Work data collection method

• US 7,103,437 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2001
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi, Jayprakash N.
• Application Number:
  US09/822,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20030206229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,982 Days
• Field of Search: 700/108, 700/111, 702/182
• US Class Current: 700/111
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/10 together with the recording, indicating or registering of other data, e.g. of signs of identity

Abstract

There is disclosed a work data collection method. In a darkroom, a data collector (12) photographs a series of jobs through an infrared video camera (14) while observing the jobs being done by a worker (11) through a darkroom goggle. At each break point between the jobs, the data collector operates a hand switch board (21) to enter a break point signal and select a corresponding job title from among a list of job titles displayed on an LCD device (15) that the data collector puts on behind the darkroom goggle. Then, the break point signal and job title data are recorded in association with each other on a hard disc of a portable personal computer (20). If the corresponding job title is not listed, the data collector says that job title to enter it as a sound signal through a microphone. The sound signal is converted into character data of the job title. Video signal of the jobs, the break point signals and the job title data are transferred to a personal computer (25), to be processed for the sake of analysis and examination.

Claims

1. A work data collection method comprising the steps of

photographing through a video camera a series of different jobs done by at least a worker, to record video signal of said jobs on a memory device of said video camera;

inputting a break point signal in said video camera at each break point between said jobs, to record said break point signal on said memory device of said video camera along with said video signal;

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

inputting data of measured workload, said video signal and said break point signal in a personal computer, to record said workload data, said video signal and said break point signal in association with each other on a memory device through said personal computer.

2. A work data collection method as recited in claim 1, wherein workload on said worker is measured through at least a biological sensor that measures a biological factor of said worker.

3. The work data collection method as recited in claim 2, wherein the biological factor is at least one of a body temperature, a perspiration level, a heart beat, and a brain wave.

4. The work data collection method as recited in claim 2, wherein the biological sensor is an infrared sensor.

5. The work data collection method as recited in claim 2, wherein the biological sensor is a contact sensor.

6. The work data collection method as recited in claim 2, wherein the biological sensor is a non-contact sensor.

7. The work data collection method as recited in claim 2, wherein the biological sensor is at least one of a body temperature sensor, a perspiration sensor, a heart rate sensor, and a brain wave sensor.

8. A work data collection method as recited in claim 1, 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, said video data and said break point signal in a personal computer, to record said environmental data, said video signal and said break point signal in association with each other on a memory device through said personal computer.

9. The work data collection method as recited in claim 8, wherein the environmental factors are at least one of humidity and room temperature.

10. A work data collection method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of inputting job title data in said video camera concurrently with said break point signal, to record said job title data on said memory device in association with said break point signal, said job title data being representative of a job title predetermined for each of said jobs.

11. A work data collection method as recited in claim 10, wherein said job title data is entered as a sound signal or a picture signal.

12. A work data collection method as recited in claim 1, wherein said break point signal is used as a cueing signal.

13. A work data collection method as recited in claim 1, wherein said break point signal is manually entered.

14. A work data collection method as recited in claim 13, wherein said worker enters said break point signal while carrying said video camera to photograph said jobs.

15. A work data collection method as recited in claim 1, wherein said video camera is an infrared video camera.

16. A work data collection method as recited in claim 1, wherein said break point signal is entered as a sound signal or a picture signal.

17. The work data collection method as recited in claim 1, wherein said memory device and said memory device of said video camera are the same.

18. The work data collection method as recited in claim 1, wherein the workload is an amount of stress on the worker.

19. The work data collection method as recited in claim 1, wherein the photographing is performed in a dark room.

20. 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 a video signal of said jobs;

recording said video signal on a memory device through a personal computer; 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;

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 signal and said break point signal.

21. A work data collection method as recited in claim 20, wherein workload on said worker is measured through at least a biological sensor that measures a biological factor of said worker.

22. The work data collection method as recited in claim 21, wherein the biological factor is at least one of a body temperature, a perspiration level, a heart beat, and a brain wave.

23. The work data collection method as recited in claim 21, wherein the biological sensor is an infrared sensor.

24. The work data collection method as recited in claim 21, wherein the biological sensor is a contact sensor.

25. The work data collection method as recited in claim 21, wherein the biological sensor is a non-contact sensor.

26. The work data collection method as recited in claim 21, wherein the biological sensor is at least one of a body temperature sensor, a perspiration sensor, a heart rate sensor, and a brain wave sensor.

