Inventory management system and inventory management device

Abstract

To detect bringing in and taking out of an article with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: An inventory management system of the present invention comprises: an article detection device that has an antenna for reading a tag attached to an article and detects a direction of passage of the article; and an inventory management device that manages as inventory information that the article has been brought into a living space and that the article has been taken out of the living space. Further, the antenna changes a direction of irradiation of electric waves that detect the article according to a positional relation between the article detection device and the article.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inventory management system and an inventory management device. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, technology that automatically knows the location or consumption rate of items, including food and daily necessities, in living spaces has become widespread. The inventory management system in Patent Document 1 acquires the weights and images of items stored in a storage space in chronological order, and identifies items that have been removed from the storage space based on the weight differences and image differences. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-034819 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The inventory management system of Patent Document 1 is premised on dividing a house into many compartments and arranging a weight sensor and a camera for each of the compartments. However, in reality, when there are many compartments such as rooms, when the compartments have complex shapes, or when furniture and the like are placed in the compartments causing blind spots, many weight sensors and cameras are required, which is disadvantageous in terms of cost. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to detect the taking-out and bringing-in of an article with a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The inventory management system of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises an item detection device having an antenna for reading tags attached to items and detecting the direction in which the items pass, and an inventory management device for managing as inventory information the items being brought into a living space and the items being taken out of the living space. Other means will be described in the description of the embodiment of the invention. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, taking out and bringing in of an article can be detected with a simple configuration. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an inventory management device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an object detection device. [Figure 3A] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a type (mat type) of an object detection device. [Figure 3B] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a type (basket type) of the object detection device. [Figure 3C] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a type (handrail type) of an object detection device. [Figure 3D] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a type (gate type) of an article detection device. [Figure 3E] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a type (illumination type) of an object detection device. [Figure 4A] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a type (door type) of an object detection device. [Figure 4B] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a type (gatepost type) of an object detection device. [Diagram 5] 11 is an example of read information. [Figure 6] 13 is an example of inventory information. [Figure 7] 13 is a flowchart of a processing procedure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention (referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described in detail with reference to the drawings and the like. The present embodiment is an example of bringing food into a living space or taking food out of a living space. However, the present invention is also generally applicable to examples of bringing items other than food into a living space or taking items other than food out of a living space. In the present embodiment, food is a representative example of an item.

[0009] (Inventory management device) 1 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of an inventory management device 10. The inventory management device 10 is a general computer (server, personal computer, etc.). The inventory management device 10 includes a central control device 13, an input device 14 such as a mouse, keyboard, touch panel, etc., an output device 15 such as a display, a main memory device 12, an auxiliary memory device 11, and a communication device 16. These are connected to each other via a bus 17.

[0010] The auxiliary storage device 11 stores read information 11a and inventory information 11b. The read information 11a stores information read by the antenna 31 (described in detail later in FIG. 6). The inventory information 11b stores information related to the inventory of food in the living space K1 (described in detail later in FIG. 7).

[0011] The input / output processing unit 12a and the inventory management unit 12b in the main memory device 12 are programs. The central control device 13 realizes the functions of each program (described in detail later) by reading these programs from the auxiliary memory device 11 and loading them into the main memory device 12. The auxiliary memory device 11 may be configured independent of the inventory management device 10.

[0012] In the living space K1, there are a refrigerator 2, an object detection device 30, and a storage space 40. The refrigerator 2 may be a general storage unit including a food storage unit and a food shelf without a cooling function. There may be a plurality of refrigerators 2 (storage units).

[0013] The article detection device 30 is a gate disposed near the entrance (front door) of the living space K1. The article detection device 30 has an antenna 31. The storage space 40 is an arbitrary space for storing articles in the living space K1. The storage space 40 is distinguished from the refrigerator 2.

[0014] In this embodiment, an RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier) ​​tag 4 is affixed to each food item F1. The RFID tag 4 is freely detachable from the item (food). An electronic chip in the RFID tag 4 stores various data relating to the food. This various data includes the manufacturer's name, item name (food name), etc., and is collectively referred to as "tag information." The antenna 31 reads the tag information by irradiating the RFID tag 4 with radio waves (or magnetic fields) and receiving the reflected radio waves (radio waves (response waves) to which the RFID tag 4 responds). The RFID tag 4 is an example of a wireless tag.

