion resistance of each of the plurality of metal pipes indicated by the pipe-specific data, the pipe determination unit decides to place a metal pipe having a corrosion resistance suitable for the underground environment to decide on a connection relationship between at least two of the plurality of metal pipes.

6. The metal-pipe use support system according to claim 1, wherein the pipe-specific data acquired by the pipe-specific data acquisition unit includes data indicative of a size and shape of each of the plurality of metal pipes,

wherein, based on the size and shape indicated by the pipe-specific data, the pipe determination unit decides on a connection relationship between at least two of the plurality of metal pipes.

7. The metal-pipe use support system according to claim 1, wherein the use condition data includes data indicative of a performance required of a processed good made from a metal pipe,

wherein the pipe determination unit determines, from among the plurality of metal pipes, at least one metal pipe that has a property meeting the performance required of the processed good indicated by the use condition data.

8. The metal-pipe use support system according to claim 1, wherein the use condition data includes an upper limit of a length of a metal pipe, and

the pipe-specific data acquired by the pipe-specific data acquisition unit includes a measured length of each of the plurality of metal pipes,

wherein the pipe determination unit determines, from among the plurality of metal pipes, at least one metal pipe having a measured length not exceeding the upper limit.

9. The metal-pipe use support system according to claim 1, wherein the use condition data includes data indicative of a degree of risk that a threaded joint for metal pipes tightened during a manufacture process loosening in an environment in which the metal pipes are placed, and

the pipe-specific data acquired by the pipe-specific data acquisition unit includes data indicative of a tightening torque for a threaded joint for the plurality of metal pipes,

wherein the pipe determination unit decide to place a metal pipe having a tightening torque suitable for the degree of risk indicated by the use condition data to decide on a connection relationship between at least two of the plurality of metal pipes.

10. The metal-pipe use support system according to claim 1, wherein the use condition data includes data indicative of a degree of risk of breaking or corrosion-induced wall thinning of a metal pipe in an environment in which the metal pipe is to be placed, and

the pipe-specific data acquired by the pipe-specific data acquisition unit includes data indicative of a flaw on each of the plurality of metal pipes,

wherein the pipe determination unit decides to place a metal pipe having a flaw acceptable under the degree of risk of breaking or corrosion-induced wall thinning indicated by the use condition data to decide on a connection relationship between at least two of the plurality of metal pipes.

11. The metal-pipe use support system according to claim 1, wherein the pipe-specific data includes data indicative a length and weight of each of the plurality of metal pipes,

wherein, when a predetermined number of metal pipes are connected to form a set and a plurality of such sets are provided, the pipe determination unit determines a combination of the predetermined number of metal pipes in each set that will result in a near-uniform length or weight of the sets of metal pipes.

12. A method of using metal pipes, comprising:

controlling, by a computer, a reading unit to read identification data for a plurality of metal pipes;

receiving, by the computer, from the reading unit, the identification data for each of the plurality of metal pipes;

receiving, by the computer, an environment value indicative of an environment at each of positions in a space in which the metal pipes are to be placed as use condition data about a condition under which a metal pipe is to be used;

accessing, by the computer, a data recording unit storing pipe-specific data indicative of a property of each metal pipe and corresponding identification data in an associated manner to acquire the pipe-specific data associated with the received identification data, the pipe-specific data including a performance value indicative of a performance of each of the metal pipes;

assigning, by the computer, to each of the positions in the space in which the metal pipes are to be placed, a metal pipe having a performance value suitable for the environment value of that position based on a comparison between the environment value for each of the positions in the space in which the metal pipes are to be placed indicated by the use-condition data and the performance value indicative of the performance of each of the metal pipes included in the pipe-specific data to determine an arrangement of the plurality of metal pipes; and

outputting, by the computer, information relating to the determined arrangement of the plurality of metal pipes; and

placing the plurality of metal pipes in accordance with the output information relating to the arrangement of the plurality of metal pipes.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process comprising:

controlling a reading unit to read identification marks on a plurality of metal pipes;

receiving, from the reading unit, identification data for each of the plurality of metal pipes;

receiving an environment value indicative of an environment at each of positions in a space in which the metal pipes are to be placed as use condition data about a condition under which a metal pipe is to be used;

accessing a data recording unit storing pipe-specific data indicative of a property of each metal pipe and corresponding identification data in an associated manner to acquire the pipe-specific data associated with the received identification data, the pipe-specific data including a performance value indicative of a performance of each of the metal pipes;

assigning, to each of the positions in the space in which the metal pipes are to be placed, a metal pipe having a performance value suitable for the environment value of that position based on a comparison between the environment value for each of the positions in the space in which the metal pipes are to be placed indicated by the use-condition data and the performance value indicative of the performance of each of the metal pipes included in the pipe-specific data to determine an arrangement of the plurality of metal pipes; and

outputting information relating to the determined metal pipe.