IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,585,900
Granted Patent B2
US 12,585,900 · App. 18/956,463 · Granted Mar 24, 2026

Process management system, method and information processing apparatus

Inventors: Yuki Nakajima (Kanagawa, JP); Toshifumi Kitamura (Shizuoka, JP); Junna Takase (Shizuoka, JP); Yasuhiro Tomioka (Shizuoka, JP); Yasuhiro Shimura (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
G06K7/10366G06K19/07758
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,585,900
App. No.
18/956,463
Granted
Mar 24, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A process management system includes a management unit that manages section data that defines sections in a real space and process data that indicates an expected location, from among the sections, in which a management target is to be positioned at the time of completing a work process, a first wireless device that is attached to the management target and stores first identification information, at least one reading apparatus that is capable of reading identification information from a wireless device, and a determination unit that checks a location of the management target estimated based on a result of reading of the first identification information from the first wireless device against the expected location by variable granularity depending on type information associated with the management target to determine a status of the work process regarding the management target.

Claims (11)

1 . A process management system comprising:

a management unit configured to manage section data that defines a plurality of sections set in a real space; process data that indicates an expected location, from among the plurality of sections, in which a management target is to be positioned at the time of completing a work process that involves a movement of the management target; and control data for controlling granularity of checking a location of the management target against the expected location;

a first wireless device that is attached to the management target and stores first identification information for identifying the management target;

a second wireless device that is installed in one of the plurality of sections and stores second identification information associated with a corresponding installation section;

a reading apparatus that is capable of reading the first identification information from the first wireless device and the second identification information from the second wireless device;

an estimation unit configured to estimate the location of the management target based on a result of reading of the first identification information from the first wireless device by the reading apparatus and a result of reading of the second identification information from the second wireless device by the reading apparatus; and

a determination unit configured to check the location of the management target estimated by the estimation unit against the expected location to determine a status of the work process regarding the management target;

wherein the section data defines a first-level section set in the real space with first spatial granularity and a second-level section set in the first-level section with second spatial granularity that is finer than the first spatial granularity, and

the determination unit is configured to check the location of the management target against the expected location by variable granularity based on the control data.

2 . The process management system according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit is configured to check the location of the management target against the expected location by the first spatial granularity when the control data indicates that the location should be checked by the first spatial granularity, and by the second spatial granularity when the control data indicates that the location should be checked by the second spatial granularity.

3 . The process management system according to claim 2 , wherein the first-level section and the second-level section correspond to any two of a site, a building, a floor, and a room.

Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-129380 · Aug 15, 2022 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 18449101 · Aug 14, 2023
Related Publication 20250086412A1 · Mar 13, 2025
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