[0015] In this embodiment, the distance between the food (RFID tag 4) contained in the storage space 40 and the antenna 31 is sufficiently large. Furthermore, radio waves are blocked by the housing of the storage space 40. Therefore, radio waves from the antenna 31 do not reach the storage space 40. Even if they did reach the inside of the storage space 40, the reflected radio waves (response waves) would not reach the antenna 31.

[0016] A certain food F1 is brought into the living space K1 and then passed through the item detection device 30. At this time, the antenna 31 reads the tag information. The food F1 is then stored in either the refrigerator 2 or the storage space 40. When it is time to cook the food F1, the food F1 is taken out of the refrigerator 2 etc. When the food F1 is consumed, the RFID tag 4 is passed through the item detection device 30 again together with garbage etc., and then the food F1 is taken out of the living space K1.

[0017] The inventory management device 10 can communicate with the antenna 31 via the network N1, and can also control the radio wave emission timing and emission power. The inventory management device 10 and the item detection device 30 configure the inventory management system 1. The mobile terminal device 3 is used, for example, by a user of the refrigerator 2 (i.e., a user of food or items), and is connected to the network N1.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the article detection device 30. The article detection device 30 in FIG. 2 is disposed near the entrance of the living space K1, and has, for example, a thin, flat shape (mat shape). The article detection device 30 has antennas 31 (31a and 31b), a storage battery 33, and a control device 34 that controls them. The article detection device 30 usually has two antennas 31a and 31b in the traffic direction of the living space K1. That is, the distance between the antenna 31a and the food F1 (article) is different from the distance between the antenna 31b and the food F1. Each antenna can change the direction of irradiation of radio waves depending on the positional relationship between the article detection device 30 and the food F1. The antennas 31a and 31b are preferably phased array antennas. Note that the thick dashed arrow shown in FIG. 2 is an example of an expected passing direction of the food F1 (RFID tag 4). The food F1 does not need to pass directly above the antennas 31a and 31b.

[0019] The antennas 31a and 31b irradiate radio waves to the RFID tag 4 affixed to the food F1, either when the food F1 passes near the article detection device 30, or periodically even without such an occasion, to read the tag information. The antennas 31a and 31b further perform predetermined communication with the inventory management device 10 via a wired or wireless network N1. In addition to the shape shown in FIG. 2, the article detection device 30 may have a structure in which the antennas 31a and 31b are built into the handrail or gate of the entrance (details will be described later). Hereinafter, the set of antennas 31a and 31b may be referred to as "antenna 31", and a single antenna that is not a set may be referred to as "antenna 31".

[0020] When food F1 passes near the item detection device 30, antenna 31a and antenna 31b each detect radio waves (response waves) reflected by the RFID tag 4 attached to the food F1. As the food F1 approaches antenna 31a, the reception strength with which antenna 31a receives the reflected radio waves (response waves) from the RFID tag 4 increases, and as the food F1 moves away from antenna 31a, the reception strength decreases. The same is true for antenna 31b.

[0021] Assume now that antenna 31a is located closer to the entrance (front door) of living space K1 than antenna 31b. When food F1 is brought into living space K1, the time when the reception strength of antenna 31a reaches its peak is slightly earlier than the time when the reception strength of antenna 31b reaches its peak. When food F1 is taken out of living space K1, the opposite is true. In other words, the object detection device 30 can detect the passing direction (bringing in / taking out) of the RFID tag 4 attached to food F1.

[0022] The article detection device 30 can also detect the passing direction of the RFID tag 4 by differentiating the radiation direction of the radio waves from the antenna 31a and the antenna 31b. For example, assume that the radiation direction of the antenna 31a is oriented closer to the entrance of the living space K1 than the radiation direction of the antenna 31b. Even in this case, when food F1 is brought into the living space K1, the time when the reception strength of the antenna 31a reaches its peak is slightly earlier than the time when the reception strength of the antenna 31b reaches its peak. The opposite is true when food F1 is taken out of the living space K1.

