OPERATION SYSTEM AND OPERATION INSTRUCTION METHOD IN OPERATION SYSTEM

• US 20100033341A1
• Filed: 07/03/2006
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Original Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Kenichi, Ishida, Masato
• Application Number:
  US11/996,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20100033341A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.490
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

An optical ID having a pair of light emitting sections (21, 22) is provided on a head set (18) which is mounted on the head of an operator, and ID data is transmitted by a light emitting signal. A high-speed camera is provided on a ceiling of a pathway, the ID data and the position of the operator are identified by the light emitting signal, and the direction of the operator is obtained by the direction of the pair of light emitting sections.

Claims

1. A system for providing an individual operation instruction from a controller to operators working in an operation area,

the system including:

an optical ID provided for each of the operators, the optical ID having at least a pair of light emitting sections for outputting individual ID data of an individual operator by a light emission signal from the light emitting sections, the optical ID moving together with the individual operator; and

a plurality of cameras arranged along a pathway of the operators in the operation area, for determining the ID data, a position of the optical ID, and a direction of the pair of light emission sections by receiving the light emission signal from the optical ID, wherein

the ID data, the position, and the direction of the individual operator are identified based on a signal from the cameras for allowing the controller to output the operation instruction to the individual operator based on the identified ID data, the position, and the direction of the individual operator.

2. The operation system according to claim 1, wherein the optical ID is attached to a headset worn on a head of the individual operator.

3. The operation system according to claim 2, wherein the headset further includes radio communication means for reporting an operation result of the individual operator from the headset to the controller, and the controller outputs the operation instruction to the headset based on the ID data and the direction of the operator and the reported operation result.

4. The operation system according to claim 3, further including a monocle display for displaying the operation instruction from the controller to the operator.

5. The operation system according to claim 3, further including an RFID reader carried by the operator, for reading RFIDs of articles handled by the operator to report the RFIDs read by the RFID reader from the radio communication means to the controller.

6. The operation system according to claim 1, further including:

a bulletin panel indicating the operation instruction, the bulletin panel being provided in the pathway for the operators;

an RFID reader carried by the operator, for reading RFIDs of articles handled by the operator; and

a portable communication device for transmitting the RFID read by the RFID reader to the controller.

7. A method of providing an individual operation instruction from a controller to operators working in an operation area, the method including the steps of:

providing an optical ID for each of the operators, the optical ID having at least a pair of light emitting sections for outputting individual ID data of an individual operator by a light emission signal from the light emitting sections;

arranging a plurality of cameras along a pathway of operators in the operation area, for determining the ID data, a position of the optical ID, and a direction of the pair of light emission sections by receiving the light emission signal from the optical ID;

moving the optical ID together with the individual operator; and

identifying the ID data, the position, and the direction of the individual operator based on a signal from the cameras, and providing the operation instruction to the individual operator by the controller based on the identified ID data, the position, and the direction of the individual operator.