SUPPORT DEVICE AND SYSTEM FOR ARTICLE PICKING WORK

• US 20150192774A1
• Filed: 05/31/2013
• Published: 07/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: M.Soft co ltd., Toyo Kanetsu Solutions K.K. (TOYO Kanetsu Kabushiki Kaisha)
• Original Assignee: M Soft Company Limited, Toyo Kanetsu Solutions K.K. (TOYO Kanetsu Kabushiki Kaisha)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Kazuhito, Ito, Tadao, Yokoya, Juji, Yagishita, Norio, Wada, Norihiro, Tsushima, Yuka, Yokoyama, Michio, Yonaga, Hideaki, Matsumoto, Yasuhide, Iwase, Rokuro
• Granted Patent: US 11,307,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1375 the orders being assembled on a commissioning stacker-crane or truck
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2209/04 Indication location means
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2209/06 Use of order trucks
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• 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

Abstract

The invention relates to a device that supports work of picking an article from a warehouse and the like, which allows the picking work to be carried out accurately and quickly. The device includes: a camera (20) that photographs an automatically-readable identifier (10) that is attached to a storage location of an article; an information processing unit (40) that detects the identifier from an image photographed by the camera and processes the image of the identifier; and a display (50) that displays information such as image information and text information. The information processing unit processes, based on the detected identifier and picking work order information, image on a specific identifier, and the processed image is displayed on the display at a location related to the identifier.

Claims

1. An article picking work support device, comprising:

A) an imaging unit that obtains image information including automatically-readable, optical feature information associated with an article or a storage location of an article;

B) an information processing unit that detects said optical feature information from the image information obtained by said imaging unit and processes image information about said optical feature information; and

C) a display that displays information such as said image information and text information, wherein

said information processing unit processes, based on said detected, optical feature information and predetermined, picking work order information, image information about said specific, optical feature information and

said processed image information is displayed on said display at a location related to said specific, optical feature information.

2. The article picking work support device according to claim 1, further comprising:

D) a guidance unit that guides a worker to a storage location of an article, wherein

after said guidance unit guides the worker to said storage location of an article, said information processing unit processes, based on said detected, optical feature information and the predetermined picking work order information, image information about said specific, optical feature information and

said processed image information is displayed on said display at a location related to said specific, optical feature information.

3. The article picking work support device according to claim 1, wherein

said guidance unit uses any one method of a method that uses automatically-readable, optical feature information similar to said automatically-readable, optical feature information associated with said article or said storage location of an article;

a guidance method that uses radio waves;

inertial navigation that uses a combination of an accelerometer and a gyro; and

a method that recognizes, by using an external camera, an optical feature attached on a worker or an instrument moving with the worker;

or any combination of two or more methods thereof.

4. The article picking work support device according to claim 1, further comprising:

E) a memory unit that stores picking work order information associated with optical feature information, further wherein

said information processing unit processes, based on said detected, optical feature information and the picking work order information in said memory unit, image information about said specific, optical feature information, and

said processed image information is displayed on said display at a location related to said specific, optical feature information.

5. The article picking work support device according to claim 1, further comprising:

F) an article quality inspection unit that inspects quality of an article to be picked, further wherein

if said article is not suitable for being picked, a predetermined, processing method is issued.

6. The article picking work support device according to claim 1, wherein

said information processing unit processes image information about said specific, optical feature information,

said processed image information is displayed on said display at a location related to said specific, optical feature information, and

also picking work support information prepared by said information processing unit is displayed on said display.

7. The article picking work support device according to claim 1, wherein

said display is a head-mounted display that can display both of actual, visual scenery information and prepared information, and

image information about said specific, optical feature information processed by said information processing unit is displayed on said display with the image information being associated with actual, visual scenery information at a location related to said specific, optical feature information.

8. The article picking work support device according to claim 1, wherein

said display is a transportable display, and

image information about said processed, optical feature information is displayed on said display with the image information being associated with image information photographed by said camera at a location related to said specific, optical feature information.

9. The article picking work support device according to claim 1, wherein

said automatically-readable, optical feature information associated with an article or a storage location of an article is an identifier.

10. The article picking work support device according to claim 9, wherein

base material of said identifier is printable base material.

11. The article picking work support device according to claim 9, wherein

base material of said identifier is base material in which information is rewritable.

12. The article picking work support device according to claim 1, wherein

a present position of a worker is grasped from image information on said identifier.

13. The article picking work support device according to claim 1, wherein

said work order information or work support information is displayed superimposed on said identifier.

14. The article picking work support device according to claim 1, wherein

for a picked article, information that is attached on said article to identify said article is photographed by said imaging unit, and

whether said article agrees with the article specified by said picking work order or not is recognized.

15. The article picking work support device according to claim 1, wherein

in a field of the view of said imaging unit, information about work and displaying is input by means of a gesture using hands and fingers of a worker.

16. The article picking work support device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an audio response device including an audio input unit and/or an audio output unit.

17. The article picking work support device according to claim 1, wherein

said information processing unit is provided remotely.

18. The article picking work support device according to claim 1, wherein

a work history of a worker can be collected.

