Worker-in-charge command system and worker-in-charge command method

• US 20070167168A1
• Filed: 10/28/2004
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukamachi, Masahiro, Nakamura, Kyogo
• Application Number:
  US10/577,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20070167168A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A central processing unit (11) in a call center receives a work request (for example, repair of a home electric appliance) of a client, allocates a worker in charge satisfying a predetermined condition based on the work contents for the received work request, and determines articles needed for the work. The central processing unit (11) then creates work information on the work contents and the articles on one work day for each worker, creates map information including position information on the work place where the work is carried out in association with the work information and the visit order of the work places to which each worker visits on the work day, and sends the work information and the map information to the mobile terminal (51) of each worker. Technicians receive the work information and the map information from the central processing unit, ascertain the work schedules, visit the indicated work places in order, and carry out the works.

Claims

1. A worker in charge command system for allocating a worker in charge who repairs an appliance, comprising a central processing unit, wherein the central processing unit includes:

an input that inputs a work request containing a work content, comprising at least a content of an appliance repairing work and a work place;

a worker in charge determiner that determines at least one worker in charge who satisfies a predetermined condition based on the work content for the received work request;

an article determiner that determines at least one article needed for the work request;

a work information creator that creates work information comprising the work content and the article for every working day for each worker in charge;

a map information creator that creates map information comprising position information of the work place and a visit order of the work place for every working day in association with the work information; and

a transmitter that transmits the work information and the map information to each worker in charge.

3. The worker in charge command system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition comprises a skill of the worker in charge required for completing the work.

4. The worker in charge command system according to claim 1, further comprising a divider that divides a service area into a plurality of blocks, pre-assigns the worker in charge to each block and manages the worker in charge,

wherein the worker in charge determiner searches for a worker in charge who satisfies the predetermined condition in a block adjacent to a work block when the worker in charge who satisfies the predetermined condition cannot be determined in the work block.

5. The worker in charge command system according to claim 4,

wherein a geographical range of the block and a number of workers in charge pre-assigned to each block are varied after a predetermined period.

6. The worker in charge command system according to claim 5, further comprising a memory that stores data in which the number of past works in each block is counted every predetermined period,

wherein at least one of the geographical range of the block and the number of workers in charge assigned to the block is determined based on the counted data.

7. The worker in charge command system according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined period is one month.

8. The worker in charge command system according to claim 5, wherein the geographical range is determined based on a zip code.

9. The worker in charge command system according to claim 1, further comprising a works manager that manages a number of works handled by each worker in charge every day,

wherein the worker in charge determiner provides an upper limit of the number of works handled by each worker in charge during a day.

10. The worker in charge command system according to claim 1, further comprising a probability manager that manages a probability of completing the work with the at least one article with respect to each article,

wherein the article determiner selects the at least one article such that a total probability of completing the work is at least a predetermined value.

11. The worker in charge command system according to claim 1, wherein the work request contains a desired date and time, and the map information creator determines the visit order based on a location of the work place and at least one of the desired date and time.

12. The worker in charge command system according to claim 1, further comprising a mobile terminal, wherein the mobile terminal includes:

a receiver that receives the work information and the map information transmitted from the transmitter; and

a transmitter that transmits predetermined information when the worker in charge completes the work.

13. The worker in charge command system according to claim 12, wherein the mobile terminal is a mobile phone.

14. The worker in charge command system according to claim 12, wherein the central processing unit further includes:

a memory that stores the position information of the work place;

a receiver that receives the information transmitted from the worker in charge through the mobile terminal when the work is completed, together with position information of a place from which the information is transmitted; and

an updater that updates the position information stored in the memory with the received position information.

2. (canceled)

15. A worker in charge command method of allocating a worker in charge who repairs an appliance, the method comprising:

receiving a work request containing a work content comprising at least a content of an appliance repairing work and a work place;

determining at least one worker in charge who satisfies a predetermined condition based on the work content for each received work request;

determining at least one article needed for the requested work;

creating work information containing the work content and the article needed for the work for every working day for each worker in charge;

creating map information containing position information of the work place and a visit order of the work place for every working day in association with the work information; and

transmitting the work information and the map information to each worker in charge.

17. The worker in charge command method according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined condition comprises a skill of the worker in charge required for completing the work.

18. The worker in charge command method according to claim 15, further comprising dividing a service area into a plurality of blocks, the worker in charge being pre-assigned to each block,

wherein determining the at least one worker in charge comprises searching for a worker in charge who satisfies the predetermined condition in a block adjacent to a work block when the worker in charge who satisfies the predetermined condition cannot be determined in the work block.

19. The worker in charge command method according to claim 18, wherein a geographical range of the block and a number of workers in charge pre-assigned to each block are varied after a predetermined period.

20. The worker in charge command method according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the geographical range of the block and the number of workers in charge assigned to the block is determined based on data in which a number of past works in each block is counted every predetermined period.

21. The worker in charge command method according to claim 19, wherein the predetermined period is one month.

22. The worker in charge command method according to claim 19, wherein the geographical range is determined based on a zip code.

23. The worker in charge command method according to claim 15, wherein determining the at least one worker in charge comprises managing a number of works handled by each worker in charge for every day, and providing an upper limit of the number of works handled by one worker in charge during one day.

24. The worker in charge command method according to claim 15, further comprising setting a probability of completing the work with the at least one article with respect to each article,

wherein determining the at least one article comprises selecting the at least one article such that a total probability of completing the work is at least a predetermined value.

25. The worker in charge command method according to claim 15,

wherein the work request contains a desired date and time, and

creating the map information comprises determining the visit order based on a location of the work place and at least one of the desired date and time.

26. The worker in charge command method according to claim 15 further comprising:

storing the position information of the work place;

receiving the information transmitted from the worker in charge when the work is completed together with position information of a place from which the information is transmitted; and

updating the stored position information with the received position information.

16. (canceled)

27. (canceled)

28. A computer readable medium that stores a program for allocating a worker in charge who repairs an appliance, the computer readable medium comprising:

a receiving code segment that receives a work request containing a work content comprising an appliance repairing work and a work place;

a worker in charge determining code segment that determines at least one worker in charge who satisfies a predetermined condition based on the work content;

an article determining code segment that determines at least one article based on work content;

a work information creating code segment that creates work information containing the work content and the at least one article needed for the work for every working day for each worker in charge;

a map information creating code segment that creates map information containing position information of the work place and a visit order of the work place for every working day in association with the work information; and

a transmitting code segment that enables transmission of the work information and the map information to each worker in charge.