Work data collection method

• US 20030043266A1
• Filed: 03/28/2002
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Koichi, Endo, Yuko, Yoshikawa, Takeshi, Kaneko, Masaya, Obara, Yoshio
• Granted Patent: US 7,333,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/77
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1103 Detecting eye twinkling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 Head
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/10 together with the recording, indicating or registering of other data, e.g. of signs of identity

Abstract

Biological data obtained through observation devices and job titles are recorded on a data recording device in association with time data that are generated at regular intervals. A data processing computer produces a graph from the data read out from the data recording device. The observation devices, the data recording device and the data processing computer are connected to a network, so that a required graph may be produced by processing data at a place remote from the observatory.

Claims

1. A work data collection method comprising the steps of:

photographing a series of different jobs done by at least a worker through a video camera, to take video signals of said jobs;

recording said video signals of said jobs while recording time signals generated at predetermined fixed intervals;

inputting a break point signal in said video camera at each break point between said jobs; and

recording said break point signal on a memory device along with said video signals and a proximate one of said time signals that is representative of a time proximate to said break point.

2. A work data collection method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of inputting, said video signal, said break point signal and said proximate time signal in a personal computer, to record said video signal and said break point signal on said memory device in association with said proximate time signal through said personal computer.

6. A work data collection method as recited in claim 1, wherein said break point signal is used as a cueing signal for use in reproducing said video signals or said biological data.

3. A work data collection method comprising the steps of:

photographing a series of different jobs done by at least a worker through a video camera, to take video signals of said jobs;

recording said video signals on a memory device through a personal computer, while recording time signals generated at predetermined fixed intervals; and

inputting a break point signal in said personal computer at each break point between said jobs, to record said break point signal on said memory device along with said video signal and a proximate one of said time signals that is representative of a time proximate to said break point.

4. A work data collection method as recited in claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

measuring workload on said worker during at least one of said jobs; and

inputting data of measured workload in said personal computer, to record said workload data on said memory device in association with said video signals, said break point signal and said proximate time signal.

5. A work data collection method as recited in claim 4, wherein workload on said worker is measured through at least a biological sensor that measures a biological factor of said worker.

7. A work data collection method as recited in claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

measuring environmental factors around said worker during at least one of said jobs; and

inputting data of said environmental factors in said personal computer, to record said environmental data in association with said video signals or said break point signal and said proximate time data on said memory device.

8. A work data collection method as recited in claim 7, wherein said break point signal is used as a cueing signal for use in reproducing said video signals or said environmental data.

9. A work data collection method as recited in claim 3, wherein said break point signal is entered as a sound signal or an image signal.

10. A work data collection method as recited in claim 9, wherein said time signals are recorded along with said video signals, and are entered as digital data in a computer, to record said break point signal or said image signals or said sound signal along with said proximate time data in said computer.

11. A work data collection method as recited in claim 3, further comprising the steps of inputting job titles or job title code data that represent kinds of respective ones of said jobs into said video camera or said personal computer simultaneously with said break point signals, to record said job titles or said job title code data in association with said break point signals.

12. A work data collection method as recited in claim 3, wherein said video camera is an infrared video camera.

13. A work data collection method comprising the steps of:

generating time data at predetermined fixed intervals from a personal computer;

displaying predetermined job titles on a display device connected to said personal computer, said display device being visible for a data collector while observing a series of different jobs done by at least a worker;

selecting one of said displayed job titles through an input device connected to said personal computer, to enter job title data or job title code representative of said selected job title in said personal computer at each break point between said jobs; and

recording said job title data or said job title code on a memory device of said personal computer, along with one of said time data that is representative of a time proximate to the time when said job title data is entered.

14. A work data collection method as recited in claim 13, wherein said display device is an image display device that projects an image directly onto retinas of said data collector.

15. A work data collection method comprising the steps of:

generating time signals at predetermined fixed intervals from a personal computer;

entering a job title or a code of said job title as a sound signal through a microphone connected to said personal computer at each break point between different jobs while said jobs are being sequentially done by at least a worker;

converting said sound signal into character data representative of said job title by said personal computer; and

recording said character data as job title data on a memory device of said personal computer, along with one of said time signals that is representative of a time proximate to an entrance time when said sound signal is entered.

16. A work data collection method comprising the steps of:

letting an observer input a job start time when a worker starts a respective one of a series of different jobs;

detecting data of physical load on said worker automatically through a biological sensor during said respective job; and

recording said load data on a memory device along with time data generated at predetermined fixed intervals.

17. A work data collection method comprising the steps of:

obtaining video signals from observation devices, or data from a biological sensor;

inputting said image signals or said data from said biological sensor or job titles or job title code data in a recording device while inputting time data at predetermined fixed intervals in said recording device; and

reading from said recording device said job titles or those of said time data which correspond to said job title code data or said data from said biological sensor into a data processing computer, to produce a designated kind of data.

18. A work data collection method, wherein at least an observation device, a recording device and a data processing computer are connected to a network, for data exchange with each other.

19. A work data collection method as recited in claim 18, wherein said data processing computer and at least an observation device are linked to said network.

20. A work data collection method as recited in claim 18, wherein said data recording device and at least an observation device are linked to said network.

21. A work data collection method as recited in claim 18, wherein said network is the Internet.

22. A work data collection method as recited in claim 18, wherein a radio communication device is used for communication between said observation device and a server or a router that is connected to said network.