METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY GENERATING LABOR STANDARDS FROM VIDEO DATA

• US 20090070163A1
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kraemer, James R., Angell, Robert Lee
• Granted Patent: US 9,734,464 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program product for creating a labor standard for a task. The process automatically detects event data derived from a continuous video stream, wherein the event data comprises metadata describing a sequence of motions for performing the task, and parses the event data to identify appropriate event data describing a discrete set of motions from the sequence of motions. The process then analyzes, using an analysis server, the discrete set of motions to form a labor standard, wherein the labor standard specifies an optimal manner of performing the discrete set of motions. Thereafter, the process generates a set of recommendations for performing the task efficiently according to the labor standard.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for generating a set of recommendations for performing a task according to a labor standard, the computer implemented method comprising:

automatically detecting event data derived from a continuous video stream, wherein the event data comprises metadata describing a sequence of motions for performing the task;

parsing the event data to identify appropriate event data describing a discrete set of motions from the sequence of motions;

analyzing, using an analysis server, the discrete set of motions to form a labor standard, wherein the labor standard specifies an optimal manner of performing the discrete set of motions; and

generating a set of recommendations for performing the task efficiently according to the labor standard.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the set of recommendations specifies a time for performing the discrete set of motions.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the set of recommendations identifies a person for performing the discrete set of motions.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the optimal manner is an optimal sequence for performing the discrete set of motions.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the set of recommendations identifies a set of tools for performing the discrete set of motions.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the set of recommendations are generated by at least one of the analysis server and a human user.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the video data from a set of sensors associated with a facility;

analyzing the video data to identify the event data, wherein analyzing the video data comprises generating the metadata describing the sequence of motions for performing the task.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the set of sensors comprises a set of digital video cameras.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein parsing the event data further comprises:

processing the event data using at least one of a statistical method, a data mining method, a causal model, a mathematical model, or a simulation model.

10. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium including computer usable program code for generating a set of recommendations for performing a task according to a labor standard, the computer program product comprising;

computer usable program code for automatically detecting event data derived from a continuous video stream, wherein the event data comprises metadata describing a sequence of motions for performing the task;

computer usable program code for parsing the event data to identify appropriate event data describing a discrete set of motions from the sequence of motions;

computer usable program code for analyzing, using an analysis server, the discrete set of motions to form a labor standard, wherein the labor standard specifies an optimal manner of performing the discrete set of motions; and

computer usable program code for generating a set of recommendations for performing the task efficiently according to the labor standard.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the set of recommendations specifies a time for performing the discrete set of motions.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the set of recommendations identifies a person for performing the discrete set of motions.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the optimal manner is an optimal sequence for performing the discrete set of motions.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the set of recommendations identifies a set of tools for performing the discrete set of motions.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the set of recommendations are generated by at least one of the analysis server and a human user.

16. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising:

computer usable program code for receiving the video data from a set of sensors associated with a facility; and

computer usable program code for analyzing the video data to identify the event data, wherein analyzing the video data comprises generating the metadata describing the sequence motions for performing the task.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the set of sensors comprises a set of digital video cameras.

18. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer usable program code for parsing the event data further comprises:

Computer usable program code for processing the event data using at least one of a statistical method, a data mining method, a causal model, a mathematical model, or a simulation model.

19. A system for generating a set of recommendations for performing a task according to a labor standard, the system comprising:

a database, wherein the database stores event data collected by a set of sensors; and

an analysis server, wherein the analysis server automatically detects event data derived from a continuous video stream, wherein the event data comprises metadata describing a sequence of motions for performing the task;

parses the event data to identify appropriate event data describing a discrete set of motions from the sequence of motions;

analyzes the discrete set of motions to form a labor standard, wherein the labor standard specifies an optimal manner of performing the discrete set of motions; and

generates a set of recommendations for performing the task efficiently according to the labor standard.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the set of sensors comprises a set of digital video cameras.