Verification methods and systems for use in computer directed assembly and manufacture

A computer program product for verifying the completion of a sequence of one or more assembly instructions used when assembling a manufactured product, tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

• display assembly instructions for an in-use component being assembled in a user interface in addition to a predetermined image of a previously assembled component with a visual highlight area that overlays a portion of the previously assembled component that received materials through the assembly instructions, wherein the assembly instructions relate the visual highlight area from the previously assembled component with a portion of the in-use component being assembled;
• position an image capture device over the portion of an in-use component that received materials as a result of an assembler completing one or more assembly instructions displayed on the user interface;
• process a first voice command from the assembler authorizing acquisition of an image from the image capture device positioned over the portion of the in-use component;
• process a second voice command from the assembler confirming accuracy between the visual highlight area from the predetermined image of the previously assembled component with the image acquired and that the in-use component has been properly assembled;
• and
• store the first and second voice commands from the assembler and images of the in-use component being assembled in an assembly record database creating a traceable record of the materials used, the assembly operation performed, and an assembler's verbal participation.

An apparatus for verifying the completion of a sequence of one or more assembly instructions used when assembling a manufactured product, the apparatus comprising:

• a processor capable of executing instructions;
• and
• a memory holding instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:
• display assembly instructions for an in-use component being assembled in a user interface in addition to a predetermined image of a previously assembled component with a visual highlight area that overlays a portion of the previously assembled component that received materials through the assembly instructions, wherein the assembly instructions relate the visual highlight area from the previously assembled component with a portion of the in-use component being assembled;
• position an image capture device over a portion of an in-use component that received materials as a result of an assembler completing one or more assembly instructions displayed on a user interface;
• process a first voice command from the assembler authorizing acquisition of an image from the image capture device positioned over the portion of the in-use component;
• process a second voice command from the assembler confirming accuracy between the visual highlight area from the predetermined image of the previously assembled component with the image acquired and that the in-use component has been properly assembled;
• and
• store the first and second voice commands from the assembler and images of the in-use component being assembled in an assembly record database creating a traceable record of the materials used, the assembly operation performed, and an assembler's verbal participation.