Work management system and work management method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11953891-B2
Application number	US-202117235763-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2021
Priority date	Apr 30, 2020
Publication date	Apr 9, 2024
Grant date	Apr 9, 2024

Abstract

Provided is a work management system enabling real-time inspection by simultaneously performing work and measurements. The work management system includes a tool including a communication unit and a trigger switch, a camera unit including a communication unit, a camera capable of identifying 3D camera coordinates from an image, a posture detecting device configured to acquire camera posture information, a control unit, and a prism, and a surveying instrument including a communication unit, a tracking unit, a distance-measuring unit, an angle-measuring unit, and a control unit, wherein upon detection that the trigger switch has been used, the camera unit collects camera posture information by the posture detecting device, a tool image by the camera, position coordinates of the prism measured by the surveying instrument, and orientation information of the camera unit viewed from the surveying instrument, and obtains and stores position coordinates of a tip end position of the tool.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A work management system comprising:
a tool including a communication unit and a trigger switch;
a camera unit including a communication unit, a camera capable of identifying 3D camera coordinates from an image, a posture detecting device configured to acquire camera posture information of the camera, a control unit configured to control the camera and the posture detecting device, and a prism; and
a surveying instrument including a communication unit, a tracking unit configured to automatically track the prism by tracking light, a distance-measuring unit configured to measure a distance to the prism by distance-measuring light, an angle-measuring unit configured to measure an angle to the prism, and a control unit configured to control the tracking unit, the distance-measuring unit, and the angle-measuring unit,
wherein upon detection that the trigger switch has been used by communication from the tool, the camera unit collects camera posture information by the posture detecting device, a tool image by the camera, position coordinates of the prism measured by the surveying instrument, and orientation information of the camera unit viewed from the surveying instrument, and obtains and stores position coordinates of a tip end position of the tool.

2. A work management system comprising:
a tool including a communication unit and a trigger switch;
a camera unit including a communication unit, a camera capable of identifying 3D camera coordinates from an image, a posture detecting device configured to acquire camera posture information of the camera, a control unit configured to control the camera and the posture detecting device, and a prism;
a surveying instrument including a communication unit, a tracking unit configured to automatically track the prism by tracking light, a distance-measuring unit configured to measure a distance to the prism by distance-measuring light, an angle-measuring unit configured to measure an angle to the prism, and a control unit configured to control the tracking unit, the distance-measuring unit, and the angle-measuring unit; a site controller including a communication unit, a display unit, a control unit, and a storage unit, and configured to be operated by a worker; and
a management server including a communication unit, a control unit, and a storage unit including a work results database,
wherein the site controller causes the surveying instrument to start automatic tracking by the tracking unit, causes the camera unit to start measurements by the camera and the posture detecting device, and acquires trigger information of the tool, and upon detection that the trigger switch has been used, requests position coordinates of a tip end position of the tool from the camera unit, and transmits and stores the position coordinates of the tip end position of the tool in the management server.

3. The work management system according to claim 1 , wherein the camera unit obtains camera coordinates of a tip end position of the tool from the tool image, obtains position coordinates of a camera coordinate system center of the camera by shifting from position coordinates of the prism obtained by the surveying instrument by an offset distance between a center of the prism and the camera coordinate system center in a shifting direction obtained from the camera posture information and the orientation information of the camera unit, and obtains position coordinates of the tip end position of the tool by converting the camera coordinates of the tip end position of the tool into position coordinates based on the position coordinates of the camera coordinate system center.

4. The work management system according to claim 2 , wherein the camera unit obtains camera coordinates of a tip end position of the tool from the tool image, obtains position coordinates of a camera coordinate system center of the camera by shifting from position coordinates of the prism obtained by the surveying instrument by an offset distance between a center of the prism and the camera coordinate system center in a shifting direction obtained from the camera posture information and the orientation information of the camera unit, and obtains position coordinates of the tip end position of the tool by converting the camera coordinates of the tip end position of the tool into position coordinates based on the position coordinates of the camera coordinate system center.

5. The work management system according to claim 1 , wherein the camera unit acquires the orientation information of the camera unit by acquiring a light image of the distance-measuring light or the tracking light by the camera and performing image analysis of a luminous point in the light image.

6. The work management system according to claim 2 , wherein the camera unit acquires the orientation information of the camera unit by acquiring a light image of the distance-measuring light or the tracking light by the camera and performing image analysis of a luminous point in the light image.

7. The work management system according to claim 1 , wherein the camera unit acquires the camera posture information by an inertial measurement unit or by extracting a vertical line in an image of the camera and obtaining a vertical direction in the image.

8. The work management system according to claim 2 , wherein the camera unit acquires the camera posture information by an inertial measurement unit or by extracting a vertical line in an image of the camera and obtaining a vertical direction in the image.

9. The work management system according to claim 1 , wherein the camera unit acquires the camera posture information and the orientation information of the camera unit by capturing motions of reflection markers attached to the surveying instrument by the camera.

10. The work management system according to claim 2 , wherein the camera unit acquires the camera posture information and the orientation information of the camera unit by capturing motions of reflection markers attached to the surveying instrument by the camera.

11. The work management system according to claim 3 , wherein the camera unit obtains camera coordinates of the tip end position of the tool by stereo matching by the camera or by capturing motions of reflection markers attached to the tool by the camera.

12. The work management system according to claim 4 , wherein the camera unit obtains camera coordinates of the tip end position of the tool by stereo matching by the camera or by capturing motions of reflection markers attached to the tool by the camera.

13. The work management system according to claim 2 , wherein the management server further includes a design database, and position coordinates of the tip end position of the tool are stored as tool tip end position information in the work results database together with information showing that a work has been performed, and the tool tip end position information is managed by being linked to the design database.

14. The work management system according to claim 1 , wherein position coordinates of the tip end position of the tool are stored in association with attributes information including at least worker identification information and tool information concerning the tool.

15. The work management system according to claim 2 , wherein position coordinates of the tip end position of the tool are stored in association with attributes information including at least worker identification information and tool information concerning the tool.

16. The work management system according to claim 1 , wherein the tool is provided with an

Assignees

• Topcon Corp

Inventors

• Yanobe Satoshi
• Yamada Toshio
• Osaragi Kazuki

Classifications

• G05B19/4187 Primary

  by tool management · CPC title

• G05B19/4183

  characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification · CPC title

• G06T7/0004

  Industrial image inspection · CPC title

• G06T7/557

  from light fields, e.g. from plenoptic cameras · CPC title

• G05B2219/40613

  Camera, laser scanner on end effector, hand eye manipulator, local · CPC title