[0023] 3A to 3E, 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining types of the article detection device 30. The article detection device 30 can be installed at any position within the living space K1. (Fig. 3A: Matte type) The mat-type article detection device 30 has the shape of a mat to be laid on the floor. Two plate-shaped antennas 31 are installed on the mat-type article detection device 30. The dashed arrows indicate the direction in which radio waves are emitted. In FIG. 3, the dashed arrows cross at 90 degrees, but this is merely an example. The mat-type article detection device 30 is placed on the floor of an entrance or the like where a user passes through with food F1.

[0024] (Fig. 3B: Basket type) The basket-type object detection device 30 has the shape of a basket placed on the floor. There are two types of basket: a basket type (type 1) having one plate-shaped antenna 31, and a basket type (type 2) having two plate-shaped antennas 31. In FIG. 3B, these two types are shown in one diagram. The basket-type object detection device 30 is placed at the kitchen entrance or the like when a user temporarily stores food F1 in the basket.

[0025] <Basket type (part 1)> The basket type (first) object detection device 30 has one plate-shaped antenna 31 installed on the inside of its bottom surface. When the user brings food F1 into the living space K1, the food F1 gradually approaches the object detection device 30 and eventually stops at the bottom surface. When the user takes the food F1 out of the living space K1, the food F1 is initially stationary, but then gradually moves away from the bottom surface of the object detection device 30. In other words, the time-series reception strength is either a simple increase followed by a constant (brought in) or a constant and then a simple decrease (taken out). In other words, the passage direction of the food F1 is clear depending on the time axis change of the waveform, so one antenna 31 is sufficient. The dashed arrow indicates the irradiation direction of the radio wave. In FIG. 3B, the dashed arrow intersects with the bottom surface of the basket at 45 degrees, but this is merely an example.

[0026] <Basket type (part 2)> The basket-type (2) object detection device 30 has one plate-shaped antenna 31 installed on the inside of its bottom surface, and another plate-shaped antenna 31 installed on the inside of its side surface. Two dashed arrows pointing upward and downward are extended from the antenna 31 on the inside of the side surface. The mechanism by which these two antennas 31 detect the passing direction of food F1 is as described above.

[0027] (Fig. 3C: Handrail type) The handrail type article detection device 30 has the shape of a handrail installed on a wall surface. Two plate-shaped or rod-shaped antennas 31 are installed on the handrail type article detection device 30. The dashed arrow indicates the direction of radio wave irradiation. The handrail type article detection device 30 is placed on the wall surface near the entrance step when a user passes through the entrance step with food F1 in hand.

[0028] (Fig. 3D: Gate type) The gate-type article detection device 30 has the shape of a pair of gates placed on the floor. Two plate-shaped or rod-shaped antennas 31 are installed facing each other in the gate-type article detection device 30. The dashed arrow indicates the direction of radio wave irradiation. When one antenna is a main antenna and the other is a slave antenna, a coaxial cable connects them. When a user passes through the entrance step with food F1 in hand, the gate-type article detection device 30 is placed on the floor near the entrance step.

[0029] (Fig. 3E: Lighting type) The lighting-type object detection device 30 has the shape of a ceiling light in an entranceway (it is incorporated in the ceiling light). The lighting-type object detection device 30 is equipped with one plate-shaped antenna 31. When the user brings food F1 into the living space K1, the user turns the light switch from "OFF" to "ON". When the user takes food F1 out of the living space K1, the user turns the light switch from "ON" to "OFF". In other words, the direction in which the food F1 passes through is clear by the change in the light switch, so one antenna is sufficient. The dashed arrow indicates the direction of irradiation of the radio wave. The lighting-type object detection device 30 is placed on the ceiling surface of the entranceway or the like through which the user passes with the food F1. However, whether the "ON / OFF" switching of the light switch corresponds to "taking out / bringing in" as described above depends on the user (environment). Here, it is important that the number of antennas 31 can be reduced depending on the user (environment).

[0030] (Fig. 4A: Door type) The door-type article detection device 30 has the shape of a door and door frame. Two plate-shaped antennas 31 or rod-shaped antennas (one on the door side and one on the door frame side) are installed in the door-type article detection device 30. The dashed arrow indicates the direction in which the radio waves are emitted. The door-type article detection device 30 is placed on the door and door frame when a user passes through the door of an apartment building or the like while carrying food F1.

