Manufacturing assistance apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10732915-B2
Application number	US-201816174562-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2018
Priority date	Nov 30, 2017
Publication date	Aug 4, 2020
Grant date	Aug 4, 2020

Abstract

A manufacturing assistance apparatus includes a display, an imaging device, a completion determining unit, and a display controller. The display is configured to display operation information that is related to any of operation processes of a workpiece. The imaging device is configured to perform imaging of the workpiece, and output image data obtained by the imaging. The completion determining unit is configured to determine whether current one of the operation processes is completed, on a basis of the image data outputted from the imaging device. The display controller is configured to cause, when the current one of the operation processes is determined by the completion determining unit as being completed, the display to display the operation information that is related to subsequent one of the operation processes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A manufacturing assistance apparatus comprising:
a display configured to display operation information that is related to any of operation processes of a workpiece;
an imaging device configured to perform imaging of the workpiece, and output image data obtained by the imaging, the image data including a plurality of projection images each associated with one of the operation processes of the workpiece;
a completion determining unit configured to determine whether current one of the operation processes is completed, on a basis of the image data outputted from the imaging device; and
a display controller configured to:
instruct the display to simultaneously display the plurality of projection images associated with the operation processes at an initial point in time;
stop projecting, in sequence, the plurality of projection images as the completion determining unit detects completion of their associated operation processes; and
cause, when the current one of the operation processes is determined by the completion determining unit as being completed, the display to display the operation information that is related to subsequent one of the operation processes.

2. The manufacturing assistance apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the display comprises a projector configured to project the operation information onto the workpiece.

3. The manufacturing assistance apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the display controller causes the display to project, as the operation information, at least one of the projection images related to the workpiece that is at a time of the completion of the current one of the operation processes.

4. The manufacturing assistance apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the display controller varies a manner in which the projection image is displayed by the display, depending on a type of an operation content of the current one of the operation processes.

5. The manufacturing assistance apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the display controller causes the display to project a subsequent-process switching button that switches a display content displayed by the display to a display content belonging to the operation information that is related to the subsequent one of the operation processes.

6. The manufacturing assistance apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the display controller causes the display to project a subsequent-process switching button that switches a display content displayed by the display to a display content belonging to the operation information that is related to the subsequent one of the operation processes.

7. The manufacturing assistance apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the display controller causes the display to project a subsequent-process switching button that switches a display content displayed by the display to a display content belonging to the operation information that is related to the subsequent one of the operation processes.

8. The manufacturing assistance apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the display controller causes the display to project a previous-process switching button that switches a display content displayed by the display to a display content belonging to the operation information that is related to previous one of the operation processes.

9. The manufacturing assistance apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the display controller causes the display to project a previous-process switching button that switches a display content displayed by the display to a display content belonging to the operation information that is related to previous one of the operation processes.

10. The manufacturing assistance apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the display controller causes the display to project a previous-process switching button that switches a display content displayed by the display to a display content belonging to the operation information that is related to previous one of the operation processes.

11. The manufacturing assistance apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the completion determining unit detects an error in any of the operation processes, on the basis of the image data that is directed to an operation region in the workpiece.

12. The manufacturing assistance apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the completion determining unit detects an error in any of the operation processes, on the basis of the image data that is directed to an operation region in the workpiece.

13. The manufacturing assistance apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the completion determining unit detects an error in any of the operation processes, on the basis of the image data that is directed to a region in the workpiece outside an operation region in the workpiece.

14. The manufacturing assistance apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the completion determining unit detects an error in any of the operation processes, on the basis of the image data that is directed to a region in the workpiece outside an operation region in the workpiece.

15. The manufacturing assistance apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a storage configured to store time information that is related to time at which any of the operation processes is determined by the completion determining unit as being completed.

16. The manufacturing assistance apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a storage configured to store time information that is related to time at which any of the operation processes is determined by the completion determining unit as being completed.

17. A manufacturing assistance apparatus comprising:
a display configured to display operation information that is related to any of operation processes of a workpiece;
an imaging device configured to perform imaging of the workpiece, and output image data obtained by the imaging, the image data including a plurality of projection images each associated with one of the operation processes; and
circuitry configured to
instruct the display to simultaneously display the plurality of projection images associated with the operation processes at an initial point in time;
determine whether current one of the operation processes is completed, on a basis of the image data outputted from the imaging device;
stop projecting, in sequence, the plurality of projection images as their associated operation processes are determined as being completed; and
cause, when the current one of the operation processes is determined as being completed, the display to display the operation information that is related to subsequent one of the operation processes.

Assignees

• Subaru Corp

Inventors

• Shibao Yasunori
• Nagai Yuichi
• Murata Iwao
• Kikuchi Marosuke
• Suzuki Kei

Classifications

• G05B2219/31048

  Project on workpiece, image of finished workpiece, info or a spot · CPC title

• G05B2219/31027

  Computer assisted manual assembly CAA, display operation, tool, result · CPC title

• G05B19/41805

  characterised by assembly · CPC title

• G05B19/048 Primary

  Monitoring; Safety · CPC title

• G06T7/0004

  Industrial image inspection · CPC title