Wearable assembly aid
AssigneeNissan North America, Inc.
InventorTimothy H. Robertson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods, devices and systems are provided for aiding an operator in performing an assembly operation by displaying the position of a component using a device worn by the operator. In one aspect, a method of aiding an operator in performing an assembly operation at an assembly station comprises: scanning the assembly station, using a camera, for the position of a component identified to be used in the assembly operation; and displaying, using a display worn by the operator, the position of the identified component within the assembly station to the operator.
Claims18
A computer-implemented method of aiding an operator at an assembly station, comprising:
- identifying, using a wearable device by the operator, one of a plurality of assembly stations as an assembly station in which the operator is located based on a determined location of the wearable device;
- determining, by a controller, an upcoming assembly operation of an assembly routine for the assembly station;
- identifying, by the controller, a component to be selected by the operator to use in the upcoming assembly operation;
- scanning the assembly station using a camera to capture at least one image of the assembly station;
- identifying a match between the at least one captured image and an indicia that is representative of the identified component;
- determining, by the controller based in part on the captured image, a position of the identified component within the assembly station;
- and
- displaying, using a display worn by the operator, the position of the identified component within the assembly station to the operator.
A device for aiding an operator at an assembly station, comprising:
- a display adapted to be worn by the operator;
- a camera adapted to be worn with the display by the operator;
- and
- a controller in communication with the display, the controller programmed to:
- identify one of a plurality of assembly stations as the assembly station in which the operator is located;
- determine an upcoming assembly operation of an assembly routine for the assembly station;
- operate the camera to capture at least one image of the assembly station;
- identify a component to be selected by the operator to use in the upcoming assembly operation by identifying a match between the at least one captured image of the assembly station and an indicia that is representative of the identified component;
- and
- in response to an identification of the identified component, and a determination, based on at least one captured image of the assembly station, of the position of the identified component within the assembly station, operate the display to display the position of the identified component within the assembly station to the operator.
A system for aiding an operator at an assembly station, comprising:
- a display adapted to be worn by the operator;
- a camera configured to capture images;
- and
- at least one controller in communication with the display and the camera, the at least one controller programmed to:
- identify one of a plurality of assembly stations as the assembly station at which the operator is located;
- determine an upcoming assembly operation of an assembly routine for the assembly station;
- identify a component to be selected by the operator to use in the upcoming assembly operation;
- operate the camera to capture at least one image of the assembly station;
- determine the position of the identified component within the assembly station based on the at least one captured image of the assembly station by identifying a match between the at least one captured image of the assembly station and an indicia that is representative of the identified component;
- and
- operate the display to display the determined position of the identified component within the assembly station to the operator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.