JP7571541B2 - Information processing system, program, and information processing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing system, a program, and an information processing device.

It has been common practice to manage the progress of a job consisting of multiple work steps by using barcodes printed on work instructions, etc.

Also, a system has been known for some time that attaches RFID tags to workers and the objects they work on (such as materials, work in progress, and finished products in a factory) and manages the working hours of workers and the flow of objects they work on (entering and leaving a workplace) by reading the RFID tags at the entrance gate at the entrance to the processing plant and the exit gate at the exit of the processing plant (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In conventional technology, the progress of a job that consists of multiple work steps and produces a final product is identified and managed by using barcodes printed on work instructions, etc., but when the number of products or parts produced in a certain work step increases in order to produce the final product and the job must be divided and managed, it is not possible to accurately manage the job that was split (hereafter referred to as a parent job) and the jobs that were split into (hereafter referred to as child jobs). For example, there was no mechanism for understanding the location of products associated with each parent job and child job that were split during the job production process, or for understanding the detailed progress of the entire job as well as each of multiple parent jobs and child jobs.

The objective of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide an information processing system that can perform detailed management of jobs using slips for divided jobs.

In order to achieve the above object, claim 1 of the present application provides an information processing system that prints slips for identifying jobs and manages the jobs using the slips, the information processing system comprising: a creation means that creates image data of a first slip in which a predetermined area of the slip is colored in a predetermined color associated with one or more parts that construct a final product of a job identified by the slip, and image data of a second slip that inherits the predetermined color of the predetermined area from the first slip; an instruction means that uses the image data of the first slip and the second slip to instruct printing of the first slip and the second slip; a printing means that prints the first slip and the second slip based on the image data of the first slip and the second slip; and a management means for managing the status of the job identified by the first invoice and the second invoice by using the predetermined color of the predetermined area of the first invoice and the second invoice as a label , wherein the management means manages the position of each of the one or more first invoices or the second invoices at a location photographed by the photography means based on the photography means that photographed the first invoice and the second invoice and the predetermined color of the predetermined area recognized from the photographed images of the first invoice and the second invoice .

According to an embodiment of the present invention, detailed management of jobs can be performed using slips for divided jobs.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an example of a job management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an image diagram of an example of a work instruction sheet used in the job management system according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an example of a computer. FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of an example of a work process management system. FIG. 1 is an image diagram showing an example of a work process of a job in a printing factory. 13 is a flowchart of an example of a process for creating a color-coded work instruction sheet with a border color around the periphery. 11 is a flowchart of an example of a process for generating a color code image. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining coding rules that can express ternary numbers. FIG. 13 shows an example of information for encoding into an optical symbol. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an optical symbol in which the number of colors assigned to each cell of the optical symbol is four. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a process image for creating a color-coded work instruction sheet with a border color around the periphery. 11 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a process for creating a work instruction sheet for an information processing system in which the periphery is outlined with a border color corresponding to the label name; FIG. 13 is an image diagram of an example of a label setting screen. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a parent job and a child job. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a job status update process when passing through a gate. 11A to 11C are diagrams showing transitions of an example of a UI screen displayed by the work process management system. FIG. 13 is an image diagram of an example of a map display screen that displays the entire factory. FIG. 13 is an image diagram of an example of an area display screen that displays a storage area. FIG. 11 is a functional configuration diagram of another example of a work process management system. FIG. 11 is a functional configuration diagram of another example of a work process management system. 1 is an example of a table T1 in which job IDs, color code IDs, and job information stored in a job management table are associated with each other. 13 is an example of a table T2 in which camera identification information stored in the job management table is associated with status information indicating the status of a process associated with the camera identification information. 13 is an example of a screen transition when executing job division from a job list.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the management of the work process of a job in a printing factory will be described by taking as an example a job management system that realizes the management of the work process of a job in a printing factory by using a function that uses a work instruction (voucher). Note that a job in a printing factory refers to a series of work in which a printing company produces a final product through each work process such as printing, cutting, folding, binding, and inspection using a system and a printer and other devices and equipment connected to the system, and provides it to a client. In addition, the final product is, for example, a printed matter that a printing company provides to a client who has requested printing (for example, various companies such as a publisher or a trading company), and is a printed matter that includes multiple parts (is composed of multiple parts), such as a book, a booklet, a pamphlet, or a bundle of various printed matters. Note that printed matters consisting of only one part, such as direct mail, payment slips, and flyers, may also be included in the management of the system. In addition, a job is not limited to only work related to printing, but also includes work to produce various other items. Therefore, the job management system is not limited to management of the work process of a job in a printing factory. It can be applied to management systems for various production and manufacturing processes.

[First embodiment]
<System Configuration>
Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram of an example of a job management system according to the present embodiment. Fig. 2 is an image diagram of an example of a work instruction sheet used in the job management system according to the present embodiment. In the job management system 1 shown in Fig. 1, a customer system 10, a work process management system 14, a printer 16, and one or more cameras 18 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate data with each other via a network 20 such as the Internet or a LAN.

The customer system 10 is an example of a system introduced and used by a printing company or the like, which is a customer of a company that provides printers and management systems, and creates a work instruction sheet 800 for the customer system 10 in FIG. 2(A) with a job ID printed on it. The work instruction sheet 800 is a document that describes the work to produce the final product in a job that includes multiple work processes, and is created as an electronic file in the customer system 10. The work instruction sheet 800 may be printed and used. The work instruction sheet 800 describes the work and the equipment to be used in each process, such as what parts are needed to produce the final product, and how to create and assemble each part. The parts are, for example, the hard cover of a book, the cover that further covers the hard cover, the main text, the fold-out pages, the small pages, the leaflets to be inserted, etc., and may be said to be objects (intermediate products) that constitute a part of the final product. Therefore, one job (parent job) has jobs that branch off to create parts, that is, child jobs that are split off from the parent job. The job ID is an example of identification information that identifies the job, and is numbered and issued, for example, in the customer system 10. Also, the work instruction sheet 800 for the customer system 10 in FIG. 2(A) shows an example in which a barcode image 801 is displayed, which is generated on the customer system 10 side based on a job ID and is attached to the image of the work instruction sheet 800 for use. The job ID is associated with the work instruction sheet 800 for each job and managed in the customer system 10. For example, when a worker (such as a printing company) operates a terminal device to create a new work instruction sheet 800 in the customer system 10, a job ID may be automatically issued and a barcode image 801 including the job ID may be attached to the image of the work instruction sheet 800.

The job ID may be displayed as a barcode image 801 or as text on the work instruction sheet 800 for the customer system 10. The customer system 10 provides the functions realized by the work instruction sheet 800 for the customer system 10 to a worker (e.g., a printing company), which is an example of a user. The functions here include, for example, creating and editing the work instruction sheet 800, issuing print instructions, issuing a job ID and attaching a barcode, etc., and in addition, at the level of a single job identified in the work instruction sheet 800, it may be possible to manage the status of whether the job is completed or not.

The work process management system 14, the printer 16, and one or more cameras 18 constitute an information processing system 12 that adds new functions to the work instructions 800. The work process management system 14 manages the progress of a job consisting of multiple work processes as described below, using a work instruction 810 for the information processing system 12 to which a color code image 811 in FIG. 2(B) has been added.

