System, apparatus and method for activity guidance and monitoring

• US 9,621,621 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2013
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Myron Frederick Zahnow
• Original Assignee: Myron Frederick Zahnow
• Inventors: Zahnow, Myron Frederick
• Primary Examiner(s): Hussain, Imad
• Application Number:
  US13/944,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20140025785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 705 8, 705 32, 455566, 709219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/203 for converged personal network application service interworking, e.g. OMA converged personal network services [CPNS]

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems, apparatus and methods for activity guidance and monitoring utilizing a scanning device associated with a system network. Embodiments further disclose activity guidance and monitoring of labor workflow. The system may include a scanning device with a network communication component facilitating communication with a server. The scanning device may scan identification codes associated with a user or an activity, and display activity information based upon the scanned codes. The server may include a database of information related to the users and activities as well as historical information, and the server may provide analysis of such information. A user interface may facilitate activity status updates to be input into the system. Reports may be created to reflect the status updates or an analysis of the information.

Claims

1. A system for management and monitoring of labor workflow comprising:

a networked mobile scanning device comprising;

a scanning component for registering codes, wherein said codes include a user identification code that is associated with a user and a workflow identification code associated with an electronic work order that is a manufacturing based work order and comprises a plurality of steps for said user, wherein said user identification code and said workflow identification code are separate codes,

a user input for receiving input from said user,

a display for providing visual output to said user,

a network communication component for facilitating communication with a system network, and

a processor operatively associated with said scanning component, said user input, said display and said network communication component;

a networked server comprising;

a database storing stored information,

a server network communication component for facilitating communication with said system network, and

a server processor operatively associated with said database and said server network communication component;

wherein said networked mobile scanning device;

determines said user by registering said user identification code with said scanning component and identifying said user associated with said user identification code,

determines said electronic work order for said user by registering said workflow identification code with said scanning component and identifying said electronic work order associated with said workflow identification code,

displays said electronic work order including said plurality of steps for said user that are within said electronic work order,

receives a selection of one step of said plurality of steps by said user via said user input,

identifies a time associated with said selection of said one step, and

transmits a status update to said database, wherein said status update comprises data related to said electronic work order including said time; and

wherein said networked server;

receives said status update, and

determines a labor workflow attribute for said user based upon an analysis of said data.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said scanning component comprises a camera.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said networked scanning device comprises a touch-screen display which operates as said user input and said display.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said user identification code comprises a QR code associated with an employee badge.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said workflow identification code comprises a QR code associated with a work order.

6. The system of claim 1 comprising a plurality of said networked scanning devices, wherein each of said plurality of said networked scanning devices transmits said status update to said database, and wherein said networked server aggregates information from said plurality of said networked scanning devices based upon said status updates.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said networked server receives a plurality of said status updates for said work order for said user, aggregates said data from each of said plurality of status updates and determines said labor workflow attribute based upon the aggregation of said data, wherein said labor workflow attribute comprises an amount of time for said user to complete said one step.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said networked server further analyses historical data associated with said user to determine labor workflow characteristics associated with said user.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein said networked server creates a user report based upon said labor workflow attribute of said user.

10. A method for workflow management and monitoring comprising the steps of:

registering a user identification code with a scanning device;

associating said scanning device with a user based upon said user identification code;

registering a workflow identification code with said scanning device, wherein said user identification code and said workflow identification code are separate codes;

determining an electronic work order based upon said workflow identification code, wherein said electronic work order is a manufacturing based work order and comprises a plurality of steps associated with said electronic work order;

displaying said electronic work order on said scanning device;

receiving a selection of at least one step of said plurality of steps associated with said electronic work order, wherein said selection is received from said user via operation of a user interface associated with said scanning device;

identifying a time associated with said selection of said step; and

transmitting a status update related to said electronic work order over a communication network to a server database.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said scanning device is a mobile device.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said registering comprises optical recognition of a visual code.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said associating comprises analyzing said visual code with a user identification source to verify said visual code corresponds with at least one said user identification code, and associate said user with said visual code.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said determining comprises analyzing said visual code with a work order identification source to verify said visual code corresponds with at least one said work order identification code.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein each of said plurality of said steps is displayed as an icon.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein each said icon represents a current status of said step;

and said displaying includes changing the display of said icon based upon at least one of said selection and said status update.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein said user interface is a touch screen display.

18. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of transmitting work flow information related to said electronic work order over said communication network to said server database.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of analyzing said work flow information to determine an attribute associated with at least one of said user and said electronic work order.

20. A system for management and monitoring of labor workflow comprising:

a plurality of networked mobile scanning devices, each comprising;

a scanning component for registering a user identification code that is associated with a user and a workflow identification code associated with an electronic work order comprising a plurality of steps of a manufacturing process for said user, wherein said user identification code and said workflow identification code are separate codes,

a user input for receiving input from said user,

a display for providing visual output to said user,

a network communication component for facilitating communication with a system network, and

a processor operatively associated with said scanning component, said user input, said display and said network communication component;

a networked server comprising;

a database storing labor workflow information,

a server network communication component for facilitating communication with said system network, and

a server processor operatively associated with said database and said server network communication component;

wherein each said networked mobile scanning device;

determines said user by registering said user identification code with said scanning component and identifying said user associated with said user identification code,

determines said electronic work order for said user by registering said workflow identification code with said scanning component and identifying said electronic work order associated with said workflow identification code,

displays said electronic work order including said plurality of steps for said user that are within said electronic work order,

receives a first selection of one step of said plurality of steps by said user via said user input,

identifies a start time associated with said first selection of said one step,

receives a second selection of said one step by said user via said user input,

identifies a stop time associated with said second selection of said one step, and

transmits a status update to said database, wherein said status update comprises data related to said electronic work order; and

wherein said networked server;

receives said status update from each of said plurality of networked mobile scanning devices,

determines a labor workflow attribute for each said user based upon an analysis of said data from the networked mobile scanning device associated with said user by the user identification code,

determines a placement of each said user based upon an evaluation of said labor workflow attribute for each said user, and

assigns a future electronic work order to said user based upon the placement of said user.