[0031] (Fig. 4B: Gatepost type) The gatepost-type article detection device 30 has the shape of a pair of gateposts to be placed at the entrance to a premises. The gatepost-type article detection device 30 has two plate-shaped or rod-shaped antennas 31 installed facing each other. The dashed arrow indicates the direction of radio wave irradiation. The gate-type article detection device 30 is placed at the entrance to the premises where a user passes through carrying food F1. When a user holds food F1 in a bag-like container or the like and passes between multiple antennas 31, the user may block the radio waves from one of the antennas 31. Even in this case, the RFID tag 4 affixed to the food can be detected by radio waves from another antenna 31. This helps to reduce false detection or non-detection.

[0032] (Number of object detection devices 30) In the above, a basic example in which one of each type of article detection device 30 exists has been described. However, two article detection devices 30 may exist, for example, one at the entrance and one at the back door. Furthermore, when one article detection device 30 has two antennas 31, the two antennas 31 may be disposed separately at the entrance and the back door.

[0033] 5 is an example of the read information 11a. In the read information 11a, in association with the manufacturer name stored in the manufacturer name column 151, the product name is stored in the product name column 152, the time is stored in the time column 153, the received radio wave strength is stored in the received radio wave strength column 154, the radio wave irradiation direction is stored in the radio wave irradiation direction column 155, the passing direction is stored in the passing direction column 156, and the detection flag is stored in the detection column 157.

[0034] The manufacturer name in the manufacturer name column 151 is the name of the manufacturer (producer) of the food product F1. The manufacturer name is included in the tag information. The item name in the item name column 152 is the name (common noun) of the article including the food F1. The item name is included in the tag information. The time in the time column 153 is the year, month, day, hour, minute and second at the time the item detection device 30 read the RFID tag 4. The antenna 31 radiates radio waves at a predetermined cycle (1 second in FIG. 5).

[0035] The received radio wave strength in the received radio wave strength column 154 is the strength at which the antenna 31 receives the radio wave reflected from the RFID tag 4. In FIG. 5, it is assumed that there are two antennas 31. The "#" in this column is the received radio wave strength of the antenna 31a closer to the entrance, and the "♭" is the received radio wave strength of the other antenna 31b. The underlines indicate the peaks (maximum values) of the received radio wave strength over time. Each "#" abbreviates a different value (similarly for "♭").

[0036] The radio wave irradiation direction in the radio wave irradiation direction column 155 is the direction in which the antenna 31 irradiates radio waves. Among these, the three-dimensional "#,#,#" are elements of a vector indicating the direction of the radio waves irradiated by the antenna 31a closer to the entrance. The three-dimensional "♭,♭,♭" are elements of a vector indicating the direction of the radio waves irradiated by the other antenna 31b. The passing direction in the passing direction field 156 is either "carry-in" or "carry-out". If the peak of "#" in the received radio wave strength field 154 is before the peak of "♭", the passing direction is "carry-in". If the peak of "#" is after the peak of "♭", the passing direction is "carry-out".

[0037] The detection flag in detection column 157 is either "Yes" or "No." "Yes" means that the item detection device 30 will transmit the item name, time, passing direction, etc. that it detects to the inventory management device 10. "No" means that the item detection device 30 will not transmit the item name, time, passing direction, etc. that it detects to the inventory management device 10. Of the detection flags, "Yes" is the general rule, and "No" is the exception.

[0038] Now, assume that the passage direction and the detection flag are "bringing in / taking out," which indicates the following. The object detection device 30 detects that the food F1 has been brought in, and transmits (notifies) that fact to the inventory management device 10. The item detection device 30 detects that the food F1 has been taken out, and transmits (notifies) that fact to the inventory management device 10. In this case, the object detection device 30 is for both carry-in and carry-out detection.

[0039] As another example, assume that the passage direction and the detection flag are "bring-in / yes, take-out / no." This indicates the following. The object detection device 30 detects that the food F1 has been brought in, and transmits (notifies) that fact to the inventory management device 10. The object detection device 30 detects that the food F1 has been taken out, but does not transmit (notify) that fact to the inventory management device 10. In this case, the object detection device 30 is essentially "dedicated to carry-in detection."