The work instruction sheet 810 for the information processing system 12 in FIG. 2B has a colored border around the periphery 812. Hereinafter, the color of the periphery 812 will be referred to as the border color. By bordering the periphery 812 of the work instruction sheet 810 with a border color, the boundary between the work instruction sheet 810 and something underneath (such as a printed matter) becomes clear, and the visibility of the work instruction sheet 810 is improved. That is, for example, when the work instruction sheet 810 is smaller in size than the printed matter, etc., and the work instruction sheet 810 is placed on top of a printed matter or a stack of parts, if the work instruction sheet 810 is white, it may be difficult to distinguish the color from the white printed matter. The border color on the work instruction sheet 810 improves the accuracy of identification of the work instruction sheet 810 based on the image captured by the camera 18 and the visibility of the worker at the loading location of the printed matter. The work instructions 810 are wrapped in transparent vinyl or pasted on paper in a location that can be photographed by the camera 18, such as on the top, side, or near each part or stack of printed matter that constitutes the printed matter or final product. For example, in a factory, there are many intermediate products such as parts and printed matter, and these may increase or decrease even for a single job. In addition, they need to be moved to a different storage location or bound into a final product, so visually searching for parts and managing jobs is time-consuming. The border color makes it easier for workers to search for parts on-site, makes it easier to distinguish multiple parts required for the final product of one job from parts for other jobs, and makes it easier to find the same type of parts that require common tasks (cutting, folding, moving, etc.) for multiple jobs.

In FIG. 2(B) an example is described in which the entire peripheral portion 812 of the work instruction sheet 810 is bordered with a border color, but only a part of the peripheral portion 812 (e.g., one or two sides) may be bordered with a border color. The shape and size of the peripheral portion 812 in FIG. 2(B) are merely examples. Furthermore, instead of a work instruction sheet 810 in which the peripheral portion 812 is bordered with a border color, the work instruction sheet 810 may be for an information processing system 12 in which a marker such as a mark of a different color is displayed. Instead of a work instruction sheet 810 in which the peripheral portion 812 is bordered with a border color, the work instruction sheet 810 may be for an information processing system 12 in which text is displayed in a different color.

The information processing system 12 can identify the job ID and the sub-number from the color code image 811, as described below. As described below, the information processing system 12 has a function of framing the periphery 812 of the work instruction sheet 810 with a border color (an example of a predetermined color) and a label function of using the border color as a label that allows parts included in the final product to be easily identified and recognized. The label color changes for each part included in one job. The label color may be changed for each child job branched off from a part as a parent job, or all parts included in one job may be labeled with the same color. The information processing system 12 may also treat the color of the mark or the color of the text on the work instruction sheet 810 as a label. The color of the mark and the color of the text are also examples of predetermined colors.

The information processing system 12 treats the border color, marker color, or text color of the work instruction sheet 810 as a label, and associates the border color, marker color, or text color with the job content (such as the type of work object of the job), making it easier for the worker to intuitively recognize the job content.

In addition, the information processing system 12 can distinguish the work instructions 810 for the "cover" job and the "body" job included in the "bookbinding" job by the color of the label, for example, by using the border color, the color of the marker, or the color of the letters of the work instructions 810 as a label. For example, the information processing system 12 sets the label color of the work instructions 810 for the "cover" job to orange. Also, the information processing system 12 sets the label color of the work instructions 810 for the "body" job to yellow. In this way, similar colors may be assigned to the labels between parts included in a job by controlling the RGB values within a predetermined range. For example, one or more values of the RGB values, such as yellow (R:255, G:255, B:0) #ffff00 and orange (R:255 G:128 B:0) #ff8000, may be changed within a predetermined range (for example, any value within 150) and set as the color of each part to assign similar colors, making it easy to understand that the parts are included in one job.

When it becomes necessary to increase the number of loading means or transport equipment, such as pallets for loading or transporting the work objects, such as stacks of printed matter or parts of a job, during a job, the information processing system 12 issues a work instruction sheet 810 for a job (child job) that inherits the label color of the work instruction sheet 810 for that job (parent job). The parent job is an example of a first slip. The child job is an example of a second slip. When it becomes necessary to increase the number of pallets, for example, when the number of printed sheets (production number) of parts is large or when the volume increases due to cutting and folding of parts, it may become impossible to place all the parts on one pallet, and it may be necessary to place parts of the same type on multiple pallets. In addition, when it becomes necessary to add a new type of part, for example, when it becomes necessary to insert an advertisement or another page into a booklet, the number of parts used in the job may increase. The work instruction sheet 810 for the child job inherits the job ID and label color of the work instruction sheet 810 for the parent job. "Inherited" means that when creating and printing the work instructions 810 for a child job, a branch number for the child job is automatically issued using the same job ID and label color as the parent, and the child jobs are stored in association with each other. In addition, the work instructions 810 for the parent job and child job are managed individually by one job ID and a different branch number for each parent job and child job.

The parent job and child job work instructions 810 use the job ID, label color, and branch number, making it easy to manage the parent job identified by the job ID, label color, and branch number, and the child jobs split off from the parent job. This makes it possible to grasp the existence of individual parts generated by each parent job and child job, grasp the location of the separated parts, and further facilitate progress management of each part and the entire job. In addition, for example, by increasing the number of palettes used in one job, even if the locations where the parts are placed are dispersed, it becomes easier to find the location of the parts, making it easier for the worker to perform the next task, for example. Note that the following describes an example in which the border color of the work instructions 810 is treated as a label, but the same applies when the color of the markers or the color of the letters in the work instructions 810 are treated as labels.

The printer 16 prints out a work instruction sheet 810 for the information processing system 12. The camera 18 is installed so that it can capture images of locations in the printing factory that correspond to the work processes of the job. Note that locations that correspond to the work processes of the job include locations through which the printed materials pass when moving between work processes, and temporary storage locations where the printed materials are temporarily stored.

The camera 18 can be a PTZ camera or an IP camera. A PTZ camera is a camera that can operate the PTZ (Pan Tilt Zoom) function via the network 20 and can transmit captured images and videos via the network 20.

The IP camera is a camera that can be operated via the network 20 and can transmit captured images and videos via the network 20. The captured images and videos captured by the camera 18 are transmitted to the work process management system 14 via the network 20.

In the information processing system 12 that creates and prints the work instruction 810 with a new function added to the work instruction 800, the work instruction 810 for the information processing system 12 is placed on or attached to the work object (a printed material, which is an example of an intermediate product, part, or material) of the job that corresponds to the work instruction 810. The work instruction 810 for the information processing system 12 may also be placed on or attached to a loading platform such as a pallet on which the work object of the job is placed. The work instruction 810 is placed on or attached to, for example, a work object such as a printed material that is easily photographed by the camera 18, or on a pallet on which the work object is placed, etc.

The work process management system 14 manages the progress of the work process (job status) of a parent job and child jobs split off from the parent job based on the work process of the job corresponding to the camera 18 that captured the work instruction 810, the job ID identified from the work instruction 810, the label color, and the branch number. The work process management system 14 also manages the history of the work process of the job, and captured images and videos showing the state when the work instruction 810 was captured.

Note that the configuration of the job management system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is one example. For example, the job management system 1 may include other systems, and the work process management system 14 may have a different name. The work process management system 14 may be realized in a single server environment, or in a multiple server environment.

<Hardware Configuration>
The customer system 10 and the work process management system 14 are realized by a computer 500 having a hardware configuration shown in Fig. 3, for example. The computer 500 may be a terminal device such as a personal computer, or may be configured as a system including one or more server devices and a terminal device including an operation means. It may also be a server installed on-premise in a factory, or a cloud server that provides the functions of the present invention as a cloud service. The customer system 10 and the work process management system 14 may also be an application or software installed on the computer 500, or may be a function or cloud service provided by one or more server devices connected to the computer 500 via a network.

