Operation instructing system, method for instructing operation, and operation instructing apparatus

• US 7,962,235 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2009
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Maida, Masatomo
• Primary Examiner(s): Decady; Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sivanesan; Sivalingam
• Application Number:
  US12/559,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20100004776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 700/111, 705/9, 714/25
• US Class Current: 700/111
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41805 characterised by assembly
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31046 Aid for assembly, show display on screen next workpiece, task, position to be assembled, executed
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36195 Assembly, mount of electronic parts onto board
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49829 Advancing work to successive stations [i.e., assembly line]

Abstract

An operation instructing system includes an individual process information obtaining section obtaining, each time a production element is entered into the system, the process information about one of the production lines to produce the entered production element; a state information obtaining section obtaining, on the basis of the process information, state information about remaining production processes the production elements currently in the production system; a determining section determining, each time operation completion report is obtained, the next manual step by the operator completed a manual step as a next operation step on the basis of the state information; and a notifying section notifying the operator of the next operation step. Accordingly, even when preferential degrees of operations randomly vary, operation shares of respective operators are clearly determined and the next operation steps are accurately notified to respective operator, so that the production efficiency can be improved.

Claims

1. An operation instructing system for a production system comprising a plurality of production lines, a respective production process including manual steps to be carried out by an operator being carried out in each of the plurality of production lines, a number of production elements being successively entered into the production system for the production in the plurality of production lines, the operation instructing system notifying the operator of an instruction of a next manual step to be performed by the operator next, the operation instructing system comprising:

a process information retaining section retaining in advance, for each of the plurality of production lines, process information about a respective production process to be carried out in each of the plurality of production lines;

an individual process information obtaining section obtaining, each time each of the production elements is entered into the production system, the process information about one of the plurality of the production lines that is used to produce the entered production element;

a state information obtaining section obtaining, for each of the production elements currently in the production system, state information about remaining production process that is to be performed on each production element, on the basis of the process information obtained by the individual process information obtaining section;

a completion report obtaining section obtaining an operation completion report representing that the operator has completed one of the manual steps;

a determining section determining, each time the completion report obtaining section obtains the operation completion report, the next manual step that is to be performed next by the operator, as a next operation step, on the basis of the state information obtained by the state information obtaining section; and

a notifying section notifying the operator of the next operation step determined by the determining section.

2. An operation instructing system according to claim 1, further comprising an in-line limit time retaining section retaining a limit of time period allowed for each of production elements on the production lines in advance, wherein

the state information obtaining section obtains the respective state information of each said production element currently in the production system, the state information representing a margin time obtained by subtracting time elapsed since each said production element has been entered in the production system and a remaining process entire time representing an entire time of the remaining process that is to be performed on each said operation element from the in-line limit time retained by the in-line limit time retaining section.

3. An operation instructing system according to claim 2, further comprising a calculating section successively assuming, each time the completion report obtaining section obtains the operation completion report, the manual steps that are candidate for the next operation step in the production system on the basis of the process information obtained by state information obtaining section, and calculating an estimated entire margin time by summing the margin times of the production elements entered in the production system of each of the manual steps that are candidate for the next operation step that is assumed to be the next operation step, wherein

the determining section determines one of the manual steps associated with a maximum estimated entire margin time among the estimated entire margin times calculated by the calculating section to be the next operation step.

4. An operation instructing system according to claim 3, further comprising a weighing section applying, each time when one of the production elements is entered in the production system, weights to the respective margin times of the production elements currently in the production system, wherein

the calculating section incorporates the weights applied by the weighing section into calculation of the estimated entire margin times.

5. An operation instructing system according to claim 3, further comprising a moving time retaining section retaining moving times that the operator takes to move between the manual steps, wherein

the calculating section incorporates the moving times retained in the moving time retaining section in calculation of the estimated entire margin times.