[0040] As yet another example, assume that the passage direction and the detection flag are "not bringing in / taking out", which indicates the following. The object detection device 30 detects that the food F1 has been brought in, but does not transmit (notify) that fact to the inventory management device 10. The item detection device 30 detects that the food F1 has been taken out, and transmits (notifies) that fact to the inventory management device 10. In this case, the item detection device 30 is essentially "dedicated to removing detection."

[0041] The distinction between a detection flag being "on" and a detection flag being "off" may be made by the inventory management device 10. That is, in either case, the item detection device 30 transmits the item name, time, passing direction, etc. that it detects to the inventory management device 10. The inventory management device 10 then receives or ignores the transmitted information.

[0042] How the detection flag is set for the passing direction depends on the attributes of the goods including food, the purpose of the user managing the goods, etc. For example, for fresh food that is consumed or discarded within a short time after being brought in, "No" may be set for "Take out." For example, for clothing that is used for a relatively long period after being brought in, "Yes" may be set for both "Bring in" and "Take out."

[0043] 6 is an example of the inventory information 11b. In the inventory information 11b, in association with the manufacturer name stored in the manufacturer name column 161, the item name is stored in the item name column 162, and the time (time column 163a) and status (status column 163b) are stored in the latest tag reading result column 163.

[0044] The manufacturer name in the manufacturer name column 161 is the same as the manufacturer name in FIG. The item names in the item name column 162 are the same as those in FIG. In the latest tag reading result column 163, the time is the same as the time in FIG. In the latest tag reading result column 163, the status is either "brought in" or "taken out." "Brought in" indicates that a certain food F1 has been brought into the living space K1 at that time, and as a result, the food F1 is currently present within the living space K1. "Take out" indicates that a certain food F1 has been taken out of the living space K1 at that time, and as a result, the food F1 is not currently present within the living space K1. Note that, as described below, one of the statuses may also be "consumed / discarded." One or more records of the inventory information 11b are created for each combination of manufacturer name and item name.

[0045] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the processing procedure. In step S101, the input / output processing unit 12a judges whether or not the object detection device 30 has detected the food F1. Here, "detected" is the same as the distinction between "detected" and "not detected" in the detection flag in Fig. 5. If detected (step S101 "Yes"), the input / output processing unit 12a proceeds to step S102. Otherwise (step S101 "No"), the input / output processing unit 21a proceeds to step S103.

[0046] In step S102, the input / output processing unit 12a receives the tag information read by the antenna 31. Then, the inventory management unit 12b uses the tag information to create a record of the inventory information 11b (FIG. 6).

[0047] In step S103, the inventory management unit 12b judges whether the latest tag reading result is "brought in". If the status of the latest tag reading result is "brought in" (step S103 "Yes"), the inventory management unit 12b proceeds to step S104. If the status of the latest tag reading result is "taken out" (step S103 "No"), the inventory management unit 12b proceeds to step S105.

[0048] In step S104, inventory management unit 12b compares the time elapsed since "brought in" with a predetermined threshold and updates the status. If "elapsed time > threshold", inventory management unit 12b updates the status of the food to "consumed / discarded". "Consumed / discarded" means that food F1 has been consumed or discarded. If "elapsed time ≦ threshold", inventory management unit 12b does nothing. The predetermined threshold is the period during which the food is safe to eat. Inventory management unit 12b may display the processing results of steps S103 and S104 to the user via mobile terminal device 3 and accept modifications to the processing results.

[0049] In step S105, the inventory management unit 12b updates the inventory information 11b. That is, if the inventory management unit 12b passes through step S104 and "elapsed time>threshold", the inventory management unit 12b updates the status of the record in the inventory information 11b from "brought in" to "consumed / discarded". The inventory management unit 12b may delete the updated food record from the inventory information 11c. Furthermore, after that, the processing procedure is terminated. As is clear from the above, if "elapsed time>threshold", the status transitions as follows: "brought in → taken out → (deleted)" or "brought in → consumed / discarded → (deleted)". If "elapsed time≦threshold", the status transitions as follows: "brought in → saved / kept". The input / output processing unit 12a can display the inventory information 11b (FIG. 6) on the output device 15 or the mobile terminal device 3 at any timing.

[0050] (Select the direction of travel to be detected) In order to reduce communication loads, information processing loads, etc., or to easily achieve a user's management objectives, it is important to select the passing direction to be detected.