Figure 3 is a hardware configuration diagram of an example of a computer. The computer 500 in Figure 3 includes an input device 501, a display device 502, an external I/F 503, a RAM 504, a ROM 505, a CPU 506, a communication I/F 507, and a HDD 508, all of which are interconnected by a bus B. Note that the input device 501 and the display device 502 may be connected and used when necessary.

The input device 501 includes a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, etc., and is used by the user to input various operation signals. The display device 502 includes a display, etc., and displays the results of processing by the computer 500.

The communication I/F 507 is an interface that connects the computer 500 to various networks. This allows the computer 500 to perform data communication via the communication I/F 507.

The HDD 508 is an example of a non-volatile storage device that stores programs and data. The stored programs and data include an OS, which is basic software that controls the entire computer 500, and application software (hereinafter simply referred to as applications) that provides various functions on the OS. Note that instead of the HDD 508, the computer 500 may use a drive device that uses flash memory as a storage medium (e.g., a solid-state drive: SSD).

The external I/F 503 is an interface with an external device. The external device may be a recording medium 503a. This allows the computer 500 to read and/or write data from and to the recording medium 503a via the external I/F 503. The recording medium 503a may be a flexible disk, a CD, a DVD, an SD memory card, a USB memory, etc.

ROM 505 is an example of a non-volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that can retain programs and data even when the power is turned off. ROM 505 stores programs and data such as the BIOS, OS settings, and network settings that are executed when computer 500 is started. RAM 504 is an example of a volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that temporarily retains programs and data.

The CPU 506 is a computing device that reads programs and data from storage devices such as the ROM 505 and HDD 508 onto the RAM 504 and executes processing to realize the overall control and functions of the computer 500. The customer system 10 and the work process management system 14 can realize various processes described below by using the hardware configuration of the computer 500 as shown in FIG. 3, for example. Note that a description of the hardware configuration of the printer 16 and the camera 18 will be omitted.

<Software configuration>
Fig. 4 is a functional configuration diagram of an example of a work process management system. Note that the functional configuration of Fig. 4 is omitted as appropriate for configurations not necessary for the description of this embodiment. The work process management system 14 of Fig. 4 is configured to include a UI unit 30, a job ID detection unit 32, a job management unit 34, a color code image generation unit 36, a color-coded work instruction sheet creation unit 38, a print instruction unit 40, a photographed image acquisition unit 42, a recognition unit 44, a color code management table storage unit 46, a job management table storage unit 48, a setting unit 50, a hot folder setting table storage unit 52, a label setting table storage unit 54, and an edge color setting table storage unit 56. The recognition unit 44 is configured to include a color code recognition unit 102 and a label color recognition unit 104.

The UI (User Interface) unit 30 controls the display of various screens, such as a screen that accepts various settings required by the worker, a label setting screen and a job status list screen, which will be described later. The job ID detection unit 32 detects the job ID displayed as a barcode image 801 or text on the work instruction sheet 800 for the customer system 10 in FIG. 2(A), for example. The UI unit 30 may be a means for creating or transmitting screen information or screen components to be displayed on the display device 502 of the computer 500, etc.

The job management unit 34 stores and manages available color code IDs in the color code management table storage unit 46.

If there are no unused color code IDs remaining in the color code management table storage unit 46, the job management unit 34 selects the oldest color code ID with the last update from the color code management table storage unit 46 and reuses it. The job management unit 34 associates the job ID and branch number detected by the job ID detection unit 32 with the selected color code ID and manages them in the color code management table storage unit 46.

The job management unit 34 also stores the job ID, color code ID, and job information in the job management table storage unit 48 in association with each other. The job information includes status information that indicates the status of the job process. Figure 21 is an example of a table T1 that associates the job ID, color code ID, and job information stored in the job management table storage unit 48.

The job management table storage unit 48 also stores the identification information of the camera 18 in association with status information indicating the state of the process associated with the identification information of the camera 18. Figure 22 is an example of a table T2 that associates the identification information of the camera stored in the job management table storage unit 48 with status information indicating the state of the process associated with the identification information of the camera 18.

The job management table storage unit 48 further associates and stores in the job management table storage unit 48 the progress information and history information of the work process of the job (parent job, child job, etc.), photographed image files and photographed video files showing the state when the work instruction sheet 810 was photographed, etc., and is used to display a job status list screen, etc.

The color code image generating unit 36 generates a color code image 811 (described later) from the color code ID provided by the job management unit 34. The color-coded work instruction creation unit 38 creates a work instruction 810 for the information processing system 12 to which the color code image 811 of FIG. 2(B) is added from the work instruction 800 for the customer system 10 of FIG. 2(A) and which has a periphery 812 outlined in a border color. The print instruction unit 40 instructs the printer 16 to print the work instruction 810 for the information processing system 12 to which the color code image 811 of FIG. 2(B) is added and which has a periphery 812 outlined in a border color.

The captured image acquisition unit 42 acquires captured images and videos from the camera 18. The color code recognition unit 102 of the recognition unit 44 decodes a color code ID from a color code image 811 of a work instruction sheet 810 for the information processing system 12 that appears in the captured image or video. The label color recognition unit 104 of the recognition unit 44 recognizes the border color of the peripheral portion 812 of the work instruction sheet 810 that appears in the captured image or video.

The recognition unit 44 provides the job management unit 34 with, for example, identification information identifying the camera 18 that captured the color code image 811 or the work process of the job, the decoded color code ID, and the recognized border color of the peripheral portion 812.

The job management unit 34 can identify the job ID and sub-number corresponding to the decoded color code ID by referring to the job management table storage unit 48, and can also identify the label name (described below) corresponding to the border color of the recognized peripheral portion 812 by referring to the border color setting table storage unit 56.

This allows the job management unit 34 to update the progress information (job status) of the job work process managed in the job management table storage unit 48 based on the job work process corresponding to the camera 18 that captured the color code image 811, the job ID and sub-number corresponding to the decoded color code ID, and the label name corresponding to the recognized border color of the peripheral portion 812.

In this way, in this embodiment, a label function that uses the border color as a label has been added, making it possible to manage information that cannot be recognized from the job ID, such as a "cover" job and a "body" job included in a "bookbinding" job, such as detailed information within a job that is derived from the job.

The setting unit 50 stores the contents set from the label setting screen described below in the hot folder setting table storage unit 52, the label setting table storage unit 54, and the border color setting table storage unit 56. The hot folder setting table storage unit 52 stores the hot folder setting table described below. The label setting table storage unit 54 stores the label setting table described below. In addition, the border color setting table storage unit 56 stores the border color setting table described below.

<Processing>
Fig. 5 is an image diagram showing an example of the work processes of a job in a printing factory. The work processes in Fig. 5 include "printing", "cutting", "folding", "binding", "inspection", "temporary storage 1", and "temporary storage 2". Cameras 18a1 to 18a5 are installed at the gates in front of the locations where the work processes "printing", "cutting", "folding", "binding", and "inspection" are performed. Cameras 18b1 and 18b2 are installed at the locations where the work processes "temporary storage 1" and "temporary storage 2" are performed.

The work instructions 810 for the information processing system 12 are photographed by cameras 18a1-18a5 and cameras 18b1-18b2 while they are being moved between work processes or while they are stored in a temporary storage location. As shown in FIG. 5, the movement between work processes is not constant in a printing factory, and depending on the job, there may be cases where the work instructions 810 for the information processing system 12 are not photographed and a work process is not detected or recorded. FIG. 5 shows arrows that represent the movement of jobs that perform all work processes and arrows that represent the movement of jobs that skip some of the work processes.

