Vehicle inspection management system and method

• US 7,818,105 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2005
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Engineering Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Engineering Kabushiki Kaisha, Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Kambe, Shigeo, Kimura, Norichika, Tsubota, Tomohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith; Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dager; Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US11/090,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20050216152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,031 Days
• Field of Search: 701/33, 701/29, 701/30, 340/438, 702/33, 702/113, 702/155
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

When the mobile inspection terminal determines that the inspection standard information received from a server is the “specification”, it displays the received inspection standard information and out-of-standard specification information on a liquid crystal display. When it is confirmed in this state that selected inspection standard information is input, whether or not an part to be inspected is acceptable is determined based on the inspection standard information, and the server is notified of a result of determination. Further, when it is determined that the inspection standard information is the “measured value”, a measured value input screen is displayed on the liquid crystal display. When it is confirmed in this state that a measured value is input, whether or not the part to be inspected is acceptable or not is determined based on the input information, and the server is notified of a result of determination.

Claims

1. A vehicle inspection management system, comprising:

a server for use in a vehicle manufacturing line, the server being provided with a database having inspection standard information stored therein, the inspection standard information including standard specification information, out-of-standard specification information, and measured value information; and

inspection terminals which communicate with the server and which are used in a plurality of inspection processes being executed in the vehicle manufacturing line,

wherein the server comprises;

an inspection information transmission section including means for reading out the inspection standard information of a vehicle from the database, means for checking whether the inspection standard information is the standard specification information or the measured value information, and means for transmitting the standard specification information and the out-of standard specification information of the vehicle to one of the inspection terminals, and

each of the inspection terminals comprises;

a display including,

a first display section configured to display an inspection item screen on the display, and

a second display section configured to, when the standard specification information and the out-of-standard specification information is received from the server, display a specification information selection screen including the standard specification information and the out-of-standard specification information on the display, simultaneously in a state in which an indication that the specification information is standard or out-of-standard is not displayed, and when the measured value information is received from the server, display an inspection information input screen on the display in a state in which the received measured value information is masked; and

a notification section configured to determine, when an inspection worker selects one of the displayed standard specification information and the out-of-standard specification information, as a result of inspection of a section to be inspected, whether or not the selection performed by the inspection worker is acceptable or unacceptable, and to notify the server of a result of determination, and when the inspection worker inputs on the screen a measurement value obtained visually from a section to be inspected, whether or not the section is accepted based on the result of the visual measurement value and notifying the server of a result of determination.

2. The vehicle inspection management system according to claim 1, wherein the inspection terminal comprises a barcode reader, and the result of inspection is input by reading a barcode attached to a part to be inspected with the barcode reader.

5. The vehicle inspection management system, according to claim 1, wherein the inspection terminals communicates with the server through a LAN.

3. A vehicle inspection management method by using:

a server for use in a vehicle inspection manufacturing line, the server being provided with a database having inspection standard information stored therein, the inspection standard information including standard specification information, out-of-standard specification information, and measured value information; and

inspection terminals which communicate with the server and which are used in a plurality of inspection processes being executed in the vehicle manufacturing line,

wherein the method comprises;

reading out the visual inspection standard information of a vehicle from the database, checking whether the inspection standard information is the standard specification information or the measured value information, and transmitting the standard specification information and the out-of standard specification information, or the measured value information of the vehicle to one of the inspection terminals;

displaying an inspection item screen on a display of one of the inspection terminals, the display including a first display section configured to display an inspection item screen on the display, and a second display section which is configured to,

when one of the inspection terminals receives the standard specification information and the out-of-standard specification information from the server, displaying a specification information selection screen including the standard specification information and the out-of-standard specification information on the display, simultaneously in a state in which an indication that the specification information is standard or out-of-standard is not displayed;

determining, when an inspection worker selects one of the displayed standard specification information and the out-of-standard specification information, as a result of inspection of a section to be inspected, whether or not the selection performed by the inspection worker is acceptable or unacceptable, and when the measured value information is received from the server, display an inspection information input screen on the display in a state in which a the received measured value information is masked; and

notifying the server of a result of determination, when an inspection worker selects one of the displayed standard specification information and the out-of-standard specification information, as a result of inspection of a section to be inspected, whether or not the selection performed by the inspection worker is acceptable or unacceptable, and when the inspection worker inputs on the screen a measurement value obtained visually from a section to be inspected, whether or not the section is accepted based on the result of the visual measurement value and notifying the server of a result of determination.

4. The vehicle inspection management method according to claim 3, wherein the inspection terminal comprises a barcode reader, and the result of inspection is input by reading a barcode attached to a part to be inspected with the barcode reader.

6. The vehicle inspection management method, according to claim 3, wherein the inspection terminals communicates with the server through a LAN.