CONTROL DEVICE AND WORK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM USING SAME

• US 20170197302A1
• Filed: 06/03/2015
• Published: 07/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: KOBAYASHI, Hiroji
• Application Number:
  US15/315,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20170197302A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 13/463 a pawl engaging an externally toothed wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 21/02 with means for imparting impact to screwdriver blade or nut socket
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 23/14 Arrangement of torque limiters or torque indicators in wrenches or screwdrivers couplings for transmitting rotation or clutches F16D; devices for measuring torque per se G01L
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 23/1425 by electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 23/1475 for impact wrenches or screwdrivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30164 Workpiece; Machine component
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0008 checking presence/absence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/001 using an image reference approach

Abstract

A control device is provided with a communication unit and a processing unit. The communication unit makes communication with a tool that is used for the work of fastening a fastener (for example, a screw) and with an image pickup unit for capturing an image of the work site where the work is being performed. The processing unit executes a determination process of determining whether or not the work is being performed normally on the basis of the fastening torque applied to the fastener by the tool and the image captured by the image pickup unit.

Claims

1. A control device comprising:

a communication unit configured to make communication with a tool used during a work of fastening a fastener by a worker and further make communication with an image pickup unit configured to capture an image of a working site where the work is performed; and

a processing unit configured to execute a determination process of determining whether or not the work is being performed successfully based on a fastening torque applied to the fastener by the tool and the image captured by the image pickup unit.

2. The control device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit obtains, in the determination process, a similarity by comparing the captured image with a reference image showing a state in which the fastener is successfully fastened in the working site, and

the processing unit determines whether or not the work is being performed successfully based on a comparison result between the fastening torque and a target torque required for the work and a comparison result between the similarity and a threshold set in advance.

3. A work management system comprising:

the control device of claim 1;

the tool including a communication unit configured to transmit data of the fastening torque to the control device; and

a wearable device including a communication unit configured to transmit data of the image pickup unit and the captured image to the control device.

4. The work management system of claim 3, wherein the wearable device further includes a display unit configured to display instructions about the work for the worker transmitted from the control device by using at least one of a message and an image.

5. The work management system of claim 3, wherein the tool is a torque wrench including:

a head to which a socket corresponding to a nominal size of the fastener is affixed, the head being rotated to apply a torque to the fastener through the socket;

a detecting unit configured to output an electric signal corresponding to the torque applied to the fastener; and

a torque calculating unit configured to calculate the fastening torque based on the electric signal.

6. The work management system of claim 3, wherein the tool is an impact driver including:

an impact mechanism configured to generate a pulse-like impact force;

an output shaft to which a bit corresponding to a nominal size of the fastener is affixed, the output shaft being rotated by the impact force applied from the impact mechanism;

a first detecting unit configured to detect a torque applied to the output shaft;

a second detecting unit configured to detect at least one of an angular velocity of the output shaft and a circumferential acceleration of the output shaft; and

a torque calculating unit configured to calculate the fastening torque on a basis of an inertia torque calculated based on a detected value of the first detecting unit and a detected value of the second detecting unit.

7. The work management system of claim 3, wherein the wearable device is a device to be mounted on the worker'"'"'s head.

8. The work management system of claim 3, wherein at least one of the wearable device and the control device is configured to output voice instructions about the work for the worker.

9. The work management system of claim 3, further comprising a host device configured to make communication with the control device,

wherein the host device stores, for each work, data of the captured image and data of the fastening torque transmitted from the control device.

10. The work management system of claim 9, wherein the host device stores information about devices electrically connected to the control device.

11. The work management system of claim 3, wherein in a part management system including a plurality of part boxes each containing parts and a plurality of display devices mounted on the part boxes in a one-to-one relationship, the control device is configured to turn on one of the display devices according to a progress status of a work of extracting the parts to urge the worker to extract a part from the part box corresponding to said one of the display devices, and

the processing unit further executes a process of determining whether or not a correct part has been extracted from the part box corresponding to said one of the display devices by comparing an image of the extracted part captured by the image pickup unit with a reference image of the part stored in advance.