In FIG. 5, after a printout is output in the work step "Print", a work instruction sheet 810 is placed on or attached to the printout. In the example of FIG. 5, the work instruction sheet 810 placed on or attached to the printout is photographed by cameras 18a1-18a5 and cameras 18b1-18b2 while the printout is passing through the gate or while it is stored in a temporary storage area.

"Create color-coded work instructions with outlined borders"
6 is a flow chart of an example of a process for creating a color-coded work instruction sheet with a periphery edged in a border color. In step S11, the job ID detection unit 32 of the work process management system 14 detects the job ID displayed as a barcode image 801 or text in the work instruction sheet 800 for the customer system 10. For example, the barcode image 801 or text data at a specific position included in the electronic data (e.g., PDF file, etc.) of the work instruction sheet 800 created by the customer system 10 is detected by the computer 500 (work process management system 14) based on the pixel value of the image of the electronic data, character recognition, etc. Note that the detection frame for detecting the job ID from the work instruction sheet 800 may be set in advance by an operator, or may be set automatically using OCR, etc.

In step S12, if the detected job ID is a new job ID, the job management unit 34 selects a color code ID to be used that is not used by other job IDs from the color code management table storage unit 46, and manages the selected color code ID, the job ID detected by the job ID detection unit 32, and the sub-number by storing them in association with each other. If the detected job ID is not new and already exists in the color code management table storage unit 46, the process proceeds to step S13 using the color code ID already stored in association with the job ID. Alternatively, a message indicating that the color-coded work instruction sheet 810 has already been printed or an error message may be displayed on the computer 500, and the current position of the printed color-coded work instruction sheet 810 may be displayed on the area display screen 1300 described later.

Proceeding to step S13, the color code image generating unit 36 generates a color code image 811 from the color code ID associated with the job ID and the branch number in the procedure shown in FIG. 7. The procedure shown in FIG. 7 utilizes, for example, the technology described in JP 2017-199306 A. Note that the color code ID may be generated by assigning a different new ID for each job ID and branch number, or may be generated by including information identifying the job ID and branch number in the color code ID.

Figure 7 is a flowchart of an example of a process for generating a color code image. In step S21, the color code image generation unit 36 accepts input of a color code ID to be color coded. In step S22, the color code image generation unit 36 breaks down the character string of the color code ID into the values of each digit. In step S23, the color code image generation unit 36 converts the values of each broken down digit into values corresponding to the number of colors to be assigned to each cell of the optical symbol described in JP 2017-199306 A. For example, if the number of colors to be assigned to each cell is four, the color code image generation unit 36 converts the value of each digit into a ternary value according to the coding rules shown in Figure 8, for example.

Figure 8 is a diagram explaining the coding rules that can express ternary numbers. Figure 8 shows an example of coding rules when four colors, R (red), G (green), B (blue), and K (black), are used. When four colors are used, it is possible to express three values, i.e., ternary numbers.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 8(a), clockwise transitions, i.e., from R to K, K to B, B to G, and G to R, represent a value of "0." Counterclockwise transitions, i.e., from R to G, G to B, B to K, and K to R, represent a value of "1." Furthermore, on the diagonal, bidirectional transitions between R and B, and bidirectional transitions between K and G, each represent a value of "2."

For example, consider the case shown in FIG. 8(b) where the cells are connected in sequence in the order G, R, B, K, and G, and the color transitions of each cell are viewed from left to right in the figure. In this case, the transition from G to R represents the value "0", the transition from R to B represents the value "2", the transition from B to K represents the value "1", and the transition from K to G represents the value "2". Therefore, the array in FIG. 8(b) represents the value "3d2120", or the decimal value "69". Note that the leading "3d" in the value notation indicates that the following digits are a ternary value.

The coding rule using four color transitions is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 8(a) and may be, for example, the example shown in FIG. 8(d). FIG. 8(e) shows an example of a conversion table that associates color transitions and values according to the coding rule shown in FIG. 8(d). In FIG. 8(e), for example, if the color of the source cell is R and it is desired to represent a value of "2," the color of the destination cell adjacent to the source cell is set to B. Similarly, if the color of the source cell is K and it is desired to represent a value of "1," the color of the destination cell is set to G.

Proceeding to step S24 following step S23 in FIG. 7, the color code image generating unit 36 assigns a color to each cell of the optical symbol according to the color of the transition source cell, the ternary value converted in step S23, and the conversion table of the coding rule as shown in FIG. 8(a). Note that the color code image generating unit 36 is assumed to have stored in advance the color arrangement of each cell in the cell row of the main code of the optical symbol.

Using Figures 9 and 10, we will explain a more specific example in which the number of colors assigned to each cell of the optical symbol is four. Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of information to be coded into the optical symbol. Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of an optical symbol in which the number of colors assigned to each cell of the optical symbol is four.

Figure 9 shows an example in which the cell strings in the sub-code section 301 connected to the cells "d1", "d2", "d3" and "d4" in the main code section 300 have the values "3d1", "3d1", "3d0" and "3d1".

Figure 10 shows an example of an optical symbol in which the information shown in Figure 9 is coded according to the coding rules explained with reference to Figure 8. In this example, the cell row of the main code section 300 includes an even number of cells, with the cell at the end being K color, and K and R colors arranged alternately.

In addition, for example, in the leftmost cell of the sub-code section 301, the color of the cell is assigned with the K color of the cell in the main code section 300 to which the cell is connected as the color of the initial transition source. In the example of Figure 10, the R color is assigned to the cell in the sub-code section 301 on the leftmost side of the optical symbol by referring to the conversion table of the coding rules in Figure 8(a) according to the K color of the cell in the main code section 300 which is the transition source cell and the value "3d1" of the cell in the sub-code section 301.

Proceeding to step S14 following step S13 in FIG. 6, the color-coded work instruction creation unit 38 uses the color code image 811 generated in step S13 and the border color associated with the label name to create a work instruction 810 for the information processing system 12 in which the peripheral portion 812 is bordered with a border color. The border color is assigned to the work instruction 810 by parameters for printing the work instruction 810, which consist of information specifying the area of the border portion based on predetermined coordinates and the distance (mm) from the edge of the paper, etc., and color information such as RGB and CMYK values to be applied within that area.

Figure 11 is a diagram showing a process image for creating a color-coded work instruction sheet with a periphery outlined in a border color. The paper size and layout frame may be set in advance by an operator. For example, the periphery 812 (an example of a predetermined area) may have a size and shape set in advance by a user using the information processing system 12. Specifically, the user may set the periphery 812 to an area 5 cm from the edge of the work instruction sheet 810, or to an area 10 cm from the edge of the work instruction sheet 810, or to an area outside a rectangular or elliptical layout area.

The work instruction sheet 800 for the customer system 10 in FIG. 2(A) is resized and reduced by image processing to generate free space. The work instruction sheet 810 for the information processing system 12 in FIG. 2(B) has a color code image 811 pasted into the free space generated by resizing and reducing the electronic data of the work instruction sheet 800 for the customer system 10 by image processing, and the periphery 812 of the work instruction sheet 810 is outlined with a border color corresponding to the label name.

