Kinetic tracking in manufacturing to predict and prevent defects

• US 9,563,896 B1
• Filed: 11/19/2015
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bender, Michael, Childress, Rhonda L., Spisak, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dinh, Lynda
• Application Number:
  US14/946,176
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 702/81
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/20 Workers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1123 Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/001 by measuring acceleration changes by making use of a triple differentiation of a displacement signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/003 Kinematic accelerometers, i.e. measuring acceleration in relation to an external reference frame, e.g. Ferratis accelerometers G01P15/001, G01P15/16, G01P15/165 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products

Abstract

A system, method, and computer-readable medium for tracking manufacturing steps comprising: tracking kinetic movements of an assembler over a period of time to provide kinetic tracking information, the kinetic movements comprising product assembly movements; storing the kinetic tracking information in a kinetic tracking information repository; identifying a defect in an item manufactured during the period of time; and, analyzing the kinetic tracking information to determine whether the kinetic movements of the assembler contributed to the defect.

Claims

1. A method for tracking manufacturing steps, comprising:

tracking, via a kinetic sensor, kinetic movements of an assembler over a period of time to provide kinetic tracking information, the kinetic movements comprising product assembly movements;

storing the kinetic tracking information in a kinetic tracking information repository;

identifying, via a processor, a defect in an item manufactured during the period of time;

analyzing, via the processor, the kinetic tracking information to determine whether the kinetic movements of the assembler contributed to the defect;

associating a first range of motion for items produced without defects and a second range of motion for items produced with defects; and

,

warning the assembler when the kinetic movements of the assembler fall within the second range of motion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the kinetic sensor comprises a motion sensing device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the motion sensing device comprises an Internet of Things (IoT) type device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the tracking kinetic movements is performed at least in part via the kinetic sensor.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a level of risk for movement within the second range of motion based on said associated items produced with defects.

6. A system comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to the processor; and

a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium embodying computer program code, the non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium being coupled to the data bus, the computer program code interacting with a plurality of computer operations and comprising instructions executable by the processor and configured for;

tracking, via a kinetic sensor, kinetic movements of an assembler over a period of time to provide kinetic tracking information, the kinetic movements comprising product assembly movements;

storing the kinetic tracking information in a kinetic tracking information repository;

identifying, via the processor, a defect in an item manufactured during the period of time;

analyzing, via the processor, the kinetic tracking information to determine whether the kinetic movements of the assembler contributed to the defect

associating a first range of motion for items produced without defects and a second range of motion for items produced with defects; and

,

warning the assembler when the kinetic movements of the assembler fall within the second range of motion.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the kinetic sensor comprises a motion sensing device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the motion sensing device comprises an Internet of Things (IoT) type device.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the tracking kinetic movements is performed at least in part via the kinetic sensor.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the instructions are further configured for:

identifying a level of risk for movement within the second range of motion based on said associated items produced with defects.

11. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising computer executable instructions configured for:

tracking, via a kinetic sensor, kinetic movements of an assembler over a period of time to provide kinetic tracking information, the kinetic movements comprising product assembly movements;

storing the kinetic tracking information in a kinetic tracking information repository;

identifying, via a processor, a defect in an item manufactured during the period of time;

analyzing, via the processor, the kinetic tracking information to determine whether the kinetic movements of the assembler contributed to the defect;

associating a first range of motion for items produced without defects and a second range of motion for items produced with defects; and

,

warning the assembler when the kinetic movements of the assembler fall within the second range of motion.

12. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein:

the kinetic sensor comprises a motion sensing device.

13. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein:

the motion sensing device comprises an Internet of Things (IoT) type device.

14. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein:

the tracking kinetic movements is performed at least in part via the kinetic sensor.

15. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the computer executable instructions are further configured for:

identifying a level of risk for movement within the second range of motion based on said associated items produced with defects.