Worker management system, worker management apparatus and worker management method

• US 7,769,617 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Nishikawa, Hiroshi, Iwasaki, Kenya
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanty; Romain
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARDENAS NAVIA, JAIME F
• Application Number:
  US11/117,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20050209902A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,922 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8
• US Class Current: 705/7.26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063116 Schedule adjustment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A worker management system, which includes a plant 100 divided into a plurality of work areas each in correspondence to specific task contents, a database 220 having stored therein task identification information correlating each work area 112 with contents of tasks performed therein and worker detection sensors 130 installed in each work area, identifies the specific work area where a worker is currently located based upon outputs from the worker detection means and then identifies the task currently performed by the worker based upon the task identification information. Based upon the current task thus identified, a decision is made as to whether the worker should continue the current task or be assigned a new task and an instruction for task execution is issued to the worker. Therefore the identification of current tasks, the assignment of a new task and the task reassignment are facilitated to improve the work efficiency.

Claims

1. A worker management apparatus used to manage workers performing tasks at a work site divided into a plurality of work areas each in correspondence to specific task contents, comprising:

a task identification information storage part for storing in memory task identification information correlating each of the work areas in the work site with task contents of tasks performed in the work area;

a worker position identification part for identifying a specific work area where a worker is currently present based upon outputs from a worker detection part installed in each of the work areas, each worker detection part including a receiver that receives electromagnetic waves transmitted from transmitters carried by each of the workers, each of the transmitters being set so as to transmit an electromagnetic wave carrying identification information that can be used to identify a specific worker, the worker position identification part obtaining worker identification information from the worker detection part, detecting the worker detection part that has received the identification information corresponding to a worker undergoing work area detection and identifying the work area in which the worker detection part is installed as the work area where the worker is present;

a current task identification part for identifying the task currently performed by the worker in correspondence to the work area where the worker is located which is identified by the worker position identification part, based upon the task identification information stored at the task identification information storage part;

a task priority level information storage part for storing in memory task priority information;

a new task detection part for detecting that a new task has arisen based upon an electromagnetic wave transmitted from a portable information terminal carried by the worker, the portable information terminal having thereon a sensor for predetermined state detection, the electromagnetic wave indicating a decision value provided by the sensor;

a task reassignment part for engaging the current task identification part to identify current tasks being performed by all the workers when the new task is detected by the new task detection part, assigning task priority levels to all tasks including the current tasks and the new task based upon the task priority level information stored at the task priority level information storage part, and reassigning all the tasks for all the workers starting with a task with a higher priority level, the task reassignment part assigning a task with a higher task priority level as a new task;

an instruction part for issuing instructions for the portable information terminals carried by all the workers to perform tasks reassigned by the task reassignment part;

a worker skill information storage part for storing in memory worker skill information correlating each of the workers with tasks that each of the workers is capable of performing;

a worker extraction part for extracting workers capable of performing the new task based upon the worker skill information stored at the worker skill information storage part; and

a worker identification part for executing worker identification processing by engaging the current task identification part to identify current tasks being performed by the workers extracted by the worker extraction part, ascertaining and comparing priority levels of the current tasks and a priority level of the new task based upon the task priority level information stored at the task priority level information storage part and identifying a worker performing a current task with a priority level lower than the priority level of the new task as a worker to take on the new task.

2. A worker management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the transmitters are each set so as to transmit an electromagnetic wave with a frequency unique to a specific worker; and

the worker position identification part detects a worker detection part that has received an electromagnetic wave with a frequency assigned to a worker undergoing a work area detection and identifies the work area in which the worker detection part is installed as the work area where the worker is present.

3. A worker management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a task information acquisition part for obtaining task information of the workers from work devices installed in the work areas, wherein;

the current task identification part obtains the task information originating at a work device at which the worker is performing a task via the task information acquisition part in addition to work area information indicating the work area identified as the work area in which the worker is currently present and identifies the current task being performed by the worker based upon the area information and the task information.

4. A worker management method for managing workers performing tasks at a work site divided into a plurality of work areas each in correspondence to specific task contents, comprising:

a worker position identification act in which a specific work area where a worker is currently present is identified based upon outputs from worker detection part installed in each of the work areas, each worker detection part including a receiver that receives electromagnetic waves transmitted from transmitters carried by each of the workers, each of the transmitters being set so as to transmit an electromagnetic wave carrying identification information that can be used to identify a specific worker, the worker position identification act obtaining identification information from the worker detection part, detecting the worker detection part that has received the identification information corresponding to a worker undergoing work area detection and identifying the work area in which the worker detection part is installed as the work area where the worker is present;

a current task identification act in which the task currently performed by the worker present in the work area identified through the worker position identification act is identified based upon task identification information available at a task identification information storage part for storing in memory the task identification information correlating each of the work areas at the work site with task contents of the tasks performed in the work areas;

a new task detection act in which a new task having arisen is detected based upon an electromagnetic wave transmitted from a portable information terminal carried by each worker, the portable information terminal having thereon a sensor for predetermined state detection, the electromagnetic wave indicating a decision value provided by the sensor;

a task reassignment act in which current tasks being performed by all the workers is identified through the current task identification step when a new task is detected in the new task detection step, task priority levels are assigned to all the tasks including the current tasks and the new task based upon task priority level information available at a task priority level information storage part for storing in memory the task priority information, and all the tasks are reassigned for all the workers starting with a task with a higher priority level, the task reassignment act assigning a task with a higher task priority level as a new task; and

an instruction step in which instructions are issued to the portable information terminal carried by all the workers to perform tasks reassigned through the task reassignment step;

a worker extraction act which extracts workers capable of performing the new task based upon worker skill information stored at a worker skill information storage part, the worker skill information storage part storing in memory worker skill information correlating each of the workers with tasks that each of the workers is capable of performing; and

a worker identification act which identifies works by engaging the current task identification act to identify current tasks being performed by the workers extracted by the worker extraction act, ascertains and compares priority levels of the current tasks and a priority level of the new task based upon the task priority level information stored at the task priority level information storage part and identifies a worker performing a current task with a priority level lower than the priority level of the new task as a worker to take on the new task.