Note that the work instruction sheet 800 for the customer system 10 in FIG. 2(A) displays the barcode image 801 used by the customer system 10. Therefore, if the work instruction sheet 800 for the customer system 10 is simply reduced in size, there is a possibility that the barcode image 801 will no longer function (will not be recognized).

Therefore, in order to generate free space without impairing the functionality of the barcode image 801, the color-coded work instruction creation unit 38 may perform scaling in a direction that does not impair the functionality of the barcode image 801.

Proceeding to step S15 following step S14 in FIG. 6, the print instruction unit 40 instructs the printer 16 to print the work instructions 810 (color-coded work instructions) for the information processing system 12 created in step S14. In response to the instruction from the print instruction unit 40, the printer 16 prints the color-coded work instructions 810 (work instructions 810 for the information processing system 12) with the periphery 812 outlined in a border color, for example, as shown in FIG. 2(B).

The process of creating a work instruction sheet 810 for an information processing system 12 in which the periphery 812 is outlined with a border color corresponding to the label name is performed, for example, as shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the process of creating a work instruction sheet for an information processing system in which the periphery is outlined with a border color corresponding to the label name.

The information processing system 12 according to this embodiment is provided with a hot folder 900 associated with the contents of the job (such as the type of work object of the job). The hot folder 900 is provided for each type of work object of the job, and for example, the name of the type of work object of the job is set as the hot folder name. The type of work object is, for example, the type of final product or the type of parts, which are intermediate products. For example, the final product is a bound book or booklet, and the parts are advertisements such as flyers to be inserted in a book, direct mail, hard covers and outer covers of books. The hot folder 900 is a folder that can accept input (storage) operations of electronic files such as the work instructions 800 from the computer 500 (work process management system 14) from the worker, and is displayed on the display device 502 as a folder icon or the like. The hot folder 900 may be a function of the software of the work process management system 14 that can be operated by the computer 500, or it may be a function that can be set by the work process management system 14 and assigned to a folder created by the computer 500 or the like. When the computer 500 receives an operation to store an electronic file of a work instruction 800 in the hot folder 900, the work process management system 14 creates one or more electronic files of the work instruction 810, and instructs the corresponding printer 16 to print the created electronic files of the work instruction 810, as described below.

In FIG. 12, an operator inputs an electronic file of a work instruction sheet 800 for the customer system 10 into a hot folder 900 associated with a job of "perfect binding". The job ID detection unit 32 of the work process management system 14 detects the job ID "ABCDE" written in a barcode image 801, text, etc., as described above, from the work instruction sheet 800 for the customer system 10 input into the hot folder 900. The job management unit 34 registers the job of the job ID "ABCDE" detected by the job ID detection unit 32 in the job management table. The job management table in FIG. 12 has job IDs, branch numbers (an example of distinguishing information), and label names associated as items. In addition to the label names, label IDs may also be stored in the table. The label names and label IDs are examples of label identification information.

The sub-number includes not only numbers, but also information such as letters or symbols, such as the alphabet, that can distinguish the detected second job ID.

The job management unit 34 also references the hot folder setting table of the hot folder 900 to which the work instruction 800 for the customer system 10 has been input, and reads out the label setting "setting 1" associated with the hot folder 900. The hot folder setting table in FIG. 12 associates hot folder names and label settings as items.

The job management unit 34 also reads from the label setting table the label names "cover" and "body" associated with the label setting "setting 1" read from the hot folder setting table. The label setting table in FIG. 12 has label settings and label names associated as items. According to the hot folder setting table and label setting table in FIG. 12, it is possible to identify the label names "cover" and "body" associated with the hot folder 900 into which the work instruction sheet 800 for the customer system 10 has been inserted.

The job management unit 34 adds a job with the identified label name to the job management table based on the job ID detected from the work instruction 800 for the customer system 10 that was input to the hot folder 900 and the label name identified from the hot folder 900 into which the work instruction 800 for the customer system 10 was input.

For example, in Figure 12, the two identified label names are "Cover" and "Body", so two jobs (parent jobs) with the label names "Cover" and "Body" and the branch number "00" are registered in the job management table.

The color-coded work instruction creation unit 38 reads information on jobs with the same job ID but different label names from the job management table, and creates image data for each work instruction 810. Note that the border colors for the work instructions 810 to be created are read from the border color setting table, and are the border colors associated with the label names "cover" and "body" included in the job information. The border color setting table in Figure 12 has label names and border colors associated as items.

For example, in FIG. 12, the label name "Cover" is associated with the border color "Orange", and the label name "Body" is associated with the border color "Yellow". Therefore, in FIG. 12, image data of the work instruction sheet 810 with the border color "Orange" and image data of the work instruction sheet 810 with the border color "Yellow" are created.

The hot folder setting table, label setting table, and border color setting table in FIG. 12 are set from a label setting screen 1000 as shown in FIG. 13, for example. FIG. 13 is an image diagram of an example of the label setting screen.

The label setting screen 1000 in FIG. 13 switches the display of label settings for each hot folder using tabs 1002, and has an input field 1004 for the hot folder name and an input field 1006 for the border color setting table for each label setting of the hot folder. The input field 1006 for the border color setting table allows the label name and border color to be set in association with each other. Each tab 1002 may have a button for selecting and specifying a folder to which each label setting is assigned, and a button for selecting and specifying a specific printer 16 for printing the work instructions 810 for each created part (label).

The label name may be, for example, a name indicating the "type of part" or a name indicating the "shipping destination." The shipping destination may be, for example, a name indicating the storage location of the part or printed matter (information indicating where the worker should take the work instruction sheet 810 printed to be affixed to the part). The label name can be set by text input or selection, and is assigned to each part or the like that is managed collectively in a process. When a label name is set/added, a corresponding label ID is issued. The input field 1006 of the border color setting table may also include a check box 1008 for setting whether or not to add a color code image 811, so that work instructions without the color code image 811 can also be printed.

In addition, the work process management system 14 may accept an operation to generate a child job from the user in the middle of a job, for example, when it becomes necessary to divide a job by dividing or increasing the number of pallets on which parts or printed materials are placed due to an increase in the amount or addition of parts due to folding or cutting parts. When an operation to generate a child job is accepted, the work process management system 14 takes over the job ID and label name of the work instruction sheet 810 of the parent job by using the same information as that of the parent job, and issues the work instruction sheet 810 of the child job managed by the branch number. Note that the operation to generate a child job is, for example, an operation to select a row of a job, parent job, or child job specified by each job ID, label name indicating a part, and branch number shown in the job status list screen 1100 of FIG. 16, to instruct the division of the job, to further input the number of divisions, to select an output printer, to select a file save destination folder for the work instruction sheet 810 of the job to be generated, and to instruct printing, which can be operated on the UI screen of FIG. 23. It also has buttons for deleting the selected job, parent job, and child job, and buttons for displaying details. It is also possible to perform a similar job division process by selecting the printed matter, parts, and palettes displayed on the map display screen 1200 in FIG. 17 and the area display screen 1300 in FIG. 18. Alternatively, a predetermined number of child jobs may be generated by storing the electronic file of the work instruction sheet 810 of the parent job that has already been created in a hot folder for creating child jobs. Alternatively, the code of the work instruction sheet 810 may be read by a barcode reader, color code reader, scanner, or inline sensor on the conveying path of the printer 16 connected to the computer 500, or the work instruction sheet 810 may be photographed by a predetermined camera 18 for creating child jobs, and the job ID, branch number, and parts that are the read contents may be displayed on the computer 500, etc., and the worker may operate the screen to generate the child jobs, input the number of divisions, and receive printing instructions.