19. The article picking work support device according to claim 1, wherein

a work indicator is displayed on said display.

20. The article picking work support device according to claim 1, wherein

if said articles to be picked are insufficient, said information processing unit issues an order for dealing with the trouble to a worker, according to a predetermined rule.

21. The article picking work support device according to claim 1, wherein

based on the situation that said optical feature cannot be detected, a failure of said optical feature itself or a structural object where said optical feature is provide is detected.

22. The article picking work support device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a management terminal having a display and a work ordering unit.

23. An article housing work support device, wherein

in the article picking work support device according to claim 1,

instead of the article picking work support, an article housing work is supported.

24. An article picking work support system, comprising:

A) automatically-readable, optical feature information associated with an article or a storage location of an article, and

B) a picking work support device including;

an imaging unit that obtains image information about an article or a storage location of an article;

an information processing unit that detects said optical feature information from the image information obtained by said imaging unit and processes image information about said optical feature information; and

a display that displays information such as image information and text information, wherein

said information processing unit of said picking work support device processes, based on said detected, optical feature information and predetermined, picking work order information, image information about said specific, optical feature information and

said processed image information is displayed on said display at a location related to said specific, optical feature information.

25. The article picking work support system according to claim 24, further comprising:

a guidance unit that guides a worker to a storage location of an article, wherein

after the guidance unit of said picking work support device guides the worker to the storage location of the article, said information processing unit processes, based on said detected, optical feature information and the predetermined, picking work order information, image information about said specific, optical feature information and

said processed image information is displayed on said display at a location related to said specific, optical feature information.

26. The article picking work support system according to claim 24, wherein

said guidance unit uses any one method of a method that uses automatically-readable, optical feature information similar to said automatically-readable, optical feature information associated with said article or said storage location of the article;

a guidance method that uses radio waves;

inertial navigation that uses a combination of an accelerometer and a gyro; and

a method that recognizes, by using an external camera, an optical feature attached on a worker or an instrument moving with the worker;

or any combination of two or more methods thereof.

27. The article picking work support system according to claim 24, further comprising:

a memory unit that stores picking work order information associated with said optical feature information, wherein

said information processing unit processes, based on said detected, optical feature information and said picking work order information in said memory unit, image information about said specific, optical feature information and

said processed image information is displayed on said display at a location related said specific, optical feature information.

28. The article picking work support system according to claim 24, further comprising:

an article quality inspection unit that inspects quality of an article to be picked, wherein

if said article is not suitable for being picked, a predetermined processing method is issued.

29. The article picking work support system according to claim 24, wherein

said information processing unit processes image information about said specific, optical feature information,

said processed image information is displayed on said display at a location related to said specific, optical feature information, and

also picking work support information prepared by said information processing unit is displayed on said display.

30. The article picking work support system according to claim 24, wherein

said display is a head-mounted display that can display both of actual, visual scenery information and prepared information, and

image information about said specific, optical feature information processed by said information processing unit is displayed on said display with the image information being associated with actual, visual scenery information at a location related to said specific, optical feature information.

31. The article picking work support system according to claim 24, wherein

said display is a transportable display, and

image information about said processed, optical feature information is displayed on said display with the image information being associated with image information photographed by said camera at a location related to said specific, optical feature information.

32. The article picking work support system according to claim 24, wherein

said automatically-readable, optical feature information associated with an article or a storage location of an article is an identifier.

33. The article picking work support system according to claim 32, wherein

base material of said identifier is printable base material.

34. The article picking work support system according to claim 32, wherein

base material of said identifier is base material in which information is rewritable.

35. The article picking work support system according to claim 24, wherein

a present position of a worker is grasped from image information on said identifier.

36. The article picking work support system according to claim 24, wherein

said work order information or work support information is displayed superimposed on said identifier.

37. The article picking work support system according to claim 24, wherein

for a picked article, information attached on said article to identify said article is photographed by said imaging unit, and

whether said article agrees with the article specified by said picking work order or not is recognized.

38. The article picking work support system according to claim 24, wherein

in a field of the view of said imaging unit, information about work and displaying is input by means of a gesture using hands and fingers of a worker.

39. The article picking work support system according to claim 24, further comprising:

an audio response device including an audio input unit and/or an audio output unit.

40. The article picking work support system according to claim 24, wherein

said information processing unit is provided remotely.

41. The article picking work support system according to claim 24, wherein

a work history of a worker can be collected.

42. The article picking work support system according to claim 24, wherein

a work indicator is displayed on said display.

43. The article picking work support system according to claim 24, wherein

if said articles to be picked are insufficient, said information processing unit issues an order for dealing with the trouble to a worker, according to a predetermined rule.

44. The article picking work support system according to claim 24, wherein

based on the situation that said optical feature cannot be detected, a failure of said optical feature itself or a structural object where said optical feature is provide is detected.

45. The article picking work support system according to claim 24, further comprising:

a management terminal having a display and a work ordering unit.

46. An article housing work support system, wherein

in the article picking work support system according to claim 24,

instead of the article picking work support, an article housing work is supported.