[0051] Focus on the record with the item name "dressing" in FIG. 6. The inventory information 11b shows that a dressing has been brought into the living space K1. If the user completely trusts this, he or she should then focus only on the removal of the dressing. At this time, the input / output processing unit 12a accepts an instruction from the user to "detect only removal from now on" via the input device 14 or the mobile terminal device 3. Then, the inventory management unit 12b transmits an instruction to the item detection device 30 to detect only "removal". Alternatively, the inventory management unit 12b sets itself to ignore notifications of "removal" from the item detection device 30.

[0052] Even if the inventory information 11b indicates that the dressing has been brought into the living space K1, the user may not trust this. In this case, the user may continue to focus on the bringing in of the dressing. At this time, the input / output processing unit 12a accepts an instruction from the user to "detect only bringing in from now on" via the input device 14 or the mobile terminal device 3. Then, the inventory management unit 12b transmits an instruction to detect only "bringing in" to the item detection device 30. Alternatively, the inventory management unit 12b sets itself to ignore notifications of "taking out" from the item detection device 30.

[0053] (Detection by item name) Not all foods F1 have the same importance to the user. The user can select "detect both bringing in and taking out", "detect only bringing in", "detect only taking out", or "do not detect either" for each item name (goods), each manufacturer name, or each combination of manufacturer name and item name.

[0054] It is now assumed that the user selects the following via the input device 14 or the mobile terminal device 3, and that the selection is accepted by the input / output processing unit 12a. <1> Regarding dressings, “Only detect when they are brought in” <2> Regarding green onions, "Only detect taking them out" <3> Regarding beer, “None were detected” <4> Regarding retort curry, "detecting the bringing in and taking out"

[0055] Regarding <1>: When the read tag information includes "dressing", the inventory management unit 12b transmits an instruction to the item detection device 30 to detect only "bringing in". Alternatively, the inventory management unit 12b sets itself to ignore a notification from the item detection device 30 of "taking out" of "dressing".

[0056] Regarding <2>: When the read tag information includes "green onion", the inventory management unit 12b transmits an instruction to the item detection device 30 to detect only "taking out". Alternatively, the inventory management unit 12b sets itself to ignore a notification from the item detection device 30 of "bringing in" of "green onion".

[0057] Regarding <3>: When the read tag information includes "beer", the inventory management unit 12b transmits an instruction to the article detection device 30 not to detect "bring-in" and "take-out". Alternatively, the inventory management unit 12b sets itself to ignore notifications of "bring-in" and "take-out" of "beer" from the article detection device 30.

[0058] Regarding <4>: This is the basic case. When the read tag information includes "retort curry", the inventory management unit 12b transmits an instruction to the object detection device 30 to detect "bring-in" and "take-out". Alternatively, the inventory management unit 12b sets itself to receive notifications of "bring-in" and "take-out" of "retort curry" from the object detection device 30.

[0059] (Read information) The input / output management unit 12a of the inventory management device 10 may acquire item information from an arbitrary external device via the network N1 based on the read information 11a read from the RFID tag 4 attached to the item. If the item information indicates that the item is a food in the refrigerated or frozen temperature range, the inventory management unit 12b of the inventory management device 10 presumes that the item should be stored in the refrigerator 2. If the item information indicates that the item is a room temperature item such as retort curry, the inventory management unit 12b presumes that the item should be stored in the storage space 40 in the kitchen. In this manner, the inventory management unit 12b may allocate storage locations for items (food).

[0060] As another example, the inventory management unit 12b may allocate toothbrushes, toothpaste, bathroom detergent, body soap, etc. to the bathroom storage space 40, and allocate toilet paper, toilet detergent, etc. to the toilet storage space 40. In this way, when the living space K1 is divided into multiple sections according to the user's designation, the inventory management device 10 can manage the inventory of each section without providing an item detection device 30 for each storage location.

[0061] (Effects of this embodiment) The effects of the inventory management system of this embodiment are as follows. (1) The inventory management system can easily manage inventory information of items simply by detecting the direction in which the items pass. (2) The inventory management system can change the direction of the antenna to make it easier to detect items. (3) By equipping the inventory management system with two antennas, the inventory management system can easily detect the direction in which an article passes. (4) The inventory management system can be installed in any location depending on the user's movement patterns. (5) The inventory control system can avoid detecting unnecessary passage directions for the time being.