Figure 14 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a parent job and a child job. In Figure 14, work instructions 810 for two types of information processing systems 12 (for example, work instructions 810 with label names "cover" and "body") are issued from a work instruction 800 for a customer system 10.

The upper part of FIG. 14 shows an example in which one child job has been issued with a work instruction 810 for one type of information processing system 12 (e.g., work instruction 810 with label name "cover") as the parent job. The work process management system 14 manages the parent job with a branch number "00" and manages the child jobs with branch numbers other than "00" (e.g., branch numbers consecutive from "01"). Management here means issuing a new branch number "01" for the child job based on the parent job indicated by the branch number "00" with the label name "cover" of job ID "ABCDE" shown in FIG. 12, and storing the child job by associating the branch number "01" with the job ID "ABCDE" and the label name "cover".

The lower part of Figure 14 shows an example in which three child jobs have been issued with a work instruction 810 for another type of information processing system 12 (for example, a work instruction 810 with a label name "Body") as the parent job. The work process management system 14 manages the parent job with a branch number "00" and manages the child jobs with branch numbers "01" to "03" other than the branch number "00". Management here means issuing new branch numbers "01" to "03" for the child jobs based on the parent job indicated by the branch number "00" with the label name "Body" of job ID "ABCDE" shown in Figure 12, and storing multiple child jobs by associating the branch numbers "01" to "03" with the job ID "ABCDE" and the label name "Body", respectively.

In the example of FIG. 14, it can be seen that in addition to the two types of parent jobs issued by the work instruction 800 for the customer system 10, the work process management system 14 also has one child job split off from the upper parent job and three child jobs split off from the lower parent job. In the example of FIG. 14, the parent jobs and the child jobs derived from the parent jobs are associated with each other, stored, and managed, making it possible to manage the number of parent jobs and child jobs linked to the work instruction 800 for the customer system 10.

By managing in this way, the work process management system 14 can realize triggers based on conditions such as parent jobs and child jobs linked to the work instruction 800 for the customer system 10 being all detected and complete based on information detected from images captured by one or more cameras 18, and child jobs split off from one parent job being all complete. Also, by managing in this way, the work process management system 14 can detect the positions of parent jobs and child jobs linked to the work instruction 800 for the customer system 10.

For example, even if a child job is generated midway through a job to increase or split pallets, the work process management system 14 can detect the state in which all pallets are gathered in a specific location as a trigger, or detect the position of the pallets of a child job that has been split off from a parent job.

<<Job status update when passing through a gate>>
In the job management system 1 according to this embodiment, a work instruction sheet 810 for the information processing system 12, which has a periphery 812 outlined with a border color corresponding to the label name and a color code image 811 added thereto, is photographed by the camera 18a or 18b, and the job status in the job management table memory unit 48 is updated as follows:

Figure 15 is a flowchart of an example of a job status update process when passing through a gate. When the captured image acquisition unit 42 of the work process management system 14 acquires captured images or videos from the camera 18a or 18b, the process proceeds to step S52.

In step S52, the color code recognition unit 102 of the recognition unit 44 attempts to extract a color code image 811 from the captured image or video captured by the captured image acquisition unit 42. Proceeding to step S53, the color code recognition unit 102 performs recognition processing of the color code image 811, for example, according to the procedure described in JP 2017-199306 A.

When the color code recognition unit 102 recognizes the color code image 811, it detects the images of each cell from the color code image 811. The process proceeds to step S54, where the color code recognition unit 102 recognizes the color information of each cell detected in step S53 and the connection information of each cell as symbol information.

The color code recognition unit 102 restores the color code ID coded in the color code image 811 by decoding the symbol information according to the coding rules shown in FIG. 8(A), for example. The label color recognition unit 104 of the recognition unit 44 proceeds to step S55 and recognizes the border color of the peripheral portion 812 of the work instruction sheet 810 from the captured images and videos acquired by the captured image acquisition unit 42.

Proceeding to step S56, the color code recognition unit 102 provides, for example, the identification information of the camera 18a that captured the color code image 811 and the color code ID restored by decoding to the job management unit 34. In addition, the label color recognition unit 104 provides, for example, the identification information of the camera 18a that captured the color code image 811 and the border color of the peripheral portion 812 of the recognized work instruction sheet 810 to the job management unit 34. The job management unit 34 refers to the job management table storage unit 48 to identify the job ID and sub-number corresponding to the color code ID.

The job management unit 34 can update the job status managed in the job management table from "undetected" to "passed" or the like based on, for example, the identification information of the camera 18a that captured the color code image 811 and the job ID and branch number corresponding to the color code ID restored from the color code image 811. The job management unit 34 can also manage the work instructions 810 of the same color code image 811 by distinguishing them by label name based on, for example, the identification information of the camera 18a that captured the color code image 811, the job ID and branch number corresponding to the color code ID restored from the color code image 811, and the border color of the peripheral part 812 of the recognized work instructions 810. Note that the color code ID may correspond to all of the job ID, branch number, and label name (label identification information), and the parent job, child job, and part may all be identified by the color code ID alone, or the job ID, branch number, and label name (label identification information) may be directly included in the color code.

Job Inquiry
An operator or worker of the job management system 1 can refer to progress information and history information of the work process of a job in a printing factory, a photographed image file or a photographed video file showing the state when the work instruction sheet 810 was photographed, a map view, an area view, and the like, by using various UI screens provided by the work process management system 14. The UI screens are displayed on the display device 502 of the computer 500. The UI screens may be displayed on the operation screen of the printer 16, or on the operation screen of a DFE (Digital Front End) device that is connected to the printer 16 and processes job information received from the computer 500 and transmits it to the printer. Alternatively, the UI screens may be displayed on a touch panel or the like of a mobile terminal connected to the job management system 1. Screen information and screen parts for displaying the UI screens are created by the work process management system 14, the customer system 10, or the like, and transmitted to each device. The UI screens may be screen information displayed on the software of the device, or web page information displayed on the web browser of the device.

Figure 16 is a transition diagram of an example of a UI screen displayed by the work process management system. The UI unit 30 of the work process management system 14 displays, for example, a job status list screen 1100 on the display device 502. The job status list screen 1100 in Figure 16 displays a list of job information including the job ID, label name, sub-number, time of last update, and progress information of one or more work processes. Note that updates are performed at a predetermined time interval, such as every 30 seconds or every 5 minutes, by taking images with all of the cameras 18 and recognizing the color code and border color of the work instruction sheet 810 from the captured images. Note that updates may be performed only when the factory is operating, or the update interval may be changed depending on the time of day, such as whether it is the main operation time or not.

The progress information of one or more work processes indicates whether the progress of the work process is "undetected", "passed", "current process", or "alert", for example, with "○: undetected", "●: passed", "◎: current process", or "×: alert". The progress of the work process "undetected" indicates that the work instruction sheet 810 for the information processing system 12 has not been photographed by the camera 18 corresponding to the work process. The progress of the work process "passed" indicates that the work instruction sheet 810 for the information processing system 12 was recognized by the camera 18 corresponding to the work process in an image taken at the time of the update before the last update. The progress of the work process "current process" indicates that the work instruction sheet 810 for the information processing system 12 was recognized by the camera 18 corresponding to the work process in an image taken at the last update. The progress of the work process "alert" indicates that an alert has occurred, such as a stay alert that notifies that the work instruction sheet 810 has stayed in the same place for more than a specified time, or that it cannot be recognized for more than a specified time.