27. A work data collection method as recited in claim 20, 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 on said memory device in association with said video data and said break point signal.

28. The work data collection method as recited in claim 27, wherein the environmental factors are at least one of humidity and room temperature.

29. A work data collection method as recited in claim 20, further comprising the step of inputting job title data in said personal computer concurrently with said break point signal, to record said job title data on said memory device, said job title data being representative of a job title predetermined 20 for each of said jobs.

30. A work data collection method as recited in claim 29, wherein said job title data is entered as a sound signal through a microphone connected to said personal computer.

31. A work data collection method as recited in claim 29, wherein said job title data is entered by displaying predetermined job titles on a display device, and selecting a corresponding one of said displayed job titles through an input device connected to said personal computer.

32. A work data collection method as recited in claim 20, wherein said video camera is an infrared video camera.

33. A work data collection method as recited in claim 20, wherein said personal computer is a portable personal computer.

34. A work data collection method as recited in claim 20, wherein said break point signal is entered as a sound signal through a microphone connected to said personal computer.

35. A work data collection method as recited in claim 20, wherein said break point signal is used as a cueing signal.

36. The work data collection method as recited in claim 20, wherein the workload is an amount of stress on the worker.

37. The work data collection method as recited in claim 20, wherein the photographing is performed in a dark room.

38. A work data collection method comprising:

displaying predetermined job titles on a display device connected to a personal computer, said display device being visible for a data collector while observing a plurality 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 representative of said selected job title in said personal computer at each break point between said jobs;

measuring workload on said worker during at least one of the plurality of different jobs;

inputting data of measured workload, said video signal and said break point signal in a personal computer, to record said workload data, said video signal and said break point signal in association with each other on a memory device through said personal computer; and

recording said job title data on the memory device of said personal computer, along with data of time when said job title data is entered.

39. A work data collection method as recited in claim 38, wherein said worker doubles as said data collector.

40. A work data collection method comprising:

entering a job title as a sound signal through a microphone connected to a sound recording player having a clock function and a display section, at each break point between different jobs while said jobs are being sequentially done by at least a worker;

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

inputting data of measured workload, a video signal and each of said break points in a personal computer, to record said workload data, said video signal and each of said break points in association with each other on a memory device through a personal computer; and

recording said sound signal of said job title on a memory device of said sound recording player, along with data of an entrance time when said sound signal is entered, said entrance time being determined by said clock function of said sound recording player.

41. A work data collection method as recited in claim 40, further comprising the step of:

playing back a sound of said job title on said sound recording player, while displaying the entrance time of said played back job title on said display section; and

scanning a bar code sheet having bar codes representative of job titles printed thereon and a bar code sheet having bar codes representative of times printed thereon through a bar code reader that is connected to a personal computer, to input in said personal computer data of a job title and data of an entrance time when said job title is entered as said sound signal.

42. A work data collection method as recited in claim 41, wherein said worker carries said sound recording player and enters said job title.

43. A work data collection method as recited in claim 40, further comprising the steps of:

transferring said sound signal and said entrance time data from said sound recording player to a personal computer;

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

recording said job title data and said break point signal in association with each other on a memory device of said personal computer.

44. A work data collection method comprising:

entering a job title as a sound signal through a microphone connected to a 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;

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

inputting data of measured workload, said video signal and said break point signal in a personal computer, to record said workload data, said video signal and said break point signal in association with each other on a memory device through said personal computer; and

recording said character data as job title data on the memory device of said personal computer, along with data of an entrance time when said sound signal is entered.

45. A work data collection method as recited in claim 44, wherein said worker carries said microphone to enter said job title.

46. A work data collection method as recited in claim 44, wherein said personal computer is provided with an interactive voice response function, and repeats a job title at each entrance through said microphone, thereby to permit confirming entered job titles through an earphone prior to recording said job title data on said memory device.

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

measuring time taken to accomplish each one of different jobs while said jobs are being sequentially done by at least a worker;

measuring workload on said worker during each of said jobs; and

recording data of said measured time and workload for each of said different jobs on a memory device.

48. A work data collection method as recited in claim 47, wherein workload on said worker is measured through at least a biological sensor that measures a biological factor of said worker.