[0062] (6) The inventory control system can detect only specified items. (7) The inventory control system may only control the removal of items from the inventory. (8) The inventory control system may reconfirm the presence of only those items that have been detected as having been brought in but about which there is uncertainty. (9) The inventory management system allows users to affix tags to items that truly require management. (10) An inventory management system allows a user to view inventory information.

[0063] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but includes various modified examples. For example, the above-described embodiment has been described in detail to easily explain the present invention, and is not necessarily limited to those including all of the configurations described. It is also possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. It is also possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with another configuration.

[0064] In addition, the above-mentioned configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be realized in part or in whole by hardware, for example, by designing them as integrated circuits. In addition, the above-mentioned configurations, functions, etc. may be realized in software by a processor interpreting and executing a program that realizes each function. Information such as the program, table, file, etc. that realizes each function can be stored in a memory, a recording device such as a hard disk or SSD (Solid State Drive), or a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD. In addition, the control lines and information lines are those considered necessary for the explanation, and not all control lines and information lines are necessarily shown in the product. In reality, it may be considered that almost all components are connected to each other. Various information of the inventory management device 10 may be stored on the cloud.

[0065] The wireless tag may be an active tag with a built-in battery, a semi-active tag, or a passive tag without a built-in battery (the communication distance is short because the tag does not have a built-in battery). The RFID tag 4 in this embodiment is a passive tag, but active and semi-active tags are also applicable. When the RFID tag 4 is a passive tag, the RFID tag 4 functions as an active tag when it receives radio waves from the antenna 31. In the case of an active tag, the antenna 31 does not need to have a function of emitting radio waves. In addition, although an example has been shown in which the moving direction of an article is determined based on the reception strength of radio waves by the antennas 31a and 31b, the moving direction of an article may also be determined based on the reception times (difference in reception times) of the radio waves by the antennas 31a and 31b. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1. Inventory management system 2 Refrigerator (storage room) 3. Mobile terminal devices 4. RFID tags (wireless tags) 10 Inventory management device 11 Auxiliary storage 11a Reading information 11b Stock Information 12 Main storage 12a Input / Output Processing Section 12b Inventory Management Department 13 Central Control Unit 14 Input Devices 15 Output Devices 16 Communication equipment 30. Object detection device 31, 31a, 31b Antenna 40 Storage Space F1 Food (goods) K1 living space N1 Network

Claims

1. an article detection device having an antenna for reading a tag attached to an article and detecting a passing direction of the article; an inventory management device that manages, as inventory information, information indicating that the item is brought into the living space and information indicating that the item is taken out of the living space; To have An inventory management system characterized by:

2. The antenna is changing an irradiation direction of radio waves for detecting the object according to a positional relationship between the object detection device and the object; 2. The inventory management system according to claim 1 .

3. The object detection device includes: By having two of the antennas, the passing direction of the article is detected; 3. The inventory management system according to claim 2 .

4. The object detection device includes: It can be installed at any position within the living space; 2. The inventory management system according to claim 1 .

5. The object detection device includes: Selecting a passing direction to be detected in response to an instruction from a user of the article; 4. The inventory management system according to claim 3.

6. The object detection device includes: selecting, for each of the articles, a passing direction to be detected; 6. The inventory management system according to claim 5,

7. The object detection device includes: only detecting when a particular item is removed from the living space when the inventory information indicates that the particular item is brought into the living space; 7. The inventory management system according to claim 6.

8. The object detection device includes: only detecting that a particular item has been brought into the living space if the inventory information indicates that the particular item has been brought into the living space; 7. The inventory management system according to claim 6.

9. The tag is being removable from the article; 9. The inventory management system according to claim 1, wherein:

10. The inventory management device includes: Displaying the inventory information on a terminal device of a user of the item; 9. The inventory management system according to claim 1, wherein:

11. The device has an antenna for reading a tag attached to an article, and is communicatively connected to an article detection device for detecting a passing direction of the article, Managing, as inventory information, information indicating that the item is brought into the living space and information indicating that the item is taken out of the living space; An inventory management device comprising:

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