The label name on the job status list screen 1100 is the same as the label name read out, for example, from the border color setting table in FIG. 12 using the border color of the peripheral portion 812 of the recognized work instruction sheet 810 as a search key.

An operator or worker can display a job details history screen by selecting one job ID from the job status list screen 1100. The job details history screen may display the branch numbers of parent and child jobs for each label name of the selected job ID "ABCDE", the time recognized at the last update, and the location. In addition, the job details history screen 1110 may display buttons imitating a camera or video for transitioning to a screen that displays captured images and videos of parent and child jobs for each label name indicating parts included in the job.

When the button 1102 for transitioning to the map display screen 1200 of the job is pressed, the UI unit 30 transitions to the map display screen 1200 shown in FIG. 17, for example. FIG. 17 is an image diagram of an example of a map display screen displaying the entire factory. The UI unit 30 displays, for example, a photographed image of the entire factory in the background, and displays the location of the printed matter so that it can be identified with a mark such as "●". The color of the mark "●" indicating the location of the printed matter may indicate the progress of the work process of the job represented by the mark. The corresponding printed matter may be displayed with a mark such as "●" based on the recognition result of the work instruction sheet 810. The color of the "●" mark may be set using the color information of the label so that it is the same color as or similar to the color of the label indicating the part.

Map display screen 1200 in FIG. 17 displays multiple storage areas (preparation areas) in an identifiable manner. By selecting, for example, storage area 1202 from map display screen 1200 in FIG. 17, the user can transition to area display screen 1300 shown in FIG. 18 for the selected storage area 1202. Area display screen 1300 is an example of a screen that maps the selected storage area 1202 and displays events that have occurred in that storage area 1202.

Figure 18 is an image diagram of an example of an area display screen that displays a storage area. The UI unit 30 divides, for example, the selected storage area 1202 into detailed areas 1302, and displays the location of printed materials so that they can be identified with a mark such as "●". In the area display screen 1300 of Figure 18, a mark such as "●" is displayed for, for example, printed materials that are job work objects detected using the work instructions 810 for the information processing system 12, and the location of the pallet that transports the printed materials.

In addition, in the area display screen 1300 of FIG. 18, a distinguishing color may be assigned to a mark such as "●" for each job ID. For example, in the example of FIG. 18, the default color of the mark may be displayed as gray, and by pressing button 1304 or 1306, a distinguishing color such as blue or red may be assigned to each mark of the job ID corresponding to the pressed button 1304 or 1306. Alternatively, the color of the "●" mark may be set using the color information of the label so that it is the same color as or similar to the color of the label indicating the part.

The area display screen 1300 displays a log display field 1308 that displays events that have occurred in the selected storage area 1202 as a log. The log display field 1308 displays events such as the entry and exit of pallets or the like identified by a job ID into and from the storage area 1202, and the occurrence of errors.

In addition, on the right side of the area display screen 1300 in FIG. 18, notification information 1310 for the user is displayed. The notification information 1310 for the user displays a state in which all parent jobs and child jobs linked to a job ID are complete (preparation for the next work process is complete), a state in which multiple child jobs linked to one parent job out of multiple parent jobs (parts) are complete, or a state in which an alert has been issued.

Note that the notification information 1310 for the user in FIG. 18 includes colored buttons 1304 and 1306. For example, on the area display screen 1300 in FIG. 18, pressing the blue colored button 1304 changes the mark for the job ID "123456" corresponding to the blue colored button 1304 to blue. Also, on the area display screen 1300 in FIG. 18, pressing the red colored button 1306 changes the mark for the job ID "874632" corresponding to the red colored button 1306 to red.

By checking the area display screen 1300 in FIG. 18, an operator or worker can easily recognize that the parent job required for the next work process and all child jobs split off from that parent job are ready, and preparations for the next work process are complete, even if there are child jobs split off from the parent job. Also, by checking the area display screen 1300 in FIG. 18, an operator or worker can easily recognize that an alert has been issued.

As described above, the work process management system 14 according to this embodiment can print a work instruction sheet 810 for an information processing system with the periphery 812 outlined in a border color, and can use the border color of the work instruction sheet 810 as a label associated with the content of the job. By using the border color of the work instruction sheet 810 as a label associated with the content of the job, the work process management system 14 can easily manage the divided jobs using the work instruction sheet 810.

In addition, in the work process management system 14 according to this embodiment, the work instructions 810 are outlined with a border color, which improves visibility. This makes it easier for the worker to find the intended work instructions 810, improving work efficiency. In addition, the improved visibility of the work instructions 810 can prevent the worker from leaving the work instructions 810 behind or forgetting to attach them.

In addition, in the work process management system 14 according to this embodiment, by using a work instruction sheet 810 printed on white paper instead of a work instruction sheet showing the job contents on colored paper, a technique for expressing codes in color, such as a color code image 811, which is easily affected by colored paper, can be used in the work instruction sheet 810. In this way, in the work process management system 14 according to this embodiment, by showing the job contents in the border color of the work instruction sheet 810, it is possible to achieve both the effect of making the job contents intuitively visible and the effect of the technique for expressing codes in color, such as a color code image 811.

Second Embodiment
In the first embodiment, the work instruction manual 810 for the information processing system 12 is created in the work process management system 14. In the second embodiment, the work instruction manual 810 for the information processing system 12 is created in the customer system 10. The second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except for some parts. Therefore, the same parts as the first embodiment will not be described as appropriate.

<System Configuration>
Fig. 19 is a functional configuration diagram of another example of the work process management system. The work process management system 14a in Fig. 19 has a configuration in which the color-coded work instruction creation unit 38 and the print instruction unit 40 are removed from the work process management system 14 in Fig. 4. On the other hand, the customer system 10a has a color-coded work instruction creation unit 60 and a print instruction unit 62 added thereto.

In the job management system 1 according to the second embodiment, the process up to the generation of the color code image 811 is performed in the work process management system 14a in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and steps S14 and S15 in FIG. 6 are performed in the color-coded work instruction creation unit 60 and print instruction unit 62 of the customer system 10a.

The job management system 1 according to the second embodiment can achieve the same effects as the job management system 1 according to the first embodiment.

[Third embodiment]
In the above-described first and second embodiments, an example has been described in which the work instructions 810 for the information processing system 12 are printed on a print medium such as paper by the printer 16, but the work instructions 810 may also be displayed on a display medium (display device) such as electronic paper or an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display).

Figure 20 is a functional configuration diagram of another example of a work process management system. The work process management system 14 in Figure 20 has a configuration in which the print instruction unit 40 of the work process management system 14 in Figure 4 is replaced with a display instruction unit 140. The display instruction unit 140 instructs the display device to display a work instruction sheet 810 for the information processing system 12 to which the color code image 811 in Figure 2 (B) is added and the peripheral portion 812 is outlined with a border color.

In response to an instruction from the display instruction unit 140, the display device displays a color-coded work instruction sheet 810 (work instruction sheet 810 for the information processing system 12) with the periphery 812 outlined in a border color, for example, as shown in FIG. 2(B).

[Fourth embodiment]
The above-mentioned first to third embodiments have been described with respect to the management of the work process of a job in a printing factory, but the present invention can also be applied to the management of the work process of an object flowing on a belt conveyer. For example, if the technology of the present embodiment is applied to the management of the work process of an object flowing on a belt conveyer, it becomes possible to track the object flowing on the belt conveyer, and it is also possible to control the branching of the belt conveyer.

