Managing a working environment of a worker who moves in a workplace with a wearable mobile device

{
  "publication_number": "US11290846B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Managing a working environment of a worker who moves in a workplace with a wearable mobile device",
  "abstract": "A method for managing a working environment of a worker who moves in a workplace includes: a measuring process in which a mobile device worn by the worker carries out environment measurement with use of a sensor; a location identifying process in which the mobile device identifies a location at which the measuring process has been carried out; and a transmitting process in which the mobile device transmits, to a management device, (i) a measurement value that has been obtained in the measuring process and (ii) positional information indicative of the location that has been identified in the location identifying process, in association each other.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A method for managing a working environment of a worker who moves in a workplace, comprising: a measuring process in which a mobile device worn by the worker carries out environment measurement with use of a sensor; a location identifying process in which the mobile device identifies a location at which the measuring process has been carried out; and a transmitting process in which the mobile device transmits, to a management device, (i) a measurement value that has been obtained in the measuring process and (ii) positional information indicative of the location that has been identified in the location identifying process, in association with each other, wherein: the sensor includes a dust sensor; and the measurement value indicates a concentration of dust which concentration is measured with use of the dust sensor, the sensor includes an acceleration sensor, and the mobile device shorten intervals of time at which the mobile device carries out the measuring process, as a speed at which the worker moves becomes faster.",
    "2. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an air blowing process in which the mobile device blows air to the dust sensor in a case where the measuring process is carried out.",
    "3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein: the environment measurement is environment measurement on a hazardous substance; and the hazardous substance is free silicic acid.",
    "4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the mobile device carries out the measuring process at the location that is a predetermined location in the workplace.",
    "5. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensor is attached to a main body of the mobile device so that the sensor is exposed to the working environment of the workplace or is connected to the mobile device by wire or wireless.",
    "6. The method as set forth in claim 5, further comprising a notifying process in which the mobile device notifies the worker when the sensor is not attached to the main body of the mobile device in a manner that the sensor is exposed to the environment of the workplace or when the sensor is not connected to the mobile device by wire or wireless connection.",
    "7. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein: the sensor includes an acceleration sensor; and in the location identifying process, the location at which the measuring process has been carried out is identified with reference to (i) an initial location that has been identified by a radio beacon and (ii) an acceleration that has been detected by the acceleration sensor.",
    "8. A mobile device worn by a worker who moves in a workplace, comprising a controller, the controller carrying out each process included in the method recited in claim 1.",
    "9. The mobile device as set forth in claim 8, wherein: the controller includes a processor and a memory; and the processor carries out instructions in accordance with a program stored in the memory."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This Nonprovisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 on Patent Application No. 2019-157297 filed in Japan on Aug. 29, 2019, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.\n\nThe present invention relates to a management method and a mobile device, each of which is for managing a working environment of a worker who moves in a workplace.\n\nGenerally, environment measurement is carried out with use of handy apparatuses and various sensors such as fixed sensors. Note, here, that, in a case where environment measurement is merely carried out with use of various sensors, it is possible to obtain measurement values at locations at which the environment measurement has been carried out, but it is not possible to intuitively and easily understand environmental conditions in large regions. For this reason, a technique of making a map that shows spatial distribution of measurement values that have been obtained by environment measurement has been developed. For example, each of Patent Literatures 1 and 2 discloses such a technique that (a) a robot configured to move in a room carries out environment measurement with use of a sensor and (b) a server (i) receives, from the robot, a measurement value that has been obtained by the environment measurement and (ii) makes a map that shows spatial distribution of measurement values.",
  "cpc": [
    "H04W 4/025",
    "B25J 9/1602",
    "G01D 21/02",
    "G05D 1/0297",
    "G05D 23/1905",
    "G06F 1/1613",
    "H04W 24/10",
    "H04W 4/38"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B25J 9/16",
    "G05D 1/02",
    "G05D 23/19",
    "H04W 24/10",
    "H04W 4/02",
    "H04W 4/38"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "SINTOKOGIO LTD"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "SUZUKI TAKASHI",
    "TAKAYANAGI KEISUKE"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2020-06-12",
  "publication_date": "2022-03-29",
  "grant_date": "2022-03-29",
  "priority_date": "2019-08-29",
  "application_number": "US-202016899798-A",
  "family_id": "74565706",
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  ]
}