# US 11,445,084 B2 · Work process managing system to manage progress of a job including multiple work processes, work process managing method, and work process managing apparatus

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- Number: US 11,445,084 B2
- Document ID: US11445084B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/198,468
- Filed: 2021-03-11
- Published: 2021-09-23
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2020-03-17
- Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Hajime Kawasaki; Makoto Aoki
- Inventors: Hajime Kawasaki; Makoto Aoki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11445084B2

## CPC

- G06Q 10/06316: {Sequencing of tasks or work}
- H04N 1/32352: {Controlling detectability or arrangements to facilitate detection or retrieval of the embedded information, e.g. using markers (for decoding, detection or retrieval operations H04N1/32149 and subgroups take precedence)}
- G05B 19/418: Total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, e.g. direct or distributed numerical control [DNC], flexible manufacturing systems [FMS], integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] or computer integrated manufacturing [CIM]
- H04N 1/00477: {Indicating status, e.g. of a job (for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N2201/3219)}
- G05B 2219/50393: Floor conveyor, AGV automatic guided vehicle
- G06K 19/0614: {the marking being selective to wavelength, e.g. color barcode or barcodes only visible under UV or IR (methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers using a selected wavelength, see G06K7/12)}
- Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

An information processing system manages progress of a job including one or more work processes. The information processing system includes one or more imagers that are associated with the one or more work processes of the job and configured to capture a form being transferred together with a work object of the job; and a processor programmed to execute a process including managing the one or more work processes of the job based on the one or more imagers capturing the form, recognizing a mark image indicating transferability from image data of the form captured by the one or more imagers, and managing whether the work object is transferable to a next work process based on the mark image recognized from the image data obtained by capturing the form.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An information processing system for managing progress of a job including one or more work processes, the information processing system comprising:
one or more imagers that are associated with the one or more work processes of the job and configured to capture a form being transferred together with a work object of the job; and
a processor programmed to execute a process including
managing the one or more work processes of the job based on the one or more imagers capturing the form,
recognizing a mark image indicating that the work object is transferable to a next work process by a mobile transport vehicle from image data of the form captured by the one or more imagers, and
managing whether the work object is transferable to a next work process based on the mark image recognized from the image data obtained by capturing the form.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The information processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to
manage, for the work object, a state flag indicating whether the work object is transferable to the next work process and a control flag indicating whether the state flag is valid or invalid, and
change the control flag, from a valid value indicating that the state flag is valid to an invalid value indicating that the state flag is invalid when the work object is transferred from a previous work process to the next work process.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The information processing system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the processor is programmed to change the state flag from a non-transferable state where the work object is not transferable to the next work process to a transferable state where the work object is transferable to the next work process when the mark image is recognized from the image data and the control flag is set at the valid value.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The information processing system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the processor is programmed to change the state flag from the transferable state to the non-transferable state and change the control flag from the invalid value to the valid value when the control flag is set at the invalid value and the mark image is not recognizable from the image data.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The information processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the mobile transport vehicle is an automated guided vehicle; and
the processor is programmed to send information on the work object transferable to the next work process to an automated guided vehicle system to cause the automated guided vehicle to transfer the work object.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The information processing system as claimed in, claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to cause a user terminal operated by a user to display information on the work object transferable to the next work process.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The information processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nark image indicating transferability is printed or displayed on a medium attached to the work object or to the mobile transport vehicle transporting the work object.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The information processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to
determine that the work object is not transferable to a next work process when
the work object is transferred from a previous work process to the next work process, and
the mark image is recognized from the image data.

### Claim 9

A method performed by an information processing apparatus for managing progress of a job including one or more work processes, the method comprising:
managing the one or more work processes of the job based on one or more imagers that are associated with the one or more work processes of the job and configured to capture a form being transferred together with a work object of the job;
recognizing a mark image indicating that the work object is transferable to a next work process by a mobile transport vehicle from image data of the form captured by the one or more imagers; and
managing whether the work object is transferable to a next work process based on the mark image recognized from the image data obtained by capturing the form.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute the method of claim 9.

### Claim 11

An information processing apparatus for managing progress of a job including one or more work processes, the information processing apparatus comprising:
a processor programmed to execute a process including
managing the one or more work processes of the job based on one or more imagers that are associated with the one or more work processes of the job and configured to capture a form being transferred together with a work object of the job,
recognizing a mark image indicating that the work object is transferable to a next work process by a mobile transport vehicle from image data of the form captured by the one or more imagers, and
managing whether the work object is transferable to a next work process based on the mark image recognized from the image data obtained by capturing the form.