The above-described first to third embodiments can also be applied to the technology of transport systems, such as AGVs (automated guided vehicles). For example, in a transport system that transports an item, a color code image 811 is given to the item, and a work instruction sheet 810 for the information processing system 12 with a periphery 812 outlined in a border color is attached to the item, and the item is photographed by the camera 18 during transport, so that the work process of the item being transported by the transport device can be managed. In addition, since the position of the transport device transporting the item and the destination of the item can be identified, the transport system can also control the movement of the transport device transporting the item.

[Modification]
In the above, the border color of the work instruction sheet 810 is treated as a label, but if the color of a marker such as a mark or the color of text is treated as a label, for example, the border color setting table in Fig. 12 can be replaced with a marker color setting table or a text color setting table. The marker color setting table has items corresponding to label names and marker colors. The text color setting table has items corresponding to label names and text colors. Therefore, the color of the marker or text in the work instruction sheet 810 is the marker color or text color associated with the label name included in the job information.

The present invention is not limited to the specifically disclosed embodiments above, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the claims. The color-coded work instruction creation unit 38 is an example of a creation means. The print instruction unit 40 is an example of an instruction means. The printer 16 is an example of a printing means and a printing device.

The job management unit 34 is an example of a management means. The cameras 18a and 18b are an example of an image capturing means. The recognition unit 44 is an example of a recognition means. The work process management system 14 is an example of an information processing device. The parent voucher is an example of a first voucher. The child voucher is an example of a second voucher. The area display screen 1300 is an example of a user interface.

LIST OF SYMBOLS 1 Job management system 10 Customer system 12 Information processing system 14 Work process management system 16 Printer 18, 18a, 18b Camera 20 Network 30 UI section 32 Job ID detection section 34 Job management section 36 Color code image generation section 38, 60 Color-coded work instruction creation section 40, 62 Print instruction section 42 Photographed image acquisition section 44 Recognition section 46 Color code management table storage section 48 Job management table storage section 50 Setting section 52 Hot folder setting table storage section 54 Label setting table storage section 56 Border color setting table storage section 102 Color code recognition section 104 Label color recognition section 140 Display instruction section 800 Work instruction for customer system 801 Barcode image 810 Work instruction for information processing system 811 Color code image 812 Peripheral section 1100 Job status list screen 1200 Map display screen 1300 Area display screen

JP 2005-100298 A

Claims (13)

1. An information processing system that prints a slip for identifying a job and manages the job using the slip,
a creating means for creating image data of a first invoice in which a predetermined area of the invoice is colored in a predetermined color associated with one or more parts that constitute the final product of the job identified by the invoice, and image data of a second invoice in which the predetermined color of the predetermined area is inherited from the first invoice;
an instruction means for instructing printing of the first voucher and the second voucher using image data of the first voucher and the second voucher;
a printing means for printing the first voucher and the second voucher based on image data of the first voucher and the second voucher;
one or more image capture means that are installed at locations corresponding to one or more work steps of the job and capture images of the first slip and the second slip;
a recognition means for recognizing the predetermined color of the predetermined area from the captured images of the first and second slips;
a management means for managing the status of the job identified by the first slip and the second slip by using the predetermined color of the predetermined area of the first slip and the second slip as a label ;
having
The management means manages the positions of one or more parts included in the job by recognizing one or more of the first slips or the second slips at a location photographed by the photographing means based on the photographing means for photographing the first slip and the second slip and the predetermined color of the predetermined area recognized from the photographed images of the first slip and the second slip.
An information processing system comprising : The creating means includes:
a first creating means for creating the image data of the first slip using the predetermined colors corresponding to the one or more parts by processing the image data of the original slip based on predetermined rules;
a second creating means for creating one or more image data of the second slip using the predetermined color corresponding to the image data of the first slip;
Including,
The information processing system according to claim 1 . the first creation means creates the image data of the first voucher in accordance with the predetermined rule set in a predetermined folder in response to storing the image data of the original voucher in the predetermined folder;
the second creation means creates image data of the second slip in accordance with the input number by specifying the image data of the first slip or a job corresponding to the first slip in a predetermined manner;
The information processing system according to claim 2 . The predetermined rule used by the first creating means is
For each of the one or more folders,
the predetermined color corresponding to each of one or more of the parts;
a printer that prints the image data of the first slip with the predetermined color applied to the predetermined area;
The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein the above can be set. The information processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that when the first invoice and the second invoice separated from the first invoice are gathered in the specified location, the management means displays that fact on a user interface. 6. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the management means displays, on a user interface, the location of the first invoice and the second invoice separated from the first invoice. 7. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the slip is attached to one or more parts constituting a final product of the job, or to a transport device for transporting a work target. 8. An information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined area is an area that is a predetermined distance from an edge of a recording medium on which the slip is printed. 9. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said creating means creates image data of the slip including a code image used to identify one or more jobs. 10. The information processing system according to claim 9 , wherein the code image is a color code image. the job includes a printing process;
The final product of the job is a booklet;
the one or more parts constituting the final product are one or more printed materials constituting the booklet,
The voucher is a work instruction sheet that describes the work or equipment required to produce the booklet,
the first slip is created by applying a predetermined color corresponding to each of the one or more printed materials constituting the booklet to the work instruction sheet;
When a place for placing one of the printed matters is divided into a plurality of places, the second slip is created in the plurality of places while retaining the predetermined color.
11. An information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 10 . an information processing device that causes a printing device to print a slip for identifying a job and manages the job using the slip;
a creating means for creating image data of a first invoice in which a predetermined area of the invoice is colored in a predetermined color associated with one or more parts that constitute the final product of the job identified by the invoice, and image data of a second invoice in which the predetermined color of the predetermined area is inherited from the first invoice;
an instruction means for instructing the printing device to print the first voucher and the second voucher using image data of the first voucher and the second voucher;
a recognition means for recognizing the predetermined color of the predetermined area from images of the first slip and the second slip captured by one or more image capturing means for capturing images of the first slip and the second slip, the recognition means being installed at a location corresponding to one or more work steps of the job;
a management means for managing the status of the job identified by the first slip and the second slip by using the predetermined color of the predetermined area of the first slip and the second slip as a label ;
Function as a
The management means manages the positions of one or more parts included in the job by recognizing one or more of the first slips or the second slips at a location photographed by the photographing means based on the photographing means for photographing the first slip and the second slip and the predetermined color of the predetermined area recognized from the photographed images of the first slip and the second slip.
A program characterized by . 1. An information processing apparatus that causes a printing device to print a slip for identifying a job, and manages the job using the slip,
a creating means for creating image data of a first invoice in which a predetermined area of the invoice is colored in a predetermined color associated with one or more parts that constitute the final product of the job identified by the invoice, and image data of a second invoice in which the predetermined color of the predetermined area is inherited from the first invoice;
an instruction means for instructing the printing device to print the first voucher and the second voucher using image data of the first voucher and the second voucher;
a recognition means for recognizing the predetermined color of the predetermined area from images of the first slip and the second slip captured by one or more image capturing means for capturing images of the first slip and the second slip, the recognition means being installed at a location corresponding to one or more work steps of the job;
a management means for managing the status of the job identified by the first slip and the second slip by using the predetermined color of the predetermined area of the first slip and the second slip as a label ;
having
The management means manages the positions of one or more parts included in the job by recognizing one or more of the first slips or the second slips at a location photographed by the photographing means based on the photographing means for photographing the first slip and the second slip and the predetermined color of the predetermined area recognized from the photographed images of the first slip and the second slip.
An information processing device comprising :

Images