6. A method for instructing operation in a production system comprising a plurality of production lines, a respective production process including manual steps to be carried out by an operator being carried out in each of the plurality of production lines, a number of production elements being successively entered into the production system for the production in the plurality of production lines, the operation instructing system notifying the operator of an instruction of a next manual step to be performed by the operator next, the method comprising:

retaining in advance, for each of the plurality of production lines, process information about a respective production process to be carried out in each of the plurality of production lines;

obtaining, each time each of the production elements is entered into the production system, the process information about one of the plurality of the production lines that is used to produce the entered production element;

obtaining, for each of the production elements currently in the production system, state information about remaining production process that is to be performed on each of the production elements, on the basis of the process information obtained in the obtaining the process information;

obtaining an operation completion report representing that the operator has completed one of the manual steps;

determining, each time the obtaining completion report obtaining obtains the operation completion report, the next manual step that is to be performed next by the operator, as a next operation step, on the basis of the state information obtained in the obtaining state information; and

notifying the operator of the next operation step determined in the determining.

7. A method for instructing operation according to claim 6, further comprising retaining a limit of time period allowed for each of production elements on the production lines in advance, wherein

the obtaining state information obtains the respective state information of each said production element currently in the production system, the state information representing a margin time obtained by subtracting time elapsed since each said production element has been entered in the production system and a remaining process entire time representing an entire time of the remaining process that is to be performed on each said operation element from the in-line limit time retained in the retaining in-line limit time.

8. A method for instructing operation according to claim 7, further comprising successively assuming the manual steps that are candidate for the next operation step in the production system and calculating an estimated entire margin time by summing the margin times of the production elements of each of the manual steps that are candidate for the next operation step that is assumed to be the next operation step, wherein

the determining determines one of the manual steps associated with a maximum estimated entire margin time among the estimated entire margin times calculated in the calculating to be the next operation step.

9. A method for instructing operation according to claim 8, further comprising applying, each time when one of the production elements is entered in the production system, weights to the respective margin times of the production elements currently in the production system, wherein

the calculating incorporates the weights applied in the applying in the calculating of the estimated entire margin times.

10. An operation instructing apparatus for a production system comprising a plurality of production lines, a respective production process including manual steps to be carried out by an operator being carried out in each of the plurality of production lines, a number of production elements being successively entered into the production system for the production in the plurality of production lines, the operation instructing system notifying the operator of an instruction of a next manual step to be performed by the operator next, the operation instructing apparatus comprising:

a process information retaining section retaining in advance, for each of the plurality of production lines, process information about a respective production process to be carried out in each of the plurality of production lines;

an individual process information obtaining section obtaining, each time each of the production elements is entered into the production system, the process information about one of the plurality of the production lines that is used to produce the entered production element;

a state information obtaining section obtaining, for each of the production elements currently in the production system, state information about remaining production process that is to be performed on the each production element, on the basis of the process information obtained by the individual process information obtaining section;

a completion report obtaining section obtaining an operation completion report representing that the operator has completed one of the manual step;

a determining section determining, each time the completion report obtaining section obtains the operation completion report, the next manual step that is to be performed next by the operator, as a next operation step, on the basis of the state information obtained by the state information obtaining section; and

an output section outputting the next operation step determined by the determining to an notifying section that notifies the operator of the next operation step.

11. An operation instructing apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising an in-line limit time retaining section retaining a limit of time period allowed for each of production elements on the production lines in advance, wherein

the state information obtaining section obtains the respective state information of each said production element currently in the production system, the state information representing a margin time obtained by subtracting time elapsed since each said production element has been entered in the production system and a remaining process entire time representing an entire time of the remaining process that is to be performed on each said operation element from the in-line limit time retained by the in-line limit time retaining section.

12. An operation instructing apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a calculating section successively assuming the manual steps that are candidate for the next operation step in the production system and calculating an estimated entire margin time by summing the margin agile times of the production elements of each of the manual steps that are candidate for the next operation step that is assumed to be the next operation step, wherein

the determining section determines one of the manual steps associated with a maximum estimated entire margin time among the estimated entire margin times calculated by the calculating section to be the next operation step.